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!

Wednesday (Nov. 20)

• Holiday Extravaganza — 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Sheraton Tysons Hotel (8661 Leesburg Pike) — This event combines networking with shopping and holiday spirit. The event will feature food, drinks, keynote talks and booths with shopping opportunities. Tickets start at $75.

Thursday (Nov. 21)

• Canning at Caboose Commons — 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Caboose Commons (2918 Eskridge Road) — People can learn about canning Caboose’s Fog and Citra Session IPAs.

Saturday (Nov. 23)

• Christmas Market — 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Andrew Chapel United Methodist Church (1301 Trap Road) — At this market, people will be selling various items including baked goods, candles, wreaths and various gifts. Gift wrapping is available on-site and Santa will make an appearance for photos as well.
• 50s’ Sock Hop — 7 to 9 p.m. at Vienna Community Center, Auxiliary Gym (120 SE Cherry Street) — This event invites community members to come together for a friendly evening of dancing. Admission is $5 at the door and free for kids under 5.
• Apple Brandy Bottling Party — 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Falls Church Distillers (442 S. Washington Street) — This party celebrates the release of the distillery’s new batch of Apple Brandy. This event is free but organizers ask that attendees RSVP through email.
• Winter Walk of Lights — 5 to 10 p.m. at Meadowlark Botanical Gardens (9750 Meadowlark Gardens Court) — This event allows community members to enjoy holiday lights at the gardens. Hot drinks and smores are available for purchase on-site. Tickets are $14 and $8 for kids.

Sunday (Nov. 24)

• Sensory-Friendly Santa — 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. at Tysons Galleria (2001 International Drive) — Autism Speaks partnered with Tysons Galleria to invite children of all abilities to enjoy the Christmas festivities. The event page said that this will provide a calm environment for kids to meet Santa.
• Sutton Foster at Wolf Trap — 6:30 p.m. at Wolf Trap (1635 Trap Road) — Tony Award-winning singer Sutton Foster will take the stage as one of Wolf Trap’s last performances for November. Tickets to her performance start at $67.
• Hope Family Fun Festival — 2 to 5 p.m. at Thomas Jefferson Elementary School (601 S. Oak Street) — This festival allows community members and families to come together for an afternoon of face painting, moon bounces, yoga lessons, games and prizes for kids.

Photo via Falls Church Distillers LLC/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!

Tuesday (Nov. 12)

• Mayor @ Your Service — 7:30 p.m. at Town Hall (127 S. Center Street) — Mayor Laurie DiRocco is set to chat with Victor Hoskins, the president of the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority, tonight about the future of Fairfax County economic development.

Wednesday (Nov. 13)

• Homeowners and Condominium Association Forum in McLean — 7 p.m. at McLean Community Center (1234 Ingleside Avenue) — This event will walk community members through policies of the McLean Citizens Association. Everyone is welcome to this free event.

Thursday (Nov. 14)

• Women in Technology Job Fair — 4 to 7 p.m. at Sheraton Tysons Hotel (8661 Leesburg Pike) — Women in the STEM industry are invited to attend this free event if they are currently seeking a job. Registration is still open for applicants and hiring companies.
• Professional Networking Night — 6 to 7:30 p.m. Tea with Mrs. B (136 W Jefferson Street) — This event allows people across the community to network and meet new people. Tickets are $10 and include drinks and appetizers.
• Trace Bundy — 6:30 p.m. at Wolf Trap (1635 Trap Road) — Folk singer and guitarist Trace Bundy will take the stage for a performance. He is known for his harmonics, looping and multiple caps, according to the event website. Tickets start at $27.

Friday (Nov. 15)

• Tree Lighting — 6 to 9 p.m. at The Plaza (1961 Chain Bridge Road) — The public is welcome to watch as the Christmas tree at Tysons Corner Center be decorated with lights. There will be live music from Kris Allen at this free event.
• Bright Lights in the Little City Community Celebration — 7 to 10:30 p.m. at The State Theatre (220 N. Washington Street) —  The Falls Church event will include food and dessert, live music by The Grandsons and an online auction. Tickets are $85.
• Improvicon — 7:30 p.m. at 1st Stage  Tysons (1524 Spring Hill Road) — This event will feature several improv groups throughout Northern Virginia. General admission tickets can be purchased for $15.

