The Initiative for Public Art Reston (IPAR) announced on Tuesday that it is among 919 nonprofit organizations nationwide to receive a National Endowment for the Arts’ (NEA) Art Works grant.
IPAR has been recommended for a $20,000 grant to support the creation of a temporary, site-specific, large-scale public art work in Reston by artist Patrick Dougherty.
IPAR, in collaboration with the Greater Reston Arts Center (GRACE), will commission Dougherty to create a public art work in Reston Town Square Park in Reston Town Center over a three-week period in April 2015.
The project will feature local saplings and will involve local artists, youth, and other community members, GRACE and IPAR officials said.
The Dougherty installation will remain on site for one to two years. There will also be a tandem exhibition in the GRACE gallery from April to July 2015. The display will document the installation and explore Dougherty’s work throughout the world through photographs, sketches, models, and video. There will also be a series of related public programs at GRACE.
“We are thrilled by this significant support for the Dougherty project and its related programming,”said IPAR Executive Director Anne Delaney. “The NEA Art Works grant will enable the Initiative for Public Art Reston to realize this major temporary art installation. IPAR is delighted to collaborate with GRACE and other Reston organizations in a public art project that will engage the community at-large.”
“The project reflects the spirit of the Public Art Master Plan for Reston, which encourages working with other community organizations to commission public art projects that energize public places and engage the community,” she added.”
Delaney said this is the first time that IPAR is the recipient of a NEA Art Works grant. It is also the first time the group made a submission attempt, she said.
Art Works grants support the creation of art, public engagement with art, lifelong learning in the arts, and enhancement of the livability of communities through the arts, according to the NEA. The NEA received 1,474 eligible applications under the Art Works category, requesting more than $75 million in funding. Of those applications, 919 are recommended for grants for a total of $26.6 million.
For a complete listing of projects recommended for Art Works grant support, visit the NEA website. For more examples of Dougherty’s work, visit his website.
Photo: Patrick Dougherty outdoor work “Call of the Wild,” in Tacoma WA/Credit: Duncan Price
A longtime tenant of Reston Town Center has closed its doors.
Stylists at Le Shoppe salon, located at 11934 Democracy Dr., gave their last haircuts , blowouts and manicures on Sunday.
The full-service salon had been at the town center since it opened in 1990.
A salon spokeswoman said they are referring all clients to Jouvance Aveda, which is located at 11913 Democracy Dr. She also said the stylists will be moving on to other area salons, so if you want to follow your stylist, check with them to see where they can be found.
No word yet on what will go into Le Shoppe’s spot.
Here is a spot see Santa Claus around Reston: In running shoes this weekend.
Runners of all ages are welcome to take part in Run With Santa, Sunday at 8:30 a.m. at Reston Town Center.
The 5K course takes participants in and around Reston Town Center. If you are not racing, be aware that Town Center Parkway, Reston Parkway and Sunset Hills will be affected (lanes will be closed but the streets will be open to cars). See course map.
Online registration ($35) closes Thursday at 9 p.m. In-person registration ($40) is available at packet pickup Friday and Saturday and at the race on Sunday.
Runners are encouraged to race in Christmas-themed costumes. There will be a free Fun Run for kids on Market Street. Cash prizes will be awarded to age-group winners.
Proceeds will benefit local charities.
Photo of 2013 Run With Santa/Credit: Potomac River Running via Flickr
The 2014 holiday season began with chilly temps, bright tinsel and a running gingerbread man on Market Street at Reston Town Center Friday.
Kids gathered at 8 a.m. to run the Gingerbread Man Mile. The 24th annual Reston Holiday Parade then marched down Market Street at 11 a.m. as the crowd welcomed Santa and Mrs. Claus, as well as dozens of other bands, characters and entertainment.
The festivities continue Friday evening with the lighting of the tree at 6 p.m.
Get to Reston Town Center early Friday morning if you want to get a good viewing spot along Market Street for the 24th annual Holiday Parade.
The parade begins at 11 a.m., rain or shine. The theme for this year is “Home for the Holidays.”
Special guest parade emcees will be Angie Goff and Doug Kammerer of NBC4 Washington.
The Reston Holiday Parade features Macy’s-style character balloons, marching bands, dancers, antique cars, community groups, dignitaries and the Washington Nationals’ Racing Presidents. It culminates with the arrival of Santa and Mrs. Claus.
