An animal hospital and furniture store are coming to a building in Merrifield between the Dunn Loring Metro station and the Mosaic District.

A building permit says that 8300 Merrifield Avenue, Suite C is getting an interior alteration for the Dunn Loring Animal Hospital.

A sign on a door facing Merrifield Avenue says that the Mina Design Gallery will have a “grand re-opening coming soon” after trading in its Vienna location for the new Merrifield spot. A moving truck by the door said Mina’s former location at 8590 Leesburg Pike was “Closing our doors forever. Everything must go!!!”

The Merrifield furniture gallery is open by appointment open until May 5, according to Mina’s website.

Built in the 1970s, the building housed Columbia College, which offers English as a Second Language program, and Rice Bar Factory. The building recently had work done to remove asbestos, according to a different permit.

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!

Thursday (May 2)

• 4th Anniversary Beer Dinner — 7:30-10 p.m. at Caboose Tavern (520 Mill Street NE) — In celebration of the company’s fourth anniversary, the Caboose Brewing Company is hosting a five-course evening meal and beer pairings. Tickets are $75 and limited, so they must be reserved in advance. Meals include deviled egg, tuna tartare and “deconstructed s’mores.”
• Harry Potter Trivia Night — 5-6 p.m. at Bards Alley (110 Church Street NW) — Vienna’s Bards Alley book shop is hosting a Harry Potter trivia contest. Complimentary non-alcoholic butterbeer will be on tap and Harry Potter-inspired attire is encouraged.

Friday (May 3)

• Intro to Djembe Drumming — 7-8:30 p.m. at Alden Theatre (1234 Ingleside Avenue) — The Alden in the McLean Community Center is hosting a drum circle class run by artist Kofi Dennis to teach local families about djembe drumming. The class is designed for families and children under 14 must have an adult.

Saturday (May 4)

• Bike Rodeo — 9 a.m.-12 p.m. at the Vienna Volunteer Fire Department (400 Center Street S) — Veteran cyclists will be on hand to help children learn some real-life handling skills, like road rules and how to handle obstacles. Children must wear a helmet to participate.
• May the Fourth Be With You Party — 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. at Tysons-Pimmit Regional Library (7584 Leesburg Pike) — The Tysons library is hosting a Star Wars themed party, including crafts, snacks and children’s activities. A costume contest will be held at 11:30 a.m. The event is for all ages with adult supervision. A screening of “Solo: A Star Wars Story” will be held after the party at 2 p.m. The movie is rated PG-13, so all ages under 13 require an adult.
• The Organic Butcher’s Spring Block Party — 12-4 p.m. at The Organic Butcher (6712 Old Dominion Drive) — The Organic Butcher in McLean is hosting its annual block party, with live music, food, wine, beer and cider tastings. Artisans and farmers are set to attend. A sausage-making demonstration is planned for 2 p.m.
• May the 4th Be With You and Your Margarita — 8 p.m. at Inca Social (2670 Avenir Pl.) — Inca Social, a new bar in Merrifield, is hosting a special Star Wars themed evening with margarita and gosarita specials all evening. The DJ starts at 9 p.m., and table reservations can be made online.

Sunday (May 5)

• Cinco de Mayo and Official Patio Launch Party — 10 a.m.-11 p.m. at Mad Fox Brewing Company (444 W Broad Street) — The Falls Church bar is hosting a Cinco de Mayo party and opening up the bar’s patio with a selection of drinking and food specials, including discounts on Tequila flights.

Image via Facebook

Popeyes is opening a new location in a strip mall up the road from the Mosaic District.

The fried chicken chain will occupy the former spot of Metro PCS (2835 Gallows Road) in the Merrifield Plaza Shopping Center.

A building permit indicates that work has started for the Popeyes, which a leasing brochure for the shopping center says is “coming soon.”

Currently, Popeyes has nearby locations in Fairfax (9661 Fairfax Blvd) and Vienna (325 Maple Avenue E.).

Image via Google Maps

The Weekly Planner is a roundup of the most 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 (April 22)

• Game of Thrones Trivia Night — 8-10:30 p.m. at Blackfinn Ameripub (2750 Gallows Road) — The Blackfinn Ameripub is hosting a trivia night themed around the popular HBO show Game of Thrones. There is no entry fee, but top teams can win special Game of Thrones-related prizes. Food and drinks themed around the show will also be available.

Wednesday (April 24)

• 2019 Green Expo — 7-9 p.m. at the Vienna Community Center (120 Cherry Street SE.) — The event hosted by the town’s Community Enhancement Commission helps locals learn about sustainability, home energy efficiency, recycling and more. Activities at the Expo include a raffle to win a rain barrel and lessons on how to make a yard a habitat for local wildlife. Green Expo is free and open to the public.

