NextStop Theatre Company is adapting to restrictions posed by the COVID-19 pandemic by kicking off a new fall concert series.

The company plans to kick off an outdoor concert series called “The Parking Lot Concerts” on Saturday evenings at 7:30 p.m. Shows will run from Sept. 26 through Oct. 31.

Each performance will include performers from previous NexStop productions, including Robert Mintz, Wood Van Meter, and Sarah Anne Sillers.

NextStop Theatre Company has been closed for public performance since the final weekend of “Ordinary Days” was canceled on March 12.

“With indoor performances cancelled since March, we have missed bringing entertainment and joy to our community!” said Evan Hoffmann, Producing Artistic Director of NextStop Theatre. “But now the wait is over!”

Here’s more from the theatre company on the series:

NextStop will transform the parking lot just outside of their building into an intimate outdoor venue and wine garden, with socially-distant, cafe-style seating for just over 40 patrons. It promises to be a delightful evening under the stars, featuring music, laughter, and a chance to be transported.

Guests are invited to pack a meal, bring take out, and are particularly encouraged to order from one of the many fine local restaurants, such as Jimmy’s Old Town Tavern and A Taste of the World,  some of which will even deliver to the event! NextStop will also offer beer, wine, and other soft drinks at their outdoor bar, arranged specially for these performances. 

With the health and safety of the community being NextStop’s top priority, all staff and guests will be required to wear a mask at all times, except when eating or drinking at their table. There will be 12+ feet of distance between other patrons and the performers.

Tickets are $60 for a table for two. A limited number of standing room single stools are available for $40. More information about the series and how to purchase tickets is available online.

Photo courtesy of NextStop Theater Company

Herndon residents looking to throw away any unwanted pieces of furniture, car parts, appliances or other large items will have the opportunity to do so Oct. 21 to 23, during the city’s annual Fall Clean-up.

The Fall Clean-up allows Herndon residents to avoid a trip to the dump by having a day where sanitization workers will collect large trash items. Items for collection should be left on the curbside before 6 a.m. on any day from Oct. 21 to 23, but no earlier than 24 hours before pick-up, according to a press release from the town.

While many large appliances, furniture and other items are available for pick up during the annual clean up, loose yard waste, auto parts heavier than 50 pounds, large quantities of building materials household hazardous items and electronic waste such as computers, televisions, printers and stereos will not be picked up, according to the press release.

Those with questions can contact the Reston Department of Public Works at (703) 435-6856 or email [email protected].

Photo via Town of Herndon website

The organizers of a Black Lives Matter protest over the weekend are turning to virtual platforms for an online protest this weekend.

Between 9 a.m. tomorrow (Friday) and through 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, Herndon residents are encouraged to post photos on Facebook in support of the Black Lives Matter movement, with a specific focus on Herndon-related issues.

The online protest is organized by the leaders of last Saturday’sone-mile march through Downtown Herndon that culminated in the town’s green. Protestors took a knee for eight minutes and 46 seconds, the amount of time Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin pressed down with his knee onto George Floyd’s neck, resulting in his killing.

A car rally also took place one week ago in order to protest police brutality and support the Black Lives Matter movement.

Participants can share photos, artwork, videos and other visual work. The goal of the project is to create an online slideshow that encapsulates local voices surrounding “social and systemic racial injustice in this country,” according to the organizers.

https://twitter.com/TornadoLizard/status/1269341542403235840

Photo by Logan Weaver/Unsplash

This spring, visitors to the Herndon Depot Museum (717 Lynn Street) will be able to enjoy a new exhibit.

The Herndon Historical Society says that a telegraph exhibit is coming to the museum, replacing the current display.

There will be one complete telegraph machine included in the display that will sit on the desk in the bay window of the former station master’s room, according to Barbara Glakas, a historical society spokesperson.

Other aspects of the exhibit will feature antique telegraph parts, such as a telegraph key and a telegraph sounder. Visitors will also be able to learn how the code worked and try it out for themselves.

“People can type out a message on the computer key board and then they will be able to see the message on the monitor as well as hear the message being automatically tapped out in Morse code on the sounder,” Glakas said.

The updates will be revealed with a celebration on Sunday, March 1, which will include a model train show.

Herndon Historical Society member Adam Winsor is responsible for the new exhibit’s design, Glakas said.

With the exception of the Writing Herndon’s History event on Jan. 22, the museum will be closed for exhibit updates until the celebration. Glakas said that the closure is typical this time of year.

In the future, Glakas said the Herndon Historical Society hopes to team up with Historic Vienna and send messages back and forth, since the Town of Vienna wants to set up its very own telegraph exhibit.

