It’s still chilly out, but locals are invited to change into their bathing suit and take a “polar plunge” at the Mosaic District later this month.
The NOVA Polar Plunge Festival on Saturday, Jan. 19, is held in support of the Special Olympics. For a $100 donation to the Special Olympics, attendees can cannonball into an icy pool of water.
Beyond the donation to take the plunge, the event has certain fundraising benchmarks — from a commemorative t-shirt for $100 donors to a name on the Special Olympics walk of fame for those who raise $5,000.
The event starts with check-in at noon, with the first plunge starting at 1 p.m. and a costume contest and award ceremony at 2 p.m.
Parking for the event is free and available at the garages at 2987 and 2920 District Ave.
Polar Plunge festivals take place in four different locations across Virginia. According to the Polar Plunge website, funding goes to support Special Olympics Virginia to provide “year-round sports training, competition, leadership opportunities and health service to more than 23,000 athletes of all abilities.”
Currently, donors have chipped in $8,263 of the group’s $35,000 goal.
Photo via Facebook
Tysons Agenda is a listing of interesting events for the week ahead in the Tysons area.
We’ve scoured the web for events of note in Tysons, Vienna, Merrifield and McLean. Know of any we’ve missed? Tell us!
Today, Dec. 26
Voyages
Torpedo Factory Artists Association Mosaic (2905 District Ave)
Time: 11 a.m.-7 p.m.
The Torpedo Factory Artists Association is opening up its newest exhibit in the Mosaic District: Voyages, a new art gallery that will run until Jan. 27.
Saturday, Dec. 29
Lucky Dog Animal Rescue’s Adoption Event
Kriser’s Natural Pet (144 Maple Ave W)
Time: 12-2 p.m.
The Lucky Dog Animal Rescue is hosting an adoption event in Vienna. After filing an adoption application, several dogs will be available for selection with a full list of dogs posted at 6 p.m. the day before.
Acoustic Soul at Caboose Brewing
Caboose Commons (2918 Eskridge Road)
Time: 1-4 p.m.
The new Caboose Commons in Merrifield is hosting a jam session with Acoustic Soul, a local rock, soul and blues cover band.
2nd Annual Holiday Pajama Jam
Tysons Biergarten (8346 Leesburg Pike)
Time: 9 p.m.-2 a.m.
Not quite ready to let the holidays go yet? The Tysons Biergarten’s pajama party is free to attend and the best pajama can win a $100 cash prize if they RSVP ahead of time.
Sunday, Dec. 30
Our Lady of Good Counsel Catholic Church Blood Drive
Our Lady of Good Counsel Catholic School (8601 Wolftrap Rd)
Time: 8 a.m.-1 p.m.
A Catholic Church in Vienna is hosting a blood drive, with appointments available online or by calling 1-866-256-6372.
Fresh Pancakes and Hot Chocolate
Once Upon a Dream (527 Maple Ave East)
Time: 10 a.m.-12 p.m.
The Once Upon a Dream playspace is hosting a free pancake and hot chocolate breakfast for any children coming in to play this Sunday. Space is limited, so RSVP by emailing [email protected].
(Updated 2:30 p.m.) If you’re looking for a last minute holiday gift, the Torpedo Factory Artists’ Association’s location in the Mosaic District will be offering (relatively) affordable art until this coming Sunday, Dec. 23.
The ≤500 exhibit features a range of art types with a focus on affordability, all items being priced at or below $500. The artwork in the gallery includes painting, photography, and glass mosaics.
The gallery is open Wednesday through Sunday from 11 a.m.-7 p.m.
After the ≤500 exhibit closes on Sunday, a new exhibit called “Voyages” will run from Dec. 26 through Jan. 27 and “MicroResidencies” from Jan. 30 through March 3.
The Mosaic gallery is managed by the Torpedo Factory Artists’ Association. The Mosaic gallery opened at 105 District Ave in April this year, on a one-year lease, after a short run in November 2017 as a pop-up gallery.
Tysons Agenda is a listing of interesting events for the week ahead in the Tysons area.
We’ve scoured the web for events of note in Tysons, Vienna, Merrifield and McLean. Know of any we’ve missed? Tell us!
Today, Dec. 17
Free Movie Screening: Bumblebee
AMC Tysons Corner (7850 Tysons Corner)
Time: 6:30-9 p.m.
ThingstodoDC.com is hosting a free screening of the new movie Bumblebee, the latest in the long-running Transformers series. Reviews have been surprisingly positive so far.
Final Meeting – Mclean MRC
Longfellow Middle (2000 Westmoreland St)
Time: 7-9 p.m.
This will be the final vision plan presentation discussing plans to renovate downtown McLean, which currently include turning a street into a pedestrian avenue and adding a new roundabout.
