There were spells cast and monsters launched. There were fashion shows and combats. But, the real magic happened when the clock struck midnight on June 18 when teenagers around the world dropped the curtain on a three-day gaming spree to help Broadway actors impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.  

A group of about 70 teenagers from around the world gathered virtually for a 72-hour Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) marathon game this past weekend. The event raised $1,157 benefitting Broadway Cares, which supports actors.

“You could definitely tell that everyone had fun,” said Elizabeth Tippens, the organizer of Teens4Broadway, following the event. “People who have never met before were having a great time.”

Tippens, a rising junior at Langley High School and theater student, organized the game and Teens4Broadway along with seven other local teenagers. She said the idea came to her while playing D&D with her friends during the stay-at-home order. Her friends love theater and wanted to support the industry, so they decided to create a fundraiser to benefit actors. 

“We’re informed about some Broadway things just from being in theater, and we also play D&D a lot,” says Lily Spiller, one of the dungeon masters.

“With COVID, there’s a lot of things going wrong for a lot of people in theater, because theater is a pretty in-person thing. We wanted to do something to help with that,” said Spiller.

D&D is a fantasy tabletop roleplaying game that allows players to create their own characters. A dungeon master serves as the game’s storyteller while maintaining the setting of the fantastical world. A roll of the dice can often determine the life or death fate of players’ characters, according to the D&D website. 

From there, Tippens connected with Broadway Cares, a nonprofit that provides assistance and aid to actors. She and her friends came up with a live virtual marathon game of D&D to raise money for the Broadway Cares Actors Fund. 

Teenagers from Virginia to Scotland gathered to play. Anyone interested was invited to watch the game live with the option to donate money. Viewers who donated certain amounts of money could influence the game and the players. For example, with a $25 donation, a healing potion could be delivered to any of the players. 

“There were quite a few $50 donations, which were the party heals,” said Tippens, adding that $50 allowed donors to heal the entire party and give spell casters all their spells back.

However, the real chaos came from the $100 donations, which gave the donor the power to choose any D&D monster of the party’s level to be dropped immediately. 

“The main way it was influenced was because of the big monsters people were dropping on us,” said Tippens. 

The game took place over Roll20, an online roleplaying site geared towards tabletop roleplaying games, such as D&D. Each player was required to make an account on the site to be eligible to participate. The game was then live-streamed via Twitch, a live streaming service often used by gamers. The group had specific technicians to ensure that donations were verified and that the technology ran smoothly throughout the three-day marathon. 

Despite the fun, Tippens said there were many technical challenges. These included a lag on the website due to the high volume of people, a problem with audio where some people couldn’t be heard, and kids not showing up to some of the later slots. Additionally, Roll20 was down for about three hours on one of the days, and a session was canceled because of it. 

This marathon game may only be the beginning of more games in the future held by Teens4Broadway.

Tippens said she has projects in mind for how the game can be improved if it were to happen again, such as using different software for the virtual play. She also mentioned a potential name change and possibly supporting other organizations besides Broadway Cares to reach a broader audience. 

“We definitely have ideas in the works for future events.”

Photo courtesy Elizabeth Tippens

As Northern Virginia continues to ease COVID-19 restrictions, Tysons-area restauranteurs are not only unveiling new eateries but also re-envisioning dining experiences.

Restaurant owners shared with Tysons Reporter their varying reopening plans.

Solace Brewing Company, a collaboration of D.C. restauranteurs Eric and Ian Hilton and BlackFinn Ameripub co-founder Steve Ryan, was originally poised to open a new location in Falls Church by May 1.

But the opening got delayed due to the pandemic, Jon Humerick, Solace’s co-founder and director of operations, said.

“When everything started, we obviously had to put everything on hold,” said Humerick. 

The brewery, boasting several unique offerings of in-house IPAs, now plans to open within the next two weeks, operating under Phase 2 guidelines requiring seating at half-capacity for indoor and outdoor dining. 

Taqueria Loca, a Mexican restaurant run by the Great American Restaurants group (GAR), debuted a “ghost kitchen” in Vienna in addition to their Sterling location before Northern Virginia began its transition into Phase 2.

This meant that they were available online and cooking in the kitchens for curbside pickup and delivery — however, they were not serving customers in-person, according to Jon Norton, the CEO of GAR.

“We are also creating a ‘patio and beer garden’ in the valet area of Coastal Flats [Tysons Corner] so that guests may begin to enjoy the Taqueria Loca experience in a physical space as well,” according to Norton. 

As of June 12, all GAR restaurants officially reopened at half-capacity.

Shipgarten, a new food and dining concept from the owners of the now-closed Tysons Biergarten, was originally planning to open in June. However, they are now pushing their opening until the end of Phase 3. 

“We are going to use paper products and more disposable items like disposable menus,” Managing Partner Matt Rofougaran said in describing the safety measures they will be taking.

In addition, there will be plexiglass sneezeguards to separate the bartenders from the customers, and the tables in the 30,000-square-foot facility will be separated by 10 feet rather than the 6-foot guideline to ensure extra distance. 

“We’re going to have plenty of room for social distancing,” Rofougaran said.

Photo via Solace Brewing/Facebook

Local shop owners say they are seeing a run on bicycles thanks to the coronavirus pandemic. 

With both limited public transportation and social activity, people have gravitated towards cycling as a way to get outside. As a result, local bike stores have seen a massive rise in sales. 

“Our service area is seeing an unprecedented level of demand,” said Tim Fricker, the owner of Bikes@Vienna in Vienna. But for residents seeking a quick tuneup before hitting the road, they may have to wait a little longer with Fricker reporting a turnaround time of about seven weeks. 

“The longest turnaround time I can recall in the past is a few times where we hit three weeks,” he added. “There has been nothing like this.”

