Sushi Umi has arrived in Tysons.
The Japanese restaurant began accepting pick-up orders at 7615 Colshire Road in the Scotts Run neighborhood on April 19 and quietly opened to dine-in customers on April 22.
Operations manager Jung Song says Sushi Umi hasn’t started advertising the opening, in part because it’s still in the process of hiring employees, but the team is working to set a date for a more formal introduction to the community.
“We want to make sure that we fully have everything we need to do the grand opening,” Song told FFXnow. “So, we don’t have a date yet, but we’re trying to plan everything out.”
This is Sushi Umi’s second location, following its launch at Worldgate Centre in Herndon in December 2020. When looking to expand, the business was drawn to Tysons by the urban center’s reputation as an office hub.
“With all the businesses and different companies located in Tysons, I believe that it was a great opportunity to serve our customers even better,” Song said.
The Tysons location is smaller than its Herndon counterpart, seating 40 to 45 people indoors with the capacity for more diners on a covered outdoor patio.
The menus at both restaurants are similar, featuring a variety of sushi, sashimi and rice bowls, but they offer different specials “to capture a different audience of customers,” Song says. For instance, the Tysons location’s signature dish of unagi kabayaki — a whole broiled eel served with an egg omelette over sushi rice — isn’t available in Herndon.
All of the food is curated by Song’s father-in-law, Sushi Umi’s owner and executive chef. The Song family has over 30 years of culinary experience, operating restaurants in Alexandria in the 1990s and in Manassas in the early 2000s before they started Sushi Umi.
“Our goal is to provide the freshest fish and ingredients to satisfy our customers’ needs,” Song said.
Though still in its soft opening phase, the Tysons location has gotten a warm response from early customers, according to Song.
He noted that dining options within walking distance remain limited for residents of Scotts Run, which is home to the Kingston and Haden apartments as well as the 410-unit Heming that finished construction last fall. Another Japanese restaurant, Modan, is expected to open in the new high-rise this year.
“I think a lot of our customers are glad that we’re open,” Song said. “It took us a long time, some difficulties with construction and permits and so on, but…the vibe is that they’re just glad to have somewhere [that they can go].”
Sushi Umi is open for lunch in Tysons from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on weekdays. Dinner hours are 4:30-9:30 p.m. on weekdays, 3-9:30 p.m. on Saturday and 3-9 p.m. on Sunday.
Hat tip to Rich Arnold
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors has signed off on a 3-cent bump in its real estate tax rate, a move it said was partly forced by insufficient state funding.
The board approved the new rate yesterday (Tuesday) as part of a mark-up session on the fiscal year 2025 budget, which will be formally adopted next Tuesday, May 7. The 3-cent hike is expected to generate about $97 million in additional revenue for the county — about $32.3 million less compared to the 4-cent increase initially proposed.
With much of that money going towards county and public school employee salaries, the supervisors acknowledged a need to retain skilled workers and maintain quality public services, but many voiced concerns about the county’s overreliance on real estate taxes.
As a Dillon Rule state, Virginia limits counties to the taxing authorities explicitly granted by the General Assembly. In guidance for next year’s budget, the Board of Supervisors noted that it will continue advocating for broader authority from state lawmakers, while also directing County Executive Bryan Hill to determine what additional revenue options are currently available.
“I think it’s incredibly important that we try to diversify our tax base, and we try to take the tools available to us that the state has given us to us as limited as they are,” Dranesville District Supervisor Jimmy Bierman said.
The supervisors said the board was compelled to raise the real estate tax due to a lack of funding at the state level, particularly criticizing state officials for underfunding Fairfax County Public Schools.
According to a study conducted last year by the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC), Virginia schools receive $1,900 less per student in kindergarten through 12th grade (K-12) funding than the national and regional averages. FCPS alone is shortchanged an estimated $345 million.
“We cannot do this alone…We also can’t hold our breath for them to step up,” Palchik said. “So, we are pushing, and we hope that they will finalize a budget and bring us more state champions who will help us bear the burden of funding those services that keep us a great community, our schools, our public safety, our parks, and everything that we do here.”
The General Assembly will convene for a special session on May 13 to discuss the state budget after the House of Delegates rejected amendments from Gov. Glenn Youngkin that included a 3% salary increase for teachers for the next two years.
While hopeful the county will get more financial support once the bi-annual state budget is adopted, several supervisors anticipate it won’t be enough to support the county’s future needs.
