From game rooms and arcades to bowling lanes, Fairfax is home to a variety of fun spaces to host a kid’s birthday party — no matter their special interest.

Here are the nominees for “Best Kid’s Birthday Party Venue in Fairfax” as part of our FFXnow Readers’ Choice Awards. See your favorite place below? If not, write them in!

Voting will close in two weeks. Be sure to cast your vote before 9 a.m. Friday, Aug. 29.

Voting for the Best Seafood Restaurant in Fairfax is still taking place. Be sure to cast your vote before voting closes next Friday at 9 a.m.

Two weeks ago, we voted on the Best Thai Restaurant in Fairfax. The results are now official:

  1. Sisters Thai
  2. Tiki Thai
  3. Kiin Imm Thai Restaurant

Around Town

Falls Church-area residents will soon have a new place to pamper their pets with both sweet treats and spa-like treatments.

The Miami-based chain Woof Gang Bakery & Grooming is working on a new location at the Tysons Station shopping center in Pimmit Hills, filling a 1,518-square-floor space at 7504 Leesburg Pike.


Countywide

Two years after it started exploring the idea, the Fairfax-Falls Church Community Services Board (CSB) is starting to make progress on establishing a regional youth mental health facility.

The new treatment center for teens could become operational in Chantilly early next year, the CSB says.


Picnic bench on Tysons Corner Center plaza’s lawn (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Reston Row Bakery Now Open — “Tous Les Jours, a French-Asian bakery café chain, has officially opened its doors in The Row at Reston Station … Opening [Thursday] at 1800 Reston Row with a soft launch at 10:00 AM, the bakery is now serving customers daily as the team prepares for a grand opening celebration in September featuring special promotions and giveaways.” [Comstock]

Mold Reported at Hayfield School — Parents and students who recently returned to Hayfield Secondary School for band practice and other activities saw they encountered mold and visible water damage. One parent says they were told that the school’s drains got backed up during heavy rain over the summer, but she feels efforts to dry out the building with fans and air purifiers were inadequate. [NBC4]

Top Issues in Va. Governor’s Race — “Recent polling shows Virginia voters are heading into the 2025 governor’s race with three issues top of mind: The cost of living, reproductive rights and immigration …  Some voter priorities have already majorly shifted from a VCU Wilder School poll earlier this year, which suggests that Virginians are reacting to real-time pressures.” [Axios Richmond]

Police Investigate Indecent Exposure — “Detectives from our Criminal Investigations Division are asking for the community’s help to identify a suspect believed to be responsible for an indecent exposure. “On August 7, shortly after 9:00 a.m., officers responded to Sprague Avenue and Hammersmith Lane in Oakton” after someone reported seeing a man “masturbating” nearby. [FCPD]

Udvar-Hazy Adds Fighter Jet to Collection — “A McDonnell Douglas F-15C Eagle arrived at the National Air & Space Museum’s Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly [on Aug. 13], where it will become part of the museum’s permanent exhibit.” The first fighter plane of its kind to be acquired by the Smithsonian, the F-15C Eagle was introduced “in the early 1970s, when the Air Force was looking to improve its air-to-air combat capabilities,” a curator said. [Northern Virginia Magazine]

Falls Church Settles on Possible Trash Fees — “After nearly two hours of trash talk, Falls Church City Council leaders have settled on two potential options for funding future garbage collection and recycling services.” Council members decided to advertise two possible fee structures: charge households $292 per year for a 35-gallon bin and $327 for a 65-gallon bin, or $236 and $336, respectively. [ARLnow]

Firefighters Hand Out School Supplies — Yesterday, the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department “hosted its annual Backpack and School Supply Distribution at FS11, Penn Daw. Firefighters, retirees, and volunteers worked together to distribute 1,600 backpacks filled with school supplies to families, schools, and nonprofits throughout the county. A huge thank you to all who helped make the event a success!” [FCFRD/Facebook]

Park Volunteer Award Winners Revealed — “The Fairfax County Park Authority is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2025 Elly Doyle Park Service Awards, recognizing exceptional service and contributions to the county’s parks, natural and cultural resources and recreational opportunities. The awardees will be honored during a recognition ceremony on Sept. 13 at 6:30 p.m.” [FCPA]

It’s Friday — There’s a 30% chance of rain, with possible showers between noon and 2pm, followed by potential showers after 2pm. Expect mostly sunny skies with a high of 88. Friday night holds a 20% chance of showers before 11pm. The night will be partly cloudy with a low of 72. [NWS]


Around Town

Acclaimed musicians representing a range of genres, from rock and country to jazz and classical music, are coming to The Barns at Wolf Trap to celebrate the venue’s 300th anniversary.

