Running, swimming and bicycling are always big activities in Reston, but this weekend in particular they will be in the spotlight.

The 11th annual Reston Sprint Triathlon, benefiting Cornerstones, will be held at Lake Newport Pool starting at 7 a.m. Sunday. The event will last about 3 1/2 hours and will impact portions of local roads including Lake Newport Road, Reston Parkway, Wiehle Avenue and Baron Cameron Avenue. Most of the run will take place on RA pathways in the area.

There quite a lot more on the events calendar for the Reston area this weekend. Here is just a sampling of the events you can enjoy:

• Reston Station’s “Summerbration” series kicks off tonight at 7 p.m. with a free concert by Battery Lane. Tomorrow night at 7:30 p.m., visit for a free outdoor showing of “Rogue One” on the plaza. The Summerbration events outside the Wiehle-Reston East Metro station will continue through the end of August.
• The Herndon Festival continues through this weekend. Events this weekend include numerous concerts on three stages, kids’ entertainment, carnival rides, food and drinks, and much more. The event takes place throughout downtown Herndon in the area of Elden and Lynn streets.
• Reston Town Center’s summer concert series begins Saturday night at 7:30 p.m. with a performance by former “America’s Got Talent” winner Landau Eugene Murphy. The show will take place at the Town Center’s pavilion.
• Other live music at Reston Town Center this weekend will include a performance from 6-10 p.m. tonight at Tavern64 (1800 Presidents St.) and both tonight and Saturday from 10 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. at Crafthouse (1888 Explorer St.).
• Reston Town Center businesses are organizing this summer for “Small Business Support Sundays,” which begin this weekend. For a full list of promotions available, check out their website.
• 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.
• The 2017 Reston Lake Cleanup is slated for Saturday from 10 a.m. to noon. Meeting locations will be at Lake Audubon, Lake Anne and Lake Thoreau. Volunteers will get into their boats, as well as walking on the shorelines of each lake, to collect as much trash as possible.
• Lake Anne Brew House (11424 Washington Plaza W.) will celebrate Pride Month tonight with a special “Night Out” event.
• Bird lovers are invited to the Walker Nature Center (11450 Glade Drive) on Saturday from 6:45 a.m. to noon to participate in the summer bird count.
• “Radcliffe Bailey: The Great Dismal Swamp” remains on display at Greater Reston Arts Center (12001 Market St.) through August.
• “Urinetown: The Musical” is being performed at NextStop Theatre Company (269 Sunset Park Drive) through June 25. Two of this weekend’s performances are already sold out, but tickets remain available for 8 p.m. tonight and a 2 p.m. matinee Sunday. General admission tickets start at $40.
• Kalypso’s (1617 Washington Plaza N.) will have live music tonight at 9:30 p.m. from The Reluctors.
• Vinafera Wine Bar and Bistro (11750 Sunrise Valley Drive) has live music from 7-10 p.m. every Friday and Saturday night.

File photo via Christin Photography/Reston Association

An announcement earlier this week from Boston Properties regarding changes to the paid-parking fees in garages at Reston Town Center has prompted a variety of reactions.

https://twitter.com/courageousrobot/status/870005421230182400

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Too little too late. You are not, nor will ever be, the good guys.

— Tom Lastname (@12GaugeTom) June 1, 2017

Aaron Gordon, head of the Reston Merchants Association, says the changes — allowing for one hour of free parking before 5 p.m. and free parking afterward — are “a step in the right direction.” But he isn’t convinced it will be enough.

“We would like RTC to offer 3 hours free parking at all times, which would end the controversy entirely,” Gordon said. “Ultimately, our customers will decide if the recent concessions are enough. I’m very hopeful they are.”

Gordon, owner of Red Velvet Cupcakery (11939 Democracy Drive), organized the Reston Merchants Association earlier this year to bring together numerous business owners and managers whose bottom line was suffering under the 24-hour paid-parking format — many reporting double-digit drops in sales. Gordon said the system was “tearing the fabric of who we are, how we choose to live and what we do within Reston.”

