The Weekly Planner is a roundup of interesting events coming up over the next week in the Tysons area.

We’ve scoured the web for events of note in Tysons, Vienna, Merrifield, McLean and Falls Church. Know of any we’ve missed? Tell us!

Tysons Reporter also complied a list of the upcoming holiday events, for those seeking festivities.

Tuesday (Nov. 26)

• LGBTQIA+ Night — at 6:30 p.m. at Victory Comics (586 S. Washington Street) — This gives people a chance to gather and talk about LGBTQIA+ characters in comics and hear from illustrator Melanie Gillman.
• Salsa Classes — 7 p.m. until 2 a.m. at The Palladium (1524 Spring Hill Road) — This free event allows people to come by and take a free salsa lesson from Cecilia Villalobos at 8 p.m. before the opportunity for social dance.

Wednesday (Nov. 27)

• Trivia Night — 7 to 9 p.m. at City Works Eatery and Pour House (1640 N. Capital One Drive) — Community members are invited to stop by for an evening of trivia. Prizes will be awarded to winners and topics vary. This event is free.
• Comedy Cornucopia — 7:30 p.m. at Jammin Java (227 E. Maple Avenue) — This comedy event invites people to gather and enjoy some humor while raising money for Food for Others. Tickets range from $10-15. Comedy content may contain adult material and anyone 17 or under should be accompanied by an adult.

Thursday (Nov. 28)

• Live Music with Nick Tierra — 6 to 8 p.m. at Settle Down Easy Brewing (2822 Fairfax Drive) — This event will allow people to gather and enjoy a drink while listening to live music from Nick Tierra. There is no admission fee for this event.

Saturday (Nov. 30)

• Beer, Wine and Cider Festival — 1 until 6 p.m. at the Tysons Biergarten (8346 Leesburg Pike) — This event offers guests a chance to try over 50 different drinks before the Biergarten closes and relocates. Tickets are $10 online or $20 at the event.

Photo via Tysons Biergarten/Facebook

Almost every Wednesday morning, dozens of entrepreneurs and tech gurus gather to network and share their ideas at an office in Tysons.

1 Million Cups Fairfax is part of a 160-chapter initiative that invites upcoming entrepreneurs from around the country to pitch their venture and receive feedback from other local stakeholders and innovators.

On Nov. 20, Tysons Reporter attended the weekly event and listened to Malaika Simmons of Momentology Media pitch her brand.

Following Simmon’s pitch, which focused on her plans to help women and kids though life coaching and development of a personal brand, attendees offered to connect her with other people in the field, gave advice and asked questions about her mission.

One person said that her model might be good for couples working through difficult times, while another suggested she should consider partnerships with corporate companies.

“My number one goal is to get corporate sponsors,” Simmons said, adding that she has already worked with the federal government and Fortune 500 companies in the past.

Simmons said that corporate sponsors are the best way to scale her business, but her true passion is working with women and children.

Event organizers told Tysons Reporter that feedback like this is typical and people can feel free to be honest with one another.

1 Million Cups began under the Kauffman Foundation, which aims to help businesses owners from disadvantaged backgrounds reach their potential, according to the website.

1 Million Cups Fairfax, which is Tysons’s local chapter, began about a year and a half ago on Valentine’s Day 2018, John Yu, a spokesperson for Office Evolution, said. Yu said that the program has become increasing in popularity, with presentation spots filling up quickly.

To ensure that the presentations will be productive for everyone, organizers ensure that each entrepreneur has a sense of direction and a business model.

“We very rarely turn anyone away,” Yu said. “We just postpone.”

Anyone is welcome to listen and join in the group discussion.

Several attendees said there is typically a dynamic turnout for these events. Tysons Reporter met a variety of people, including several “serial entrepreneurs,” representatives from the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority and one man who simply wanted to know more about local business.

The weekly event is held at Office Evolution (609 Westwood Center Drive) from 8:30-10 a.m. and the next session will take place after Thanksgiving, on Wednesday, Dec. 4.

“We try to give a voice to startups around the area,” Yu said.

(Updated at 4:10 p.m.) With the holidays approaching, there are plenty of events happening around the Tysons area for people looking for some festive fun.

From tree lightings to shopping events, Tysons Reporter compiled a list of events across the community in the coming weeks.

Tysons

Breakfast with Santa will take place on Saturday (Dec. 7) from 8-11 a.m. at level three of Tysons Corner Center. There will be entertainment by “Those Funny Little People” (featured on “America’s Got Talent“), a balloon artist, holiday crafts, free breakfast and Santa.

Tysons Corner Center will also host a Holiday Storytime PJ Party on Thursday (Dec. 12) from 6 to 8 p.m. on level one. There will be storytime, sweet treats and entertainment provided by Dee Vinchey Entertainment. This event is free and open to the public.

Town of Vienna

The Church Street Holiday Stroll takes place on Monday (Dec. 2) this year from 6-8:30 p.m. Santa will arrive on a Vienna Volunteer Fire Department 1946 fire engine and spend the evening visiting with kids around town.

