Sounds of tiny strings will fill Lake Anne Plaza on Saturday, July 11 when the Ukulele Festival returns for its sixth year.
The free festival will feature performances by acclaimed ukulele musicians, music demonstrations, a morning public jam session, food and drink vendors, and other family friendly activities.
This festival is the only ukulele festival in Northern Virginia. It will take place rain or shine.
Here is the 2015 lineup:
9 a.m. to 11 a.m. — Community Stage Morning Jam Session at Café Montmartre.
Main Stage
- 11:15 a.m. – 11:45 a.m. – Aloha Boys (Hawaiian)
- 12:00 p.m. – 12:45 p.m. – Ukeabilly Mama (Donna Frost) (Blues/Folk)
- 1:00 p.m. – 1:45 p.m. – Hula Monsters (Swing)
- 2:00 p.m. – 2:45 p.m. – Gina De Simone & the Moaners (Blues & Swing)
- 3:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. – Isa Pacifika Dancers (Traditional Hawaiian Dance Performance)
- 3:45 p.m. – 4:45 p.m. – Stuart Fuchs (Folk, Classical, Jazz, Rock)
- 4:45 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. – Afternoon Jam Session lead by Gina DeSimone
The festival is hosted by the Lake Anne Merchants with support from the Reston Community Center, Friends of Lake Anne (FOLA), and the Northern Virginia Ukulele Ensemble.
Kalypso’s Sports Tavern at Lake Anne Plaza is turning five years old.
The restaurant and bar will celebrate with an anniversary beach party weekend beginning Thursday.
Here is what is planned:
Thursday, July 2 — Pre-Party with Favorite Reggae Band I & I Riddim, 9:30 p.m.
Friday, July 3 — Cheers to Five Years All Day Celebration
- 5 p.m. – Steel Drums on the Patio with Orlando Phillips
- 9:30 pm – Suz’s Blues Band
Saturday, July 4 — Happy Fourth of July
- 4 p.m. – DJ with Beach Music on the Patio
- 9:30 p.m. – DJ in the Bar
Sunday, July 5 — Lexie Hayden on the Patio from 1 to 4 p.m.
Kalypso’s will transform its patio into a beach, featuring sand, beach balls and other beach fun. There will be food and beverage specials all weekend.
Lake Anne Plaza’s outdoor summer film festival begins Sunday.
Come to the plaza to watch My Big Fat Greek Wedding Sunday at dusk (about 8:30 p.m.).
Admission is free, just bring a chair or blanket and a picnic. Come early to get a good seat. Lake Anne restaurants are also open for a before-movie meal or to get takeout.
The movies on the plaza will air monthly. Here is the full 2015 schedule:
June 14 – My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002)
July 12 – E.T. (1982)
Aug 9 – West Side Story (1961)
Aug 30 – Jazz on a Summer’s Day (1960)
It’s not too late to bring your inner artist to Lake Anne Plaza this weekend.
The bricks of Lake Anne Plaza will turn into backdrops for colorful murals at the Second Annual Chalk on the Water Festival Saturday and Sunday.
Chalk on the Water is a two-day street-painting festival where participants of all ages can create street art. Festival-goers purchase a “plot” of brick space on the plaza in which to create their chalk masterpiece.
Cost for spaces are $5 for children, $10 for adults, and $15 for professional artists. Registration of available online at www.chalkonthewater.com. Registration is still open, and there are only 100 spaces available for this event.
There will be cash prizes for various categories, which will be judged by notable community members.
The festival, which runs from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days, will also include food, a live DJ, and a wine garden.
Money raised from Chalk on the Water will benefit the Initiative for Public Art-Reston (IPAR).
The festival is sponsored by the Friends of Lake Anne (FOLA), Reston Art Gallery, and Washington Parent Magazine.
Photos: Chalk on the Water 2014
Lake Anne Plaza has a new addition: a historical marker that recaps Reston’s significance as a planned “new town.”
The state historical marker, issued by the Virginia Department of Historic Resources, was installed in between the parking lot and the entrance to the plaza on Friday.
Speakers at the ceremony included State Sen. Janet Howell, Del. Ken Plum, Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chair Sharon Bulova, Hunter Mill Supervisor Cathy Hudgins and Shelley Mastran, chair of the Reston Historic Trust.
The Reston Historic Trust and the Lake Anne Condominium Association covered the cost of creating the sign. The marker was approved by the Department of Historic Resources in March 2014.
Dogs will be taking giant leaps off the dock and and into Lake Anne on Saturday as part of PetMAC’s grand opening celebration.
