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 (Feb. 25)

• Vienna Town Council Meeting — 8 p.m. at Town Hall Council Chambers (127 Center St. S) — At tonight’s meeting, the Town Council will review public input on the ongoing effort to revise the town’s Maple Avenue zoning guidelines. Most of the feedback so far indicates Vienna residents prefer a rustic brick look to the sleek, modern design popular in new developments.

Wednesday (Feb. 27)

• ‘The Color Purple’ Screening — 7-10 p.m. at Angelika Film Center (2911 District Ave) — As part of the theater’s “Black is the New Black” film series, the Angelika Film Center will show the coming-of-age story about an African-American woman growing up in rural Georgia. Tickets are $14.50.
• State of the Chesapeake Bay — 7:30-9 p.m. at the Vienna Fire House (400 Center St. S) — The Potomac River Smallmouth Club is hosting a discussion with Captain John Page Williams, a senior naturalist at the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. Williams is scheduled to discuss the state of the Chesapeake Bay, including issues related to climate and agricultural changes underway.

Thursday (Feb. 28)

• Transform 66 Update — 7:30 p.m. at Providence Community Room (3001 Vaden Dr.) — The Fairfax Alliance for Better Bicycling is hosting a meeting with the Virginia Department of Transportation for an update on train alignment, access points, barrier design and construction timing on the ongoing Transform 66 program.
• A Tribute to Dave Grohl — 8 p.m. at Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave E) — Jammin’ Java is hosting a musical tribute to Northern Virginia native Dave Grohl with a series of bands covering the music of Nirvana, Food Fighters and Queens of the Stone Age. Tickets are $12 in advance or $15 at the door.

Friday (March 1)

• Vesper Trail Ribbon Cutting — 10 a.m. at Vesper Street — A new half-mile bike and pedestrian trail is set to officially open this Friday. A ribbon-cutting ceremony is planned for the Vienna end of the trail, followed by refreshments and a bicycle mechanic available for free tune-ups.
• Mardi Gras Party — 9 p.m.-2 a.m. at Tysons Biergarten (8346 Leesburg Pike) — Citing difficulties with partying all night on a Tuesday, the Tysons Biergarten is hosting its “Fat Tuesday” party on Friday. The celebration will include beads and live music, with guests encouraged to bring masks and feather boas.

Saturday (March 2)

• SHARE Food Drive — 9 a.m.-3 p.m. at Safeway (1688 Anderson Road) — The SHARE Food Pantry is in need of food and supplies. The food pantry benefits around 40 local families or older adults per week. The pantry is in need of volunteers and non-perishable food.
• McLean Project for the Arts Spring Open House — 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at MPA (1446 Chain Bridge Road) — At the open house, the McLean Project for the Arts (MPA) will host information sessions about the all-ages spring art classes and summer camps. Art activities will also be available for children. No registration is required.
• 11th Annual Capital Princess Ball — 6-10 p.m. at Westwood Country Club (800 Maple Ave E) — A musical dinner and dance in Vienna will celebrate fathers and daughters. The event is a fundraiser for organizations promoting adoption, orphanages and foster care. The event is black tie optional and includes a silent auction and raffle.

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 (Feb. 19)

• Best Trails for Mushrooms — 7-8 p.m. at REI (8209 Watson Street) — After being delayed by foul weather, the lecture on regional mushrooms is back on for tonight. The class will cover where the best local trails are for mushroom hunting and some of the gems that can be found there. The event is free but advanced registration is required.

Wednesday (Feb. 20)

• Aaron Carter at Jammin Java — 7:30 p.m. at Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave E) — Aaron Carter, a pop-sensation from the 90s and early 2000s, will be performing with indie rock band Rookie of the Year tomorrow. Tickets are $20 for general admission or $30 for premier tickets at a raised seating area.