The Barns are rebuilt and renovated iterations of a pair of barns at the site, built in the 18th century. The larger German barn was built in 1725 and features a “unique” swing beam design that enabled horses to maneuver in the building’s original hayloft, according to the venue’s website.


News

Allegations that Fairfax County Public Schools employees helped students obtain abortions without their parents’ consent have drawn Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s attention after circulating for days on right-wing media.

The Republican governor directed the Virginia State Police yesterday (Wednesday) to open a criminal investigation into FCPS based on the report, which was originally published in the Substack-based newsletter WC Dispatch.


Raining at the Inova Center for Personalized Health in Merrifield (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Virginia Loses Solar Power Funding — “The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency awarded Virginia $156 million last year through Solar for All, a $7 billion program launched under the Inflation Reduction Act, President Joe Biden’s signature climate legislation.” After the Trump administration announced last week that it’s canceling the grant funding, Virginia Energy confirmed that it received a termination notice and removed the program’s webpage. [WHRO]

Firefighters Injured in Springfield House Fire — A two-alarm house fire in the 5900 block of Amherst Avenue on July 27 was caused by an “electrical event” on the home’s patio, the Office of the Fire Marshal found. Two firefighters and one resident were treated for injuries, and two pets were found dead inside the home. The fire resulted in an estimated $697,986 in property damages. [FCFRD]

N. Va. Hit Hardest by Federal Worker Cuts — The D.C. region has shed roughly “20,000 federal government jobs so far this year while federal government contracts and grants procured by companies in the region fell by $1.7 billion or 13% since the start of the year, according to CBRE’s research.” Northern Virginia saw the biggest drop in federal employment, while contract and grant terminations have especially shaken suburban Maryland. [Washington Business Journal]

Beyer Primary Challenger Emerges — “Former Alexandria City Councilman Mohamed “Mo” Seifeldein announced Tuesday to reporters that he will seek the Democratic nomination for Virginia’s 8th Congressional District, challenging five-term incumbent Rep. Don Beyer and positioning himself as a voice for economic change.” [ALXnow]

Fairfax City Police Chief Sworn In — “Raul Pedroso, Fairfax City’s new chief of police, was sworn in Monday during a ceremony at the Stacey C. Sherwood Community Center, which is located just across the parking lot from police headquarters.” Formerly an assistant police chief in Alexandria City, he took over from interim chief Capt. Natalie Hinesley after former Chief Erin Schaible retired. [Patch]

No More Flights to New Delhi — “Air India … is pulling out of Dulles International Airport as it suspends nonstop service to New Delhi next month despite recent passenger growth along the route.” Set to end on Sept. 1, the three-times-a-week route is the only nonstop option between the D.C. region and the Indian subcontinent. The airline says the change was needed due to a $400 million process to update some of its Boeing aircraft and Pakistan’s closure of its airspace to Indian carriers. [WBJ]

Pro Women’s Baseball League Holds Tryouts — “The first women’s professional baseball league in more than 70 years is hosting historic tryouts in D.C. next week … Women’s pro sports are surging nationwide — and the new Women’s Professional Baseball League (WPBL) is among the few with DMV ties.” [Axios DC]

It’s Thursday — Expect showers and thunderstorms after 2pm, with mostly sunny skies and a high near 89. Light northwest winds of 3 to 6 mph, and a 30% chance of precipitation. On Thursday night, a 20% chance of showers and thunderstorms before 11pm, followed by a slight possibility of showers until 2am. Partly cloudy skies with a low around 73 and light, variable winds. [NWS]


News

The last piece of the Park Crest development in Tysons is starting to take shape.

Developer Renaissance Centro has submitted a site plan to Fairfax County for a 206-unit residential building that would be constructed on currently vacant land near the Westpark Drive and Park Run Drive intersection.


Countywide

After a stretch of consistently sunny days, the D.C. region is facing a potential bout of rain this afternoon (Wednesday).

The National Weather Service has issued a Flood Watch for the area, including Fairfax County, that’s currently scheduled to take effect at 2 p.m. and continue until 9 p.m.


News

Sales were down overall, but average prices were up in all three market segments, as the Fairfax County real estate market moved through the summer under challenging economic conditions.

A total of 1,144 properties went to closing in July, according to new figures from the Bright MLS multiple-listing service. That’s down 5% from 1,220 transactions in July 2024.


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