The Weekly Planner is a roundup of interesting events coming up over the next week in the Tysons area.

We’ve searched the web for events of note in Tysons, Vienna, Merrifield, McLean, and Falls Church. Know of any we’ve missed? Tell us!

Tuesday (Feb. 16)

• Mystery Book Group (Online) — 7-8 p.m. — The Tysons-Pimmit Regional Library’s mystery book group will discuss Cara Black’s “Murder in Bel-Air” for its February meeting. Register with Fairfax County Public Library for a link to the event.

Wednesday (Feb. 17)

• Harlem Renaissance and Black Arts Movement (Online) — 7-7:30 p.m. — The Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority’s Lambda Kappa Omega Chapter is sponsoring a discussion about the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s and 1930s and the Black Arts Movement that was active during the 1960s and 1970s. Register for the online event through Fairfax County Public Library.

Thursday (Feb. 18)

• Middle School Book Club (Online) — 4-5 p.m. — The Mary Riley Styles Public Library’s book club for sixth to eighth-grade kids will discuss the young adult novel “Tangerine” by Edward Bloor for its February meeting. Email Laura Miller at [email protected] for the Zoom link.
• Vision Board Workshop (Online) — 6 p.m. — The Boro in Tysons is holding a virtual workshop with the art studio CraftJam on vision boarding, which involves creating a collage of images or objects that reflect your goals for the future. Participants should register in advance to reserve a spot and receive a list of suggested materials.

Friday (Feb. 19)

• Mayor’s Walk — 9:30 a.m. at Vienna Town Hall (127 Center St. S) — Vienna Mayor Linda Colbert will take her monthly stroll from town hall to give community members an opportunity to chat or ask a question.
• Virtual Black History Program (Online) — 7-8 p.m. — Fairfax County is celebrating February as Black History Month with a night of discussion and music. Speakers will include Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay, County Executive Bryan Hill, Health Director Dr. Gloria Addo-Ayensu, and George Mason University Director of African and African-American Studies Mark Hopson. The event will also feature hip-hop artist Dumi RIGHT and musical selections from actor Amber Iman, The Hamilton Brothers, and more. The event will stream live on TV and online through Channel 16, and it will be available to view on demand afterwards.
• Virtual Family Bingo Night (Online) — 7-9 p.m. — Preregistration is recommended for the McLean Community Center Old Firehouse’s virtual bingo night, which will feature games and prizes. The event costs $5 per person for five bingo cards.

Saturday (Feb. 20)

• McLean CBC Virtual Open House (Online) — 9-11 a.m. — Fairfax County is holding a virtual community open house to discuss the latest draft of its revised comprehensive plan for the McLean Community Business District. The meeting can be attended through WebEx.
• Fairfax COVID-19 Vaccine Information Session (Online) — 10-11 a.m. — AARP is hosting a talk about the COVID-19 vaccine with Fairfax County Health Director Dr. Gloria Addo-Ayensu, who can answer questions about how the vaccine works, how much it costs, and the process for getting vaccinated. Register for the virtual event through AARP’s website.
• Freedom and Dance for All (Online) — 1-2 p.m. — Educator and author Clarence McFerren II will talk about dance as a freeing outlet for Black communities in the face of social injustice. Vienna’s Patrick Henry Public Library is organizing the event, and participants must register in advance to receive a link.

Photo via Dr. Wendy Longo/Flickr

After a year off, ViVa Vienna will look quite different in 2021 — if it gets held at all.

Planning for the Town of Vienna’s annual Memorial Day festival has commenced, but with the COVID-19 pandemic still an unavoidable threat to any public gathering, many details remain up in the air, from exactly when and where it will be held to how to control attendance at the typically bustling event.

The Rotary Club of Vienna, which sponsors the festival, told the Vienna Town Council on Monday (Feb. 8) that it would like to hold ViVa Vienna around Memorial Day as usual. This year’s Memorial Day weekend falls on May 29-31.

However, organizers say it will not be feasible to move forward with the event if Virginia is still limiting fairs and other entertainment businesses to 250 people at that time.

