Community News & Notes

Falls Church Celebrates Farm Day

The City of Falls Church Recreation & Parks Division will host the 17th annual Farm Day on Saturday, Oct. 10 from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Festivities will include horse-drawn hayrides, pony rides, a petting farm, scarecrow making, pumpkin painting, blacksmith demonstrations, live music and more. Bring the kids along to learn basic farming skills such as corn-shelling, beekeeping and apple butter making.

Falls Church Celebrates Farm Day

The City of Falls Church Recreation & Parks Division will host the 17th annual Farm Day on Saturday, Oct. 10 from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Festivities will include horse-drawn hayrides, pony rides, a petting farm, scarecrow making, pumpkin painting, blacksmith demonstrations, live music and more. Bring the kids along to learn basic farming skills such as corn-shelling, beekeeping and apple butter making.

Guided tours of the 1845 Cherry Hill Farmhouse and Barn will also be available. The celebration will take place in Cherry Hill Park (312 Park Ave., Falls Church). Admission is free. For more information, call 703-248-5171.

THE CITY OF FALLS CHURCH invites artists of all ages to design and paint Halloween-themed windows like this one of Argia’s Restaurant for “Paint the Town Orange,” a festive Halloween paint-in. Painters are asked to submit color sketches of their designs to Marty Behr by Oct. 5. Painters will then decorate their assigned windows on Monday, Oct. 12 and Saturday, Oct. 17 from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. For more information, call 703-533-7454 or visit www.fallschurcharts.org. (Photo: Courtesy Marty Behr)

IBCI Offers Free Mammograms

In recognition of National Breast Cancer Awareness month, Inova’s Breast Care Institute (IBCI) will host a free mammogram day for women over 40 who have a physician’s order and are registered.

The event will take place at Inova Fairfax Hospital (3300 Gallows Rd., Falls Church) from 8 a.m. – noon. For more information, call 703-916-2700.

Pushcart Players Present ‘Happily Ever After’

On Saturday, Oct. 10, the McLean Kids Performance Series will kick off with the Pushcart Players production “Happily Ever After – A Cinderella Tale,” a musical adaptation of the classic tale that demonstrates how inner beauty, courage and kindness triumph over greed, arrogance and bully behavior.

The performance will start at 2 p.m. inside the Alden Theatre  of the McLean Community Center (1234 Ingleside Ave., McLean). Tickets cost $14. To purchase tickets, visit www.mcleancenter.org.

Halloween Paint-In Returns To Falls Church

All are invited to design and paint Halloween-themed windows of stores participating in “Paint the Town Orange,” a Halloween paint-in. Artists of all ages are asked to submit color sketches of their designs by Oct. 5 to event organizer Marty Behr (412 N. Cherry St., Falls Church).

Paint-in organizers will set up stations at the municipal park between Pilin Thai and Hunan Chef (W. Broad St., Falls Church) to distribute paint and paper cups. Painters are encouraged to bring containers to carry paint, brushes, newspaper or drop cloths and cleaning rags. Painters will then decorate their designated windows on Monday, Oct. 12 and Saturday, Oct. 17 from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.

While there is no entry fee, a $5 donation will be accepted. For more information, call 703-533-7454 or visit www.fallschurcharts.org.

Falls Church Resident Celebrates 90th Birthday

THE ANNUAL WINE TASTING fundraiser for the Falls Church-based Homestretch non-profit was held at the Gannett Building in McLean last Friday night. Among the attendees were (left to right) Susan and Bob Burnett, Barbara and Kieran Sharpre, Nicholas Benton, Stacy Hennessey, Homestretch Executive Director Chris Fay, Fairfax County Supervisor Linda Smyth and John Karickhoff. (Photo: News-Press)

Falls Church resident Larry Maher turned 90 years old on Friday, Oct. 2. Maher is an accomplished musician who plays cocktail piano every Thursday and Friday night at The Alpine Restaurant in Arlington.

Choralis Youth Choirs Host Pumpkin Patch

Choralis Youth Choirs will host a benefit Pumpkin Patch every weekend in October at the Falls Church Presbyterian Church (225 E. Broad St., Falls Church).

Hours will be Fridays from noon – 6 p.m., Saturdays and Sundays from 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. and Columbus Day, Monday, Oct. 12 from 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Arrangements can also be made to open the Pumpkin Patch by special request for school or community groups.

For more information, call 202-441-5446.

Local Resident Receives Academic Honor

Falls Church resident Yonjae Kim, son of Jinho and Jessica Kim, was named to the dean’s list for the Spring 2009 semester at Johns Hopkins University. To receive this honor, students must receive a grade point average of 3.5 or higher on a 4.0 scale with a minimum of 14 credit hours.

Kim is a graduate of McLean High School. He is now majoring in electrical engineering and is expected to graduate in May 2012.

ODCS Gives Sneak Peek of Blooms

The Old Dominion Chrysanthemum Society (ODCS) will present a sneak preview of the blooms and garden cultivars prior to its 2009 annual show. ODCS members will also demonstrate simple techniques to improve the appearance of chrysanthemums and garden flowers for shows or presentations.

The event will take place at the Falls Church Community Center (223 Little Falls St., Falls Church) starting with refreshments at 3 p.m. Admission is free. For more information, call 703-560-8776.

LCNV Holds Literacy Training Workshop

The Literary Council of Northern Virginia (LCNV), the leading volunteer literacy organization in Virginia, will hold a basic literacy tutor training workshop to help adults at low literacy levels to speak, read and write English.

The workshop will be held on three consecutive Saturdays starting Saturday, Oct. 17 from 9:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m at the James Lee Community Center (2855 Annandale Rd., Falls Church). For more information, call 703-237-0866.

FALLS CHURCH GOVERNMENT contracts attorney Janine S. Benton, Esq., was a principal speaker in Washington, D.C. last week at a forum hosted by Federal Publications Seminars on the topic of “Basics for Small Businesses Interested in Government Contracting: Get in the Game.” Benton was joined by law partner Kathy Potter in the day-long seminar at the Westin Hotel. (Photo: News-Press)

NVRPA Hosts Ornamental Grasses Tour

On Saturday, Oct. 13, the National Virginia Regional Park Authority (NVRPA) will host the Ornamental Grasses Tour at Meadowlark Botanical Gardens (9750 Meadowlark Gardens Ct., Vienna) at 10 a.m.

Horticulturist Laurie Short will lead the tour and discuss the use, care and propagation of fall-peaking ornamental grasses such as feather reed grass, blue oat grass and fountain grass. Admission is free. For more information, call 703-255-3631.

Charity Car Show Supports Fisher House

Francine Quinn and Stephen Govan will host the second annual “Fast Cars and Freedom” American Classic Car Show on Saturday, Oct. 10 from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Over 100 classic cars are expected at the show site (8180 Greensboro Dr., McLean). Other highlights will include raffle prizes, music and food. The show is free, but spectators are encouraged to bring cash to buy raffle tickets.

All proceeds will benefit Fisher House, a home away from home for military and veterans’ families. For more information, visit www.fastcarsandfreedom.info.

CharityWorks Hosts GreenHouse Tours

From Saturday, Oct. 10 to Friday, Oct. 30, CharityWorks will give guided tours of GreenHouse (1310 Calder Rd., McLean), the first carbon-neutral house on the east coast.

The house consists of a state-of-the-art geothermal system 400 ft. below ground and 18 luxuriously designed spaces filled with eco-friendly furnishings, fabrics and finishes.

Hours will be Tuesday – Friday from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. and Sunday from noon – 5 p.m. Tickets cost $25 online and $30 at the door. For more information, visit www.charityworksgreenhouse.com.