The Bluegrass Barn concert series, which celebrates bluegrass music, will kick off next month at Frying Pan Farm Park in Herndon. Concerts are held on Sundays from 7-9 p.m.

Season passes for all eight shoes and reserved seating are available online.

The series is sponsored by the Friends of Frying Pan Park, Vienna Hardwoods and Eastman Guitar and Mandolins in cooperation with Fairfax County Park Authority. Tickets are $18 in advance and $20 at the door.

The program breakdown is below:

• October 21: The Plate Scrapers, a traditional bluegrass band from western Maryland
• November 4: Gina Clowes Project, featuring Gina, who was raised in Virginia and has taken a national role as the banjo player for Chris Jones and the Night Drivers
• November 11: Donna Ulisse, a veteran songwriter and singer who was named Songwriter of the Year in 2016 by the International Bluegrass Music Association
• January 27: Only Lonesome, a band nominated by the Washington Area Music Association as the Best Bluegrass Group from 2013-2016
• February 10: Laurie Lewis, a Grammy Award-winning musician and international renown singer and songwriter who has recorded nearly 20 albums since her debut in 1986
• February 24: Nothin’ Fancy, a band based in Virginia
• March 24: Highland Travelers, a new band formed after The Boxcar and Ramblers Choice combined

The series will close off with a final show by the Becky Buller Band on April 14. Buller was the first person to win in both the instrumental and vocal categories at the International Bluegrass Music Awards.

Photo via Frying Pan Farm Park

NextStop Theatre Company’s newest performance, The Wedding Singer, is set to kick off tomorrow (September 13) and will run through October 15.

The show is based on the comedy starring Adam Sander and Drew Barrymore. It features the storie of Robbie Hart, a wannabe rock star and New Jersey’s favorite wedding singer. Organizers say the show is a “big-singing, big-dancing, big hair tribute to the 1980s.”

The price of tickets ranges between $40 and $65 depending on the time of purchase. The performance contains adult language and situations that may not be appropriate for all audiences. Tickets can be purchased online.

Photos by Lock and Company

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

The 17th annual Classic Car Show returns to Herndon on Sunday (September 9).

Owners of classic cars, trucks, and motorcycles will participate in the event which is produced by the Herndon Rotary Club. The event will take place at 777 Lynn Street.

This year’s title sponsor is Griffin Owens Insurance. The schedule for the program is as follows:

• 7 a.m.: Car registration begins
• 10 a.m.: DJ Fred Cheshire performance
• 10:30 a.m.: Opening ceremony
• 12:30 p.m.: Gottaswing Dance Company performance
• 2:30 p.m.: Awards ceremony
• 3 p.m.: Closing

Photo via Classic Car Show/Facebook

NextStop Theatre Company will celebrate its 30th anniversary on September 7 (Friday) at Virginia’s Center for Innovative Technology (2214 Rock Hill Road).

The performance art theatre started as Elden Street Players in 1988. To honor the 80s rock musical The Wedding Singer, which will begin the week following the event, the theme of the event is the 80s. Attendees are encouraged to wear 80s attire.

The event, which will take place from 7:30-10:30 p.m., will include dancing, special performances by the theatre’s cast of The Wedding Singer, a silent auction, and food by Pure Perfection Catering.

All proceeds from the event will benefit the theater company. General admission tickets, which include an open bar and appetizers, are $50 each. Tickets can be purchased online.

Photo via NextStop Theatre Company

The Herndon Planning Commission will host a panel discussion on the preservation and enhancement of the town’s housing diversity on September 5. Panelists, which will include Fairfax County Officials and Shelly Murphy, CEO of Wesley Housing, will discuss how to preserve and protect housing diversity in the area.

The event is designed to help the town prepare for the arrival of the Silver line is 2020. The discussion will begin at 7 p.m. in the Herndon Council Chambers (765 Lynn Street).

Other panelists include Tom Fleetwood, director of the Fairfax County Department of Housing and Community development and Cynthia Bailey, deputy county attorney.

“Our aim is to listen, learn and then recommend to the Town Council appropriate goals and objectives toward maintaining the housing diversity that is a hallmark of neighborhoods in Herndon,” said Planning Commission Chair Melissa Jonas.

