Friday Download, 1/24: McLean Chocolate Festival, Improvicon, Lunar New Year celebrations and maple-syrup boils
The week’s top Fairfax County headlines, the weekend forecast and things to do — for one last time before my new-job break.
Happy Friday, all. The Machine sends this Friday Download from Southwest Florida, where it isn’t 20 degrees like in Fairfax but (rest assured) isn’t beautiful beach weather either.
Thank you for being here, especially those of you who have supported this newsletter for a while now. I’m aiming to send you all a pre-Sleep Mode takeaways post by Sunday or Monday.
Otherwise, for the last time for a while, here are the week’s top local and state headlines, the latest weekend forecast, and 15 happenings to check out around NoVA — including Lunar New Year celebrations in Alexandria and Falls Church, improv and chocolate in McLean, and Reston’s annual LEGO-building on the lake.
The latest from The Machine
I published on Sunday my feature on a Reston project trying to curb U.S. polarization over dinner. If you haven’t read it yet, I’d be grateful if you checked it out here:
It’s one of the stories from the past eight months that I’ve been proudest of.
Local news I read this week
Criminal justice and public safety 🚓
Culture ✌️
Education 📖
Government and politics 🏛️
Virginia lawmakers cross partisan divide to address data center growth (WaPo)
Statehouse Democrats push $15 minimum wage; GOP raises business concerns (Virginia Mercury)
Virginia Senate backs abortion, marriage, voting amendments to constitution (WaPo)
Real estate 🏠
Transportation
Weather 🌦️
Why the D.C. area received less snow than predicted Sunday (Capital Weather Gang)
Weekend weather (from the National Weather Service)
Friday: Mostly sunny during the day, partly cloudy later, cold throughout. Highs in the lower 30s, lows around 13. 🌤️
Saturday: Mostly sunny to mostly cloudy. Highs in the mid-30s, lows in the upper 20s. ⛅
Sunday: Mostly sunny to partly cloudy. Highs in the lower 40s, lows in the lower 20s. 🌤️
Things to do
🦖 Survive Jurassic Quest at the Dulles Expo Center, featuring life-size animatronic dinosaurs, a giant fossil dig, rides and a whole ancient mess of other things (Friday through Sunday; general admission starting at $22)
🐺 Enjoy a night of bluegrass with the Del McCoury Band at Wolf Trap, with each show themed to a different decade (tickets still available for Friday at 8 p.m., starting at $48, with Saturday and Sunday sold out)
🇨🇳 Celebrate the Lunar New Year with family-friendly activities in:
Falls Church, with dragon and lion dances, food, a parade, and a craft show (Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; $5 for adults, $2 for kids 6 to 12, kids under 6 free)
Old Town Alexandria, with live performances, a market and giveaways (Saturday, noon to 4 p.m.; free, but pre-registration required)
🧱 Compete in the Reston Museum’s annual Bricks by the Lake LEGO-building event, with more activities to explore at businesses around Lake Anne (Saturday, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.)
🐻❄️ Take the 2025 Polar Plunge at Mosaic District to help fundraise for Special Olympics Virginia (Saturday, noon to 2 p.m.)
⛸️ Stop by Reston Town Center’s Ice-travaganza for a live ice-sculpting demonstration, an ice-skating performance and free hot chocolate (Saturday, noon to 3 p.m.)
👏 See some of the DMV’s best improvisers square off in McLean at Improvicon, which, I have to say, I am particularly bummed to miss (Saturday, 7 p.m.; $12 and up)
🪘 Hear the Grammy-winning Silkroad Ensemble perform an around-the-world musical showcase at George Mason (Saturday, 8 p.m.; tickets starting at $38)
🎸 At the State Theatre in Falls Church, catch a Tom Petty tribute show (Friday, 8:30 p.m.; $18), or relieve the ’80s with a retro dance party (Saturday, 9:30 p.m.; $25)
🍫 Satisfy your sweet tooth at the 13th annual McLean Chocolate Festival (Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; $3 for adults, kids under 4 free)
🥞🔥 Bundle up for a Maple Syrup Boil Down over an open fire at Colvin Run Mill, then try some of the finished syrup over cornbread (Sunday, boil sessions starting at 11 a.m.; $8)
🇯🇵 Try Japanese calligraphy, origami, games and snacks at a New Year’s Festival on George Mason’s Arlington campus (Sunday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.)
✈️ Buy tickets to one of my favorite musicals, “Come From Away,” before it opens at Capital One Hall in Tysons (five shows between Friday Jan. 31 and Sunday Feb. 2)
My plans
I’ll be spending some quality time with my parents here in Naples, then flying back to Dulles late Saturday and prepping for my first day at my new job.
Lot of change coming, but I’m looking forward to it. Even if it means, yes, commuting out into that cold.