Approximately 470 people in Reston have lost natural gas services after Columbia Gas of Virginia’s main line pipe in Reston Town Center was damaged, the company says in an alert.
The outage is affecting customers near the intersection of Market Street and Saint Francis Street near the Midtown at Reston Town Center condominiums. The area had been shut down and some buildings evacuated earlier today (Friday) in response to a gas leak.
Columbia Gas spokesperson Russ Bedell told Reston Now that the leak was the result of damage to the gas main by a third-party contractor working for Reston Town Center.
“We were able to shut off the flow of gas, and the situation was made safe,” he said.
Customers in the area have been cut off from supplies while technicians work to repair the damaged line.
“Once repairs have been completed and service restored, Columbia Gas crews will go door-to-door to perform safety checks and relight natural gas appliances for all affected customers,” the company said.
Before we head into another weekend of rising COVID-19 vaccinations, let’s take a look back at the biggest stories on the site in recent days.
- BREAKING: Police believe Herndon homicides linked to suicide at Reston Town Center
- BREAKING: Three people found dead in Herndon home in possible murder, police say
- Wait for Silver Line Phase II tests patience of local businesses seeking boost from Metro
- French cafe Le Vingt-Trois in Herndon is the owner’s dream come true
- Amenities revealed for luxury Halley Rise apartment complex in Reston
If you have ideas on stories we should cover, email us at [email protected] or submit an anonymous tip. Photos from around the Reston and Herndon area are also welcome, with credit always given to the photographer.
Feel free to discuss these topics, your socially distanced weekend plans, or anything else that’s happening locally in the comments below.
It took longer than anticipated, but Capital Bikeshare is finally expanding in Reston, a move that has been in the works since August 2017.
The Fairfax County Department of Transportation will start installing 19 new stations throughout Reston in early July, FCDOT spokesperson Robin Geiger told Reston Now.
Previously expected to take place in early 2020, the expansion was stalled by the COVID-19 pandemic. It will more than double the size of the bicycle-sharing service in the area, which currently has 16 operating stations.
“We did have significant production delays as a result of the pandemic, affecting both bicycles and stations,” Geiger said. “…More information about the installation will be coming this summer.”
Funded by a $1 million federal Transportation Alternatives Program grant, the new stations will be located at:
- Baron Cameron Avenue and North Hampton Avenue
- Becontree Lane and Goldenrain Court
- Fairway Drive and Hook Road
- Golf Course Square and Golf Course Drive
- Green Range Drive and Glade Drive
- Inlet Court and Wiehle Drive
- Lake Newport Road and Autumn Ridge Circle
- Links Drive and Wedge Drive
- North Village Road and Park Garden Lane
- Olde Crafts Drive and Cartwright Place
- Reston Parkway and Bennington Woods Road
- Ridge Heights Road and Owl Cove Lane
- Ridge Heights Road and Seahawks Drive
- Ring Road and North Shore Drive
- Soapstone Drive Convenience Center
- South Gate Community Center
- South Lakes Drive and Reston Parkway
- Vantage Hill Road & Wainwright Drive
- Wainwright Drive and North Shore Drive
Geiger says Fairfax County is still considering adding a station at Reston Community Center’s Hunter Woods facility, but that location could not be included in this phase because federal funding can’t support projects on private property.
The county joined Bikeshare in 2016, concentrating the 17 initial stations in Reston and Tysons to support Metro’s newly opened Silver Line Phase 1.
According to Geiger, the service was doing well prior to the pandemic, particularly in Merrifield, which was the site of its most recent expansion. Merrifield and Vienna are now slated to get 10 more stations.
Like other transportation services, though, Bikeshare saw a significant drop in usage due to COVID-19, with both ridership and membership taking hits as people limited travel and many started working from home.
“At its worst, early in the pandemic membership was around 20% of ridership when compared to past years,” Geiger said by email. “Most of the lost trips were by annual members who were commuting by bicycle.”
Fairfax County saw a 50% decrease in Bikeshare riders in 2020 overall compared to 2019.
