Thanksgiving is still two weeks away, but Christmas is already in the air at Tysons Corner Center.

After adding holiday decor to its Plaza earlier this month, including a 40-foot-tall walk-in tree, 10-foot-tall snowflakes and a sleigh, the mall rolled out the red carpet today (Thursday) for Santa Claus, who arrived at 7:30 a.m. for a VIP event in Fashion Court on the first floor outside Nordstrom.

The festivities included holiday cookie decorating, letter-writing and gift bags.

Participants were required to donate $10 Best Buddies, which offers mentorship and support to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The nonprofit relocated its Virginia and D.C. office to Tysons Corner Center last year.

Santa will be in town for photos through Dec. 24. Sessions are available from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sundays, though hours may vary on holidays.

Walk-in visitors will be accepted, but Tysons Corner Center advises pre-booking a time slot to reduce wait times.

Now in his 33rd year appearing at the mall, Santa’s stay will include Pet Nights on Nov. 20 and 27 and Dec. 4, along with a breakfast from 8-9:30 a.m. in the third-level food court on Dec. 2. The breakfast is free for all and will include entertainment, face-painting and other family-friendly activities.

Tysons Corner Center will officially kick off the winter holidays with its annual tree lighting ceremony in the Plaza at 6-8 p.m. on Nov. 17. The “enchanted evening” will include recognition of “a local hero for their commitment to service and passion for education,” according to a press release.

Like in previous years, the ceremony will be accompanied by music and dance performances, a complimentary s’mores and hot chocolate bar, a pop-up retail market, custom drinks from Barrel + Bushel, giveaways and more.

Tysons Corner Center says shoppers can expect additional holiday surprises throughout the next two months.

“Throughout the season, Tysons Corner Center will be delighting its customers with surprise entertainment, festivities, and random acts of kindness, all to enhance their holiday shopping experience,” the mall said in the press release. “For a truly festive holiday, Tysons will feature carolers, gift wrapping, and more surprises to come.”

The mall will be closed on Thanksgiving (Nov. 23), but it will reopen from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. the next day for Black Friday.

It took more than half a century, but Dr. Martens has at last planted a foot in Virginia.

The British shoe company known for its air-cushioned, lace-up boots opened its first store in the Commonwealth on Sept. 8 at Tysons Corner Center, where it sits on the first floor near Macy’s.

An inquiry from FFXnow on why Dr. Martens decided to open a store at the Tysons mall was acknowledged by the company’s press team but didn’t get a response by publication time.

However, a store employee said the opening got an enthusiastic response from locals excited that they no longer have to cross the Potomac River to Georgetown, which previously had the only Dr. Martens in the D.C. area.

Made iconic by The Who lead singer Pete Townshend, Doc Martens boots were first developed by Dr. Klaus Maertens, a doctor in the German Army during World War II who wanted an alternative to the traditional army boot that he could wear while nursing a foot injury. He partnered with a friend who worked as a mechanical engineer and began production in 1947, selling the shoes primarily to older women, according to the company’s website.

About a decade later, the boot was bought by a British company, which made some tweaks and gave it the branding “Airwair.” Initially treated as a work boot, the 1460 model — named after its launch date of April 1, 1960 — later became popular among punks and skinheads as a symbol of working-class pride and youthful defiance.

Eventually, the look was embraced by high-end designer labels, such as Alexander McQueen and Dolce & Gabbana, that produced similar, military-style boots, according to the New York Times. The 1460 boots now cost over $100.

Having a cocktail in hand might help shoppers channel that original rebellious spirit, but Dr. Martens is not among the retailers participating in Tysons Corner Center’s new public drinking program.

(Updated at 2 p.m. on 11/2/2023) The “sip and stroll” trend has arrived at Tysons Corner Center.

The D.C. region’s largest mall launched a “Shopping with a Twist” initiative today (Wednesday), letting visitors 21 and older drink alcoholic beverages from participating restaurants while in stores and common areas.