“We would be sitting here talking about reducing our tax rate dramatically if the 18 cents that the state owes us by their own formula arrived here at the government center in the form of a check,” Board Chairman Jeff McKay said. “That’s why our residents are suffering with real estate assessments: They pay a lot in income taxes to Richmond, and then we have to charge them a lot for real estate tax assessments to maintain a high-quality public school system and our own staff.”
Supervisors characterized the county’s situation as critical with costs rising and revenue declining, particularly from a sluggish commercial sector.
According to McKay, the county’s largest expense is paying county and school employees, which account for 82% of general fund expenditures.
At public hearings on the budget, several local labor union representatives urged the board to implement a 4% market rate adjustment (MRA) for county employees, as dictated by the county’s formula for calculating annual worker pay raises.
Ultimately, supervisors opted to fund the 2% MRA recommended by Hill, acknowledging that expenses will continue to escalate as employees seek improved compensation to cope with living in one of the nation’s highest-cost areas.
Expressing disappointment with the decision, Tammie Wondong, president of the Fairfax County Government Employees Union chapter of SEIU Virginia 512, pledged that the union will persist in advocating for improved wages to secure access to a “better quality of life” for its members.
“It’s concerning that the Board of Supervisors would recommend partial funding for the MRA,” she told FFXnow in an email before the mark-up session. “With partial funding, government workers will still struggle to pay for necessary things like food and medicine, and the county may continue to lose great employees to neighboring counties as a result.”
In addition to the lower-than-advertised tax rate increase, the board approved adjustments to the FY 2025 budget that included $24,000 for stipends to the Fairfax County Planning Commission and $25,000 to restore a Youth Leadership Program that provides summer internships in the county government to high school students.
The package also deferred $7.56 million in fuel and information technology costs, and the county will phase in a planned increase in senior center membership fees over two years, instead of implementing it all at once.
Supervisors acknowledged that homeowners will keep shouldering the county’s tax burden unless alternative revenue sources are identified, though no specific proposals were raised.
“The only glimmer of hope in this budget is the guidance, which helps us look at what is next,” Providence District Supervisor Dalia Palchik said. “How do we continue to ensure that we can diversify our tax base, continue to invest in our housing and our employees, and that, hopefully, we’re not faced with harder budgets than this one. But, right now, it is looking very likely that that is the case.”
The Vienna Community Center will be abuzz with activity this Saturday (May 4), thanks to the simultaneous return of the town’s farmers market and native plant sale.
Operated by the Optimist Club of Greater Vienna, the Vienna Farmers Market will launch at 8 a.m. in the community center’s parking lot at 120 Cherry Street SE. More than two dozen food and produce vendors have been lined up for the new season, which will continue on Saturdays from 8 a.m. to noon through October.
This week, the farmers market will be accompanied by a Spring Native Plant Sale sponsored by the Vienna Conservation and Sustainability Commission (CSC). Seasonal plants will be available for purchase, and there will be a free drawing to win a native tree.
“All plants are raised and sold by Hill House Garden Nursery and include flowering perennials, native shrubs, and small trees available for purchase,” the town said in a press release.
The CSC is a 10-member group of appointed residents who promote environmentally friendly practices, support community initiatives and education, and recommend policies to the town council. The commission meets once a month at the community center.
New vehicle lanes and a shared-use trail are officially open to travelers on Route 7 (Leesburg Pike) after almost five years of construction.
The Virginia Department of Transportation announced last night (Tuesday) that it has finished expanding the roadway from four to six travel lanes — three in each direction — between Riva Ridge Drive in Reston and Jarrett Valley Drive just north of the Dulles Toll Road in Tysons.
A 2-mile segment between Riva Ridge and Reston Avenue has been open to traffic since October 2022, but the additional five miles of lanes were completed well ahead of VDOT’s target date of July 31.
Work has also wrapped up on 10-foot-wide paths for pedestrians and bicyclists along both sides of Route 7, as anticipated by the Hunter Mill District Supervisor Walter Alcorn’s office. Cyclists will get a chance to try out the amenity during Alcorn’s annual Tour de Hunter Mill community bicycle ride this Sunday (May 5).
“The shared-use paths tie into those on Route 7 beyond the eastern and western limits of the project, providing a direct bicyclist/pedestrian connection from the Fairfax County Parkway Trail to Tysons,” VDOT said in a press release. “In addition, Gerry Connolly Cross County Trail users now have a new route under the Difficult Run bridge to safely cross Route 7.”