Following a successful protest in March, the merchants announced that they were planning a town hall-style meeting and a second protest march. They also have flirted with legal action over the BXP initiative; one restaurant, Jackson’s, did file a lawsuit on its own. Many potential customers have publicly stated they have been boycotting visiting the Town Center due to the policy, choosing options elsewhere with free parking instead.

While Gordon said he is encouraged by Boston Properties’ recent announcement, he said the merchants’ efforts may not be over.

“The Reston Merchants see this as a victory for our group and our customers,” he said. “But, we will regroup in the next two weeks to discuss if we think [Boston Properties] is doing enough. Then, we’ll be able to determine our next steps.”

The new parking rules will go into effect at Reston Town Center on Monday.

The annual Taste of Reston festival is coming up June 16-17, and organizers are still looking for more volunteers to help make it happen.

There are “a few” volunteer spots remaining each evening for the event, according to the Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce. Volunteers receive an event T-shirt and 12 tickets to use on the food and drink available during the festival.

The Taste of Reston has been voted Northern Virginia’s Best Food Festival by Virginia Living magazine six straight years. It features two days of restaurants and community food vendors, along with live entertainment on three stages. There are also kids’ activities and a “wine ‘n’ dine” area. Food and drink tickets are available for advance purchase.

The festival is scheduled for 3-11 p.m. Friday, June 16, and noon to 11 p.m. Saturday, June 17. Parking will be free for the duration of the event.

To learn more about volunteering at the Taste of Reston, visit its website.

File photo courtesy Reston Town Center

Majority Say They’ll Go to RTC — With our story Wednesday about changes to parking fees at Reston Town Center, we posted a poll asking whether those changes will make readers more likely to visit the Town Center. With nearly 900 votes on the unscientific poll, about two-thirds of responders said they would. [Reston Now]

Herndon Festival Starts Tonight — The 37th annual festival will run tonight through Sunday in downtown Herndon. Several streets, including Elden Street, will be closed throughout the event. Free parking and shuttle buses will be provided to get to the festivities. [Herndon Festival]

Community Center Board Meets Monday — The Reston Community Center Board of Governors will continue the decision-making process regarding the budget outline for FY19, and possible timelines for capital projects including the proposed  renovation of the Terry L. Smith Aquatics Center, Monday at 8 p.m. at RCC (2310 Colts Neck Road). The annual public hearing for programs and budget is slated for Monday, June 19. [Reston Community Center]

Barton Hill Tennis Courts Closed — Reston Association says the courts are being resurfaced, and it is hoped they will be reopened by mid-June. [Reston Association/Twitter]

Halogen Lamp Starts Fire — A blaze earlier this week south of Reston caused about $125,000 in damages after a lamp in the basement ignited nearby combustibles. Two residents of the home have been displaced. [Fairfax County Fire and Rescue]

Independent retailers at Reston Town Center are joining forces in the effort to entice patrons to shop local and support small businesses.

Fourteen businesses are participating in the “Small Business Support Sundays” promotion, which will begin this Sunday at the Town Center. Each will be offering specials, freebies and other treats between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. through Aug. 27.

Leslie Combemale, co-owner of ArtInsights Gallery of Film and Contemporary Art (11921 Freedom Drive) is leading the effort.

“Some would be surprised at the number of independent, small businesses that make their living at Reston Town Center,” she said. “We hope the public will make the effort to visit us, at least every Sunday, to enjoy the specials and free offerings.”

The initiative’s goals, she said, are for recognition of the quantity and quality of small businesses operating at Reston Town Center. She also said some larger chain shops are throwing their support behind the initiative, as many of the managers are local residents.

Family-owned business Pitango Gelato (11942 Democracy Drive) is also participating. Its manager, Alisa Dan, said the initiative is “an opportunity for Pitango to give back and support our awesome neighbors.”

“We are lucky to be rooted in communities that stand by our delicious offerings,” Dan said.

