Now that Thanksgiving is over, many people are beginning to put up holiday decorations — including Christmas trees.
There are several places around the Tysons area that carry a variety of tree types to fit the needs of decorators.
McLean
Saint John’s Academy is hosting a Christmas tree sale for people who want their purchase to benefit a good cause. Until Dec. 22, Saint John the Beloved Catholic Church (6420 Linway Terrace) will be selling trees Wednesday through Friday from 4 to 7 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. until 7 p.m.
Tree prices start at $50. Garland and wreaths will also be available. All proceeds will benefit students at the church’s school, according to the website.
The Trinity United Methodist Church (1205 Dolley Madison Blvd) will also be selling trees. Hours of operation are Thursdays and Fridays from 5 to 7:30 p.m., Saturdays from 9 a.m. until 7 p.m. and Sundays from 12 until 6 p.m. Proceeds from this sale will benefit the church’s youth group and Boy Scout Troop 869.
Merrifield
The Merrifield Garden Center (8132 Lee Hwy) offers shoppers eight different types of Christmas trees, including Scotch Pine, White Pine, Blue Spruce, Douglas Fir, Nobile Spruce, Turkish Fir and Fraiser Fir as well as artificial trees.
The center is open seven days a week from 8 a.m. until 7 p.m. The store also has locations in Fair Oaks and Gainsville, according to the website.
The Home Depot in Merrifield (2815 Merrilee Drive) has a selection of fake trees that customers can pick up at the store or order online for home delivery. Though they do not have live trees available at individual stores, they will ship them for free from a storage warehouse for free, according to the website.
Photo via Annie Spratt/Unsplash
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 (Dec. 3)
- Give a Little, Get a Snuggle — 4:30 until 7 p.m. at BrandBox in Tysons Corner Center — This event will allow people to play with adoptable puppies, that are all up for adoption. A $5 donation will go to the Wolf Trap Animal Rescue League and animals in need.
- Holiday Happy Hour — 6 to 8 p.m. at Urbanspace Tysons (2001 International Drive) — This free event offers snacks and drinks to attendees while they can take part in a meet and greet with Justin Schuble of @dcfoodporn. Tickets are expected to run out so people should reserve them beforehand.
Thursday (Dec. 5)
- Native Seed Swap — 7:30 p.m. at the Vienna Community Center (120 Cherry Street SE) — This event allows community members to exchange seeds from native plants and listen to a talk from botanist Jay Lechtman. Even people without seeds are welcome to come and participate in this free event.
Friday (Dec. 6)
- Make Your Own Wreath and Bath Bomb — 9 until 11 a.m. at LUSH (1961 Chain Bridge Road, Unit #G7U) — Guests can create their own bath bomb and holiday wreath at this community event. Tickets are $75 and participants should register beforehand.
Saturday (Dec. 7)
- Local for the Holidays — 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. at Whole Foods Market (1635 Boro Place) — Whole Foods is hosting a pop-up that allows visitors to check out local products. This free event will feature music by Brendan Schnabel Music and free gift wrapping.
- Wakefield Park Holiday Art and Craft Show — 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. at the Vienna Community Center (120 Cherry Street SE) — This event will feature crafts. Admission is $2 for adults and free for kids under age 12.
Sunday (Dec. 8)
- Wonderland of Wishes — noon to 2 p.m. at The Ritz-Carlton (1700 Tysons Blvd) — This fundraiser will benefit the Make-A-Wish® Foundation — Mid-Atlantic. Guests can enjoy food and drink while watching models introduce the latest Lilly Pulitzer styles. There will also be raffles and giveaways. Tickets start at $150 for adults.
Photo via Photo by Duffy Brook/Unsplash
After kicking its new season off by exploring generational divides, 1st Stage Theatre in Tysons has a comedy opening this week about an air guitar competition.
“Airness” will delve into a woman’s journey when she enters an air guitar competition and befriends a group of nerds, according to the theater’s description of the show.
