Between Founder’s Day on Saturday and the Runners Marathon of Reston on Sunday, this is a big weekend for major events in Reston.

But even if you want to stay away from the big Founder’s Day crowd and long-distance running doesn’t sound like a fun time for you, there are plenty of other ways you can enjoy yourself this weekend.

Here is just a sampling of what’s going on in the Reston area in the next couple days.

• Saturday at Lake Anne Plaza, Founder’s Day will mark Reston’s 53rd anniversary. The festivities will take place between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. and will include fun for the whole family. Make sure to check out the full schedule.
• The Runners Marathon of Reston will have runners all over South Reston from 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Sunday. There are still a few slots open for registration, and volunteers are also still needed.
• Benefitting the Friends of Reston, the Nature House 5K run/walk will begin at 8 a.m. Saturday at the Walker Nature Center (11450 Glade Drive). The course mostly consists of paved walkways in neighborhoods as well as pathways at the Nature Center and through Glade Stream Valley Park.
• Two concerts are scheduled for Sunday at CenterStage (2310 Colts Neck Road) at Reston Community Center. Trout Fishing in America will be performing at 3 p.m., with Dana and the Glorious Birds going on stage at 7. Tickets for the first show are $5 for Reston residents and $10 for non-residents; tickets for the evening show are $15 for Reston residents and $20 for non-residents.
• NextStop Theatre Company (269 Sunset Park Drive, Herndon) is performing “Boeing, Boeing” through April 30. Performances this weekend are tonight at 8 p.m. and Saturday at 7 p.m., along with a 2 p.m. matinee Sunday. Tickets are $35-$55.
• Events at Reston Town Center this weekend include wine tasting at Il Fornaio (11990 Market St.) on Saturday and Zumba in the pavilion on Sunday.
• The opening reception for “First Blooms” by artist Dorothy Donahey at Reston Art Gallery and Studios (11400 Washington Plaza W.) will be Sunday from 2-4 p.m.
• The drama department at Herndon Middle School (901 Locust St.) will present “Romeo & Juliet” tonight at 7 p.m., and at 2 and 7 p.m. Saturday. Tickets are $10.
• At Reston Regional Library (11925 Bowman Towne Drive), there will be a showing of kids’ movie “Open Season” and a young-adult writing workshop on Saturday.
• A bird walk is scheduled for the Twin Branches Nature Trail from 7:30-10:30 a.m. Sunday. No pre-registration is required for the free activity.
• “There’s No Place Like Home” will end its exhibit at ArtSpace Herndon (750 Center St.) on Saturday.
• Kalypso’s (1617 Washington Plaza N.) will have live music tonight, 9:30 p.m. to 1:30 a.m., from Revelator Hill featuring Bobby Thompson. DJ Kram will play Top 40 hits Saturday night.
• There will be a dance from 2:30-4:30 p.m. Sunday at Reston Community Center (2310 Colts Neck Road). Dancers of all skill levels are welcome to foxtrot, swing, cha-cha and waltz. Cost is $5 for Reston residents and $10 for non-residents.

Reston Community Players will put a wrap on their 50th season next month by staging the Noël Coward comedy “Private Lives.”

Coward’s 1930 play features a divorced couple who meet by chance while honeymooning with their new spouses. According to a press release from RCP:

“[The characters] reignite the old spark and impulsively elope. After days of being reunited, they again find their fiery romance alternating between passions of love and anger. Their aggrieved spouses appear, and a circle dance of affiliations ensues as the women first stick together, then break ranks, and new partnerships are formed.”

The show’s director, Adam Konowe, said the play is not as “flippant [or] even superficial” as it might appear at first glance.

“Look closer and appreciate how Coward skillfully embedded critiques in rapier-like dialogue,” he said.

The show’s cast includes Richard Isaacs as Elyot Chase, Rachel Hubbard as Amanda Prynne, Andy Gable as Victor Prynne, Caity Brown as Sibyl Chase, and Lisa Young as Louise. The creative team, headed by Konowe, also includes Suzanne Johnson, Laura Baughman, Mary Ann Hall, Eileen Mullee, Tel Monks, Michael O’Connor, William Chrapcynski, Maggie Modig, Doug Rolston, Scott Birkhead, Sara Birkhead, Bea Morse, Jerry Morse, Julie Cherundolo, Lilya Eberle and Mary Jo Ford.