Thursday (Feb. 21)

• Metro Area Alumni Happy House — 5-7 p.m. at Blackfinn Ameripub (2750 Gallows Road) — Alumni from George Mason University are invited to mix and mingle later this week. Registration for the event is $10, which includes two happy hour drink tickets and appetizers.
• Last Weekend for The Brothers Size — 7:30 p.m. at 1st Stage Theatre (1524 Spring Hill Road) — This is the last weekend to see The Brothers Size, a play at the 1st Stage Theatre about a family struggling to reconcile after a brother comes home after being released from prison. The play is directed by José Carrasquillo, the director of artistic programming at Ford’s Theatre in D.C. General admission tickets are $39, or $36 for seniors over 65. Students and military tickets are $15.

Saturday (Feb. 23)

• Blessings Bags Packing Event — 10 a.m. at McLean Bible Church (8925 Leesburg Pike) — The McLean Bible Church will be putting together care packages for local homeless people. The packages include small fleece blankets and other supplies. All ages and abilities are invited to the event to help put the care packages together.
• Team Audrey Blood Drive — 12-4:30 p.m. at the Vienna Community Center (120 Cherry Street SE) — The Inova Bloodmobile will be parked in Vienna this weekend. The event is sponsored by Team Audrey, a non-profit based in Vienna to combat HLH. Appointment times are available online throughout the afternoon.
• Okee Dokee Brothers Live in McLean — 1, 4 and 6:30 p.m. at the McLean Community Center (1234 Ingleside Ave.) — Grammy-winning folk and roots band Okee Dokee Brothers are hosting a concert for local children and families to encourage creativity. The event is part of a slate of performances for the newly renovated McLean Community Center. Tickets are $20 or $15 for McLean residents.

Sunday (Feb. 24)

• Oscars Viewing Party at Tysons Biergarten — 8 p.m.-2 a.m. at Tysons Biergarten (8346 Leesburg Pike) — The Biergarten will be hosting a viewing party for the 2019 Oscars, from the opening monologue to the best-picture winner. The event is planned to include 26 tv’s and two projectors so any seat in the house will give a good view of the show.

Photo via Facebook

It’s a good weekend for local foodies.

Roll Bär is a new egg roll, sushi burrito and poke fusion restaurant coming to the Scott’s Run development, but the restaurant is making it’s debut at a pop-up event in the Tysons Biergarten.

From 1-3 p.m., the restaurant will host a tasting in the Biergarten at 8346 Leesburg Pike.

And if you sample Roll Bär early enough, you can make it across town to TenPenh Tysons‘ cooking demonstration at the Tysons Pimmit Library (7584 Leesburg Pike).

Chef Erick from the restaurant near the Tysons Galleria (7900 Westpark Drive) will teach guests how to make grilled shrimp and Vietnamese rice noodle salad. The demonstration runs from 2:30-3:30 p.m.

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!

Tuesday, Feb. 12

TheatreMcLean Fundraiser at Chipotle
Chipotle Mexican Grill (6707 Old Dominion Dr)
Time: 5-9 p.m.

A fundraiser at Chipotle in McLean will benefit TheatreMcLean. Show the fundraiser flyer on your smartphone or tell the cashier you’re supporting TheatreMcLean to make sure that 33 percent will be donated to TheatreMcLean.

Wednesday, Feb. 13

Artificial Intelligence Summit
Potomac Officers Club (8245 Boone Blvd)
Time: 7 a.m.-12 p.m.

The Potomac Officers Club in Tysons will host a discussion with private and public sector leaders about AI. Attendance is free but only open to those with a director level or above position with a company, federal government agency or non-profit organization.

Galentine’s Day Book Celebration
Bards Alley (110 Church Street NW)
Time: 7-9 p.m.

Bring your favorite gal pals for a night with local romance authors, who are giving out some free merchandise. Enter to win a gift basket worth over $100. The event is free but RSVP is required.

Thursday, Feb. 14

Valentine’s Day Beer, Whiskey, & Chocolate Tasting at Tysons Biergarten
Tysons Biergarten (8346 Leesburg Pike)
Time: 11-2 a.m.

For $30, you and a loved one can get a selection of alcohol and chocolates at the Tysons Biergarten. The event runs all day, so couples are encouraged to stop by for lunch, dinner or afterwards.