Mayor Laurie DiRocco is set to help Santa light the town’s Christmas tree around 6:20 p.m. at the Freeman Store and Museum (131 Church Street NE). There will be live music throughout the streets and several businesses will be serving hot cocoa and warm beverages.

The town is also hosting a competition encouraging local businesses to put up holiday decorations. The theme is “Home for the Holidays” and all decorations must be put out by Friday (Nov. 29).

McLean

The McLean Woman’s Club is set to host its annual Holiday Homes Tour on Thursday (Dec. 5) from 9:30 a.m. until 3:30 p.m., highlighting four houses — two at the 6-acre Ballantrae Farm estate and another two on Benjamin Street in Langley Forest. Tickets are $35 and food and drinks will be provided. Guests will also have access to a craft show at Trinity Church. All proceeds go to charity.

The 11th annual McLean WinterFest will take place this year on Sunday (Dec. 1) and feature a parade beginning at 3:30 p.m. between Fleetwood and Elm streets on Old Chain Bridge Road. Beverly Road and Fleetwood Street to Old Chain Bridge Road will be closed to traffic along with the parade routes beginning at 2 p.m. that day.

Falls Church

Nova Lights Chorale will host a free global holiday concert at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church (3439 Payne Street) on Sunday (Dec. 8) at 4 p.m. The performance will feature songs in more than seven languages and from different cultures.

The Annual Lighting of the Trees will take place on Monday (Dec. 2) at Mr. Brown’s Park (W. Broad Street) around 6 p.m. Santa will be in attendance, escorted by the Falls Church Volunteer Fire Department. There will be live music from the George Mason High School Chamber Singers and free hot cocoa.

The Holiday Craft Show will take place at the Falls Church Community Center (223 Little Falls Street) on Saturday (Dec. 7) from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. and Sunday (Dec. 8) from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m.

Mosaic District

People can get their selfies with Santa in the street-level lobby of the Target building (2905 District Avenue, Suite 400) from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays between Nov. 30-Dec. 23, Friday (Nov. 29) and Monday (Dec. 23).

A Holiday Gift Fair is coming to Mosaic District on Friday (Dec. 6) from 3:30-8:30 p.m. The fair will feature more than 50 vendors selling handmade and vintage goods.

On the same day, people can also watch the Holiday Tree Lighting from 5-7 p.m. in Strawberry Park.

The City of Falls Church wants to update Oak Street Bridge, but funding uncertainty leaves the project without a distinctive start date.

Even though the damage to the bridge from the flooding in July has been completely repaired, the Falls Church Planning Commission still met last month to discuss the construction of a new bridge.

Now the city is just awaiting the results from grant applications — which will inevitably fund the project, Susan Finarelli, a spokesperson for the city, said.

Initial concept designs are in the works to rethink the aesthetic appeal, modernize the bridge, improve pedestrian and traffic safety.

The project is currently in the design phase, which should be completed from August 2020 to February 2021, potentially allowing construction to begin shortly after, according to a planning commission presentation.

Due to safety concerns, the bridge is on a yearly inspection list, which monitors at-risk infrastructure projects. Originally built in 1953, the bridge needs to be redone for engineering improvements to increase the weight limit.

“We will be lengthening the bridge approximately two feet on either sides,” a representative at the Oct. 21 Planning Commission meeting said, adding that pedestrians will have easier access to Tripps Run.

The project is expected to cost around $2.6 million.

The Planning Commission made a unanimous recommendation for the City Council to relocate a utility pole so it isn’t in the middle of the sidewalk, include adding wider sidewalks, a crosswalk for Tripps Run and decorative guard rails on the southeast side of the bridge.

Image via The City of Falls Church

In the basement of a building in the Cedar Park Shopping Center, Mike’s Warehouse appears to sell everything from snacks to backpacks — and potentially beer in the near future.

Mike’s Convenience is located in the basement at 260 Cedar Lane SE. Affordable Lawn Sprinklers and Lighting also has a spot in the building. At one point, the building also housed a BB&T branch.

The convenience store applied for its beer license earlier this month and is awaiting a decision.

Hours of operation are not listed online or at the location, which was closed around 10 a.m. today (Thursday, Nov. 21). It is unclear when the shop originally came to the spot.

Tysons Reporter reached out to the owners and are waiting for a response for more information.

The Chick-fil-A in Vienna officially opened its doors this morning (Thursday) with a promotion for free food.

Starting at 6 p.m. last night (Nov. 20), community members were encouraged to camp out in front of the store at 538 W. Maple Avenue with the promise that the first 100 customers in line this morning for the official opening at 6 a.m. would be given free meals for a year.

Around 104 people showed up for the grand opening celebration that featured Mayor Laurie DiRocco and other town representatives, according to a company spokesperson.

The campout is a standing tradition for all new location openings, according to Chick-fil-A’s website.

From now on, the location will be open 6 a.m. until 10 p.m. Monday-Saturday and closed on Sundays.

The new location features a drive-thru as well as an indoor dining room, playroom and outdoor seating.

