Hey gang, Matt here!

It’s our first edition of 2026, and it’s jam-packed with good stuff.

Thanks to everyone who took a minute to complete our year-end survey! I’m already putting some of your recommendations to work in today’s edition. Among those reader requests: the occasional news item relevant to the topics you’ve come to love in the newsletter, such as more restaurant openings and closings. Some also suggested more poll questions, and we agree!

That leads us to the hot topic Out & About this week — the new Fairfax County “Meals Tax” which takes effect this month. In case you missed it, the county will begin levying a tax on the purchase of all prepared food and beverages sold as a meal. The Food and Beverage Tax (Meals Tax) is 4% of the total cost of food and beverages sold by restaurants, caterers, or other designated establishments.

This Week’s Poll Question:

In this week’s newsletter:

• Herndon Dodgeball Tournament, Ice skating in Reston, Tysons, & Alexandria

• Trivia, laughs, literature, and libations near you

• Concerts come to Fairfax and Falls Church

• Parents Night Out in Reston

• GMU Men’s Basketball (15-1) to host VCU

P.S.: Not yet a subscriber? Join 1,800+ neighbors and sign up for the FREE Out & About Fairfax newsletter here and follow along on Instagram.

Cheers,
Matt

A message from us

Things To Do

• Herndon Dodgeball Tournament

  • The 1st Annual Dodgeball Tournament comes to the Herndon Community Center on Saturday, Jan. 10. Open to co-ed teams ages 16+. Registration: $100/team.

    • 814 Ferndale Ave., Herndon

• “Rock The Rink” in Reston

  • Skate on the Reston Town Center ice rink and watch the Washington Capitals on a nearby big screen on Friday, Jan. 9 at 7:00p.m.

    • 1818 Discovery St., Reston

• Second Saturday Sungazing at the Udvar-Hazy Center

  • Observe the sun and explore the atmosphere through a filtered telescope at the National Air & Space Museum’s Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly on Saturday, Jan. 10 from 11:00a.m.-2:00p.m. Admission: free with parking at $15.

    • 14390 Air & Space Museum Parkway, Chantilly

• Winter Fun Continues!

  • “Ice & Lights” continues at The Winter Village at Cameron Run in Alexandria through February 28. Tickets start at $13.

    • 4001 Eisenhower Ave., Alexandria

  • Find details about local ice skating in Tysons and Reston in our Winter Fun Guide!

• Mysteries and Thrillers Book Sale in Burke

  • The Kings Park Library kicks off its two-week book sale with a focus on mystery thriller novels on Saturday, Jan. 10.

    • 9000 Burke Lake Rd., Burke

• Find a Farmers Market Near You!

  • It may be winter, but some year-round farmers markets continue!

Food & Drink

• Literature and Libations

  • A book lover’s brunch, book fair, and swap at Commonwealth Brewing Co. on Sunday, Jan. 11 from 11:00a.m.-4:00p.m.

    • 10426 Main St., Fairfax

• Standup Comedy at Aslin Beer Co.

  • Enjoy laughs and libations at Aslin’s Alexandria brewery on Friday, Jan. 9 at 8:00p.m. Tickets: $10

    • 847 South Pickett St., Alexandria

• 90’s Trivia Tournament in Chantilly

  • Test your knowledge of 90’s TV and movies at Bunnyman Brewing on Saturday, Jan. 10 from 4:00p.m.-6:00p.m.

    • 14140 Parke Long Ct A-C, Chantilly

• News & Notes

  • “Compass Coffee filed for bankruptcy Tuesday morning, with plans to close several store locations.” (WUSA9)

  • “California Fish Grill will open the doors of a nearly 3,000-square-foot eatery in Franconia (7003A Manchester Blvd) on Monday, Jan. 12, the restaurant announced.” (FFXNow)

  • “5 New and Coming Soon Spots at Founders Row in Falls Church” (Northern Virginia Magazine)

A message from Kids Give Back

Join Kids Give Back for our second annual Family Bingo Night! Bring the whole crew for games, a DJ who will get the kids dancing, amazing prizes for everyone, and a family-friendly silent auction!