Red Carpet Affair at Greenhouse Bistro
Greenhouse Bistro (2070 Chainbridge Rd)
Time: 4 p.m.-2 a.m.

Greenhouse Bistro is hosting a Bollywood-themed Valentine’s Day event with free parking and no cover charge. The Valentine’s Day dinner special starts at 5 p.m. and the international music starts at 10 p.m. The dress code is “dress to impress.”

Valentine’s Day Dinner at the Tower Club
Tower Club – Tysons Corner (8000 Towers Crescent Drive)
Time: 5:30-9:30 p.m.

The Tower Club is offering four-course Valentine’s Day dinners. Tickets are $85 for members or $95 for guests. Flower bouquet arrangements are also available.

Friday, Feb. 15

Cookies and Cocktails
Blackfinn Ameripub – Merrifield
Time: 5-8 p.m.

Any purchase of a Valentine’s Day themed cocktails comes with a plate of fresh-baked cookies. Seating is first come, first serve.

The Boro, one of the largest new developments transforming Tysons, almost didn’t happen — at least not in the form that it’s coming together now. More startlingly, it was also a fight to keep the nearby Tysons Biergarten alive for a transfer to a new site.

At Bisnow’s Tysons State of the Market event last week, several of the developers working on the Boro and surrounding projects met to offer a behind-the-scenes look at the project.

According to Gary Block, chief investment officer for developer The Meridian Group, some of the earlier development plans would have brought new developments online as soon as they were completed, but Block said they decided it was more important to open the development in a series of larger-scale phases.

“We knew we had a tiger by the tail,” said Block, “so after buying land, we tried to combine best of Reston Town Center and Fairfax City center, and we had to globalize and create a phase one that was all things to all people, a different type of retail that would compete favorably with the [Tysons Corner Center] mall. It had to be a different kind of office and a different kind of residential.”

The project also has funding support from the Rockefeller Group, though there was some initial hesitation about investing in Tysons.

“This was the first venture by Rockefeller in Tysons,” said Hilary Allard Goldfarb, regional development officer for Rockefeller Group. “We were nervous, but there’s a lot of office stability here.”

Several developers at the event recognized that developing in Tysons can be a gamble, especially with a portion of the site dedicated to costly residential units.

“It was tough looking at this initially to look at the numbers and justify development,” Bob Kettler, founder and CEO of the construction company Kettler. “But fueling the next wave of vertical construction was the right choice. Greensboro Drive is the Gold Coast of Tysons. It’s the highest land and you now have your core environment, and that is priceless. Now people have to deal with construction costs higher than when this project was priced out. If it was $850 million when [the Meridian Group] purchased it, it’s $1.1 billion today.”

Block said the announcement that Whole Foods would be moving in as a ground-floor retail anchor was a turning point for the development, one that cemented confidence from other investors.

“Whole Foods was a game changer,” said Block. “It’s [going to be] the largest in the country. It’s such a great place and people are going to be so happy with what they’re seeing.”

Now, Block says the final retail spots are starting to fill up.

“It’s like planning a wedding,” said Block, “and we’re down to the last few tables.”

But one of the pieces that almost got lost in the shuffle was the Tysons Biergarten, one of the few bright spots of Tysons’ nightlife. Donna Shafer, managing director for Cityline Partners, said finding a new home for the Biergarten was more of a challenge than she expected.

“There came a point when construction was advancing that [the Biergarten] was looking for a new home,” said Schafer. “We are firm believers in pop-up activities and the Biergarten did a good job of capturing that market. We don’t want these guys to leave Tysons, so we raised our hands and said, ‘We’ve got a lot of real estate, we’re happy to make a home.'”

The Biergarten would eventually land at Cityline Partners’ Scotts Run development, but the permitting for finding that new space was more of a challenge than Schafer had initially expected.

“We thought it would be an easy process, but while we have a fantastic comprehensive plan, there are moments where I think everyone’s heart is in the right place but this plan is operating like code or black letter later,” said Schafer. “So the flexibility has dissipated. So for us, it meant eight months of work, tens of thousands of dollars, and a hundred-page staff report for a pop-up Biergarten. I hope it becomes a pivot point… to help facilitate a good conversation without sacrificing goals.”

