For people who haven’t purchased holiday gifts for friends, family or loved ones yet, they’ve still got a chance with several holiday markets and malls around the Tysons area.
The Vienna Arts Society’s Holiday Pop-up Art Market (101 NW Church Street) will stay open until this Sunday (Dec. 22). The collection offers shoppers items from hundreds of artists, according to the website, including jewelry, multimedia art, clothing, accessories and more.
The final hours of operation for the market are Thursday from noon until 8 p.m., Friday from noon until 7 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from noon until 6 p.m.
Tysons Corner Center and Tysons Galleria both have extended hours of operation during the coming days but both locations will be closed on Christmas (Dec. 25).
For those who cannot get enough of handmade and local items, The Creative Collective POPUP in Tysons Corner Center, adjacent to BrandBox on level one, carries items from roughly 20 artisans, authors and designers. Examples of gifts found in the shops are handcrafted leather accessories, bathrobes, jewelry and storybooks.
The pop-up will remain open until Christmas Eve during mall hours. Visitors even have the chance to speak with the artists themselves.
For those willing to go out of their way, another holiday market in Fairfax will be open from De. 20-22 at Old Town Square (10415 North Street) from 5 to 8 p.m. on Friday, noon to 6 p.m. on Saturday and noon to 4 p.m. on Sunday.
The events will feature live music, food, drinks and craft vendors from around NoVA.
Photo via Vienna Arts Society/Facebook
“Get Back in the Book!” by Larry Issa has only been in circulation for less than a year but it’s already sold more than 1,500 copies around the Northern Virginia area.
Issa’s picture book is about a young boy named Danny who writes his own book but catches the characters trying to sneak out of the pages because they think the book is boring. Danny ends up teaching his creations the value of books and convinces them that their happy place is within their own story.
Issa told Tysons Reporter that he hopes the message resonates with kids, and they take away a deeper appreciation for literature.
“A lot of my family members are teachers, and one complaint is that reading levels are going down,” he said.
Issa, who is from the McLean area, said he wants to encourage kids around the area and globe to love literature just as much as he did as a kid.
All of the characters in the book are inspired by things he loves doing or what he wanted to be growing up. The dinosaur tends to be a popular character, but Issa said the astronaut is his personal favorite.
In November, Issa won the Moonbeam Children’s Book Award in first-place for the picture book category.
When it came to the book design and art, Issa approached British artist Emma Chadwick with an idea for a partnership after discovering her art portfolio on Instagram.
As a designer, Issa had a very distinctive plan for what he hoped the book would become and said that he and Chadwick worked well as a cohesive team after accepting the offer. They agreed that a darker color scheme would suit the story well since the book takes place on a school night in the child’s bedroom.
When not working as a professional designer, Issa spends a lot of his time performing readings to school kids and selling his books at local shops, markets and festivals.
As a self-publisher, Issa began giving advice to others who want to publish children’s books and began his new brand — Kalmus Books. He said some of his mentees are planning to publish their books under Kalamus in the future.
Issa told Tysons Reporter that the best advice he can give future authors is to just put themselves out there and start writing, adding that his book went through more than 25 rounds of edits before publication.
He currently coordinates with schools and local charities to give away copies of his book to students in need and seeking donation sponsors to follow in the footsteps of The Closet in Herndon, who recently purchased 100 copies.
People can email Larry Issa if they are interested in helping the cause.
“Get Back in the Book” is available in hard-cover and can be purchased in person at a variety of popups for $18.99 or online, for $21.
Issa said he made the copies slightly more expensive online because he wants to encourage the community to check out markets and book stores in-person.
Although he has received requests for digital and soft-cover copies, he said he doesn’t want to release them just yet because these formats weaken the storytelling experience.
“We are all about the aesthetics,” Issa said.
If anyone wants to meet Issa and purchase their own copy of the book signed on-site, they are welcome to stop by the holiday market in Tysons Corner Center, where he can usually be found during mall hours until Tuesday (Dec. 24), when the pop-up shop closes.
“Get Back in the Book” can also be purchased at Scrawl Books (11911 Freedom Drive).
Issa expects to publish another book soon.
He told Tysons Reporter that hints or “easter eggs” for the upcoming book can be seen in drawings from the main character in”Get Back in the Book.”
Images courtesy Larry Issa
Fairfax County police arrested a man they say was unlawfully recording women at Tysons Corner Center.
The incident happened on Saturday (Dec. 14) shortly before 7 p.m.
Police spotted a man, who had previously been banned from the property, “unlawfully recording two women,” according to the crime report.
A 45-year-old man from Maryland was arrested for two counts of unlawful filming and trespassing.
In a separate incident, Fairfax County police are looking for the woman who allegedly stole merchandise from the Target (2905 District Avenue) in the Mosaic District.
The incident occurred shortly before 10 p.m. on Sunday (Dec. 15).