Jonas hopes the event will help the commission better understand the benefits of housing diversity and navigating pressures created by Metro’s arrival.

The event is free and open to the public.

Photo by Cornerstones

The 10th annual Northern Virginia Walk like MADD and MADD DASH is set for October 13 at the Herndon Police Department from 9 a.m. to noon.

Thousands are expected to rally together in over 90 cities across the country in order to increase awareness about drunk driving. Registration for the Herndon event, which is open online, will also take place on site from 8-9 a.m.

The police department is also accepting donations of used sneakers to donate to Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), a nonprofit organization that seeks to eliminate drunk driving, prevents underage drinking and advocates for stricter impaired driving policies.

Donated items should not have any holes. Donations will be accepted at the race and at the Herndon Police Department (397 Herndon Parkway).

Photo via Walk like MADD

Middle school and high school students from the Herndon High School Drama Boosters Club will present “The Little Mermaid,” a full-length musical based on the Hans Christian Andersen story and the Disney film produced by Howard Ashman and John Musker.

Performances, which will take place at Herndon Middle School (901 Locust Street), are scheduled for 7 p.m. on Friday (July 27) and Saturday (July 27). A Sunday show will take place at 2 p.m. 

The club will also offer a backstage tour for young children before Sunday’s matinee from 1-1:45 p.m. After each show, cast members will be available for photos.

“It’s an amazing experience, as students must really come together as a team in order to put on this full-length production in less than four weeks,” said Renee Maxwell, a drama booster.

Tickets are $10 for students and children and $12 for adults if purchased online. At the door, tickets are $12 for students and children and $15 for adults.

The complete cast is below:

• Director: Raphael Schklowsky, Theatre Director, Herndon High School
• Vocal Director: Jane Waldrop, Music Teacher, Clearview Elementary School
• Tech Director: Lukas Funke, FCPS Employee (and former Herndon High student)
• Assistant Director & Choreographer: Erin Maxwell, Rising Senior, Herndon High School
• Stage Manager: Gigi Henriquez, Rising Senior, Herndon High School
• Orchestra Conductor: Jeremy Shoop, Director of Music Ministries, Holy Cross Lutheran Church
• Costume Designer: Maria V. Bissex, Owner, MVB Costumes

Photos via Renee Maxwell

Departing from its longstanding home in downtown Herndon, next year’s Herndon Festival will take place at the Northwest Federal Credit Union campus (200 Spring Street).

Due to a 2017 agreement with Comstock, the property that housed the festival carnival will be under construction beginning late 2018 or early 2019. As a result of limited space, an alternative site was found. Other areas of downtown Herndon are expected to also undergo construction.

It is unclear if the festival will ever return to the downtown area.

“Once the redevelopment project is complete, town staff will assess what new events or activities will be appropriate and attractive to the community. The Herndon Festival, as we know it today, likely will not return to the downtown area, due to the loss of the open space to host the carnival and considerable number of vendor, sponsor and volunteer booths required,” according to a statement by town officials.

Sans the charm of downtown buildings as a backdrop and grassy spaces for concert seating, county officials expect next year’s festival will feature different programming that will keep the event “fresh and interesting” for the audience.

County officials will not consider removing the carnival from the festival in order to keep the event in downtown Herndon because the carnival generates 45 percent of total revenues from the festival.

“Without a carnival the event would have to be curtailed in enough ways that it would not resemble what we now know as the Herndon Festival,” according to town officials.

Photo by Mikey Tate

The Herndon Festival returns to historic downtown Herndon on Thursday (May 31) through Sunday (June 3). The annual event will include four days of activities, vendors, and entertainment.

The event, which takes place at 777 Lynn Street, averages attendance of 80,000 over all four days, according to the festival’s website.

The carnival will be open on Thursday from 6-10 p.m., on Friday from 5-11 p.m., on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. and on Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Single tickets are $1.25, with bundle deals and an all-pass ticket available.

New this year is a kids’ puppet show and car creation event where kids can make their own cardboard car and watch a puppet show. Kids can also enjoy a hands-on art area, an entertainment alley, and fireworks displays.

