The Fairfax County Police Department is hosting the first annual Law Enforcement Torch Run in Reston Town Center on July 21.
Proceeds from the event will support athletes from Special Olympics Virginia. The event will begin at the pavilion at Reston Town Center. Runners will travel down the green trail and back, a roughly 1.5-mile distance. Check-in begins at 6 a.m. and the run will start at 8 a.m.
Registration is $20 per participant and is open online. The Law Enforcement Torch Run is a fundraising campaign that began in Wichita, Kansas in 1981. Police departments and law enforcement agencies participate in runs to raise money for the Special Olympics.
During most runs, law enforcement members and Special Olympics athletes carry the “flame of hope” in the opening ceremony of local competitions. The initiative has raised more than $600 million for Special Olympics programs since it began.
Photo via Law Enforcement Torch Run
Building worlds — A group exhibition of artists who explore the role of science fiction and fantasy in informing our fears and ideals is set to run from August 1 through September 15 at Greater Reston Arts Center. [Reston Town Center]
Herndon teen found — A 12-year-old from Herndon who went missing Tuesday night was found yesterday. She returned home and is safe and sound. [Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office]
Showing their teeth — “In the first meet of the Northern Virginia Swimming League season, the Hunter Mill Sharks took a bite out of the Lee Graham Dolphins, with a final score of 269-151.” [Fairfax County Times]
Squeeze Bayou concert — This week’s “Take a Break” concert series features music folk music tied to the Cajuns. The event at Lake Anne Plaza is free and open to all ages. [Reston Community Center]
Flickr pool photo by vantagehill
Heat advisory in effect — The National Weather Service has issued a heat advisory from noon to 8 p.m. today. Heat index values could hit 105 degrees today. [National Weather Service]
A $30 million boost — “Reston lease accounting software firm LeaseAccelerator has raised $30 million in Series B funding from New York venture capital firm Insight Venture Partners.” [WTOP]
Fountain is back in business — The interactive fountain in Reston Town Square Park closed late last week due to emergency repairs. Repairs are now complete and the fountain is open. [Reston Town Center]
Families belong together — Residents in Reston came together for an interfaith vigil in support of the national “Families Belong Together” campaign this weekend. [Local DVM]
Flickr pool photo by vantagehill
Reston Town Center Association is hosting a lunch event at Reston Town Square Park tomorrow from noon to 1 p.m.
Gin Dance Company will offer a free one-hour performance. Attendees are encouraged to bring their lunch to the park. Vapiano and Le Pain Quotidien will offer brown bag specials for take-out orders placed between 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.
Vapiano is offering 10 percent off takeout pizzas and Le Pain Quotidien is offering 20 percent off entree orders of a sandwich, salad, tartine or soup, along with a free dessert.
The event is produced by Reston Town Center Association and Reston Community Center.
Photo via Reston Town Center Association
Need some motivation to kick off your work week with a workout?
Crunch Fitness is offering free group fitness classes every Monday in the Reston Town Center Pavilion through October 29. The series of classes, “Muscle Up Mondays,” will take place from 6:30-7:30 p.m.
The business, which has 25,000 square feet of fitness space, is located at 11951 Freedom Drive in Reston Town Center. Crunch Fitness also offers a personal training plan, classes and training in a ride studio.
For more information, interested participants are encouraged to stop by the club or call 571-328-7689.
Photo via Reston Town Center
Cloud nine — “The cerebral and absorbing artworks of Mike Cloud, on view at the Greater Reston Arts Center (GRACE) through July 7, have a myriad of entry points. It all depends on what viewers bring to bear and how deep they are willing to go.” [Fairfax County Times]
Zip trip — On Friday, FOX 5 DC staff broadcast their live morning show from Reston Town Center. Reston was described as an asset to the Northern Virginia community known for its forward-thinking community and contemporary design. [FOX 5 DC]
Open house at the Lake House — This Thursday, the Lake House will hold an open house. Light refreshments will be sponsored by Pure Perfection Catering. [Reston Association]
Photo by Emily Cox
After closing its location in The Spectrum in 2005, Balducci’s Food Lover’s Market has officially returned to Reston. The gourmet food retailed opened today on the ground floor of The Signature, a 508-unit apartment building.