Honoring the “Home for the Holidays” this year, the parade will have an Americana theme, offering a big welcome to members of the military and their families. Before the parade starts, thousands of American flags and jingle bells will be handed out to spectators lining the route.
After the parade, Santa and Mrs. Claus will stay for visits and photos until 4:30 p.m. Any donation for a 5 x 7″ photo will benefit South Lakes High School.
Also on Friday:
8:00 a.m. — Stores at Reston Town Center open
12:30 to 4:30 p.m. — Mini-Train Rides. All donated proceeds will benefit a local charity.
5:00 p.m. — Frosty Follies. Music and dance performance by Metropolitan School of the Arts, on Market Street in front of the tree.
6:00 p.m. — The tree lighting attracts a gathering of approximately 5,000 people to Fountain Square for a half-hour Sing Along of traditional Christmas songs. Santa and Mrs. Claus will arrive in a horse-drawn carriage to magically light up the huge Christmas tree in Fountain Square, followed by traditional holiday songs led by The Reston Chorale and brass quintet.
6:30 p.m. — Horse-drawn carriage rides begin. Proceeds benefit local charities. Pick-up location is in front of Talbots on Market Street. $5 per person; children 5 and under ride free with adult.
Photo: 2013 Reston Holiday Parade/Credit: Mike Heffner
Fairfax County Police are investigating the death of a Reston resident who was found dead in a grassy area next to a Reston Town Center parking garage about 7 p.m. Tuesday.
Fairfax County Police spokesman Lucy Caldwell said the victim has been identified as a 55-year-old Reston resident, but police will not be releasing her name.
The victim was found near the garage on Explorer Street. Her death may have been a suicide by jumping off the garage.
Police believe there was no foul play involved. The county medical examiner will determine the exact cause of death, Caldwell said.
Northern Virginia Magazine’s 50 Best Restaurants in Northern Virginia list is out — and not one Reston restaurant is on it.
While Reston, particularly Reston Town Center, is a hub for food and drink in this part of Fairfax County, apparently it’s not the spot with the best food and drink.
To be fair, Northern Virginia covers a large area, with picks from Arlington’s Liberty Tavern to Loudoun’s farm-to-table The Restaurant at Patowmack Farm making the cut.
There are fine dining stalwarts like Trummer’s on Main, 2941, L’Auberge Chez Francois and The Ashby Inn on the list. There are quirky locally owned places too, like Vienna’s Maple Avenue Restaurant and Pazzo Pomodoro mentioned.
Reston, however, comes up empty. No Passionfish. No Ariake. Nothing at Reston Town Center.
Do you think that is an oversight or a correct assessment? Do you have a Reston spot that should be among the top 50? Tell us in the comments.
Friday, Nov. 28 marks the starts of the 2014 holiday shopping season, and Reston Town Center will usher in “the most wonderful time of the year” with a full day of activities.
Here’s the schedule of events:
8 a.m. — Reston Town Center stores and the ice skating pavilion both open early.
8 a.m. — Gingerbread Man Mile, a one-mile kids fun run to benefit Children’s National Medical Center. Online registration closes Nov. 25 at 8 p.m.
11 a.m. — The 24th annual Reston Town Center holiday parade. This year’s theme is “Home for the Holidays.
The Reston Holiday Parade features 60 groups and thousands of spectators. There will be Macy’s-style balloons, musicians, dancers, antique cars, characters, community groups, dignitaries, Washington Nationals Racing Presidents, and the arrival of Santa and Mrs. Claus in a horse-drawn carriage.
Honoring the “Home for the Holidays” this year, the parade will have an Americana theme, offering a big welcome to members of the military and their families. Before the parade starts, thousands of American flags and jingle bells will be handed out to spectators lining the route.
The Grand Marshals for this year’s parade also honor our troops.
Grand Marshals: The Cowart Family. Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Kris Cowart, his wife Nicole, and daughter Lizzie are from Baton Rouge, La., and reside in Springfield.
Junior Grand Marshal: South Lakes High School student Nathan Rulona, who is the Battalion Commander of the JROTC program, leading 151 students while maintaining a GPA of over 4.0 in the IB diploma program.
Special guest parade emcees will be Angie Goff and Doug Kammerer of NBC4 Washington.
After the parade, Santa and Mrs. Claus will stay for visits and photos until 4:30 p.m. Any donation for a 5 x 7″ photo will benefit South Lakes High School.
12:30 to 4:30 p.m. — Mini-Train Rides. All donated proceeds will benefit a local charity.