On Sunday, 5k and 10k races will take place in the morning. Arts and crafts vendors, as well as an entrepreneur and business expo, will also be on site.

Attendees are encouraged to use a complimentary shuttle bus service, as parking will be limited. The following street closures will also be in effect:

• Elden Street in both directions between Monroe Street and Center Street
• Spring Street in both directions between Locust and Elden Street
• Center Street between Locus Street and Vine Street, with the exception of southbound traffic between Elden Street and Locust Street.

Street closures will impact Fairfax Connector routes.

A map of the festival is below:

For more information, visit the festival’s website.

 

Friday Night Live! (FNL!), Herndon’s free outdoor concert series, returns on Fridays now through August 24. Held on the town green next to the Herndon Municipal Center, the concert series features local bands from across the East Coast.

FNL! is produced by the Herndon Chamber of Commerce and presented by the lead sponsor, Volkswagen Group of America, along with other sponsors like United Bank and Budlight.

Domino’s Pizza and TurCuisine offer food at the event and Jimmy’s Old Town Tavern and Egg Karne provide food on rotating schedules. A featured beer is selected each month.

The schedule for the event, which runs from 6:30 to 10:30 p.m., is below. FNL! will not take place on June 1 due to the Herndon Festival.

• May 11: Gonzo’s Nose (band reunion)
• May 18: LauraLea & Tripp Fabulous
• May 25: Here’s to the Night
• June 8: Love Seed Mama Jump
• June 15: GoodMan Fiske
• June 22: keeton
• June 29: Drop Dead Sexy
• July 6: Shane Gamble Band + Scott Kurt & Memphis 59
• July 13: Kristen and the Noise
• July 20: Herr Metal + Dr. FU
• July 27: JunkFood
• August 3: The Reflex
• August 10: Almost Journey + South Bay
• August 17: Screaming Monkeys
• August 24: Social Call

File photo by Laura B. Poindexter

Editor’s Note: This is just a limited list of  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. Know of other events in the area? Comment below.

• Getting hitched in the near future? Then you might want to check out the Spring Bridal Show going on at Midtown Jewelers all weekend. The show runs from 12-8 p.m. on Friday, from 10 a.m – 7 p.m. on Saturday and from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. on Sunday.
• Attend the free screening of The Babushkas of Chernobyl, which details the lives of a small community of women who live in the radioactive Dead Zone around Chernobyl’s Reactor No. 4. The screening will be at the Walker Nature Center on Friday from 7-8:30 p.m.
• Does your child want to learn how to fish? Then take them to the free program of Kids Trout Fishing Day on Saturday from 8 a.m. – 12 p.m. Check-in will be near the 7-11 on Soapstone Drive. Registration is encouraged.
• Celebrate Easter a week early and bring your kids to the EGGnormous Egg Hunt at the Sunrise Valley Elementary School on Saturday from 10-11:30 a.m. The free event is for infants through children 8 years old.
• Hunt for some eggs with your kids and pet some animals at the Frying Pan Park Visitor Center for the Easter Eggstravaganza on Saturday starting at 10 a.m. Registration is required and the event costs $8.
• The Diva Central Event will be offering free formal and prom dresses for teens in middle and high school this Saturday at the RCC Lake Anne from 12-6 p.m.
• Want to attend the March for Our Lives in DC? The Unitarian Universalist Church in Reston is organizing a group to take the Metro together into DC to participate in the march demanding more gun control on Saturday from noon to 3 p.m. Make sure to contact the church if you want to join.
• Looking for an aquatic twist on Easter Egg hunts? Then let your kid take a dive for eggs on Saturday at the Herndon Community Center pool between 1-4:30 p.m. Registration is suggested and entry for one adult and child together is $10.
• Learn about the life of “Angel of the Battlefield” Clara Barton from a park ranger of the Clara Barton National Historic Site in Glen Echo at the Reston Regional Library Saturday from 2-3:30 p.m.
• Immerse yourself in the sounds of 7-12 metal rings in a sound bath meditation from 6:30-7:30 p.m. on Saturday at Bikram Yoga Reston.
• For $20, you can see the vintage country/western band Billy & Bob Country Classic Show perform at the ArtSpace Herndon on Saturday from 7-9 p.m. Tickets include free food and drink.
• Award-winning journalist, author of three non-fiction books and former South Lakes High School teacher Chuck Cascio will be reading from his latest novel “The Fire Escape Belongs in Brooklyn” at Scrawl Books Sunday at 2 p.m.
• It’s crime fiction evening with Josh Pachter, Meg Opperman and Barb Goffman for Reston Readings’ night at Reston’s Used Book Shop on Sunday from 5:30-7 p.m.
• Fan of the blues? Check out the blues/rock-n-roll/Americana band By & By at Frying Pan Park’s Visitor Center on Sunday at 7 p.m. Tickets are $18 in advance and $20 at the door.

