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!

Monday (May 20)

• Sound Check Bingo — 7 p.m. at Caboose Commons (2918 Eskridge Road) — Caboose Commons at the Mosaic District is premiering a music trivia bingo night. The event mixes bingo and trivia contests where contestants hear 30-45 seconds of a song and must determine the title then find that song on bingo cards. Genres range from 80’s to Motown and country.

Tuesday (May 21)

• Capital One Blood Drive — 10 a.m.-2:30 p.m. at Capital One Westpark (7900 Westpark Drive) — Inova Blood Donor Services will be on hand to receive blood donations. Photo ID is required, and visitors are asked to allow one hour for donation.
• Meet the Brewer: Tucher Brewery — 5-8 p.m. at Tysons Biergarten (8346 Leesburg Pike) — Michael Lassauer, the brewmaster of Tucher Brewery, will be at the Biergarten to talk and have a drink with customers. The event will also include free Tucher T-shirts and bottle openers.

Wednesday (May 22)

• Dine for a Cause — 11 a.m.-10 p.m. at Moby Dick House of Kabob (2676 Avenir Place) — Several local charity organizations are partnering together to host a fundraiser for refugees in Northern Virginia at Moby Dick. If the diner mentions the fundraiser, 20 percent of the meal proceeds will be donated to Lutheran Social Services of the National Capital Area to support refugees.
• First Mothers Out Front Fairfax Meeting — 7-8:30 p.m. at Green Hedges School (415 Windover Avenue NW) — Mothers Out Front, an organization fighting climate change, is hosting its first meeting to talk about a campaign to convert Fairfax County to an electrical school bus system.

Thursday (May 23)

• Soft Opening at City Works Eatery and Pour House — 6-9 p.m. at City Works Eatery and Pour House (1640 Capital One Drive North) — City Works at the Capital One headquarters is hosting a soft opening this week with a fundraiser for the Capital Area Food Bank. Seating is limited with reservations at $50 per seat.
• Creativity Showcase — 6:30-8:30 p.m. at Fusion Academy Tysons (1934 Old Gallows Road) — Fusion Academy is hosting an exhibition of student creativity with a gallery-style showing of creations and projects with complimentary hors d’oeuvres.

Friday (May 24)

• Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chair Debate — 7:30-10 a.m. at Valo Park (7950 Jones Branch Drive) — The Democratic Business Council of Northern Virginia is hosting a debate between Democratic Board of Supervisors Chair candidates and Commonwealth’s Attorney candidates. The event is hosted by NBC4’s Julie Carey and is $15 per person.

Saturday (May 25)

• ViVa! Vienna! — 10 a.m.-10 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday and 10 a.m.-6 p.m. on Monday on Church Street — Amusement rides, live music, vendors, carnival food and more will be available all weekend at the family-friendly Vienna festival.
• To the Moon and Back — 4-5 p.m. at Total Wine (1451 Chain Bridge Road) — To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the moon landing, Schlafly Beer is debuting a new beer: Luna Lager. Tickets to the event are $15.

Sunday (May 26)

• Memorial Day Weekend Concert — 4-6 p.m. at Saint Luke Catholic Church (7001 Georgetown Pike) — The Fairfax Choral Society Symphonic Chorus will be performing a series of songs to honor veterans, including several patriotic American classics. Tickets for the event are $25 — or $5 for students or $40 for reserved seating. Kids 13 and under are free.

Photo via Facebook

A fitness studio’s former Mosaic District spot may soon welcome an increasingly popular recreational sport: urban, indoor ax throwing.

A building permit indicates that Bad Axe Throwing is looking to move into 2985 District Avenue, Suite 195, which used to house Elevate Interval Fitness. The spot is next to BGR and Nando’s Peri-Peri.

Started in Canada in 2014, Bad Axe Throwing has expanded to roughly two dozen locations across the U.S. and 10 in Canada.

At the current locations, large and small groups of people can throw axes in lanes with throwing coaches, who can demonstrate different games. The closest one to the upcoming Mosaic spot is in D.C. at 2419 Evarts Street N.E.

First photo via Facebook

The Capital Bikeshare network soon could reach out to even more spots in the Tysons area.

At a Fairfax County Board Transportation Committee meeting today (Tuesday), staff went through plans to add new bike share stations throughout Tysons, Vienna and Merrifield, with potential to add them to McLean.

Currently, 30 Capital Bikeshare stations are located in Fairfax County, with 16 in Reston, 13 in Tysons, and one at the West Falls Church Metro station. The most recent Capital Bikeshare station in Tysons was installed in December at the McLean Metro station. On Friday (May 17) a new station is scheduled to activate at Hilton Headquarters (7930 Jones Branch Drive) on the other side of the Jones Branch Connector.

