An annual exhibit showcasing student art returns next week to ArtSpace Herndon.

The Herndon Pyramid Schools Exhibit will feature art created by students from the following schools:

• Aldrin Elementary School
• Armstrong Elementary School
• Clearview Elementary School
• Dranesville Elementary School
• Herndon Elementary School
• Hutchison Elementary School
• Herndon Middle School
• Herndon High School

The exhibit runs from Tuesday, April 9, to Monday, May 20, at ArtSpace Herndon (750 Center Street).

An opening reception will be held on Wednesday, April 10, from 6-8 p.m.

Some of the art will be available for purchase.

Image via Google Maps

As the weather continues to slowly warm up, the Herndon 5K Walk/Run is set to place on Saturday (March 23).

The proceeds from the 5K will go toward the Herndon High School’s All-Night Grad, prom and the Paige Saucedo Memorial ESOL Scholarship Fund.

Prospective participants can register online for $35 until 8 p.m. on Thursday (March 21). After that, the price increases to $45.

People can pick up their packets at the Potomac River Running store at 11911 Democracy Drive from 4-7 p.m. on Friday (March 22) or at the Herndon High School (700 Bennett Street) at 8 a.m. on Saturday.

The 5K starts at 9 a.m. starts and ends at the high school. The course makes a loop from Kingstream Circle to Coat Ridge Road and then to Kingstream Drive.

Runners can expect food and prizes by the finish line.

Awards will go to the overall male and female finishers and the top male and female finishers in each of the following age groups: 13 and under, 14-18, 19-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-65 and finally 66 and older.

Image via Potomac River Running 

Students from South Lakes and Herndon high schools are among the 22 students from Fairfax County public schools who won the 2019 Student Peace Awards of Fairfax County.

The award recognizes junior and high school students “who have made a positive contribution to their school or wider community by promoting mutual understanding and respect for all people,” according to the award’s website. Currently, the awards are given out to students in Fairfax and Frederick counties.

FCPS said the following about the winners from South Lakes and Herndon high schools:

Herndon High School: Lydia Goff, president of her school’s Best Buddies chapter, organizes monthly social events, one-to-one get-togethers and fundraisers for the 90 students in the program. She is also a leader in the Spread the Word to End the Word campaign to end the use of the demeaning ‘r’ word.

South Lakes High School: Sophia Liao founded the Young Democrats Club, serves on the Superintendent’s Student Advisory Council and is a member of her school’s Student Council.  She organized a trip for students to go to China to volunteer at a panda center and organized her school’s participation in National Walkout Day in response to the school shooting in Parkland.

The awards began in Fairfax County in 2006 at Herndon High School and, by 2013, were offered to every public high school in the county. Each recipient receives a monetary gift, along with another one for a peace-focused charity of the student’s choice.

The winners will be recognized at a reception on March 10 at the Sherwood Community Center in Fairfax.

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It’s probably not what Lewis Carroll had in mind when he penned the original story 150 years ago, but the Herndon High School Theatre (700 Bennett Street) is hosting an original adaptation of “Alice in Wonderland” that moves the setting to the 1970s.

“Alice in Funkyland” opens this Saturday (Feb. 16) with performances on Sunday (Feb. 17) and the following weekend (Feb. 23 and 24) at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.

The program is produced for children, with two 30-minute acts and a 15-minute intermission.

A special “Mad Hatter’s Tea Party” event will also be held on Feb. 16 and 17 at noon.

Tickets to the show are $5 and can be bought at the door or online.

The next production for the school theater will be “The Sound of Music” in April.

Photo via Facebook

There’s plenty to do around Reston and Herndon this weekend — especially if you are interested in learning more about fish and fishing.

The Herndon-based Northern Virginia Fish Club is set to hold its January meeting this weekend for aquarium enthusiasts.

Fishers can hone their skills before the warm weather arrives with a workshop at Lake Fairfax Park.

Tomorrow (Jan. 26)

Reston Camp Expo (9 a.m.-noon) — Reston’s sixth annual Camp Expo gives families a chance to learn about hundreds of Reston-area summer camps and out-of-school activities. This year’s event will also feature youth sports organizations and providers. It will be held at the Reston Community Center (2310 Colts Neck Road).

