F.C. Jazzercise Holds Annual Friends and Family Week
Until October 15, Falls Church Jazzercise is holding their annual Friends and Family week. Sign up for a free class pass at bit.ly/FCNP1023jz to enjoy a week of complimentary classes. Jazzercise classes are 30-60 minutes long, and start as early as 5:30 a.m. or as late as 7:00 p.m.. Low-impact classes, as well as classes with childcare, are available as indicated on the schedule. Jazzercise (513 W. Broad St., Suite 230, Falls Church), 703-237-9000.
Little Theatre of Alexandria Announces New Season
Observing the anniversary of its 90th year, The Little Theatre of Alexandria (LTA) will take on a wide range of topics and issues in its productions and staged readings during the ’24-’25 season, including rock ‘n roll in the 1950s; women striving for recognition of their work; gothic horror and transformation; the road to redemption; the adventures of a big, green guy and a helpful donkey; courtship and scandal by William Shakespeare; a British farce; and an iconic tale of American independence.
The lineup of productions in the ’24-’25 season includes: “Memphis”: July 20-August 10, 2024 (Musical); “The Explorers Club”: August 31-September 21, 2024; “Jekyll and Hyde”: October 19-November 9, 2024 (Musical); “A Christmas Carol”: December 7-December 21, 2024; “Shrek”: February 8-March 1, 2025 (Musical—Pending Rights); “Much Ado About Nothing”: March 29-April 19, 2025; “The Play That Goes Wrong”: June 7-June 28, 2025 (Pending Rights).
Fill Out the Solid Waste Survey Online
The City of Falls Church invites City residents to provide feedback on managing municipal solid waste (MSW), which includes the collection of household and commercial trash, recyclable materials, and organic waste for composting. Feedback will inform the City’s 20-year Solid Waste Management Plan (SWMP).
Please take a few minutes to complete the survey at gbb-inc.questionpro.com/a/TakeSurvey?tt=wGnWwE%2B7RcsECHrPeIW9eQ%3D%3D, which is available in English and Spanish. The survey closes on November 3, 2023.
Halloween Carnival Coming Soon
Grab the little goblins and ghouls for the spooktacular family fun Halloween Carnival on Saturday, October 28, presented by Dr. Toothfairy.
Activities include games, inflatables, candy, fall snacks, and more. Bring a trick or treat bag to collect goodies, costumes are encouraged.
Wristbands to participate in all activities will be available for purchase onsite and for presale at the Community Center starting October 25 for $1 per person.
Food for Neighbors to Help F.C. Students
Over 2,700 households in Northern Virginia are working with Food For Neighbors to end teen food insecurity. Help them reach 2,800 so they can better fill the weekend food gap for students in your local secondary schools. Sign up at foodforneighbors.org/red-bag-program/ to donate food and toiletries up to five times per year via our popular Red Bag Program. This will be helping students attending Luther Jackson Middle School and Annandale, Falls Church, and Justice high schools.
During each Red Bag Events, they’re currently collecting well over 20,000 pounds of food and toiletries to help students in 42 Northern Virginia middle and high schools. As the number of students served continues to grow, donations are key to helping the most vulnerable students in local schools.
St Thomas to Host Community Fall Festival
On Saturday, October 21 from 11:00 a.m. — 4:00 p.m., St Thomas Episcopal Church will hold their community fall festival at 8891 Brook Road, McLean. Food trucks, live music, free fun and games, and a pumpkin patch will be offered. Buy pumpkins to support local charities. Parking is available at Providence Baptist Church (8980 Brook Road, McLean).
Dominion Hills Fall Craft Show Celebrates 20 Years
The Dominion Hills Fall Craft Show celebrates its 20th anniversary this year and will be held on Saturday, Nov. 4 at the Dominion Hills Area Recreation Center at 6000 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington,, between 10 a.m. — 5 p.m. Twelve fine art and craft vendors will offer holiday shoppers the best in local art including jewelry, pottery, glass, abstract and landscape paintings, polymer clay, artisan chocolates, wood working, handknits, bookmaking, bath and body products, coiled baskets and much more.
Chesterbrook to Hold Fall Festival
Embrace the spirit of autumn and join Chesterbrook Residences on Saturday, October 14 for a day filled with family fun, featuring a petting zoo, festive photo booth, pumpkin decorating, delicious snacks, and refreshing apple cider. Gather loved ones from 1:00 p.m. — 3:00 p.m. and make lasting memories as they celebrate the joys of the season together.
GMU Arts Celebrates Benefit Event
“An evening like no other,” ARTS by George! made its annual return on September 30, hosted by George Mason University’s College of Visual and Performing Arts (CVPA). The benefit event, which was headlined by Grammy and Tony Award winner Renée Elise Goldsberry, raised more than $275,000 for student scholarships in visual arts, as well as for the Mason Community Arts Academy, Green Machine Ensembles, and the Great Performances at Mason season at the Center for the Arts. With donations still coming in, ARTS by George! has raised more than $4.1 million for the arts at Mason since the event began in 2006.
Local Groups to Combat Food Insecurity in VA
A ribbon-cutting ceremony was recently held to unveil the newly branded Anthem HealthKeepers Plus Virginia refrigerator at the Food For Others community food bank in Fairfax.
Food For Others is a Northern Virginia-based organization that seeks to alleviate hunger and provide nourishing foods for those in need. Since 1995, Food for Others has been at work helping families who are struggling to make ends meet.
Excel Award Finalist a F.C. Local
The Center for Nonprofit Advancement announced that Dr. Donny John, executive director of NOVA ScriptsCentral, is a finalist of the 2023 Excel Award. The award honors exceptional nonprofit chief executives in the region, with consideration to achievements in innovation, motivation, community building, ethical integrity, and strategic leadership. Dr. John is one of three finalists. The winner is given access to a $10,000 professional development account and a $2,000 cash award to the organization to support professional development programs for the staff.
School Board Chairs to Hold ‘Office Hours’
FCCPS School Board Chair Laura Downs and Vice-Chair Tate Gould will hold “office hours” at Lazy Mike’s (7049 Leesburg Pike) on Monday, October 16, from 6:00-8:00 pm. Parents, students, teachers, staff, and community members may drop by to ask questions and offer feedback in a casual environment. As this will not be a private setting, community members who prefer to have a private exchange with the School Board can locate members’ email addresses online at fccps.org/page/school-board.
Creative Cauldron Awarded Arts Project Grant
Creative Cauldron is the recipient of a FY 2024 Arts Fairfax Project Grant in the amount of $14,435 from Arts Fairfax, which supports local arts organizations providing outstanding arts experiences for the Fairfax community between July 1, 2023 and June 30, 2024.
The project support grant will support Creative Cauldron’s “Artes Para Todos Celebraciones!” which will provide young people from Spanish speaking families in Title One Fairfax County schools with opportunities to explore drama, music and the arts in a celebration of heritage and culture.