Monday, September 13

• An International Murals Festival (varies) – D.C. Walls is an international mural festival highlighting public wall art across the city and region. Take a self-guided tour and celebrate the murals that make up the city.

Tuesday, September 14

• Fermenting Hot Sauce (6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.) – Head over to maker space NoVa Labs in Reston for a lesson on fermenting your very own hot sauce. The class will teach you about fermenting techniques, styles from across the world, and different types of chilis. You’ll also get a chance to blend your own very small batch sauce.

Wednesday, September 15

• Country & Western Line Dancing Lesson (6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.) – Swing your partner round and round at Frying Pan Farm Park. Learn a variety of country and western line dances with the help of the Fairfax County Park Authority. All – singles, partners, and families – are welcome.

Thursday, September 16

• By the Seashore (10:30 a.m.) – Take a magical journey to the beach in this sensory-filled production at Plenty Amphitheater at Lee District Park in Alexandria. Best for children up to three years old, the show is at an outdoor amphitheater, and runs 20 minutes.

Friday, September 17

• “Can I Kick It?” Featuring Black Panther (7:30 p.m.) – Gerald Watson and DJ 2-Tone Jones take the 2018 Marvel hit Black Panther to the next level by adding a fresh, new soundtrack alluding to martial arts films of lore. Taking place on the Mason Pond Lawn at George Mason University, the event is open to the public.

Saturday, September 18

• Alexandria Old Town Art Festival (10 a.m. to 5 p.m.) – The 19th annual art festival will take place at John Carlyle Square this year. It’s free admission, there’ll be dozens of vendors, and the festival is consistently recognized as one of the top in the area.

• Buckets N Boards Comedy (5 p.m.) – Take the family to this high energy musical comedy show featuring tap dancing, percussion, and buckets. It will take place in McLean Central Park and run about 90 minutes long.

• Rosslyn Jazz Fest (1 p.m. to 5 p.m.) – One of Arlington’s premier music festivals is back this year with local acts, food, fun and music. Taking place in Gateway Park this year, the 2021 version is a culmination of a series of events in Arlington celebrating jazz. Though the festival is free, registration is strongly encouraged.

Sunday, September 19

• Korus Festival (10 a.m. to 5 p.m.) – This celebration of Korean-American culture, music, food, and dance is back and is now set to take place in the Bloomingdale’s parking lot in Tysons Corner Center.

• Mutts Gone Nuts (7:00 p.m.) – Dogs make for great comedy. Head on over to the Reston Community Center for a dog and comedy show full of tricks, jokes, and barks. As the listing says, the show will leave you “howling” for more.

Tuesday, Feb. 16

• Bean-efit (4-6 p.m.) – On Mardi Gras, get a free meal from a local restaurant if you work in the hospitality industry. Organized by local restaurateurs (including Bayou Bakery’s David Guas), 25 restaurants across D.C. and Northern Virginia are providing a free bean dish to the first 100 restaurant workers to show up at each location. Among those participating is Taco Bamba in Vienna and Sonoma Wine Bar in Alexandria.

Wednesday, Feb. 17

• The Black Arts Movement (7 p.m.) – Join Fairfax’s Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Lambda Kappa Omega Chapter for an online discussion of the Harlem Renaissance and Black Arts Movement. The event is sponsored by the Fairfax County Public Library.

Thursday, Feb. 18

• Girl Power! (7 p.m.) – Celebrate the launch of author Jen Petro-Roy’s new book Life in the Balance along with Reston’s Scrawl Books. Then, on March 25, join Scrawl Books and Petro-Roy to ask questions and discuss the book after reading it.

Friday, Feb. 19

• Animal Predators (6-7 p.m.) – Owls, coyotes, bears, oh my! Learn about all the animal predators stalking the local woods. Afterwards, sit around the campfire at Ellanor C. Lawrence Park in Chantilly and roast up some s’mores.

• The Places We Forgot (Anytime) – Inhabit once-abandoned locations at this new virtual exhibit from Workman Art Center in Lorton. Photograph artist Brendan L. Smith has taken pictures of abandoned places across the country and the results are enchanting.

