Get ready for steins of beer, lots of food and a full lineup of live music as Oktoberfest Reston returns to Reston Town Center Oct. 10 and 11.
Oktoberfest Reston is sponsored by the Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce and is Northern Virginia’s largest outdoor fall festival with about 85,000 visitors.
Here is what you need to know:
Festival hours are Saturday, Oct. 10, noon to 11 p.m.; Sunday, Oct. 11, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Oktoberfest Reston event admission is free. Food tickets are $1 per ticket or $20 for 24 tickets. You can purchase advance tickets on sale online at www.OktoberfestReston.com.
Parking is free in Reston Town Center parking garages.
Beers on tap: Blue Moon, Miller Lite, Samuel Adams Oktoberfest, Yuengling. Craft Beer Alley: Flying Dog, Heritage, Old Ox and Old Bust Head.
Food available from American Tap Room, Clyde’s of Reston, Buffalo Wing Factory, Naked Pizza, Pittsburgh Ricks, Tavern 64 Regional Kitchen, The Big Cheese, The Melting Pot, The Sprouted Spoon, and more.
Entertainment: Alpine Dancers, The Low’nBrows German Band, Gonzo’s Nose, DJ Edward Daniels, Kings Park German Band, Herr Metal & Dr FU and DJ B Rok. Visit the event website to see exact schedule.
Oktoberfest Reston can always use volunteers. Check the volunteer page on the event website for more info.
Oktoberfest will also feature the Reston Pumpkin 5K (and kids Pumpkin Dash) on Sunday morning. Runners, feel free to break out your Halloween costume for the race. Visit the Reston Pumpkin 5K site for more information and registration.
Photo courtesy of Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce
Reston Town Center is getting a salon for men only.
Joe Grooming, a McLean-based company that makes its own line of men’s products such as shampoo, conditioners, skin care, shaving products and hair gel, plans to open its first brick-and-mortar store at 11944 Market Street.
That address was formerly home to PR at Partners hair salon, which closed last Sunday in order to move to a new location on Democracy Street at Reston Town Center.
Joe Grooming says the Reston location will be “an innovative concept in the men’s professional grooming industry.”
In addition to products, the storefront will also offer haircuts, hot shaves and beard grooming.
Joe Grooming says all of its products are made in America and packaged with eco-friendly materials. The company also supports a Get One, Give One model in which it supports local organizations such as Cornerstones and Northern Virginia Family Service with each purchase.
No opening date has been announced.
That stretch of Market Street is undergoing a bit of a beauty boom. Bluemercury, a high-end beauty products store and salon, is slated to open this fall at 11918 Market Street. Sephora, a similar store for makeup and skin care, is also located on Market Street.
Reston’s Ben & Jerry’s store has closed its doors.
As of Sunday, the windows at the store at 11928 Market Street were papered over and a sign is on the window saying the store is closed — but just temporarily until it reopens at another Reston Town Center spot.
We’re Mooooooving!!!
Sorry — we’re closing temporarily.
We will re-open a few yards up the street soon.
Look for our mobile cart in a week!
Ben & Jerry’s management did not say where the new store will be located, but the PR at Partners beauty salon located at 11944 Market Street will soon be available as that business is relocating to a new space on Democracy Drive, also at Reston Town Center.
Meanwhile, a new tenant for the Ben & Jerry’s space has filed renovation permits for the space. Fairfax County permits identify the new tenant only as a “future tenant” but do not provide a name of the business.
Photo by Jennifer Heffner
La Brea Bakery, a well-known California artisan bread company, is taking it baguettes on the road for an east coast visit.
La Brea’s Breaking Bread Tour will be in Reston today, making two stops:
- Food Truck Thursday at Reston Town Square Park at Reston Town Center, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
- Harris Teeter, 11806 Spectrum Drive, 3 to 4 p.m.
La Brea reps say the truck will have a variety of options available, such as Seedless Raspberry Jam and Almond Butter on a French Baguette; Salami and Sharp Cheddar Cheese on Rosemary Olive Oil bread; Sriracha Aioli and Pepper Jack Cheese on Rosemary Olive Oil bread; and Tomato Herb Bruschetta atop a Tuscan Loaf.
La Brea has been baking in Los Angeles since 1989. The Breaking Bread tour will continue with more stops n the D.C. area, as well as New York, Philadelphia and Boston.