Tuesday, Dec. 18
In the Mix: NOVA Holiday Mixer
Tower Club (8000 Towers Crescent Drive)
Time: 5:30-7:30 p.m.
A networking event at the Tower Club in Tysons aims to bring Northern Virginia community members together to form new career and business connections to start 2019 with. Tickets are complimentary for Tower Club members or $10 for guests.
Cheesetique Trivia Night
Cheesetique (2985 District Ave)
Time: 7-9 p.m.
A trivia night in the Mosaic District held alongside an extended happy hour running until 9 p.m.
Wednesday, Dec. 19
Ugly Christmas Sweater Workout
CrossFit Route 7 (8504 Tyco Road)
Time: 6 a.m.-9 p.m.
The Tysons CrossFit studio is hosting an all-day ugliest Christmas sweater or t-shirt contest, culminating with a class photo to commemorate a day of bad taste.
Second Story Toy Drive
Tysons Biergarten (8346 Leesburg Pike)
Time: 4-6 p.m.
The Biergarten will host its third annual toy drive for Second Story, a nonprofit youth shelter in Vienna. New or gently used toys can be brought to the Biergarten at a donation bin near the front door.
Thursday, Dec. 20
Devils Backbone Tap Takeover
Blackfinn Ameripub – Merrifield (2750 Gallows Rd)
Time: 5-7 p.m.
The Virginia-based Devils Backbone Brewing Company will take over the bar with the beers like their Vienna Lager or Gran-cose available on tap.
Merrifield has always been anchored by its movie theater. While Fairfax County’s aerial photography shows the site’s growth from fields to an urban center, the theater has been there since some of the earliest photos.
In photography from before 1960, Merrifield is mostly fields and farmland. But in 1954, the Washington area’s largest drive-in theater, the Lee Highway Drive-In, opened at the site. That’s the cone-shaped development in the middle of the aerial photography.
The theater featured a 50×120′ CinemaScope screen and a rotunda-style dining area. At its capacity in 1983, the drive-in could fit 1,353 cars.
The drive-in is still visible in the 1976 photography, with other development sprouting up nearby. In 1984, however, the drive-in was closed and replaced with a multiplex theater nearby. Like the drive-in at its heyday, the new theaters that opened were state-of-the-art.
But by the mid-2000s, the once modern multiplex was showing its age, like the drive-in had before it. The site gained some notoriety in 2005 after a man leaving the theater was attacked by several assailants, one of whom wielded a machete and cut three fingers off the man’s hand.
In 2009 the site’s owner, National Amusements, sold the site and plans began to emerge for a more pedestrian-friendly urban center today known as the Mosaic District. Photography from 2011 shows the area mid-development; in 2012 the Mosaic District opened with a mix of handpicked local boutiques and national retailers.
Prior to that, Rep. Gerry Connolly described Merrifield as a “waste” in a New York Times article on the emerging development.
Mr. Connolly… is familiar with Merrifield’s past and present. He remembers thinking to himself, “What a waste of land,” after being elected in 1995 to the Fairfax County board of supervisors. “We have this aging movie theater that’s surrounded by acres of surface parking,” Mr. Connolly said.
In fall 2012, the Angelika Film Center opened an 8-screen theater in Mosaic District, continuing Merrifield’s movie legacy established more than half a century earlier.
Past and Present is a Tysons Reporter series looking at locations in our area as they’ve changed over the last century. Check out our articles for Tysons Corner Mall, Tysons Galleria/Leesburg Pike, Tysons East, and Maple Avenue.
New French Bistro Coming to Mosaic District — “Brothers Ian and Eric Hilton are betting third time’s a charm for the Mosaic District space where both RJ Cooper’s Gypsy Soul and Mike Isabella’s Requin Brasserie imploded. The restaurateurs behind Chez Billy Sud, Marvin, and around a dozen other bars and restaurants will open a French bistro in the Fairfax development by early summer.” [Washingtonian]
How to Prevent Clogged Pipes — “Avoid clogged pipes this holiday season — don’t pour fats, oils and grease down the drain. Wipes pots and pans clean before rinsing them in the sink. Cooking oil can be recycled at the I-66 transfer station and I-95 landfill complex.” [Twitter]
Holiday Hours for Tysons Malls — “Many malls will be offering extended hours in the days before Christmas, including Tysons Corner Center and Tysons Galleria.” [Patch]
If you need to get some Christmas shopping done, the Holiday Market will be open today and Saturday at the Tysons Biergarten (8346 Leesburg Pike).
Hot mulled wine and seasonal cocktails will also be served. Heaters will be located around the outdoor patio. The market will feature items from vendors like
- Tocara Jewelry
- Rachel’s Handmade Accessories
- Terra Essential Oil
- Rodan + Fields
But if you’re set on gifts, there’s still plenty to do around the Tysons area this weekend.