Sunday (Nov.17)

• 5K Turkey Trot — 8 a.m. Central Park (Tysons Blvd and Galleria Drive) — This 5K, sponsored by the Rotary Club of Tysons Corner, invites community members to participate to raise money for local charities. Until Nov. 15, tickets are $35 and will go up to $40 after that. Tickets include food and swag. The first three women and men to place will receive cash prizes.

Photo via Tysons Corner Center/Facebook

Now that Halloween and the election, Santa Claus is coming to Tysons for photos with kids and pets.

Presented by HGTV, the “Santa HQ” is returning to Tysons Corner Center (1961 Chain Bridge Road) on Saturday (Nov. 9) to let families “explore the wonder of Santa in the digital age,” according to a press release.

More about the HGTV event:

HGTV Santa HQ guests can customize their individual experience by using augmented reality to view the Elf Academy in magical ways. Visitors can use the workshop’s Magic Mirror to transform into one of Santa’s elves.

Guests can virtually change their elf’s outfits, create customized Elf Academy ID collector cards at the Elf ID station, explore Santa’s Workshop and Elf Academy using ELF-RAY Vision and test out the Naughty O’ Nice Meter. Families can continue their adventure with a custom photo opportunity and an in-person visit with Santa inside his modernized sleigh.

Adding another dimension to the holiday experience, Tysons Corner Center will provide multiple camera angles to capture your family’s entire Santa experience.

Photo packages start at $39.99. Santa HQ will be available until Dec. 25, according to the press release.

Shoppers at the mall can also bring an unwrapped toy and participate in “Help Through Holiday Giving” that will support the Salvation Army’s Giving Tree.

Additional Christmas events at the mall include:

• Nov. 15: Holiday Tree Lighting on The Plaza from 6-9 p.m.
• Dec. 7: Breakfast With Santa from 8-11 a.m.
• Nov. 9-Dec. 24: Dreamworks Spirit Activation
• Tuesdays from Nov. 19-Dec. 17: Sensory Santa from 6-8 p.m.
• Dec. 9 and Dec. 16: Yappy Hour from 6-8 p.m.

Over at Tysons Galleria (2001 International Drive), kids can take photos with Santa from Friday, Nov. 15 through Tuesday, Dec. 24. People can sign up for free photo packages from Nov. 9-27.

Santa will also do pet pictures from Nov. 18 until Dec. 16. with photo packages starting at $39.99.

The “It’s a Wonderful Lifetime” photo takeover, Brookfield Properties and Autism Speaks are partnering up to offer “Santa Cares Day” — a sensory-friendly event for families with kids with autism and other special needs to take pictures with Santa — on Nov. 24.

Laura Schwartz is a licensed Realtor in VA, D.C. and MD with McEnearney Associates in McLean. Reach the office at 703-790-9090.

This week marks the beginning of the true Holiday season: Halloween, Thanksgiving, then bring on December!

There are always so many things going on at this time of year between kids events, friendsgiving, Diwali, field trips and regular every day life, it’s hard to keep up with things! Here are some highlights of great events during the month of November:

Trick or Treating on Thursday — Rainy Day Ideas

In case it’s raining on Thursday and you want a back up plan, Tyson’s Corner Mall has “Malloween” from 3-5 p.m. On the plaza, Fairfax County Police will be handing out candy, American Scream will be providing spooky entertainment, face painters will be available and then you can take your kids trick-or-treating inside the mall to 50+ stores.

Bootique Trick or Treating Spooktacular at Mosaic: Trick or treating in the stores from 5-7 p.m. and then a showing of Monsters Inc on the green at 6:30 p.m.

November 1, 7 p.m. — Haunted Halloween Murder Mystery at Maggiano’s Tysons 

Murder mystery night with dinner, bar, and entertainment. Buy tickets online.