Photo via Reston Community 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.)

• Teachers and children alike can attend the Reston Friend Children’s and Educators Book Sale on Friday from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. at the Reston Regional Library in the Reston Meeting Room 1 and 2.
• Looking for live music? Check out Jeff Smith and Tim White perform country, rock, folk and pop classics along with their original songs on Friday at 5:30 p.m. at Kalypso’s. The concert is free.
• Learn how the farm animals at Kidwell Farm settle down for the evening during a night tour of the farm on Friday and Saturday from 7-8 p.m. The tour will cost you $10.
• Go to the theatre and watch “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” performed by the Reston Community Players at the CenterStage Friday through Sunday. Friday and Saturday’s shows start at 8 p.m. and Sunday’s show starts at 2 p.m.
• Help remove weeds that target Reston wildlife as a part of the Reston Association’s “Habitat Heroes” program. To help out, meet at the asphalt path near the intersection of Fieldview Drive and Stones Throw Drive at 10 a.m. on Saturday.
• Have your kids learn about how to make more green practices at home with the Reston Association’s “Go Green” nature program. The program on Saturday at 10:30 a.m. costs $6 for RA members and $8 for non-members.
• Create a blanket for children facing trauma or illness as a part of Project Linus’s Make-a-Blanket Day. The event is on Saturday from 1-5 p.m. and you must RSVP to 571-643 -3248 or [email protected].
• Come to Scrawl Books to hear New York Times bestselling author L.M. Elliott discuss her new book Hamilton and Peggy!: A Revolutionary Friendship. The event is on Saturday from 4-6 p.m.
• Take a stroll through Reston’s most beautiful natural areas while searching for birds with the Reston Association on Sunday starting at 7:30 a.m. The group will meet in the Brown’s Chapel parking lot.
• The Bike Lane is holding a women’s only class on bike maintenance on Sunday from 10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. The class costs $25, but The Bike Lane will be giving $25 gift cards for the store.
• Need some more balance in your life? Attend a meditation workshop presented by Sahaja Yoga on Sunday at 11 a.m. at 12001 Sunrise Valley Drive.
• Spend your day watching the performance of Peter & the Wolf and Carnival of the Animals featuring dancers from the Conservatory Ballet of Reston. The performance is on Sunday from 4-5:30, and tickets are available here.
• The Reston Community Orchestra will be holding a family concert Sunday from 4-5:15 p.m. featuring young musicians at the
• Looking for a holistic approach to addressing an illness, strained relationship, anxiety or other woe? The Dranesville United Methodist Church is holding a healing service on Sunday from 7-8 p.m.

(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.)