Geiger says ridership levels did start to pick back up last summer, primarily from non-members, meaning people who were utilizing the service for a single trip or day instead of getting an ongoing subscription.
“Usage patterns systemwide changed as well, with fewer trips to Metro stations, but more to recreational locations, and grocery stores,” she said.
With the upcoming Bikeshare expansion, county officials hope to see a resurgence in usage as people return to public spaces and communal activities. One such activity could be coming to Reston, thanks to the impending bicycle stations.
“We plan to have an event celebrating the installation sometime this summer, probably in August,” Geiger said.
Updated at 2:25 p.m. — The gas leak at Reston Town Center has now stopped after the gas company “clamped the line,” the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department reported at 1:20 p.m.
Updated at 12 p.m. — The gas leak situation at Reston Town Center is now stable, the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department says, though it is estimated that it will take the gas company a couple of hours to secure the leak.
No injuries have been reported, and examinations of buildings in the vicinity did not reveal any gas leaking into structures, according to the department.
Earlier: A gas leak possibly related to utility work at Reston Town Center prompted multiple buildings to be evacuated this morning (Friday), a tipster told Reston Now.
A Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department spokesperson confirmed that units are currently on the scene in response to a gas leak involving a four-inch gas line.
The department has also confirmed that some buildings were evacuated as a precaution.
“Awaiting gas company to shut line down,” FCFRD said in a tweet. “Avoid area.”
Roads in the area of Market Street at the intersection with Explorer Street have been closed due to fire department activity, according to Fairfax Alerts. The alert says to “expect delays if traveling in the immediate area.”
Units on scene of a gas leak on Market Street at Explorer Street in Reston. Four-inch gas line involved. Some evacuations of buildings nearby as a pre-caution. Awaiting gas company to shut line down. Avoid area. #FCFRD #traffic pic.twitter.com/EuM3gx4VMF
— Fairfax County Fire/Rescue (@ffxfirerescue) June 25, 2021
David Taube contributed to this report.
Reston Man Among Suspects in Maryland Murder — Reston resident William Rivera-Martinez, 20, is among five people who have been arrested and face charges in the April murder of a 15-year-old Nelson Ramos. As of Thursday morning (June 24), Rivera-Martinez was in Fairfax County custody and awaiting extradition to Prince George’s County. [The Washington Post]
Threat of Mass Evictions Looms with Moratorium Set to End — Fairfax County officials say there’s “plenty of emergency rental assistance” to help residents at risk of eviction, but with Virginia expected to let its eviction moratorium expire when the COVID-19 state of emergency ends on June 30, they worry it will take too long to get the money to landlords to stave off evictions. [Inside NoVA]
Herndon Startup Chosen for Amazon Program — The data analytics company HawkEye 360 has been chosen by Amazon Web Services for a four-week business accelerator focused on the space industry. The 10 companies selected for the program will get business advice and support in their efforts to collect data from satellites for cloud computing. [Axios]
Reston Trucking Software Company Acquired — “Trucker Tools LLC, a Reston outfit that offers a digital freight management platform, has been acquired by ASG, a California company backed by private equity firm Alpine Investors that specializes in purchasing and building software-as-a-service companies.” [Washington Business Journal]
Photo via vantagehill/Flickr
(Updated at 8:55 a.m. on 6/25/2021) The threat of COVID-19 is starting to dissipate, but some of the changes that the Reston Community Center implemented in response to the pandemic could be here to stay.
Despite the expenses associated with video production, the community center will continue to offer some hybrid programming going forward, letting people choose whether they want to participate in person or virtually, RCC Executive Director Leila Gordon says.
Gordon told the RCC Board of Governors when it met on June 7 that the reservation system put in place for drop-in activities after the community center reopened in July 2020 could also become a permanent fixture.
Before RCC started requiring reservations, some programs would attract more people than they could accommodate, leading to “squabbles” over space in a water aerobics class, for example, in the Terry L. Smith Aquatics Center lobby, according to Gordon.
The new system, which requires attendees to get a pass in advance, has alleviated those issues.
“This system now allows people to pick the time they want to come, to be assured that there will be space for them,” Gordon said. “They make a kind of appointment and commitment…So, some of those innovations are things that we will keep.”