The Route 7 Corridor Improvements project redesigned intersections, including at Lewinsville Road in Wolf Trap and Baron Cameron Road in Reston, and added a pedestrian underpass for Colvin Run Mill Park, though a trail connecting to the south side of the tunnel still needs to be built by Fairfax County.
The $313.9Â million project broke ground in June 2019 with the goal of improving safety, reducing traffic congestion and expanding mobility, according to VDOT, which says the affected, nearly 7-mile section of Route 7 averages 50,000 vehicles a day.
Though construction is finished, a reduced speed limit of 45 mph will remain in early May, allowing crews to remove temporary signs that were posted throughout the work zone.
“Once this work is complete, the speed limit between Reston Avenue and Wolftrap Run Road will be restored to 55 miles per hour,” VDOT said.
Man Gets Life in Prison for N. Va. Gang Killings — An MS-13 leader was sentenced to life in prison yesterday (Tuesday) for giving orders that led to multiple murders in Northern Virginia during the summer of 2019. Prosecutors say Melvin Canales Saldana told gang members to kill rivals “more aggressively,” prompting some to target “random civilians so they could increase their status within the gang.” [Associated Press/WTOP]
Tysons Satellite Company Will Be Acquired — “Intelsat SA said Tuesday it has reached a deal to be acquired by SES SA for $3.1 billion in cash…The deal will position SES to better compete with broadband satellites of SpaceX-owned Starlink and Amazon.com Inc. The combined company will have a fleet of more than 100 geostationary and 26 medium orbit satellites.” [Washington Business Journal]
Vienna Sticks With Current Real Estate Tax Rate — “Vienna homeowners, on average, have to pony up an additional $135 because of rising property assessments, but the town’s real-estate tax rate will stay the same this year. The Vienna Town Council on April 29 unanimously agreed to keep that rate steady at 19.5 cents per $100 assessed valuation.” [Gazette Leader]
FCPS Revives Prom for Students With Disabilities — Fairfax County Public Schools recently held a day prom for around 100 special education students at the CrystalView Wedding and Events Banquet Hall in Fairfax. Returning from a five-year hiatus, the event drew students “from Centreville, Chantilly, Edison, Hayfield, Justice, Lewis, Oakton and South Lakes high schools.” [WUSA9]
Asian Food Market Draws Crowd in Annandale — “More than 500 people enjoyed Thai food at the Asiantque Market behind the Masonic lodge at 6911 Columbia Pike Sunday evening. This was the biggest crowd yet at the monthly food festivals, said organizer Nelson Figueroa Velez.” [Annandale Today]
It’s Wednesday — It will be a sunny day with high temperatures near 81 degrees and a northwest wind moving 7 to 9 mph. Night will be mostly clear, with a low around 59. The wind will shift to the southwest around 5 mph after midnight. [NWS]
Fairfax County is now bringing nature to residents’ doorsteps.
Last week, the Fairfax County Park Authority launched a new, fully electric mobile nature center called the Wonder Wagon. The tricked-out nature-themed van, operated by park staff, is intended to bring outdoor wonders to underserved communities and Title 1 schools.
According to spokesperson Ben Boxer, the park authority hopes the van will bring people closer to nature by using hands-on activities to deepen local residents’ connection with the environment, especially for those without immediate access to parks.
“Our Wonder Wagon staff are experienced programmers who specialize in providing engaging, thought-provoking experiences for people of all ages,” Boxer told FFXnow. “With the tools and exhibits contained in the Wonder Wagon, they will be leading a variety of activities from catching bugs and observing birds to identifying and learning about local flora and fauna.”
In 2022, the Board of Supervisors approved $114,640 for the FCPA to hire staff and purchase supplies, but that was only half of what was needed to get the program off the ground.
Over the last year, the Fairfax County Park Foundation, the nonprofit that supports the park authority, raised the remaining funds, securing an additional $177,742 from donors for staff, the van and operational expenses. Contributions included an environmental fund grant from the Community Foundation of Northern Virginia and the National Park Service’s Chesapeake Gateways Grant.
The Wonder Wagon officially launched on April 20 during Earth Day Fairfax, an Earth Day festival held at Sully Historic Site in Chantilly.
The van won’t be available for events at private schools or residences, such as birthday parties. Instead, it’ll be making appearances at public events and school activities, according to Boxer.
