No fare hikes — Metro doesn’t plan to raise fares next year, which it typically does every other year. But that also means there no immediate plans to increase service. [WTOP]

‘Midline’ reaches end of the line — Three big-name developers are partnering to build the mixed-use project near Wiehle-Reston East. The Fairfax County Planning Commission votes on the project tonight. [Fairfax County Government]

Creative response set for tonight –– Malgorzata J. Rymsza-Pawlowska, an assistant professor at American University, will lead the audience through a creative response on work currently on display at the Greater Reston Arts Center from 7-8 p.m. [Greater Reston Arts Center]

Photo by Elizabeth Bley

Thousands of used books will be available for purchase at Reston Regional Library this weekend. The semi-annual book sale is open to all from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. today, between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. on Saturday and between noon and 3:30 p.m. on Sunday. Prices are 50 cents and above.

Although there will be plenty of books available for purchase, no children’s books will be offered at the sale. All proceeds go to the library for materials and programming.

Other featured events include the following:

(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.)

• Enjoy family splash at the Terry L. Smith Aquatics Center at Reston Community Center Hunters Woods today. The pool will be open for a night of family fun from 7-9 p.m. The entry fee is $13 for Reston residents and $26 for all others.
• Bring the family for a campfire program on Friday from 6:30-8:30 p.m. S’mores and other campfire treats will be provided. Registration is $7 for Reston Association members and $9 for all others.
• Beginning this weekend, the work of Virginia-based artist Rahshia Sawyer will be on display at the Greater Reston Art Center’s satellite gallery at Signature. The exhibit will be open Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• For teachers and poetry lovers, Scrawl Books will host a workshop on how to shake up the traditional classroom approaching to writing poetry. The workshop, which takes place on Saturday from noon to 2 p.m., is led by Ann Marie Stephens, contributing author to The Write Thing. If you swing by on the weekend, you can also write a postcard to your favorite banned author — an activity by the bookstore as part of Banned Books Week.
• If you’re in Reston Town Center that day, you can also swing by the second annual Runway to the Cure from 6-11 p.m at the pavilion. Breast cancer survivors will take part in a fashion show and proceeds will benefit the Susan G. Komen Foundation.
• A new exhibit called “Green is the Secret Color to Make Gold” will be on display beginning Saturday and through Nov. 24. The art features DC-based artist Caitlin Teal Price. An opening reception is set for Saturday from 5-7 p.m. at GRACE.
• South Lakes High School’s food pantry is also organizing a “Do It Your Way 0.5k” to raise money for the pantry on Sunday. The event includes sweets, entertainment and raffle prizes and will take place at Lake Anne Plaza at 4 p.m.
• On Sunday, The Bad Plus, a musical trio, performs at Reston Community Center from 7-10 p.m. Tickets are $20 Reston residents and $30 for all others. The event is part of RCC’s Professional Touring Artist Series.
• South Lakes High School will become the site for the seventh annual Perfect 10, a race in which participants can choose to run a 10k or a 10-miler. The event, presented by Fidelity Investments, is set for Sunday from 8-10 a.m.
• But if you’d rather begin your Sunday morning with free yoga at Lake Anne Plaza, you can do so from 9-10 a.m. as well.

File photo

A new body of work will be on display at the Greater Reston Art Center’s satellite gallery at Signature (11850 Freedom Drive), the new residential building in Reston Town Center.

Virginia-based photographer Rahshia Sawyer‘s newest work, “What I Haven’t Told You,” that depicts figures floating in water and draped in gossamer silks.

GRACE issued the following description about the exhibit, which opens tomorrow (Sept. 28) and ends on Jan. 8.: 

…the artist endeavors to illustrate the tension between emotions expressed and emotions repressed.Sawyer received her MFA from George Mason University. Her work has been exhibited both nationally and internationally and she was included in the 2012 Inaugural Dublin Biennial.

She was the 2012 recipient of the Contemporary Talents Award from France’s François Schneider Foundation and received a 2016 Honorable Mention from the International Photography Awards and Prix de la Photographie (Px3). Her work is in the permanent collections of the Corcoran Gallery of Art, François Schneider Foundation, and Radford University Museum.

The exhibit is free and open to the public. It is open from Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. A reception for the artist is set for Oct. 25 from 6-8 p.m.

Photo via GRACE

The Greater Reston Arts Center‘s newest exhibit opens this Saturday (Sept. 29) and features the work of DC-based artist Caitlin Teal Price.

