Tysons may not have the liveliest nightlife at the moment, but that could soon change as more late-night restaurants and places to hang out open. “Tysons After Dark” will highlight a different spot every week.

Showplace Icon doesn’t officially open until March 6, but the new theater in Tysons is offering free movies starting today before its grand opening.

Earlier this week, Tysons Reporter got a tour of the 72,000-square-foot theater (1667 Silver Hill Drive) in The Boro development near the Greensboro Metro station.

The theater has 14 auditoriums ranging in size with seating for 1,795 people. Inside the auditoriums, the recliners turn into love seats when the armrest is up and people can warm up with the seat heaters.

The theaters are split between two floors. Along the hallways, movie-goers can spot posters of films from 1963 — the same year the Leesburg Pike and Route 123 interchange contract was awarded, morphing the country crossroads into an urban area.

People can dine at the ICON Bistro and The Lobby Lounge and bring food, like bacon popcorn, into the auditoriums.

A spokesperson for the theater told Tysons Reporter that the goal with the dining options is to appeal to non-movie-goers as well.

During the theater’s soft opening from today (Friday, Feb. 28) until Wednesday (March 4), people who are Extra Club Members — a free membership available online — will be able to watch free movies with free popcorn and drinks. (There’s also a paid membership option as well for people who want more perks.)

The movies on the big screen for Friday-Sunday include:

• “Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey”
• “1917”
• “The Gentlemen”
• “Little Women”
• “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker”
• “Frozen 2”
• “Jumanji: The Next Level”
• “Knives Out”
• “Ford v. Ferrari”
• “Uncut Gems”
• “Just Mercy”
• “Dolittle”

Tickets are available an hour before each movie and must be reserved in person, according to the theater’s website.

This will be the movie theater chain’s seventh location, according to a press release.

Two school buses were recently vandalized at the Vienna Elementary School, police said.

According to the police report, the buses were in the school’s parking lot when someone vandalized them.

One bus had a broken window and honey mustard packets thrown at it, Juan Vazquez, a spokesperson for the Vienna Police Department, told Tysons Reporter.

The incident occurred sometime between 5:30 p.m. on Feb. 21 and 6:20 a.m. on Feb. 24.

Vazquez said that the damage is roughly $375 and that the case is inactive.

Image via Google Maps

A McLean man linked to a neo-Nazi group has been sentenced for possessing firearms as a drug user and lying to buy a semiautomatic rifle.

Andrew Thomasberg, a 21-year-old who is a member of the Atomwaffen Division, purchased a semiautomatic rifle for a third party, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia.

“He transferred that firearm to that third party after purchasing it,” the press release said. “Thomasberg also possessed at least four firearms while unlawfully using controlled substances, including marijuana, psilocybin mushrooms and opium.”

Thomasberg pleaded guilty in November to possessing firearms while being an unlawful drug user and making a false statement in order to illegally purchase a firearm

The U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia announced today that he was sentenced to one year in prison.

More from the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia:

According to court documents and testimony, Thomasberg, who has a prior criminal conviction for a dangerous firearms offense, was associated with white supremacist organizations, such as Vanguard America, Atomwaffen Division, and Patriot Front.

In text message communications, while Thomasberg possessed firearms and was a regular drug user, he glorified racially motivated violence and referred to mass shooters as “saints.”

Additionally, Thomasberg informed law enforcement that only one day before he was arrested, he had submitted an application to join Patriot Front. Patriot Front is “a white supremacist group whose members maintain that their ancestors conquered America and bequeathed it to them alone.”

Photo via Joe Gratz/Flickr

People craving a sweet treat in Vienna will have the option to pick up a snack at the upcoming location for Crumbl Cookies.

Though the chain hasn’t released details about when it will open or its exact location, a spokesperson confirmed that details will be available on social media within the coming months.

Currently, Crumbl Cookies has 69 locations across the country where people can enjoy a weekly rotating menu consisting of six different cookies, according to the company’s website, which added that the company also offers delivery and catering services. No locations are currently listed for Virginia.