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!

Tuesday, Jan. 15

Valo Park Blood Drive
Valo Park (7950 Jones Branch Dr)
Time: 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

Inova Blood Donor Services will be hosting a blood drive at Valo Park. Another blood drive will be hosted at 7900 Westpark Drive in Mclean later this week. To make an appointment, schedule online or call 1-866-BLOODSAVES (1-866-256-6372).

Albert Lee at Jammin Java
Jammin’ Java  (227 Maple Ave E)
Time: 7:30 p.m.

Guitarist Albert Lee will be performing at Jammin Java. Lee, who has been performing with R&B, country, and rock and roll bands since 1959, is renowned for his speed. Doors open at 6 p.m. General admission tickets are $25.

Wednesday, Jan. 16

Free Spaghetti Dinner for Furloughed Workers & Their Families
American Legion Dyer-Gunnell Post 180 (330 North Center Street)
Time: 5-8 p.m.

The Vienna American Legion Post is offering a free spaghetti dinner available to all furloughed government employees and their families.

Thursday, Jan. 17

Specialty Beer Release: Resilience
Tysons Biergarten (8346 Leesburg Pike)
Time: 11 a.m.-9 p.m.

The Tysons Biergarten will host a party celebrating the launch of Resilience, a beer brewed by Sierra Nevada to support relief efforts for those affected by the California wildfires. All sales of the beer go to the Sierra Nevada Camp Fire Relief Fund.

Shutdown Lunch
McLean Presbyterian Church (1020 Balls Hill Rd)
Time: 12-1 p.m.

McLean Presbyterian Church will have lunch for employees who are furloughed and not working at all, essential employees who are still on the job but not getting paid, and their families.

John Oates at Wolf Trap
Wolf Trap (1645 Trap Rd)
Time: 8-11 p.m.

John Oates, half of the legendary ’80s duo Hall and Oates, will be performing in The Barnes at Wolf Trap on Thursday and Friday. Tickets start at $42.

Don’t have any New Year’s Eve plans yet? Tysons Reporter has you covered. Here’s some events around the Tysons area to help you ring in 2019 on Monday.

NYE 2019: Bollywood Night Theme
American Tandoor (7943 Tysons Corner Center)
Time: 9 p.m.-2 a.m.

This New Year’s event will feature live music, a full buffet, open bar, party favors and photobooths. Tickets are $85 and available by calling 571-633-1820.

New Years Eve 2019
Greenhouse Bistro (2070 Chainbridge Rd)
Time: 5 p.m.-2 a.m.

The Greenhouse Bistro will host a black and gold-themed New Year’s Eve party with complimentary valet and midnight champagne toast. Tickets are $40.

New Year’s Masquerade Ball
Tysons Biergarten (8346 Leesburg Pike)
Time: 7 p.m.-2 a.m.

The Biergarten will host a masquerade party on New Year’s Eve with live music, a champagne toast and a balloon drop. Tickets are $20.

New Years Eve at The Palladium
The Palladium (1524 Spring Hill Road)
Time: 8 p.m.-2:30 a.m.

Tysons’ latest salsa/bachata nightclub will host a champagne toast and party favors New Year’s event. General admission is $20, or $130 for two tickets with a reserved table and a full dinner.

NYE Masquerade at Blackfinn
Blackfinn Ameripub (2750 Gallows Road)
Time: 9 p.m.-2 a.m.

Blackfinn in Merrifield is hosting a masquerade party with $15 admission (if purchased in advance) which includes a champagne toast and appetizers. A $200 VIP ticket comes with a private dining room for six guests.

Back to the 90’s New Year’s Eve Party
Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave E)
Time: 8 p.m.

While most of the parties around the area are looking forward to 2019, Jammin’ Java in Vienna is winding back the clock to the 90’s, complete with a Weezer tribute band. General admission is $20.

Photo via Jammin’ Java

Across the next three days, there are three ugly sweater parties planned and two of them will give attendees the chance to win $100.