Price’s work, displayed with the exhibit title “Green is the Secret Color to Make Gold,” explores the theme of daily routine and ritual. Her latest work offers depictions of objects, many of whom she collected with her son on walks they take together. The exhibition will also feature Price’s first large-scale drawings.

She received her MFA in photography from the Yale School of Art. Her work has been displayed at the National Portrait Gallery, the Fotografiska in Stockholm and the Photography Festival and Australian Center for Photography in Sydney. She also received a fellowship from the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities in 2016 and 2017.

An opening reception, which is free and open to the public, is set for Saturday (Sept. 29) from 5-7 p.m. at GRACE. Price will discuss her work on Oct. 7 at 2 p.m. at the National Gallery of Art and she’ll return to GRACE to offer some comments on her work on Nov. 10 from 3-5 p.m.

Photos via GRACE

The window for spring cleaning may be over, so there’s no harm in taking advantage of some deals (and possibly steals) from your neighbors at tomorrow’s Reston Community Yard Sale from 8:30 a.m. to noon.

Around 85 families are signed up to sell a mix of items at the event, which is located in the parking lot behind 1900 Campus Commons Drive and organized by Reston Association. But before you head out, make sure to check RA’s website and social media for updates in the event of cancellation due to rain. A tentative rain date has been set for Sunday.

Earlier this week, organizers announced that ChalkFest at Reston Town Center, a popular event for amateur and professional artists alike, was canceled due to the rain forecast. The event will not be rescheduled. In any case, there’s still plenty to do in Reston over the weekend:

(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.)

• Between noon and 5 p.m. this weekend, you can drop in at the Reston Art Gallery & Studios (11500 Washington Plaza West) to take a look at art created by local first responders. The art show is called Ashes2Art.
• End tonight with a special benefit concert by Reston’s Diva Duo at the United Christian Parish (11508 North Shore Drive) from 7:30-8:30 p.m. The cost of admission is $25. All proceeds will help support Reston and Herndon residents who are facing crisis and at risk of losing their homes, electricity or water.
• Don’t head to any Fairfax County libraries today, as all branches will be closed for staff training.
• On Saturday from 8:30-10:30 a.m., the Susco 8K and 2K is back for its 11th year at South Lakes High School. The event aims to raise money for brain aneurysm research and organ donation awareness programs.
• A former Arlington prosecutor and Fairfax County native will sign copies of his first novel, Daingerfield Island, at Scrawl Books (11911 Freedom Drive) from noon to 2 p.m. on Saturday.
• Reston Regional Library reopens on Saturday. Children between the age of 6 and 11 can invent a “drawbot,” a machine built to move and draw. Participants can also take their drawbots home. The event will take place from 2-3 p.m.
• As the Building Worlds exhibit comes to a close, the artists behind the exhibit at Greater Reston Arts Center will provide some insights on the inspiration and meaning behind their work. The event on Saturday will take place from 5-7 p.m.
• Earlier on Saturday, one of the artists, Rachel Guardiola, will lead a sensory workshop to create artwork inspired by her work. The event, which will run from 1-3 p.m., is open to all participants 18 and up.
• Robert Prather, author of “The Strange Case of Jonathan Swift and the Real Long John Silver,” will give a talk on the story of local pirate Jonathan Swift on Sunday from 2-3 p.m. at Reston Regional Library (11925 Bowman Towne Drive).
• Kids interested in dueling it out can participate in a Chess Club for Kids, also at the library on Sunday from 2-4 p.m.
• If birdwatching is your cup of tea, you can do so at Stratton Woods Park from 7:30-10:30 a.m. on Sunday. During the walk, which is cosponsored by Audubon Society of Northern Virginia and The Bird Feeder store, attendees will visit a variety of sites.
• And if you’d rather stay indoors, there will be an open house at The Lake House (11450 Baron Cameron Avenue) from 4-6 p.m.

Photo via Reston Association

The Greater Reston Arts Center is closing its “Building Worlds” exhibition this weekend. The exhibition, which future worlds reimagined by five artists, will end with two events on Saturday.

One of the artists Rachel Guardiola will lead attendees through an interactive workshop based inspired by her artwork from 1-3 p.m. The activities will explore themes like the role of science fiction, fact, and fantasy. Registration is open online. The event, which is sponsored by Reston Community Center, is open to participants age 18 and up.

From 5-7 p.m. the same day, the exhibition’s artists and curator will take part in a panel discussion and a question and answer session. The event, which is also sponsored by Reston Community Center, is free and open to the public.

A new exhibition featuring the work of DC-based artist Caitlin Teal Price is next up on GRACE’s line of displays. Price’s exhibition, “Green is the Secret Color to Make Gold,” explores themes of daily life.

