Friday Download, 9/20: Alexandria events, Oktoberfests and Shrek

The weekend forecast and things to do, plus the week’s top Fairfax County headlines

(Ryan Bacic/The Machine)

Happy Friday, Fairfax County.

The first few leaves are turning auburn, the humidity has run off somewhere, and a Tysons rooftop festival celebrating Shrek is upon us. Here’s the week in local news and your guide to the weekend.

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The latest from The Machine

• Early voting starts today in Fairfax County. Read our guide to learn where you can go to vote, how to register or check your registration, and what choices will be on your ballot.

Local news I read this week

Business and development 📈

• Taking a rare trip inside a data center to see how it works (WaPo)

Criminal justice and public safety 🚓

• Husband is charged in elaborate double-murder plot with au pair in Herndon (WaPo)

• Police officer fatally shoots Reston woman in mental health crisis who attacked with knife, chief says (WaPo)

• Fairfax County deputy sentenced for trafficking sex and drugs (NBC4)

• Ex-police officer goes on trial in killing of shoplifting suspect at Tysons (AP)

Culture ✌️

• The 50 most influential people in Northern Virginia (Northern Virginia Mag)

Government and politics 🏛️

• County supervisors discuss possible taxes on meals, event admissions and more (FFXnow)

• Rep. Gerry Connolly co-introduced a bill to expand and protect IVF access (Axios)

Real estate 🏠

• The county’s wealthiest zip code isn’t in Great Falls or McLean (FFXnow)

Transportation 🚍

• Fairfax is exploring lowering speed limits on certain roads (WTOP)

Weekend weather (from the National Weather Service)

Sun and a splash of storms.

• Friday: Sunny during the day, partly cloudy later in the evening. Highs in the mid-80s, lows in the lower 60s. ☀️

• Saturday: Mostly sunny, with storms likely later in the day. Highs in the lower 80s, lows in the lower 60s. 🌤️

• Sunday: Mostly cloudy, with a chance of showers in the morning. Highs in the lower 70s, lows around 60. 🌥️

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Things to do

• See Broadway’s Norm Lewis perform songs from his starring roles in “Phantom of the Opera,” “Les Mis” and more at Wolf Trap (Friday and Saturday) 🐺

• Listen to live music, play mini golf and, naturally, celebrate Shrek at Perchfest in Tysons (Friday and Saturday) 💚

• Celebrate Oktoberfest in Lorton (Friday), Middleburg (Saturday) or Manassas (Friday to Sunday) 🍻

• Spend a spooky and spicy day in Alexandria with a Halloween-inspired outdoor market and Del Ray Pizzeria’s sixth annual Wing Fest (Saturday) 🎃🍗

• Experience 2024’s Taste of Annandale, with food trucks and vendors, a chili cookoff, a 5K race and more (Saturday) 🍲

• Enjoy more than 20 music, dance and storytelling performances, plus artisan crafts and games, at the Reston Multicultural Festival (Saturday) 🎵

• Buy vintage art, furniture and more at the Big Flea, as it returns to Dulles Expo Center (Saturday and Sunday) 🖼️

• Explore home exhibits, find contractors and sit in on workshops at the Home Owners Expo, at GMU’s Eagle Bank Arena (Saturday and Sunday) 🛠️

• At the Kennedy Center, celebrate National Dance Day with free classes and performances, or see author and illustrator Mo Willems in concert with the NSO (Saturday and Sunday) 🕺 🎻

My plans

I’ll be driving down to Nottoway County for a couple friends’ wedding, where, if I’m feeling rowdy, I might try a couple sips of homemade moonshine and pass out.