Other businesses participating in the initiative include:

• American Tap Room (1811 Library St.)
• Athleta (11923 Market St.)
• Davelle Clothiers (11921 Freedom Drive)
• Edibles Incredible (11917 Freedom Drive)
• Eyewear Gallery (11900 Market St.)
• Mon Ami Gabi (11950 Democracy Drive)
• Il Fornaio (11990 Market St.)
• PassionFish (11960 Democracy Drive)
• Scrawl Books (11862 Market St.)
• The Tasting Room (1816 Library St.)

In addition, Pottery Barn (11937 Market St.) will host local and national pop-up shops each Sunday. There will also be Art in the Park each Sunday evening through Aug. 13, from 7-8 p.m., with a variety of free performances by the Shenandoah Conservancy.

All parking is free at Reston Town Center on Sundays. For more information, including specifics about offerings, visit the initiative’s website or find it on Facebook.

(This article was updated at 1:45 p.m. with additional information and comments.)

Nearly five months after instituting paid parking at Reston Town Center, Boston Properties is modifying the system to allow for more free parking.

According to a statement released Wednesday morning by BXP, changes will go into effect Monday that will rescind the pay requirement for users of Reston Town Center parking garages after 5 p.m., and it will also allow for one hour of free garage parking for sessions that begin before 5 p.m.

“As promised, Boston Properties has listened to community and retailer feedback and evaluated the paid parking initiative at Reston Town Center (RTC) over the first quarter of this year,” reads the statement.

Garage parking for the second hour will remain at $2, with subsequent hours charged based on the existing pay scale. No changes will be made to street parking, which is $3 an hour.

“Based on a study of traffic patterns and behaviors as well as retailer input, Boston Properties identified that one hour of free parking and free parking after 5 p.m. would address the primary concerns expressed by the community while still supporting the original goals of paid parking: protecting the parking rights of RTC tenants and visitors and augmenting revenue dedicated to community reinvestment.”

Free parking will be in effect each night from 5 p.m. until 3:30 a.m.

Anyone parking before 5 p.m. will still need to register a parking session with the ParkRTC app or at a kiosk, spokesperson Kathy Walsh said on behalf of Boston Properties.

“This is necessary both to allow patrons and visitors to extend a session should they decide to stay longer than an hour, as well as for enforcement purposes,” she said.

Walsh said those parking after 5 p.m. will not need to take any action, just as with parking on weekends, holidays and during special events.

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Memorial Day weekend is the unofficial kickoff of summer, and what better way to enjoy it than with a picnic?

The Lake Anne Plaza Memorial Day Picnic is scheduled for 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. Bring your picnic blanket and patriot pride and enjoy live music on the plaza. There will be food available for purchase from local vendors and plaza restaurants, as well as boat rentals and family games.

“We are positioning this event similar to a ‘National Day Out’ setup where folks come bring a picnic, or a bite, listen to music, do some plaza games like cornhole, etc.,” said Maurisa Potts, Lake Anne Plaza spokesperson. “[We’re] just building a sense of community and a platform to get to know their neighbors.”

There are dozens of other activities going on around the Reston area this holiday weekend, from music to celebrations. Here are some of the highlights.