She’s known for her photographs of people and objects collected by her young son on walks they take together. The exhibit will run from September 29 through November 24 at GRACE. An opening reception is set for September 29 from 5-7 p.m.

Photo via GRACE

We’re bringing the weekend roundup of events in Reston areas back after retiring the twice-weekly rundown of events and deals by Tim’s Reston.

This weekend, Kwame Alexander, a local New York Times bestselling author, will take part in an author talk and book signing on Saturday from 2-4 p.m. at Reston Regional Library.

The talk is part of The Great American Read programming at Reston Regional Library and it’s sponsored by a host of entities like Reston Regional Library, PBS, the American Library Association, WETA-TV 26, and Friends of Reston Regional Library. All attendees ages six and up are encouraged to take part.

The Reston Triathlon also returns to Reston this weekend. Everything you need to know about the event is available online.

If that isn’t your cup of tea, there’s still plenty of other things to do in the area this weekend:

• Bring your dog for a dip in the pool in the Dogwood Recreation area from 4-7 p.m. today. People are not allowed in the water with the dogs and a current dog license is required.
• Families, couples and individuals are invited to take part in a “Nature Scavenger Hunt” from 2-3 p.m. on Saturday at the Walker Nature Center. Registration is $5 for Reston Association members and $7 for all others.
• Miss Emily is back in town for singing storytime with illustration songs from 10:30-11 a.m. at Reston Regional Library on Saturday. The event is co-sponsored by the Friends of the Reston Regional Library.
• Oil and watercolor works by Gwen White are on display from Saturday through October 7 at Reston Community Centers Hunters Woods. The exhibit is titled “It’s Finished When It’s Finished.”
• Author and Spanish teacher Tracey Kyle leads participants through bilingual story time at Scrawl Books from 11 a.m. to noon on Saturday. Her books include Gazpacho for Nacho, Food Fight Fiesta and A Paintbrush for Paco.
• Scout & Molly’s boutique in Reston Town Center is hosting a Joseph Ribkoff Trunk Show featuring its holiday and spring collection at noon until 6 p.m on Saturday.
• The season for cherries and watermelons may be ending, but the Reston Farmer’s Market at Lake Anne Plaza is here to stay until early December. The market is open from 8 a.m. to noon on Saturday.
• “Contemplate Creativity” with this meditation workshop at Greater Reston Arts Center from 9:30-11 a.m on Saturday.  Registration is free for GRACE members and $5 for all others.
• Also at GRACE tomorrow, explore the intersection of art and engineering by creating your own kinetic art box with artist Tim Harper from 1-3 p.m. on Saturday. The event is open to participants ages six and up.
• The Tour de Cure, a community festival and a fundraising event dedicated to diabetes in Northern Virginia will take place at Reston Town Center from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday.
• Show of your dancing skills during the “Sunday Afternoon Dance” at Reston Community Center Hunters Woods from 2:30-4:30 p.m. Three mini-lessons and light refreshments will be provided. The cost is $5 for Restonians and $10 for all others. You can also try your hand (or your feet) at western dance from 5:30-8 p.m. the same day, if you’re game.
• If you’re rusty on your computer skills, technology volunteers will be available to guide you through a one-hour session on computers, Internet and ebook help on Sunday. The session is from 2-3 p.m. at Reston Regional Library. Participants should call the library to book an appointment.
• Celebrate the “High Holidays” at Congregation Beth Emeth in Herndon from 6-7 p.m on Sunday. Seats are available for services with family-friendly options.

Photo via Kwame Alexander

An otherworldly exhibition that explores the intersection of science fiction, fantasy and science with fears, ideals and being human is coming to Greater Reston Arts Center this month.

The exhibit, slated for July 21 through September 15, will feature the work of Michael Booker, Rachel Guardiola, Timothy Harper, Laura Beth Konopinski, and Katherine Tzu-Lan Mann.

An opening reception and curator’s talk, free and open to the public, is set for July 21 from 5-7 p.m.

In a statement, GRACE issued the following description of the exhibit:

Recognizing that our retelling of the past changes constantly and opening ourselves to new possibilities can help to identify the biases of our accepted histories. The artists in this exhibition create their own worlds, including cultural references and artifacts, to question the assumptions of history-making and truth-telling.

