Limited Version Watch Night Planned, After All
Watch Night is not cancelled, after all. A limited version of the New Year’s Watch Night is being planned with the CATCH Foundation announcing that perennial favorite Northern Lights Dance Orchestra will be returning with swing music to lead the lineup at an indoor venue. Watch Night this year. It will be different, with all the same indoor venues but the outdoor venue will be much smaller and shift to the 100 block of East Broad Sheet.
Since 1998, Broad Street has been closed for the event and there has been significant outdoor activities in the street, especially for kids. Since the City Council budget decision not to support the staff costs of closing the street, the event format will be adjusted accordingly, a CATCH spokesman said..
Holiday Tree Fest Charms Locals
The Annual Holiday Tree Fest and the Santa Brunch provided a festive start to the season at Ireland’s Four Provinces restaurant last weekend.
While the Falls Church Village Improvement Society organized the tree event, it was for any local qualified non-profit organization providing highly decorated trees for competition and silent auction. Placing high in the votes was the GMAT- Fisher House Foundation placing second for Most Beautiful. The Kensington Senior Living -Culmore Clinic placed first for Most Nostalgic with its potpourri theme.
The American Association of University Women placed first in both Best Themed and Most Imaginative with its cat and kittens theme, including books on cats and kittens under the tree. The tops in voting was the Friends of Cherry Hill Foundation winning both Most Artistic and Most Beautiful for its tree packed with cherry and bird ornaments. It sold for $500. Mr Reilly, owner of the Cherry Hill Farm House beginning in 1873, was an ornithologist at the Smithsonian. All proceeds went to the designated non-profits.
Creative Cauldron Lands 23 Nominations in 2025
Falls Church’s Creative Cauldron Stage has received 23 nominations for the prestigious 2025 Washington DC BroadwayWorld Regional Awards.
The nominations span 13 distinct categories, recognizing the company’s commitment to artistic excellence across its professional stage productions, educational programs, and musical concert series.
This recognition highlights the depth of talent within the Creative Cauldron artistic family and the critical acclaim received by its diverse 2024-2025 season programming. The BroadwayWorld Regional Awards are entirely determined by fan votes through December 31 and the winners will be announced in January.
Zoya’s Boutique Spotlighted on TLC
Zoya’s Boutique in Falls Church was featured on The Learning Channel’s reality series Baylen Out Loud, and the episode aired live last week. In the episode, Baylen, who is newly engaged, visited Zoya’s Atelier to shop for her wedding gown.
Zoya’s Atelier represented the Falls Church community on a nationally broadcast TLC series. Baylen Out Loud follows the life of Baylen Dupree, a young woman living with an extreme case of Tourette Syndrome, as she and her family navigate daily challenges with humor, heart, and resilience.
Rep. Beyer Blasts Trump Economic Claims
In remarks this week, U.S. Rep. Don Beyer of Falls Church’s 8th District railed against President Trump’s latest claims about the economy.
He said, “Trump has been making some unbelievable claims about the economy lately, saying, Incomes are rising, grocery prices are way down, energy prices are way down. Mortgage prices are down, and the most ridiculous one, Inflation has been defeated.”
Beyer said, “I can’t even listen to all of it because, frankly, it’s sick. The president is talking about prices being down, but he’s living in a bubble where foreign governments shower him with cash, he’s letting his kids do crypto and real-estate deals, and members of his Cabinet are making themselves rich with insider contracts. All while Virginians and Americans are suffering.
“Grocery costs are up. Healthcare costs are up. Energy costs are up. Food, school supplies, building supplies — all up. Families are paying more for the holidays this year than last year. Instead of being honest about it, Trump is firing economists at the Bureau of Labor Statistics and telling them not to release the real data. He can try to hide the numbers, but families know exactly what they’re spending at the checkout line. Americans aren’t fooled, and neither am I.
“Trump’s economic policies — especially his reckless and illegal across-the-board tariffs — are driving prices up and pushing small businesses, farmers, and families to the brink.”
Providence Players in ‘A Sherlock Carol’
Friday, Dec.12, at 7:30 p.m. the Providence Players open ‘A Sherlock Carol.’ Mark Shanahan brings Sherlock Holmes and Tiny Tim together in a clever, heartwarming holiday mystery that’s part whodunit, part Christmas tale, and entirely delightful for audiences of all ages. Moriarty is dead, and Sherlock Holmes is a haunted man. When a grown-up Tiny Tim asks Holmes to investigate the mysterious death of Ebenezer Scrooge, the great detective must use his skills to solve a Dickens of a Christmas mystery. This theatrical holiday treat filled with mystery, humor, and heart runs through Dec, 21 at the James Lee Community Center on weekend evenings and Sunday matinees.
Santa at West Falls Commons Park
This Saturday, Dec. 13 from 1 to 4 p.m. in the West Falls Commons Park, a festive rally will include Santa and Mrs. Claus, Christmas carols performed by the Meridian High School Choir, a hot cocoa bar, and Santa Station where letters can be written and mailed to the North Pole.
Sinfonietta Performs at F.C. Episcopal Sunday
This Sunday, Dec. 14, at 4:00 p.m. at the Falls Church Episcopal Church, the Washington Sinfonietta will present a family holiday celebration. Seasonal favorites will be performed, some with the Meridian High School Choir.
Tickets are free under a grant from the Falls Church Arts and Humanities Council grant.
F.C. Soccer Team Competes for Title
This Sunday, Dec.14 at 6:00 p.m. the Falls Church-based Virginia Dream soccer team will compete for the final trophy of 2025.. As the champion of the Virginia Super Soccer League, the Dream will face the champion of the Maryland Super Soccer League, Steel Pulse, for the Super Soccer Cup.
F.C.’s City Dance Performs The Nutcracker
Next Saturday, Dec, 20 at 2 and 7 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 21 at 1 and 6 p.m. at the Klein Theatre in downtown Washington, D.C., the magic of Mary Day’s ‘The Nutcracker’ will be presented by the Falls Church-based City Dance Conservatory.
Rising stars will join professional guest artists from The Joffrey Ballet, Mariinsky Theatre, and more, to bring this beloved holiday production to life.
Feeding Our Future: Statewide Youth-Led Food Drive Underway
The League of Women Voters of Virginia (LWV-VA) Youth Council and DEI Committee have launched “Feeding Our Future,” a holiday fundraiser supporting food banks across the Commonwealth. The youth-led drive invites Virginians to donate directly to help stock local pantries during the winter season.
The fundraiser runs through December 19, with proceeds to be split among Virginia’s eight major regional food banks, which in turn supply community-based food programs statewide.
Donations can be made online at: https://shorturl.at/9WpCm