All requests may be submitted online. The park authority’s website also has a calendar of upcoming Wonder Wagon appearances.
A new pop-up store at Tysons Corner Center hopes to entice shoppers on the lookout for possible Mother’s Day gifts.
Emilia George, a New York-based maternity lifestyle retailer, is running a pop-up kiosk in the mall with clothes and accessories geared toward expecting and current mothers. The shop will operate on the second floor between Sephora and Lush until Friday, May 17.
The pop-up includes an invitation-only “Sip and Shop” event from 5-8 p.m. on May 9, where visitors can browse while imbibing soft drinks and other non-alcoholic beverages.
The business will also mark Mother’s Day, which falls on Sunday, May 12, with “a warm and welcoming event dedicated to the celebration of caregivers,” according to a press release. That event will be open to the general public, a spokesperson confirmed.
“Emilia George believes in empowering women and celebrating the small indulgences throughout motherhood,” the press release said.
Emilia George was started in 2019Â by New York City resident Elle Wang as a maternity clothing line, but it has since evolved into a broader lifestyle company. In addition to clothes, shoes and accessories for women and children, it sells baby formula, health and beauty products, toys and home goods.
According to the Tribeca Citizen, Wang started the business as a home-based “side hustle” while working for the United Nations. She opened its flagship store in Tribeca in 2022 and provides products wholesale to national retailers, including Nordstorm, Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue.
Since launching on April 17, the Tysons Corner Center pop-up has gotten such an enthusiastic response that Emilia George says it’s negotiating with the mall’s management for an extension.
“We’ve received so much foot traffic and praises already,” the spokesperson said when asked about the potential for a permanent kiosk. “Definitely a possibility!”
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors has thrown its support behind Maryland’s pursuit of federal funding for a long-awaited replacement of the American Legion Bridge.
At the request of Chairman Jeff McKay and Dranesville District Supervisor Jimmy Bierman, the board approved a letter on April 16 urging U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg to fulfill the Maryland Department of Transportation’s expected grant request for its American Legion Bridge and 270 Corridor project.
In addition to replacing the 60-year-old bridge, the only direct connection between Fairfax and Montgomery counties, MDOT is considering adding toll lanes on its side of the Capital Beltway from I-495 to the I-270 western spur, along with transit, pedestrian and bicycle improvements.
According to McKay, the department’s State Highway Administration informed county officials that it will apply for the federal Multimodal Project Discretionary Grant Program, which has $5.1 billion to allocate to transportation infrastructure projects nationwide. Applications are due by May 6.
“We know this is an emergency situation. We applaud Maryland for getting this going again,” McKay said during the board meeting.
Maryland went back to the drawing board on its plans for the Beltway last year after private express lanes operator Transurban withdrew from a project championed by then-governor Larry Hogan. Then called Op Lanes Maryland, the proposed road widening and bridge replacement encountered fervent opposition from residents and local officials, leading to delays and lawsuits.
Virginia has pushed ahead with its own effort to widen the Beltway with toll lanes, known as 495 NEXT, but some community members, including elected officials, have worried it won’t offer much congestion relief without Maryland’s involvement, instead merely pushing the existing chokepoint at the Dulles Toll Road in Tysons north to the George Washington Memorial Parkway in McLean.
In his letter to Buttigieg, McKay notes that capacity improvements for the American Legion Bridge have long been a priority for Fairfax County.
The American Legion Bridge, as a direct connection between the region’s most populous counties, is one of the most heavily used. It is also the most congested, with traffic volumes expected to increase. The chokepoint created by this bridge requires long-term solutions to help those traveling between Maryland and Virginia.
The Multimodal Project Discretionary Grant availability provides an opportunity to advance a project that is an important regional conduit for travel and economic activity between Virginia and Maryland, which will ensure the continued economic vitality of the Metropolitan Washington region.
In addition to adding toll lanes, the new bridge will feature a shared-use path and allow for planned bus routes between Tysons and Bethesda.
At community open houses last fall, MDOT officials touted potential benefits for pedestrians, bicyclists and transit users, though limited details and a need for funding left some skeptical. The project could break ground by 2026, which would put it on track to finish construction by 2031, Maryland Matters reported.
After breaking ground in spring 2022, the Virginia Department of Transportation anticipates starting operations for the new I-495 toll lanes in December 2025 and fully wrapping up 495 NEXT in May 2026.