November 2, 9 a.m.- 12 p.m. — Town of Vienna Fall Clean-Up Day 

Help the town staff pick up trash, remove invasive plants and generally clean up designated areas. Call 703-255-6336 or email John King at [email protected] to sign up.

November 8, 5:30 p.m. — Winter Walk of Lights at Meadowlark Botanical Garden

A magical walk around the beautifully decorated botanical garden with awesome light displays. Stay at the end for smores, popcorn, hot chocolate and hot cider. Inside they usually have a photo area with props on a sleigh. Buy tickets early.

November 8, 11 a.m. — Reston Town Center Ice Skating Pavilion Opens 

Reston Town Center transforms into an ice skating pavilion on November 8. Hours vary, check their Facebook page for more details.

November 17, 8 a.m. — McLean Rotary 5k Turkey Trot

5k Turkey Trot held at Central Park Tysons. Open to anyone who wants to run or walk!

November 18, 5 p.m — Pet Pictures with Santa at Macy’s Court in Tysons Galleria

Every Monday from November 18 to December 16 at 5 p.m., pets can take photos with Santa. Reservations available online!

November 22 — Bull Fun Festival of Lights

2.5 mile illuminated holiday light display (drive-through) with a festival at the end that includes rides, refreshments and photos with Santa Claus.

November 24, 8 a.m. — Vienna Turkey Trot 

Annual Fun Run, 5k and 10k in Vienna held at the Vienna Volunteer Fire Department. Register here. Walking is also welcome along with strollers.

November 24, 2 p.m. — Nutcracker Tea Party in Falls Church

Presented by Adagio Ballet, the Nutcracker Tea Party with Sugar Plum Fairy and Clara at the Marriott Fairview Park in Falls Church. There will be treats, games and activities. Buy tickets online.

Quick Preview of December:

• Vienna Church Street Stroll — Monday, December 2 at 6 p.m.
• Tiny Tots Holiday Concert at Madison High School, December 5 at 7 p.m.
• Wolf Trap Holiday Sing-A-Long — Saturday, December 7 at 4 p.m.

Shoppers at Tysons Corner Center may have spotted some new additions to the mall, including a cafe serving up matcha drinks and the return of a Christmas pop-up shop.

A Christmas to Remember comes to the mall during the holiday season to sell a wide variety of ornaments, lights, gifts and collectibles. The holiday decoration store opened a few days ago by the Barnes and Noble on the second level and will stay open through January, an employee said.

Over by the entrance to The Plaza, Matcha Cafe Maiko started serving matcha-focused ice cream and drinks over the weekend.

The chain’s online menu features shaved ice, soft serve, lattes, teas, floats, sweet red bean soup and parfaits.

People looking to get in the mood for Halloween can find a costume and decor store on the first level by H&M, according to the mall’s directory. Spirit Halloween sells costumes for kids and adults, decorations and party goods.

Now Closed

While several stores have opened in the mall, a few have closed.

Candy store Sugarfina closed about a week ago in the mall on the first level by Macy’s, an employee at a neighboring store said.

Frozen yogurt eatery Fruity Yogurt closed a few days ago, an employee at nearby Auntie Anne’s said. The space has a generic wraparound covering it.

Coming Soon 

Canadian clothing brand Roots plans to open in the former Aldo space on the second level in October. The store is currently hiring along with Abercrombie Kids, which is planning to open in November on the first level near Nordstrom.

No new information on when Beauty Nail Bar or Moge Tee will open.

Cinnabon is temporarily closed on the first level in the food court area. A wraparound says that it is “reopening soon.”