Thursday (April 25)

• Rosé All Day Event — 5-7 p.m. at Tysons Corner Center — As part of series of events coming to BrandBox, Winky Lux’s Roseé themed event will feature all-day pampering with hair touch-ups and creative consultation. Entrance is $20, which also comes with a $20 WinkyLux gift card, a makeover and rosé tasting. RSVPs can be made by emailing [email protected].
• Claude Moore Farm Public Meeting — 6-8 p.m. at Madison Community Center (3829 N Stafford Street, Arlington) — The National Park Service is launching its planning effort for McLean’s Claude Moore Farm, which closed last fall, with an open house. Concepts for the park are planned to be shared at the meeting with the public given a chance to offer feedback.

Saturday (April 27)

• 8th Annual Taste of Vienna — 11 a.m.-8 p.m. at the Vienna Volunteer Fire Department (400 Center Street) — The annual fundraiser for the Vienna Volunteer Fire Department is coming back, rain or shine. The event showcases food and beer from around Vienna. For adults, beer tickets are $15. All-day moon bounce admission for children is $2.50.
• Caboose Brewing Company’s Springfest 2019 — 12-7 p.m. at Caboose Commons (2918 Eskridge Road) — Caboose Commons is hosting its first craft brewery festival, with eight other breweries planned to attend the event in Merrifield. Live music, smoked barbecue, and authentic German beer are planned for the celebration. Tickets are $25.
• Pints for Parkinson’s — 1-5 p.m. at Tysons Biergarten (8346 Leesburg Pike) — At a special fundraiser, all donations and a percentage of sales at Tysons Biergarten will be given to local non-profit Parkinson Social Network — a group dedicated to bringing the Parkinson’s community together to inform and encourage those living with Parkinson’s.

Sunday (April 28)

• 2019 Walk on the Hill — 2-5 p.m. at the Windover Avenue — The annual tradition dating back to 1971 takes visitors on a self-guided tour through a historic Vienna neighborhood. Approximately 50 yards and gardens are planned to participate in the tours, and live entertainment is also planned for the celebration.

Photo via Facebook

Wee Chic, a Maryland-based kids’ clothing boutique, recently opened its doors in the former spot of Dawn Price Baby in the Mosaic District.

The store opened at 2905 District Ave, Suite 120 on Saturday, April 6, Ellie Heath, the store’s manager and former Dawn Price Baby employee, told Tysons Reporter.

Wee Chic, which started in Baltimore, wanted to expand into the D.C. market and saw the recent closure of Dawn Price Baby store in the Mosaic District as an opportunity to fill a need for kids’ clothing in the area, Heath said.

After 15 years in business, Dawn Price Baby closed three of its four stores, including the ones in Reston and Georgetown, leaving just the Capitol Hill location open.

“Our store leases have come up for renewal and we have decided to start a new chapter,” Dawn Price, the owner of Dawn Price Baby, posted on the website. “Dawn Price Baby has been one of the most rewarding, challenging and exciting times of my life.”

In addition to filling Dawn Price Baby’s former spot, Heath said Wee Chic offers appropriate tween clothing for kids from fifth to eighth grade — ages that parents can find particularly hard to shop for, Heath said.

Wee Chic carries clothing for girls’ sizes from newborn up to size 16 and for boys from newborn up to size 8, along with toys and books, Heath said.

Heath said the popular items right now are anything with avocados, tacos and sushi, like the sushi-printed bib set for $20, a taco-shaped silicone teether for $16.50 and a taco onesie for $42. Only two avocado bibs are left in the store, Heath said.

A takeout eatery is getting ready to move into the Mosaic District space that previously belonged to Capital Teas.

The tea retailer’s spot at 2910 District Avenue, Suite 168 closed in the summer along with all of its other stores when Capital Teas Inc. filed for bankruptcy in August, an employee told Tysons Reporter. In October, Anchor Beverages took over the brand, and Capital Teas is now just selling its products online.

The vacant spot is getting prepared for a new takeout food establishment named Playa Bowl, according to a building permit.

A similarly named franchise called Playa Bowls serves up acai bowls, poke, smoothies and juice. It is unclear whether the franchise is the same future Mosaic District tenant.

Playa Bowls and EDENS, the retail real estate owner behind the Mosaic District, did not return inquiries from Tysons Reporter.

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 (April 16)

• Vesper Trail Ribbon Cutting — 10 a.m. at Higdon Drive — The new Vesper Trail connecting Old Courthouse Road in Vienna to the Spring Hill Metro station in Tysons after earlier delays.
• Sugar Mountain: Neil Young Tribute Band — 7:30 p.m. at Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave E) — The Neil Young Tribute Band Sugar Mountain is scheduled to play at Jammin Java tomorrow. Tickets are $20.

