Hey gang, Matt here!

Happy New Year! 🎉 We’re sliding into your inbox on a Wednesday once again this week ahead of the New Year’s holiday in case you’re looking for last-minute plans. We’ll return to our regular Thursday sends in January.

As we conclude 2025, thanks for being along for the ride. We hope you continue to enjoy the newsletter in 2026! (We also have a few tricks up our sleeves in the new year… stay tuned. 😎)

In the meantime, we have a short and sweet one for you this week, including some fun weekend events on the schedule — scroll down to find more details.

Enjoy, and I’ll see you Out & About in the new year!

In this week’s newsletter:

• New Year’s celebrations around the area

• Food Tour + “Prommonwealth” in Fairfax

• $5 comedy night in Falls Church, NYE Dance Party in Vienna

• Nerf Battle in Chantilly

• GMU Men host Rhode Island in A-10 play, Caps & Wizards home

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Cheers,
Matt

A message from us

Things To Do

• New Year’s Eve Celebration in Herndon

  • Enjoy a night of music, dancing, and delicious food with a South Indian theme at the Hilton Washington Dulles Airport Hotel on Wednesday, Dec. 31 at 8:00p.m. Tickets: $59-$149

    • 13869 Park Center Rd., Herndon

• Watch Night New Year’s Eve in Falls Church

  • The annual free New Year’s Eve event in The Little City features everything from historical tours to live music throughout the evening Wednesday, Dec. 31.

    • 100 E. Broad St., Falls Church

• Makers Union NYE Party

  • Enjoy a 3-course prix fixe menu for $55/person, a live DJ, and more on Dec. 31 at the Reston venue starting at 10:00p.m.

    • 1811 Library St., Reston

• Sunrise & Sunset Hikes in Burke

  • Kick off your New Year’s Resolution with a morning and evening hike in Burke Lake Park on Thursday, Jan. 1. Tickets: $8/person.

    • 7315 Ox Rd., Fairfax Station

• "LOVE” Sign Comes to Vienna

  • Vienna250 will “ring in the new year with love” on Sunday, Jan. 4 at 3:00p.m. on the Vienna Town Green with live music and much more.

    • 144 Maple Ave. E, Vienna

• Winter Fun Out & About

  • Want to go ice skating in Reston? Maybe see some some eye-popping light displays in Centreville or Vienna? Check out our 2025 Winter Fun Guide in the link above for some cool events around the area.

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Food & Drink

• Prommonwealth 2026

  • Commonwealth Brewing Co.’s New Year’s party throws it back to prom night circa the ‘80s, ‘90s, and 2000s with dinner, dancing, and more. Dinner Tickets: $45.

    • 10426 Main St., Fairfax

• New Year's Party at Bunnyman Brewing Chantilly

  • A night of craft beer, BBQ, and pinball await at the Chantilly brewery’s New Year’s party on Wednesday, Dec. 31 starting at 8:30p.m. Tickets: $70.

    • 14140 Parke Long Ct A-C, Chantilly

• Trummer’s “Caribbean Midnight” NYE Celebration

  • The Clifton restaurant, known for its upscale New Year’s Eve dinners, brings a Caribbean theme to this year’s four-course meal on Wednesday, Dec. 31. $148/person.

    • 7134 Main St., Clifton

• Fairfax Food Tour

  • Indulge in the delicious offerings at seven locations in Fairfax City on Saturday, Jan. 3 from 11:30p.m.-4:30p.m. Tickets: $75-$100.

• Pajama Pizza Party in McLean

  • Ring in 2026 with a Pajama Party at Timber Pizza Co. in McLean on Thursday, Jan. 1 between 11:30a.m.-3:00p.m. Kids who wear their pajamas receive a free cheese pizza.

    • 8100 Old Dominion Dr Suite D, McLean

Music, Arts, & Entertainment

• The Birchmere New Year’s Eve Show

  • The Seldom Scene and Shelby Means headline The Birchmere’s New Year’s Eve show on Wednesday, Dec. 31. Showtime: 7:30p.m. Tickets: $49.