Even with facilities closed for more than three months and many programs, including summer camps, canceled, RCC’s June 2021 Annual Report suggests this past year was a busy one, as staff continuously adjusted to the ever-changing conditions introduced by the pandemic.
RCC used the lull in on-site activities to address a host of capital projects, including minor upkeep that is normally confined to a two-week maintenance period each August.
Projects tackled in the last year include:
- A CenterStage renovation that put in a new carpet and an assistive listening system, while completely replacing the existing seating with the addition of 260 new seats
- RCC Lake Anne Wellness Studio floor replacement
- New safety features, such as clearer step delineation, and a new carpet for the Hunter Woods pool overlook
- Installation of new meeting room dividers at RCC Hunter Woods
- Installation of 12 data ports across the Lake Anne and Hunter Woods facilities to support livestreaming
RCC also tackled most of the remaining tasks on its aquatics center renovation, most recently replacing gutter grates in a process that was completed last Friday (June 18).
Gordon says the center will be closed for about 12 days at the end of August so the contractors can put in the final touches, including applying a protective coating to the gutter’s cement ceiling and calibrating the dehumidification unit.
RCC’s other priorities for the past year included supporting its community partners, maintaining communications with staff and patrons — particularly older individuals who might have felt especially isolated — and adapting programs and events to online or socially distanced settings. Read More
General Assembly to Hold Special Session in August — “Governor Ralph Northam today [Wednesday] issued a proclamation calling the members of the General Assembly into special session on Monday, August 2. A special session is necessary to fill judicial vacancies and allocate more than $4.3 billion in federal relief funding.” [Office of the Governor]
TJ Admissions Changes Result in Increased Diversity — The Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology Class of 2025 will include more Black and Hispanic students, more girls, and more economically disadvantaged students than past years, according to Fairfax County Public Schools data. This is the first cohort to be admitted under a new admissions system that ditched the magnet school’s usual admissions test and $100 application fee. [The Washington Post]
Herndon Office Building Sold — The investment company Boyd Watterson Asset Management has purchased a 160,000 square-foot office building at 13651 McLearen Road for $48 million. The McLearen Center is in the same complex as the Transportation Security Administration’s Freedom Center and Nysmith School, and it counts Boeing as a long-term tenant, though the lease is set to expire in May 2022. [Washington Business Journal]
Reston Contractor Reports Medicaid Data Breach — Maximus Corp., a government health data services provider based in Reston, says a data breach that occurred between May 17 and 19 exposed the personal information of more than 334,000 Medicaid healthcare providers nationwide. The incident did not affect information about patients or Medicaid beneficiaries, according to the company. [Information Security Media Group]
Irish Rock Band Joins Arrowbrook Concert Lineup — The D.C.-based Irish rock band Scythian will perform at Arrowbrooke Centre Park in Herndon on July 17 as part of Fairfax County’s Music at Arrowbrook Centre concert series, one of several free summer concert series organized by the county park authority. [Fairfax County Park Authority]
Photo via vantagehill/Flickr
Live theater is slowly but surely making its way back to the D.C. area.
While the demands of a theatrical production schedule mean that full-scale, Broadway-style shows like those promised by the Kennedy Center can’t be expected until the fall, some theaters have managed to return to physical stages by turning to more stripped-down works that take advantage of the limitations placed on audience capacities.
Among the organizations taking that plunge is Herndon’s NextStop Theatre Company, which will perform a play on stage in front of a live audience later this week for the first time since the venue closed on March 12, 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Premiering at 8 p.m. on Friday (June 25), “White Rabbit Red Rabbit” is artistically bold but carries minimal risk from a public health standpoint. Each show features a single actor and will have no more than 30 people seated in the audience.
“Obviously, the decision to return to in person performances was not taken lightly,” NextStop Producing Artistic Director Evan Hoffmann said. “We felt that limiting our audience size from over 100 to just 30 was a good first step that allowed us to proceed, while also being extra careful. We are hopeful that this will be a launching pad for much bigger things in the near future.”