Photo: Matthew Petit/Feature Photo Service
The AT&T store will move to a larger space at Reston Town Center.
The store is currently located at 11862 Market Street. The company has filed permits and is renovating 1810 Library Street, which formerly housed The Dandelion Patch.
The Dandelion Patch, a stationary and gift store, closed its Reston location in early 2015.
AT&T had two stores in Reston until recently. The location at North Point Village Center closed its doors in October of 2014.
No moving date for the Reston Town Center store has been announced.
A celebration of beer and movies comes to Reston Town Center on Thursday, Sept. 10, and proceeds from the event will benefit Fairfax Advocates for Better Bicycling (FABB).
This is the sixth year the New Belgium Brewing Company has sponsored the Clips Beer & Film Tour road show, which is traveling to more than 20 towns this summer.
New Belgium says that 100 percent of the proceeds from beer sales benefit a local non-profit working to improve the community — in this case, FABB.
The Clips Beer & Film Tour has raised more than $520,000 for local organizations, and 75,000 people have sampled beer and watched films, the beer company says.
Here is what you need to know
When: Sept. 10, 7 to 10 p.m., Reston Town Center
Cost: Admission is free. All ages are welcome.
Beers will be sold in 3 oz. samples for $1.50 or 12 oz. pours for $6.
Beer List: Coco Mole, Eric’s Ale, Film Noir Stout, Hop Stout, Hoptober, La Folie, Long Table Farmhouse Ale, Pear Ginger, Rampant Imperial IPA, Trippel, Fat Tire, Ranger IPA, Shift, Slow Ride Session IPA and Snapshot Wheat. This list is subject to change.
About the Beers: At each tour stop, guests are invited to try New Belgium’s unique Lips of Faith series, as well as popular classics. The beer list features everything from wheat beers to IPAs. Many of these beers can be hard to come by, especially the popular barrel-aged sour offerings (La Folie and Eric’s Ale) and the “available-only-at-Clips” Film Noir, a caramel, chocolate, vanilla, milk, imperial milk stout. They call it “an epic milk dud in beer form.”
About the Films: New Belgium holds a contest that gets more than 100 submissions. The company selects about 15 five-minute films for inclusion on the tour each season.
This year’s films touch on diverse topics — outdoor adventure, environmental activism, comedy, art, craft beer, and more. All films last under five minutes. Films are produced by hobbyists as well as professional directors. Films will be shown on a giant 30-foot inflatable movie screen.
Kendra Scott, the national upscale costume jewelry store with expansion plans in the Washington, DC., area, expects to open its Reston Town Center store in early December, a store spokeswoman said.
In June, Kendra Scott filed permits at 11900 Market Street and is into the permitting and construction process.
The line launched in Texas in 2002 and is now sold at major department stores such as Nordstrom, as well at Kendra Scott stores nationwide.
The Reston store will be the third of the four area stores that will open soon, the spokeswoman said. The Bethesda Row location recently opened its doors, and a new location at the Mosaic District will open Monday.
Most pieces use brightly colored stones and natural materials for “statement necklaces” that retail for under $120. Earrings are generally in the $50 to $100 range. The store also has a Game Day Collection, where sports fans can purchase jewelry in team colors.
Photos: Kendra Scott store in Texas (top); Skylar earrings by Kendra Scott/Courtesy Kendra Scott
The pedestrian bridge that links Reston Town Center’s Bluemont Way and the Discovery Square office buildings off Sunset Hills Road has been closed for several weeks and will likely be closed into the fall, representatives for Boston Properties said.
Pete Otteni, Boston Properties Vice President of Development, said the bridge, which takes pedestrians over the W&OD trail, suffered damage that needs to be repaired.
Boston Properties, which owns most of the buildings at Reston Town Center, also owns the bridge and the Discovery Square buildings.
“We discovered some damage to the bridge this summer that required repairs, and we believe that the damage was caused by ice-melting products used during the winters since the bridge was installed,” Otteni said in an email.
“We have already contracted to repair the bridge, materials have been ordered, and we expect the repairs to be complete at some point this fall, depending on delivery schedules and weather.”
Reston Town Center’s Market Street will once again be turned into a colorful mural when ChalkFest, sponsored by the Initiative for Public Art Reston (IPAR), returns for its second year.