Photos via GRACE

Building worlds — A group exhibition of artists who explore the role of science fiction and fantasy in informing our fears and ideals is set to run from August 1 through September 15 at Greater Reston Arts Center. [Reston Town Center]

Herndon teen found — A 12-year-old from Herndon who went missing Tuesday night was found yesterday. She returned home and is safe and sound. [Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office]

Showing their teeth — “In the first meet of the Northern Virginia Swimming League season, the Hunter Mill Sharks took a bite out of the Lee Graham Dolphins, with a final score of 269-151.” [Fairfax County Times]

Squeeze Bayou concert — This week’s “Take a Break” concert series features music folk music tied to the Cajuns. The event at Lake Anne Plaza is free and open to all ages. [Reston Community Center]

Flickr pool photo by vantagehill

A local ‘dream house’ – This millennial couple used eBay, Craigslist and Ikea to design their dream house in Reston. The 29-year-old photographer and her 30-year-old husband transitioned from a group house in Herndon to a modern house that one Washington writer says “looks like a million bucks.” [The Washingtonian]

Opening celebrations — Balducci’s Food Lover’s Market officially opens on Friday. Special tastings and chef demonstrations will be offered this weekend. [Reston Town Center]

STRETCH for it — Five local artists have been selected to participate in the art invitational, which challenges selected artists to create new work based on the prompt, “If you could do anything, what would that be?” [Greater Reston Arts Center]

Burglary reported in garage — Someone entered a garage on the 9700 block of Lindsay Blake Lane on June 18 and stole a bike. [Fairfax County Police Department]

Flickr pool photo by vantagehill

The 27th annual Northern Virginia Fine Arts Festival is returning this weekend, and this year the festival is a day longer.

The festival will run Friday (May 18) through Sunday (May 20) at the Reston Town Center. The event encourages attendees to make a $5 donation, which comes with $200 worth of restaurant coupons.

The festival hosted by the Greater Reston Arts Center (GRACE) brings in 30,000 to 50,000 attendees each year, the festival said in a press release.

For the first time, this year’s festival also includes a participatory performance “The Illuminated Fountain of Extinction” by Laure Drogoul both Saturday night during the Festival Party and on Sunday afternoon. Another festival first, is that GRACE members are given a free ticket to the Festival Party. Cost for membership for artists is $40 and $50 for other members.

Rain or shine the festival will go on, so long as a major storm does not hit, one of the organizers told RestonNow.

Below is a breakdown of the three-day event:

Friday (May 18) 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.:

• All day — More than 200 artist booths from across the U.S.on display
• Festival Friday — There will be specials all day among retailers and restaurants in Reston Town Center

Saturday (May 19) 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.:

• All day — More than 200 artist booths from across the U.S.on display
• Family Art Park — Free art making activities for all ages in the Pavillion
• Festival Party (7-9 p.m.) — A celebration for sponsors, Adopt-an-Artist donors, GRACE members and artists. The party includes an award ceremony and first look into “The Illuminated Fountain of
  Extinction” by Laure Drogoul.

Sunday (May 20) 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.:

• All day — More than 200 artist booths from across the U.S.on display
• Family Art Park — Free art making activities for all ages in the Pavillion
• “The Illuminated Fountain of Extinction” by Laure Drogoul (1-3 p.m.) — an immersive, interactive artwork in the Pavillion that is a tableau of natural and post-natural creatures inspired by manuscripts. Viewers are encouraged to participate in the performance that shows off a pageant of creatures from the past, present and future.

Garage parking is free during the festival. No registration is required.

Photo Courtesy of Carol Nahorniak

Local artists will showcase their pieces at a ground floor gallery of the Signature, Reston Town Center’s newest “luxury” apartment building.

Through a partnership with the Greater Reston Arts Center, Signature (11850 Freedom Drive) will feature a year-round schedule of exhibitions. This month’s gallery showcases the work of Craig Moran, a D.C.-based painter known for boldly patterned canvases.

Moran uses collages and computer manipulations to create his work, which combines elements of the natural world and portraits in a flattened space.

His artistic process begins by cutting and arranging shapes from street art, photographs, old paintings and books. He then rearranges the pieces using image editing software and transfers the final work to a painting. An opening reception is set for March 1 from 6-8 p.m.

Exhibits will remain open to the public every Tuesday through Saturday at Signature. The gallery is the product of a partnership between Boston Properties, Bozzuto and GRACE. It is sponsored by Balducci’s Food Lover’s Market.

Organizers said the gallery merges the vision of the Signature, which aims to creating communal spaces for residents.

“This partnership provides a perfect opportunity for GRACE to regularly celebrate and support local artists through exhibitions of their work as the programming in our current Town Center space becomes more dedicated to introducing national and international artists to Reston and the DMV,” said GRACE’s Executive Director and Curator Lily Siegel.