Seventy spaces in a garage primarily for residents of The Signature are set aside for Balducci’s customers. The first two hours of parking is free and no app is required.
The grand opening celebration kicked off at 11 a.m. today with a champagne sabering, live music and a ceremony led by Judy Spires, CEO of Balducci’s. During the weeklong celebration from Friday (June 22) through July 1, there will be a 10 percent discount on all purchase. Tastings and demonstration will also be held throughout the week. Today, around 400 additional parking spaces will be available for customers.
“We’ve combed the globe for the most exciting specialty foods–and of course that includes the very best of what’s local. Here you’ll find an incredible array of offerings from the freshest, sweetest day-boat sea scallops sourced right here in the Chesapeake Bay to Japanese Miyazaki A5 Wagyu beef,” said Spires in a statement. “We like to think that if Marco Polo had his dream pantry, this would be it.”
The company, which is headquartered in Germantown, Md., has other locations in Alexandria and McLean. The store in Reston is open daily from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Photos via Samantha Emmerling
Fox5 comes to town — Fox 5 DC is broadcasting their morning show live from 6-11 a.m. at Reston Town Center Pavilion. The feature is part of a weekly Friday series that highlights communities around the D.C. region. [Visit Fairfax]
Hats off to Alianza Red — The Herndon Youth Soccer girls team participated in the 43rd annual Virginian Elite Soccer Tournament over Memorial Day weekend and came back with some wins. [The Connection]
Stateside: Virginia’s new Medicaid coverage — Roughly 28,000 Fairfax County residents will be newly eligible for Medicaid next year. Here’s what you need to know about the expansion. [Fairfax County Times]
Photo by Ruth Sievers
Fox 5 DC will broadcast their morning show live from the Reston Town Center Pavilion on Friday (June 22) from 6-11 a.m.
The show is part of the channel’s “zip trip” series, which takes viewers to a new city every Friday in the DMV region through Labor Day weekend.
Reston is the fifth community to be featured on the series, joining Anacostia in District, Laurel in Maryland and Alexandria.
The following individuals, organizations and businesses are scheduled to appear on the show:
- Reston Raiders Hockey Club
- Congressman Gerry Connolly
- South Lakes High School String Quartet
- Reston’s U.S. Winter Olympian Maame Biney
- Lake Anne Brew House
- Reston Museum
- Canine Companions for Independence
- Greater Reston Arts Center
- Ted’s Bulletin
- Kitty Bernard – Century 21 Redwood
- Fairfax County Fire Station 25,
- PassionFish Reston
- South Moon Under
- Balducci’s Food Lover’s Market
- Crunch Fitness
Photo via Visit Fairfax
Taste of Reston, Northern Virginia’s largest outdoor festival, took place on Friday and Saturday, bringing food and visitors to Market Street.
The 28th annual event is a fundraiser for Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce‘s INCspire Education Foundation, which aims to help businesses grow by providing educational opportunities.
“This is the best-attended ‘Taste’ we’ve had in five years, thanks to our participating organizations, community turnout, and great weather,” said Mark Ingrao, CEO of the Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce.
This year’s Best of Taste restaurant winners are as follows:
- First Place: Choolah Indian BBQ
- Second Place: Agora
- Third Place: Guapo’s Restaurant
Organizers plan to conduct a debrief on the event to determine how to enhance the festival.
Photos by Don Renner
Foodies can enjoy food from more than 20 restaurants during Taste of Reston, a two-day festival in Reston Town Center (11900 Market Street) tomorrow and Saturday.
The event is produced by the Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce.