Organizers say ChalkFest, to be held Sept. 11 and 12, is a special opportunity to express your inner artist.
Market Street will be divided into 4-foot by 8 foot spaces where professional and amateur artists, as well as businesses, families, and kids can create street art.
There will be prizes awarded in various categories, including “Audience Choice Awards.”
The two-day ChalkFest opens Friday (Sept. 11), noon to 11 p.m. to professional artists, company team-building groups and sponsors. On Saturday, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., it will be open to participants of all ages and artistic
“IPAR’s ChalkFest has opened my eyes to a whole new — at least new to me — world of art,” said Penny Hauffe of Leesburg, the first-prize winner in last year’s professional artist category. “We are all enriched by each other’s imaginations and efforts.”
IPAR also is offering a free chalk workshop with artist Patrick Owens on Saturday, Sept. 5, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. in front of the Pavilion. All are welcome to try their hands at chalk drawing and to register for ChalkFest.
To register (registration fees vary) and for more details on participation fees, prizes, rules and sponsorships, visit IPAR’s ChalkFest website.
Photo: ChalkFest 2014
A year after being approved by the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, the plan for a mixed-use development on Reston Town Center’s last undeveloped parcel is going back for revisions.
Boston Properties’ plan for Blocks 4, currently RTC’s 251-space surface parking lot, will go before the county planning commission on Sept. 30 and the Board of Supervisors on Oct. 6 for public hearings on small changes to the project.
Rich Ellis, Boston Properties’ Vice President of Development, says the application involves a minor design modification to one of the two residential towers planned for Block 4. The design change will not alter the total unit count or retail square footage, he said.
In summer 2014, the Supervisors approved Boston Properties’ plans, which include include two high-rise residential buildings with up to 549 units and nine levels of underground parking, for the surface lot at Fountain Drive and New Dominion Parkway.
Boston Properties purchased the six-acre site in 2013 and then changed the zoning from office space to residential.
Boston Properties will move the office part of the development to Block 5, where the current FedEx/Kinkos and Ann Taylor are now located, with additional office space above.
The plan calls for turning that three-story retail/office building into a 17-story building with 276,788 square feet of office space and 7,800 square feet of ground-floor retail. The building would also have four levels of underground parking.
The residences will feature one tower standing 19 stories tall and the other 21 stories tall. There will be up to 25,100 square feet of ground-level retail space and an additional 20,000 square feet of retail that would be partially located underground.
At the base of the 21-story tower will be two-level townhouse units, stacked three high. Each ground-level unit will have a terrace along New Dominion Parkway. Five levels of residences will also wrap around the parking structure. The complex will have its own pool.
Along President’s Street, the developers plan open space with outdoor dining areas and a pedestrian connection from the buildings to a proposed park along Reston Parkway. The park will feature a yoga deck, lawn and public art space.
As one of the proffered conditions for construction, which is expected to begin late this year or early in 2016, the developers will have to meet Fairfax County requirements for tree preservation.
Boston Properties will also have to build road improvements such as left turn lanes from Reston Parkway, New Dominion Parkway and Fountain Drive. Sixteen percent of the housing units will be set aside as workforce housing.
The board also in 2014 approved a reduction in parking of 22 percent (up to 192 fewer spaces) because of its proximity to future mass transit. The planned Reston Parkway Silver Line Metro Station is a half-mile away.
Block 4 and 5 development will flow into other approved high-density development nearby.
The Spectrum, a low-rise strip mall located just across New Dominion Parkway, has been approved for redevelopment into 774,879 square feet of non-residential use and 1,422 multifamily residential units in seven new residential buildings. The new area will feature a hotel, and Harris Teeter is the only retailer expected to remain under the current plan.
Additionally, part of the Spectrum will wrap around the planned 23-story office tower at 1760 Reston Parkway. That building, which will contain retail and 18 stories of offices, was approved by the supervisors in 2012.
Photo: Block 4/5 Residential Development Proposal/Credit: Fairfax County
Every weekday in August, Reston Now will be offering suggestions for a Summer Bucket List — things to do, places to check out and activities to try n and around Reston before summer’s end.
Obviously, different ideas will appeal to different residents in different age groups. But we are open for ideas. If you have any “must-dos” of summer (even better: with a photo of you/your family participating in said event), email us at [email protected] and we will consider it.