“As the suspect exited the store, she assaulted the loss prevention officer,” police said. “The suspect is described as Hispanic or Asian.”
Tysons Corner Center has a few new tenants — including a bubble tea place and kids’ clothing store.
Moge Tee officially opened on Thanksgiving, according to the store manager, and now offers customers a variety of drinks including bubble milk tea, taro tea, tea made from fresh juices, Yakult yogurt drinks and cheese tea, which takes a form of foam on the top of the drink.
The tea shop is a chain with roughly 300 locations across the world, according to the company’s website.
Besides the new location in Tysons, there are several other stores in the U.S. — including a Falls Church location (6122-B Arlington Blvd).
When asked about potential competition with the preexisting Kung Fu Tea in Tysons Corner Center, the manager said it shouldn’t be an issue since Moge Tee offers specialized items like brown sugar bubble milk tea or cheese tea.
Moge Tee also carries Dorayki, a type of red bean pancake dessert that comes in various flavors including Oreo and taro.
Beginning next week, Moge Tee is running a buy-one-get-one-free promotion for customers who share a post on either WeChat, Facebook or Instagram and get at least eight likes, the manager said.
Nearby Moge Tee on the first level of the mall near Nordstrom, Abercrombie Kids opened roughly a month ago, according to store employees.
Business was slow at first because of the location in the mall, another employee said, adding that things began to pick up after Black Friday.
For anyone seeking employment, Abercrombie Kids is actively hiring and people can apply in-person.
Former Manager of Tysons Corner Center Dies — “The mall’s former general manager worked there for only seven years in two different stints. But during the first of those, he oversaw an expansion and renovation that made Tysons Corner Center one of the largest and most successful malls in the country. Charles R. Cope, a native of Indianapolis, died Nov. 20 from complications related to a liver transplant. He was 71.” [Washington Business Journal]
New Head of McLean Elementary School — “Cherith Pierson, who currently serves as assistant principal at Cooper Middle, has been selected as the new principal of Churchill Road Elementary, effective January 2, 2020.” [Fairfax County Public Schools]
Vienna Fire Chief Celebrated — The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors recognized our very own Chief John Morrison for being named the International Association of Fire Chiefs’ 2019 Volunteer Fire Chief of the Year. [Vienna Volunteer Fire Department/Twitter]
History Behind Pleasant Grove Church — “For more than seven decades, the little white church on Lewinsville Road was a hub for the African-American community, hosting Sunday services, picnics, weddings–and funerals, like the one held for Joan Lewis’s father in 1949.” [Arlington Magazine]
Part of Tysons Highway May Become Park — The inside of the Chain Bridge Road (Route 123) and Leesburg Pike (Route 7) interchange could become a park. [Greater Greater Washington]
Future of Freddie Mac’s Tysons Space — “A joint-venture between Northridge Capital and KAMCO Investment Co. has acquired 1550 Westbranch Drive, a 151,949-square-foot office building in Tysons, Va., for $80.5 million… Freddie Mac signed a full-building lease in May, and is in the process of building out the space and moving in.” [Commercial Observer]
Layoffs Coming to Closing Clothing Store — “Lord & Taylor stores at Tysons Corner Center and Dulles Town Center will lay off 117 and 79 employees, respectively, according to Work Adjustment and Retraining Notifications filed with the Virginia Employment Commission.” [Washington Business Journal]
New Local Charging Station for Electric Cars — EVgo recently opened a new charging facility in Tysons. [NVRC/Twitter]
Polling Center Moved — “On Dec. 3, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors approved moving the polling place at the Lewinsville Presbyterian Church to the Lewinsville Senior Center at 1613 Great Falls Street, McLean.” [Fairfax County]
Fairfax County officials say that a newly approved parking rate for the county’s largest malls would not adversely affect Tysons malls.
Yesterday (Tuesday), the Board of Supervisors approved the zoning ordinance amendment that will allow lower parking rates at the four largest malls in the county — the two in Tysons, Fair Oaks Mall and Springfield Town Center.
The proposal was based on a review of the parking rates and demand at large regional malls by consulting firm Nelson/Nygaard.
The county’s planners stressed that the focus of the zoning amendment was meant to help Fair Oaks Mall, yet it sparked concern about whether it would create parking problems at Tysons Corner Center and also about the lack of data for the Tysons malls.
Nelson/Nygaard study’s evaluated parking data for Fair Oaks Mall and the Springfield Town Center, but the study did not evaluate the two malls in Tysons.
“It really has no bearing on Tysons,” Providence District Supervisor Linda Smyth said yesterday, noting that Tysons Corner Center is a part of the Planned Tysons Corner Urban District’s (PTC) parking rates, which allows for lower parking rates. Tysons Galleria is not a part of the PTC District, but could opt-in.