• All of Reston’s pools open for the season Saturday, as does The Water Mine Family Swimmin’ Hole (1400 Lake Fairfax Drive).
• Live music at Reston Town Center this weekend will include a performance from 6-10 p.m. tonight at Tavern64 (1800 Presidents St.) and both tonight and Saturday from 10 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. at Crafthouse (1888 Explorer St.).
• The premiere of the weekly Mr. Knick Knack! concerts happens this Monday at Reston Town Center. Starting at 11:15 a.m., the children’s music concert is free to the public.
• Tonight at 7 p.m. and Saturday at 2 p.m. the Ravel Dance Company will put on a ballet version of “Cinderella” on the CenterStage in the Reston Community Center (2310 Colts Neck Road). Tickets are $20 at the door.
• 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.
• Walker Nature Center (11450 Glade Drive) will screen award-winning film “Can You Dig This?” tonight at 7 p.m.; Sunday, from 1:30-3 p.m., the nature center is hosting a salamander search.
• Jimmy’s Old Town Tavern (697 Spring St., Herndon) will host its 20th Annual Birthday Bash and Bike Run on both Sunday and Monday. Starting Sunday, live music will be performed indoors and outdoors throughout the day from various local bands. Monday morning, motorcyclists from around the area are invited to join a communal ride through George Washington Parkway, Crystal City and Alexandria.
• The Reston Choir will honor veterans with a Star-Spangled Salute at Reston Town Center tonight from 7-11 p.m. The performance will include family activities and an opportunity to honor the troops. The event is free with a recommended donation that will go toward providing care packages to troops overseas.
• Exercise with Athleta this Sunday at 11 a.m. in the Reston Town Center pavilion. The POUND class, hosted by Kathy from StudioPinkFit, is free to the public.
• Oakton Library (10304 Lynnhaven Place, Oakton) will host a Chinese Dance exhibition on Saturday at 10:30 a.m. that features tradition Chinese and Taiwanese dances. The event is free and hosted by the Fairfax Chinese Dance Troupe.
• “Radcliffe Bailey: The Great Dismal Swamp” remains on display at Greater Reston Arts Center (12001 Market St.) through August.
• Hosted by the Reston Masters Swim team, this Sunday will be the 30th Annual Jim McDonnell Lake Swim. Swimmers will have the option of a one- or two-mile swim around Lake Audubon.
• 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.
• Vinafera Wine Bar and Bistro (11750 Sunrise Valley Drive) has live music from 7-10 p.m. every Friday and Saturday night.

This past weekend’s Northern Virginia Fine Arts Festival was a major success for Greater Reston Arts Center, its executive director says.

“I can tell you that not only is the Northern Virginia Fine Arts Festival a marquee cultural event for the area, it is GRACE’s largest fundraiser,” said Lily Siegel, GRACE’s executive director and curator. “We, again, successfully raised half of our operating budget for the year.”

Siegel said the annual operating budget for GRACE is about $550,000.

She said that while attendance for the event cannot be accurately measured because of the numerous entrance points to Reston Town Center, casual counts have organizers estimating between 20,000 and 30,000 visitors over the course of the weekend.

Those thousands of visitors gave a lot of positive reaction to the cultural event, Siegel said.

“Response from the public and the artists was overwhelmingly positive,” she said. “We repeatedly heard that this year’s festival had the highest quality of work on display yet [and] it continues to get stronger every year.”

Siegel also said the festival’s jurors were “consistently impressed” by the excellence of the work at the show.

“This is one of the most competitive fine arts festivals in the country to gain acceptance to and it shows,” she said. “This all goes hand-in-hand with the mission of making the festival an extension of the gallery experience available to the public throughout the year at the Greater Reston Arts Center.”

Photos by Megan Myers and Carol Nahorniak

Free parking returned to Reston Town Center for a fleeting moment Wednesday afternoon.

Social media users reported earlier today that the ParkRTC app at Reston Town Center was not charging, but Boston Properties says the situation has been handled and everything is back to normal.

The app read “There is free parking at the Reston Town Center until further notice” when users attempted to begin their parking session. Angie Goff, news anchor for NBC Washington, first alerted us to the situation in a tweet she sent to her more than 54,000 followers at about 1:20 p.m.

Interesting… just tried to pay my meter and got this? 🤔 #RTC pic.twitter.com/Fas6uD7AfH

— angie goff (@OhMyGOFF) May 24, 2017

PassionFish (11960 Democracy Drive) later tweeted a notice to alert potential customers to the situation.

Parking is always FREE for our guests in #Reston but today the parking app OFF -no validation is needed! Stop in for #HappyHour at 3. pic.twitter.com/h42nHFbcbT

— PassionFish Reston (@PassionFishRest) May 24, 2017

Kathy Walsh, spokesperson on behalf of Boston Properties, told Reston Now just before 2 p.m., though, that the “technical issues” had been fixed.

“Apparently there were some technical issues with the parking system this afternoon that have since been resolved and normal parking rates are in effect,” Walsh said. “Parking actually was free while that message was displaying.”