Christmas Tree Pickup Underway — Fairfax County and Town of Vienna residents can dispose of Christmas trees with their regular trash collection through Jan. 11. [Patch]

Vienna Companies Celebrating Anniversaries — Two Vienna companies are celebrating 60 years in business: Ar-Jon Portable Toilets and the Parkwood School. [InsideNova]

Local Restaurants Participating in Restaurant Week — Nearly two dozen McLean, Tysons and Vienna area restaurants are participating in the annual Winter Restaurant Week from Jan. 14-20. [Patch, Patch]

What to Do With Your Christmas Tree — “Residents can leave out trees for regular trash collections after removing decorations… Fairfax County collectors will be taking Christmas trees left out at homes on Jan. 1-11. Trees should be put out separately and be less than 8 feet tall. ” [Patch]

Local Malls Still Busy — “Christmas may have passed but shoppers are still swarming the malls to spend gift cards and return unwanted gifts.” [Fox 5]

Vienna Man Wins Big in Md. Lottery — “A man from Vienna is getting some help to open a restaurant with a lucky lottery win. The scratch ticket won the restaurateur $50,000, according to the Maryland Lottery… He plans to use the winnings for finishing touches on the restaurant.” [Patch]

Across the next three days, there are three ugly sweater parties planned and two of them will give attendees the chance to win $100.

Tonight (Dec. 21)

• Holiday Potluck (8 p.m.) — The Mosaic Ballroom in Merrifield is hosting a free holiday potluck, with holiday drinks, food and dancing. For those who aren’t feeling festive, the event will include non-holiday songs.
• 2nd Annual Ugliest Sweater Party at Tysons Biergarten (9 p.m.-2 a.m.) — Tysons Biergarten says the harder your sweater is to look at tonight, the more likely you’ll be to walk home with $100 in cash. Participants must register online to win.
• Jingle 2018 (10:30 p.m.) — Greenhouse Bistro is hosting a Christmas party at 2070 Chain Bridge Road in Tysons.

Tomorrow (Dec. 22)

• Ugly Christmas Sweater Party (4-8 p.m.) — Coastal Flats in Tysons Corner Center is hosting a party for least fashionable, with prizes awarded accordingly.
• Open Road Ugly Christmas Sweater Party (7-8:30 p.m.) — Open Road Grill in Merrifield is holding an ugly sweater party with a chance to win a $100 gift card if yours is the ugliest. The Grill also requests attendees to bring a coat to donate.
• Pre-Christmas Party (8 p.m.-2 a.m.) — The Palladium (1424 Spring Hill Road) is hosting its pre-Christmas party featuring local Latin band Nfuzion.

Sunday (Dec. 23)

• Paint Party with Santa (3-5 p.m.) — Kiln & Co at 138 Church St. in Vienna will be hosting an afternoon of ornament painting and hot chocolate. For $10, parents can drop their kids off at the event to be supervised. Proceeds from the event benefit the Vienna Volunteer Fire Department.

Photo via Facebook

What to Do About Backyard Wildlife — “Don’t pet or feed wild animals. In fact, local animal control encourages you to ‘haze’ them if at all possible. As winter sets in, homes around Fairfax County could look particularly appealing to animals looking for a refuge for the cold weather or a bite to eat.” [Reston Now]

Flood Watch Today — The area remains under a Flood Watch through 6 p.m. as rain continues today. Some storms may form later in the day. This evening, the solstice will usher in winter on the shortest day and longest night of the year. [FairfaxNews, Capital Weather Gang]

Winter Weather Reminder — “Today is officially the first day of winter! Enjoy the season but stay safe and warm. Sign up for Fairfax Alerts to stay informed on winter weather.” [Twitter, Fairfax Alerts]

Holiday Grocery Store Hours — Patch has a list of grocery stores around the Tysons area and the hours for each on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Most grocery stores will be closed on Dec. 25, though some will be open with reduced hours. [Patch]

You’re cordially invited to the Town of Vienna’s holiday reception tomorrow (Friday) afternoon from 4-6 p.m. No RSVP necessary.

The reception will be held inside the Vienna Town Hall at 127 Center Street S. The annual party is scheduled to be attended by the Town Council, in case you’re one of the commenters with strong opinions on the school trailers or the log cabin removal discussed earlier this week.

The reception will include light refreshments and musical performances.

If you’re looking for more holiday festivities around Vienna, on Sunday (Dec. 16), The Insight Shop will host its annual Sing-Along on the Town Green at 144 Maple Ave E. The Sing-Along will run from 5-6 p.m. with hot beverages served to keep attendees warm.

Photo via Facebook