Reston Lease Gets Best Transaction Award — Boston Properties received the best transaction lease award for executing a lease with Volkswagen Group of America, which is headquartered in Reston. The award was given by the Commercial Real Estate Development Association. [NAIOP Northern Virginia]

Santa Comes to Town — Reston Association has set up a Santa-for-hire event. Residents can book Santa for a 30 or 60 minutes this holiday season. Bookings can be made through Dec. 31. [RA]

Fairfax County Police Department Collects Toys — The department is collecting toys for Santa’s Ride, which delivers toys to children in area hospitals and local charities. New and unwrapped toys, books, or games can be dropped off at any district station now through 9 a.m. on Monday, Dec. 13. [FCPD]

Photo by Marjorie Copson

Seeing Santa is a Christmas tradition, and there are lots of places in the Reston area where people can meet him and possibly snap a few photos.

Roe & Co. Portrait Studio is hosting a session with Santa from 10 a.m. until 7 p.m. on Saturday (Dec. 14) at their Reston studio (11985 Market Street). People are invited to come and take photos of their families with Santa. Picture packages start at $25.

For people over the age of 21, there will be a Santa-themed bar crawl on Saturday (Dec. 14) from 8 p.m. until 11 p.m. beginning at the Reston Town Center (11900 Market Street). Coordinators ask that people bring gifts for Toys for Tots.

The Winter Wonderland at Worldgate Herndon (13037 Worldgate Drive) features a free meet and greet party with Santa on Saturday (Dec. 14). There will be hot cocoa, snacks, an igloo and games on-site. The event will run from 1 until 4 p.m. but attendees must arrive by 3 p.m. if they would like a photo with Santa.

People in Herndon have the chance to take a wagon ride with Santa at Frying Pan Farm Park (2709 West Ox Road) on Sunday (Dec. 15) from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. Tickets are $5 and people can help themselves to hot cocoa and roast marshmallows after the half-hour ride.

The following Sunday (Dec. 22), Santa will make an appearance on Sunday at the Reston Farmers Market (10800 Baron Cameron Avenue) from 2-4 p.m. Admission is free and attendees are welcome to take photos.

If anyone doesn’t get the chance to see Santa in person, people are always welcome to track his whereabouts on Christmas Eve thanks to the North American Aerospace Defense Command.

Photo via Friends of Frying Pan Park/Facebook

The Lake Anne Merchant Professionals Association will once again host Jingle on the lake on Saturday, Dec. 7.

Attendees can enjoy holiday music, take part in cookie decorating and participate in other activities around the plaza. Santa Clause is expected to arrive by boat at noon and he’ll stay at the Reston Used Books Store to hear the wishes of tiny tots and take photos.

All day long, stores at the plaza will offer materials to write a letter to Santa, which can be mailed of the “North Pole Mail Service” inside Chesapeake Chocolates. The store will also offer free wine tasting and hot chocolate from noon to 3 p.m.

The Reston Farmer’s Market and Reston Craft Market will take place from 8 a.m. to noon. Cookie decorating starts at 10 a.m. at Teapot and Cake. An adult choir performance is planned from 10:30-11 a.m.

More information about the event is available online.

Photo courtesy via Jingle on Lake Anne

 

Looking to get into some holiday spirit? Lake Anne Plaza is preparing to host its classic event, “Jingle on Lake Anne,” on Dec. 1.

The event at 11609 Washington Plaza kicks off with a craft market at 8 a.m., followed by cookies and kids’ crafts. Adults and children can make ornaments and decorate cookies while listening to the Lake Anne Elementary School students’ perform.

At noon, Santa and his elves will arrive via boat and paddle across the lake for photo opportunities.

The events throughout the day are as follows:

• 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.: Craft market
• 10 a.m. to noon:  and kids’ crafts
• 11 a.m. to noon: Lake Anne Elementary School chorus and orchestra
• Noon: Santa arrives and pictures are taken
• Noon to 2 p.m.: Music on the plaza

The event is sponsored by Lake Anne merchants.

