Friday Download, 12/6: Tree lightings, holiday craft markets, boat parades in Reston and Alexandria, and park events galore
The weekend forecast and things to do, plus the week’s top Fairfax County headlines
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Happy Friday, all. The Machine’s algorithms sifted through mountains of holiday events for this week’s newsletter and ended up just about smoking out of its processors.
Here, nonetheless, are the week’s top local headlines, a sunny-but-chilly forecast for the weekend and 20ish ways to spend it around NoVA and D.C. — from the Middleburg Hunt Parade to craft markets in Herndon and McLean to Alexandria’s most festive weekend of the year.
Local news I read this week
Business and development 📈
Jobs and wages both tick up in Fairfax County, latest data says (FFXnow)
Tysons Corner Center draws huge Black Friday crowds despite inflation concerns, earlier shopping season (DC News Now)
Government and politics 🏛️
County projects a dire budget picture with a $297 million shortfall (Annandale Today)
Fairfax leaders still eager to see FBI HQ relocated to Springfield (FFXnow)
Housing and homelessness 🏠
Religion ⛪
Transportation 🚍
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Weekend weather (from the National Weather Service)
Friday: Mostly sunny, but windy during the day. Highs in the upper 30s, lows in the lower 20s. 🌤️
Saturday: Mostly sunny to partly cloudy. Highs in the lower 40s, lows in the upper 20s. ⛅
Sunday: Mostly sunny to partly cloudy. Highs in the mid-50s, lows in the upper 30s. ⛅
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Things to do
🎸Boogie at Bill Kirchen’s annual Honky Tonk Holiday Party, at Jammin Java in Vienna (Friday, 8 p.m.; doors 6:30)
🎄 Enjoy tree lightings and live performances at:
Dulles Town Center (Friday, 6 p.m.)
The Field at Commonwealth, in Chantilly (Friday, 6 p.m.)
Herndon’s Old Town Hall (Saturday, 3:30 p.m.)
Fairfax City’s Old Town Square (performances starting Saturday at noon; tree lighting ceremony at 5:30 p.m.)
🎻 At the Kennedy Center, see the National Symphony Orchestra’s annual “Holiday Pops!” concert, with Broadway’s Jessica Vosk and, naturally, Biden press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre (Friday, 8 p.m.; Saturday, 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.)
⛄ Head to county parks for:
Wagon rides and “cozy campfires” at Frying Pan Farm Park (Fridays and Saturdays through Dec. 21)
Holiday lantern tours at Colvin Run Mill (Saturday and Sunday, 5:30 and 6:30 p.m.)
Rides aboard the Holiday Express and Gingerbread Man Golf at Burke Lake Park (weekends through Dec. 22)
❄️ Pack in a weekend just in Alexandria, including:
Del Ray Artisans’ Fine Art and Fine Craft Holiday Market (Fridays to Sundays through Dec. 22)
Seeing floats of pipe bands and Scottish dancers at the 53rd annual Alexandria Scottish Christmas Walk Parade (Saturday, 11 a.m.)
Art galleries, music and a Santa appearance “by fire boat” at the Torpedo Factory’s Holiday Festival (Saturday, 2 to 6 p.m.)
The 24th annual Alexandria Holiday Boat Parade of Lights (Saturday, 5:30 p.m.)
A Christmas Carol at the Little Theater (through Dec. 21)
📚 Browse library book sales in Burke, Reston, Springfield or Tysons (Friday through Tuesday)
🔔 Bring your kids for holiday crafts and a hot chocolate bar at the Boro’s Jingle Bell Bash (Saturday, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.)
🛍️ Shop for the season at:
McLean’s long-running Holiday Art & Crafts Festival (Friday to Sunday, starting at 10 a.m.)
The Fairfax City Holiday Market (Friday to Sunday, then Dec. 13-15; hours vary)
Herndon’s Holiday Arts and Crafts Show, with more than 80 vendors (Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.)
🎉 Witness the hounds and red-jacketed riders of the annual Middleburg Hunt Parade (Saturday, 11 a.m.) as part of Christmas in Middleburg, or watch the floats of the McLean Winterfest Parade (Sunday)
Ongoing events
Take photos with Santa at the Fair Oaks Mall, Tysons Corner Center or Dulles Town Center through Dec. 24.
Meadowlark Botanical Gardens’ Winter Walk of Lights (in Vienna), Bull Run Regional Park’s drive-through Festival of Lights (in Centreville) and Cameron Run Regional Park’s Winter Village (in Alexandria) are all operating through Jan. 5.
Reston Town Center’s ice-skating rink is open through the end of January.
My plans
We’ve got tickets to Reston Winterfest tonight, and then we’ll probably see the boat parade at Lake Anne’s Jingle on the Lake tomorrow before watching a bad Lifetime Christmas movie with friends.
Might as well lean in.