    • 3701 Mount Vernon Ave., Alexandria

• Ultimate NYE ‘80s Dance Party

  • Ring in 2026 with a blast to the past back to the 1980s at Jammin’ Java in Vienna on Wednesday, Dec. 31. Includes a free champagne toast at midnight. Showtime: 8:00p.m. Tickets: $40.

    • 227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna

• $5 Comedy Night at The State Theatre

  • Some of the DMV’s best comedians kick off the new year with some laughs in Falls Church on Friday, Jan. 2 at 8:30p.m. Tickets: $5.

    • 220 N. Washington St., Falls Church

Are you looking to spread the word about an upcoming event your business or organization will be hosting? Hoping to draw a big crowd?

The Community Corkboard is a great way to promote your event weeks in advance and to invite your neighbors Out & About!

Whether it’s an upcoming festival, a local trivia night, or a big grand opening, share the message on our Community Corkboard and create some buzz in the neighborhood!

Want to feature your upcoming event on our Community Corkboard, or want to learn more? Email us!

Families & Kids

• Winter Block Party in McLean

  • The 5th annual Winter Block Party hosted by the McLean Community Center includes ice carving demos, and shop the children’s business fair, and a campfire complete with s’mores. Admission is free.

    • 1234 Ingleside Ave., McLean

• Nerf Battle in Chantilly

  • Ring in the new year with a classic Nerf blaster battle at the nZone in Chantilly on Friday, Jan. 2 at 10:30a.m. Tickets: $5 in advance, $6 at the door.

    • 14550 Lee Rd, Chantilly

• Planet Adventure Night

  • A family-friendly event to learn about the Solar System, planets, and all things astronomy at the Roll-Top Observatory at Turner Farm Park on Friday, Jan. 2. Tickets: $10.

    • 10609 Georgetown Pike, Great Falls

• Winter Bird Count in Reston

  • Meet local bird experts, learn tips on identification, and have fun while helping to obtain important information about birds in the Reston area on Saturday, Jan. 3 at the Walker Nature Center. This free event runs 7:00a.m.-12:00p.m.

    • 11450 Glade Dr., Reston

Sports & Recreation

Home Games

• 🏀 NCAAW: Dayton at George Mason

  • Wednesday, Dec. 31 at 12:00p.m., EagleBank Arena, Fairfax

• 🏒 NHL: New York Rangers at Washington Capitals

  • Wednesday, Dec. 31 at 12:30p.m., Capital One Arena, Washington, D.C.

• 🏀 NBA: Brooklyn Nets at Washington Wizards

  • Friday, Jan. 2 at 7:00p.m., Capital One Arena, Washington, D.C.

• 🏀 NCAAM: Rhode Island at George Mason

  • Saturday, Jan. 3 at 4:00p.m., EagleBank Arena, Fairfax

• 🏒 NHL: Chicago Blackhawks at Washington Capitals

  • Saturday, Jan. 3 at 7:00p.m., Capital One Arena, Washington, D.C.

• 🏀 NBA: Minnesota Timberwolves at Washington Wizards

  • Sunday, Jan. 4 at 6:00p.m., Capital One Arena, Washington, D.C.

News & Notes

• Fairfax County Rec Center Open House

  • On Sunday, Jan. 4, each of Fairfax County’s nine Rec Centers will hold an open house. Check out fitness demonstrations, sample classes, and more.

• 🏈 The Washington Commanders visit the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday to conclude the regular season.

Fairfax County Fun Fact of the Week

Did you know: Grammy Award-winning Christian music recording artist TobyMac is from Fairfax.

Before We Go, Some Good News!

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

Former South Lakes High School football star and professional football player Zac Parker recently made the holidays a little brighter for some families in Reston, his hometown. He collected donated food, toys, clothes and other items that he distributed to people in need last week before the Christmas holiday. In addition to his charitable work, Parker also volunteers as a football coach at the Reston Youth Association. Read the full story on FFXNow.

Great work, Zac!

Know about some Good News in the community? Email us and we’ll feature it in the newsletter!

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.