CenterStage Has Full April Schedule — Programming next month at CenterStage (2310 Colts Neck Road) will include concerts by Trout Fishing in America and Le Mystère des Voix Bulgares, as well as performances from The Reduced Shakespeare Company and more. [Reston Community Center]
Founder’s Day to Feature Several Local Authors — Kristina Alcorn, Eric MacDicken, Watt Hamlett, Jill Olinger Vinson, Chuck Cascio, Chuck Veatch, Claudia Thompson-Deahl and Karen See will all be showcasing their work at Reston Community Center’s Jo Ann Rose Gallery (1609 Washington Plaza N.) at part of Founder’s Day festivities April 8. [Reston Historic Trust]
County Reaffirms Focus on Curbing Hate — At an event over the weekend in Annandale, representatives of Fairfax County police, schools and government gathered to hammer home the county’s stance against hate speech, bias and hate crimes. Sharon Bulova, chairman of the county Board of Supervisors, plans to continue the discussion at the board’s April 4 meeting. [WTOP]
Reston Company Faces Delisting by Nasdaq — NCI Inc., an IT services provider, has not released its 2016 financial information in a timely fashion, the stock exchange says. [Washington Business Journal]
Reston’s annual Founder’s Day festivities will take place Saturday, April 8, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Lake Anne Plaza.
This year’s event, celebrating the 53rd anniversary of Reston’s founding, will feature a full day of arts, history and family-friendly activities. Free activities will include a moon bounce and face painting. There will also be a 50-foot Ferris wheel, sponsored by Reston Association, the cost of rides on which will benefit the Reston Historic Trust and the Friends of Reston.
Musical entertainment will be provided by the Langston Hughes Middle School Jazz Ensemble, the Lake Anne Drumming Ensemble, the Lake Anne Choral Ensemble, the Reston Chorale, the Reston Encore Chorale and Catchin’ Toads.
There will also be a public art walk around Lake Anne, sponsored by Public Art Reston, as well as screenings of the films “Another Way of Living: The Story of Reston, VA” and “Fun, Beauty, Fantasy: Reston’s Public Art.” Local authors will also be present for an afternoon book-signing event.
The day will also include comments from local elected officials and the commemoration of bricks at the plaza.
Founder’s Day is presented by the Reston Historic Trust with support from Reston Community Center, and it is co-sponsored by Reston Association and Public Art Reston. A full schedule of activities can be found at the Reston Historic Trust and Museum website. For more information, contact the Reston Historic Trust and Museum at 703-709-7700 or [email protected].
Photos courtesy Reston Historic Trust and Museum
Commemorative bricks for Reston’s annual Founder’s Day are being sold through next week.
The bricks will be installed on Lake Anne Plaza and dedicated during the event Saturday, April 8. Restonians are encouraged to become part of Reston’s history by purchasing one.
“The commemorative bricks support the Reston Museum and Founder’s Day — an opportunity each year to celebrate Robert E. Simon and his vision for this special and inclusive community,” said Elizabeth Didiano, executive director of Reston Historic Trust and Museum.
A commemorative brick can also be lasting gift to someone special, Didiano said.
“[The bricks] are a unique way for us to record Reston’s history,” she said. “[They allow] individuals to share their names, relationships and contributions to Reston where everyone can see them — surrounding the statue of Reston’s founder Bob Simon on Lake Anne Plaza.”
Bricks can be purchased from the Reston Historic Trust and Museum for a tax-deductible contribution of $100 for a standard-sized brick, or $250 for a large brick. Orders can be made on the museum’s website, by emailing Didiano at [email protected], or by calling 703-709-7700.
The deadline to order bricks is Wednesday, Feb. 15.
Founder’s Day is presented by Reston Historic Trust and Museum, Reston Association, Reston Community Center, Initiative for Public Art — Reston, and Lake Anne of Reston Condominium Association.
Photo courtesy Reston Historic Trust and Museum
To properly memorialize Reston Founder Robert E. Simon, the Reston Historic Trust, the Initiative for Public Art Reston and other local groups are greatly expanding Founders Day into Founders Week April 3 to 10.
