Children ages 6 to 14 will be participating in the annual Reston Kids Triathlon this weekend.

The triathlon is scheduled for 8 a.m. Sunday at Ridge Heights Pool (11400 Ridge Heights Road). Participants will be broken into three age groups to tackle the course: Ages 6-8 will swim 50 meters, bike 1.1 miles and run 7/10th of a mile; ages 9-11 will swim 100 meters, bike 2 miles and run 1 mile; and ages 12-14 will swim 150 meters, bike 4 miles and run 1.4 miles.

Those who are not participating in the event should still be aware of it, as traffic on some roads in the area may be affected between about 7:15 a.m. and 10 a.m. Sunday. 7:15-10 a.m. Those roads include Ridge Heights Road, South Lakes Drive, Soapstone Drive and Seahawk Drive.

There’s plenty of other fun around Reston on this summer weekend. Take a look at some of your options below.

(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.)

• The Fairfax County 4-H Fair and Carnival continues this weekend at Frying Pan Farm Park (2709 West Ox Road, Herndon), from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. today and Saturday, and from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday. Admission is free. Parking is free today, and it will be $8 per car Saturday and Sunday.
• This weekend, the “Summerbration” series rolls on at Reston Station. Tonight from 7-9 p.m., Alfredo Mohica & Friends will perform. Saturday night from 8:30-10:30 p.m., there will be a free screening of “Moana.” The Summerbration events outside the Wiehle-Reston East Metro station will continue through the end of August. (Note: To receive free parking for these events, parking tickets need to be validated by personnel on the plaza. Find the sign that reads “Parking Validation Here.”)
• Saturday night, Reston Town Center will continue its summer concert series with Incendio, a Spanish flamenco and Latin fusion group, from 7:30-10 p.m. at the pavilion (11900 Market St.). Parking at RTC is free on the weekends.
• The Reston Farmers Market will take place from 8 a.m. to noon Saturday at Lake Anne Village Center.
• Lake Anne is also hosting Sunday Yoga on the Plaza each week, at 9:30 a.m.
• “Radcliffe Bailey: The Great Dismal Swamp” remains on display at Greater Reston Arts Center (12001 Market St.) through Aug. 18.
• Reston Community Center’s August exhibit, “The Heart of Art,” is on display at the Jo Ann Rose Gallery (1609 Washington Plaza N.) through Aug. 21. The opening reception will be Sunday from 2-4 p.m.
• Many restaurants and bars in Reston will have live music this weekend. These include: Vinifera Wine Bar and Bistro (11750 Sunrise Valley Drive) from 7-10 p.m every Friday and Saturday night; Crafthouse (1888 Explorer St.) every Friday and Saturday night from 10 p.m. to 1:30 a.m.; and Tavern64 (1800 Presidents St.) every Friday from 6-10 p.m.
• Kalyspo’s Sports Tavern (1617 Washington Plaza N.) will have live music from Ron Honeycutt and Steele Rose Band tonight from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.; Saturday night, DJ Kram will play Top 40 hits.
• “A Grand Night for Singing” is being performed at NextStop Theatre Company (269 Sunset Park Drive, Herndon) tonight and Saturday at 8 p.m.; with a 2 p.m. matinee Sunday. The show is being performed through Aug. 20. Tickets range from $17.50 to $55.
• Saturday morning at 10 a.m., Reston Community Center’s Family Fun Entertainment series will present The Magic of John Dodge. The free event will be at Reston Town Square Park, at the corner of Market and Explorer streets.
• On Sunday from 7-8 p.m., there will be an Art in the Park event at Reston Town Square Park with the Shenandoah Conservatory. Amor Saudade will perform “romantic and inspiring pieces from Brazil to Romania, jazz and classically inspired work.”

File photo courtesy Sean Bahrami/RA

Several hundred people enjoyed lunch on the house Tuesday afternoon as Cava Mezze Grill celebrated the opening of its new Reston location at 1815 Fountain Drive.

“We’ve always known Reston is a place we’ve wanted to come,” said Meg Schiffman, Cava’s director of marketing, amid the crowd during the free community-lunch event, which lasted from noon to 2 p.m. “It has been the most-requested location in the history of Cava, and we’re just so thrilled to be part of the community now.”