PetMAC actually opened at 11412 Washington Plaza in January, but this will be an organized celebration featuring the World Champion dogs from the Chesapeake Dock Diving Dog Club. These dogs compete in categories such as 
There will also be Dog Scent Work demos by Kissable Canine, cooking demonstrations by Culinaria Cooking School, face painting, music, as well as free giveaways and raffles. For more information, visit PetMAC’s website.
PetMAC is a locally owned retailer offering a wide variety of pet supplies. Owner Cindy Williams also works with rescue groups to put pets and people together.
Photo courtesy Chesapeake Dock Dogs
The bricks of Lake Anne Plaza will be colorful murals when the Second Annual Chalk on the Water Festival returns June 13-14.
Chalk on the Water is a two-day street-painting festival where participants of all ages can create street art. Festival-goers purchase a “plot” of brick space on the plaza in which to create their chalk masterpiece.
Cost for spaces are $5 for children, $10 for adults, and $15 for professional artists. Registration of available online at www.chalkonthewater.com. Registration is now open and there are only 100 spaces available for this event.
There will be cash prizes for various categories, which will be judged by notable community members.
The festival will also include food, a live DJ, and a wine garden.
To close out the family fun weekend, My Big, Fat Greek Wedding, the second movie in the free Lake Anne Summer Film Festival will be shown Sunday, June 14 at sundown.
Money raised from Chalk on the Water will benefit the Initiative for Public Art-Reston (IPAR).
The festival is sponsored by the Friends of Lake Anne (FOLA), Reston Art Gallery, and Washington Parent Magazine.
Photos: Chalk on the Water 2014
What do Reston founder Bob Simon, a 5-year-old cow named Turtle and a crew of several dozen have in common?
They were all at Lake Anne Plaza on Tuesday for the filming of a television commercial.
The regional spot will air sometime later this year. The film crew asked Reston Now not say the name of the high-profile company, but its TV ads are known for being among the wittiest.
Simon, 101, sat through several takes in the sweltering heat. He said the wardrobe department even provided him with two new fisherman’s caps, his signature look.
The crew was also slated to film this week in Old Town Alexandria and in D.C.
Outdoor movies will return to Lake Anne Plaza for the third Lake Anne Summer Film Festival.
The plaza has become a popular spot for the monthly movies. Admission is free, just bring a chair or blanket and a picnic.
Lake Anne restaurants are also open for a before-movie meal or to get takeout.
SCHEDULE:
June 14 – My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002)
July 12 – E.T. (1982)
Aug. 9 – West Side Story (1961)
Aug 30 – Jazz on a Summer’s Day (1960) *
*Movie Kicks Off Jazz Week at Lake Anne leading up to Lake Anne’s Annual Jazz Festival on Sept. 5.
The movies start around sundown, rain or shine.
Photo: 2014 Lake Anne Film Festival/Credit: Lake Anne Plaza
A sure sign that spring is here: The Reston Farmers Market at Lake Anne reopens for the season on Saturday.
The market is 8 a.m. to noon at Lake Anne Plaza’s parking lot every Saturday from May 2 to Nov. 14 (though it is often extended with limited vendors through Thanksgiving).
Also opening Saturday is Reston’s craft market, located on the Lake Anne Plaza Waterfront. More than 30 crafters will sell clothing, bags, jewelry, dolls, candles and other homemade items.
The Farmers Market will also have its usual wide variety of produce, baked goods, political info, live music and farm-fresh poultry and meat.
Here is who will take part in 2015:
- A Bit More Sweets and Specialties
- Arnest Seafood
- Baguette Republic
- Bees ‘n Blossoms
- Blue Ridge Dairy Co.
- Cavanna Pasta
- Cherry Glen
- Chesley Vegetable Farms
- Colonial Kettle Corn Inc.
- Fresh Crunch Pickles
- Glascocks Produce
- Grace’s Pastries
- Gunpowder Bison & Trading Co.
- Hutt Produce LLC
- J & W Valley View Farm
- Jerry’s Gourmet Berries, Inc
- Ladybug Mountain farm
- Loudoun’s BreezyMeadowFarms
- Mt. Olympus Farm
- Nitro’s Creamery
- Ole Pioneer’s Kitchen
- Penn Farm
- Potomac Vegetable Farms
- Reid’s Orchard & Winery
- Smith Family Farm
- Spring Valley Farm and Orchard
- The Farm at Sunnyside
- Toigo Orchards
- Valentine’s Country Bakery & Meats
- Virginia Vistas Greenhouses
Who is your favorite market vendor? Tell us in the comments so newcomers will know what not to miss.
Reston Farmers Market/file photo
(Corrected 11 a.m. Monday to reflect the Romanos bought the space rather than leased it)
Lake Anne Plaza will soon be getting a new tenant. Restonians Melissa and Jason Romano have purchased retail space at 11424 Washington Plaza, where they will open Lake Anne Brew House, a nanobrewery.
