Elections Officers Sought Throughout the County — The county is seeking elections officers for the upcoming election. The application is available online. [Fairfax County Office of Elections]

Dog Days of Summer Today in Reston Town Center — Dogs and their owners can take advantage of a special play zone today in RTC’s pavilion from 5-7:30 p.m. The event will be held weekly until September 4. [Reston Town Center]

Take Advantage of Savings During Virginia Annual Sales Tax Holiday — Virginia’s annual sales tax holiday runs from Friday (August 2) through Sunday (August 4). Customers will no longer have to pay the state sales tax on several items. [Fairfax County Emergency Information]

Photo via Dario Piparo/Flickr

North Italia, which the company describes as a “modern Italian concept,” will officially open its doors in Reston Town Center on Wednesday (July 31).

Fox Restaurant Concepts — which also brought True Food Kitchen to Mosaic District — is behind th restaurant, which is located at 11898 Market Street.

It takes over space previously occupied by Neyla Mediterranean Bistro.

The menu includes a mix of pastas, pizza and salads. Brunch is available on the weekend.

Reservations can be made online. Members can sign up for North Italia’s email campaign, which offers up a $10 off coupon for purchases of $20 or more.

Learn a new way to elevate your yoga game with stand up paddle board yoga tomorrow.

Beloved Yoga is organizing a recurring event on Saturdays from 9-11 a.m. Participants will learn how to balance on a paddle board and take their yoga routine to the next level. 

The event is organized in partnership with Surf Reston. Participants will meet at the Lake Anne boat launch. The last class is on September 21.

Registration is available online. Tickets are $20 if you bring your own board and $40 if you do not.

Saturday (July 27)

• Family Fun Entertainment Series (10-10:45 a.m.) — Groovy Nate creates educational shows with exotic musical instruments and puppet skits. Attendees should be ready to move, sing and play.
• Historical Swordsmanship (3-4 p.m.) — Fantasy lovers can learn about sword fighting and gets hands on instruction from professionals at Reston Regional Library.
• Dragonfly Count (9:45 a.m. to 1 p.m.) — Meet at the Walker Nature Center and help count dragonflies in natural areas of Reston.

Sunday (July 28)

• Sunday Art in the Park with GRACE (5:30-7 p.m.) — Greater Reston Arts Center offers creative activities for all ages.
• Sunday Art in the Park (7-8 p.m.) — Professor of clarinet Garrick Zoeter and soprano Mariana Mihai-Zoeter interpret romantic and inspiring work from around the world during this performance at Reston Town Square Park.
• Summerbration Fun Brunch (11 a.m. to 1 p.m.) — Dave Lange presents country and blues music at Reston Station Plaza. Garage parking is free on weekends in the Metro parking garage.

Photo via Beloved Yoga

Why Phase Two of the Silver Line Has More Problems — “Officials were confident construction of Phase 2 would be much smoother. They were using a different contractor, there were fewer construction challenges, and they had learned many lessons from the first phase. Fast-forward five years, and construction of the final portion of the $5.8 billion rail line, which was expected to be wrapped up next month, may not be completed until next spring or summer. Trains that were originally set to begin running in January probably won’t start carrying passengers until mid-to-late 2020.” [The Washington Post]

INOVA Blood Drive in the Area Today — The bloodmobile will be parked at the pavilion in RTC from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. today. Appointments can be scheduled by calling 1-866-256-6372 or in-person. [Reston Town Center]

Dive into Disaster Preparedness — Receive basic training on how to prepare for local disasters and hazards, as well as basic disaster response skills, at the county’s Fire and Rescue Academy. Classes will take place between August and September on Mondays and Wednesdays from 7-11 p.m. [Fairfax County Fire & Rescue Department]

Farmers & Makers Market is Today — Local farmers and artisans come to Reston Town Center from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m to sell a variety of items. The market ends in November. [Reston Town Center]

Photo by Mike Reyes

Lane and Ramp Closures This Week — A number of lane and ramp closures are planned this week along the Dulles Toll Road, Sunrise Valley Drive, Sunset Hills Road and Herndon Parkway. [Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project]

KBS Reit III Sells Reston Building — The company has sold off 11 assets totaling 3.4 million square feet of office space, including Reston Square in Reston. The transaction reportedly helped the company repay outstanding debt and retain 33 percent ownership interest in the purchaser. [Globe St]

DMV2Go at Reston Town Center Today — The mobile office on wheels brings DMV services to RTC from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. [Reston Town Center]

