A new home — Global construction firm Bechtel Corp. will move its headquarters from San Francisco to Reston by the end of the year, bidding farewell to its base of operations for the first time in more than 100 years. [The Washington Post]

Fifth annual ‘Chalk on the Water’ festival is this weekend — “Public Art Reston, in collaboration with Friends of Lake Anne, will present Chalk on the Water at Lake Anne, the annual chalk festival at Lake Anne Plaza. Public Art Reston is celebrating the 10th anniversary of its founding.” [Reston Community Center]

Beauty for all the senses — Reston Chorale showcased five gardens of distinction in four local neighborhoods during the annual Gardens of Note event. [The Connection]

Fired up about fireworks — Lake Fairfax Park will host its annual fireworks show on June 30. As soon as the skies darken, fireworks will light up the sky. [Fairfax County Parks Authority]

PassionFish reopens — After temporarily closing for renovations, the restaurant in Reston Town Center is now open. [PassionFish]

Flickr pool photo by vantagehill

Mark your calendars: Chalk on the Water, the fifth annual street-art festival, returns to Lake Anne Village Center in early June.

Hosted by Public Art Reston, the two-day festival challenges artists to create chalk drawings on Lake Anne’s Washington Plaza. This year’s event will be held from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on June 9 and 10.

Artists can register in three categories, including professional artists, amateur artists, and families and kids. Participants have a chance to earn a prize. Face painter Becky Nelson will be on-site to paint faces and snow cones and popcorn will be available for purchase by Reston Association.

Last year’s festival sold-out for the first time. Organizers expect a high turnout this year as well.

“It’s a challenge to come up with a compelling drawing for the event, and a little intimidating to draw in public, but it’s always worth the effort. It’s also fun watching the reactions of people walking by, especially kids, and hearing their comments about the drawings,” said Bruce Wright, last year’s winner in the amateur category.

Online registration is open and closes on June 8 at 5 p.m. Participants can also register on-site on the day of the event. Fees range from $10 to $20 depending on the category.

Volunteers are needed for a variety of tasks. For more information, contact [email protected].

Sponsors include Lake Anne Coffee House & Wine Bar and Reston Association Camps.

Photo via Facebook

The annual Chalk on the Water festival this weekend at Lake Anne Plaza brought out a bevy of artists, young and old, to color bricks with public art.

About 150 participants gathered on the plaza Saturday and Sunday to be a part of the annual event. Artists participated in four categories: family/elementary, family/junior and senior high school, amateur artists, and professional artists. Cash prizes were awarded in each category.

Winners at the festival were:

Professional Artists
1st Place: Ben Morse
2nd Place: Penny Hauffe
3rd Place: Phil Erickson

Lake Anne is always a nice spot for a photo op, but it’s now just a little more “LOVE”-ly.

Workers from the Virginia Tourism Corporation arrived at Lake Anne Plaza on Friday afternoon with four big letters in tow. The “LOVE” display, 16 feet long and over six feet high, will be at the plaza through Wednesday. It was set up to frame the statue of Reston founder Bob Simon within the O.

Maurisa Potts, Lake Anne Plaza public relations representative, said the application from VTC she had to fill out to be considered for the display asked what makes the location special.

“It’s the birthplace of Reston, with the charm and the character, and we thought we were worthy of [the display],” Potts said. “It also ties in nicely with the Chalk on the Water festival, our big public art event.”

Chalk on the Water will be taking place Saturday and Sunday at Lake Anne Plaza. More than 200 plots are marked on the plaza’s bricks, to be filled with artwork from artists in four categories: family/elementary, family/junior and senior high school, amateur artists, and professional artists.

The “LOVE” display is part of the Virginia Is For Lovers campaign, designed to promote vacation experiences throughout the state. Visitors to any LOVE display throughout the state are encouraged to take their picture with it and share it on social media using the hashtag #LoveVA. The “LOVE” display was last in Reston in 2015, when it was set up in Fountain Square at Reston Town Center.

Potts said she is hopeful the display and the chalk festival will both shine a spotlight on what the plaza has to offer.

“We definitely want people to be aware of our independent businesses here, that have deep roots here,” Potts said. “Just show the love for the little guys, that’s what we like to say.”

Things are going to get colorful at Lake Anne Plaza this weekend.

Every year, the plaza hosts Chalk on the Water, Reston’s largest public art event. During the festival, anyone can come and contribute to the street art. Costs for a “plot” of brick space are $10 for children, $15 for amateur and professional artists. The event will be going on from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. both Saturday and Sunday.

The Virginia Tourism Corporation’s “LOVE” display will also be up at Lake Anne through Wednesday, so get your photos with it up on social media with the hashtag #LoveVA.