There are 17 proposed locations for new Capital Bikeshare docks in the Tysons area to be launched next year — including docks along the Route 7 corridor between Tysons and Falls Church and the Gallows Road corridor between Tysons and Merrifield.

In Merrifield, three new stations are planned to activate on May 22 at:

• Dunn Loring-Merrifield Metro station (2700 Gallows Road)
• Halstead Square Dunn Loring Metro Apartments (2729 Merrilee Drive)
• The Mosaic District (Merrifield Cinema Drive)

Six new stations are planned to launch in the area next spring.

A collaborative study for bike share expansion in Vienna was completed in March, and staff said the study recommended expanding the system throughout Vienna and considering a dockless bike share feature sometime in the future.

Along that route, Fairfax County recommends additional stations at:

• Dunn Loring-Merrifield Metro station (2700 Gallows Road)
• Vienna Metro station (9550 Saintsbury Drive)
• Gallows Road corridor
• Nottoway Park (9537 Courthouse Road)
• Circle Towers (9335 Lee Highway)

The Capital Bikeshare expansion in the study area is planned to be funded from the I-66 Commuter Choice program.

In the Town of Vienna, new bike share locations are proposed at:

• Town Green (144 Maple Avenue E.)
• Vienna Community Center (120 Cherry Street S.E.)
• Maple Avenue Shopping Center (180 Maple Avenue W.)
• Navy Federal Credit Union (820 Follins Lane)
• 444 Maple Avenue W. (currently a redevelopment project)

Yesterday (Monday), Capital Bikeshare also expanded into Falls Church with 11 stations.

There are few details, but the staff report indicates that future expansion could add the Capital Bikeshare to other areas like McLean.

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 (May 14)

• FCPS Budget Public Hearing — 5:30-8:30 p.m. at Luther Jackson Middle School (3020 Gallows Road) — The Fairfax County Federation of Teachers is planning a rally at the budget hearing to demand better pay, staffing, professional development support and more. The organization is asking members of the public to speak up and support local teachers.

Thursday (May 16)

• DekaLash Grand Opening — 5-7 p.m. at the Mosaic District (2910 District Avenue) — The eyelash studio opening in the Mosaic District is hosting a grand opening celebration. Door prizes include free lash sets, hand massages, snacks and more.
• Game of Thrones Trivia Night — 5-7:30 p.m. at Tysons Corner Center (1961 Chain Bridge Road) — In celebration of the upcoming “Game of Thrones” finale, the Tysons Corner Center is hosting a “Game of Thrones” trivia night in BrandBox. The competition will include “Game of Thrones”-themed prizes for the top two teams and light fare with a cash bar available. Teams are limited to up to four people with a $25 entry fee per team. Space is limited to the first 32 people.
• MPA Spring Benefit — 6-10 p.m. at The Falls — The McLean Project for the Arts’ fundraiser is being hosted in the most expensive home in D.C., which includes a property designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. The event will feature food from Windows Catering Company, live painting and more. A raffle will also be held for two pieces of jewelry priced at $2,200.

Saturday (May 18)

• 5th Annual Fundraiser for Colour Bar Studio — 10 a.m.-3 p.m. at Colour Bar Studio (8100 Boone Blvd) — The hair salon Colour Bar Studio is celebrating its fifth anniversary with a fundraiser to combat Lyme disease. The event will include product specials, raffles, special treats and prizes.
• McLean Day — 11 a.m.-5 p.m. at the Lewinsville Park (1659 Chain Bridge Road) — The McLean Community Center’s annual McLean Day festival returns with a day of free live entertainment, food trucks, carnival rides and more. The event is set to include laser tag, a rock climbing wall, balloon animals and a free petting zoo. Tickets for carnival rides can be purchased on sight. The event will be held rain or shine.
• Annual Korean Bell Garden Celebration — 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m. at Meadowlark Botanical Gardens (9750 Meadowlark Gardens Court) — The free festive celebration, sponsored by the Korean American Cultural Committee, features traditional Korean drum performances, music, TaeKwonDo demonstrations and an array of Korean clothing, games and food. The events culminate with the ringing of the 6,000 pound Korean Bell of Peace and Harmony. Admission to the gardens is also free from 10 a.m.-noon
• Beats and Brunch — 12-5 p.m. at Tysons Biergarten (8346 Leesburg Pike) — The Biergarten is hosting a brunch event with a DJ and specials. Rose and Mimosa specials are planned, along with a la carte food and spiked snow cones.