Simon died in September at age 101. His 102nd birthday would have been April 10, 2016.
The celebrations will be a combo of art exhibits, films, and the traditional party on the plaza.
The community Founders Day celebration on April 9 will feature a little (and a big) something extra — the addition of a ferris wheel and a recreation of a historical piece of Reston public art.
Founders Day at Lake Anne Plaza, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, April 9 . Free.
Join the Reston Historic Trust and Museum to celebrate Robert E. Simon, Jr. and Reston. Founder’s Day will feature a 50-foot Ferris wheel sponsored by Reston Association (RA), children’s activities, children’s art projects in cooperation with the Initiative for Public Art – Reston (IPAR), musical entertainment for all ages provided by local artists and schools, guided walks around Lake Anne Plaza in cooperation with IPAR and RA, and remarks by local elected officials.
On this special Founder’s Day, Lake Anne of Reston Condominium Association (LARCA) and IPAR partnered to commission a new version of The Wooden Horse originally created by artist Gonzalo Fonseca in 1965. The sculpture was first installed on grass, as in a pasture, and was later moved to a brick walkway, not far from the building, another sculpture created by Fonseca.
Because both sculptures were made of wood, they have been lost to the effects of time. Like the other sculptures at Lake Anne Plaza, The Horse was meant to be played on. This new version of The Wooden Horse was constructed by Reston artist Marco Rando.
Here’s an overview of what else is on the Founders Day slate:
Emerging Visions: Contemplating Community at Greater Reston Arts Center, 12001 Market Street at Reston Town Center. Free.
Happy Birthday, Reston — you look good for 51. And founder Bob Simon seems to be the heartiest (almost) 101 year old around.
Come and celebrate both birthdays at the annual Reston Founders Day on April 11.
The free events, hosted by the Reston Historic Trust and Museum, run from noon to 3 p.m. at Lake Anne Plaza.
State, local and national elected officials will participate in a game of “Random Reston,” which will be emceed by Chuck Veatch. There will also be musical entertainment, the dedication of the plaza’s newest commemorative bricks, as well as birthday cake.
Simon, who envisioned a “new town” with European-style village centers and high-density housing in what was then a Virginia pasture, turns 101 on April 10.
Founders Day raffle tickets are on sale now, offering an opportunity to support the Reston Historic Trust & Museum Endowment Fund. The RHT is raffling off a pair of “inside out” diamond hoop earrings valued at $2,500. The earrings, donated by Aspen Jewelry Designs, contain 50 diamonds weighing 1.01 carats.
Raffle tickets are $10 each, 3 for $25 or 7 for $50. They can be purchased at the Reston Museum at Lake Anne Plaza, online at restonmuseum.org or at the Wine Cabinet at North Point Village Center. The drawing will follow the celebration. You do not have to be present to win.
Photo: Reston founder Bob Simon at his 100th birthday at 2014 Founders Day.
Gov. Terry McAuliffe, Sen. Tim Kaine and other dignitaries were among the hundreds of people who came to Reston’s Lake Anne Plaza Saturday afternoon to wish founder Robert E. Simon a happy 100th birthday and Reston a happy 50th birthday.
What will the next 50 years bring?
“We will have to just sit around and see,” Simon said before cutting the cake at the Founder’s Day celebration.
Reston Now will have full coverage of the weekend events on Monday.
Do you know a Reston native who has returned to town to live or work?
Then nominate them as a young Restonian to be recognized at Founder’s Day 2014.
As part of Reston’s big 50th Anniversary celebration on April 5, 2014, the Reston Historic Trust will recognize some of Reston’s second generation.
Nominate them by downloading and submitting this Young Restonian form.
Lots of other plans are underway for Founder’s Day, which will also celebrate Reston founder Bob Simon’s 100th birthday. Reston Now will keep you updated as the program develops.
Meanwhile, RHT is accepting Happy Birthday messages for the commemorative program. Messages begin at $25.
Want to have your birthday greetings to Bob in the program? Download this Bob Simon Birthday greetings form.