As of about 1:15 p.m., Schiffman said about 250 people had already made their way through the line, which still extended all the way down The Spectrum shopping center’s sidewalk. Schiffman said it was one of the longest lines she had ever seen during such an opening event, which Cava hosts at each of its new locations.

“Sharing a meal is part of our culture — it’s really kind of where we came from,” Schiffman said. “It’s been something we really feel is important to introduce ourselves, but at the same time to open our doors and really have a shared experience with everybody in the community.”

The Greek and Mediterranean fast-casual restaurant is an offshoot of Rockville-based Cava Mezze restaurant, which has five locations in D.C., Maryland and Virginia. The Reston location is the 34th Cava Mezze Grill nationwide, with plans to add several more by the end of 2017.

The restaurant will open for regular business hours, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., beginning Wednesday.

Live Music for National Night Out — Tonight’s National Night Out activities at Lake Anne Plaza will include an acoustic performance by Alex Perez at 5:30 p.m., a DJ and the Emotion Dance and Fitness Studio from 6-8 p.m., and an 8 p.m. show from Cinema Hearts. There will also be kids’ activities and BOGO Krazy Kustard Shakes at Kustard & Co. (1631 Washington Plaza N.). [Press Release]

State of Environment Report OK’d by RA Board — The summary, produced by Reston Association’s Environmental Advisory Committee, is part of a new effort to publish an annual report on the state and management of the environment in Reston. The working group, which is comprised of nine members, spent over 1,000 combined volunteer hours compiling data. [Reston Association]

Best Ice Cream Sandwiches in DC Area — In its list of the top gooey goodies in the region, Washingtonian magazine has a recommendation for those going to Ted’s Bulletin (11948 Market St.): ask for an ice cream sandwich made with their housemade pop-tarts. [Washingtonian]

Registration Begins Today for Fall Parks Programs — Classes at Fairfax County parks, available in numerous recreational categories, begin Sept. 5. [Fairfax County Park Authority]

Is Your Pet Prepared? — Fairfax County officials want to make sure residents are not only thinking about emergency preparedness plans for the family, but for pets as well. [Fairfax County Fire and Rescue]

Silver Line Struggling to Maintain Riders — Phase 1 of Metro’s Silver Line expansion fueled an unprecedented building boom in areas adjacent to its five stations, the Washington Post reports. However, the line has struggled to attract riders in the three years since it opened. Only the Wiehle-Metro East station is even close to projected ridership numbers. [Washington Post]

Remembering Bob Simon — In a piece for an English-language Indian newspaper, Manish Nandy remembers the stories Bob Simon told him during daily walks around Lake Anne. [The Statesman]

‘White Liberals Give Themselves Too Much Credit’ — In an opinion piece for an “intersectional feminist” magazine, a Restonian looks back on the death of Nabra Hassanen, saying that hate lives here and everywhere. [Wear Your Voice]

Work Today at Park & Ride — The access road to the Herndon-Monroe Park & Ride will have daytime lane closures for paving from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. today. Drivers should watch for flaggers, who will help direct traffic around the lane closures. [Fairfax County]

Teavana Stores Shutting Down — Starbucks announced last week will close all 379 of its Teavana stores, which it says have been underperforming. This will include the store in Reston Town Center (1826 Library St.). [CNN Money]

Get Ready for Terraset — All rising Terraset kindergarteners are invited to the Terraset playground from 5:30-6:30 p.m. on Wednesdays in August to meet classmates and play on the new Terraset playground. The August kindergarten play dates are sponsored by Terraset Elementary School and Terraset Elementary Parent Teacher Organization (PTO). Representatives from the PTO will be on hand Aug. 2 and Aug. 9 to answer parent questions. No RSVP is required. [Terraset Parent Teacher Organization]

DRB Meets Tonight — A work session about the St. Johns Wood redevelopment will precede the regular meeting of Reston’s Design Review Board tonight. [Design Review Board]

Cooper’s Hawk Job Fairs Today and Wednesday — Cooper’s Hawk Winery and Restaurant (12130 Sunset Hills Road) plans to open next month, but it must hire more than 200 people before then. Its last two hiring events will be today and Wednesday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day, at 12100 Sunset Hills Road Suite 130. [Reston Now]