Public drinking is already permitted at some other local shopping centers, including Fairfax Corner, Reston Town Center and the Mosaic District in Merrifield, but Tysons Corner Center says it’s the first indoor mall in the D.C. area to allow public cocktail consumption.

“As the #1 shopping destination in the region, Tysons Corner Center is dedicated to providing an elevated shopping experience for our customers,” said Jesse Benites, director of property management for mall owner, Macerich. “This program adds a premier amenity which is unique to indoor centers in the area. We are very pleased with the high level of participation from our restaurants and retailers, and look forward to the positive results this program will have on their businesses.”

The “Shopping with a Twist” policy will be in effect during the mall’s regular hours of 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m.-7 p.m. on Sunday, though each restaurant’s hours may vary.

Cocktails will be permitted on the Plaza and in common areas of the mall, but not in the parking garages or lots. They can also be taken into retail stores marked with “C’mon in with your drink” signs.

“Beverages must be in a logo’d disposable cup provided by the restaurant where the drink was purchased,” Tysons Corner Center said in a press release. “Only alcoholic beverages purchased from participating restaurants may be taken outside the restaurant and into the shopping center. No outside alcohol is permitted.”

The participating restaurants are:

• American Girl Bistro
• Barrel & Bushel
• California Pizza Kitchen
• Earls Kitchen + Bar
• Eddie V’s
• La Sandia
• Seasons 52
• Shake Shack
• TGI Fridays

The mall urges customers to “drink responsibly,” noting that Macerich and the restaurants “reserve the right to refuse service for any reason.”

There will be an official launch event for “Shopping with a Twist” next Wednesday, Nov. 8 from 5-8 p.m., starting with a reception from 5-5:30 p.m. on the Plaza.

“The first 100 shoppers to arrive will receive a gift bag and a $25 gift card from one of our participating restaurants,” the press release says. “Centerwide there will be special entertainment and all participating restaurants will be offering custom cocktails and drink specials created just for the evening.”

(Updated at 3:45 p.m.) A stolen vehicle wound up on top of a gas pump after a brief police chase near Tysons Corner Center yesterday (Monday).

Fairfax County police arrested a man suspected of larceny and carjacking after he crashed into the Shell gas station at 8103 Leesburg Pike around 4:36 p.m., according to the police scanner on Open MHz.

“The suspect was running from the mall after committing a larceny when he carjacked a second victim in a parking garage,” the Fairfax County Police Department said. “He left the location at a high rate of speed and crashed a short distance away.”

According to an update from FCPD, an officer responded to a store in Tysons Corner Center at 4:32 p.m. after loss prevention personnel reported seeing the man — identified as a 20-year-old from D.C. — steal “over $2,500 worth of merchandise.”

Upon seeing the officer, the man fled into a nearby parking garage, police say. Scanner traffic suggests the garage was the one outside Bloomingdale’s.

The FCPD says the man then tried to open the door of a 2013 Kia Optima that entered the garage.

“The victim, a teenager, was alarmed and drove away, with [the man] holding onto the door and being dragged for a short distance,” police said. “The victim stopped a short distance away and exited the car.”

Per the police scanner, an officer told the dispatcher at 4:32 p.m. that the man “carjacked somebody” and took off onto Route 7 (Leesburg Pike), jumping a curb in the process.

The officer said the suspect initially headed west before attempting to make a U-turn at Gallows Road. However, he lost control of his vehicle and “took out a gas station,” according to police.

The man got out of the car and briefly went into the convenience store but then came out and surrendered to police.

Officers said at 4:36 p.m. that no further police assistance was needed, but a Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department unit should be called.

“They got a fuel leak here. He nailed one of the gas pumps, took it out,” an officer said.

Police also requested an ambulance to treat injuries to the man, reporting that he sustained “facial injuries” after getting “dragged by the vehicle.”