Saturday, Feb. 20

• Raising Ivy (11 a.m. to noon) – Local author Greg Manora details a family’s true story of coming from poverty, slavery, and segregation to football field and the halls of the Ivy League. This event is part of the Fairfax County Library’s series of Black History Month events.

Sunday, Feb. 21

• Virginia is for Comedy (9 p.m.) – Laugh at locals as the Comedy Roadshow, a 30-minute virtual stand-up show every Sunday, makes its way to Virginia. This Sunday will feature only VA-based comedians, including funny people from Sterling, Arlington, and Richmond.

Photo courtesy of Bayou Bakery

Crate and Barrel released a new sofa line that looks like it was designed by Robert Simon himself.

The “Reston Queen Trundle Sleeper Sofa” model sells for about $2,500 and was called out by the Restonian — a local blog — for having oddly similar features to that of the community.

Its blocky design fits buildings found around Reston and its price tag might remind homeowners of the high cost of living in the area — at least compared to the national average.

One commenter on Crate and Barrel’s Facebook page said that the design is a “ChaCh$ing – couch” while another said it was simply overpriced and they found better deals elsewhere.

The sofa sleeper comes in almost 10 colors, each of which are monotone shades of greys, browns and tans. When Reston residents take a walk around town, they’re likely to notice a similar color-scheme within their own community.

Though it appears that Crate and Barrel have removed some of the items from its website, The Restonian did a side-by-side comparison to other sectionals within the Reston Sofa family to that of buildings around town.

It is unclear if the sofa was actually modeled after the Reston community, but people are free to make up their own conspiracies about the design.

Photo via Crate and Barrel Facebook

The Capitol Steps are back in Reston this Sunday (Jan. 27) for the troupe’s 36th annual benefit performance for Cornerstones.

The D.C.-based political satire group is known for mocking both sides of the aisle in songs and comedy skits. The troupe has recorded more than 35 albums since Senate staffers started Capitol Steps in 1981 according to the website.

The show starts at 6 p.m. at the Hyatt Regency Reston (1800 Presidents Street). Tickets start at $100.

Proceeds from the performance benefit families in the Cornerstones’ Embry Rucker Community Shelter. In recent years, the annual benefit performance has raised more than $300,000.

Photo via The Capitol Steps/Facebook

County remains among the richest — the U.S. Census Bureau estimates that Fairfax County ranks second as the richest county from 2013 to 2017, following Loudoun County. [U.S. Census Bureau]

It’s snow joke — With snow predictions looming, the Virginia Department of Transportation wants residents to stay safe by looking over its 2018-2019 “snow facts.” [VDOT]

Fine arts photography collection — The “La Lumiere DuBois VII” exhibit by Michael DuBois, who highlights his love of nature, opens today at the Reston Community Center Hunters Woods. The exhibit is open until  Jan. 6. [Reston Community Center]

“She Kills Monsters: Young Adventurers Edition” — Watch students from the Herndon High School perform a contemporary dramatic comedy tonight at 7 p.m. Parental guidance is recommended. [Herndon High School Theatre]

Photo by Susan Berger

Ethan Berlin has written for various comedians’ shows including George Lopez, Jon Stewart and Sarah Silverman. But his latest venture is writing a children’s book.

Berlin will be returning to his roots in Reston on June 2 (Saturday) to read his debut children’s book “The Hugely-Wugely Spider” at Scrawl Books. The reading will be from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. The story tells the tale of the Itsy-Bitsy’s spider’s larger counterpart, who can’t fit into the water spout.

Part of the idea for the story came about when he was singing the Itsy-Bitsy Spider to one of his two kids. Berlin added that he was typically the bigger kid in his class growing up and always wondered if a bigger version of the Itsy-Bitsy Spider existed.

A 1995 graduate of South Lakes High School, Berlin said he loved doing theatre and comedy during his time at SLHS.

“The thing I lived for at South Lakes was theatre,” he said.

Berlin described himself as a “weirdo” in high school and said he’s grateful for how nicely he was treated at SLHS.