Bucket List Item No. 3: Play in a stick house, splash in a fountain
Head on over to Town Square Park for an hour or two. The park is located at the far end of Reston Town Center, at the intersection of Explorer and Market Streets.
There, you will find public art disguised as a playground.
Artist Patrick Dougherty’s A Bird in the Hand house made of sticks was installed in April. The sculpture, built of local saplings, evokes an abode where Hansel and Gretel would have lived or maybe where Shrek would hang out.
In any case, youngsters are encouraged to run through it, play hide and seek and use their imagination.
After that, head to the other end of the block-long park, and cool off. The splash fountains are finally up and running after being closed last summer for repair.
Cap it all off with a frozen treat from Iceberry on Market Street across from the park, and then cross another trip off your summer bucket list.
Photos: Top – Splash fountain; Bottom – public art stick house
Reston Town Center and Washington Wine Academy are teaming up to bring a Thursday night concert series to town center’s pavilion in August.
Rock On, Reston! will happen Thursdays in August from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Bring a lawn chair or blanket. Admission is free, and wine and craft beer are available for $6. Rain or shine.
Schedule:
Aug. 6, My Generation – dedicated to the great bands of the 60s
Aug. 13, The Mike Leverone Duo – energetic, acoustic rock
Aug. 20, Panic for the Vibe – soulful, rocking Reggae, SKA, & Top 40
Aug. 27, The Hummingbyrds – roots rock, Americana
The Saturday Concerts on the Town continue at Reston Town Center through Labor Day Weekend.
Photo: Rock On, Reston/Courtesy Reston Town Center
Kid favorite Rocknoceros will be in concert Saturday at 10 a.m. at Reston Town Square Park.
The 45-minute show is part of Family Fun Entertainment Series presented by Reston Community Center
Rocknoceros is a Fairfax-based trio — Coach Cotton, Williebob and Boogie Woogie Bernie — that has been performing in the area for 10 years. The award-winning band writes its own music, with song favorites such as “I Wish We Used The Metric System,” “Brush Your Teeth,” and “Things Boys Save.”
Town Square Park is at the corner of Market and Explorer Streets. Admission is free.
Rocknoceros/Credit: Rocknoceros
PR at Partners salon is moving from Market Street to bigger digs at Reston Town Center.
The beauty salon, which has been at 11944 Market St. for about eight years, will relocate to 11934 Democracy Dr., in the space formerly occupied by Le Shoppe Salon. Le Shoppe, an original town center tenant, closed its doors last December.
A PR at Partners spokeswoman said the move will probably happen in the end of September. The new salon will do the same cuts, colors and other hair styling, but will probably have twice as many stylists in the larger space, she said.
The World Police & Fire Games’ Athletes Village — site of beer drinking, darts playing and nightly dancing — at Reston Town Center was deconstructed and packed in trucks on Monday. The amicable athletes from dozens of nations were back to their beats in Hong Kong and Germany, Indiana and Arlington.
Overall, the 2015 Games were considered a success, especially in Reston, the hub of athlete social activity.
The Fairfax County-based Games, which brought nearly 10,000 athletes and many thousands more family and friends to the area, were expected to pump about $50 million into the DC-area economy. It will be a while before economic officials tally the impact.
Most Reston Town Center stores were busy during the 10-day event. However, there is no way to gauge whether they were busy as usual or busy because of the crowds there for the Games.
“We’re always busy,” one waiter at Jackson’s Mighty Fine Food and Lucky Lounge said.
Ginger Brookman, who sells cakes, croissants and other treats at Edibles Incredible, says business was booming. The bakery was busy from breakfast at 7 a.m. until closing at 9 p.m.
“People were so nice,” she said. “It was great to meet so many people from so many places. No matter what language they spoke, they all said ‘chocolate’ the same way.”
Across the plaza at the newly opened Neyla restaurant, manager Maroun Wazir said business was steady.
Visitors to Reston Town Center may have noticed a large security detail by town center security and additional Fairfax County Police officers.
“This effort was put in place to ensure the safety of the athletes as well as all those who were visiting Reston Town Center,” said FCPD public information officer Shelley Broderick.
Broderick said the Reston District did not experience any major incidents or arrests, nor did they have an increase in calls for service during the Games.
