There’s a birthday party in the works for Tysons’ biggest nightlife spot, and you’re invited.
Tysons Biergarten is celebrating its third birthday and a year that has marked a number of changes for the bar with more on the way. Registration is available online.
The celebration is set for Saturday, July 20, from noon to 1:58 a.m. at the Biergarten (8346 Leesburg Pike).
According to the Facebook post:
We will be looking back on all the good times that wouldn’t be possible without you! We will have vendors, food, live music, games, and of course beer! Not to mention we will also be doing a free festival to help celebrate our birthday! Our third anniversary only happens once in our lifetime so make sure you don’t miss it!
Events at the party include a stein-hoisting contest and free giveaways.
While the upstairs is still the German beer-hall scene the brand was built on, the Biergarten recently converted the long tables downstairs into the Room 7 speakeasy — featuring a dress code and rotating music selection with a particular focus on international themes.
Tysons Biergarten had originally been planned to fill the space until nearby developments came online. But while The Boro is close to opening, Biergarten owner Matt Rofougaran said his restaurant is slated to stay in their location at least through the end of the year.
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!
Tuesday (July 16)
- Weird Al Yankovic with National Symphony Orchestra — 8-11 p.m. at Wolf Trap (1551 Trap Road) — Grammy-award winning parody artist Weird Al Yankovic will be performing at Wolf Trap with the National Symphony Orchestra. Tickets are $40 with roughly 100 remaining.
Wednesday (July 17)
- Pizza for Pets — 11 a.m.-10 p.m. at Ledo Pizza (141 Park Street SE) — All day in Vienna, 10 percent of the proceeds from any purchase at Ledo Pizza will go to supporting the nonprofit Frankie’s Friends and Hope Advanced Veterinary Center.
- Mars and Whisky — 6-9 p.m. at Inca Social (2670 Avenir Place) — The recently opened Inca Social in Merrifield is hosting a book talk with Ancient Aliens guest George Haas, who is the co-author of The Cydonia Codex: Reflections From Mars. The book talk will be followed by a Catoctin Creek Rye whiskey tasting and raffle.
- “Princess Mononoke” — 7 p.m. at Angelika Film Center (2911 District Avenue) — Angelika in the Mosaic District is hosting a screening of the 1997 Studio Ghibli classic “Princess Mononoke.” Tickets are $14.50. The Wednesday show is in Japanese with English subtitles, while the Thursday screening is the English dub.
Thursday (July 18)
- Virginia Tire and Auto Grand Opening — 5-7 p.m. at Virginia Tire and Auto (141 W. Maple Avenue) — The recently opened Virginia Tire and Auto is hosting a celebration featuring autographs from Washington Redskins player Ryan Kerrigan. Free food, drinks and activities will also be provided.
- Sheryl Crow at Wolf Trap — 8-11 p.m. at Wolf Trap (1551 Trap Road) — “Soak Up the Sun” country-rock artist Sheryl Crow is performing at Wolf Trap. Tickets are $45 and the only ones left are on the lawn, so attendees are encouraged to get them quickly.
Friday (July 19)
- Silhouette Artist at Mosaic District — by appointment at Wee Chic (2905 District Avenue, Suite 120) — Childrens’ clothing boutique Wee Chic will have silhouette artist Keith Donaldson at the store to create hand-cut artwork. Appointments are required and kids of all ages are welcome. Two matted copies are $40 and additional copies of the same child are $10.
Sunday (July 21)
- Woman’s Flat Tire Repair Class — 9-11 a.m. at REI (8209 Watson Street) — REI is hosting a flat tire repair class specifically for female cyclists. The class is aimed at teaching women everything they need to know to change a tire and reduce the chances of a repeat flat. Attendees are invited to bring their own busted tire or work on one provided by REI.
Image via Amazon
The shopping center near Walmart is finally starting to come together.
According to a contractor working at the scene, construction on the initial buildings of Tysons West Phase III is expected to wrap up within the next month or so.
There are four buildings under construction between the Walmart and Leesburg Pike just west of the Spring Hill Metro station.
In contrast to the towering heights planned to the east, the offerings at Tysons West Phase III are more typical of strip malls like the Pike 7 Plaza a few blocks south. The new shopping is set to include a Smoothie King, Jersey Mike’s, COX and Dunkin’ Donuts.