Opening night for the production will be Friday, May 5 at 8 p.m. at CenterStage (2310 Colts Neck Road) at Reston Community Center. Evening performances will follow each Friday and Saturday through May 20; in addition, there will be a matinee show Sunday, May 14, at 2 p.m.

The Community Players’ 2016-17 season opened with “Gypsy,” which won five Washington Area Community Theatre Honors awards. RCP has also presented “Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike” and “Rock of Ages” this season.

RCP has announced its first two shows of the 2017-18 season will be “Aida” (Oct. 20-Nov. 11) and “Peter and the Star Catcher” (Jan. 19-Feb. 3).

For more information about “Private Lives” or to buy tickets, call 703-476-4500, ext. 3, or visit restonplayers.org.

Image courtesy Reston Community Players

April is here and the springtime festivities are right around the corner.

There is always a lot to do in Reston and the surrounding area, and this weekend is no exception. Kids and adults alike have plenty of options for fun as we welcome the calendar’s fourth month.

Here are just some ideas for what to do in the Reston area this weekend:

• Reston Community Center’s annual “Eggnormous” Easter egg hunt is Saturday from 10-11:30 a.m. at Lake Fairfax Park (1400 Lake Fairfax Way). The free event is sure to be a big hit for all the kids. For more information, visit the Reston Community Center website.
• Also at Lake Fairfax Park on Saturday, volunteers are sought to help clean up the watershed. The event, one of nine at parks around the county, is set for 9-11:30 a.m.
• Dogs will be the guests of honor Saturday during the “Wag Fest” celebration in Reston. The event, set for 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., will be at the North County Governmental Center (1801 Cameron Glen Drive).
• The last two performances of Reston Community Players’ “Rock of Ages” will be tonight and Saturday at 8 p.m. at CenterStage (2310 Colts Neck Road). Tickets for each performance of the show are $25.
• Reston Town Center will be host to an MS Walk on Sunday beginning at 9 a.m., with registration starting at 8.
• The annual April Fool’s Day prank at Reston Town Center will be taking place all-day Saturday at Fountain Square.
• Other events at Reston Town Center this weekend include the Rings for Spring bridal event, Easter egg decorating at Williams-Sonoma, kids’ cooking class at Il Fornaio and more.
• The A Bridal Show will also be taking place in Reston this weekend, Sunday at the Bechtel Conference Center (1801 Alexander Bell Drive).
• The Tidewater Guitar Quartet will play Sunday at 4 p.m. at ArtSpace Herndon (750 Center St.). Tickets are $20.
• The children’s book sale at Reston Regional Library (11925 Bowman Towne Drive) will be from 1-4 p.m. Sunday.
• The Friends of Reston’s Environmental Film Series will show “Hometown Habitat” tonight from 7-9 p.m. at Walker Nature Center (11450 Glade Drive).
• Kalypso’s (1617 Washington Plaza N.) will have live music tonight, 9:30 p.m. to 1:30 a.m., from Innertwined. DJ Kram will play Top 40 hits Saturday night.

State FBLA Conference is April 7-8 in Reston — Numerous local students are among the 120 from Fairfax County who have qualified for the state FBLA-PBL leadership conference. Among them are Cyril Antoney, Adam Asif, Amanzeb Aurangzeb, Rochelle Barasona, Rahbar Chowdhury and Ryan Terrell of Herndon High School; and Spencer Alston, Jennifer Alvarez, Kian Attari, Jon Burbach, Juhi Chandrabhatha, Ayah Elnafe, Conor Gill, Noah Goldstein, Ajit Gupta, Ian Hughes, Jarius Johnson, Rachel Kessler, Bardia Kimiavi, Eric Kiss, Jesse Lynch, Davi Meran, Rabia Mohamednur and Ahmed Rabani of South Lakes High School. [Fairfax County Public Schools]

Bechtel Exec Gets Black Women in Business Award — Charlene Wheeless, Bechtel’s principal vice president for global corporate affairs, has been named one of the 25 Influential Black Women in Business by the Network Journal. Wheeless also serves on the boards of the Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce and Reston Hospital Center. [Press Release]