• Does your kid want to learn how to fish? Then take them to the Kids Trout Fishing Derby on Saturday from 8 a.m. – 12 p.m. The event will meet at the Herndon Police Station on the Sugarland Run Trail.
• Support your neighbors and the environment by attending the Spring Flea Market on Saturday from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. at the RCC Hunter Woods. Who knows, maybe you’ll find some treasure along the way!
• Need some more books for your kids? Check out the City of Fairfax Library Friends Spring Children’s Book Sale running from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. on Saturday at the City of Fairfax Regional Library.
• Curious about how 3D printing works? Check out the ongoing demonstrations all day of a MakerBot Replicator Mini 3D Printer at the Centreville Regional Library on Saturday.
• Author Laura Murray will be at Scrawl Books to read and sign her children’s book The Gingerbread Man and the Leprechaun Loose at School. The event will be on Saturday from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.
• Watch the free screening of “How Sweet the Sound – The Blind Boys of Alabama” as a part of the ReelAbilities Film Festival. The screening will be on Sunday at the CenterStage from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.
• Take a run in the 5th annual Ice Breaker 5k race in Herndon on Sunday. The race will start at 8 a.m. at 200 Spring Street.
• Learn about the Jewish holiday Passover over PJ Library stories about the holiday and then braid challah dough at Whole Foods Market on Sunday from 10-11 a.m.
• Attend a lecture series at Frying Pan Park about local farmers and how you can support them. The series is on Sunday from 2-3:30 p.m. and costs $10 for attendees.
• Get your groove on at the Sunday Afternoon Dance at RCC Hunter Woods where you can foxtrot, swing, cha-cha and waltz. The event will be from 2:30-4:30 p.m. and tickets cost $5 for Reston Association members and $10 for non-members.
• Not up for a waltz? Then give Sunday Country Western Dance a shot instead. You will be able to line dance, two-step, shuffle and swing your way through country and Western tunes at the RCC Hunter Woods from 6:30-9:30 p.m. Tickets cost $5 for Reston Association members and $10 for non-members.
• Fan of acoustic music? Then you might want to check out the Sterling/Reston Acoustic Jam on Sunday at 5:30 p.m. at the Cafe Montmarte.
• Grab your skates and get on the ice rink one last time before the ice skating rink in Reston Town Center closes for the season on Sunday at 7 p.m.
• Come see the Darrell Webb Band as a part of the Bluegrass Barn series at the Frying Pan Park’s Visitor Center. The show is on Sunday at 7 p.m. and tickets cost $18 in advance and $20 at the door.

Flickr pool photo by vantagehill

(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.)

• Get your fill of books and booze at a happy hour book signing at Mon Ami Gabi (11950 Democracy Drive) on Friday from 5-7 p.m. where local authors Chuck Cascio, Kristina Small Alcorn, Erik MacDicken, and Nathan Leslie will be around to sign their books.
• Need some for mindful practices in your life? Then check out the mindfulness workshop to learn some simple tools to build calm and focus at the Thomas Jefferson Library from 10-11 a.m. on Saturday.
• Grab some used books at the used book sale at the Tysons-Pimmit Regional Library on Saturday from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. The book sale will continue at the same time on Sunday and that day you can fill up a bag of used books for $10.
• Take an exploratory hike or participate in an indoor Nature House program as a part of the Raptor Exploration at the Walker Nature Center. The event starts at 10:30 a.m. at Saturday and tickets cost $7 for Reston Association members and $9 for non-members.
• Join Better Said than Done, a local storytelling group, share stories of overcoming adversity and celebrating women’s history at the City of Fairfax Regional Library at 11 a.m. – 12 p.m. on Saturday.
• Mystery novel fan? Then you can meet Libby Klein, Sherry Harris and Maya Corrigan who will be talking about their mystery series for Kensington and sign their latest books. They will be at Scrawl Books (11911 Freedom Drive) starting at 2 p.m. on Saturday.
• Watch “Fried Green Tomatoes” as a part of Reston Regional Library’s Fantastic Films: Book to Movie series. The screening will be on Saturday from 2-4 p.m.
• The Freedom for Family Wellness Summit is being held from Thursday through Sunday at the Hyatt Regency Reston with this year’s theme being “Align. Connect. Act.” The event connects leaders in family chiropractic lifestyle and the holistic health movement.
• Are you a poet? Then stop by the poetry workshop with the Northern Virginia Poetry Group at the Centreville Regional Library on Saturday from 3-5 p.m. where your work will be shared, critiqued and revised.
• Join the Reston Chorale for their performance “Out of the Shadows” on Saturday at 4 p.m. at the RCC Hunter Woods in the Community Room. The choir will be showcasing contemporary and classical choral works by female composers.
• The Reston Ten Miler presented by Fidelity Investments will be held Sunday at 8 a.m. at South Lakes High School. Online registration closes at 8 p.m. today.
• Meet the candidates for the Reston Association Board of Directors at The Lake House (11450 Baron Cameron Ave.) on Sunday from noon to 2 p.m.

Photo via Potomac River Running