The contractor said construction at the retail buildings closest to the Walmart was going to be the soonest to open, while the two closer to Leesburg Pike will open later.
The opening is slightly later than the spring opening.
Fresh off a first-place win at the North America International Championships, McLean resident Wolfe Glick is headed to the 2019 Pokémon World Championships in D.C. next month.
Glick took the first place in the video game division in a national championship tournament in June, winning part of a $250,000 pot in scholarships and prizes.
According to a press release from The Pokémon Company International, the tournament will be invite-only with attendees from over 35 countries vying for a series of prizes August 16-18 in the Walter E. Washington Convention Center (801 Mount Vernon Place NW).
Glick says Pokémon is still a fun hobby rather than a job or sport, and he plays mostly to keep in touch with friends.
“I started playingPokémon competitively back in 2011 when there was a local tournament in the Washington D.C. area,” Glick said in an email. “I’ve kept competing all these years primarily because if I were to stop I would have a harder time seeing the friends I’ve made over the years through the game.”
There were a few tense moments for Glick at the most recent match. He noted that there were a few close calls, but he managed to pull through.
“I’m very excited for the World Championships and hope to do well,” Glick said.
Photo via The Pokémon Company
Update on 7/10/19 — Both lanes of Kirby Road from Dolley Madison Blvd. to Claiborne Drive are open, but traffic barriers have been set up past that, according to information from the Fairfax County Office of Emergency Management and forwarded by Dranesville District Supervisor John Foust.
Earlier: Severe weather damage will keep Kirby Road closed in McLean to through-traffic for the foreseeable future.
The road runs from Dolley Madison Blvd near the George Washington Memorial Parkway down to Great Falls Street. But flooding at Pimmit Run from storms yesterday means that while residents in the area are able to access their homes, the route no longer connects Dolley Madison Blvd to Old Dominion Drive.
Kirby Update: Crews cleared more debris for access. But as you can see, the road will be closed for some time. We added more layers of barricades 🚧 to keep people from going around the barriers to walk/bike on the damaged road. Huge thanks to @FairfaxCountyPD for their support! pic.twitter.com/xdHFY8KZuL
— VDOT Northern VA (@VaDOTNOVA) July 9, 2019
“We have no specific timeline, but it will be weeks,” Ellen Kamilakis, a spokesperson for the Virginia Department of Transportation, told Tysons Reporter. “The water tore right through the road [and] exposed the area underneath all the way.”
RT @FairfaxCountyPD: The 1300 block of Kirby Road in McLean suffered extensive damage due to today’s storm. It will be closed for significant time until the damage can be assessed and repaired. #FCPD #FairfaxCounty #TurnAroundDontDrown pic.twitter.com/VeV7ILqmDZ
— Fairfax County Fire/Rescue (@ffxfirerescue) July 8, 2019
Part of the upper asphalt is visible carved away by the storm, but Kamilakis said the damage underneath is so extensive that the road would not be able to support the weight of a car. Kamilakis said the road will require complete reconstruction — and a review of whether the road needs stormwater upgrades.
Earlier today (Tuesday) traffic on the road was stopped near Dolley Madison Blvd as the crew worked to finish clearing a debris-cluttered bridge, but Kamilakis said the closure will be tightened up to just the area immediately surrounding the broken section of the road.
Kamilakis said the cleaning crews had been working overnight to clear away the debris, and the VDOT Twitter noted that the efforts were rewarded by one local man who brought water to the workers.
KINDNESS MATTERS: Crews have been working on Kirby since last PM. This nice resident brought our crews water. This def makes up for a couple residents who were (unfortunately) not so kind about us not letting them walk across a washed out road. PLEASE don’t cross our barriers! pic.twitter.com/Q1iTPDqoIQ
— VDOT Northern VA (@VaDOTNOVA) July 9, 2019
Those trying to get from northern McLean to areas near Arlington will either have to go thrown “downtown” McLean or go further east to Glebe Road.
A significant section of Kirby Road between Chesterbrook Road and 123 is closed. Drivers should avoid Kirby in this area if possible.