Now living in New Jersey, Berlin said he’s excited to read to kids in Reston and catching up with old friends. And if he could somehow maintain his comedy and writing career from Reston he said he would move back.

Image via Scrawl Books’ website. 

Maysoon Zayid, a professional comedian and disability activist, will perform at Reston Community Center on Saturday, March 31 at 8 p.m.

Zayid has performed in New York Clubs and was a headliner on the Arabs Gone Wild Comedy Show and The Muslims Are Coming! — a documentary that follows the attempts of American Muslim comics to combat prejudice and misconceptions of Islam through humor.

In 2013, she was selected as an honoree for the United Cerebral Palsy of New York City’s Women Who Care Awards. She was also a full-time on-air contributor on Countdown with Keith Olbermann.

The show is recommended for adults ages 18 and older. Attendees under 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

Tickets are $15 for Reston residents and $20 for all others.

Americana music and more will come to Café Montmarte (1625 Washington Plaza N.) next week as the Harried Americans Roadshow takes the stage.

According to the group’s website, Harried Americans roadshows are “smarty-pants, loosey-goosey, Americana FUN – with a D.C. twist.” The group boasts that it offers “topical original songs about politicians and social issues, 1960s sing-alongs, and new takes on old standards from the Great American Songbook.”

The show is scheduled for 7-9 p.m. Friday, Oct. 27. In addition to the Harried Americans Band, the show is slated to feature Brazilian touring artist Rick Udler, comedian/actress Angela Moore, poetry by the Intellectual Bully and more.

Tickets for the show are $10 and are available online. For more information, call 888-268-8637.

Image via HarriedAmericans.com

 

Reston’s multicultural heritage will be celebrated this weekend at Lake Anne Plaza.

The community’s annual Multicultural Festival, sponsored by Reston Community Center and Reston Association, is scheduled for 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday. It will include “music, entertainment, dress, food, and cultural treasures from all over the world,” according to information provided by RCC.

The entertainment lineup includes more than a dozen performers on two stages — the World Stage and the Global Stage — as well as at RCC’s Lake Anne facility. The “Global Market” will feature jewelry, clothing and more from around the world.

For more information about the event, contact Kevin Danaher, RCC’s community events director, at 703-390-6166.

There is plenty else scheduled to take place this weekend in the area as well. Get out there and have some fun on this last full weekend of September!

(Editor’s Note: This is just a limited list of all the events taking place in the Reston area this weekend. If you have an event you would like to ensure is listed on the website, be sure to submit it to our Events Calendar.)

• Herndon High School (700 Bennett St.) will present its annual Showcase of Bands all day Saturday. South Lakes High School’s band will perform at 6:15 p.m., and Herndon’s band will play at 8:15.
• Café Montmarte (1625 Washington Plaza N.) will be the host of a comedy performance presented by Funny Friend Productions, beginning at 8 p.m. Saturday. Performers will include Robin Rex, Franqi French, Sumedha Ahuja Bahri, Kevin Skington, Wendy Wroblewski, Gil Segev, Leon Scott, Dan Kaufman and Steve Coltrain. Door charge will be $10.
• The grand-opening event for Reston Farm Market (10800 Baron Cameron Ave.) will take place from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday. The fun will include train rides, moon bounces, the petting zoo, face painting and more.
• The JamBrew series continues tonight in Herndon. Aslin Beer Co. will be pouring frosty mugs, Weird Brothers Coffee will be offering tasty drinks, Nordic Knot Pretzels will provide tasty snacks, and there will be much more. Live music will be offered from DJ Barf Dog, Queens Over Kings and Sub-Radio. The free event is slated for 6-10 p.m. at the Herndon Town Green (777 Lynn St.).
• Lake Anne Brew House (11424 Washington Plaza W.) will host a performance by Grammy-nominated musician Cedric Watson from 3-5 p.m. Sunday.
• South Lakes High School’s undefeated varsity football team will play at home tonight at 7 p.m. against Centreville. A pre-game party at the stadium (11400 South Lakes Drive) is scheduled to start at 5:45 p.m., featuring burgers, hot dogs, barbecue, ice cream and more.
• “Sue Wrbican: Well Past the Echo” will be on view at Greater Reston Arts Center (12001 Market St.) through Nov. 18.
• Pulitzer Prize-winner display “Disgraced,” exploring Muslim assimilation and identity in America, will be performed at NextStop Theatre Company (269 Sunset Park Drive, Herndon) tonight at 8 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday at 7 p.m.; and at a 2 p.m. Saturday matinee. Tickets range in price from $17.50 to $55.
• Pediatric Specialists of Virginia will have their Stride Forward 5K and Family Health Fair on Saturday from 8:30-11:30 a.m. at Reston Town Center.
• The Walk to End Alzheimer’s is Sunday, from 1:30-5 p.m. at Reston Town Center.
• Many restaurants and bars in Reston will have live music this weekend. These include Crafthouse (1888 Explorer St.) every Friday and Saturday night from 10 p.m. to 1:30 a.m.; and Tavern64 (1800 Presidents St.) every Friday from 6-10 p.m.
• Kalypso’s Sports Tavern (1617 Washington Plaza N.) will have live music from Lawn Dart Incident tonight from 9:30 p.m. to 1:30 a.m.; and DJ Kram will play Top 40 hits during those hours Saturday night.