“We’re still working through a lot of this,” Rotary Club of Vienna ViVa Vienna Committee Chair AJ Oskuie said. “If we have the number [at] 250, it just won’t work from an economic standpoint.”

As an alternative, the rotary club has proposed pushing ViVa Vienna back to the weekend of Oct. 16. Oskuie says that is the earliest possible date if Memorial Day weekend does not pan out, because the festival’s usual ride vendor, Cole Amusement Company, is booked until then.

Town officials noted that, while it would leave more time for the pandemic to get under control and restrictions on crowds to potentially lift, an October date would present its own challenges, both from a health standpoint with the cooler weather and a logistical one.

Vienna already hosts a Halloween parade and Oktoberfest that month, and if the 2022 ViVa Vienna returns to the normal May date, it would mean having the same event twice in one fiscal year, something the town has never done before.

“Those are big events,” Vienna Town Manager Mercury Payton said. “That’s the part that makes me wonder how it would affect staff. We can make that work, but that to me is a higher concern than the monetary piece.”

The Town of Vienna co-sponsors ViVa Vienna and provides staffing support for security, road closures, trash removal, and setting up the facilities. Vienna Finance Director Marion Serfass says the town spent about $43,000 to pay staff overtime for the last ViVa Vienna in 2019, though a two-day event would cost closer to $28,000.

Councilmember Nisha Patel noted that the festival has the advantage of being outdoors, which poses less of a risk for spreading COVID-19, but organizers will have to implement safety measures, like a mask requirement, regardless of when the event takes place.

Oskuie confirmed that enclosed amusements like a funhouse will not be included, and the festival might use food truck vendors instead of stalls so they can spread out, rather than stay confined to one location.

Vienna Parks and Recreation Director Leslie Herman recommended preventing crowds by moving the festivities to an area that can be fenced in with entrances and exits, and by requiring attendees to register for time slots.

An event plan has to be approved by the Fairfax County Health Department and Fire Marshal’s Office, along with the Vienna Parks and Recreation Department. Oskuie told the town council that the Rotary Club will deliver a status update on Mar. 1, with Apr. 5 as the deadline for making a final decision on how to handle the festival this year.

Despite the obstacles, Vienna officials expressed hope that ViVa Vienna will go on. In addition to drawing as many as 30,000 to 40,000 people every year, the festival typically generates about $175,000 in proceeds that the Rotary Club gives to local charities and community organizations.

“We just need to be cautiously optimistic. There are so many unknowns out there right now,” Councilmember Steve Potter said. “…Just take it one week at a time and see where we go, but we need it. The town needs the uplift. Everybody needs it right now, and I don’t think we should drop it.”

The Weekly Planner is a roundup of interesting events coming up over the next week in the Tysons area.

We’ve searched the web for events of note in Tysons, Vienna, Merrifield, McLean, and Falls Church. Know of any we’ve missed? Tell us!

Tuesday (Feb. 9)

• Second Draw PPP (Online) — 11 a.m.-12:15 p.m. — The Fairfax County Economic Development Authority is holding a free webinar on the second round of the federal Paycheck Protection Program, which is providing loans to help businesses keep their workforce employed during the COVID-19 pandemic. A program schedule and link to register can be found through Eventbrite.
• On Deck with Mercury — 5-7 p.m. at Vienna Town Hall (127 Center St.) — Vienna Town Manager Payton Mercury holds his monthly community forum for residents to learn about town projects and ask questions. The February forum will focus on planned celebrations for Liberty Amendments Month, which commemorates the 13th, 14th, 15th, and 19th Amendments to the U.S. Constitution.
• Virtual Meet and Greet with Melanie Meren (Online) — 7-8 p.m. — Vienna’s Club Phoenix Teen Center and Thoreau Middle School are hosting a discussion with Hunter Mill District School Board Representative Melanie Meren, who will talk about her first year in office, give an update on Return to School plans, and answer questions. Registration closes at 5 p.m. Email Natalie Duncan at [email protected] for more information.
• Great Books Discussion (Online) — 7-8 p.m. — The Mary Riley Styles Public Library’s bi-monthly Great Books Discussion group will talk about the short story “Tell Me a Riddle” by Tillie Olsen. Get the Zoom link by emailing Marshall Webster at [email protected].

