A new Halloween-themed experience opens this afternoon (Friday, Sept. 13) in Tysons Corner Center.
The American Scream Selfie Museum lets people interact with installations based off spooky movies, TV shows and pop-culture icons by snapping selfies.
The $18 entry fee gives guests 45 minutes to explore 4,200 square foot of space, spokesperson Maurisa Potts said.
Guests can interact with scenes similar to “Game of Thrones,” “Annabelle,” “A Nightmare on Elm Street” and other movies and TV shows, like a chair made of swords called “The Throne.”
Visitors can search for several “easter eggs” hidden throughout the selfie museum. These include framed newsprint of a historical Maryland witch hunt and an incident in the eighth season of “Game of Thrones” when actors left a Starbucks cup on set.
The space features $70,000 worth of props that set designers found at garage sales, antique shops and even Craigslist, according to Jon Libbesmeier, the set-designer and co-creator of American Scream.
Though dimply lit and designed to be spooky, staff said that there will not be anyone jumping out to scare visitors.
The company created similar installations in the D.C. metro area in past seasons, which attracted women aged 24 to 34, though all are welcome, Libbesmeier said.
“Groups of professional women coming to this as a group of friends is our bread and butter in the D.C. market,” Libbesmeier said.
He said this is not typical around the country but he assumed there are lots of young working professionals looking for things to do in the area.
The hours of operation are 3-10 p.m. Thursdays-Fridays and 10 a.m.-10 p.m. on weekends. The exhibit will also be open on the Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday leading up to Halloween.
The pop-up installation will run from Sept. 13-Nov. 1.
Soleil Nail Spa is opening soon in the Town of Vienna.
The salon and spa is filling Dog World Pet Salon’s former spot at 515 W. Maple Avenue in the Village Green Shopping Center.
Soleil will offer manicures, pedicures, facials, waxing, eyelash extensions and other services, according to its website.
Back in April, Tysons Reporter spotted a sign in the storefront window saying that the “organic spa” is “coming soon in July 2019.”
Soleil posted on Facebook earlier in August that the grand opening got pushed to Sunday, Sept. 1, due to a construction delay.
To celebrate the opening, the nail spa is offering a 30% off promotion.
The new Bad Axe Throwing location is offering free throwing lessons to celebrate their grand opening in Merrifield — but only for one weekend.
The new location at 2985 District Avenue, Suite 195 began accepting reservations on last Monday (Aug. 12) and offers an opportunity for participants to try their hand at the sport. The weekend after Labor Day (Sept. 6-8), the location will wave its normal $27 per person fee.
Though patrons cannot reserve dates for the free weekend, they are invited to come for a drop-in session from 5-11 p.m. on Friday (Sept. 6), 12 -11 p.m. on Saturday (Sept. 7) and 2-9 p.m. on Sunday (Sept. 8).
“Our mission is to bring the thrill of a traditional Canadian backyard pastime to urban communities,” the company’s website said.
Anyone curious about the facilities that cannot make it on a free-day, can visit by booking an hour-long session online.
The website suggests that participants wear comfortable athletic clothes. While anyone can come, the company said that people should be strong enough “to throw a soccer ball over their head.”
The company originated in Ontario, Canada where it was founded by CEO Mario Zelaya in 2014. Today, the business has over 40 locations throughout the U.S. and Canada, according to the website.
Photo via Facebook/Bad Axe Throwing
Crescendo Studios, a new music studio in Merrifield, plans to host a grand opening this Saturday (Aug. 24).
Located in the former MHz Studio at 8101 Lee Hwy, the studio offers private lessons, a band for kids ages 7 and up and camps focused on songwriting, bands and sound engineering.
The celebration will include food trucks, a free yoga class from 11 a.m.-noon and performances by the Fuzion de Ritmos Dance Company and Take the Cake Music.
The grand opening will run from 11 a.m.-4 p.m.
The education-oriented music studio is also looking to use a currently empty space adjacent to the studio’s existing location to offer an expanded music program.
Photo via Crescendo Studios/Facebook
A new pizza place will join other eateries along Leesburg Pike near the Greensboro Metro station next weekend.
MOD Pizza at Pike 7 Plaza (8350 Leesburg Pike) plans to begin serving customers with a soft opening on Sunday, Aug. 25, and Monday, Aug. 26, according to Phil Singh, the location’s construction manager. The new pizza place is sandwiched between Cava and Honeygrow, which both opened last fall.
This location will feature an array of pizzas, salads, sides and soft drinks along with beer and wine.
During the soft opening, the pizza place will have limited hours from noon-2 p.m. and 4-6 p.m.
During these hours, customers will receive a 50% on all menu items with the exception of alcoholic beverages. All proceeds with go to a charity, but Singh said the company has not decided on one yet.
The eatery will officially open on Tuesday, Aug. 27.
MOD Pizza is currently hiring employees for its new location.
A new tavern coming to Vienna will cater to beer lovers and W&OD Railroad Regional Park visitors.