Photo via Facebook

Fairfax County’s new, permanent ‘LOVE’ sign kicked off its 11-stop tour today (May 9) with a ribbon-cutting in the Plaza at Tysons Corner Center.

The new sign celebrates the 50th anniversary of the “Virginia is for Lovers” slogan and National Travel and Tourism Week.

The sign will be on display until May 19 at the Plaza at Tysons Corner Center. It is also scheduled to be displayed at Caboose Commons in Merrifield from June 26 to July 1 during the “Summer of LOVE” tour.

In August, the sign will head to its permanent home at the Workhouse Arts Center in Lorton where artists will bedazzle the letters.

Fairfax County received a $10,000 grant from the Virginia Tourism Corporation for the tour.

A pet store chain recently opened its doors in the Mosaic District.

In March, storefront signs said Kriser’s Natural Pet, a pet store chain featuring natural food, treats and supplies, would open in a spot (2905 District Avenue, Suite 180) between Sweetgreen and Nordine Salon and Day Spa.

The Mosaic District pet store held a grand opening on Saturday (May 4), but with a new name. Recently, Kriser’s East Coast stores rebranded as “Loyal Companion.”

Other nearby locations are in Vienna at 144 Maple Avenue W. and in Tysons at 7505 Leesburg Pike inside the Whole Foods shopping center.

Mysteries and film noir classics will come to the silver screen every week this month at the Mosaic District.

Moviegoers at the Angelika Film Center (2911 District Avenue, Suite 200) can watch a different film every Wednesday from 7-9 p.m. Tickets cost $14.50.

The movie options are:

• May 8: “Mildred Pierce” — A woman struggles to support her spoiled daughter after divorcing her husband and starting a successful restaurant business
• May 15: “The Maltese Falcon” — A private detective seeks out his partner’s killer and becomes involved in a search for a priceless 16th-century statuette
• May 22: “Double Indemnity” — A woman seduces an insurance agent into murdering her husband, but then they get suspicious of each other’s motives
• May 29: “The Lady From Shanghai”– A seaman gets implicated in a murder after he starts working on a yacht

From the Mosaic District’s website:

Join us Wednesdays in May for murder, femme fatales and a hard-boiled detective with a hat.  With breathtaking cinematography, these Film Noir classics mark an error of smoky landscapes, towering shadows and stupendous mystery.

The self-described “boutique cinema” in the heart of the Mosaic District typically shows independent and specialty films.

Photo via 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 (May 7)

• Town of Vienna Election — 6 a.m.-7 p.m. at the Vienna Community Center (120 Cherry Street SE.) — There is a competitive race for the Town Council in Vienna, mainly focusing on the scale of new developments.
• “The Guest Book” Reading and Signing — 7:30-9:30 p.m. at Barnes & Nobles (7851 Tysons Corner Center) — Sarah Blake, author of the historical novel The Guest Book, will read from the book and sign copies at the Tysons Corner Center Barnes and Noble.

Thursday (May 9)

• Innovation Breakfast: The Opportunity in Opportunity Zones — 8-10:30 a.m. at Valo Park (7950 Jones Branch Drive) — The Community Foundation for Northern Virginia is hosting a business breakfast looking at opportunity zones, tracts of land targeted by state and federal governments for economic development. The breakfast will look at where they exist and what can be accomplished with them. Registration is $40 and includes breakfast.
• Urban Forest Perfume Making Workshop — 5:30-7:30 p.m. at Brandbox Lounge (Tysons Corner Center) — For Mother’s Day, the Urban Forest Perfume Company is setting up a workshop looking at the art of plant-based perfumes. Participants will get a class in understanding synthetic versus plant ingredients, perfume notes and basic formulas. Light food and wine will also be served.
• Vienna Community Brainstorming on Public Parking in Commercial Corridor — 6-7 p.m. at the Town Hall Council Chambers (127 Center Street S.) — The Town Business Liaison Committee and Mayor Laurie DiRocco will host a community conversation about parking. This is an opportunity to gather further feedback from business owners and refine solutions proposed at the March 14 community meeting.
• The Civil War in Northern Virginia — 7:30-9 p.m. at the Patrick Henry Library (101 Maple Ave E.) — Historian William S. Connery, author of “Civil War Northern Virginia 1861” will host a discussion of notable events and battles throughout Northern Virginia after the firing on Fort Sumter.

Friday (May 10)

• Young Adult Dungeons and Dragons — 3:30-6 p.m. at the Patrick Henry Library (101 Maple Ave E.) — A group of players are putting together an all-experience levels Dungeons and Dragons group aimed at grades 7-12.