5:00 p.m. — Frosty Follies. Music and dance performance by Metropolitan School of the Arts, on Market Street in front of the tree.
6:00 p.m. — The tree lighting attracts a gathering of approximately 5,000 people to Fountain Square for a half-hour Sing Along of traditional Christmas songs. Santa and Mrs. Claus will arrive in a horse-drawn carriage to magically light up the huge Christmas tree in Fountain Square, followed by traditional holiday songs led by The Reston Chorale and brass quintet.
6:30 p.m. — Horse-drawn carriage rides begin. Proceeds benefit local charities. Pick-up location is in front of Talbots on Market Street. $5 per person; children 5 and under ride free with adult.
Photo: 2013 Reston Town Center Holiday Parade/Credit: Mike Heffner
Construction crews at Reston Town Center have made lots of progress building Barcelona and Bartaco in the 10,000-square-foot space on the ground floor of The Avant residential building at Town Square Street and Explorer Street, but no opening date has been set yet.
Representatives at Barteca, the company’s Connecticut headquarters said they did not want to speculate on the opening. However, there has been a recent Craigslist posting for a General Manager, so hiring should begin soon.
The Connecticut-based restaurant group announced last fall that it signed a lease for the Reston locations. Construction work began in July.
Barcelona has several East Coast locations, including one at Logan Circle in D.C.. The restaurant is known for tapas and other Spanish food, as well as a long wine list — featuring, of course, lots of Spanish wine.
Bartaco has five locations (three in Connecticut and one in Atlanta) and is known for craft margaritas and interesting twists on Mexican food. The restaurant is an inexpensive, very casual taco stand, but with unusual ingredients (in addition to the usual favorite ones) such as felafel, tofu, or fried oyster tacos.
Photo: Facade of Barcelona at Reston Town Center
Before you chow down on turkey, burn off the calories in advance.
An organized and family friendly bike ride will once again take place in Reston on Thanksgiving Day.
Here is what you need to know:
All ages are welcome. Meet at South Lakes Starbucks at 8:30 a.m. Thanksgiving morning.
Contact [email protected] or call 703-966-6182 for more information and to connect with a ride coordinator as there may be rides from other village centers if there is enough interest.
All rides will converge at Starbucks at Reston Town Center.
This is a sponsored column by Eve Thompson of Reston Real Estate.
I love Thanksgiving weekend — there is so much to do and so much fun to be had. I wish it could last longer. If you’re new to Reston, or just want some new ideas about what to do this weekend, here are some of my favorites.
Donate Food to Those in Need
Before the weekend, consider donating food to Cornerstones — a fabulous Reston-based organization that makes a real difference in people’s lives.
The Reston Community Center, Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce, and Cornerstones have joined to collect food for the needy. You can drop off non-perishable food and other items from Nov. 1 to 24 at the Reston Community Center’s Hunters Woods and Lake Anne facilities, the Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce, and a variety of other drop-off points throughout the community. Visit the web page for a list of items they really need and to see dropoff locations.
Dinner Out
If you don’t feel like cooking this Thanksgiving, I suggest visiting Vinifera at the Westin Reston Heights. They are offering a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday buffet for a reasonable price: $49 per adult; $20 per child ages 5-12; and $7 per child ages 5 and under. The restaurant is located at 11750 Sunrise Valley Dr, Call (703) 234-3550 for reservations. For other options, check out this list of Northern VA restaurants serving Thanksgiving dinner.
Reston Holiday Parade
An annual tradition on the Friday after Thanksgiving, the Reston Holiday Parade has grown in every way. Macy’s-style balloons, musicians and marching bands, dancers, antique cars, community groups, and more make up this one-of-a-kind, one-hour procession welcoming the arrival of Santa and Mrs. Claus for the season.
The 2014 Parade Theme — “Home for the Holidays” — invites adults and kids alike to join the fun to celebrate home, family, and freedom! Come early to get your free sleigh bells. The fun starts at 11:00 a.m. at Reston Town Center.
Tree Lighting and Sing Along
After you have warmed up from your morning at the Holiday Parade, come back to the Reston Town Center for the annual tree lighting and sing along at 6 p.m. Santa and Mrs. Claus will arrive in a horse-drawn carriage to magically light up the huge Christmas tree in Fountain Square. After that is a traditional holiday sing along led by The Reston Chorale and brass quintet.