Bikes@Vienna sells “conventional bicycles” in addition to specialty bikes such as recumbent bikes and trikes, folding bikes, adaptive bikes, electric bikes and trikes. While they haven’t sold out on conventional bikes, Fricker predicts that most other shops and distributors have. 

Bikenetic in Falls Church, for example, is anticipating first-time and impulse-buyers to flock to the store. Inventory for entry-level riders has yet to be replenished, though.

“All of the companies we deal with have also run out of bikes and are waiting for purchase orders to fill back in from Asia,” said Jan Feuchtner, the owner of Bikenetic.

The store is also experiencing a delayed turnaround. Feuchtner reported also being seven weeks out on repairs with about 300 bikes in the queue, which is double the number of bikes they usually have backlogged. 

To adapt to the demand, Bikes@Vienna created heavier structure and discipline to better manage workflow. Fricker said they eliminated “while you wait” services with the exception of mid-ride issues such as a flat tire.

Additionally, they tweaked certain services due to the coronavirus pandemic. No customers are permitted in the store at any time, walk-in test rides are not allowed and payment is handled over the phone.

Fricker anticipates that typical bike stores will see a steep drop in sales once the pandemic begins to die down since the market will be “saturated.” Because of the specialty of his own store, however, he thinks Bikes@Vienna won’t be impacted as much and will have more returning customers.

Of the people who started biking because of the pandemic, some will likely continue riding when things return to normal, keeping business afloat. 

“I just don’t know what percentage will continue versus those who lose interest once the world gets back to something more normal. Time will tell.”

The Town of Vienna celebrated its 100th birthday in 1990 with the ringing of bells and a giant birthday cake — and now its 130th birthday this year, residents are challenged to participate in a virtual race. 

Titled “Distance Matters,” the race is inviting all Vienna citizens to walk, run, bike or hike a 130K throughout the month of July. People who complete the 80.8 miles will receive a medal at the end of the month. 

People who are interested in participating will receive a log to track their miles over the course of the month. Miles can be achieved by running on a treadmill, cycling around the town or walking down the trail — participants’ choice. Whatever mode of exercise residents choose, the race is an easy way to maintain a feeling of community despite social distancing restrictions.  

The town was originally planning a large community event called “Bluez and Brewz” on Saturday, June 20, to commemorate Vienna’s 130th birthday. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the idea was changed to something that people could safely participate in — at a distance.

The celebration had included live blues bands, barbecue trucks and more, according to Natalie Duncan, the town’s teen center program coordinator. 

“Upon the realization that we had to cancel Bluez and Brewz, we came up with the idea for the 130K,” said Duncan.

The organizers noticed other jurisdictions holding virtual races and decided it would be a fun way to keep the community participating. “The month of July is Parks and Recreation Month… the 130K is a way of keeping residents engaged and involved.”

Local sports and bike merchants, as well as coffee shops, are promoting the event. While running and biking have always been a staple of Vienna with the Washington and Old Dominion Trail running through town, the pandemic has fueled resident interest in the outdoors, according to Duncan. 

“Now with the coronavirus, people are more open to using the trail and running around their neighborhoods,” she said.

In the past, Vienna has drawn major crowds for town events including birthday celebrations, Civil War reenactments and celebrating the new millenium, according to the Vienna Recreation Program Manager Amy-Jo Hendrix.

“Vienna is such a close-knit town,” said Hendrix. “Everyone comes together and enjoys whatever activities we have going. It’s a lot of fun to put these on and see the success that we have and how it brings all the neighbors together.”

Celebrate the Town's 130th #Birthday with our 130K #DistanceMatters Challenge for the month of July!

Register by June 29 at https://t.co/4fyEAuMvFd for $10. Receive s log to track your progress and a medal at completion.

Questions? Email [email protected] pic.twitter.com/R90r348NrK

— Town of Vienna, VA (@TownofViennaVA) June 3, 2020

As businesses around Tysons reopen after being shut down for coronavirus concerns, personal care services such as nail salons are making customer and employee safety protocols their top priority.

Tysons Nail Lounge has reopened for business following Northern Virginia’s transition into Phase 1 of reopening on Friday, May 29. The nail salon located in The Boro is taking customers by appointment only. 

“We’ve been pretty impacted by the shutdown because we’re a personal-care business,” said Emily Tran, the owner of Tysons Nail Salon. “Since we opened, business has picked up a lot. Customers feel safe.”

While most of Virginia reopened on May 15, localities in Northern Virginia requested extra time “to meet the health metrics,” according to Gov. Ralph Northam. After granting the delay, Northern Virginia finally entered Phase 1 on Friday. Previously, Virginia had been under a stay-at-home order since March 30 due to the coronavirus and is now under a safer-at-home directive. 

Tysons Nail Lounge is taking precautions to make sure their customers feel safe. Customers are required to wear masks — if they don’t own one, the salon will provide disposable masks, according to Tran.

Additionally, the salon is taking customer temperatures at the door with a no-touch thermometer while also requiring their employees to take their temperature prior to each shift. Plexiglass sneeze guards have been installed at each station and are designed with a slot for customers to slide their hands through. 

“Our goal is to keep customers and staff healthy with maximum sanitation and disinfection procedures. We are taking necessary precautions so customers feel safe,” said Tran. 

Tysons Nail Lounge is a relatively new business. The salon made its grand opening in January of this year after a few months of delays from their original opening that was slated for November 2019. Their services include manicure and pedicure services, waxing, massages and more, according to their website, which also provides an extensive breakdown of how they plan to keep their patrons safe. 

“We are very happy we’re open again. Customers have been in quarantine for a while and are more than joyful that we’re open,” Tran said. “We’re prepared, and we’re definitely ready to take on customer demands.”

Photo courtesy of Tysons Nail Lounge