The FCPD confirmed that the man was taken to a hospital for injuries not considered life-threatening, and the person who got carjacked didn’t get injured.

The man has been charged with carjacking and grand larceny, the FCPD announced today (Tuesday). He’s currently in custody at the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center without bond.

Larceny suspect in custody after carjacking a victim in the 8100 blk of Leesburg Pike as he attempted to flee. Suspect crashed the car into a nearby gas station & was taken into custody. pic.twitter.com/9GgAz7gs5p

— Fairfax County Police (@FairfaxCountyPD) October 30, 2023

Local shoppers looking to put the finishing touches on their Barbie Halloween costumes are in luck.

The Barbie truck is rolling back into Tysons Corner Center later this month, this time featuring a “Dreamhouse Living” theme to celebrate 60 years since the doll moved into her first residence, according to Mattel lore.

Unfortunately for all the Kens out there, the Barbie Dreamhouse truck won’t have a competing Mojo Dojo Casa House truck in tow, but the mobile shop will have plenty of exclusive clothes, mugs and other merchandise to sell when it stops at the mall’s Plaza on Oct. 28.

Inspired by “a day in [the] life of Barbie in her Dreamhouse,” per a press release, offerings will include:

• Graphic T-shirt
• Hoodie
• Denim jacket
• Baseball cap
• Throw blanket
• Tote
• Embroidered patch set
• Necklace
• Keychain
• Pouch set
• Coasters
• Glass tumbler
• Glass mug
• Accessories cup
• Thermal bottle

Prices range from $12 to $75, with purchases of $40 or more netting a free gift. The truck will be parked near Shake Shack from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

This will be the Barbie truck’s third time stopping in Tysons, following visits by the original “Totally Throwback” tour truck in 2020 and the Barbie Malibu truck in April 2022.

“There has always been such an amazing response from Barbie fans in the D.C. area,” Barbie Truck spokesperson Hannie Peng said.

The Dreamhouse truck launched this July at the 2023 National Barbie Doll Collectors Convention in Orlando, Florida, which unfolded over four days just before Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie” premiered. While the truck isn’t directly tied into that $1-billion-grossing movie, it has received such a positive response that a second truck was added for the West Coast, according to Peng.

After visiting Tysons, the East Coast truck will advance to Richmond on Nov. 4 and Virginia Beach on Nov. 11. The two trucks will continue touring the U.S. into 2024.

A Maryland teen was arrested last night (Thursday) for a carjacking at Tysons Corner Center where the victim was hit by a mystery fluid that turned out to be candy.

The 14-year-old and another teenager stole a BMW X5 yesterday from a man who was sitting in the SUV while parked in one of the mall’s garages, the Fairfax County Police Department said.

Detectives with the department’s Tysons Urban Team responded to the incident at 6:23 p.m.

“Two juvenile suspects approached the victim, an adult man, who was sitting in his car, and knocked on his window,” police said. “When the victim exited his car, the juveniles threatened to throw ‘acid’ on the victim.”

One of the teens then got into the vehicle, while the other threw a green liquid on the victim before they fled the scene, according to police.

Contrary to the threat, the liquid did “not appear to be caustic,” and no injuries were reported, the FCPD said in a tweet last night. Detectives have now identified the substance as “liquid sour candy,” per an update released today.

The 14-year-old who has been arrested was spotted fleeing in the stolen vehicle by an off-duty detective with D.C.’s Metropolitan Police Department, according to the FCPD. The teen entered Maryland, where they were taken into custody by Montgomery County police.

Police are still looking for the second teen, who’s described as a boy with short black hair. The FCPD says he was wearing black pants, a black shirt, and red and white sneakers.

The FCPD advises anyone with information to call 703-246-7800, option 5, or submit a tip through Crime Solvers, which can be reached by phone (1-866-411-TIPS) or online.