Brewing has been a passion of Jason Romano’s for years, says Melissa Romano, an architect whose current full time job is raising three young sons.
Jason, a government contractor by day, has been a home brewer for years, and earned certification from the American Homebrewers Association to judge brewing contests.
“We’ve always had a desire to own a piece of Lake Anne,” says Melissa Romano. “We’re going to follow Bob Simon’s dream of ‘live-work-play.’ We already live and play here. Now we will work.”
The space was formerly occupied by Singh Thai restaurant, which recently moved across the plaza to 1633 Washington Plaza, the former Jasmine Cafe space. Romano said renovations will begin right away, but the brewery will not open until at least late summer.
A nanobrewery — a growing segment of the craft beer market — is a small microbrewery operation, typically producing fewer than three barrels at a time. A barrel is typically 31 gallons or two kegs.
The beer will be made on site in the former kitchen space. There will be bar and inside seating, as well as seating on the deck overlooking Lake Anne.
Under Virginia law, breweries can sell pints of beer on site without the need for food service. Food service is required at bars. There won’t be a kitchen at Lake Anne Brew House, but Romano said they will sell simple snacks (similar to food operations at a winery) to go with the beer.
There are several nanobreweries in Loudoun County, but this is believed to be the first one in Fairfax County. Romano said they had to work with the county to get non-manufacturing status.
“Most nanobreweries pop up in industrial parks,” she said. “That’s not what we wanted. We don’t want a big brewery. We wanted a community space, and to make our business community focused and community supported. We’re not hoping to get bottles on the shelf at Harris Teeter. We’re going to make beer for our neighbors, make what people want and get a good rotation on tap.”
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.
Singh Thai restaurant will reopen Tuesday at 1633 Washington Plaza.
The locally owned restaurant had been operating at 11424 Washington Plaza for five years.
Singh Thai owner Chai Lerlertkitsakun announced in December the business would be moving across the plaza where Jasmine Cafe had been located for more than 20 years.
Jasmine Cafe abruptly closed in April of 2014 when restaurant owner Eduardo Faubert got into a dispute with the property owner over back rent.
Singh Thai restaurant has closed its space at 11424 Washington Plaza and should be ready to reopen across Lake Anne Plaza next week.
Singh Thai, a locally owned Thai restaurant announced in December it would be moving to 1633 Washington Plaza, where Jasmine Cafe had been located for more than 2o years.
Singh Thai owner Chai Lerlertkitsakun said he was looking forward to the larger space and higher visibility. Sing Thai will also have outdoor seating at the new location.
Singh Thai had been in its previous spot for about five years.
Jasmine Cafe had been a mainstay of Lake Anne since the 1980s. It abruptly closed last April when restaurant owner Eduardo Faubert got into a dispute with the property owner over back rent.
Photo: Renovations at former Jasmine Cafe are underway to make room for new tenant Singh Thai.
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors gave final approval on Tuesday to Lake Anne Development Partners’ project to revitalize Crescent Apartments and the Lake Anne area.
“Lake Anne redevelopment has been a very long long process,” Hunter Mill Supervisor Cathy Hudgins said when introducing the motions for decision at the board’s meeting. “I am pleased today to reach a conclusion.”
The public hearing portion of the meeting was held Feb. 17.
The final approval sets the stage for Lake Anne Development Partners to start the project, which they hope will add density and transform Reston’s oldest area.
Stacy Hornstein, senior vice president and director of acquisition and development for Republic Land Development, an LADP partner, said they hope to break ground in early 2016.
“Lake Anne Development Partners is very excited that the Board of Supervisors approved the plan for redevelopment of the Crescent Apartments and the revitalization Lake Anne,” said Hornstein. “A project of this magnitude requires the expertise and assistance of many county departments, individuals and our team members. It is through their diligent efforts that we have reached this first of many milestones to come.”
The project is slated to add more than 1,000 apartments and townhouses, mostly where the 181-unit, county owned Crescent Apartments stands today. LADP’s plan also calls for 78,000 square feet of office space and 58,000 square feet of retail space, a modest-sized grocery store and realignment of Village Road. The project will also have a 1.1-acre central park, an outdoor amphitheater, a bike share station and 12 public art works, according to the project’s county staff report.
The interior section of Lake Anne Plaza, Reston’s original village center, has historic designation and will not be altered. However, developers hope the increased density and revitalization of the surrounding area will draw retailers and people to the plaza. The entire project will take about a dozen years to complete. The project was recommended for approval earlier this year by the Fairfax County Planning Commission. Read More