‘Sacred Profane’ Coming to CenterStage — Featuring an all-women cast of diverse ages, cultures and ethnicities, the show features music compositions, pop songs and classical music to create a “loose, provocative canvas with bodies in motion.” It is set for Reston Community Center’s CenterStage (2310 Colts Neck Road) on April 5. [Reston Connection]

CenterStage Has Full April Schedule — Programming next month at CenterStage (2310 Colts Neck Road) will include concerts by Trout Fishing in America and Le Mystère des Voix Bulgares, as well as performances from The Reduced Shakespeare Company and more. [Reston Community Center]

Founder’s Day to Feature Several Local Authors — Kristina Alcorn, Eric MacDicken, Watt Hamlett, Jill Olinger Vinson, Chuck Cascio, Chuck Veatch, Claudia Thompson-Deahl and Karen See will all be showcasing their work at Reston Community Center’s Jo Ann Rose Gallery (1609 Washington Plaza N.) at part of Founder’s Day festivities April 8. [Reston Historic Trust]

County Reaffirms Focus on Curbing Hate — At an event over the weekend in Annandale, representatives of Fairfax County police, schools and government gathered to hammer home the county’s stance against hate speech, bias and hate crimes. Sharon Bulova, chairman of the county Board of Supervisors, plans to continue the discussion at the board’s April 4 meeting. [WTOP]

Reston Company Faces Delisting by Nasdaq — NCI Inc., an IT services provider, has not released its 2016 financial information in a timely fashion, the stock exchange says. [Washington Business Journal]

It’s the first weekend of spring and the weather forecast is looking fantastic. Here are some ideas for how you can get out and enjoy yourself.

• Reston Association has an “open house” event slated for Sunday from 2-4 p.m. at The Lake House (11450 Baron Cameron Ave.). Members are invited to come find out more about what RA has to offer.
• Islamic Relief USA’s “Skate for Syria” is tonight from 7:30-9:30 p.m. at SkateQuest (1800 Michael Faraday Court). Tickets are available online for $12; they will be $15 at the door. Proceeds from the fundraiser support Syrian Humanitarian Aid.
• Reston Town Center is hosting “Family Fun Saturdays” throughout March to benefit Opportunity Neighborhood: Reston. This week’s schedule features mini train rides, caricature and balloon artists, free “sweet treats” and more. The event will go from noon to 5 p.m. Saturday.
• Other events at Reston Town Center this weekend include an art workshop at Greater Reston Arts Center, a cooking class at Il Fornaio, cupcake-making demonstrations at Williams-Sonoma and live music at World of Beer.
• ArtSpace Herndon (750 Center St.) will host its Best of FAVS showcase from 7-9:30 p.m. tonight. The event showcases several films from George Mason University’s Film and Video Studies program. There will be a question-and-answer session with the filmmakers as well. Tickets are $20.
• There will be a community rummage sale Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Berthold Academy (11480 Sunset Hills Road). Proceeds from the event will go toward class trips for students.
• Reston Community Players’ will put on “Rock of Ages” tonight and Saturday at 8 p.m., as well as Sunday at 2 p.m. at CenterStage (2310 Colts Neck Road). Tickets for each performance of the show, which will run through April 1, are $25.
• Scrawl Books (11862 Market St.) will host storytime with author Anne Marie Stephens on Saturday from 10:30 a.m. to noon.
• The Diva Central prom dress giveaway will be Saturday from noon to 6 p.m. at the Lake Anne location (1609A Washington Plaza N.) of Reston Community Center. The giveaway is open to any current middle school and high school student who is in need of a formal dress, shoes, jewelry and other accessories.
• An all-ages nature workshop involving spring bulb containers will happen at Walker Nature Center (11450 Glade Drive) from 2-3 p.m. Sunday. Cost is $7 for RA members and $9 for non-members.
• The Pro Arte Chamber Orchestra of Greater Washington will present its Suite Serenade at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at United Christian Parish (11508 North Shore Drive).
• There will be a free Montessori music class and information session at Herndon Community Center (814 Ferndale Ave.) from 6-8 p.m. Sunday. Parents are invited to learn about Little Oaks Montessori Academy.
• Reston Regional Library (11925 Bowman Towne Drive) will have its YA Book Club on Sunday at 2 p.m.
• Kalypso’s (1617 Washington Plaza N.) will have live music tonight, 9:30 p.m. to 1:30 a.m., from Throwing Plates. DJ Kram will play Top 40 hits Saturday night.

