It’s mid-December and the Holiday events season is in full swing around Tysons.

In Vienna, the Volunteer Fire Department will host its annual All You Can Eat Pancake Breakfast tomorrow, Saturday, at 400 Center St. S. From 8 a.m.-12 p.m., the department will be serving pancakes, sausage, bacon, juice, and coffee. At 9:30 a.m., Santa Claus will arrive to green children or adults at the breakfast, and is scheduled to stay until 11 a.m.

The Fairfax County Sheriff’s Office will be on hand to provide a free photo of your child and take a set of fingerprints using clean, inkless technology to help authorities in missing child situations.

Tours of the fire equipment at the station will be held at 9, 10, and 11 a.m.

But for the pancake averse, there’s plenty more to do across Tysons, including a live Christmas event featuring Chewie the camel.

Tonight (Dec. 14)

• 70’s Disco & Funk Holiday Party (8 p.m.) — Jammin Java at 227 Maple Ave E. in Vienna is hosting a 70’s themed party with hits from James Brown, Donna Summer, the Jackson Five and more. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. for dinner and drinks, with prizes awarded for best 70’s holiday-inspired outfit. The dance party starts at 8 p.m.
• 80’s Christmas Party (8 p.m.-2 a.m.) — The Palladium’s weekly 80’s party turned holiday themed tonight at 1524 Spring Hill Road. Attendees must be 21 to enter, but tickets reserved in advance are cover-free.

Tomorrow (Dec. 15)

• Holiday Jam at Records and Rarities (2-8 p.m.) — The record shop in the Tysons Corner Center mall is hosting a holiday themed party featuring a lineup of live DJs.
• 2nd Annual Festivus Celebration (8 p.m.-2 a.m.) — The Tysons Biergarten at 8346 Leesburg Pike is throwing a Festivus celebration. The party includes a “re-gifting” table, where unwanted gifts can be dropped off and donated to charity.

Sunday (Dec. 16)

• Live Nativity (8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.) — The McLean Presbyterian Church at 1020 Balls Hill Road is hosting a live nativity scene featuring real animals, like Chewie the camel, that children can pet.
• Orangetheory Fitness Tysons Grand Opening (9 a.m.-5 p.m.) — Tysons’ newest workout studio will host a grand opening celebration at its 1430 Spring Hill Road location. The event will include food, drinks, music, and a raffle.

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, Dec. 11

Best Trails for Winter Hikes
REI (8209 Watson Street)
Time: 7-8 p.m.

Winter doesn’t have to mean the end of your outdoor activities. This free discussion tomorrow will look at what trails and scenic tours are still available during the winter. The session is free, but advanced registration is required.

Kirby Road Sidewalk Community Meeting
Chesterbrook Elementary School Cafeteria
Time: 7 p.m.

This meeting will discuss the sidewalk extension project planned for Kirby Road near Chesterbrook, connecting the neighborhoods to the eastern side of the road to the shared use trail on the west side.

Wednesday, Dec. 12

A Conversation with Dr. Jerry Gordon
FCEDA Headquarters (8300 Boone Blvd)
Time: 2-5 p.m.

Dr. Jerry Gordon, President of the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority, will discuss development and question and answer session before a holiday reception at 3:30 p.m.

Lox and Legislators
Temple Rodef Shalom (2100 Westmoreland St)
Time: 7:30-9:30 a.m.

The Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington is hosting a breakfast with elected officials and presenting its 2019 legislative agenda. Prices for an individual “mensch” ticket is $36.

Ha Ha Hannukah, A Jew-Ish Comedy Show
Tysons Biergarten (8346 Leesburg Pike)
Time: 8-9:30 p.m.

The Biergarten often has comedy shows, but this week’s special show will feature Jewish stand-up comedians. Doors open at 7 p.m. Entry to the show is free.

Thursday, Dec. 13

Annual Champagne Gala
McLean Wine Outlet (6727 Curran St)
Time: 5-8 p.m.