Speed Camera Added Outside Oakton HS — A speed camera has been installed for Oakton High School on Blake Lane near Sutton Road, just days after a driver was sentenced to four years. Fines will be issued after a 30-day warning period. Fairfax County anticipates expanding its pilot program to as many as 50 locations this year. [Fairfax County/Twitter]
Annandale Doctor Pleads Guilty to Over-Prescribing Opioids — “An Annandale doctor pleaded guilty [on Friday, April 26] to maintaining a drug-involved premises.” While working at Fairfax Pain Clinic between 2016 and 2020, he “prescribed high opioid dosing without first confirming diagnoses, performing relevant medical examinations, or reviewing prior medical records.” [U.S. Attorney’s Office]
FCPD Reveals Drug Take Back Day Results — “On Saturday, our district stations joined forces with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and other Fairfax County agencies to collect 1,167 pounds of expired medications and prescription drugs from the community during the 26th Annual National Drug Take Back Day Initiative.” The West Springfield District Police Station led the way, collecting 303 pounds. [FCPD]
Annandale Church Volunteers Fix Up Homes — “Nine men with developmental disabilities living in two group homes in the North Springfield area got a nice surprise when they returned from outings Saturday evening. While they were gone, volunteers from several Annandale churches spent the day fixing up their homes.” [Annandale Today]
Mount Vernon Trail Bridge Project Nears Finish — “Nearly exactly a year after the National Park Service kicked off its replacement of Bridges 23 and 24 along the southern Mount Vernon Trail, the project is near its completion…The Park Service has scheduled a ribbon cutting for the opening of Bridge 23 on May 19 at 10 a.m. at Belle Haven Park.” [On the MoVe]
TJ Students Could Win $20K in Math Competition — “The students from Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology are among six teams that made it to the finals in the MathWorks Math Modeling Challenge…More than 600 teams in the U.S. and the U.K. submitted papers” proposing “ways lawmakers could potentially monitor and address the dual problems of homelessness and lack of affordable housing.” [WTOP]
Massive Reston Library Book Sale Coming Up — “Over 1,000 boxes of books mean this will be our biggest sale ever. And, due to upcoming library renovations, there will be no sales in August or September…So come to our big sale and stock up on our record-breaking selection!” The sale will start for Friends members tomorrow and for the general public at 10 a.m. on Thursday (May 2). [Friends of the Reston Regional Library]
It’s Tuesday — Mostly sunny skies with a high of 87°F and light southwest winds at 8 to 10 mph can be expected this afternoon with a 20% chance of showers after 2pm. Tonight will be mostly cloudy with a low near 65°F. There is a 30% chance of showers and thunderstorms before 11pm. [NWS]
Real estate taxes will likely go up for Fairfax County homeowners in the coming year, but perhaps not by as much as they could.
The Board of Supervisors plans to approve a 3-cent tax rate increase, down from the four cents that was advertised. That will reduce the average tax bill hike from about $524 to just over $450.
While additional funding is proposed for affordable housing, public libraries and parks, the county’s fiscal year 2025 budget won’t satisfy Fairfax County Public Schools’ full funding requests or include the pay levels sought by county employees.
An initial draft of the county’s FY 2025 budget markup suggests setting a real estate tax rate of $1.125 per $100 of assessed value, a 3-cent increase from the current rate of $1.095 per $100.
During a budget committee meeting on Friday (April 26), board members argued that the tax rate increase is necessary due to a revenue shortfall from a sluggish commercial sector and reduced state funding.
“Our current situation is not sustainable, and we can already imagine what’s going to happen in the next tax year as it relates to commercial office and particularly the elevator office,” Franconia District Supervisor Rodney Lusk said.
As a result, the county is unlikely to increase the market rate adjustment (MRA) for county employees beyond the 2% proposed by County Executive Bryan Hill.
According to the markup draft, general county employees are set to receive an average salary increase of 3.25% to 6%, effective July 1, including the 2% MRA, pay scale adjustments and increases for performance and length of service. Deputy sheriffs will, on average, receive an increase of 7.85% in FY 2025.
The county also proposes allocating only $165 million of the $254 million requested by FCPS Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid — nearly all of which would be used to fund teacher and personnel pay raises.
That will still be nearly 7% more in funding than what the school system got last year. The supervisors expressed hope it will cover Reid’s proposed 6% salary increase for all school employees, but their optimism hinges on the state providing additional money to fill any remaining financial gaps.