A trio of documentary films on the tradition of public art in Reston will be screened Tuesday at CenterStage (2310 Colts Neck Road).

Public Art Reston will present the three short films, works of award-winning director Rebekah Wingert-Jabi, who will also attend the event to discuss them. The films — “Emerge: The Making of a Community Public Art Project,” “Fun, Beauty, Fantasy: Reston’s Public Art” and “A Bird in the Hand — Patrick Dougherty’s Sculptural Installation in Reston, VA” — explore the legacy of Reston’s public art and show how Public Art Reston works to advance it.

“Since Reston was established over 50 years ago, public art has played a central role in defining the unique character of our community,” said Wingert-Jabi, a Reston native. “As Public Art Reston celebrates its 10th anniversary in 2017, it is a particularly important time to have a discussion of what public art has meant to our community and how we would like to see it advanced here over the next 10 years.”

The films will be screened beginning at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday. Public Art Reston’s presentation is in collaboration with Reston Community Center. The event is free.

Photos courtesy Public Art Reston

A new album from singer, songwriter and guitarist Raul Midón comes out Friday — and Reston residents have a chance to be among the first to hear the new tunes live.

Reston Community Center’s latest artist-in-residency, Midón will bring his jazz, soul and pop performance to the stage at RCC’s CenterStage (2310 Colts Neck Road) at 8 p.m. March 29. The preceding day, he will perform privately for South Lakes High School and Langston Hughes Middle School students.

According to a press release from Reston Community Center, the title track of the new album — “Bad Ass and Blind” — tells you what you need to know about him:

“His work is bold, dynamic and demonstrates his genius. The title track alone is a tour de force that finds Midón celebrating blindness with a ripping guitar solo and fierce spoken word rhyme. This and many more of his musical gems come with stories that Raul will break down for us.”

Midón, who was blind at birth, sang backup vocals for artists including Shakira, Julio Iglesias, Jennifer Lopez and Christina Aguilera before releasing his major-label solo debut, “State of Mind,” in 2005. He performed the title track from that album on both “The Late Show with David Letterman” and “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.” (To see more of Midón’s performances, visit his YouTube channel.)

“We selected Raul Midón as our artist-in-residence this season because he brings a singular perspective and style to his music and a positive message of overcoming adversity,” said Paul Douglas Michnewicz, RCC’s arts and events director, in the press release. “Our goal is to give Reston students the opportunity to experience the work and background of a musical genius as well as the ability to see multiple points of view. Raul’s cultural frame of reference and his holistic response to his blindness help students connect and fosters respect for our differences.”

Tickets for the public performance at CenterStage are $15 for Reston residents and $20 for non-residents. They are available for purchase online and at CenterStage’s box office.

Photo courtesy Raul Midón/Reston Community Center

It’s been a relatively mild winter, but the first day of spring still brings with it thoughts of certain activities. For kids, there’s no doubt one of those activities is the Easter egg hunt.

Reston Community Center will put on the community’s annual egg hunt at Lake Fairfax Park on Saturday, April 1. (Due to a park scheduling conflict, this is a change from the originally announced date of April 8.)

Debbie Heron, RCC’s youth program director, says about 10,000 eggs will be dropped for the event, which is a hit for families and RCC staff alike.

“It’s one of the few free egg hunts that still exists,” she said. “We get a very nice showing of patrons and people in the community. … We love it. It’s great. It’s one of our favorite events.”

Lake Fairfax Park (1400 Lake Fairfax Way) is a new location for the event, which has been held in recent years at Brown’s Chapel Park. Heron said Lake Fairfax Park provides bigger grounds with more room for parking.

“We change every several years, but if this works out really well, we’ll probably stay for the long term,” she said.

Heron said several hundred children ages 8 and under are expected to participate in the hunt, and they will separated into four different age groups. The event will also include moon bounces, a strolling magician and more fun for kids.