“There has been concern raised in the community that it would [cause issues in Tysons], but I agree with Supervisor Smyth that the real impact is in Springfield and Fair Oaks, where we need to reduce the parking requirements,” Dranesville District Supervisor John Foust said.
The change now lets shopping centers with 800,000 square feet of gross floor area or more to have a parking rate of 2.5 instead of four spaces per 1,000 square feet of gross floor area.
In addition to the zoning change, the county board also approved directing staff to prioritize review of the parking rates in phase two of the zoning ordinance modernization effort.
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!
Tysons Reporter also complied a list of the upcoming holiday events, for those seeking festivities.
Tuesday (Dec. 3)
- Give a Little, Get a Snuggle — 4:30 until 7 p.m. at BrandBox in Tysons Corner Center — This event will allow people to play with adoptable puppies, that are all up for adoption. A $5 donation will go to the Wolf Trap Animal Rescue League and animals in need.
- Holiday Happy Hour — 6 to 8 p.m. at Urbanspace Tysons (2001 International Drive) — This free event offers snacks and drinks to attendees while they can take part in a meet and greet with Justin Schuble of @dcfoodporn. Tickets are expected to run out so people should reserve them beforehand.
Thursday (Dec. 5)
- Native Seed Swap — 7:30 p.m. at the Vienna Community Center (120 Cherry Street SE) — This event allows community members to exchange seeds from native plants and listen to a talk from botanist Jay Lechtman. Even people without seeds are welcome to come and participate in this free event.
Friday (Dec. 6)
- Make Your Own Wreath and Bath Bomb — 9 until 11 a.m. at LUSH (1961 Chain Bridge Road, Unit #G7U) — Guests can create their own bath bomb and holiday wreath at this community event. Tickets are $75 and participants should register beforehand.
Saturday (Dec. 7)
- Local for the Holidays — 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. at Whole Foods Market (1635 Boro Place) — Whole Foods is hosting a pop-up that allows visitors to check out local products. This free event will feature music by Brendan Schnabel Music and free gift wrapping.
- Wakefield Park Holiday Art and Craft Show — 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. at the Vienna Community Center (120 Cherry Street SE) — This event will feature crafts. Admission is $2 for adults and free for kids under age 12.
Sunday (Dec. 8)
- Wonderland of Wishes — noon to 2 p.m. at The Ritz-Carlton (1700 Tysons Blvd) — This fundraiser will benefit the Make-A-Wish® Foundation — Mid-Atlantic. Guests can enjoy food and drink while watching models introduce the latest Lilly Pulitzer styles. There will also be raffles and giveaways. Tickets start at $150 for adults.
Photo via Photo by Duffy Brook/Unsplash
Today is Cyber Monday — a growing shopping day for people looking to score deals during the holiday season.
While Black Friday still draws shoppers to malls, the online retail focus of Cyber Monday offers a convenient option for shoppers. Meanwhile, Small Business Saturday encourages people to shop locally.
Of the holiday shopping days, let Tysons Reporter know which one you took the most advantage of.
Both Tysons malls have extended their hours for Black Friday (Nov. 29).
Shoppers looking to score deals right away can head to Tysons Corner Center to start shopping right after their Thanksgiving celebrations. The mall plans to be open on Thanksgiving from 6 p.m. to midnight and then close at 10 p.m. on Friday.
Shoppers can stop by the mall’s concierge desk on The Plaza Concourse between Victoria’s Secret and Zara for free beverages from Nespresso. People who spend $200 or more can bring their receipts to the concierge desk to get select a gift from Santa’s Gift Bag from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Here are some of the many stores in the mall offering Black Friday deals, according to the mall’s website:
- Aldo: “everything is on sale” until Dec. 3
- Crate and Barrel: 20%-30% off storewide until Dec. 2
- Guess: 40% off entire store from Thursday (Nov. 28) to Dec. 3
Over at Tysons Galleria, the mall be closed on Thanksgiving and open for Black Friday from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Some of the Black Friday deals at the mall, according to its website, include 30% off the fall/winter collection until Dec. 2 at Ba&sh and various deals available through Dec. 1 at Williams-Sonoma.
On “Giving Tuesday,” people can play with puppies at Tysons Corner Center.
Wolf Trap Animal Rescue will be bringing adoptable puppies to raise funds, according to a press release. For $5, people can have five minutes of “puppy cuddles.”
The local animal rescue, which has a mailing address in Merrifield and remote locations across the country, is a nonprofit that works to transport, foster and adopt rescued puppies and kittens at risk of euthanasia by states in the South.
People can find the puppies in front of BrandBox on the first level of the mall from 4:30-7 p.m. next Tuesday (Dec. 3).
Credit cards and cash will be accepted at the event, and all of the proceeds will go to Wolf Trap Animal Rescue.
See a dog you want? The animal rescue will have its last adoption event of the year at the PetSmart (8204 Leesburg Pike) in Tysons at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 7.
