(Updated at 12:05 on 10/30/2020) Town of Vienna residents and visitors are invited to enjoy the crisp fall weather and live entertainment while supporting local retail during the town’s first-ever Vienna Shop & Stroll.

It is the biggest and longest initiative organized by the Town of Vienna Economic Development Office, which will soon celebrate its one-year anniversary after being formed in November 2019. The town’s business liaison committee and the Vienna Business Association are partners on the event series.

Each Saturday through Dec. 12, designated shopping centers will host safe and socially distant seasonal activities and in-store promotions. Locals and visitors are encouraged to meet business owners and learn more about the history of the shopping centers.

“It grew out of the fact that we need to come up with creative ideas throughout this time,” said Natalie Monkou, the economic development manager for the Town of Vienna. “The more creativity, the better.”

The Vienna Shop & Stroll kicked off last Saturday (Oct. 24) at the Vienna Shopping Center (180 Maple Avenue), where seven businesses participated. It featured two pop-up opera concerts by emerging artists at the Kennedy Center’s Washington National Opera. The singers performed two micro-concerts from the Concert Truck, a Maryland-based pop-up truck that aims to make classical music more accessible.

“I’m actually pretty pleased with what happened on Saturday,” Monkou said. “It was set at one of the busiest shopping centers in town, so it was a great place to kick off what we could do for other locations.”

The pop-up concert truck was “a great way to remind people that Vienna is accessible to all,” Monkou said.

Future special programming will remain in the realm of music and art to avoid direct competition with the shopping centers. Concerts are also family-friendly and a great way to manage social-distancing guidelines, Monkou says.

“If we are going to provide something, we want it to be something that we can count on families to enjoy with little ones,” she said.

Because the Economic Development Department is so new, “everything we’re doing is a pilot,” Monkou said. “Depending on the participation from tenants and property managers, we’ll see if the [Shop & Stroll] is an annual thing.”

She emphasized engaging property owners because they have a role to play in the success of the town.

“When their businesses don’t do well, we all suffer,” she said. “We all benefit when we come together to do something that’s off the beaten path.”

Here are the dates and locations for upcoming Shop & Stroll Saturdays:

• Nov. 7: Danor Plaza
• Nov. 14: Cedar Park
• Nov. 21: Jades Shopping Center + Vienna Plaza
• Nov. 28: Small Biz Saturday on Church Street and surrounding streets off Church
• Dec. 5: Village Green
• Dec. 12: Glyndon Plaza

Correction: This article previously described the Vienna Business Association as the organizer of Shop & Stroll. The VBA is a partner with Vienna’s economic development office as the main organizer.

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https://twitter.com/WTOPtraffic/status/1257284370920022016?s=20

Black Friday makes the headlines, but this upcoming Small Business Saturday (Nov. 24) will give locals a chance to check out some of the small stores throughout the area and maybe get some holiday shopping done.

The Vienna Business Association has put together a list of all small businesses in the areas with special deals on Saturday, including:

• Bards Alley LLC (110 Church St NW) — A book store in Vienna that will have giveaways for purchase over $50, refreshments, and a signing by local authors Katy Upperman, author of The Impossibility of Us, at 11:00 a.m., Eugenia Kim author of The Kinship of Secrets, at 1:00 p.m., and Anna Whiston Donaldson, author of the book A Hug from Heaven, at 3:00 p.m.
• Elements Massage (122 Maple Ave W) — A massage parlor offering $30 discount off of your first one-hour massage session. The deal will run both Saturday and Sunday.
• Savvy Rest Natural Bedroom (258 Maple Ave E) — The mattress store will be offering 30 percent off all Savvy Rest Mattresses and 25 percent off all other products.
• Bikes @ Vienna (128 A Church Street NW) — This store bicycle, which specializes in non-traditional models, will be offering 10 percent off select bicycles and accessories.
• Aesthetic Medical Center (8150 Leesburg Pike) — Calling the clinic (703-992-7979) on small business Saturday will net a 15 percent discount on any single treatment through Dec. 31.
• Colleen’s Creations, LLC — This online-only business run out of a Vienna home will be offering a variety of discounts on lipstick and glosses. All cosmetics and skincare materials are 40 percent off. Pickup is available in Vienna or via mail for a $4 charge.
• Generation Code (112 Church St NW) — This kids coding camp will offer five percent off winter break camps.
• Freeman Store (131 Church St NE) — The Freeman Store and Museum, a historically styled general goods store, will offer a 10 percent discount (15 percent for members) on merchandise in the store excluding used books.
• Potomac River Running Store (111 Maple Ave W) — The regional chain is offering buy one, get one 40 percent off. A Potomac River graphic t-shirt is available for $10 with any purchase of $20 or more.
• Skintelligence (421 Church St) — This skincare and spa treatment clinic in Vienna is offering 10 percent off any massage scheduled on Nov. 24 for any day between Nov. 26 and Dec. 23. All skin care products are also 20 percent off.
• John Edwards Hair Design (103 Church St NE) – A cosmetic studio offering 40 percent off any facial or skin care peel.

Meanwhile, for those looking to support small businesses in Tysons and McLean, here is a partial list put together from both American Express’s map of small businesses and the Greater McLean Chamber of Commerce’s retail directory.

• Color Wheel (1374 Chain Bridge Road) — A family business offering paint and specialty finishes and custom photo framing.
• Mangan Jewelers of McLean (6801 Whittier Ave) — A jewelry store featuring wedding rings, fashion jewelry and estate pieces.
• McLean Hardware Co. Inc. (1445 Chain Bridge Rd) — McLean’s local hardware and household goods shop, offering a variety of gardening, plumbing, electric and houseware supplies.
• Mayflowers of McLean (1363 Chain Bridge Rd) — A florist shop in downtown McLean.
• Treasure Trove (1317 Chain Bridge Rd) — A used merchandise store offering everything from old books to clothing. All proceeds benefit Inova Hospital.
• Mesmeralda’s Gifts (1339 Chain Bridge Rd) — A gifts and novelty items store.
• Gegi Couture (1339 Chain Bridge Rd) — A fashion store focusing on custom clothing and tailoring for women.
• Carpet Impressions (1339 Chain Bridge Rd) — A carpet and handmade rug store.
• The Preppy Pink Pony (6829 Redmond Drive) — A monogrammed gifts and invitations store.
• Tysons Tailors (8099 Tysons Corner Center) — An alterations and tailoring shop inside Tysons Corner Center.
• Tysons Watch and Jewelry Exchange (8150 Leesburg Pike) — a store trading in jewelry, watches and luxury items.
• Aram Boutique (2001 International Dr) — A women’s fashion store in Tysons Galleria.
• Vienna Hot Tubs & Patio (1524 Spring Hill Rd) — An emporium stocking home spas, fire pits and patio furniture
• Shiraz Market (8486 Tyco Rd) — An international grocery store featuring Middle Eastern and Asian goods.

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