Thursday (Feb. 11)

• Culinaria Cooking Class (Online) — 7-8:30 p.m. — Chefs from Vienna’s Culinaria Cooking School will demonstrate how to prepare “a special Valentine’s Day meal” with dishes like chicken satay with peanut sauce and molten chocolate cake. A Zoom invite, recipes, and a shopping list will be provided prior to the class, so participants must register by Feb. 8. The $40 fee goes to support the Shepherd’s Center, a nonprofit that serves Vienna, Oakton, Reston, and Herndon.

Friday (Feb. 12)

• VBA State of the Union (Online) — 11:30-1 p.m. — The Vienna Business Association will hold its annual State of the Union meeting. The speech will be presented by VBA 2020-2021 chairman and School of Rock Vienna owner Jeff Bollettino, and Vienna Mayor Linda Colbert will officiate an installation ceremony for the organization’s 2021 board. RSVP through the VBA website to receive a Zoom link.
• Virtual Valentine Bingo and Games (Online) — 1:30-3 p.m. — The Town of Vienna and Fairfax City parks and recreation departments are offering a free afternoon of bingo, online games, prizes, and sweet treats to usher in Valentine’s Day. The event is intended for adults 55 and older. Register by calling 703-255-7801 or emailing Kathy Blevins at [email protected]. The deadline to sign up is 5 p.m. on Thursday (Feb. 11).
• Abbey Lincoln Tribute (Online) — 7:30 p.m. — Creative Cauldron continues its 2021 “Passport to the World” series with a concert celebrating the music of American jazz singer Abbey Lincoln. There will also be a performance on Saturday (Feb. 13) by the D.C.-based band RAYMI, which plays traditional music from the Andes. All concerts are live-streamed at 7:30 p.m., and tickets cost $15.
• Judy Collins: A Return (Online) — 8 p.m. — Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts is streaming a live performance by singer Judy Collins, who will recreate her 1964 concert hall debut at New York City’s The Town Hall. The program will feature music by Bob Dylan, Tom Paxton, and Billy Ed Wheeler. Tickets start at $40, and the stream will be available for rewatch for 48 hours until 8 p.m. on Feb. 14.
• Valentine’s Day Drive-In Movies — 8 p.m. at The Boro (1640 Boro Place) — The Boro is hosting three drive-in movie screenings, starting with “Crazy Rich Asians” today and concluding with “Valentine’s Day” on the eponymous holiday. While all three films are now sold out, you can join the waitlist through Eventbrite in case additional tickets become available.

Saturday (Feb. 13)

• Art for a Cause (Online) — 6-8 p.m. — The Junior League of Northern Virginia is hosting a “Monte Carlo Night” with crafts, Valentine-themed games, and two raffles. Materials for the craft activities, which involve painting a glass vase or heart-shaped cutting board, can be picked up at Best Buns Bakery (8051 Leesburg Pike) in Vienna. Tickets to the event cost $40 and can be purchased from JLNV.

Photo via Sharon McCutcheon on Unsplash

The nonprofit Falls Church Arts is offering a free, online Valentine’s card-making workshop for anyone looking for some artistic inspiration.

The class is scheduled to place on Saturday (Feb. 6) from 10 a.m. to noon. It will be run by Arlington artist Molly McCracken, who works primarily with collage, assemblage, and acrylic painting, according to her official website.

“This will be lots of fun and perfect for all ages,” the event posting says.

Event organizers say participants should use whatever materials they have on hand, but suggestions include:

• a variety of solid and patterned papers, including card stock or heavyweight papers
• scissors
• glue stick or adhesive
• blank note cards
• pens, markers, colored pencils, crayons
• ribbons
• hole punch
• embellishments such as stickers, glitter, sequins, and doilies

Registration is required to receive a link to the Zoom event, and the workshop size is limited. Questions can be sent to [email protected].