Bus service meeting (10 a.m.-noon) — Locals wanting to give feedback on the bus service in Herndon and Reston can head to the meeting at the Jo Ann Rose Gallery (1609-A Washington Plaza). The Fairfax County Department of Transportation is seeking input as part of a process to improve service and implement a plan for service changes, including connections to the future Metrorail Silver Line Phase 2 stations in Herndon and Reston.

Soup samples at Frying Pan Farm Park (10-11:30 a.m.) — Locals can go to Frying Pan Farm Park (2739 West Ox Road) to learn how to prepare home-cooked soups in winter. All participants will get to take home a serving of “Stone Soup” to enjoy. The cost of the program is $10 per person.

NoVa fish club meeting (1 p.m.) — The Northern Virginia Fish Club is scheduled to have their monthly meeting at the Herndon Fortnightly Library (768 Center Street).

Fishing workshop (4-5 p.m.) — Fishers can hone their skills at a workshop at Lake Fairfax Park (1400 Lake Fairfax Drive). During the “Fishing Workshop-Tackle,” participants will learn about a variety of tackle, including rods and reels. The cost is $8 per person.

Herndon High School cabaret (7:30 p.m.) — This year’s annual performance will include family-favorites from “Come From Away,” “Matilda,” “Waitress” and “Kinky Boots.” The show starts at 7:30 p.m. in the Herndon High School Auditorium. Tickets cost $5 for students and seniors and $10 for adults.

Sunday (Jan. 27)

Winter Restaurant Week ends (all day) — Sunday is the last day for locals to enjoy prix fixe menus at the four Reston restaurants that are participating in Winter Restaurant Week. The event was set to end last week, but then the Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington extended it.

“[title of show]” (2 p.m.) — Sunday is the last day for NextStop Theatre Company’s “[title of show],” a musical about four friends writing a musical about four friends writing a musical. Intrigued? Tickets start at $40 for the 2 p.m. performance at 269 Sunset Park Drive.

“Variety – The Spice of Life” reception (2-4 p.m.) — An opening reception will be held for paintings by Lassie Corbett, a Reston artist, on display at RCC Lake Anne’s Jo Ann Rose Gallery (1609-A Washington Plaza).

Capitol Steps benefit performance (6 p.m.) — The annual performance by the political satire troupe raises money for Cornerstones to help families in the Embry Rucker Community Shelter. Tickets start at $100, and the event is set to take place at the Hyatt Regency Reston (1800 Presidents Street).

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Family yoga — From 10:30-11 a.m. at the Reston Regional Library, families can enjoy yoga along with stories and songs with a children’s yoga instructor. The event is meant for children ages 2 to 4. Families are encouraged to bring a mat or blanket. [Fairfax County]

Herndon High School 2019 Cabaret — This year’s annual performance will include family-favorites from “Come From Away,” “Matilda,” “Waitress” and “Kinky Boots.” The show starts at 7:30 p.m. in the Herndon High School Auditorium. Tickets cost $5 for students and seniors and $10 for adults. [Herndon High School]

New case study unveils history behind “One Fairfax” — The Center for the Study of Social Policy’s 15-page study was released on Jan. 22 to present an overview of the decades-long process and the milestones that led to the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors and School Board adopting the “One Fairfax” policy in November 2017. [Fairfax County]

Reston care merger — Reston’s Clinical Care Options has merged with Greenwich, Conn.-based Practicing Clinicians Exchange. [citybizlist]

The Fairfax County Department of Transportation (FCDOT) is seeking public input on the Fairfax Connector in the Herndon-Reston area as it looks toward improvements for the local bus service.

Future recommended improvements will also consider connecting the planned Metrorail Silver Line Phase 2 stations in Herndon and Reston, according to the county.

Ultimately, FCDOT aims to increase mobility and schedule reliability, create better access to destinations, improve travel times and grow ridership.

Over the next few weeks, Fairfax Connector staff will hand out information about how locals can get engaged and provide input, along with “free ride coupons” for use on all Fairfax Connector buses in the Herndon-Reston area.

Locals can provide feedback in a variety of ways, including:

• attending an interactive community meeting
• filling out an online survey
• emailing input to [email protected]
• mailing comments to 4050 Legato Road, Suite 400 in Fairfax, Va.