Crumbl Cookies is currently hiring a manager for the Vienna location. The job posting can be found on Indeed.

Photo via Crumbl Cookie/Facebook

A cafe proposed along Leesburg Pike wants to add a late-night option to Tysons’ growing food scene and after-hours options.

The cafe would occupy the main level of a two-story building at 7787 Leesburg Pike, according to county documents. The restaurant would be open from 11:30 a.m.-1:30 a.m. every day, according to the proposal.

The site, which used to house a United Bank branch, is in the southeast corner of the Leesburg Pike and I-495 interchange and north of George Marshall High School. It is located within Tysons’ East Side neighborhood.

According to the plans, the site provides 36 parking spaces, with the cafe expecting to use 20 of those spots.

“Since most of the use of the restaurant will be during the evening hours, then the main operation hours will be outside the peak (rush) traffic flow for the area,” the applicant said. “It is not anticipated to change the overall traffic level for the existing Leesburg Pike.”

The county’s Planning Commission is set to consider the proposed restaurant in late June.

Image via Google Maps 

Former New York City mayor and presidential candidate Mike Bloomberg is set to make an appearance in Tysons tomorrow (Saturday) morning.

Bloomberg plans to participate in the Women for Mike get-out-the-vote event ahead of the March 3 Super Tuesday primary in Virginia.

The event is set to take place at 9 a.m. at the Hilton McLean Tysons Corner (7920 Jones Branch Drive), according to a press release. Doors will open at 8 a.m.

After the event, supporters plan to knock on doors for Bloomberg’s campaign.

“This will be Mike’s seventh trip to Virginia since launching his presidential campaign,” the press release says.

Happy Friday! Here are the latest stories about the Tysons area that the Tysons Reporter team has been reading:

Tysons Auto Group to Offer Luxury Hybrid Speedsters — “Tysons-based Exclusive Automotive Group has since updated its plans to include sales and service of both Karma Automotive and Koenigsegg vehicles. This will be the first presence for both in the D.C. area.” [Washington Business Journal]

Affordable Housing Spike Expected — “Fairfax County could soon more than double funding for its affordable housing loan program, with local leaders starting work on a new budget that would offer up more than $45.7 million to power affordable development.” [Washington Business Journal]

McLean Falls on Richest U.S. Places List — “The next Virginia town on the list was McLean at 30 with an average household income of $293,323. McLean fell from 25th place last year, although its average income rose from $283,992… Rounding out Virginia towns on the list was Wolf Trap at 47, down from 42 in last year’s ranking. The average household income increased from $261,610 to $265,175.” [Patch]

Falls Church Concerned About Upcoming Metro Parking Closure — “Falls Church’s Assistant City Manager Cindy Mester will be on an urgent conference call with WMATA officials and her counterparts in Arlington and Fairfax Friday in an effort to mitigate the impact on neighborhoods in the City of Falls Church of WMATA’s plans, announced less than two weeks ago, to close the parking lots at the East and West Falls Church Metro stations months ahead of the closing of the stations for platform repairs over the summer.” [Falls Church News-Press]

Thank you for sharing these great pictures with us. We recently had a local Daisy Troop tour the Vienna Police Station. We are glad the children had a wonderful time and also learned about police work. @TownofViennaVA @fcpsnews pic.twitter.com/cEHkZWSKbh

— Town of Vienna Police (@VPDVA) February 28, 2020

Updated 2/28/2020 — Adds number of polling places in schools.

Students at Fairfax County’s public schools will get to stay home on March 3 for Super Tuesday.

Large crowds are expected to turn out for the primary election in Virginia. Brian Worthy, a spokesperson for the county, said that 167 polling places will be in the schools for voters casting their ballots for the Democratic presidential nomination.

Some of those polling spots will be at public schools, including George Marshall High School in Falls Church and Langley High School in McLean.