Officers on scene of a carjacking in the 7900 block of Tysons Corner Center in McLean. 2 suspects took victim's keys, threw an unk liquid on him, and fled the scene in victim's 2022 Blue BMW X5. Liquid does not appear to be caustic. No injuries sustained. Call 911 w/ info. pic.twitter.com/oFemzeuyQA

— Fairfax County Police (@FairfaxCountyPD) October 12, 2023

(Updated at 5 p.m.) A former Fairfax County police officer will face a court trial for shooting and killing Timothy Johnson outside Tysons Corner Center in February.

A grand jury indicted Wesley Shifflett today (Thursday) on felony charges of involuntary manslaughter and reckless discharge of a firearm, Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano’s office announced.

According to police, Shifflett shot Johnson during a foot pursuit on Feb. 22 after he allegedly attempted to steal designer sunglasses from Nordstorm. A second officer identified as James Sadler, an eight-year veteran of the Fairfax County Police Department, also fired his gun.

Shifflett was fired by the FCPD, but a grand jury convened in the spring declined to indict him. Sadler remains employed by the police department.

In April, Descano requested a second, special grand jury that would allow prosecutors in the room while officers give testimony, something that wasn’t allowed during the original, regular grand jury’s hearings.

Carl Crews, an attorney representing Johnson’s family, confirmed the indictment. Johnson’s mother, Melissa Johnson, says her initial reaction was “just relief,” but she also has some mixed feelings knowing how rare an indictment is in cases against police officers.

“I don’t rejoice in what is coming upon the officer, and I also don’t rejoice because I know that this indictment and the news of this indictment is not the case for so many, many, many other impacted families of children, Black and brown, who’ve been the subject of police violence,” Johnson told FFXnow. “And so, as much as my heart is joyful, and I’m elated, I am still sorrowful of the impact and implications this had, that everybody just doesn’t get this to add to their story…There’s another family involved as well: this former officer, his family, his coworkers. So, my heart is sorrowful for this too.”

Descano said in a statement that the grand jury’s indictment will allow a jury of community members to see all evidence in the case:

As the elected head of Fairfax County’s justice system, my primary goal is to keep this community safe, and I have the utmost respect for the police officers throughout Fairfax County who work tirelessly to protect our community.

The work of public safety includes charging officers for crimes when such actions are legally warranted. After reviewing the evidence in this case, I believe that probable cause existed that Shifflett committed a crime, and that the entirety of the evidence should be put to a jury of community members. Seeking justice blindly in cases involving officers improves public trust in the law enforcement agencies that serve and protect our communities; failing to do so disgraces the role of prosecutor and ruins the public’s trust in the justice system.

Our nation’s justice system has historically been stacked in favor of protecting powerful institutions and individuals, and it is no small feat that the grand jurors returned a true bill after reviewing this matter.

I cannot imagine the pain Timothy’s family has felt through the months after his death. Though the grand jury returned an indictment for this incident, this will not heal the wound in the Johnson family.  I join the rest of the Fairfax County community in grieving for Timothy and his family.

Shifflett’s attorney, Caleb Kershner, blasted Descano for not accepting the original grand jury’s decision, calling his push for the special grand jury “purely political and shameful.”

“Descano’s actions have made Fairfax less safe,” Kershner said. “He has torn down the [police] department morale. He is simply Monday morning quarterbacking an officer’s decision to use lethal force when he reasonably believed he was about to be shot. It’s easy to sit back and second guess an officer’s actions. Few people understand what it’s like to have a gun pulled on you and regularly being put in risk of death. These men and women in uniform serve by putting their lives on the line every day. Descano has no concept of that.”

Though officers combed the scene for potential evidence, the FCPD later confirmed that Timothy Johnson didn’t have a weapon when he was shot.

A trial date will be scheduled on Friday, Oct. 20. At that time, Schifflett will be given a choice for whether a judge or a jury will preside over the trial, according to the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office.