Here is NextStop’s description of “White Rabbit Red Rabbit,” which has been performed around the world in more than 25 languages:
No set. No director. A different actor each night.
Described by The New York Times as a “playful, enigmatic and haunting show,” White Rabbit Red Rabbit is the international hit by Iranian playwright Nassim Soleimanpour. Unable to leave Iran, Soleimanpour tours the world through his words with this unique theatrical experience. Receiving the script in a sealed envelope for the first time onstage, the actor and audience embark on a surprising journey where anything can happen. Veteran NextStop actors will tackle this daring and unexpected comedy that will be unlike anything you’ve experienced before.
Hoffman confirmed that this will be NextStop’s first production inside its theater at 269 Sunset Park Drive, but the company found a variety of ways to stay busy and continue utilizing that space over the past 16 months.
In addition to offering small educational classes last summer, the theater opened for private movie screenings in September, and the company started putting on concerts in the parking lot outside later that month.
NextStop returned to the world of theater on April 30 with the online musical “First Date,” which was filmed on stage and at various locations around Herndon.
The company has scheduled eight performances of “White Rabbit Red Rabbit,” each led by a different actor, concluding with Elena Velasco on July 17. The premiere will star Curtis McNeil, who was previously featured in “The Mountaintop.”
Tickets are now available through NextStop’s website for $25.
Fundraiser Launched for Family of Homicide Victims — “A family member of the mother and two children killed over the weekend in Herndon has launched a GoFundMe campaign to pay for funeral expenses…As of 1 p.m. on Tuesday, the campaign had raised more than $3,600 toward its goal of $30,000.” [Patch]
Tephra Institute of Contemporary Art Reopens Gallery — “We are pleased to announce that Tephra ICA at Signature, our satellite gallery space highlighting work by local and regional artists, has reopened for visitors. The gallery is located at the Signature apartment building in Reston, VA, and visitors are welcome Tuesday-Saturday, 11am-5pm.” [Tephra ICA]
Leidos Lights Up HQ for Pride Month — Leidos will light up its headquarters building at Reston Town Center in rainbow colors today “as a tribute to PRIDE Month and the anniversary of the Stonewall Riots,” the information technology contractor says. This is the second year that the company has put on the display, which will run around the clock through June 30. [Leidos]
Nearby: Person Arrested at Loudoun County School Board Meeting — “The Loudoun County School Board shut down a public meeting Tuesday on a new policy involving transgender students after people at the meeting reportedly started speaking over public commenters and refused to cooperate. One person was arrested and there was at least one person injured, authorities say.” [NBC4]
Photo via vantagehill/Flickr
Fairfax County’s once-a-decade redistricting process took a significant step forward this morning (Tuesday), as the Board of Supervisors approved appointees to a committee that will be responsible for recommending new district boundaries.
The 20-person Redistricting Advisory Committee consists of one resident representative from each of the county’s nine magisterial districts as well as three at-large members.
The county board made a conscious effort to appoint individuals from a variety of backgrounds, including people from the local African American, Hispanic, Asian/Pacific Islander, and Arab-American communities, according to the news release.
“Redistricting must be done fairly and in a way that ensures transparency and fair representation of the diversity of Fairfax County,” Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay said in a statement. “This is a community-led process, and I am confident the committee will develop fair and equal districts and everyone will have the same access to representation.”
Like other localities, Fairfax County is required by Virginia law to reexamine its electoral district boundaries every 10 years to ensure that each district has roughly the same number of people, with adjustments based on how the population has changed.
Because redistricting is tied to U.S. Census data, whose delivery has been delayed this year, the RAC won’t be able to start its work until Aug. 30. The committee is scheduled to deliver a report with its proposed district boundaries on Oct. 19, though it will ultimately be up to the Board of Supervisors to adopt a new plan on Dec. 7.
The county says members of the general public will be encouraged to provide input on the new district maps, including through an online portal that will allow residents to draw their own maps.
“Public input will be key to the committee’s efforts,” the county said. “Residents are encouraged to submit their own plans and provide feedback, revisions and comments on the committee’s or other’s proposed plans.”