Former SLHS Coach Takes Over at U. of Arizona — Matt Blamey, who was the head lacrosse coach at South Lakes High School for seven years, was named last week as the new head coach of the University of Arizona’s men’s lacrosse program. [CollegeCrosse.com]

Proposed Zoning Changes To Be Discussed — Fairfax County is hosting an open house Wednesday night at the Herrity Building (12055 Government Center Parkway, Fairfax) to discuss proposed zoning changes including those to short-term rentals, e.g. Airbnb, and rear-yard coverage such as patios. [Fairfax County]

Loudoun County Shoots Down Metro Tax — The Loudoun County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously last week on a resolution to oppose a one-cent regional sales tax. County staff have put together an “alternative capital funding scenario” to the tax. [Loudoun Times-Mirror]

Photo courtesy Richard Hernandez

Finishing touches are being completed inside Cava Mezze Grill’s new Reston location, where an early August opening is planned.

The Greek and Mediterranean fast-casual restaurant (1815 Fountain Drive) will introduce itself to Reston with a free “community lunch” from noon to 2 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 1. Lunchgoers are invited to stop in to try out the restaurant’s grain bowls, salads, pitas and more.

Meg Schiffman, Cava’s director of marketing, says the restaurant will open for regular business hours — 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. — the next day.

Cava Mezze Grill is an offshoot of Rockville-based Cava Mezze restaurant, which has five locations in Maryland, Virginia and D.C. There are currently about two dozen Cava Mezze Grill locations nationwide, with the Reston location one of about a dozen more planning to open soon. There are several other locations elsewhere in Northern Virginia, including in Tysons, Vienna and Merrifield’s Mosaic District.

Lake Anne Brew House Earns Best Brewery Spot — Determined by the results of the Virginia Craft Brewers Cup, Lake Anne Brew House is one of three breweries that have shared the title of Best Brewery from Virginia Craft Beer magazine. [Virginia Craft Beer]

Gillespie, Northam Confirmed for Debate — The two gubernatorial candidates will participate a debate in Tysons on Sept. 19, hosted by the Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce. Chuck Todd of NBC’s “Meet the Press” will moderate. [NOVA Chamber]

Former Clyde’s Chef Now in Charlottesville — Patrick Carroll, who formerly served as executive chef with Clyde’s of Reston, has been tapped as the new executive chef at Three Notch’d Brewing Company in Charlottesville. The craft brewer is investing nearly $3 million to expand its restaurant. [Gov. Terry McAuliffe]

Terry McAuliffe on ‘The Daily Show’ — The Virginia governor was on “The Daily Show with Trevor Noah” earlier this week, talking about how he challenged the Trump Administration’s voter fraud commission. He also weighed in on the GOP’s effort to repeal Obamacare. [The Daily Show]

Suspected Child Predator Nabbed — Jerberth Adallir Palma, 43, of Springfield, was arrested July 13 by Fairfax County Police and charged with numerous sex crimes against children. Detectives believe there might be other victims.  [Fairfax County Police Department]

Sterling Chipotle Reopens After Outbreak — Chipotle’s stock plummeted Wednesday after news spread of a suspected norovirus outbreak at the chain’s location on Tripleseven Road in Sterling. The restaurant reopened after “multiple teams performed complete sanitizations of all surfaces.” [Eater]

West African Music Tonight at Lake Anne — The “Take A Break” concert series at Lake Anne Plaza will continue tonight with a performance by Cheick Hamala Diabate. [Lake Anne Plaza]

Rowing Machine Competition — Orangetheory Reston will host a rowing machine competition Friday evening at Reston Town Center. [Orangetheory Reston/Twitter]

Man Found Dead in Centreville Pond — Pedro Ramirez Matom, 28, of Centreville, was found earlier this week face up and fully clothed in a pond in the 5800 block of Trinity Parkway. [Fairfax County Police Department]

Since leaving the World of Beer brand and becoming Crafthouse, Evan Matz is making a lot of changes.

“We used to have over 500 different beers, but now we do about less than half of that,” Matz said in an interview. “Even still, we have 50 beers on tap with the new addition of ciders, wine, spirits, any sort of drink.”