Champagnes and sparkling wines from around the world will be available for sampling at the annual Champagne Fest. Food and cheese spreads that pair with the champagnes will also be served. Tasting is $30 per person.

It’s been a long time coming, but plans are being finalized for the Tysons Biergarten’s move to a new interim location at the McLean Metro station.

Cityline Partners LLC is scheduled to present its plans for the next stage of the Scotts Run development at a Fairfax County Planning Commission meeting on Thursday. The plans include two office towers and one residential building.

Before those buildings are developed, however, Cityline is asking that the site be used as a beer garden and an open lawn.

“One of the uses that the applicant is considering is a biergarten, which would be relocated from its current location at Tysons Central (adjacent to the Greensboro Metro Station) to the proposed [area],” wrote Cityline in the application. “Tents and shipping containers converted into food vendor establishments will serve the potential biergarten use.”

Tysons Biergarten is currently located near the Greensboro Metro station with a month-to-month lease. The location has always been a temporary fill for the planned Tysons Central development at the site — part of the broader Boro complex — but has become a local nightlife destination.

In addition to the Biergarten, a small plaza with a kiosk is proposed outside of the biergarten entrance manned by a person to help oversee parking.  The application specifies that the structures and interim uses are not permanent.

In 2013, the Board of Supervisors approved Cityline’s plans for a mixed-use redevelopment with hotel, office, retail and residential uses across 5 million square feet. How long the Tysons Biergarten would be located in this space before development begins is currently unknown.

After review by the Planning Commission, Cityline’s proposal will move forward for approval by the Board of Supervisors.

Top photo via Facebook. Development map via Cityline Partners LLC

Wondering what to do with your long weekend? Never fear, Tysons Reporter has you covered.

Throughout the weekend, Tysons Corner Center mall will be one of a handful of locations nationwide where players will be able to demo popular Nintendo brawler Super Smash Bros. Ultimate one month before its release.

The game will be playable at kiosks in the mall, along with other Nintendo games like Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and Just Dance 2019. The kiosks will be open tomorrow (Saturday) from 10 a.m.-9 p.m.

Tonight (Nov. 9)

• Opening Night at Meadowlark’s Winter Walk of Lights (5:30-10 p.m.) — The Meadowlark Botanical Gardens in Vienna (9750 Meadowlark Gardens Court) will be lit up with a half-mile stretch of light displays. Tickets are $14 for regular admission or $8 for child admission. Be warned, light rain is expected tonight, and cold weather is expected tomorrow. The Walk of Lights will run until Jan. 6, 2019.
• Happy Hour Fundraiser for Vienna Volunteer Fire Department (6-9 p.m.) — The Tysons Biergarten will donate $2 to the Vienna Volunteer Fire Department (VVFD) for every person that shows up with the Facebook event flyer either printed out or on their phone. A percentage of bar sales from 7-8 p.m. will also be donated to the VVFD.

Saturday (Nov. 10)

• Wolf Trap Mega-Adoption Event (11 a.m.-1 p.m.) — The Wolf Trap Animal Rescue’s adoption events typically have around 30 animals available, but for National Adoption Weekend the organization will have nearly 100 puppies and kittens up for adoption Sunday morning at the Tysons PetSmart (8204 Leesburg Pike). A full list of animals up for adoption is available online.
• Veterans Expeditions BBQ and Blues Fundraiser (6:30-9:30 p.m.) — Veterans Expeditions is hosting a fundraiser at J.R.’s Stockyards Inn (8130 Watson St) in Tysons to support its mission of arranging outdoor adventures for veterans. The event will feature live retro-blues music and barbecue.
• Gordon Biersch Tysons Corner Veteran’s Day Fundraiser (Noon-5 p.m.) — A percentage of food and beer sales at the Tysons Corner (7861 Tysons Corner Center) brewpub will go towards the EOD Warrior Foundation, a charity that provides assistance to explosive ordnance disposal veterans and their families. Veterans eat free from a special menu.
• Sabado with Jeff Carr (8 p.m.-2 a.m.) — Guest DJ Jeff Carr will host a night of salsa and bachata dancing with hits from Latin house music and Latin pop at the newly opened nightclub Palladium (1524 Spring Hill Road). Salsa and Bachata classes start at 8 p.m. with cover free for anyone who arrives before 11 p.m.