Chick-fil-A Vienna on Maple has opened its doors! This morning they were joined by Mayor DiRocco, Town Council, the Town Business Liaison Committee, Town staff, and of course friends and family for a ribbon cutting. Welcome to Town #business #eat #chicken pic.twitter.com/xdD3Zul628

— Town of Vienna, VA (@TownofViennaVA) November 21, 2019

Longtime Vienna furniture retailer Posh! has reopened in Vienna after closing its Maple Avenue location.

The store moved in September to 200 Dominion Road NE — just a short drive from its previous location (419 E. Maple Avenue). Owner Mary Anne Antonides is also considering expanding to another location in McLean, although she wasn’t sure when that might happen.

The new spot previously was a design studio for Antonides, but was not always open to the public, like it is today.

Posh! has resided in the building for 27 years in one capacity or another, Antonides said, adding that repurposing the location allows them to expand their “entrepreneurial opportunities.”

Currently, the shop is running a pre-Christmas sale that gives customers a 20% discount on Christmas items and custom floral arrangement and 30% off everything else in the store as a “thank you” to customers who followed Posh! to its new location.

The hours of operation are Mondays-Tuesdays from 10 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. and Thursday-Saturday from 10 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. The shop is closed on Wednesdays and Sundays.

Several new stores took residency in Tysons Corner Center throughout the last weeks — including a holiday shop with locally sourced gifts.

Newcomers to the mall include the Creative Collective POPUP, Seletti, Terres da’ Afrique — all in BrandBox spaces on the first level — and Beauty Nail Bar upstairs.

Creative Collective reopened for the season on Friday (Nov. 15) and will remain open through Christmas Eve (Dec. 24) during mall hours from 10 a.m. until 9:30 p.m. daily.

The shop acts as a market for roughly 2o local vendors offering a variety of goods including hats, jewelry, leatherworks, prints and even children’s books. Shoppers also have the opportunity to meet the artists and vendors in person and ask them about their craft.

Meanwhile, Italian home goods store Seletti sells furniture, decorations, lights and other items. The Tysons Corner Center location is the company’s first physical store in the U.S.

One of their bestsellers is a $400 monkey lamp, a store representative told Tysons Reporter.

“Some people are familiar with our brand and others are just intrigued,” the spokesperson said about people who stop in for a look, adding that the company is trying to gauge interest for the brand around Tysons.

If the pop-up is successful in the next six months, the brand might decide to open up a permanent shop elsewhere in the mall, the representative said.

Terres da’ Afrique, which opened Saturday (Nov. 16), sits right next to Seletti in BrandBox and offers shoppers personal skincare products including massage and facial oil.

Located on level two of the mall near the Paul Mitchell School, beauty Nail Bar made its debut roughly two weeks ago, an employee told Tysons Reporter.

The Pennywise Thrift Shop found a new home in Vienna — just around the corner from its previous location.

The shop originally resided nearf the corner of Church and Mill streets, but was forced to move after a fire ravaged the 100-year old building in January. The new location (214 Dominion Road NE) has been open for roughly a month and offers slightly more retail space, Mary Coulombe, a shop spokesperson said.

The shop sells a variety of everyday items including clothes, kitchen items, books, shoes, glassware and small furniture.

The shop is run by the Church of the Holy Comforter, and all of the proceeds go to charities, Coulombe said, adding, “We are here as a mission.”

This year marks the thrift shop’s 57th anniversary, Coulombe said. Another staff member told Tysons Reporter that the new location will be the thrift shop’s home for at least the next couple of years.

The shop plans to celebrate its new spot with a grand re-opening ceremony on Saturday (Nov. 23) from 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

Pennywise Thrift Shop is open from Tuesday-Friday from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. The shop is closed on Sundays and Mondays.

(Updated 11/21/19) A recruiting company in Tysons wants to hire hundreds of employees in Tysons — making them the largest job creator in recent months in Fairfax County.

In the third quarter of 2019, the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority announced that 14 companies are adding 456 jobs to the county — including 358 positons in Tysons.

Randstad North America, Inc., an IT recruiting and staffing firm whose parent company is based in the Netherlands, announced they will add 300 information technology jobs in fiscal year 2020.

INADEV, another information technology company, is the runner up for job creation in Tysons for the third quarter by bringing 25 jobs to the area.

Here is the alphabetical list of the rest of the companies bringing jobs into Fairfax County:

• American Office (Chantilly): 10 jobs
• BITS (Herndon): 10 jobs
• Blue Ridge Networks, (Chantilly): 2 jobs
• Bode Cellmark Forensics, Inc. (Lorton): 16
• Chenega MIOS (Chantilly): 16 jobs
• CT Solutions, Inc. (Tysons): 3 jobs
• Global Guardia (Tysons): 15 jobs
• Korea Innovation Center Washington (Korea) (Tysons): 4 jobs
• Learning Tree International, Inc. (Herndon): 25 jobs
• Mathtech, Inc. (Merrifield): 6 jobs
• Signet EV (Korea) (Vienna): 5 jobs
• Sysnet Technologies, Inc. (Fairfax): 10 jobs

Companies in the Tysons area also topped the list for the most added jobs when FCEDA worked with 35 businesses in the second quarter.