Matz said the changes in the restaurant (1888 Explorer St.), which had an official opening celebration last weekend, are about providing quality over quantity. The restaurant is now centered around local breweries including D.C. Brau, Ocelot, Port City and Blue Mountain; and distilleries including Copper Fox, Catoctin Creek and Filibuster. The menu has also been designed around sourcing ingredients from nearby farms; for example, all of the bread in the restaurant has been replaced by fresh baked products from Lyon Bakery.

“We want you to drink local, eat local and support local,” Matz said. “There’s an elevated difference in the food.”

The fallout with World of Beer Franchising Inc. that led to Matz rebranding his three area restaurants — in Reston, Fairfax and Ballston — has allowed him, he says, to expand the menu and cater to customer wants. Now that he has done so, to include items such as macaroni-and-cheese burgers and special brunch offers, Matz says there is a lot more variety for customers to enjoy.

“Now we’re able to offer all of these new starters and shareable items, which means a different happy hour special every day of the week,” he said.

Of course, there you can’t run a restaurant in Reston Town Center without facing its newest and biggest obstacle — the stigma that has come with paid parking.

“We give free validations to everyone who goes to Crafthouse, especially at lunchtime,” Matz said. “It’s just hard to get word out there that parking is now free after 5 p.m., a lot of people don’t seem to know that.”

Matz emphasized that customers need to understand that paid parking is not the restaurant’s fault.

“All we’re asking is that customers continue to come out and support local businesses,” he said.

The restaurant is open until midnight Sunday through Wednesday; 1 a.m. Thursday; and 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday. For more information, visit its website or call 571-375-0847.

Photos courtesy Crafthouse

An application has been filed with Fairfax County to bring another new restaurant to the Hunters Woods Village Center.

Under the permit name “Mingtong Huang,” the application for a new restaurant at 2260-B Hunters Woods Plaza was processed earlier this month. Attempts to reach the applicant and plaza management for additional information about the incoming restaurant have been unsuccessful.

The site at the plaza, between Rite-Aid and Buffalo Wing Factory, was most recently the home of Mathnasium. Prior to that, it housed Reston Tailoring for nearly 30 years.

Several new restaurants have already opened in the plaza this year, including Kung Fu Tea, King Pollo and Pista House Indian Cuisine.

Embrace your inner child this Saturday at one of Reston’s most mystical events: The Fairy Festival at Walker Nature Center (11450 Glade Drive).

Sip fairy tea, hang out with the fairy queen, dress up like a fairy and admire fairy houses in the woods. People can submit homemade fairy houses to win either the best child’s fairy house or the best adult’s fairy house. There will also be a fairy costume contest as well. There is still room in the 11:30 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. slot; register here.

There are lots of fairy-free events going on around the area too. Here are some fun things that are happening around Reston this weekend:

• Reston Station’s “Summerbration” series continues tonight at 7 p.m. with a free concert by Oasis Island. Tomorrow night at 8:30 p.m., head to a free outdoor showing of “Pete’s Dragon” on the plaza. The Summerbration events outside the Wiehle-Reston East Metro station will continue through the end of August. (Note: To receive free parking for these events, parking tickets need to be validated by personnel on the plaza. Find the sign that reads “Parking Validation Here.”)
• Reston Town Center’s summer concert series continues Saturday night at 7:30 p.m. with The Adrian Duke Project (hits from the 1950s to today). The show will take place at the Town Center’s pavilion.
• Crafthouse (1888 Explorer St.) will have its official opening party Saturday at 5 p.m., with live music, giveaways, special drafts on tap and more. Events are also being held at Crafthouse’s Fairfax Corner and Ballston locations.
• “Radcliffe Bailey: The Great Dismal Swamp” remains on display at Greater Reston Arts Center (12001 Market St.) through August.
• There’s a “French Classics” cooking class at Mon Ami Gabi on Saturday from 10 a.m. to noon. Participants will learn to make chilled gazpacho, BLT salad with jalapeño bacon, buttermilk blue cheese dressing and fried onions and berry-brioche bread pudding with raspberry-caramel sauce. The class is $55 per person and includes wines paired with the meal.
• This Saturday, join Berthold Academy for an Open LEARN session (an open house) at 10 a.m. The event will take approximately one hour and you will have the chance to learn all about this Reston school.
• On Saturday, from 10 a.m. to noon, participate in untangling the Oriental Bittersweet, an invasive species growing rapidly throughout Reston. Meet across the street from 11300 Stones Throw Drive.
• The Family Fun Entertainment Series at Reston Town Center will continue this Saturday with classic comedy by Mark Lohr. The event will be a fast-paced, side-splitting family vaudeville show filled with audience participation and circus skills with a sprinkling of magic thrown in the mix.
• The Reston Community Center’s July exhibit, “Nature’s Allure,” will continue to be on display through the end of the month at the Jo Ann Rose Gallery (1609 Washington Plaza N.).
• The Reston Farmers Market will take place from 8 a.m. to noon Saturday at Lake Anne Village Center.
• Reston Museum (1639 Washington Plaza N.) is hosting is “Reston Stories” exhibit through July. The Reston Historic Trust and Museum has been collecting residents’ stories and preserving them for future generations. The collection includes stories about volunteering in Reston, the Fountain at Lake Anne Plaza, the early history of Reston and the amazing connections we make in our community.
• Lake Anne is hosting Sunday Yoga on the Plaza each week, at 9:30 a.m.
• Many restaurants and bars in Reston will have live music this weekend. These include: Vinifera Wine Bar and Bistro (11750 Sunrise Valley Drive) from 7-10 p.m every Friday and Saturday night; CraftHouse (1888 Explorer St.) every Friday and Saturday night from 10 p.m. to 1:30 a.m.; and Tavern64 (1800 Presidents St.) every Friday from 6-10 p.m.
• The Reston Community Center will host its Sunday Art in the Park series Sunday from 3-5 p.m. at the Greater Reston Arts Center. This weekend’s theme is “Dip and Dye.” Learn how to use natural dye techniques to create your own piece of textile art. Design your own piece of small fabric to take home. Following that, from 7-8 p.m., there will be a concert featuring Great Britain’s Jonathan and Su Snowden.
• Kalypso’s (1617 Washington Plaza N.) will have live music tonight at 9:30 p.m. from Tommy & The Pickles. Saturday night, DJ Kram will play Top 40 hits.

Image via Walker Nature Center on Twitter

Cooper’s Hawk Winery and Restaurant has a late-August opening planned in the RTC West development (12130 Sunset Hills Road), and many other restaurants will follow.

The restaurant and retail space in the southwest corner of RTC West is the first phase of JBG Companies’ plans for the development. The site is bordered by Town Center Parkway to the east, the W&OD Trail to the north, and the plaza that contains Chick-fil-A, Potbelly Sandwich Works, Chipotle and more to the west.

Signage recently placed in office buildings on the property — formerly known as the Reston Executive Center — shows eight new businesses in total that are in the works to be coming. Along with Cooper’s Hawk, six other restaurants are listed:

• Punjabi by Nature, Indian cuisine. It has three current locations, in Leesburg, Vienna and Chantilly.
• The Black Squirrel, a DC-based gastropub. This would be its third location.
• Honeygrow, a Philly-based fast-casual chain serving stir-fry, salads and more.
• BGR The Burger Joint, which was first announced in January.
• Mezza Mediterranean Grille and Nando’s Peri-Peri, which were both announced last spring.

In addition, a Forever Nails location is listed as coming soon.

When asked for further details about the potential new businesses, a JBG spokesperson told Reston Now that the company is “working on a variety of leases and will hope to announce in the coming weeks.” We will provide more information about the new businesses when it is provided to us.

JBG announced late last year that it has further plans for the property, including two multifamily residential buildings and three more office buildings.

Don Renner sent us these photos of the signage coming down at Il Fornaio restaurant’s Reston Town Center location on Saturday morning.

After 10 years in business here, the restaurant closed after a final celebration Friday evening. Here’s what Renner said about it:

Here are a few photos from Saturday AM … the closing party stopped at about 4AM  … within hours these gents showed up to take down the signs.