The show, which is a regional premiere co-production with D.C.-based Keegan Theatre, starts on Thursday (Dec. 5) and runs until Dec. 29.
Performances for “Airness” are:
- Thursdays — 7:30 p.m.
- Fridays — 8 p.m.
- Saturdays — 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.
- Sundays — 2 p.m.
General admission tickets are $42 or $39 for seniors. Students and military tickets are $15.
The McLean Project for the Arts will unveil its latest exhibition on Thursday (Dec. 5).
The latest set of art will feature Eve Stockton with “Origin Stories” in the Emerson Gallery and “Replay and Reshuffle” by Kyujin Lee in the Atrium Gallery, which are both located at the McLean Community Center.
The works will be available for public viewing beginning Thursday at a reception from 6:30-8:30 p.m. in the McLean Community Center (1234 Ingleside Avenue). Attendees may RSVP if they wish to attend the opening event.
Born in Ohio and now an Alexandria resident, Stockton is known for her wooden prints and stone sculptures, while Lee chooses paint as a primary medium, according to the events page.
“Her prints are nature/science-based and have been exhibited at the National Academy of Science,” according to her website.
Lee was born in South Korea and is now based in D.C. Lee’s works have been displayed across the country, according to the artist’s website.
“Lee draws on the world of fairy tale to compose paintings exploring dreams, identity and personal transformation,” according to a press release from MPA.
Admission to the gallery is free, and the works will be on display until Feb. 29, 2020.
Images courtesy McLean Project for the Arts
The City of Falls Church is hosting its annual tree lighting ceremony tonight (Dec. 2).
The celebration will take place at Mr. Brown’s Park (100 W Broad Street)at 6 p.m. and last for an hour. Attendees can expect an appearance from Santa, according to the event page, which added that local businesses will also participate.
This event is free and attendees can park on the street, the Kaiser-Permanente garage and the George Mason Square garage, according to the city’s website.
Attendees are also welcome to attend the Falls Church City Council work session at 7:30 p.m. in City Hall (300 Park Avenue) following the ceremony.
Photo via Jason Leung/Unsplash
Vienna Consulting Firm Acquired — “RyanSharkey LLP, an accounting and consulting firm in Vienna, will become part of Charlotte, North Carolina-based Dixon Hughes Goodman LLP (DHG) as of Dec. 1.” [Virginia Business]
W&OD Trail Face Lift in Falls Church — “The scenic Washington & Old Dominion Trail that courses through the City of Falls Church is undergoing a serious facelift, with a host of benefits expected to boost the city’s transportation infrastructure and the region’s environment when the project is completed by the fall of 2020.” [Falls Church News-Press]
FCPS Scores High on Environmental Ranking — “Fairfax County Public Schools has earned “Platinum” status in the Virginia School Board Association’s “Green Schools Challenge” for 2019.” [Inside NoVa]
Tysons Office Sold For $80 Million — “A six-story Tysons office building has sold for $80.5 million, roughly three times what it sold for just four years ago… Northridge Capital and partner KAMCO Investment Co., a Kuwaiti-based investment firm, has acquired 1550 Westbranch Drive.” [Washington Business Journal]
Both Tysons malls have extended their hours for Black Friday (Nov. 29).
Shoppers looking to score deals right away can head to Tysons Corner Center to start shopping right after their Thanksgiving celebrations. The mall plans to be open on Thanksgiving from 6 p.m. to midnight and then close at 10 p.m. on Friday.
Shoppers can stop by the mall’s concierge desk on The Plaza Concourse between Victoria’s Secret and Zara for free beverages from Nespresso. People who spend $200 or more can bring their receipts to the concierge desk to get select a gift from Santa’s Gift Bag from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Here are some of the many stores in the mall offering Black Friday deals, according to the mall’s website:
- Aldo: “everything is on sale” until Dec. 3
- Crate and Barrel: 20%-30% off storewide until Dec. 2
- Guess: 40% off entire store from Thursday (Nov. 28) to Dec. 3
Over at Tysons Galleria, the mall be closed on Thanksgiving and open for Black Friday from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Some of the Black Friday deals at the mall, according to its website, include 30% off the fall/winter collection until Dec. 2 at Ba&sh and various deals available through Dec. 1 at Williams-Sonoma.