The event is scheduled for 10-11:30 a.m. Saturday, April 1. The egg hunt itself will start at 10:30 a.m. sharp.

For more information about the egg hunt or other upcoming youth-oriented events from Reston Community Center, contact Heron at 703-390-6163.

Photo courtesy Reston Community Center

It’s St. Patrick’s Day weekend and a lot of people will be out celebrating. Safety officials are reminding residents to party responsibly and to be sure to have a safe ride home.

As part of the effort to keep everyone safe, the Washington Regional Alcohol Program is offering revelers free rides (up to a $20 value) through its SoberRide campaign. The program is open to everyone throughout the Washington region through 4 a.m. Saturday.

To get the free ride, use the Lyft app and enter the promo code SOBERRIDE.

Partying or not, though, there will be plenty of things to do in the Reston area this weekend. Here are just some of the options available.

• The Reston Community Center (2310 Colts Neck Road) will host its annual spring flea market Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon. The free event is available to residents of all ages. For more information, call 703-476-4500.
• The fourth annual Maker Faire NoVa is Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., at South Lakes High School and Langston Hughes Middle School. Tickets at the door will be $15 for adults, $12 for senior citizens and $5 for children. Family packs of five tickets will be $40.
• Teen job fairs and resume-building workshops will be offered Saturday by Fairfax County at Chantilly High School (4201 Stringfellow Road) from 10 a.m. to noon, and at Oakton High School (2900 Sutton Road, Vienna) from 1-3 p.m.
• Reston Town Center is hosting “Family Fun Saturdays” throughout March to benefit Opportunity Neighborhood: Reston. This week’s schedule features horse-drawn carriage rides, free funnel cakes and a performance by the McGrath Academy of Irish Dance. The event will go from noon to 5 p.m. Saturday.
• The opening reception of Greater Reston Arts Center’s “Emerging Visions” exhibit is set for 6-8 p.m. Saturday. The show features curated works of art created by Fairfax County students from South Lakes, Herndon and Oakton high schools, and it will be on display through April 1.
• The Social Justice & Peace Conference will be Saturday from 12:30-6 p.m. at United Christian Parish (11508 North Shore Drive). The free event will include workshops on how people from different religious backgrounds can support immigrants, the trans community, environmental justice and more.
• A bird walk at Sunrise Valley Wetlands and Polo Fields will be offered from 7:30-10:30 a.m. Sunday. Check out Reston Association’s WebTrac for more information.
• Reston Community Players’ will put on “Rock of Ages” tonight and Saturday at 8 p.m., as well as Sunday at 2 p.m. at CenterStage (2310 Colts Neck Road). Use the password “St. Paddy’s” when purchasing tickets for tonight’s show by phone or in person to get them for $10. Regular tickets for each performance of the show, which will run through April 1, are $25.
• A Kennedy Center Production of “From the Mouths of Monsters” will be performed at Herndon High School (700 Bennett St.) tonight at 7:30 p.m.; Saturday at 2 and 7:30 p.m.; and at 2 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $15 for adults and $5 for students and children.
• Reston Regional Library (11925 Bowman Towne Drive) will be visited by Frying Pan Farm Park on Saturday from 11 a.m. to noon, featuring animal education, stories and crafts. For adults, the lecture series on World War I will continue at 2 p.m. Sunday.
• Kalypso’s (1617 Washington Plaza N.) will have live music tonight for St. Patrick’s Day, with Mark Scott from 4-8 p.m. followed by Sam Gunderson from 9 p.m. to 12:30 a.m.
• ArtSpace Herndon (750 Center St.) will have the opening reception for its exhibit “There’s No Place Like Home,” by members of the Great Falls Studios, from 3-5 p.m. Sunday. The show will be on display through April 8.
• The Reston Town Center Singles Meetup group has an event scheduled for tonight at Ned Devine’s Irish Bar & Restaurant (2465 Centreville Road, Herndon). Shake 3X will perform at the restaurant from 9:30 p.m. to 1:30 a.m.

All activities at Reston Community Center tonight after 7 p.m. are being canceled as a winter storm is expected to hit the area.

In addition, the Community Relations and Program/Policy Joint Committee meeting scheduled for tonight has been moved to 5:30 p.m., an hour earlier than previously scheduled, in the attempt to beat the change in weather.