The Hunter Mill District, which includes Reston, will be represented on the committee by Richard Chew, the Hunter Mill District chair for the Fairfax County Democratic Committee. He is one of seven FCDC members appointed to the RAC.
The full list of appointees, information about the redistricting schedule, and an overview of the legal criteria and policies guiding the process can be found on the county website.
The Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce will host a panel tomorrow morning (Wednesday) to help employers help navigate questions about whether they can require COVID-19 vaccinations as more workers return to offices.
Co-sponsored by the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority and the accounting firm Miller Musmar, the hour-long discussion will be lead by attorney Maureen E. Carr, a shareholder of the law firm Bean, Kinney & Korman. She specializes in employment law and commercial litigation.
According to the event description, Carr will go over the legal rules and implications of businesses requiring their employees to get vaccinated:
Attendees will learn:
- How to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (?ADA?), Title VII of the Civil Rights Act (?Title VII?), and other federal, state, and local employment laws.
- The latest Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) COVID-19 guidance to address vaccination issues.
- Potential legal consequences of requiring employees to be vaccinated.
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission issued new guidance on May 28 stating that federal laws do not prevent employers from requiring all employees to be vaccinated in order to enter a physical workplace.
“In some circumstances, Title VII and the ADA require an employer to provide reasonable accommodations for employees who, because of a disability or a sincerely held religious belief, practice, or observance, do not get vaccinated for COVID-19, unless providing an accommodation would pose an undue hardship on the operation of the employer’s business,” the guidance said.
The Washington Business Journal reported yesterday (Monday) that a survey conducted in February by an employment law firm found that less than 1% of responding employers were requiring vaccinations, with another 6% saying they planned to implement a mandate in the future.
However, there are some signs that businesses could be warming up to the idea, particularly after a federal judge dismissed a lawsuit brought by workers over a Texas hospital’s vaccination requirement.
“Employment law attorneys say more businesses are now seriously considering vaccine mandates than they were three months ago,” the WBJ said. “They anticipate the number of employers implementing a mandate will climb in the months to come, with health care providers likely to lead the way.”
The Reston Chamber event will take place from 8:30-9:30 a.m. tomorrow. Registration is required by 8 a.m. the day of the talk to receive the Zoom link. Chamber members can participate for free, while non-members pay a $15 fee.
Reston newcomer CACI International is one of several companies in Reston and Herndon that were named among the best places to work in the D.C. area by The Washington Post’s eighth annual Top Workplaces survey.
Recognized in a virtual awards ceremony on June 17 and publicly announced on Friday (June 18), the list features the 200 highest-ranked companies in the region based on employee surveys conducted by the third-party engagement firm Energage LLC.
According to the Post, more than 3,500 area companies were invited to participate in the contest, and more than 65,500 employees filled out the questionnaire, which considered factors ranging from pay and benefits to retention and confidence in the organization’s leadership.
While the Post still identifies CACI as an Arlington-based company, the information technology contractor cut the ribbon on its new headquarters building near the future Reston Town Center Metro station at the end of May.
Ranked ninth in the “largest companies” category, which includes organizations with at least 1,000 workers in the D.C. area, CACI employs 7,743 people locally and recorded $5.7 billion in revenue for fiscal year 2020, putting it on the Fortune 500 list of the largest companies in the U.S. for the first time since its founding in 1962.