From 6:30 until 10 pm, horse-drawn carriage rides are available, embarking from outside of Talbots on Market Street. All proceeds benefit local charities.
Shop for Gifts from the Heart
Shop at the annual “Gifts from the HeART” from Dec. 1 to Jan. 5 to benefit Cornerstones. Sales of original works of two- and three- dimensional art in many mediums including watercolor, oil, acrylic, clay, mixed media, photography, and fiber are available–and make great gifts. Come to the Reston Community Center at Lake Anne and find the perfect gift!
That should do it — after all, you need plenty of time to lounge around and visit with your family and friends!
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving.
Crews were busy at Reston Town Center on Tuesday putting up and decorating the giant Christmas tree that will remain in front of the Mercury Fountain until January.
Tuesday was Nov. 11, Veterans Day.
Is early November too soon to start decking the halls? Some of us have not even put away the Jack O’Lanterns from Halloween yet.
Meanwhile, official holiday events will kick off at Reston Town Center on their typical schedule, beginning the day after Thanksgiving with the Holidays Are Here! celebration.
Events for Nov. 28 include the kids Gingerbread Mile Run; the holiday parade; visits with Santa and Mrs. Claus; the tree lighting; and more. Visit Reston Town Center’s website and future Reston Now stories for more information.
Reston’s outdoor ice rink has returned to Market Street.
Reston Town Center’s pavilion made the transition from summertime concert location to winter skating rink over the weekend and is now open for business.
The rink will hold its annual fundraiser for Character Counts! Reston Coalition on Wednesday and Thursday this week.
During open skating hours from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Character Counts will receive 50 percent of ice skating admission fees to support their work with Ethics Day at South Lakes High School in November. Also benefitting from the proceeds will be the Reston Kids Triathlon, the Cornerstones’ Best of Reston event, and other charitable initiatives to support character-building for students in the community.
Character Counts! is a national, nonprofit, nonpartisan, character education initiative designed to help youngsters and adults develop and practice the basics of good character: trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring and citizenship.
Character Counts! supports programs in Reston in conjunction with Reston Association, Reston Community Center, Cornerstones, Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce, Reston CitizensAssociation, YMCA of Reston, and the office of Fairfax County Hunter Mill District Supervisor Cathy Hudgins.
Reston Town Center Ice Skating Pavilion 2014-2015 Season
Hours:
Sunday, Monday, Tuesday: 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Wednesday and Thursday: 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Friday and Saturday: 11:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.
Hours are extended on holidays and school closing days. Call or email the Skate Shop for more information, 703-709-6300, [email protected].
Rates:
Adults: $10
Children under 12: $9
Senior Citizens (55 and up): $9
Skate rentals (figure and hockey) $5
For lessons, parties, and private reservations, and more information, call or email the Skate Shop, 703-709-6300, email: [email protected].
Photo of Reston Town Center Skating Rink/File photo by vballslife via Flickr
Dozens of pets are waiting for you at Reston Town Center this weekend.
The nonprofit GoodDogz.org is sponsoring its 10th annual Home 4 The Holidays pet adoption event, where more than 40 rescue organizations will be on hand from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday.
Some of the rescue groups include Friends of Homeless Animals, Lucky Dog Animal Rescue, Lost Dog & Cat Rescue Foundation and Homeless Animals Rescue Team (HART). In addition, several breed specific groups will have booths, as will companies selling pet products.
See the full list of exhibitors on the GoodDogz.org website.
GoodDogz.org also organizes the annual Pet Fiesta, a similar event in the summer at Reston Town Center.
Photo: Pets and People at Home 4 The Holidays/Credit: GoodDogz.org
Reston Town Center officials say Food Truck Wednesdays, which began this summer, have been a big success.
But alas, as cold weather sets in, Wednesday, Oct. 29 is the last one of the season. So if you have been meaning to get out for Captain Cookie, Doug the Food Dude and others, today’s the day.
Here is who will be parked along Town Square Park from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. today:
More food trucks can be found weekdays on Business Center Drive off of Sunset Hills Road. It’s a rotating group, with The Bratwurst King, The Randy Radish, Turkish Kabob and Spitfire Mediterranean Flame usually appearing.
Also, a new concept — Bacon’N’Ed’s — has set up on the plaza at Reston Station from 6:30 to 10 a.m. and 4:30 to 8:30 p.m., serving all things bacon to Silver Line commuters. Watch for more info on him on Reston Now soon.