Photo via CraftFancy/Flickr

Updated on 2/4/2021 — Bards Alley in Vienna has canceled today’s Teacher Tuesday browsing hours due to continued snow, but the event is still scheduled to be held on other Tuesdays this month.

The Weekly Planner is a roundup of interesting events coming up over the next week in the Tysons area.

We’ve searched the web for events of note in Tysons, Vienna, Merrifield, McLean, and Falls Church. Know of any we’ve missed? Tell us!

Tuesday (Feb. 2)

• Online Preschool Story Time (Online) — 10:30-11 a.m. — The Mary Riley Styles Public Library hosts a story time with stories, songs, and rhymes aimed at kids 5 and under. The event will stream live on the library’s Facebook page.
• Teacher Tuesdays — 6-8 p.m. at Bards Alley (110 Church St.) — Throughout February, Bards Alley Bookshop in Vienna is reserving browsing hours exclusively for educators, who can use the time to spend holiday gift cards and stock up their classroom libraries “in anticipation of the (theoretical?) return of in-person teaching.”

Wednesday (Feb. 3)

• Space Innovation (Online) — 9-10:35 a.m. — This is the second installment of a three-part series on air and space technology hosted by the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority. NASA Human Explorations and Operations Mission Directorate Associate Administrator Kathryn Lueders will deliver the keynote speech after a panel discussion on new technology with space applications. Registration is required to get a link to the event, but it is free.

Thursday (Feb. 4)

• A Night of Mentalism (Online) — 8 p.m. — Members of The Tower Club Tysons Corner can watch mentalist Michael Gutenplan perform a variety of magic tricks in this family-friendly show. Register in advance for the Zoom event.

Friday (Feb. 5)

• Meet the Mayor — 9:30-10:30 a.m. at Simply Social Coffee (260 Cedar Lane) — Vienna Mayor Linda Colbert will hold her monthly “office hours” for residents to chat or share their questions and concerns at Simply Social Coffee in the newly renovated Cedar Park Shopping Center.
• Front Row: Gloria Chien (Online) — 7:30 p.m. — The Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts presents a virtual performance at The Barns by pianist Gloria Chien as part of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center’s “Front Row” streaming concert series. The program features pieces by John Field, Franz Liszt, and Felix Mendelssohn and will be followed by a Q&A. A link to stream the concert will be available until midnight on Feb. 12.
• Moose Jaw — 7:30 at Jammin Java (227 Maple Ave. E) — The outlaw country/bluesgrass band Moose Jaw performs an indoor but socially distanced concert at Jammin Java in Vienna. Tickets are free, but donations are encouraged, and tables have a two-item minimum purchase.

Saturday (Feb. 6)

• The University of Wonder and Imagination (Online) — 11 a.m.-5 p.m. — The McLean Community Center is offering live-broadcast, interactive magic shows by the children’s theater company Cahoots NI. A limited number of tickets are available to each of the performances, which start every half hour and are 60 minutes in length. There will also be shows on Feb. 8. Purchase tickets at least two hours in advance through The Alden.

Sunday (Feb. 7)

• McLean Uncorked: Part 3 (Online) — 5-6 p.m. — Get a head start on Valentine’s Day with this virtual wine tasting and food pairing event from the McLean Community Center. The wines selections are currently available from Balducci’s (6655 Old Dominion Dr), and prepared cheeseboards can be preordered for pick-up starting on Feb. 4. Register in advance through MCC to get a discounted $55 price on the wines. Questions and preorders can be sent to John Coleman at [email protected].

Photo via NASA on Unsplash

The Boro is giving away free tickets this week to its upcoming Valentine’s Drive-In Movie Series.

The series will run from Feb. 12-14, and in order of their screening date, the featured films will be “Crazy Rich Asians,” “Crazy, Stupid, Love,” and “Valentine’s Day.”