VDOT crews will be working to make repairs to the road overnight and emergency personnel are on-site to escort residents to their homes. #McLean
— John Foust (@johnfoustva) July 8, 2019
It might not be the national holiday from the week before, but National Free Slurpee Day is coming up on Thursday, July 11.
The event is 7-Eleven’s celebration of its unofficial birthday. Stopping by a 7-Eleven between 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. will allow the visitor to receive a free 12 oz Slurpee while supplies last.
Below, Tysons Reporter has put together a map of 7-Elevens around the Tysons area to stop by for a free Slurpee. Also, stay tuned for more information on the new 7-Eleven planned at Tysons Corner Center this fall.
If you get a brain freeze from your Slurpee, National Day Calendar advises you to press your tongue against the roof of your mouth, cover your nose and mouth with your hand, and breathe through your nose — allowing warmer air to circulate through your sinus passages.
Tysons:
McLean:
Vienna:
Merrifield:
The Friends of Claude Moore Colonial Farm want the McLean park to be maintained as an olden-style farm, but they’re starting to recognize that they might not be the ones to do that.
In a press release, the group said that the National Park Service offered to take ownership of buildings remaining on the property and built by volunteers, but the group is holding out in hopes that another volunteer organization can step up and take ownership of the buildings.
The Friends of Claude Moore Colonial Farm was forced off the property last year when a long-running dispute over oversight resulted in the NPS reclaiming management of the property and telling the operators of the colonial farm to leave.
Since then, the Friends of Claude Moore Colonial Farm have been in the process of removing the farm equipment and dismantling the buildings.
“It is the Friends’ wish that these structures, valued at nearly $1.8 million and delineated below, be preserved for any future group seeking to revive the Farm at that site,” the group said in a press release. “The Friends would donate these structures to that group. The Friends are asking for input from the community on this issue and also asking them to contact the National Park Service directly about this.”
One of the buildings at the site was built with federal funding and belongs to the park service. Other structures, however, were built by The Friends of Claude Moore Colonial Farm.
The National Park Service is currently in the process of deciding what to do with the property. There are a wide variety of options proposed, maintaining the farm as a colonial style recreation is one of those being considered. Now, Friends of Claude Moore Farm is hoping to use the existing buildings to help sway the public, and the NPS, toward that option.
According to the press release:
Other structures, such as the Pavilions, the Farm House, the Environmental Learning Center, the Blacksmith Shop, the Facilities Barn, Book Shop, greenhouses, livestock and storage buildings, Market Fair Grounds, Caretaker’s cottage and the Gate House were built entirely with non-federal resources, materials and volunteer labor.
The Park Service has asked us to demolish and remove some of the structures, such as the Market Fair stands, and asked us to donate to the Park Service other structures perceived as potentially more valuable. In previous public statements and correspondence, the Park Service has stated that the Farm could re-open under new management and under their rules; and we believe that these structures, which were an integral part of the life of the Farm for many years, would be useful to any future groups seeking to revive the Farm. The value of these structures funded and built by the Friends is almost $1.8 million as shown on our 2017 IRS Form 990.
It took us a year to get the Park Service to recognize the value of the physical contributions to the Farm made by donors and volunteers, and now we are reluctant to do as the Park Service asks without the input of volunteers and the community, and we urge everyone to make their views known about the future of the Farm, and its buildings and facilities.
The group also announced in the press release that they would be rebranding as Colonial Markets and Colonial Fairs, Inc. While the organization is currently without a permanent home, the press release noted that the group hopes to continue operating colonial farms and markets in Virginia.
Local bazaar Thieves Market Antiques is pulling out of McLean and moving back to Old Town Alexandria.
Today (Tuesday) is the last day the store in McLean (6811 Old Dominion Drive) is open. By 11 a.m., much of the store’s merchandise had already been moved outside into a truck.
Cap Cohen, the owner of Thieves Market, said new developments are planned for the small shopping center where the store had been located and so he decided it was time to move.
“It’s been wonderful in McLean,” Cohen said. “A lot of good people. It’s been great here.”
The move back to Alexandria is something of a homecoming for the store. The store has hopped around from place to place across Northern Virginia since it was founded in 1952 and for several years, the store was located in Alexandria.
No specific location has been chosen, Cohen said they are currently deciding between two, but he said they are looking to open in around eight to 12 weeks — after giving the employees a little vacation first.