There is quite a lot more on the events calendar for the Reston area this weekend. Here is just a sampling of the events you can enjoy:

• Reston Station’s “Summerbration” series continues tonight at 7 p.m. with a free concert by Trio Caliente. Tomorrow night at 7:30 p.m., visit for a free outdoor showing of “Passengers” on the plaza. The Summerbration events outside the Wiehle-Reston East Metro station will continue through the end of August. (Note: To receive free parking for these events, parking tickets need to be validated by personnel on the plaza. Find the sign that reads “Parking Validation Here.”)
• Reston Town Center’s summer concert series continues Saturday night at 7:30 p.m. with a performance by Beatles tribute band Hard Day’s Night. The show will take place at the Town Center’s pavilion.
• The Love Your Body Yoga Festival will be from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday at Reston Town Center (11900 Market St.) with activities for the whole family. There will be complimentary massages, energy healing demonstrations and health food samples. For yoga class participation, donations are encouraged.
• The Reston Farmers Market will take place from 8 a.m. to noon Saturday at Lake Anne Village Center.
• Lake Anne is also hosting Sunday Yoga on the Plaza each week, at 9:30 a.m.
• Tonight from 6:30-8 p.m. at Walker Nature Center (11450 Glade Drive), bring the family to an Owl Prowl. Take an exploratory hike or participate in indoor Nature House activities. Prices are $7 for children, $9 for adults. Sunday from 7:30-10:30 a.m., join expert and beginner bird watchers on a morning Bird Walk.
• Tavern64 (1800 Presidents St.) continues its series of live music tonight from 6-10 p.m. Afterward, let the live music continue at Crafthouse (1888 Explorer St.) from 10:30 p.m. to 1:30 a.m.
• “Urinetown: The Musical” is being performed at NextStop Theatre Company (269 Sunset Park Drive) through June 25. Performances this weekend are tonight and Saturday at 8 p.m. and a 2 p.m. matinee Sunday. General admission tickets start at $40.
• “Radcliffe Bailey: The Great Dismal Swamp” remains on display at Greater Reston Arts Center (12001 Market St.) through August.
• Both today and Saturday, visit Davelle Clothiers (11921 Freedom Drive) to celebrate their 25th anniversary. Tonight there will be wine and acoustic music preformed by Shane Roots, while on Saturday there will be a Teavana tasting and a show of exotic cars.
• Author Terry Castasús Jennings will be at Scrawl Books (11862 Market St.) Sunday at 2 p.m. to share her new book, “Vivian and the Legend of the Hoodoos.”
• Kalypso’s (1617 Washington Plaza N.) will have live music tonight at 9:30 p.m. from The Vandelays.
• Vinifera Wine Bar and Bistro (11750 Sunrise Valley Drive) has live music from 7-10 p.m. every Friday and Saturday night. This weekend’s performers are Gabe Matthews (Friday) and Hilary Veltri (Saturday).

The bricks at Lake Anne Plaza will turn into brightly colored murals at the third annual Chalk on the Water Festival, which returns to the plaza June 11-12.

Registration is now open for individuals of all ages for the two-day street-painting festival.

Festival goers can purchase a “plot” of brick space on the plaza and paint whatever flows from their imagination. Cost for spaces are $10 for families and school-age children (elementary to high school), $15 for amateur artists, and $15 for professional artists.

Register on Chalk on the Water’s website.

Only 150 spaces/plots are available for this event. Participants have a chance to win cash prizes for various categories, awarded by community judges.

Lake Anne collaborated with Initiative for Public Art-Reston (IPAR) to bring this public art themed event to the plaza.  Funds raised from the festival will be donated to IPAR.

The festival is sponsored by the Friends of Lake Anne (FOLA), Reston Art Gallery, and Washington Parent Magazine. For sponsorship inquiries, visit www.chalkonthewater.com.

It’s not too late to bring your inner artist to Lake Anne Plaza this weekend.

The bricks of Lake Anne Plaza will turn into backdrops for colorful murals at the Second Annual Chalk on the Water Festival Saturday and Sunday.

Chalk on the Water is a two-day street-painting festival where participants of all ages can create street art. Festival-goers purchase a “plot” of brick space on the plaza in which to create their chalk masterpiece.

Cost for spaces are $5 for children, $10 for adults, and $15 for professional artists. Registration of available online at www.chalkonthewater.com.  Registration is still open, and there are only 100 spaces available for this event.

There will be cash prizes for various categories, which will be judged by notable community members.

The festival, which runs from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days, will also include food, a live DJ, and a wine garden.

Money raised from Chalk on the Water will benefit the Initiative for Public Art-Reston (IPAR).

The festival is sponsored by the Friends of Lake Anne (FOLA), Reston Art Gallery, and Washington Parent Magazine.

Photos: Chalk on the Water 2014

Dozens of artists took chalk to brick Saturday and Sunday at the inaugural Chalk on the Water festival at Lake Anne Plaza.

The event, organized by the Initiative for Public Art Reston, attracted professional artists and amateur artists of all ages. Participants paid to reserve space on the bricks on which to create the frescos.

There were storybook characters and abstract designs, portraits and animals, among other renderings.

How long the murals remain on the plaza will depend on predicted rain this week.

Prizes were awarded to winners:

Professional Artist

• First — Erica Fallin
• Second — Penny Hauffe
• Third — Milagros Pongo

Middle/High School

• First — Kara Brownback
• Second — Hanna Wilson Black
• Third — Jordon Ismaiel

Elementary School

• First — Kerry Wennnet
• Second — Riley and Gabby
• Third —  Viv Schoening

To see works from the winners, visit Lake Anne Plaza’s Facebook page.