Details for entering the contest for free tickets can be found on The Boro’s Facebook and Instagram pages. Winners will be selected randomly and contacted by The Boro later this week.

The Boro decided to offer a Valentine’s Day-oriented film series after finding success with drive-in movie screenings last summer and on Halloween.

“We witnessed a huge demand for this type of activation when we quickly sold out our summer drive-in series,” The Boro Director of Marketing Tanya Graves said. “We’re excited to bring it back in this new capacity, helping people celebrate Valentine’s Day in a safe, but still romantic way.”

Gates for the screenings, which will be held behind The Loft at the intersection of Broad Street and Silver Hill Drive, will open at 6:30 p.m. The movies will begin at 8 p.m.

Paris Baguette will provide complimentary hot chocolate and sweet treats for the event. The Boro is also encouraging visitors to stop by its restaurants and retailers before the screenings.

“The last few months have been tough on everyone so The Boro wanted to offer the community a safe and fun outdoor activity to enjoy together,” Graves said. “We also want to support our retailers by inviting guests to grab dinner beforehand at one of our many dining options like North Italia, Santouka Ramen, and Poki DC.”

Tickets are now on sale through Eventbrite. They cost $25 per vehicle, and parking spots will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.

“Limited spaces are available to promote social distancing,” The Boro says on the event page.

The Boro is asking that people remain in their vehicles for the duration of each screening, except to use the bathroom or visit Boro Place retailers. Vehicles will also not be able to arrive late or leave early unless there is an emergency.

Audio for the movies will be available through a dedicated FM radio channel.

Like The Boro’s previous drive-in movie screenings, the Valentine’s Day series is being produced by DC Fray and District Fray Magazine.

Photo via The Boro Tysons/Facebook

The Weekly Planner is a roundup of interesting events coming up over the next week in the Tysons area.

We’ve searched the web for events of note in Tysons, Vienna, Merrifield, McLean, and Falls Church. Know of any we’ve missed? Tell us!

Monday (Jan. 11)

• Introduction to Zentangle (Online) — 6:30-9 p.m. — Falls Church Arts is offering lessons on Zentangle, a drawing technique intended to inspire creativity and encourage mindfulness. This is the first of four classes that will take place every Monday until Feb. 1. The program costs $120 for all four classes. Sign up through the nonprofit.

Tuesday (Jan. 12)

• On Deck with Mercury — 6-8 p.m. at the Vienna Community Center (120 Cherry St. SE) — Vienna Town Manager Mercury Payton will discuss the town’s 2021 legislative agenda with Town Attorney Steve Briglia for his monthly community forum. In-person attendance is limited to support social distancing, but the meeting will be available live on Zoom. It will also be rebroadcast on the town’s cable access channel, and a recording will be uploaded to YouTube.
• Great Books Discussion (Online) — 7-8 p.m. — The latest session of the Mary Riley Styles Public Library’s Great Books Discussion, which focuses on literary classics, will center on “The Plague” by Albert Camus. Contact Marshall Webster at [email protected] for the Zoom link.

Wednesday (Jan. 13)

• Code Create Vienna (Online) — 5:30 p.m. — The Town of Vienna is holding a virtual public meeting for residents to provide input on proposed changes to the town’s residential zoning standards. Staff will review the proposals, present a visual preference survey, and take questions. The meeting will take place on Zoom.
• MLK Day Virtual Book Discussion (Online) — 7 p.m. — Staff at the Alden Theatre will host a talk about Raymond Arsenault’s history book “The Sound of Freedom: Marian Anderson, the Lincoln Memorial, and the Concert That Awakened America.” This is part of the McLean Community Center’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebrations. Registration is required and ends at 5 p.m. on Jan. 12.
• Mystery Book Discussion (Online) — 7-8 p.m. — The Mary Riley Styles Public Library’s mystery book group will talk about “Fer-de-Lance” by Rex Stout. Email [email protected] to sign up for the Zoom discussion.