This restaurant was kind of like our neighborhood “Cheers” place to meet and was ingrained in the RTC fabric. Sad to see this establishment move on … there had to be hundreds of people stopping by starting Friday at 5 PM for a final taste and a final toast.

Do you have any memories or photos of Il Fornaio you’d like to share? Drop them in the comments below.

Photos courtesy Don Renner

It’s a long weekend! Fourth of July is coming up on Tuesday, but be sure to check out the awesome things going on around town before the holiday.

If fireworks are the one and only thing you’re looking for this weekend, check out our list of events around the area.

On Tuesday, whether you’re worn out on fireworks or you’re saving them for that night, spend the day at the Water Mine Swimmin’ Hole for its Family Day. Everyone will be allowed to enjoy the expansive waterpark for $11 each.

But there are lots of other things going on this weekend too. Here are some fun things that are happening around Reston this weekend:

• Reston Station’s “Summerbration” series continues tonight at 7 p.m. with a free concert by Elikeh. Tomorrow night at 8:30 p.m., head to a free outdoor showing of “Sing” on the plaza. The Summerbration events outside the Wiehle-Reston East Metro station will continue through the end of August. (Note: To receive free parking for these events, parking tickets need to be validated by personnel on the plaza. Find the sign that reads “Parking Validation Here.”)
• Reston Town Center’s summer concert series continues Saturday night at 7:30 p.m. with the Deanna Bogart Band, a boogie-jazz and blues performance. The show will take place at the Town Center’s pavilion.
• The Reston Farmers Market will take place from 8 a.m. to noon Saturday at Lake Anne Village Center.
• Reston Museum (1639 Washington Plaza N.) is hosting is “Reston Stories” exhibit through July. The Reston Historic Trust and Museum has been collecting residents’ stories and preserving them for future generations. The collection includes stories about volunteering in Reston, the Fountain at Lake Anne Plaza, the early history of Reston and the amazing connections we make in our community.
• Lake Anne is hosting Sunday Yoga on the Plaza each week, at 9:30 a.m.
• “Radcliffe Bailey: The Great Dismal Swamp” remains on display at Greater Reston Arts Center (12001 Market St.) through August.
• On Sunday, be sure to catch the Art in the Park with the Shenandoah Conservatory at Reston Town Center. The band Two Brass Hit presents a program of jazz and other international music, all on two bases.
• Family Fun Entertainment Series  at Reston Town Center presents Turley the Magician, an interactive magic show.
• Many restaurants and bars in Reston will have live music this weekend. These include: Vinifera Wine Bar and Bistro (11750 Sunrise Valley Drive) from 7-10 p.m every Friday and Saturday night, CraftHouse (1888 Explorer St.) every Friday and Saturday night from 10 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. and Tavern64 (1800 Presidents St.) every Friday form 6-10 p.m.
• It’s Family Splash tonight at Reston Community Center’s Terry L. Smith Aquatics Center. The whole family can play from 7-9 p.m. for $13 ($26 for non-Reston families).
• Enjoy the outdoors? Come to the Audubon Society of Northern Virginia for a day of tracking and identifying butterflies. This survey supports the North American Butterfly Association’s (NABA) Butterfly count.
• Tonight, join the Walker Nature Center for a screening of an action-adventure movie Mission Blue. There is a suggested donation of $5 a person.

Many people who have boycotted or protested Reston Town Center over Boston Properties’ paid-parking system aren’t just upset with having to pay. In addition, they don’t want to download and use BXP’s ParkRTC app.

Now, customers can go to Mon Ami Gabi (11950 Democracy Drive) and they’ll help you get around the system.

According to the restaurant’s Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/MonAmiGabiRTC/photos/a.10150106972747583.276304.67277367582/10154444525552583/?type=3&permPage=1

A representative of the restaurant told Reston Patch that they will take care of parking for anyone who uses the Orange Garage, whether they dine at Mon Ami Gabi or not.

As we reported last week, though, there is some question about whether parking is even being monitored in the Orange Garage. After Jackson’s was granted a preliminary injunction in its lawsuit over the paid-parking system, customers of that restaurant can use the Orange Garage without using ParkRTC; however, no official word on how that is being enforced has been provided.

Parking is free in all garages after 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, as well as on weekends. It will also be free all day Tuesday, July 4.