Johnson’s death sparked renewed scrutiny of the FCPD’s policies regarding the use of force and foot pursuits. Since 2021, when current Police Chief Kevin Davis assumed the job, officers have shot nine people, including Johnson and Brandon Lemagne this year.

Last week, Davis addressed a series of reform recommendations from the nonprofit Police Executive Research Forum (PERF), which was hired to review the recent shootings, and a community Police Reform Matrix Working Group convened by Franconia District Supervisor Rodney Lusk, who chairs the Board of Supervisors’ public safety committee.

Davis told the public safety committee that most recommendations have been implemented in some form, including a policy requiring that foot pursuits be documented and supervised, but a more detailed policy dictating when officers can pursue an individual is still in the works.

Take a seat, Ben Affleck. A new artistic statement about Nike’s trendy Air Jordans is coming to town.

Falls Church artist Andy Yoder’s well-traveled exhibit “Overboard” will take up residence at Tysons Corner Center starting this Friday (Oct. 13), the latest installation resulting from the mall’s ongoing collaboration with local arts agency ArtsFairfax.

Inspired by the “Great Shoe Spill of 1990,” where thousands of Nike shoes got dumped into the Pacific Ocean by a storm, Overboard features more than 250 “sneakers” that Yoder sculpted out of discarded materials from recycling bins. The traveling exhibition originally launched in D.C. in 2021 and was organized and curated by Auburn University’s Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art.

“I’m a big believer in the possibility of second chances, which is why this story has such appeal for me,” Yoder said in a press release. “Making art is a form of alchemy and being creative gives us the power to steer the ship, rather than bobbing around like a sneaker lost at sea. With this in mind, if you come across a shoe on the beach (or a flip flop, or a bottle), do the right thing, and toss it in the trash. You never know where it might go from there.”

A Cleveland Institute of Art graduate who also attended the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture in Maine, Yoder says his art is often driven by a desire to tweak or subvert domestic objects to challenge “the attitudes, fears and unwritten rules which have formed that [home] environment and our behavior within it.”

Here’s more on “Overboard” from Tysons Corner Center:

One of the most iconic and recognizable athletic shoes in the world, the Nike Air Jordan 5 catapulted into popularity in 1990. That same year, more than 80,000 pairs of Nike brand shoes and work boots fell into the Pacific Ocean from five shipping containers when their ship was overwhelmed by a storm while on route to the U.S. from South Korea. The “Great Shoe Spill of 1990” prompted a groundbreaking study of maritime currents by Dr. Curtis Ebbesmeyer. Using unique serial numbers on each sneaker, the oceanographer and his researchers gathered data from beachcombers worldwide who found the shoes as they washed ashore.

Instead of cloth or leather, Yoder uses fast food packaging, cereal boxes, luxury shopping bags, posters, and other discarded items – much like the salvaged and waterlogged shoes – to create art that commemorates the Great Shoe Spill while also calling attention to consumer culture’s effect on the environment, delivering the message in a non-preachy way.

The exhibit will be on display near Barnes & Noble on the mall’s first floor through mid-January 2024.

This will be the third exhibit to come from Tysons Corner Center and ArtsFairfax’s partnership, which began in July 2022. Currently slated to continue through at least the end of 2023, the initiative aims to promote the work of local artists and arts organizations to a wider audience.

The mall also partnered with Lorton’s Workhouse Arts Center this summer on a new mural and free workshops.

Tysons Corner Center is jumping into the abundant pile of local fall festivals.

The mall announced yesterday (Tuesday) that it will host a fall festival on its plaza from noon to 6 p.m. on Oct. 21, declaring that the event will be “one of our biggest” of the year.

The festivities will include pumpkin-carving demonstrations from Maniac Pumpkin Carvers, live entertainment, a “Spookie Poochie” pet costume contest and “bark park,” a beer bar from Barrel & Bushel, crafts, face painting, a fall market, a Candytopia photobooth and more.