Thursday (Jan. 14)

• MLK Day Podcast Discussion Group (Online) — 7 p.m. — As part of its MLK Day celebration, the McLean Community Center kicks off a month of discussions on “Seeing White,” the second season of the Center for Documentary Studies’ “Scene on Radio” podcast series. The series examines the historical origins of whiteness and racism in America. Registration is required and closes at 5 p.m. the day before each Thursday night session.
• Thursday Evening Book Group (Online) — 7-8 p.m. — The Mary Riley Styles Public Library’s Thursday Evening Book Group will discuss “My Brilliant Friend” by Elena Ferrante. Light refreshments will be served. Email Marshall Webster at [email protected] for a Zoom invite.

Friday (Jan. 15)

• New Year, New You Virtual 5K (Online) — The McLean-based Junior League of Northern Virginia is hosting a virtual 5K run that will kick off today with a stretching activity. Participants can take part from any location from Jan. 15-18. Register through the organization’s website.
• Mayor’s Walk — 9:30 a.m. at Vienna Town Hall (127 Center St.) — Vienna Mayor Linda Colbert will meet attendees in front of town hall to take a stroll through town while chatting and answering questions from the community.

Sunday (Jan. 17)

• Front Row Series: David Shifrin (Online) — 3 p.m. — Clarinet player David Shifrin will play pieces by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Luigi Bassi, and Duke Ellington in the latest installment of the Chamber Music Society’s “Front Row” concert series. The performance will be followed by a Q&A, all of which will be streamed by the Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts until midnight on Jan. 24.

The McLean Community Center’s annual commemoration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day will look a little different this year.

Typically, MCC marks the occasion — which falls on Jan. 18 this year — by hosting live performances that explore the civil rights leader’s life and work, but with the COVID-19 pandemic still rendering in-person gatherings ill-advised, the organization is offering a trio of online programs instead.

“Our Beloved Community: Uniting Through Stories”

The most ambitious effort, this community service project invites older community members to share a story that they would like to pass on to younger generations, whether it is historically or just personally significant.

The stories will then be matched with volunteering “story adapters” who will interpret and adapt them into another art form, such as a short play, song, visual art, or a video.

The Alden Theatre, which is producing and overseeing all of the Martin Luther King Jr. Day activities, will provide virtual workshops on Zoom for the story adapters to help them develop their projects.

“While we have all witnessed the damaging effects caused by COVID-19, it is our senior neighbors that have, perhaps, struggled the most due to the isolation in which we find ourselves,” MCC says. “Recognizing this is a problem easily solved, we look to the principles of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with the goal of uniting our community through outreach and personal connection.”

All residents of McLean and the surrounding areas can be a storyteller or adapter. MCC says any participants 13 years old or younger should have parental supervision when working on their stories.

Registration to become a storyteller or adapter is currently open with a deadline of Feb. 5. The deadline to submit story adaptations is Apr. 30.

Virtual Book Discussion

To observe Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the Alden will also host a virtual book discussion on Zoom about “The Sound of Freedom: Marian Anderson, the Lincoln Memorial, and the Concert That Awakened America” by Raymond Arsenault.

The history book focuses on an Apr. 9, 1939 concert at the Mall in Washington, D.C., by singer Marian Anderson, who became a key figure in the fight against racial segregation after the Daughters of the American Revolution refused to let her perform at Constitution Hall because she was black.

Alden staff members will lead a conversation about the book on Jan. 13 at 7 p.m. Preregistration is required and closes at 5 p.m. on Jan. 12.

“Seeing White”

The Alden staff will host a discussion group on “Seeing White,” the second season of the Duke University Center for Documentary Studies podcast Scene on Radio.

Hosted by Jon Biewen and guest Dr. Chenjerai Kumanyika, the 14-part series examines the history of racism and the concept of whiteness in the U.S. It can be found any podcast app or on the Scene on Radio website.

Focused on two or three episodes each, the discussion sessions will be held at 7 p.m. every Thursday from Jan. 14 to Feb. 18. Participants can register for individual sessions or for all of them.