FCDOT will hold two interactive community meetings with interactive exercises to explore travel needs, issues and ideas. The first one is scheduled to take place at the RCC Lake Anne’s Jo Ann Rose Gallery (1609-A Washington Plaza) from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Jan. 26. The second one is set to take place at the Herndon Middle School’s cafeteria (901 Locust Street) from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 29.

People have until Feb. 15 to provide public input. After the deadline, FCDOT staff will compile the comments to incorporate into future planning.

FCDOT will then come back to the community in the spring to hold more community meetings to present and discuss a draft plan for future improvements for the service area.

The move to improve the bus service comes just a month after changes to the bus schedule were announced to make it easier for Herndon High School students to catch a ride were unveiled.

Starting on Saturday (Jan. 19), Routes 924 and 926 will be adjusted to align with the school’s bell schedule and provide better access for Herndon High School students.

Currently, the @ffxconnector routes in Reston & Herndon aren't optimized to best connect either community with the Silver Line's Phase II (and aren't great at connecting to the current Wiehle terminus, either). But Fairfax County is asking for input: https://t.co/uV5E0oIrZF

— RAIL Magazine (@RAILMag) January 14, 2019

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The Herndon High School is on track with its renovations as the school works to have new additions open by the time the 2019-2020 school year kicks off.

Assistant Principal Jim Hannon told Reston Now that the school plans on having the north addition ready for students and staff for the start of the new school year in the fall.

The 74,000-sqaure-foot addition will house the science and world languages departments, along with new classroom space for the mathematics, computer science, career and technical education and English as a second language (ESOL) programs.

Meanwhile the front addition will have the main office and Student Services Office on the main level with a new 18,000-square-foot library on the second floor, he said. That addition is also slated to be ready for the start of the 2019 school year.

“We are very excited about the pace of work, the progress and the coordination between Fairfax County Public Schools Design and Construction, Hughes Group Architects and the general contractor — Grunley Corp.,”  Hannon wrote in an email.

The rest of the project includes renovating locker rooms, art rooms, the gym, music rooms, the cafeteria, the stadium press box and tennis courts. 

This is the school’s first renovation since 1991.

By the 2022-2023 school year, more than 100,000 square feet of space will have been added to the school.

Photos via Jim Hannon

New changes to the Fairfax Connector bus schedule will hopefully make it easier for Herndon High School students to catch a ride.

Starting on Jan. 19, Routes 924 and 926 will be adjusted to align with the school’s bell schedule and provide better access for Herndon High School students.

The route is a weekday rush hour service only that that runs from the Wiehle-Reston East Metro Station to the Town Center Plaza on Leesburg Pike.The route runs directly past Herndon High School.

The changes were approved by the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors in November, where Supervisor John Foust praised the swift response of Fairfax County Department of Transportation staff to issue the change.

“I just wanted to thank our transit group for being so responsive,” said Foust. “We have the ability to make connector services available to Herndon High School students by tweaking the schedule. I brought it to their attention and next thing I know, bam, it’s done.”

At the meeting, the Board of Supervisors also approved a new bus route in Vienna.

Photo via Facebook

Diners can help support the Herndon High School Marching Band every Tuesday this month at Not Your Average Joe’s in Reston and every Sunday at Stone’s Cove KitBar in Herndon.

The marching band, called the Pride of Herndon, is fundraising for its trip to Normandy, France in June, where the band will represent the U.S. at the 75th anniversary of D-Day.

The band has several fundraising efforts underway to help cover the costs for the trip.

Not Your Average Joe’s at 1845 Fountain Drive will donate 15 percent of sales from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Tuesdays in December to the band. Customers need to mention or show the flyer for seated and take-out orders.

Diners at Stone’s Cove KitBar (2403 Centreville Road) from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Sundays will be given a card where they can select the band from a list of charities. Then, 10 percent of that guest’s check will get donated.

The Pride will honor WWII servicemen and women, veterans and active duty military and their families.

“As they march, the Pride will also be paying a special tribute to the brave men of the USS Herndon, the destroyer that led the Allied naval armada in the assault on France and the named for Commander William Lewis Herndon, after whom the Town of Herndon, Va. is also named,” the flyer says.

Photo via Herndon High School Band/Twitter

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

If you’re looking for somewhere fun and outdoorsy to take the kids this weekend, Saturday afternoon is Kids Day at Reston Town Center.

