Awards have been piling up for recently chosen all-region Offensive Player of the Year Dominic Knicely.
6D North Region coaches made all-region selections earlier this week, with the senior runningback taking the top honor for an offense. He also was chosen as the first-team All-Purpose Offensive Player of the Year.
As the 2024-25 high-school swimming and diving season begins, the Langley Saxons have an impressive championship streak in the works.
The boys team has won five straight significant postseason titles, including Liberty District, 6D North Region and Class 6 state crowns last winter. The season before, Langley won region and state crowns, after a second-place finish in the district.
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday (Dec. 3) honored students and teams from the county’s public high schools for state-championship performances this fall.
“We have a long list of champions, which is fantastic,” Board Chairman Jeff McKay said during a presentation that helped kick off the body’s final meeting of 2024.
Live Fairfax is a bi-weekly column exploring Fairfax County. This week’s column is sponsored and written by Sharmane Medaris of Corcoran McEnearney. Questions? Reach Sharmane at 813-504-4479.
Hey Fairfax! Here are my must-do Christmas activities.
The holidays are here, and I’ve got the ultimate guide to celebrating the season in Fairfax!
Whether you’re looking for festive lights, community vibes, or magical memories, this list has you covered. Watch the video for all the details and check out the highlights below. Let’s dive in!
Winter Walk of Lights at Meadowlark Botanical Gardens
Nothing says Christmas magic like strolling through Meadowlark’s Winter Walk of Lights! Picture this: dazzling lights, a half-mile trail, and plenty of hot cocoa. Oh, and don’t forget to grab a s’mores kit — trust me, it’s the perfect family night out.
👉 Plan your visit here!
City Light Christmas Festival — December 18
This event is close to my heart. Join me at the City Light Christmas Festival for an evening of community, music, and holiday spirit. With two shows (5 p.m. and 7 p.m.), festive décor, and local vendors, it’s a chance to make meaningful memories with the people you love. And yes, I’ll be there, so come say hi!
👉 Learn more and reserve your spot.
Tacky Christmas Lights Tour
Break out the PJs, load up on hot cocoa, and hit the road for Fairfax’s Tacky Christmas Lights Tour! This self-guided tour is all about discovering the most over-the-top, dazzling displays in the area. Pro tip: check out the map to make sure you hit all the highlights!
👉 Find the tacky lights map here.
What’s Your Favorite Tradition?
Let me know in the comments below! Whether you’re creating new traditions or revisiting old ones, the key is making memories with the people you one. Don’t forget to watch the full video for more tips and behind-the-scenes fun.
Merry Christmas, Fairfax!
Sharmane Medaris | Live Fairfax | www.soldbysharmane.com | Sharmane@soldbysharmane.com | @soldbysharmane | 813-504-4479 | 374 Maple Avenue Suite 202, Vienna, VA 22180
Corcoran McEnearney, 1320 Old Chain Bridge Road, Suite 350, McLean, VA 22101, 703-790-9090, corcoranmce.com. Each office is independently owned and operated. Equal Housing Opportunity.
An anticipated two-decade-plus effort to redevelop Fairfax County’s 48-acre judicial complex has taken its first major step forward.
County supervisors approved a conceptual plan on Tuesday (Dec. 3) that ultimately could add four new office buildings, affordable housing and parks to the site at 4110 Chain Bridge Road, adjacent to the City of Fairfax. The construction would bring the amount of development on the campus from 1.4 million square feet to about 2 million.
With Fairfax County facing another major budget shortfall for the upcoming fiscal year, local public school leaders are once again confronting difficult decisions regarding teacher pay raises.
This time, though, there’s a twist: Fairfax County Public Schools has a tentative agreement with the Fairfax Education Unions representing teachers and other employees that includes a roughly $150 million request for a 7% across-the-board pay hike for educators and support staff.
The new year promises to bring at least one sure bet: First Watch cafes will continue to spring up across Fairfax County.
After opening its largest restaurant yet in Fair Lakes this summer, the national chain is expanding to three more locations in the county, all of them expected in the first half of 2025.
Metrobus Cracks Down on Fare Evasion — “Before the pandemic, about 25% of passengers didn’t pay when they got on a Metrobus, General Manager Randy Clarke said. But since then, about 70% haven’t been paying. In an effort to address that, the transit agency launched a targeted campaign this week, hoping that officer visibility and efforts will make customers think twice before avoiding the cost.” [WTOP]
Springfield Neighborhood Braces for Data Center Impacts — “As [Richard Andre Newman is] approaching 60, he’s considering selling his Fairfax County home and moving away. That’s because he’s getting a new neighbor: Plaza 500, a 466,000-square-foot data center and an adjacent electrical substation to be built a few hundred feet from townhomes, playgrounds and a community center.” [Associated Press]
Dominion to Expand Annandale Substation — “The Fairfax County Planning Commission on Dec. 4 approved the expansion and modernization of the Westcott Substation along the Holmes Run trail.” Dominion Energy says the upgraded station will better “manage additional energy demand, such as electric vehicle charging and storage of surplus energy generated by solar power cells.” [Annandale Today]
McLean Central Park Ribbon-Cutting Delayed — “Due to the extremely cold temperatures forecasted for Saturday, the planned ribbon cutting at McLean Central Park will be postponed until early Spring on a date to be determined. Stay tuned for updates and announcements on my social media pages.” [Supervisor Jimmy Bierman/Facebook]
Google Among Investors in McLean Finance Company — McLean-based Range has raised $28 million from Google seed fund Gradient Ventures and others “to help it bring artificial intelligence to the forefront of the wealth management industry.” The company’s custom AI-driven software could someday provide direct assistance to its 1,200 clients, who must earn at least $350,000 a year. [Washington Business Journal]
Annual Pancake Breakfast Returns to Turner Farm — “The Turner Farmhouse Foundation is hosting its annual pancake breakfast and open house on Saturday, Dec. 7, from 9:30-11 a.m. Parking is available on site with volunteers able to assist. The event is open to the public at no cost.” [Fairfax County Park Authority]
Mount Vernon Trail to Get New Water Fountains — “Thanks to a grant the George Washington Memorial Parkway and Friends of the Mount Vernon Trail received from the National Park Foundation this past summer, seven new water fountains will be coming to the Mount Vernon Trail in 2025.” [On the MoVe]
It’s Friday — Expect sunny skies, a high of 37 and a northwest wind with gusts as high as 23 mph. During Friday night, the skies will be mostly clear, and temperatures will drop to a low around 24 degrees. [NWS]
The Madison Warhawks girls and boys varsity basketball teams have enjoyed significant success in recent years, and each opened its 2024-25 campaign with victories.
The host girls defeated Riverside of Leesburg, 40-23, and the boys traveled to Haymarket and rallied to down the Battlefield Bobcats, 68-55, after trailing 36-29 at halftime.
A standout high-school field-hockey career ended recently when Potomac School senior Bella Kim played her final match.
Kim finished as the Potomac School’s all-time leading goal scorer in the girls high-school sport with 74 goals, including a single-season program best this fall with 25.