Photo via Facebook/Herndon Historical Society

The first-ever Herndon WinterMarkt kicks off tomorrow, bringing European holiday festivities to the Herndon Depot Museum from noon to 8 p.m. There are also plenty of local options to take photos with Santa through the end of the year.

Tomorrow

• Handmade Holiday Ornaments (1-2:30 p.m. ) — Make holiday ornaments at this workshop with staff the Greater Reston Arts Center. The workshop is $10 for Restonians and $20 for all others.
• Balloon Twister (11 a.m. to 1 p.m.) —  Enjoy Mike’s and Marsha’s balloon hats, giant birds, and other balloon creations at Reston Regional Library.
• Reston Holiday Open House (11 a.m. to 1 p.m.) — Join staff at Reston Regional Library to celebrate the holiday season with light refreshments, music, entertainment and fun.
• The Grinch Who Stole Christmas (1 p.m.) — Rhythm Street Dance performs at Reston Town Center in front of the ice skating pavilion.

Sunday

• Reston Town Center Holiday Performances (Noon, 1 p.m., 3 p.m.) — The Northern VA Ukelele Society, the Northern VA Ensemble, and Rich Landers, are set to perform during three separate timings at Reston Town Center’s promenade.
• Mini-train Rides (Noon to 4 p.m.) — Enjoy mini-train rides at Reston Town Center. A suggested donation of $5 per person is appreciated.   

Photo via Facebook

NextStop Theatre Company will present a new historical drama that takes audiences to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s hotel room the night before his assassination.

The historical drama, “The Mountaintop,” runs from Jan. 9 through Feb. 9 at 269 Sunset Park Drive.

Here’s more from the theatre company on the upcoming show:

In his hotel room on the night before his assassination, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. meets a young maid who forces him to consider exactly who and what he is fighting for.

On April 3, 1968, room 306 of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis is not yet the scene of one of our nation’s greatest tragedies. It is just another motel for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. In this bold reimagining of history, Dr. King is visited by an enigmatic maid who can unveil the humanity and vulnerability of America’s larger-than-life icon. Full of vivid theatricality, poetic language, and surprising twists, this drama takes us to the summit of a man’s historic life and offers a stunning new view of his dream for our nation.

More information about the show is online. Tickets are available for purchase on the company’s website.

Photo via NextStop Theatre

Updates on Route 7 Widening — “In September, crews continued installing storm sewer between Amanda Drive and Baron Cameron Avenue. Work also continued in the median to construct temporary eastbound lanes between Reston Avenue and Amanda Drive/Markell Court.” [Virginia Department of Transportation]

Herndon Town Council Community Round Table This Wednesday — The council is hosting a roundtable to give citizens a chance to engage with council members informally on Wednesday (Oct. 23) from 7-9 p.m. at Trinity Presbyterian Church (651 Dranesville Road). [Herndon Town Council]

A New HVAC System for a Local Family — “One Hour Heating and Air Conditioning, Ashburn, joined Lennox’s Nationwide “Feel the Love” social responsibility campaign for the 2nd year in a row to assist a family in need. Installers from One Hour Heating and Air Conditioning volunteered their time to help the community as part of this program.” [Fairfax County Times]

Photo by Jay Westcott

In honor of National Coffee with a Cop Day tomorrow (Wednesday),  police officers from the Herndon Police Department will host Coffee with a Cop.

The event is a national program that is designed to help officers interact more successfully with citizens they serve. Police meet up with members of the public for casual, one-on-one conversations between residents and district station officers.

The Herndon event will take place from 8-10 a.m. tomorrow at Starbucks, which is located at 1140 Elden Street.

Members of the Fairfax County Sheriff’s Office are also expected o be present at the event tomorrow.

Coffee with a Cop launched in Hawthorne, California as the Hawthorne Police Department sought to effectively engaged with local residents. Since its launch in 2011, the program has been hosted nationwide as part of the framework of community policing, a strategy that aims to establish trust between the community and police.

The Town of Herndon is celebrating 30 years of keeping green with its Herndon Farmers’ Market and the town’s arborist program.

Although the local farmers market has gotten slightly smaller over the years, the weekday market has seen an increase in the variety of products sold, including empanadas, fresh pasta and pickles. Other vendors are not offering different types of fruits, vegetables, meats and breads. Nearby competition from other markets has strained the reach of the local market.

John Dudzinsky, the town’s community forester, says the town is looking to find “value added” vendors as well as more organic options.

Last week, the town distributed reusable totes and coasters to celebrate the milestone.