A Market Street storefront that until recently housed a frozen yogurt shop is being advertised as the future home of a raw-fish eatery.

Signage at 11990-C Market St. promotes a restaurant called PokeHub as coming soon to the space. That was the home of Iceberry, which closed April 30 after 10 years in business.

Very little information is available about PokeHub. A website listed for the restaurant provides no further details as of yet.

Poke (pronounced “po-kay”) is a traditional Hawaiian salad made with raw fish, often yellowfin or bigeye tuna. It has become very popular nationally in recent years, and it is on the menu of several restaurants in the area.

The 1,152-square foot location is within the Retail at Midtown property, which is owned by the JBG Companies. Other retail establishments on the property include Il Fornaio, Roosters, Subway, Midtown Jewelers, BB&T and Midtown Kabob. The address is also home to the Midtown Condominiums.

We have left a message with JBG and this article will be updated if more information about the new tenant is provided.

Florida-based World of Beer is suing Evan Matz, the former local franchisee who rebranded his restaurants earlier this month, saying he violated terms of the franchise agreement.

The Tampa Bay Business Journal reports that World of Beer alleges Matz in 2016 “refused to use the services, supplies, ingredients, food and beverage products required by WOBF under the franchise agreements” for his three locations, including at 1888 Explorer St. in Reston Town Center. Matz is now operating his three restaurants — the others are in Fairfax and Ballston — under the name Crafthouse.

In the suit, World of Beer says it sent Matz a formal notice in January telling him he was in default of the franchise agreement. At that time, records show, Matz brought up the fact that World of Beer had opened a restaurant at One Loudoun in March 2016 that was hurting his business in Reston.

“World of Beer Franchise gave permission for the WOB Ashburn to open just eight miles from WOB Reston which WOBF knew that this would cause harm/cannibalization to WOB Reston,” Matz’s told the company in a letter, the TBBJ reports. “This is still an ongoing issue and our number dropped 15 percent to 20 percent because of WOB Ashburn opening.”

The franchise agreement was terminated in February.

According to the suit, World of Beer says it “never consented to Matz’s proposal to rebrand and that it never reached an agreement to amend his post-termination obligations under the franchise agreement.” It is seeking, the TBBJ reports, “an order blocking Matz and Crafthouse from using WOBF marks and logos, using its confidential information, recruiting WOBF employee[s], diverting WOBF customers or engaging in any competitive business from operating in non-compete areas.”

The suit was filed last week in the U.S. District Court’s Middle District of Florida.

The Sarasota Herald-Tribune reports World of Beer filed a similar suit earlier this year against a restaurant there that recently left the franchise and rebranded.

Matz told the Washington Business Journal last week that his decision to leave the W0B franchise was due to the fact that he had been “‘butting heads’ with the company’s corporate office over ‘operational differences.'”

The big event this weekend is the Northern Virginia Fine Arts Festival, which will bring tens of thousands to Reston Town Center  beginning tonight. The kickoff party is from 6-9 p.m. tonight; tickets are $50. The event itself is the next two days, with admission a $5 suggested donation for adults. It will run from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.

But there is plenty else going on in the area this weekend too. Here is just a sampling of what’s available to you, your family and friends in the coming days:

• Reston’s Relay for Life event will begin at 1 p.m. Saturday at South Lakes High School (11400 South Lakes Drive). The luminaria ceremony is set for 9 p.m. Saturday, with the event to continue through the night and wrap up at 7 a.m. Sunday.
• The Reston Farmers Market will take place from 8 a.m. to noon Saturday at Lake Anne Village Center. The Pink Armoire Fashion Truck will be in attendance this week.
• 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 August.
• The Habitat Heroes program seeks volunteers to cut back the large invasive bush honeysuckle that has taken over the field edge at Sunrise Valley Rec Area (10805 Oldfield Drive), Saturday from 10 a.m. to noon.
• There will be a bird walk Sunday from 7:30-10:30 a.m. at Stratton Woods Park. Meet at the Polo Fields Recreation Area.
• Reston Association will host an open house at The Lake House on Sunday from 10 a.m. to noon.
• The 18th annual Teachers and Students Exhibit remains on display at the Jo Ann Rose Gallery at Reston Community Center-Lake Anne (1609 Washington Plaza N.) through June 5.
• Live music at Reston Town Center this weekend will include a performance from 6-10 p.m. tonight at Tavern64 (1800 Presidents St.) and both tonight and Saturday from 10 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. at Crafthouse (1888 Explorer St.).
• Lucky Dog Animal Rescue will have an adoption event at PetSmart (11860 Spectrum Center) from noon to 2 p.m. Saturday.
• This week at Reston Regional Library (11925 Bowman Towne Drive), Frying Pan Farm Park will visit Saturday from 11 a.m. to noon; and “First Ladies and Scandals in the City” will be presented Saturday from 1-3 p.m.
• The My Health Matters 5K/1-mile Walk and Free Health Fair is slated for Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon at the 505 Building at Herndon Square (505 Huntmar Park Drive).
• Kalypso’s (1617 Washington Plaza N.) will have live music tonight, 9:30 p.m. to 1:30 a.m., from Medicated Sunfish. DJ Kram will play Top 40 hits Saturday night.
• Vinafera Wine Bar and Bistro (11750 Sunrise Valley Drive) has live music from 7-10 p.m. every Friday and Saturday night.
• Matt Waller will play at The Tasting Room Wine Bar (1816 Library St.) from 8-11 p.m. Saturday.

Board President Addresses Pool Schedule — Sherri Hebert, president of the Reston Association Board of Directors, says RA’s pool schedule is broken into six sessions this year in the effort to maximize association resources. She says the board will be looking at each line item in the 2017-18 budget “to identify ways to shift funds to meet the community’s requests as they apply to pools and other matters.” [Reston Association]

Television Interview at RTC Cut Short — When a local television crew came to Reston Town Center to do a story on the effects of paid parking, they had to move across the street after security told them “photography is no longer allowed on the Town Center’s site.” [WHAG]

Bojangles’ Coming to Northern Virginia — The restaurant chain has a multiunit development agreement with a new franchisee that will bring its Southern-style chicken joints to the area. No news yet on how many are coming or where they will be. [Washington Business Journal]

Registration Open for Women’s 5K — Reston Runners will put on the “Seize the Day” women’s 5K on Saturday, June 17. The course is on Reston Association pathways. [Reston Runners]

Reston Town Center has released the schedule for its 2017 Concerts on the Town series, featuring live shows on Saturday nights from June through August.

Performers in the series, which is in its 27th year, will include:

• June 3 — Landau Eugene Murphy Jr. (jazz crooner, former “America’s Got Talent” winner)
• June 10 — Hard Day’s Night (Beatles tribute)
• June 24 — Matuto (Brazilian, roots-rock, funk)
• July 1 — Deanna Bogart Band (boogie-woogie, jump blues)
• July 8 — Chuck Redd and the International Jazz All-Stars
• July 15 — The Adrian Duke Project (hits from the 1950s to today)
• July 22 — Scythian (Celtic, gypsy folk rock)
• July 29 — Love Canon (bluegrass covers of 1980s hits)
• Aug. 5 — Incendio (Spanish flamenco guitar, Latin fusion)
• Aug. 12 — Navy Band Commodores (big band jazz)
• Aug. 19 — Terrance Simien and the Zydeco Experience (Grammy winner)
• Aug. 26 — David Akers and the Soul Shakers (Motown and more)

(June 17 is the second day of the Taste of Reston, which will feature live entertainment throughout.)

A dance floor will also be available for each concert, with the exception of the Navy Band Commodores show.

Each concert is scheduled for 7:30-10 p.m., to be held rain or shine in the pavilion (11900 Market St.)

The series is free, because of a grant from the Reston Town Center Association with support from Boston Properties. Garage parking at Reston Town Center is also free on Saturdays.

File photo courtesy Reston Town Center