Today (Dec. 7)
Champagne Extravaganza (5-8 p.m.) — The Vienna Wine Outlet (114 Church St) is hosting a champagne extravaganza, offering a variety of wines and a sampling of cheeses to accompany them. The event is $30 per person and guests are asked to RSVP by phone at 703-639-0155.
Tomorrow (Dec. 8)
Pajama Party – The Polar Express (10-11:45 a.m.) — The Angelika Film Center (2911 District Ave) in the Mosaic District will host a hyper-casual screening of the Robert Zemeckis animated film The Polar Express. Tickets are $12.50. Hot chocolate and warm cookies will be available at the cafe for purchase.
Holiday Market Pop Up (10 a.m.-2 p.m.) — The jewelry and accessories store at 2905 District Ave is hosting a pop-up market with a hot chocolate bar, giveaways, and more. The first 25 people in line will receive a free gift.
Brunch with Santa (11 a.m.-2 p.m.) — An extensive brunch with a chance to take photos with Santa will be hosted at Tysons’ Ritz-Carlton hotel. Tickets are $64 for adults and $32 for children ages 2-10. There is no charge for children under 2 years old.
Cookies and Cocoa with Santa (1-3 p.m.) — Vienna Pediatric Dentistry (301 Maple Ave W) will host a cookies and cocoa event tomorrow. Santa is also scheduled to make an appearance. The event is free and open to the public, though small, unwrapped gifts to donate to Toys for Tots are encouraged.
Sunday (Dec. 9)
Ice Cream Jubilee Tysons Grand Opening (12-4 p.m.) — The ice cream store that recently opened as part of the Taste of UrbanSpace in Tysons Galleria is hosting a grand opening celebration and giveaway. Tickets for a free scoop of ice cream are already sold out, but RSVP to get on the waitlist.
Doe Paoro: Soft Power Tour (8 p.m.) — The singer-songwriter will be performing at Jammin’ Java in Vienna (227 Maple Ave E) on Sunday. The musical style is mostly pop, but includes influences of everything from soul to ancient Tibetan folk opera.
A gas line rupture near the Mosaic District has prompted at least one road closure.
Eskridge Road is closed between Lee Highway and Williams Drive, according to Fairfax County Fire and Rescue, after workers struck what is believed to be a two-inch gas line at the intersection of Eskridge and Merrifield Town Center.
Firefighters have established a “safety perimeter” and are checking nearby buildings, including adjacent townhomes.
Drivers are being encouraged to avoid the area.
UPDATE – gas leak on Eskridge Rd at Merrifield Town Center: situation stable and under control. Awaiting arrival of @washingtongas . Some units are going back in service. #fcfrd #news https://t.co/OuiSIBZMlv
— Fairfax County Fire/Rescue (@ffxfirerescue) November 26, 2018
Map via Google Maps
(Updated at 12:50 p.m.) If you’re looking to chase your Mosaic District shopping with a stiff drink, the MacMillan Whisky Room — opening early next year at 2920 District Ave — could be your style.
The bar and restaurant is part of a series of new venues scheduled to move into the Mosaic District, according to the Washington Business Journal. New stores include Robert Redford-helmed Sundance and a new Barnes & Noble.
According to Derek Anderson, co-owner of the bar along with his wife Emma Hand, MacMillan Whisky Room will be a high-end neighborhood bar offering a variety of international whiskies and local beers.
“We like the whisky bar scene in Washington, D.C.” said Anderson. “My wife and I live nearby. Mosaic is a great location. There’s a built-in customer base here in the Mosaic District and they really need a high-end neighborhood bar.”
This is Anderson’s first restaurant, but helping out with the opening is his brother, Keith Anderson, who Derek says has worked as a chef at several restaurants and will be the head chef at MacMillan Whisky Room. The MacMillan Whisky Room will serve burgers along with classic British bar fare like scotch eggs, fish and chips and other dishes.
Derek Anderson said is all of the permitting goes well, the restaurant will likely be opening by the end of January 2019.
Whisky photo via Facebook. Exterior photo via Google Maps.
Barnes & Noble is expected to move into the Mosaic District, but a novel approach may have the store scaled down to a novella.
According to the Washington Business Journal, the Mosaic District’s Barnes & Noble will only be 8,630 square feet in size; substantially smaller than the typical store.
The smaller stores are part of a turnaround initiative for the company, which faces declining sales. Many of the new locations will be roughly half the size of most Barnes & Noble stores.
The scaled-down Mosaic District Barnes & Noble is scheduled to open at 2921 District Avenue, adjacent to the West Elm furniture and home accessories store, in June 2019.
The Barnes & Noble is part of a slate of new stores in the Mosaic District, including the recently opened Sundance and Erin Condren.
Photo via Google Maps