From RCC:

Due to the inclement weather forecast for this evening, both Reston Community Center facilities will close at 7:00 p.m. on Monday, March 13 for the safety of staff and patrons. Tonight’s Community Relations and Program/Policy Joint Committee Meeting has been moved to 5:30 p.m. (one hour earlier than originally scheduled). All RCC activities taking place after 7:00 p.m. are canceled; the Young Actors Theatre rehearsal will end at 7:00 p.m. Make-up classes will be scheduled if possible. No refunds will be issued for inclement weather cancellations.

For complete and up-to-date operational status, please call RCC at 703-476-4500. We regret any inconvenience that this disruption of RCC programs and services causes and hope you will stay safe during this weather event. We will return to normal operations as soon as we are able.

Community Center users are encouraged to visit the RCC website for more information about its inclement weather policy.

Looking for something to do this weekend? Here is a sampling of what’s available in Reston:

• As previously reported, there will be a protest of Reston Town Center paid parking from 1-4 p.m. Saturday. The group plans to march on the perimeter of the Town Center. For more information, visit the event’s Facebook page.
• Reston Town Center will host “Family Fun Saturdays” throughout March to benefit Opportunity Neighborhood: Reston. This week, there will be carousel rides from noon to 5 p.m., free s’mores and hot chocolate, a performance by the Fairfax Jubil-Aires and free ice skating from 1-4 p.m.
• Also at Reston Town Center this weekend are kids’ cooking classes at Il Fornaio and Williams-Sonoma, South Moon Under’s spring launch party, Girl Scout cookie sales and more.
• Youth Art Month at the Greater Reston Arts Center (12001 Market St.) officially kicks off Saturday with an opening reception and Family Day from noon-4 p.m.
• The Reston 10-Miler race is Sunday, beginning at 8 a.m. at South Lakes High School (11400 South Lakes Drive).
• Walker Nature Center (11450 Glade Road) will host an all-ages nature program on raptor exploration Saturday from 10:30 a.m. to noon.
• This will be the final weekend “For the Love of Color” will be on display at the Reston Community Center’s Jo Ann Rose Gallery (1609A Washington Plaza N.).
• Reston Regional Library (11925 Bowman Towne Drive) will host events for kids including a computer coding workshop (Saturday, 11 a.m.) and a visit from the South Lakes High School robotics club (Saturday, 1 p.m.). For adults, the lecture series on World War I continues Sunday at 2 p.m.
• Kalypso’s (1617 Washington Plaza N.) will have music from the Josh Allen Band tonight.
• Jeff From Accounting will play a concert Saturday at 10 p.m. at World of Beer (1888 Explorer St.)
• New Love Animal Rescue plans an animal-adoption event Saturday from noon to 2 p.m. at Pet Valu (1422 North Point Village Center).

Plans to upgrade Reston Community Center’s aquatics center will be the topic of discussion at a public meeting Monday.

At RCC’s Feb. 13 community engagement meeting, proposals for renovations to the Terry L. Smith Aquatics Center were presented. Leila Gordon, RCC executive director, says total cost for needed repairs at the aquatics center over the next two-year cycle is estimated at $1.2 million. This has led to discussion, she said, that a full upgrade of the facility may be more effective to meet current and future needs.

Gordon said the aquatics center serves three subsets of users: master swimmers, those learning to swim and those using the pool for therapy purposes. Each has different preferences, Gordon said, for specifics including pool length, depth and temperature.

Based on community feedback, three options for renovations were proposed, two of which involved expanding the aquatic center’s space by as much as 7,000 square feet. The information provided for Monday’s meeting includes only the third option, which would use the existing footprint of the aquatics center for a six-lane, 25-yard lap pool with an attached family pool, as well as a separate warm-water therapy pool.

Gordon said she believes the upgrade could cost up to $4 million.

“Our understanding is that from the perspective of ‘rough order of magnitude,’ the cost is in the $3-4 million range,” she said. “Of course, though, that is not based on a detailed analysis of the existing conditions or a more precise costing that would accompany more refined ‘scoping’ of the project.”