Photo by John Schnick

Local Company Seeks Emoji Status — Electrify America, a local electric vehicle charging company, has submitted a formal proposal to the Unicode Consortium to introduce an emoji that represents an electric vehicle and the stations that charge them. [Cision]

Reston Community Center Seeks Budget Input — “A few days before Reston Community Center (RCC) held its Annual Public Hearing on June 17 for its FY20/FY21 Programs and Budgets, RCC Executive Director Leila Gordon and Chairman of the RCC Board of Governors Beverly Cosham shared information about RCC’s funding sources, significant budget and program highlights, and opportunities.” [The Connection]

Farmers & Makers Market is Today — Reston Town Center hosts the weekly market from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. today. The market, which runs through November, features a mix of products from local farmers and artisans. [Reston Town Center]

Photo via vantagehill/Flickr

Six folk, bluegrass and blues bands are in the lineup for the fourth annual Lake Anne Roots Music Festival.

The festival, which features a beer and wine garden and fun for the whole family, is set for tomorrow (Saturday).

The event kicks off with the opening of taps at 11:30 am. Performances will take place through 8 p.m.

The event is sponsored by Friends of Lake Anne and Reston Community Center. It will take place at Lake Anne Plaza (1609 Washington Plaza).

Saturday (July 13)

• Fairy Festival (10-11:30 a.m.) — Explore a woodland trail with fairy house and help build a fair house from natural materials.
• Bookworms Club (11 a.m.) — Young readers can take part in the weekly club at Scrawl Books. Each week, readers explore a new theme with picture books. Members who attend ten sessions receive a free book.
• Summer STEM (10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.) — Children between ages two and nine can learn how to build structure with a mix of materials at Reston Regional Library.
• Summerbration Fun Brunch (11 a.m. to 1 p.m.) — Enjoy Motown and rock at Reston Station Plaza. The event is free and open for all ages.
• Family Fun Entertainment Series with Guava Jelly (10-10:45 a.m.) — The pair performs music infused with a “lively island feel” at Reston Town Square Park. The event is free and open for all ages.

Sunday (July 14)

• Jennifer Ryan at Scrawl Books (2 p.m.) — The author of “The Spies of Shilling Lane” will be on-site for a book signing. This is Ryan’s second novel.
• Summerbration Fun Brunch with a Stilt Walker, a Juggling and a Face Painter (11 a.m. to 1 p.m.) — Enjoy a performance by a trio at Reston Station Plaza. The event is free for all ages. Parking is also free on weekends in the Metro Parking garage.
• Sunday Afternoon Dance (2:30-4:30 p.m.) — Dancers of all skills levels can dance the afternoon away at this drop-in event. Registration is $5 for Restonians and $10 for all others.
• Art in the Park with GRACE (5:30-7:30 p.m.) — Greater Reston Arts Center and the Reston Community Center welcome visitors to take part in creative art activities for all ages.

Photo via Lake Anne Plaza/Facebook

National recording artist JD McPherson will perform on Saturday, July 27 at Reston Town Center.

McPherson and his band, which is known for its 50s-style rock and rock and R&B tunes, are coming as part of RTC’s weekly Saturday night summer concert series. Concerts, which are free and open to the public, take place at the pavilion from 7:30-10 p.m.

RTC wrote the following about McPherson’s work:

His first album, 2012’s Signs & Signifiers, which included the breakout hit North Side Gal, was hailed as “an utterly irresistible, slicked-back triumph” by Mojo and “a rockin’, bluesy, forward- thinking gold mine that subtly breaks the conventions of most vintage rock projects” by All Music Guide. The Washington Post wrote that, “he and his bandmates are great musicians taking ownership of a sound, not just mimicking one.”

The best rock music has a story to tell. McPherson’s most recent album, the 2017 release Undivided Heart & Soul, chronicles a series of upheavals, frustrations, roadblocks, and kismet–a cross-country move, failed creative relationships, a once-in-a-lifetime career opportunity, and learning to love making music again by letting go. That move, from his hometown of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma to East Nashville, has greatly influenced his new crop of songs.

The summer concert series, which is in its 29th season, ends on August 24. A complete schedule is available online.

Photo via JD McPherson/Reston Town Center

It’s not to early to get into fall mode. Registration is now open for the annual Flavors of Fall, a free annual festival that includes live entertainment, dancing, and family activities.

This year’s festival, which is organized by the Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce, is set for Sunday, October 13.

The Reston Pumpkin 5K begins at 8:15 a.m. at Reston Town Center and the kids’ pumpkin dash starts at 9:15 a.m. Registration is $25 for adults and $20 for children age 14 and under. Prices rise after September 9.