The county’s school board voted last spring to make Super Tuesday a student holiday for the 2019-2020 school year.

While students will have the day off, staff will still need to report to the schools, Lucy Caldwell, an FCPS spokesperson, said.

Eligible voters can find their polling location on the Virginia Department of Elections website or the My Neighborhood App.

In the spring, Vienna and Herndon want locals to take part in a biking and walking event featuring raffle tickets for prizes.

“Caboose to Caboose,” which will take place early May, aims to encourage people to shop, dine and explore their town and the other one. The towns want people to go from caboose to caboose — Vienna’s is at 234 Dominion Road, while Herndon’s is at 777 Lynn Street.

The total roundtrip distance is 16.6 miles, and people who don’t want to make the whole trip can stop halfway if they want, the flyer says.

Google estimates that the bike ride one-way takes 50 minutes, while walking would take roughly three hours on the Washington and Old Dominion Trail.

The towns’ parks and recreation departments came up with the idea during a meeting in October, Amy-Jo Hendrix, who works in Vienna’s parks and recreation department, told Tysons Reporter.

Participating restaurants and businesses in both towns will give out raffle tickets during the event. Brandy Wyatt, another employee in Vienna’s parks and recreation department, said that all of the raffle tickets will be mixed together.

“There are a variety of things that are on the raffle,” Wyatt said, adding that people can expect the prizes to include store gift cards and sports tickets.

The first 200 registered participants will receive a t-shirt representing their town — blue for Vienna and red for Herndon, according to the website. The town that gets the most people to register for the event will win the “Mayors Cup.”

“I want to win!” Mayor Laurie DiRocco enthusiastically told attendees at the Vienna Business Association’s event last week.

Admission is $10 for people ages 15 or under and $18 for people ages 16 and older. People interested in participating can contact Vienna’s parks and recreation department at 703-255-6360.

The event will take place rain or shine on Saturday, May 2, between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m.

Photo via Lisa Emrich/Facebook

Fairfax County’s public schools are preparing for a potential outbreak of the coronavirus.

In a message sent to parents and staff Wednesday evening, FCPS Superintendent Scott Brabrand said the school system is reviewing and revising its existing flu response plan to respond to the coronavirus. Currently, there are no confirmed cases in the county.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention directed school officials, childcare centers and workplaces to prepare for a possible outbreak.

Here’s more from Brabrand’s letter:

The plan is dynamic and sections will be revised and updated as new information becomes available. FCPS’s response plan addresses the specific activities necessary to keep schools open and operating while providing a clean and safe environment during an outbreak and the essential functions that must be performed by FCPS, if schools are closed.

Other variations of these scenarios could also be considered.  While the full impact of an outbreak cannot be predicted, planning for operations under such conditions can mitigate the impact of the event on our staff, facilities and mission. 

We recognize the growing concern about the possible spread of coronavirus to our region. To date, we have cancelled international field trips and short-term visitations to and from some countries, based on CDC guidelines. We have also updated our web page and will continue to work closely with health officials and monitor this evolving situation. Additional information is available at this link: https://www.fcps.edu/news/coronavirus-update. This link will be updated as we receive new information.

As a reminder, common cold and flu viruses are not unusual during the winter season. Precautions are recommended. We ask that everyone do their part to stay healthy. Wash hands frequently, monitor your health, and stay home when ill.

FCPS recently suspended international field trips and short-term visits to and from countries flagged by the CDC. The temporary suspension is valid through June 30.

Governments around the world are ramping up measures to battle what could be a looming global pandemic. So far, the virus has infected more than 80,000 people and killed nearly 2,800 individuals.

“FCPS will continue to monitor recommendations and information from the CDC and make any necessary changes based on updated information,” according to FCPS.

Additionally, the Fairfax County Health Department is working with FCPS, along with federal, state and local public health and safety partners, FCPS said.

This story was written by Fatimah Waseem and Catherine Douglas Moran. It also appeared on our sister site Reston Now.