Sunday (Nov. 11)

• SyteraYoga Grand Opening Celebration (1:30-3:30 p.m.) — The yoga studio that launched in January in downtown McLean will open its doors in a new location (6888 Elm Street) with a celebration that includes chair massages, local vendors, food and drinks.
• Tyler Ramsey at Jammin Java (8 p.m.) — The former lead guitarist for Band of Horses will be performing at Jammin Java in Vienna (227 Maple Ave E). Tickets are $13 in advance or $15 for same-day purchases. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.

Image via Nintendo

Don’t let grumbles about a lack of local nightlife scare you, there’s still plenty to do around Tysons for Halloween tomorrow.

The Tysons Biergarten (8346 Leesburg Pike) will be hosting a night full of Halloween festivities. An in-house trick-or-treat runs from 3-7 p.m. with candy given out to children and adults. A Halloween-themed trivia night will start at 7 p.m., then at 9 p.m., Chuggalug will be performing live music until 2 a.m. Admission to the Halloween festivities is free, with registration available online.

Meanwhile, Greenhouse Bistro and Tea Lounge (2070 Chain Bridge Road) will be hosting a Stranger Things-themed Halloween costume contest. The grand prize is $500, with 2nd place winning $250 and 3rd place winning $100. Drink specials will also be available all night.

For those looking for a healthier alternative, Tysons Sport & Health (8250 Greensboro Dr) will be hosting a Zumba Halloween Party from 7:35-8:45 p.m. The event is open to non-members. Attendees are welcome to wear a costume and invite their friends.

The AMC in Tysons Corner Center will have a showing of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, a bizarre cult-classic musical, at 10 p.m. The movie is rated R and tickets are $5 for adults.

In nearby Vienna, the Blackfinn Ameripub at 2750 Gallows Road will be hosting a Hallowine and Whiskey party from 5-9 p.m. The bar will feature a selection of spooky specialty cocktails with half-off all whiskey and bottles of wine. Costumes are optional.

Photo via Greenhouse Bistro and Tea Lounge

Vienna Halloween Parade Recap — Thousands attended the Vienna Halloween Parade on Wednesday, enjoying cool fall weather and a wide variety of marchers and floats heading down Maple Ave. One particular source of interest was a Vienna garbage truck decorated with artwork from local elementary school students. [InsideNova, Patch, Fairfax News]

Reminder: SoberRide This Weekend — Those heading to bars and parties this weekend can get a free, safe ride home thanks to the SoberRide program. The program, which is active for certain festive holidays — like Halloween — offers a free Lyft ride home up to $15 with a limited-time code. [Fairfax County Fire and Rescue]

Hocus Pocus Playing in Tysons — Starting Saturday and running through Halloween, the classic 1993 Disney film Hocus Pocus will be playing at the AMC Tysons Corner 16. [Patch]

Pair of Weekend Events at Biergarten — The Tysons Biergarten will be hosting “APBA Pit Bull Appreciation Day 2018” on Saturday afternoon and “Feargarten,” a costume party, on Sunday night. [Facebook, Twitter]

Town of Vienna Replacing Furniture — “The Vienna town government soon will replace Town Hall’s reception desk, kiosk and conference-room furniture under a $23,788 contract approved Oct. 15 by the Vienna Town Council. The main reception desk at Vienna Town Hall is more than two decades old, lacks adequate work space and has non-working drawers.” [InsideNova]

When Tysons Reporter posted polls on Facebook and on our website last week asking whether Tysons was a fun place to go out at night, the answers were… not great for the area.