Restaurants will also serve samples from their favorite fall menus. Two dozen tickets cost $20. Each sample typically requires between three and five tickets. Beer and wine requires six to seven tickets.

At the end of the race, awards will be given.

Registration is open online.

Groovy Nate at Reston Regional Library — Wolf Trap teaching artist Groovy Nate will visit Reston Regional Library for music and puppet fund. The event takes place from 2:30-3:15 p.m. and is geared towards preschoolers. [Reston Regional Library]

Farmers & Makers Market is Today — Reston Town Center welcomes the market from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. today. It features a mix of produce, meats, handmade goods, and one-of-a-kind items. The market is presented in partnership with URBNmarket. [Reston Town Center]

Greater Reston Arts Center Seeks Volunteers, Interns — The organization welcomes high school and college level students to apply for week-long internships at our Summer Art Camps. Interns will spend their days making art and having a blast with campers at Reston Association’s Lake House. [East City Art]

Photo via vantagehill/Flickr

Golf Carts Stolen from Hidden Creek Country Club — Someone stole three golf carts on Monday, July 1 at around 12:03 a.m. The carts mysterious resurfaced on a nearby street. [Fairfax County Police Department]

Dog Days of Summer Kicks Off Today — A special play zone for dogs and their owners is back in Reston Town Center’s pavilion from 5-7:30 p.m. The last event is on September 4. [Reston Town Center]

Prepping for Back to School — Collect for Kids is looking for new backpacks and school supplies for its annual drive for students in need. Monetary donations are also accepted. [Collect for Kids]

Photo via vantagehill/Flickr

North Italia, a national chain which makes pizzas made from scratch, is opening in Reston Town Center this month.

The 6,400-square-foot location will be the first in Northern Virginia. It is located at 11898 Market Street and will open on Wednesday, July 31.

The restaurant is hosting a job fair at the Reston location this week on tomorrow (July 3), Thursday, July 4, and Friday, July 5 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

North Italia described its location as follows:

At North Italia, guests can expect to find handcrafted Italian food paired with a warm, contemporary atmosphere. From made-from-scratch pizzas and pastas, to a tempting assortment of wines, beers, and inventive cocktails, there is something to match everyone’s occasion and palate. 

Highlights include Prosciutto Bruschetta with crescenza cheese, grilled asparagus, truffle, grana Padano from the ‘small plates’ section; Funghi Pizza with roasted mushroom, cipollini onion, smoked mozzarella; Squid Ink Mafaldine with white shrimp, calamari, acqua pizza, mint, fennel pollen, Calabrian chili from the ‘pasta’ section; Wagyu Skirt Steak with asparagus, sweet potato, salsa verde, arugula, grana Padano from the ‘entrees’ section. Also not to be missed is the restaurant’s extensive selection of house-made cocktails, including the Milano Mule with District-made vodka, aperol, lime, ginger beer, and Sicilian Margarita with blanco tequila, fiorente elderflower, greenbar ginger, cucumber, and lime. 

The restaurant will be open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. for lunch. Dinner hours from Sunday through Thursday are from 4-10 p.m. and on Friday and Saturday from 4-11 p.m.

Happy hour is from 4-7 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Photo via North Italia

This week’s Summerbration Fun Brunch will bring Cello Fury to Reston for a free concert.

Self-described as “a cello rock powerhouse featuring three cellists and a drummer,” Cello Fury performs original music combining cello sounds with rock beats.

The performance will take place at Reston Station Plaza from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. on Sunday.

Parking is free on weekends in the Metro parking garage.

Tomorrow (June 29)

• Síneadh Fada with Foley Academy of Irish Dance (11 a.m.-1 p.m.) — Enjoy free Irish dancing outside the Jahn Building atop Wiehle-Reston East Metro.
• Bookworms Club (11 a.m.) — This book club for young readers meets regularly on Saturdays at Scrawl Books.

Sunday (June 30)

• Guesstimation Game (all day) — Preschoolers to sixth graders can learn how to guesstimate at the Herndon Fortnightly Library.
• Reston Runners (7 a.m.) — The Reston Runners will meet at the Lake Anne Village Center for 3- and 6- mile walks, 10- and 17-mile runs and a 12-mile trail run.
• Sunday Art in the Park: Two Bass Hit (7-8 p.m.) — Professor of Bass Donovan Stokes will lead a diverse program of jazz, gypsy jazz and other international music for two basses at the corner of Market and Explorer streets in Reston Town Center. The event is free and open to all

Photo via Cello Fury/Facebook