Here are the other Reston and Herndon companies that found a spot on the Top Workplaces list:
Large (500-1,000 employees)
- Deltek (#12)
- Noblis (#14): This is the Reston contractor’s eighth consecutive year on the Post’s list, according to a news release
- GAP Solutions (#19)
- Northwest Federal Credit Union (#27)
Mid-Size (150-500 employees)
- Acclaim Technical Services (#5)
- Procentrix (#6)
- B3 Group (#12)
- Ventera Corp. (#19)
- Dev Technology Group (#24)
- Amyx (#56)
- ATCS (#61)
- Brightspot (#73)
Small (50-150 employees)
- ThunderCat Technology (#9)
- Navitas Business Consulting (#19)
- Expedition Technology (#21)
- Northstrat (#23)
- Northramp (#28)
- Intact Technology (#40)
- Actualize Consulting (#49)
- Assured Consulting Solutions (#53)
- Electrosoft Services (#58)
- SeKON Enterprises (#68)
- HawkEye 360 (#69)
Family of Herndon Murder Victims Mourns — “A father is grieving after his two young children, a boy and a girl, and their mother were found dead inside an apartment in Herndon, Virginia, on Saturday — the same day the family planned to have a birthday party for the 10-year-old girl. Outside of the apartment where they died, there is a memorial for the family. A balloon flies for the daughter who was killed on her birthday.” [NBC4]
Reston Man Arrested at Crystal City Restaurant — “Arlington County Police charged a Reston man early Thursday morning for acting disorderly and assaulting a police officer at Crystal City restaurant, according to the daily crime report. Officers responded around 12:50 a.m., for the report of a manacting disorderly inside a restaurant in the 400 block of 23rd Street S.” [Patch]
Police Officer Says Prosecutor Withholding Evidence in Use of Force Case — “A Fairfax County police officer accused of using excessive force, including deploying a Taser, against a Black man has asked a judge to dismiss the case, claiming prosecutors have not disclosed evidence that would bolster his defense.” [The Washington Post]
Dulles Chamber Spotlights Local Eateries — The Dulles Regional Chamber of Commerce launched a new “Taste of Dulles Corridor” promotional effort yesterday (Monday), highlighting a different local hotel or food establishment, including restaurants and breweries, in its weekly newsletter. The first venue to get the spotlight is Mile 20 at the Mediterranean Breeze in Herndon. [Dulles Regional Chamber of Commerce]
Cicada Eggs to Trim Tree Limbs — “You’ll soon see a lot of this. Tips of tree branches are dying and breaking off. These are the places that cicadas laid eggs. No big deal. The trees have been through this before, and it’s just a minor trimming for most of them.” [Fairfax County Park Authority/Twitter]
Photo via vantagehill/Flickr
There were 14 new COVID-19 cases in the Fairfax Health District today (Monday), as reported by the Fairfax County Health Department.
Even a month ago, that total would’ve been on the low end for a single day, but in June, when daily case counts have been more likely to dip into negative numbers than to enter double digits, it’s an anomaly, representing the biggest influx of new cases since 22 came in on May 30.
After adding 25 new cases in the past week, including 11 cases just last Wednesday (June 16), Fairfax County is now averaging three cases over the past seven days, the highest weekly average since June 8, according to the Virginia Department of Health dashboard.
Three people died from the disease caused by the novel coronavirus in the past week, and six more people have been hospitalized, bringing the respective totals up to 1,137 deaths and 4,137 hospitalizations. There have been 78,038 total cases in the Fairfax Health District since March 2020.
Even so, it has now been three weeks since Virginia lifted all capacity limitations over Memorial Day weekend, which typically brings an uptick in travel and social gatherings, and at least in Fairfax, the COVID-19 surge that followed other holidays during the pandemic has not emerged, likely due to increased vaccinations.
As of today, 725,862 Fairfax Health District residents, including people from the cities of Fairfax and Falls Church, have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. That is 73.7% of adults and 61.3% of the district’s total population.
628,151 residents — 64.8% of adults and 53.1% of the population overall — are fully vaccinated, according to the county health department.
The Fairfax Health District is outpacing Virginia as a whole, which hit the 70% mark today for adults who have gotten at least one vaccine dose, making it the 16th state to meet the July 4 target set by President Joe Biden, Gov. Ralph Northam announced.
“Virginia has reached a significant milestone in the fight against COVID-19,” Northam said. “Thanks to the millions of Virginians who have rolled up their sleeves to get vaccinated, the virus is in retreat, our economy is growing, and we are closer to putting this pandemic behind us.”
According to VDH, 4.9 million people — 57.8% of the overall population — have received at least one dose, and 4.2 million Virginians are fully vaccinated, which is 60.3% of adults and 49.3% of the state’s population.