The town is also celebrating Dudzinsky’s position, which aims to maintain the health of the town’s trees and urban forest. Although this duty has remained the forester’s central task for the last three decades, the forester now manages the market, offers horticulture services to town residents and helps with environmental tasks like stream monitoring.

The Town has also maintained its Tree City status, which is given to comunities that meet standards of sound urban forestry management.

“The Town’s leadership has always been supportive of the Community Forestry program.  Along with the support of our town citizens.  With everyone’s’ support and assistance the Town has been able to maintain our Tree City USA status,” Dudzinsky said.

The designation is given by the Arbor Day Foundation, which is a nonprofit conservation and education organization founded in 1972.

The market is held on Thursdays from April to November from 8 a.m. to 12:30 on Lynn Street. Information about this year’s vendors is available online.

Photo via Town of Herndon/Facebook

NextStop Theatre Company takes on “Pride and Prejudice,” Jane Austen’s literary classic that explores the themes of love, marriage and social status.

The theatre company, which is located in Herndon, promises to present a “spirited new adaptation.” The show runs from October 3 through 27.

The company wrote the following about the show, which is sponsored by Griffin Owens Insurance Group:

The headstrong Elizabeth Bennet faces mounting pressure from her status-conscious mother to secure a suitable marriage. But is marriage suitable for a woman of Elizabeth’s intelligence and independence? Especially when the irritating, aloof, self-involved… tall, vaguely handsome, mildly amusing, and impossibly aristocratic Mr. Darcy keeps popping up at every turn?! Literature’s greatest tale of latent love has never felt so theatrical, or so full of life than it does in this effervescent new adaptation.

Ticket prices range from $35 to $50 and can be purchased online.

Photo via NextStop Theatre Company

Local author Barbara Glakas dives into hidden and sometimes bizarre history of the Town of Herndon at a special event on Thursday, August 8.

Glakas, the historian of the Herndon Historical Society and a retired teacher from Fairfax County Public Schools, will discuss her new book, “Hidden History of Herndon” at Herndon Fortnightly Library from 7-8 p.m.

The publication is part of the Hidden History series from publisher The History Press.

The book, which was released on March 11, including stories about the town’s naming by a mysterious individual to local unrest in the 1920s. Here’s more from Amazon’s description:

Behind Herndon’s past as a sleepy farming community hide forgotten tales of growth and progress. A mysterious stranger who passed through the village one night suggested the name Herndon, after the captain of a sunken ship. The Civil War split loyalties among the townspeople and brought an unexpected Confederate raid on the town. Prohibition brought bootleggers with it, but its repeal caused an uproar from temperance-minded residents. Lively community fairs were ever present in the 1920s, but so was the Ku Klux Klan. Local author Barbara Glakas uses rare photographs and firsthand accounts to tell little-known stories of the people, places and events that shaped the history of the Town of Herndon.

Books will be available for purchase and signing on Thursday.

Photo via The History Press

“Beehive: The 60’s Musical” comes to NextStop Theatre Company next month.The production, which is directed by Monique Midgette, takes audiences on a trip down memory lane by celebrating six songstresses that defined a generation.

Shows will take place between August 22 and September 22. The musical stars Rebecca Balinger, Allison Bradbury, Bethel Elias, Kayla Gross, Shayla Lowe and Hilary Morrow.

Tickets are available online. Prices range between $40 and $55, depending on the time and day of the performance. 

Beehive is presented through a special arrangement with Theatrical Rights Worldwide.

NextStop is located at 269 Sunset Park Drive in Herndon. 

Photo via NextStop Theatre Company

The 71st Annual 4-H Fair and Carnival returns to Frying Pan Farm Park next week from Thursday, August 1 through Sunday, August 4. The four-day event will feature carnival games, rides, food and fun for all ages.

On Thursday and Friday, parking is free and discounted tickets are available for unlimited rides. Passes start at $16 per person for unlimited carnival rides between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.

In the evening, ride tickets cost $1. Friday’s feature event is Big Truck Night from 5-8 p.m.

Carnival rides are open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturday and from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday. The 4-H Fair will also be on throughout the weekend as exhibitors display winning entries and get farm animals ready to show.

Parking is $10 on Saturday and Sunday.

More information about the event is available online.

File photo 

Fairfax County has officially completed improvements to a trail at Sugarland Run Stream Valley Park in Herndon.

Last week, local and county officials held a ribbon cutting to celebrate the completion of improvements and trail maintenance.

The $400,000 project aimed to address general wear and tear, as well as trail damage due to severe flooding.

More than 12,000 linear feet of trail was milled and repaired. New culverts and riprap were also installed.

Photo via Fairfax County Government/website