Starting at noon, singer Scott Kurt and his Arlington-based band Memphis 59 will take the stage. At that time, attendees will also be able to register their pet for the costume contest.

The top three winners of the costume contest will be announced at 3 p.m.

More music will be provided at 3:15 p.m. by JParis, a cover band that plays rock and pop hits.

The fall festival will be free to attend, but the mall still encourages visitors to RSVP through Eventbrite.

This year, the Tysons area has had no shortage of festivals to celebrate the coming of autumn, though the season’s arrival has felt more theoretical than actual so far with temperatures lingering in the low 80s this week.

Oktoberfest came to The Boro and Shipgarten in Scotts Run last month, and the Mosaic District held its annual fall festival last weekend (Sept. 30-Oct. 1). The Town of Vienna is expecting thousands of attendees for its Oktoberfest this Saturday (Oct. 7).

Prepare for competing “interactive experiences” at Tysons Corner Center this winter, when the year of Mattel will continue with the worldwide debut of its Hot Wheels Champion Experience.

After making its mark on the summer box office with Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie,” the toy company will venture into immersive entertainment with a 16,000-square-foot exhibit and play area based on its 55-year-old model cars and race tracks.

The experience will open on Dec. 8, around the same time that the retailer Camp will unveil a new, permanent store and temporary “Encanto”-themed display at the mall.

Hot Wheels tickets are set to go on sale at noon this Thursday (Oct. 5), but those who sign up for a priority list can get access to presale tickets and pricing a day early.

“We aim to bring Hot Wheels to life in an entirely new way,” Julie Freeland, Mattel’s senior director of global location-based entertainment, said. “By combining technology, immersive design, and the unrivaled thrill of Hot Wheels, this attraction will ignite the imagination of fans and families alike.”

To develop the attraction, Mattel partnered with the traveling entertainment company SEE Touring Exhibitions, which will use an XSpace technology platform that provides immersive video projections and combines physical and digital elements to control sound, light, video and “personalized interaction,” according to a press release.

“We are thrilled to collaborate with Mattel and our esteemed partners on this groundbreaking project,” SEE Touring Exhibitions CEO Martin Biallas said. “Hot Wheels has been an inspiration to countless individuals across multiple generations, and this attraction will give fans the opportunity to dive into the world of Hot Wheels in a way they’ve never experienced before. We can’t wait to see the excitement and thrill it brings to visitors.”

Here’s more from the press release on what to expect from the Hot Wheels Champion Experience:

Hot Wheels fans of all ages will ignite their challenger spirit in this immersive experience that combines exhilarating physical and virtual interactions. Visitors will imagine, create, and experience Hot Wheels like never before and without headsets, goggles, or other equipment. Using the latest 3D multimedia projection technology, guests at Hot Wheels Champion Experience can accept the challenge and become:

• Hot Wheels Designers: Use creativity to design their own digital Hot Wheels car, watching it come to life on an interactive screen
• Tracker Builders: Build a custom Hot Wheels City inside an interactive Augmented Reality room
• Ultimate Heroes: Defeat monsters and creatures taking over Hot Wheels City
• Speed Machines: Race against the competition using physical body movements to digitally drive Hot Wheels cars
• Smash Champs: Stunt and compete as Monster Trucks on a monster-sized projection, dodging any hazards that come their way
• Virtual Drivers: An Augmented Reality experience, allowing guests to see themselves driving a Hot Wheels car
• Epic Winners: Pose on the winner’s podium, celebrating your accomplishments to become a Hot Wheels Champion
• Hot Wheels Central will also allow guests to track performance and collect digital memorabilia, videos, and tokens gathered during the experience, extending the fun past the event!

The attraction will be on the mall’s second floor next to Barnes & Nobles, a space previously filled by this summer’s Dr. Seuss Experience. It will stay at Tysons Corner Center for a limited time before moving to other locations.