From 3-5 p.m., a children’s band, Rocknocerous, will be performing, with face painting, balloon animals, treats and costumed character appearances.

For something more indoors, author Laura Renauld will host a morning story time to read from her first children’s book “Porcupine’s Pie”. The event will be held at Scrawl Books at 11911 Freedom Dr. on Saturday at 11 a.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.)

• This weekend is the last chance to catch The Diary of Anne Frank performed by Herndon High School’s theatre class in the school’s Black Box Theater. Performances are tonight and Saturday, from 7-9 p.m. and a matinee performance on Sunday from 2-4 p.m. Tickets are $5 for students and $10 for adults and can be ordered at the door or online.
• Saturday afternoon, Dorothy Moss, a curator of the National Portrait Gallery, will be hosting a discussion at the Greater Reston Arts Center (12001 Market Street). The event starts at 3 p.m. and is free and open to the public.
• Saturday evening, the YMCA Fairfax County Reston (12196 Sunset Hills Rd) will be hosting its 19th annual community gala. The event starts at 6 p.m with a silent auction and cocktails, with dinner at 9 p.m. and dancing until 11 p.m.
• On Sunday, the Audubon Society of Northern Virginia and The Bird Feeder store are cosponsoring a free bird walk through Reston. The group will meet at Glade Drive and Twin Branches Road for a tour along the Glade Stream Valley Trail. The walk runs from 7:30-10:30 a.m.
• If you’re feeling less outdoorsy, Professor Harry Butowsky will host a lecture on the History of World War II from 2-4 p.m. in the Reston Regional Library.

Photo via Reston Town Center

Ahead of Veterans Day on Monday, the Fairfax Jubil-Aires will perform patriotic a cappella barbershop tunes to honor those who currently serve or have served in the U.S. Armed Forces.

The event is set for Saturday at 3 p.m. Below is a limited list of other 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’s advanced theatre class kicks off performances of The Diary of Anne Frank tonight at 7 p.m. and into the weekend at the school.
• Celebrate international games week at Reston Regional Library with classic board games and some new options from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday.
• Vera Kochansky presents her autobiography of her father, Boris, who lived through the Holocaust. The event is set for Saturday at 2 p.m. at Scrawl Books.
• Caitlin Teal Price, a DC-based photographer known for her photographs of people, offers a talk about her work at Greater Reston Arts Center on Saturday from 3-5 p.m.
• Donna Ulisse, a veteran songwriter and singer, performs during the Bluegrass Barn Series at Frying Pan Farm Park on Sunday at 7 p.m.
• Build a machine powered by an electric motor that rolls and goes home from 2-3 p.m. on Saturday, at Reston Regional Library.
• South Lakes High School students are raising money for the school’s band by organizing a mattress sale at the school on Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Take a drive into the history of World War II with this six-part series led by Professor Harry Butowsky from 2-4 p.m. at Reston Regional Library.

Photo via Reston Town Center

Official Herndon Town Council results are in  — Pradip Dhakal came in fifth place for the election, taking off Joe Plummer from one of the six candidates to take a seat on the council and sliding incumbent Bill McKenna to sixth place. [Reston Now]

Sharing mental health battles — Local first responders share their mental health battles in an effort to help others. [NBC 4]

Get your skates on — The Reston Town Center ice skating pavilion opens tomorrow at 11 a.m. for public ice skating and daily skate rentals. [Reston Town Center]

Herndon High School Theatre presents The Diary of Anne Frank — A performance of the play by Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett begins tomorrow. Tickets are $5 for students and $10 for adults. [Herndon High School]

Photo by Tina

Herndon High School’s band program is hosting a free concert in order to honor veterans on Nov. 7 (Wednesday).

The Tag Day Concert, which is set for 7 p.m.,  aims to celebrate and recognize members of the American military with patriotic songs, according to event organizers.

The concert will focus on World War II as the marching band prepares to go to Normandy, France to participate in a parade marking the 75th anniversary of D-day.

The band is raising money to offset the cost of next year’s trip.

The concert is free and concert-goers should park in front of the school and enter through door 11. The event will take place in the auditorium of Herndon High School.

Photo via Herndon High School Band/Facebook