Thanksgiving is tomorrow (Thursday). For people in the Tysons area, some government facilities will be closed and public transit options will be operating on modified schedules.
Here’s a list of public services that will be affected by Thanksgiving and Black Friday.
County-wide
- Fairfax County government offices will be closed Thanksgiving and Friday.
- Public libraries run by Fairfax County will be closed Thanksgiving and Friday.
- Fairfax County Public Schools are on break from today (Wednesday, Nov. 27) to Friday.
- The Metrobus and Metrorail will run on holiday schedules for Thanksgiving and resume typical service on Friday.
- The Fairfax Connector will operate Sunday service on Thanksgiving Day and holiday weekday service on Friday.
- United States Postal Service offices will be closed on Thanksgiving.
Vienna
- The Vienna Community Center will be open on Friday (Nov. 29) from 7 a.m. until 9 p.m.
- The Town of Vienna’s government offices will be closed Thanksgiving and Friday.
McLean
- The McLean Community Center will be closed Thanksgiving and Black Friday.
Falls Church
- The City of Falls Church’s government offices and buildings, the community center and the Mary Riley Styles Public Library will be closed Thanksgiving and Black Friday.
- Falls Church Community Center will be closed Thanksgiving and open from 8:30 a.m.-11 p.m. on Friday.
Speaking of closed offices, Tysons Reporter will be on a break as well on Thursday and Friday.
Upcoming in December, Wolf Trap is selling tickets for three performances — two of which are Christmas-themed.
The month kicks off on Sunday (Dec. 1) with Jeffrey Kahane, a piano player who will perform “Chamber Music at The Barns.” Doors open at 1:30 p.m. and the concert begins around 3 p.m. at The Barns (1635 Trap Road). Tickets are $42.
Ronnie Spector and The Ronettes will take the stage on Thursday (Dec. 5) and Friday (Dec. 6) at 8 p.m. at The Barns with the “Best Christmas Party Ever.” Tickets are $52 and doors open at 6:30 p.m.
Eileen Ivers will give both a matinee performance of “A Joyful Christmas” at 3 p.m. and an evening performance at 8 p.m. on Saturday (Dec. 7). Tickets start at $29 and both events will take place in The Barns.
Finally, the “Wolf Trap Holiday Sing-Along” at 3 p.m. on Dec. 7 will wrap up the season at the Filene Center (1551 Trap Road). The free tickets are currently sold out, according to the website.
Photo via Eileen Ivers/Facebook
Just a few weeks after opening a new store in Tysons, Whole Foods is gearing up to come to the City of Falls Church.
The grocery chain signed a lease in early November to anchor the redevelopment of the corner of E. Broad and N. Washington streets, Falls Church News-Press reported.
The upcoming 50,000-square-foot store will be a part of a mixed-use project that also plans to include a 5,000-square-foot community theater space that will be occupied by Creative Cauldron, according to a press release from Arlington-based Insight Property Group.
Broad and Washington LLC, a venture of Insight Property Group, signed the 20-year-long lease for Whole Foods, Falls Church News-Press reported.
Approved by the City Council last year, the “plan was derailed a little over a year ago, when developer Todd Hitt pleaded guilty in November 2018 to investor fraud,” the paper wrote.
Now, Whole Foods will come to a spot just a little over a block away from Harris Teeter (301 W. Broad Street).
“Whole Foods Market will bring an incredible amount of activity to downtown to both complement and help support the existing and longstanding businesses that make Falls Church so unique,” Maury Stern, a principal at Insight Property Group, said in the press release.