Board members raised concerns over the state’s chronic underfunding of public schools, which costs FCPS $345 million annually, according to a recent study by the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission of Virginia. That could be compounded by budget cuts proposed by Gov. Glenn Youngkin.
State funding cuts force local governments — which derive most revenue from real estate taxes — to place a heavier tax burden on homeowners, who end up footing the bill to make up the difference, supervisors said.
Looking to the future, they urged the school board to seek funding more in line with the county’s projected revenue to ensure it can fulfill the request.
“I think it’s worth reminding people who are watching that over 89% of FCPS budget expenditures go to compensation,” Board Chairman Jeff McKay said. “So, this is not an insignificant thing we’re talking about. If you have 89% of your budget going to something, you should be studying that ad nauseam and making sure that every dollar that’s going there is targeted to the people that need it most to be able to properly stay in market.”
The board acknowledged a need to diversify the county’s revenue sources but stopped short of suggesting specific solutions.
Springfield District Supervisor Pat Herrity argued that the rising burden of real estate taxes is driving out residents.
“From budget testimony calls and emails to my office, it’s clear our residents can’t handle another tax increase,” he said. “I mean, it’s 56% in 10 years, and that’s because of budget increases. Census data clearly shows people are voting with their feet and leaving Fairfax County.”
Instead of doing an internal review, Herrity called for an independent, third-party review of the county’s financial situation that could provide “hard facts.”
“As we’ve seen in the last two months, from when the county executive presents his budget in February to April, you can’t do the analysis you need to do,” he said.
Braddock District Supervisor James Walkinshaw countered Herrity’s claims about the county’s migration patterns, pointing to housing issues as the fundamental cause.
“They want to be here in Fairfax County,” Walkinshaw said. “We have great schools, a strong economy, and they want to be here. They need housing in order to be here.”
At a mark-up session tomorrow (Tuesday), the board will consider allocating $4 million to support affordable housing initiatives, per the draft. Since setting a goal in 2022 to build 10,000 units by 2034, the county has already created or has plans to build approximately 4,000 affordable housing units.
Additionally, the board intends to set aside a total of $1 million for Fairfax County Public Library’s materials collection, pickleball courts at Wakefield Park, the Women’s Center relocation and construction of the Eileen Garnett Civic space in Annandale.
The D.C. area’s cherry trees are no longer blossoming, but cyclists can still take in the warm, pollen-filled spring air when the Pedal with Petals Family Bike Ride returns to Tysons next month.
Organized by the Tysons Community Alliance (TCA), the event was introduced last April as part of the National Cherry Blossom Festival. This time, it will take place on May 11, from 8-11 a.m., and the routes will cover more of Tysons, instead of centering on Tysons Corner Center.
“We are thrilled to be bringing back this community event,” TCA CEO Katie Cristol said in a press release. “Pedal with Petals is a great opportunity to bring our community together while promoting active mobility opportunities throughout Tysons.”
Registration for the bicycle ride is open and free, but it’s limited to just 200 participants, who can undertake an advanced, 4.5-mile-long route or a nearly 2-mile, family-friendly route.
The advanced ride will start at 9 a.m. and reach Wolf Trails Park on Old Courthouse Road, while the shorter ride will start at 9:30 a.m. and follow a loop. Riders will meet in the parking lot of The Concourse (1593 Spring Hill Road) for both routes, which begin and end on the Vesper Trail.
In addition to cycling, activities planned for the event include a bicycle decorating station, free bike tune-ups offered by REI, music from a DJ, coffee and pastries from Vienna’s Frothy Mug van and post-ride ice cream provided by local caterer Tysons Creamery.
The Merrifield-based nonprofit Food for Others will also collect donations for a food drive. While not required, the TCA is encouraging participants to bring at least one non-perishable food item, such as cereal, pasta or canned goods.
The TCA is still seeking volunteers to support Pedal with Petals by helping set the courses up, checking riders in, overseeing activities and other duties. Fairfax Alliance for Better Bicycling will provide bike marshals to help guide cyclists along the two routes.
Coinciding with National Bike Month, the second annual Pedal with Petals will come on the heels of the Tour de Hunter Mill community bicycle ride organized every spring by Hunter Mill District Supervisor Walter Alcorn’s office. That event on Sunday, May 5 will concentrate on the Reston and Vienna area, featuring routes along the Washington & Old Dominion Trail and the new shared-use path on Leesburg Pike (Route 7).