Only 6.5 percent of responders at the website said Tysons has an active nightlife, though 56.2 percent said it’s starting to get better. While the “getting better” number is encouraging, the overwhelming lack of satisfaction is a sign that Tysons still has some rough spots to work out as it tries to morph into “America’s Next Great City.”

A notable bright spot, according to several Facebook commenters said, was the Tysons Biergarten.

Commenters described the Biergarten as the kind of casual and affordable late-night activities the area needed more of, so we reached out to Biergarten owner Matt Rofougaran to get his thoughts on the current state of local nightlife and how to make it better.

Rofougaran was a managing partner with Washington, D.C. nightlife hotspots like Ultrabar for years and was eager to move that scene to where he grew up: Tysons. But when the Biergarten started two and a half years ago, Rofougaran said there local nightlife scene was scarce.

“There was none,” said Rofougaran. “You had no real place for nightlife unless you wanted to sit in a bar or restaurant, and that’s not everyone’s scene.”

Rofougaran said the late-night locales in the area catered to specific interests, like the now-closed international hookah bar Babalu and Iris Lounge, which catered to an older, wealthier crowd.

“The difference with Tysons Biergarten was we were aiming for all ages,” said Rofougaran. “You can be 21 or you can be 65. That was our main aim and focus.”

Fast forward to today and Rofougaran says the nightlife scene has hardly improved. Tysons Biergarten and the nearby Greenhouse Bistro are two of the only thriving late-night spots in Tysons, but Rofougaran said their popularity is mainly because they’re one of the few options available, not an indicator of market interest for late-night activities.

“A lot of people leave here,” said Rofougaran. “They’re done with their job at 6:30 or 7 p.m. and they go home. They don’t come back. If they want to go out, they go to Arlington. If we had ten places here open late night, all of them would sink. They would all be empty. There isn’t that crowd of people that want to go out at night in Tysons.”

Andrew Taherzadeh, digital communications manager for Fairfax County Economic Development Authority, reiterated that Greenhouse is a popular hub of activity on Friday or Saturday evenings, but that aside he admitted that local late-night entertainment is sparse.

“Currently nightlife in Tysons is minimal,” said Taherzadeh. “That should change in the upcoming years with new development.”

New late-night options are coming in with developments like The Boro, which will also bring with it more housing — crucial for making Tysons a more vibrant place at night and not just a daytime destination for workers. But Rofougaran says nightlife in Tysons faces an uphill battle against the more entrenched establishments in Arlington and the more lax alcohol laws in Washington, D.C.

“In D.C., you can be open until 3 a.m.,” Rofougaran said. “Here, we do last-call at 1:30 a.m. and our doors are locked and closed by 2 a.m.”

But like Taherzadeh and 56.2 percent of Tysons Reporter’s readership, Rofougaran said it’s going to get better.

“Tysons is heading that way, it’s just not there yet,” said Rofougaran. “In another five years, it’ll be a different story. It just takes time.”

Photo via Facebook

The Tysons Biergarten is looking to close out what’s likely the last Oktoberfest in its current location (8346 Leesburg Pike) with a bang.

Tomorrow (Saturday), the Biergarten will host its Oktoberfest Finale Festival from 3-7 p.m. The festival will feature live music, outdoor games, and face painting as well as the Oktoberfest standards of beer and German food.

While the beer drinking is adults only, the Biergarten will have other activities like a moon bounce and a kids corner for the rest of the family.

Tickets to the finale are $20 if ordered online or $30 at the door, with each ticket including ten tokens for various beers. A full list of beers is available at the event’s Facebook page.

The Oktoberfest tradition will likely continue wherever the beer hall travels, the Tysons Biergarten itself will be relocating down the road to the area around the McLean Metro station, the next stop on the Silver Line.