With the demand for vaccinations slowing, Virginia has started to close its mass vaccine sites in favor of more mobile, targeted clinics. This will be the last week of operations for the community vaccination center at Tysons Corner Center, as it is scheduled to close on Saturday (June 26).
Until then, the site is accepting walk-ins from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. today, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday and from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday and Thursday.
Individuals 12 and older can register for an appointment there or at other Fairfax County clinics through the Vaccine Administration Management System. Other providers can be located through Vaccines.gov.
Top photo via CDC on Unsplash
It is officially summer, and with Virginia anticipating an end to its COVID-19-induced state of emergency, the next couple of months will bring an abundance of live music for Reston and Herndon residents to enjoy.
The season’s offerings will include the in-person returns of “Hunter Mill Melodies” and “Music at Arrowbrook Park,” two free outdoor concert series organized by the Fairfax County Park Authority for its 2021 Summer Entertainment Series.
Hunter Mill Melodies will be back at Herndon’s Frying Pan Farm Park with performances at Kidwell Farm (2709 West Ox Rd.) at 7:30 p.m. every Thursday in July and August.
Frying Pan will also host a children’s entertainment series at its visitor center pavilion (2739 West Ox Rd.) every Wednesday at 10 a.m. as part of the park authority’s Arts in the Park family-friendly series.
“This free entertainment series features a wide variety of musical acts from across the United States and from around the world,” Hunter Mill District Supervisor Walter Alcorn said in a note. “The variety and quality of the acts is a reflection of Fairfax County’s diversity and community spirit, some of the many qualities that make this a wonderful place to call home.”
Music at Arrowbrook Park will bring eight free concerts to Arrowbrook Centre Park (2351 Field Point Rd.) in Herndon, covering a variety of genres, from folk to funk.
The full Hunter Mill Melodies and Music at Arrowbrook Park schedules are as follows:
Hunter Mill Melodies
- July 8: Phil Wiggins & Rick Franklin (Piedmont blues)
- July 15: Elena & Los Fulanos (Latin folk/rock)
- July 22: Nepalese Indian Cultural Nights (music of Nepal)
- July 29: Grupo Autoctono Tarkeada Virginia and Tradiciones Bolivianas (folkloric music and dance from Bolivia)
- August 5: Billy Coulter (roots rock, pop)
- August 12: Speidel, Goodrich, Goggin & Lille (rock)
- August 19: The United States Army Swamp Romp (jazz)
- August 26: Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen (bluegrass)
Arts in the Park
- July 7: 123 Andrés (children’s songs)
- July 14: Blue Sky Puppet Theater (puppets)
- July 21: Rocknoceros (children’s songs)
- August 11: Mr. Gabe & the Circle Time All-Stars (children’s songs)
- August 18: Fairfax Symphony Orchestra — Percussion Ensemble (children’s music)
Music at Arrowbrook Park
- July 10: The 19th Street Band (country rock)
- July 17: Scythian (Irish rock)
- July 24: High Noon (Southern rock)
- July 31: Daryl Davis (swing)
- August 7: Black Masala (funk/world)
- August 14: Yo Mama’s Big Fat Booty Band (funk)
- August 21: Richard Phillips and Friends (folk, Appalachian blues)
- August 28: Eddie from Ohio (rockabilly)
The Fairfax County Park Authority announced on June 9 that its Summer Entertainment Series would return in person after going virtual last year.
According to the FCPA news release, the county started the initiative to create “a renewed sense of community” in the vein of small-town gatherings around bandstands in local town squares or parks. The performances are funded by private donations given to the Fairfax County Park Foundation.
For additional local live music options, community members can turn to the Reston Community Center, which launched multiple free summer concert series earlier this month, and Friday Night Live!, which will be back in the Town of Herndon starting July 2.
Reston Town Center, however, announced in April that it has canceled its Reston Concerts on the Town series for a second year in a row, citing the continued uncertainty at that time over whether Virginia would still have restrictions on large events over the summer.
Reston Concerts on the Town said that it had retained much of its planned lineup from 2020 and is now working to move those same artists to summer 2022.
“We miss you all and look forward to safely and joyously rocking out together in 2022!” the Facebook post said.