The other options would cost at least $8 million, which Gordon said there would be “no path to” outside of a lengthy and costly bond question — which, if successful, would also add significant expenses to RCC’s core budget.

Other improvements laid out in the plan include a possible patio and/or windows along the northeast wall, an additional family changing room, reconfigured shower stalls in both the men’s and women’s locker rooms, and improved quality of light, air, water and acoustics.

Wayne Hughes, of Hughes Group Architects, will present more information regarding the proposed renovation at Monday’s meeting and will answer community members’ questions.

The public meeting of RCC’s Long Range Planning Committee is scheduled for 6:30-8 p.m. Monday at RCC’s Hunters Woods facility (2310 Colts Neck Road). Those who plan to attend are asked to email [email protected] to RSVP. Anyone who is unable to attend but would like to submit comments can do so to the same email address, and should include their full name and address along with their comments.

Looking for something to do this weekend? Here is a sampling of what’s available in Reston:

• At the Walker Nature Center (11450 Glade Road), children can learn about gourmet treats for birds on Saturday from 11 a.m.-noon. For the grown-ups, a “Wine and Design” painting event is slated for Saturday night, 6:30-9.
• Events at Reston Town Center this weekend include Girl Scout cookie sales, a cooking class at Il Fornaio (11990 Market St.) and special skating events at the ice pavilion.
• At the Reston Community Center’s Jo Ann Rose Gallery (1609A Washington Plaza N.), “For the Love of Color” remains on display.
• At CenterStage (2310 Colts Neck Road), Irish musicians Lúnasa return to the stage tonight at 8. This show is sold out, but patrons are invited to the box office after 7 p.m. to get on the waiting list.
• Reston Regional Library (11925 Bowman Towne Drive) will host events for kids including a “Minute to Win It” game show event (Saturday, 11 a.m.), chess club (Saturday, 2:30 p.m.) and YA book club (Sunday, 2:30 p.m.). For adults, cinema classic “Il Postino” will be shown Saturday (2 p.m.) and the lecture series on World War I continues Sunday (2 p.m.).
• Reston Community Center (2310 Colts Neck Road) will have the reception for its February art exhibit, “From the Heart,” on Saturday from noon-1 p.m.
• Kalypso’s (1617 Washington Plaza N.) will have music from the Holly Montgomery Band tonight and DJ Kram on Saturday night.
• Spectrum will be performing tonight at World of Beer (1888 Explorer St.) beginning at 10 p.m.
• Dewey Animals is planning an animal adoption event at Pet Valu (11160 South Lakes Drive) Saturday from 1-3 pm.

Reston Community Center recently bid a fond farewell to a woman who has been documenting its history for more than three decades.

Staff photographer Linda Rutledge, who had been with RCC since 1981, retired from the position last week. Leila Gordon, RCC’s executive director, said the impact Rutledge has had on the organization over the years has been practically immeasurable.

“We have a massive and fabulous photo archive from RCC’s very earliest years,” Gordon said. “We’ve been very close, and her history with RCC is very much intertwined with the history of this agency, this institution itself.”

Reston Community Center opened in 1979.

Gordon said Rutledge has not only a keen eye for photography, but a “tremendous degree of institutional memory” that made her an extremely valuable employee.

“We will be very hard-pressed to replace, and we’ll just have to grow again, Linda’s tremendous knowledge of Reston,” Gordon said. “You didn’t have to give her instructions or a shoot list, or say ‘Be sure that you get so-and-so.’ She just knew, she just absolutely knew where the people she needed to shoot were.”

Rutledge’s ability to capture a moment in a photo, showing the emotion of a situation, was another quality Gordon praised.

“[She could] focus on a spontaneous humanity of a setting, not taking pictures at an event that are just people standing and smiling for the camera,” the executive director said. “Her photographs are beautiful because they show people doing things and engrossed in those things that were part of their RCC experience.”

Gordon said she fully expects that Rutledge will not be able to completely separate herself and her camera from Reston Community Center.

“She loves the Multicultural Festival, and she loves our [Dr. Martin Luther] King celebration events, so there are some things like that I imagine she’ll still want to contribute photographs to,” Gordon said. “There are some things that Linda says she just wouldn’t feel she is alive if she missed.”

Photos courtesy Reston Community Center/Linda Rutledge