Construction on the upcoming Bear Branch Tavern, owned by Chris Lefbom and Adam Lubar, began last week after city officials gave the green light on June 20. The faculty will serve a full restaurant menu, cocktails and more than 20 draft beers, Lefbom said.
Located at 133 E. Maple Avenue, the tavern will offer a large variety of amenities for patrons including two bars, a patio, indoor and outdoor fire pits, an oyster bar, frozen drink machines, bike racks as well as water coolers for people along the nearby W&OD trail.
“We took over an old bank so we decided to keep the framed drive-thru area and turn it into a three season-enclosed porch area with operable windows,” co-owner Chris Lefbom said.
The owners hope to open the tavern for operation in February 2020. Lefbom said that they will have “a little more clarity on the menu” once they hire a chef, which they are still in the interview process for.
“Adam and I have lived in Northern Virginia since we were toddlers and have always loved the small-town feel of Vienna,” Lefbom said. “We feel the area could use the addition of a neighborhood tavern and we love being next to the W&OD trail in the heart of Vienna.”
Image via Google Maps, second image via Vienna Planning Commission
A new restaurant serving up Italian cuisine will open next week in Falls Church.
Thompson Italian (124 N. Washington Street) comes to the area on Wednesday, Aug. 14, after owners and married couple Gabe and Katherine Thompson wanted to reestablish roots in the area. The owners previously owned four eateries in Manhattan, according to a press release.
“I grew up just a few miles away in Arlington, so when we had the chance to move from Manhattan back to this area with our kids, it was a true homecoming,” Katherine said.
The couple plans for the eatery to be a family-friendly environment and will offer a variety of seasonal dining options along with a kids menu.
The specials for the restaurant’s opening include ricotta gnocchi with lamb ragu, roasted garlic bread, “Summer Berry Pavlova” and mascarpone cheesecake. It will also serve wine — glasses range from $9 to $14 and bottles are around $40.
The restaurant will be open for dinner from 5-10 p.m every day except for Tuesdays. They plan to add a lunch and brunch menu within the coming months, the press release said.
“The Thompsons — who wrote the bestseller ‘Downtown Italian’ — are excited to serve casual Italian food that stirs the imagination in a family-friendly setting that they’re deeply connected to,” the press release said.
Photos courtesy of Thompson Italian
Yet another nail salon is preparing to open in Tysons Corner Center.
Beauty Nail Bar will join two other nail salons and various beauty services already in the mall, including Angel Nail and Modern Nail Studio.
It will be located next to the Paul Mitchell School on level two of the mall.
Todd Putt, a spokesman for the mall, told Tysons Reporter that there is no opening date yet for the nail salon.
No details on the expected hours of operation have been released yet.
Wayfair opened a new pop-up shop at Tysons Corner Center today (Thursday).
No more than 20 feet long by 15 feet wide, the store is on the second level right by the door to The Plaza and offers a small sample of Wayfair’s extensive home goods online inventory. Each corner of the pop-up displays decor for a different room in the home — bedroom, bathroom, kitchen and living room.
“We want people to come and get inspired,” Molly Delaney, the marketing director for Wayfair, said. She added that the items are “great for hosting or any type of party.”
On a tour of the space, Delaney pointed out a variety of colorful rugs and copper drink tumblers to Tysons Reporter and emphasized the “vibrancy” of the space. She also noted that Wayfair is excited to have the space open in time for the back-to-school shopping season, and customers can expect merchandise to shift several times based on customer input.
Other items found at the store include candles, decorative pillows, wall art, lamps and colorful baskets.
Delaney said that by 11:30 a.m. on opening day dozens of people had already stopped to check out the space.
All of the items at the pop-up store, except for the chairs, are available for purchase on the spot. “We are excited people can grab and go,” she said.
The Tysons location is one of four other Wayfair pop-ups throughout the country, including Schaumburg, Ill.; Durham, N.C.; and King of Prussia, Pa.
Hours of operation are 10 a.m. until the mall closes at 9:30 p.m. every day. The pop-up space will remain open through Oct. 31.
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.
Tysons has a new Mediterranean restaurant that plans to serve up happy hour specials and a late-night menu.
After a long series of delays, Agora opened at the Nouvelle (7911 Westpark Drive) last week.
The 4,000-square-foot, split-level eatery features Turkish decor — the furniture is from Turkey — with seating for 150 people. The restaurant also boasts basket weave, mosaic lamps, kaleidoscopic inlays, a private dining area and a 12-seat chef’s bar by the kitchen.
The tapas-style menu from Lebanese chef Ghassan Jarrouj blends Turkish, Lebanese and Greek flavors, with dishes like veal tongue, pan-seared scallops served with grapefruit over saffron yogurt and fried cauliflower with tahini sauce and sumac.
While diners can also find Agora in D.C., the Tysons spot has new, exclusive dishes including Lebanese steak tartare, shredded duck confit flatbread with a fig balsamic reduction and tortellini with a yogurt and mint sauce.
Agora currently serves dinner. Lunch and brunch menus are set to roll out the week of July 29, according to a press release.
Photos 1-5 courtesy Agora