File photo from 2015 Reston Multicultural Festival

Concerts, art exhibits, theater, film showings — there is always something entertaining to do in Reston.

But what about live comedy? A Reston native is trying to make it a more regular event here as well.

“I went out and scoped out the comedy scene, and I’m bringing the best comics back to Reston,” said Robin Rex, a six-month veteran of comedy who has already started her own show-booking company, Funny Friend Productions. “We don’t have comedy [here], and I want people to have a place to go to see comedy, good shows.”

In July, Funny Friend Productions put on its first show at Café Montmartre, a longtime favorite venue of Rex. The show had about 75 attendees and was a success for all involved, she said. Another show at the restaurant (1625 Washington Plaza N.) is planned for Sept. 23.

“I grew up on that side of Reston, and I’ve always loved being at Lake Anne,” said Rex, who now lives in Centreville. “There’s places is Centreville [to do shows], but Lake Anne is where my heart is.”

Rex, 43, is a 20-year high school teacher who said she has been performing at venues around Northern Virginia this year as she begins to gain experience in the comedy business. She got started at the suggestion of a co-worker who also works as a standup.

“He just thought that I would be good at it because I’m talking all day [and] I’m good at keeping the kids’ attention, at being funny,” she said. “I finally had my opportunity and I went for it, and from my first night people have started asking me to do other shows.”

She said she has been intimidated at times in the past months as she has started getting her feet wet in the business, but that her confidence is building and she is comfortable once she gets on stage.

“I’m still beside myself nervous, but once I get up there I’m able to flip a switch,” she said, saying her brand of comedy is influenced by standups such as Amy Schumer. “My friends say, ‘You don’t look nervous at all,’ and I’m like, ‘Oh my God, I’m dying on the inside.’ … But I just put it out there, and I’m not embarrassed.”

The Sept. 23 show  — planned as Rex’s 44th birthday celebration — has numerous area comedians on the bill. In addition to Rex, the show will be headlined by Franqi French, who also grew up in Reston. Other standups slated to perform are Sumedha Ahuja Bahri, Kevin Skington, Wendy Wroblewski, Gil Segev, Leon Scott, Dan Kaufman and Steve Coltrain.

“What’s great about it is I’ve had the past six months to go around [the DC Metro area] and listen to other comics, and then I could handpick the ones that I want to book for my shows,” she said. “Also, it’s my birthday, so I have some of my friends who are comedians on the lineup.”

A door charge of $10 will be collected. Doors will open at 7 p.m., with the show starting at 8.

“[Attendees] probably want to come [early] and get a table and eat, because it was standing-room-only last time,” Rex said.

For information about this show, or to inquire about bringing a Funny Friend Productions show to another venue, connect with Rex on Facebook.

(Note: In addition to the standup show, Café Montmarte will also be hosting a free improv comedy show with Reflex Improv this Friday at 8 p.m.)

Photo courtesy Robin Rex