Saturday (May 11)

• All the Way Live — 1-2 p.m. at the Alen Theatre (1234 Ingleside Ave.) — The history-through-hip-hop children’s show is coming to the Alden Theatre in the McLean Community Center. Tickets range from $10-$15.

Sunday (May 12)

• Mother’s Day Brunch — 10 a.m.-3 p.m. at Cheesetique Mosaic (2985 District Ave.) — Cheesetique in the Mosaic District is hosting a Mother’s Day event featuring a mimosa bucket, green eggs and ham, french toast, and lobster mac and cheese. The shop will also be open with special gifts for mothers. Reservations are encouraged.
• Mother’s Day Brunch — 11 a.m.-3 p.m. at Inca Social (2670 Avenir Place) — Inca Social is hosting a Latin-style brunch on Sunday with cocktails and special brunch items. Children under 6 years old eat for free.
• Listen to Your Mother’s Jokes — 5-7 p.m. at Tysons Biergarten (8346 Leesburg Pike) — In a special comedy show, the Tysons Biergarten is hosting local standup comedians who are also mothers. Seating starts at 5 p.m. with the show starting at 6 p.m. Tickets are $10.

Photo via Facebook

The Root Collective, an online shoe boutique, will soon bring its footwear to the Mosaic District.

Shoppers can find the shoes for one week at Fair Trade Winds (2905 District Avenue, Suite 125) starting tomorrow (Saturday).

The Root’s online offerings range from $98 flats to $228 boots. Its current “Pair of the Month” is the $228 Lee Boot in the color “chestnut.”

The shoes are ethically made in Guatemala, according to The Root Collective’s website, adding:

At The Root Collective, we partner with small, independent workshops because we believe that’s where the most impact in communities happen. Our goal is to support existing workshops that are run by local business owners… Steady and safe jobs are also fighting gang violence in Guatemala by giving young men and women an alternative to joining the gangs, which are rampant in many communities throughout the country.

The pop-up will run from May 4-12.

Image via Facebook

Just a month shy of its 10-year-anniversary, a kids’ clothing boutique named Wee Chic recently opened its first Virginia store in the Mosaic District.

Rewinding to when it all began, owner Bridget Quinn Stickline told Tysons Reporter that she started Wee Chic after struggling to find clothing she liked for her daughter, who was then a baby. “A retailer alert went off [in my head] — this is a void in the market. There’s opportunity here,” she said.

Stickline, who has worked in the garment industry and is a self-described “fabric-phile,” knew she wanted ethical fashion with a modern approach that she could buy in boutiques.

Fast forward to present day and Wee Chic sells appropriate kids’ clothing that parents can have a hard time finding, she said.

“Fashion forward and mom approved” is how Stickline describes the shop’s offerings, which include clothing for girls’ sizes from newborn up to size 16 and for boys from newborn up to size 8, along with toys and books. (Food-printed clothing, like sushi and tacos, are popular right now, she said.)

Originally based in the Baltimore-area, Wee Chic has a newly opened Mosaic District shop, which was formerly the location of Dawn Price Baby — another local kids’ boutique that started shuttering its stores last year after 15 years in business.

Stickline said that she heard about Price’s plan to retires and signed the lease for the space in March just a few months after Price’s lease ended.

“We saw that as a sign for us to make a move into Northern Virginia,” Stickline said, adding that she likes the variety of restaurants and mix of national chains and small businesses that call the Mosaic District home.

She says she hasn’t had any customers confuse the two shops, since the decor and merchandising “feel very different” from Dawn Price Baby.

Wee Chic embraces the individuality, fun and the flexibility that comes from being a small business, Stickline said.

She has embraced recent push in the industry toward selling gender-bending — not be confused with gender neutral — clothes and toys. “We’re seeing dinosaurs on girls’ clothing. Why didn’t this happen 10 years ago?” Stickline said, adding that she’s excited about how retailers are starting to think differently about gender.

Wee Chic is also unique in its refusal to sell products online — a move that might be surprising in an e-commerce age, but one that Stickline says creates in-person experiences that shoppers can’t replicate online. “For us, it’s about the human connection,” Stickline said. “We get to know clients really well.”

Even in “Age of Amazon” as Stickline calls it, the boutique sees returning customers — “the Wee Chic Squad” — that allows Stickline to watch kids grow up.

“Kids come into our store and it’s their favorite store,” she said, adding that parents will bring their kids shopping there as a reward. “That’s a really cool feeling to create a space that kids love.”

Now age 12, Stickline’s daughter has outgrown Wee Chic, but has picked up her mom’s entrepreneurial spirit, Stickline said. “She was the original Wee Chic.”

Photo courtesy via Wee Chic