A grand opening for Signature is set for Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Artwork by Craig Moran

Registration for Greater Reston Art Center’s summer camp is now open. The camp, which is organized in partnership with Reston Association, runs on weekdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Lake House.

Before and after care is available through RA.

The camp includes a variety of sessions:

• My Mom Would Never Let Me Do That: Using mixed media, this session combines scientific exploration and the creative process to create “the messiest and silliest” art projects.
• Fibers & Friends: Kids can become “wonder-weavers” by exploring all things related to fiber like tie dying, friendship bracelets and basketry.
• Art and Movement: This new session focuses on ways art can encourage movement. Beloved Yoga, a local yoga studio, will help campers “enhance their action art” with daily yoga sessions.
• Full STEAM Ahead: Campers will solve problems involving kinetic artwork, technology art and more.

Registration is open online. 

Photo via GRACE

Suspect Involved in 10-Hour Weekend Barricade Receives Psychiatric Treatment – Anthony Moaf, 21, was released from the hospital after a suspected opioid overdose earlier this week. Police said he barricaded himself inside his home after threatening to kill family members and shoot at police officers. [Fairfax County Police Department]

Greater Reston Arts Center Issues Call for Submissions – Submit a proposal for new artwork in response to the prompt, “If you could do anything, what would it be?” Judges will select five artists to participate in the invitational. Entries are due by February 16. [Greater Reston Arts Center]

Man Robbed After Leaving Bus on Monday – Two suspects took personal belongings from a man after he got off a bus on Glade Drive near Millrace Lane between 7:45 and 8 p.m. The suspects then ran from the area, police said. [Fairfax County Police Department]

Board Governance Committee Meets Tonight – The committee, which is charged with planning, committee structure and board knowledge, will meet today from 6-8 p.m. at Reston Association Headquarters (12001 Sunrise Valley Drive). [Reston Association]

Photo by Fatimah Waseem

From a performance on multiculturalism to a seminar on brain health, there’s a lot to do in Reston this weekend.

• Children can let their imaginations go wild at Box-A-Rama on Saturday. At the event from 9 a.m. through noon at Reston Association headquarters (12001 Sunrise Valley Drive), children can play with boxes of all sizes. All children must be accompanied by parents and caregivers. Tickets are $10 for RA members and $15 for all others.
• An open house is set for The Lake House (11450 Baron Cameron Avenue) on Saturday from 2 – 4 p.m. Enjoy light refreshments and talk to staff about the multipurpose uses of the space.
• At Reston Regional Library on Saturday, enjoy the movie “Guardians of the Galaxy,” from 2 – 4 p.m. as part of the library’s series on movies that began as books. The event is open to teenagers and adults.
• The American Association of Retired Persons is hosting a brain health seminar at Reston Community Center (2310 Colts Neck Road) on Saturday from 11 a.m. to noon. To register call 703-390-6157 or email karen.brutsche@fairfaxcounty.gov.
• Join the Greater Reston Arts Center and Reston Community Center on Saturday at 5 p.m. for an exploratory weaving workshop. Students will leave with a completed wall hanging. Tickets are $45 for Reston residents and $55 for all others. Register online.
• In a concert about friendship and multiculturalism, Mohammed Bilal and Josh “Boac” Goldstein use their friendship to actively challenge the American notions of black and white, Jew and Muslim, and urban and suburban. The performance, “The Color Orange,” will take place at CenterStage (2310 Colts Neck Road) on Sunday at 3 p.m. Tickets are $15 for Reston residents and $20 for all others.
• On Sunday, watch 20 local figure skaters perform at the Reston Town Center Ice Skating Pavilion (1818 Discovery Street). The National Skating Month Exhibition will take place from 7:15-8:45 p.m.
• The Capitol Steps, a popular Washington-based music and satire troupe, will perform at the Hyatt Regency Reston (1800 Presidents Street) on Sunday at 7 p.m. Doors open at 6 p.m. Proceeds will go to Cornerstone. Purchase tickets online.
• Reston artist Rudy Guernica’s exhibit, “Lost in the Woods,” will be in the Jo Ann Rose Gallery at Reston Community Center Lake Anne from Jan. 9 through Feb. 4.
• In this exhibit, Paulina Peavy’s work will be on display through Feb. 17 at Greater Reston Arts Center. Peavy gave up control of her brush to an alien entity named Lacamo after attending a seance in 1932. Her work includes paintings, films and texts that she used to better channel Lacamo’s energy. A talk by GRACE’s executive director Lily Siegel is set for Saturday at 3 p.m. at the center.

(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.)

Photo via Reston Community Center