• $50 for a Family Ticket: Includes 20 game boards for four attendees to each play five rounds of Bingo

• $15 for an Individual Ticket: Includes five game boards for one attendee to play five rounds of Bingo

• Dinner will be for sale from Chick-fil-A.

This event sold-out last year, so purchase your tickets soon!

Music, Arts, & Entertainment

• 46th Annual Saxophone Symposium

  • The sweet sounds of saxophones grace George Mason University on Friday, Jan. 9-Saturday, Jan. 10 for the annual event hosted by the U.S. Navy Band. Admission is free.

    • 4373 Mason Pond Dr., Fairfax

• U.S. Army String Quartet in Fairfax

  • Enjoy a musical performed by the U.S. Army String Quartet on Friday, Jan. 9 at 8:00p.m. at the Stacy C. Sherwood Center. Admission is free.

    • 3740 Blenheim Blvd., Fairfax

• Passport Music Festival

  • Creative Cauldron in Falls Church kicks off its 15th annual music festival on Friday, Jan. 9 with performances throughout the weekend. The festival runs through Feb. 1. Tickets: $25-$30 with table seating available.

    • 127 E. Broad St., Falls Church

• Workhouse Sunday Wellness

  • The Lorton arts center is kicking off its new weekly wellness series featuring everything from painting to yoga on Sunday, Jan. 11 at 2:00p.m. Tickets: $35.

    • 9518 Workhouse Way, Lorton

Families & Kids

• Family Game Day in Reston

  • Select from our board game collection or bring your own to play with friends, families and neighbors on Saturday, Jan. 10 at 9:00a.m. at the Reston Community Center. Admission is free.

    • 2310 Colts Neck Rd., Reston

• “Steam Team” in Burke

  • A hands-on experiment with ice for kids and teens who enjoy science and technology at the Burke Centre Library on Saturday, Jan. 10 at 10:30a.m. Ages 6-14.

    • 5935 Freds Oak Rd., Burke Centre

• Parents Night Out in Reston

  • Parents can enjoy a quiet night while the kids hang out at the Reston Community Center Hunter Woods to play board games, swim, and more on Friday, Jan. 9 from 5:00p.m.-9:00p.m. Cost: $8-$12.

    • 2310 Colts Neck Rd., Reston

• Flying Squirrel Campfire

  • Families can enjoy an evening around the campfire with s'mores and learn about flying squirrels that live in our area in Annandale’s Hidden Oaks Nature Center on Sunday, Jan. 11 at 7:00p.m. Cost: $10.

    • 7701 Royce St., Annandale

Sports & Recreation

Home Games

• 🏀 NBA: New Orleans Pelicans at Washington Wizards

  • Friday, Jan. 9 at 7:00p.m., Capital One Arena, Washington, D.C.

•  🏀 NCAAM: VCU at George Mason

  • Saturday, Jan. 10 at 12:00p.m., EagleBank Arena, Fairfax

Fairfax County Fun Fact of the Week

Did you know: 2026 marks the 20th anniversary of the George Mason University Men’s Basketball Team reaching the Final Four of the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament during the 2005-2006 season.

Before We Go, Some Good News!

For this week’s Good News, we go to Lorton!

South County High School’s Mary Moore was recently recognized by Fairfax County Public Schools for her success as a nationally-ranked baton twirler! The junior has qualified for Team USA five teams and has competed around the world.

Watch Mary’s story on the school district’s Instagram post linked above. Great work!

Know about some Good News in the community that we should feature? Email us!

We Want to Hear from You!

If you have an event you would like to feature in the newsletter, or if you’re a business looking to advertise with us, send us an email! —> [email protected].

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Thanks for reading! See you next week.