Years ago, there was a stinkbug invasion at a farm in Vienna. They were a source of concern for everyone on the farm except Clarene Vickery, who turned catching and collecting the bugs into a game for her children.
Ray Vickery Jr. remembered his mother, who died last Wednesday (June 26) at the age of 101, as a woman who could turn challenges into fun opportunities.
“She was a real life force,” Ray said. “She was able to meet and overcome problems.”
Clarene founded the Parkwood School in Vienna in 1956 and — over her 64 years as director and owner — helped teach more than 10,000 students. Ray said his mother founded the school at a time when there was no public kindergarten in Virginia and education for young children wasn’t seen as a priority.
“She started Parkwood in our living room,” he said. “She was still running the school months before her passing.”
Ray said his mother loved working with children and was able to communicate with them on a personal level.
In addition to her time running Parkwood School, Clarene was a founder of the Virginia Association of Early Childhood Education and a founding member of Providence Baptist Church in Tysons. In recent years, Clarene received recognition from a variety of public officials and a formal resolution commending her life work from the Virginia General Assembly, where her son Ray was once a member.
“She taught us it’s really important to value people for themselves, not for status or money,” said Ray.
When she wasn’t teaching, Ray said his mother liked to drive. She would take long solo trips back to Mississippi, where she was born. When she was too old to drive safely, Ray said she would take the car to the church parking lot and drive around “just to keep her hand on the wheel.”
A service will be held at Vienna Baptist Church (541 Marshall Road SW) at noon today (Tuesday). Clarene will be buried in Arlington National Cemetery with her husband.
“She appreciated that there was still a small town atmosphere [in Vienna],” Ray said. “She wanted to maintain that person to person connection.”
Photo via Mark Keam/Facebook
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!
Monday (July 1)
- Laughs in The Lobby Bar — 5-8 p.m. at The Lobby Bar (227 E. Maple Avenue) — A free comedy open mic will take place at the bar in Jammin’ Java.
Tuesday (July 2)
- “The Cat Returns” — 7 p.m. at Angelika Film Center & Café at Mosaic (2911 District Avenue) — The anime movie follows a schoolgirl’s journey into a feline world. Tickets cost $14.50.
Wednesday (July 3)
- Women’s World Cup — 3-5 p.m. at Strawberry Park (2910 District Avenue) — People can watch the semifinal game featuring Netherlands vs. Sweden for free starting at 3 p.m. in the park in the Mosaic District.
- Jackson Browne — 8 p.m. at the Filene Center (1551 Trap Road) — The singer-songwriter from the 1970s is coming to Wolf Trap. Tickets start at $45.
Saturday (July 6)
- Help Meow-t! Cat Adoption — 1-4 p.m. at Loyal Companion (2905 District Avenue) — The Lost Dog and Cat Rescue Foundation is hosting an on-the-spot cat adoption event.
- Sean Chuyn at Caboose Commons — 1-4 p.m. at Caboose Commons (2918 Eskridge Road) — D.C.-area musician Sean Chuyn will perform live music at the beer garden and coffee house.
- Athena Styles Patio Pop Up — 9 a.m.-1 p.m. at Famille (700A W. Broad Street) — Outside on the Famille patio, an Athena Styles pop-up shop will sell handmade jewelry, accessories and gifts.
Sunday (July 7)
- Summer Sunday Concerts in the Park with Dupont Brass — 5 p.m. at the McLean Central Park Gazebo (1468 Dolley Madison Blvd) — The free concert series continues with a “new” brass band playing everything from songs by Miles Davis to Jay-Z. Free parking will be at the McLean Community Center or the Dolley Madison Library.
- Josh Groban — 8 p.m. at the Filene Center (1551 Trap Road) — The singer, songwriter and actor is coming to Wolf Trap during his Bridges Tour. Tickets start at $42.
- AIR [An Outdoor Experience] — 8-11 p.m. at Tysons Biergarten (8346 Leesburg Pike) — Every Sunday this summer, the beer hall has dancing, DJing, food, hookah and drinks. Tickets cost $5 for early bird registration or $10 at the door.
Last week, Tysons Reporter rounded up a list of local Fourth of July events.
Photo via Sean Chuyn Music/Facebook