Tonight (Dec. 21)

• Holiday Potluck (8 p.m.) — The Mosaic Ballroom in Merrifield is hosting a free holiday potluck, with holiday drinks, food and dancing. For those who aren’t feeling festive, the event will include non-holiday songs.
• 2nd Annual Ugliest Sweater Party at Tysons Biergarten (9 p.m.-2 a.m.) — Tysons Biergarten says the harder your sweater is to look at tonight, the more likely you’ll be to walk home with $100 in cash. Participants must register online to win.
• Jingle 2018 (10:30 p.m.) — Greenhouse Bistro is hosting a Christmas party at 2070 Chain Bridge Road in Tysons.

Tomorrow (Dec. 22)

• Ugly Christmas Sweater Party (4-8 p.m.) — Coastal Flats in Tysons Corner Center is hosting a party for least fashionable, with prizes awarded accordingly.
• Open Road Ugly Christmas Sweater Party (7-8:30 p.m.) — Open Road Grill in Merrifield is holding an ugly sweater party with a chance to win a $100 gift card if yours is the ugliest. The Grill also requests attendees to bring a coat to donate.
• Pre-Christmas Party (8 p.m.-2 a.m.) — The Palladium (1424 Spring Hill Road) is hosting its pre-Christmas party featuring local Latin band Nfuzion.

Sunday (Dec. 23)

• Paint Party with Santa (3-5 p.m.) — Kiln & Co at 138 Church St. in Vienna will be hosting an afternoon of ornament painting and hot chocolate. For $10, parents can drop their kids off at the event to be supervised. Proceeds from the event benefit the Vienna Volunteer Fire Department.

Photo via Facebook

(Updated 3:30) There’s lots of new development around Tysons, but one of the more unusual is a series of residential buildings constructed last night inside the Tysons Biergarten, made entirely from gingerbread.

The Tysons Biergarten is normally a pretty adult-oriented place, one of the few hotspots of the local nightlife, but yesterday (Wednesday) evening the Biergarten toned down the “bier” part and hosted its 3rd annual toy drive for local youth shelter Second Story. The event included gingerbread house making with youth involved with Second Story and a visit by Santa.

The event was the culmination of a month of toy collection at the Biergarten, where over fifty toys were collected. An earlier fundraiser for the organization raised $500.

Second Story, formerly known as Alternative House, is a youth services and safe shelter near Tysons that was founded in 1972.

The shelter offers a variety of programs, from caring for infants and young mothers to helping teenagers and young adults in distress, and offers a crisis shelter for teens for up to three weeks at a time. It also provides counseling for anyone in need across any of the shelter’s programsand offers longer-term support programs, like rent assistance and help with applications and training.

Abigail Brougher, a communications specialist for Second Story, said the Tysons Biergarten event, along with toy drives hosted by the Tysons Partnership and Tysons Corner Center, mean the shelter will be able to make sure every child and youth involved with the program is able to get a Christmas present.

“Second Story is so thankful for relationships in Tysons,” said Brougher. “It’s important to us to be able to give out toys at Christmas and they are all donated.”

Brougher said there’s no total tally of toys and funds raised yet, and it won’t be counted until after the holiday season, but roughly speaking the shelter has received hundreds of toys.

“Our two objectives are providing safe havens and opportunities,” said Brougher. “The opportunity to have that Christmas experience is important to us.”

While it’s a little late in the year to still give toys, Brougher said there’s still plenty that Tysonians can do to support the shelter year-round. Tysons Corner Center is also still collecting toys until Monday, Dec. 24, at the Santa HQ outside the Nordstrom.

“The biggest thing is to get involved,” said Brougher. “We have tours once a month. That is a really important way to learn about Second Story. We hold them on the second Tuesday of the month and you can sign up online. You get to tour our teen shelter, see where young people are staying, and learn more.”

For those looking to learn more about the shelter but can’t make it out for a tour, Brougher said Second Story also recently finished the first season of its podcast, which interviews people who went through the program.

“We have so much support from the Tysons community,” said Brougher. “They’re a huge part of us being able to do what we do.”

Photo courtesy Matt Rofougaran

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.