Photo by Ken Knueven via Facebook

Santa’s been training for this all year. What about you?

The 6th annual Cap Tech Run With Santa 5K takes place this Sunday, Dec. 4, at Reston Town Center.

Here is what you need to know:

• The race begins at 8:30 a.m. You can run as an individual or a team. All teams must be pre-registered.
• Online registration will close Friday, Dec. 2 at 8:00 p.m. Attendees can also register in-person, however.
• Packet pickup is at the Potomac River Running Store at Reston Town Center on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday from 7 to 8 a.m.
• The course starts and finishes on Market Street near Fountain Square. Affected roads include Town Center Parkway, Cameron Glen Drive, Fountain Drive, Reston Parkway, Sunset Hills Road, Market Street and Explorer Street.
• There will be a free kids “fun run” (it goes a few hundred yards). For the fun run, registration will take place on race day. Little participants will receive a finisher medal for running the race. The fun run will take place around 9:30 a.m., after the 5k but just before the awards ceremony.
• There will also be a costume contest with prizes. Runners are free to don festive suits or elf costumes. Go nuts.

Photo of 2014 Run With Santa 5K/Courtesy PR Races

Santa Claus himself will visit Reston this weekend, but he won’t be riding with his usual reindeer or sleigh. Instead, the all-knowing, all-seeing Christmas wizard will arrive on a barge.

St. Nick’s visit is part of Jingle on Lake Anne, an annual family-friendly holiday festival. The big day is set to include carolers, drinks, shopping and cookie decorating this year.

Jingle on Lake Anne is free and will take place rain or shine.

Here is the schedule of events for Saturday, Dec. 3:

• 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. — Farmers and craft Market
• 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. — Gifts from the Heart shopping event and reception
• 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. — Cookie decorating/beer garden/mulled wine/activities
• Noon — Santa arrives by barge
•  Noon to 2:00 p.m. — Pictures with Santa
• 6:30 p.m. — Tree Lighting and caroling

Photo: Santa on a barge/Courtesy Jingle on Lake Anne

The holiday season starts at Tysons Corner Friday with Santa arriving via Metro’s Silver Line.

No word if St. Nick is traveling by Metro from the end of the line at Wiehle-Reston East or taking the train all the way from the North Pole. But in any event, he will disembark at the Tysons Corner Station Friday, Nov. 14 at 10 a.m.

Santa will be accompanied by more than a dozen needy children, who will have their pictures taken with Santa, enjoy lunch and pick out gifts from the American Girl store.

Tysons Corner Center and the Tysons Partnership are also teaming together for “Silver Saturdays,” a holiday promotion to encourage Metro riders from across the region to visit Tysons by train.

The promotion includes discounts from more than 30 retailers, restaurants and hotels for Metro riders who show their SmarTrip card on Silver Saturdays this holiday season.

Santa will be at Tysons through Christmas as part of Visit Santa’s Magical Workshop & Observatory, presented by HGTV. The magical workshop is located in Fashion Court on level one between Nordstrom and Bloomingdale’s.

The workshop will feature, of course, photos with Santa, as well as chances for kids to scan themselves  at the Naughty or Nice O’Meter; star in their own video; experience Elf-Ray Vision in Santa’s Observatory and more.

New this year: no waiting if you make pre-paid Santa visit reservations on this HGTV Santa HQ website.

There will be several chances to visit Santa in Reston as well. He will be available for visits at the Holidays are Here! parade at Reston Town Center on Nov. 28 from 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

He will also arrive via barge at Lake Anne on Dec. 6 at noon as part of Lake Anne Plaza’s Jingle on the Lake celebration.

Too soon for Christmas? Then take a ride on the Turkey Train at Reston’s Lake Fairfax Park this weekend.

Graphic: Courtesy of Metro