Friday Download, 11/29: Holiday parades in Reston and Mosaic, Plaid Friday sales in Old Town Alexandria, and “Elf” with a live orchestra
The weekend forecast and things to do, plus the week’s top Fairfax County headlines
The Friday Download is your guide to the week and weekend in Fairfax and around the area. Subscribe today to get the next one in your inbox and support The Machine’s work.
Happy (Black) Friday, all. I’m still stuffed from last night’s pecan pie — just in time to hibernate with this dip into winter.
Here are the holiday week’s top local headlines, the chilly forecast for this weekend and 15 ways to spend it around NoVA, from tree lightings and parades at Reston Town Center and Mosaic District to brewery holiday markets to Old Town Alexandria’s Plaid Friday sales.
The latest from The Machine
Fairfax County teachers just approved a historic contract — if the Board of Supervisors will fund it (Wednesday)
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Local news I read this week
Criminal justice and public safety 🚓
Springfield pilot killed in plane crash in remote woods of New York, but 2 dogs survive (AP)
Fairfax prosecutor rules police were justified in shooting man in chaotic encounter (WaPo)
Fairfax City property manager will go to prison for embezzling funds from local HOAs (FFXnow)
Good news 👍
Health 🩺
Housing and homelessness 🏠
Sports 🏈
Transportation 🚍
Weekend weather (from the National Weather Service)
Friday: Mostly sunny, with a chance of flurries. Highs in the mid-40s, lows in the mid-20s. 🌤️
Saturday: Sunny to partly cloudy. Highs in the upper 30s, lows in the mid-20s. ⛅
Sunday: Partly sunny. Highs in the lower 40s, lows in the mid-20s. ⛅
Things to do
Celebrate Jimi Hendrix’s birthday with a tribute show by the Jonathan Sloane Trio and Bobby Thompson Band at Jammin Java in Vienna (Friday) 🎸
Enjoy tree lightings and holiday parades at Reston Town Center or Mosaic District (both Friday) 🎅
Ice-skate at the Winter Village at Cameron Run, in Alexandria (Friday through Jan. 5) ⛸️
Ditch the usual big-box Black Friday for Alexandria’s Plaid Friday, where boutique Old Town shops are offering up to 30% off, or for Small Business Saturday around NoVA 🛍️
Stroll a holiday-lit Mount Vernon (and meet Aladdin the Camel) during the estate’s Winter Glow event (Friday and Saturday) 🎄
Watch Elf at the Kennedy Center while a live orchestra performs the score (Friday to Sunday, four total shows) 📽️🎻
Bring your kids to Sesame Street Live! at Capital One Hall in Tysons (Saturday, two shows) 🍪
Root for the Rat King at area performances of The Nutcracker: at South Lakes High School (two shows Saturday), at Fairfax High School (Saturday and Sunday), at Capital One Hall (two shows Sunday) or at the Kennedy Center (through Sunday, two shows each day) 🩰
Compete in Shipgarten’s free, oddly family-friendly Beer Olympics events in McLean (Saturday) 🍻
Sip and shop holiday markets at Old Ox Brewery in Ashburn (Saturday), Dirt Farm Brewing in Bluemont (Sunday) or Heritage Brewing Co. in Manassas (also Sunday) 🎁
See area choral ensembles perform at the 53rd annual Messiah Sing-Along at Clarendon United Methodist Church (Sunday) 🎵
Explore and score at the Sneaker Vault Expo in Tysons (Sunday) 👟
Donate and shop at a Buy Nothing Holiday Gift Market at Arlington’s Unitarian Universalist Church (Sunday) 🧸
Get your tickets early for the Del Ray Candy Cane Bar Crawl (Saturday, Dec. 14) 🎟️
Ongoing events
Meadowlark Botanical Gardens’ Winter Walk of Lights (in Vienna) and Bull Run Regional Park’s drive-through Festival of Lights (in Centreville) are operating through Jan. 5.
Reston Town Center’s ice-skating rink is open through the end of January.
Take photos with Santa at the Fair Oaks Mall, Tysons Corner Center, Dulles Town Center or Mosaic through Dec. 24.
My plans
We’ll be making our way through Thanksgiving leftovers today, then rallying to do it all over again when we host Friendsgiving tomorrow. If anyone knows how to seat 18 people comfortably for dinner in a 60-year-old townhouse, please let The Machine know.