Taste of Reston is the largest outdoor food festival in Northern Virginia and has been voted “Northern Virginia’s Best Food Festival” by Virginia living magazine for the past six years.
A family carnival, which includes games and food, will also be held at Lake Fairfax on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. A free shuttle will transport attendees to and from the tasting event throughout the day. Carnival tickets are available online.
Garage parking is free during the event. Food vendors will compete in the “Best of Taste” competition. Last year’s winners were M&S Grill, Agora Restaurant and Tavern 64.
The festival will take place from 3-11 p.m. on Friday and from noon to 11 p.m. on Saturday.
Tickets are needed to purchase food, beer, and wine at the event. They are $1 each or $20 for $24. Beer prices require five tickets for mainstream beer and six tickets for craft beer. Wine costs six tickets for five ounces pour and one ticket per wine tasting.
File photo
As the school year ends, the “Family Fun Entertainment Series” returns to Reston Town Center this Saturday (June 16). The event is held at Reston Town Square Park, located at the corner of Market Street and Explorer Street, on Saturdays from 10-10:45 a.m.
This Saturday’s performance features Pinot & Augustine, a comedy with classic mime antics. The characters try to prove who is the star of the show through humor and playful interaction, according to a description of the show by Reston Community Center.
The complete line-up of performances, which will run through August 4, is below:
- June 23: The Uncle Devin Show
- June 30: Kwame Ansah-Brew African Sounds
- July 7: Rocknoceros
- July 14: Blue Sky Puppet Theatre – Pig Tales
- July 21: Turley the Magician
- July 28: Guava Jelly
- August 4: Classic Comedy by Mark Lohr
Parking is free on Saturdays. The event is hosted by Reston Town Center Association and presented by RCC in cooperation with MSE Productions, Inc.
Photo by Mukul Ranjan via RCC
Balducci’s Food Lover’s Market (11850 Freedom Drive) will hold its grand opening on June 22 at 11 a.m.
The opening weekend will include chef demonstrations, food tastings, a beer bar and member-only offers throughout the store.
Parking is free daily in the silver garage for two hours for customers. No app is required.
In 2005, Balducci’s former location in The Spectrum, closed because it was underperforming. The new location is on the ground floor of The Signature, a 508-unit apartment building.
Grocery deliveries will also be offered soon. The gourmet market has seven other locations, including one in New York, Connecticut and Maryland.
Photo by Fatimah Waseem
A new exhibition is coming to Greater Reston Arts Center at Signature apartments this weekend. Susan Hostetler, a DC-based artist, will feature her work “Volatile,” which is inspired by avian life, songbird vocalizations and flight patterns.
The exhibition will be open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday from Friday (June 8) through September 18.
Hostetler uses mixed media to create delicate works, including graphite drawings with collage on mylar. She uses hand-cut stencils of bird shapes, which she places onto mylar and colors over with graphite sticks in a variety of textures and repeating patterns.
She also created hand-shaped clay birds that are attached to acrylic posts, creating “a coordinate of flight that carries through the linear atrium space,” according to organizers.
Hostetler received her Masters of Art in Teaching from the Corcoran School of the Arts. In 2013, she received the Robert Rauschenberg Award for Art Education.
The satellite gallery includes year-round exhibitions by local artists. It is part of a partnership between Boston Properties, Bozzuto Management and GRACE. Exhibitions are free and open to the public.
Photos by Susan Hostetler
The Bike Lane‘s Reston Town Center location officially closed on Monday (May 28). The shop plans to reopen in a new location on 11510 Sunset Hills Road in mid-June.
The new shop will be located on the Washington & Old Dominion trail, roughly two blocks from the Wiehle-Reston East Metro Station. Parking will be free.
During the move, a mobile shop will be available to service bikes, including repair and maintenance. An appointment can be scheduled online.
Muse Paintbar, a wine-and-paint restaurant, is expected to lease the space at 11943 Democracy Drive in RTC.
Photo via The Bike Lane