Wednesday (April 17)

• Maibock Tapping Party — 6-8 p.m. at Gordon Biersch Brewery (7861 Tysons Corner Center) — The Tysons Corner Center’s Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant is tapping party to raise funds for the Dunn Loring Volunteer Fire Department. The event is planned to include tastings, appetizers, live music and more. A quarter will be donated to the department for every pint served, and 15 percent of all restaurant sales during the party.

Thursday (April 18)

• Monty Python’s Life of Brian Screening — 7-9 p.m. at the Angelika Film Center (2911 District Ave.) — The Angelika Film Center in the Mosaic District will host a screening of the controversial satire The Life of Brian. Tickets are $15.

Friday (April 19)

• Earth Day Party — 5-9 p.m. at the Tysons Biergarten (8346 Leesburg Pike) — The Tysons Biergarten is hosting a live music and drinking party to celebrate Earth day, with a portion of the proceeds going to the Rainforest Trust. Bring a printed flyer for the event or a screenshot of the event page and show it to the bartender.

Saturday (April 20)

• Spring Fest — 10 a.m.-12 p.m. at the McLean Community Center (1234 Ingleside Ave) — The McLean Community Center is hosting a spring festival with a mix of live entertainment and self-guided arts and crafts. The program aims at children ages 3-8. Registration in advance for $5 is required.

Sunday (April 21)

• Early Mornings in the Garden — 6-10 a.m. at Meadowlark Botanical Gardens (9750 Meadowlark Gardens Ct.) — Photographers, birdwatchers, and other interested parties are invited to a special early morning walk through the gardens. The gardens typically open at 10 a.m., but early visitors will have a chance to see some of the birds in their most active times. Standard garden admission — $3 to $6 — applies.
• Easter Brunch — 9 a.m.-3 p.m. at Mad Fox Brewing Company (444 W Broad Street) — The Mad Fox Brewing Company is opening early for a brunch buffet aimed at accommodating entire families. Adults tickets are $28 and kid tickets are $12.

Photo via Facebook

A new education-oriented music studio, called Crescendo Studios, just opened in Merrifield, near the Mosaic District.

Eddie Fuentes, director of the studio, said the goal is to provide individualized music lessons and to teach students to be creative thinkers in a diverse, nurturing environment.

“Our mission is to bring culture, diversity and a wealth of experience to the education of our students,” Fuentes said. “Too many times education of the arts is homogenized and every individual is treated the same. This method of teaching can work for some but there are many students who become unmotivated and underwhelmed because they are not being engaged the right way.”

The studio opened inside the old MHz Studio at 8101 Lee Highway. Fuentes said the facility has seven private lesson rooms, four band rooms, and a recording studio.

Private music lessons at Crescendo Studio are $35 for a 30-minute lesson or $65 for a one-hour lesson. Small group classes for 6-9 year olds are $35 for one-hour lessons and the Prelude Piano Program for 5-7 year olds is $35 for a one-hour lesson.

The studio is planning to host an open house on Saturday, April 27 from 11 a.m.-5 p.m., giving prospective students, parents or instructors a chance to tour the building and meet the studio’s teachers.

“Our initial goal is to establish ourselves as the go-to location for music education,” said Fuentes. “In our second phase, we aim to bring other art forms into our school such as dance, musical theater, canvas art and more.”

Photo via Facebook

This summer, you can find love touring around Fairfax County — a tour that will start next month in Tysons.

As part of the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the “Virginia is for Lovers” slogan, Fairfax County received a $10,000 grant from the Virginia Tourism Corporation to send series of letters spelling out “LOVE” around the county.

According to the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority:

Fairfax County will receive its first permanent ‘LOVEwork’ sign, which will embark on a Summer of LOVE tour to county attractions. The LOVE tour will kick off on the Plaza at Tysons Corner Center from May 9 to May 19, coinciding with National Travel & Tourism Week.

The sign is also scheduled to be displayed at Caboose Commons in Merrifield from June 26 to July 1.

It will make an appearance in the Tysons area at Wolf Trap, where it will be displayed from July 12 to July 24, before eventually being sent to the Workhouse Arts Center in Lorton as part of a permanent display.

Photo via Virginia Tourism Corporation

After surviving its first winter, Caboose Commons (2918 Eskridge Road) is celebrating spring with its first craft brewery festival: Springfest.

The festival is planned for Saturday, April 27, from 12-7 p.m. The event will feature live music throughout the day.

According to an email, at least ten breweries will be participating.

• Ono Brewing Company
• Vasen Brewing Company
• Rocket Frog Brewing Company
• Mad Fox Brewing Company
• Greenbrier Valley Brewing Company
• Settle Down Easy Brewing
• Forge Brew Works
• Lake Anne Brewhouse
• Caboose Brewing Company

Tickets are available day-of or can be ordered online.

Photo via Caboose Brewing Company