Hey gang, Matt here!

That’s right, we’re sending on a Wednesday this week and next week to make sure you have all of the fun ahead of Christmas and New Year’s! We’ll return to our regular Thursday sends in January.

• That reminds me, would you like to receive a second edition of Out & About Fairfax each week? Share your thoughts in our quick, 1-minute Year-End Survey below.

In the meantime, it’s a short and sweet one this week with some local favorites to show your out-of-town family what makes our area so great.

Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays!

In this week’s newsletter:

• Festival of Lights continues, new ice skating rink in Tysons

• Food news you can use!

• Miracle on 34th St. in Tysons, “Holiday Hoedown” in Vienna

• Family art fun in Fairfax, Owls in Annandale

• Commanders host Cowboys Christmas Day

P.S.: Not yet a subscriber? Join 1,700+ 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

• Bull Run Festival of Lights

  • A local favorite, and Northern Virginia’s largest drive-through holiday light experience continues this weekend in Bull Run Regional Park. Tickets: $32/vehicle.

    • 7700 Bull Run Dr., Centreville

• Meadowlark’s Winter Walk of Lights

  • The popular Winter Walk of Lights is illuminating Meadowlark Botanical Gardens for its 14th season once again this weekend. Tickets: $19-$24.

    • 9750 Meadowlark Gardens Ct., Vienna

• Creative Collective Pop-Up Wraps Up

  • The final weekend of the Creative Collective Pop-Up Workshops and festivities concludes on Christmas Eve at Fairfax Corner.

    • 4100 Monument Corner Dr. Fairfax

• Winter Lantern Festival in Tysons

  • Hundreds of lanterns light the night sky at Lerner Town Square at Tysons II for the holiday season. Tickets: $18+.

    • 8025 Galleria Dr., Tysons

• Ice Skating at Reston Town Center

  • A seasonal favorite in Reston where skaters, both beginner and experienced, can hit the ice.

    • RTC Skating Pavilion, 1818 Discovery St., Reston

• New Ice Skating Rink in Tysons

  • Have you checked out the new ice skating rink outside of Capital One Center? The 8,000+ sq. ft. rink outside Capital One Center is open through February 28, 2026. Tickets start at $13.

    • 1820 Capital One Dr. S, Tysons

Food & Drink

• Find A Farmers Market Near You!

  • Find fresh produce, eggs, meats, and more! Check out the schedule for more of the remaining year-round markets in our Farmers Market Guide.

• In The News:

  • “Alexandria residents should be on the lookout for bots. Serve Robotics Inc. has partnered with the City of Alexandria and Uber Eats to offer autonomous food delivery.” (Northern Virginia Magazine)

  • “The Meadows Original Frozen Custard has at last completed its move from Ashburn to Reston. After some delays, the frozen desserts shop began serving customers in the South Lakes Village Shopping Center.” (FFXNow)

  • “Ready your sweet tooth and social media: Viral s'mores hot chocolate is here. Why it matters: A Virginia dessert bar is bringing the TikTok trend to life — and drawing lines. Driving the news: SoftSpot in Chantilly is filling feeds and faces with their campfire-inspired concoction.” (Axios DC)

Go Out & About Together

Music, Arts, & Entertainment

• Miracle on 34th St. at Capital One Hall

  • The seasonal favorite comes to life during five shows over three days at Capital One Hall, starting Friday, Dec. 26. Tickets start at $65 and vary by show.

    • 7750 Capital One Tower Rd., Tysons

• “Holiday Hoedown” in Vienna

  • The Nighthawks take the stage at Jammin’ Java in Vienna on Saturday, Dec. 27 at 7:30p.m. Tickets: $27.

    • 227 Maple Ave E, Vienna

• Rush Tribute Band in Falls Church

  • “The Rush Experience” headlines the State Theatre on Friday, Dec. 26. Showtime: 8:30p.m. Tickets: $20-$25.

    • 220 N. Washington St., Falls Church

• “Into the Woods” at Workhouse Arts Center

  • Miss opening weekend last week? The classic 1986 musical continues in Lorton, with shows set for Friday, Dec. 26-Sunday, Dec. 28. Tickets: $36-$47.

    • 9518 Workhouse Way, Lorton

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 get 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

• LEGO Holiday Bricktacular

  • Seasonal fun continues at the LEGO Discovery Center in Springfield wraps up on Christmas Eve. Tickets start at $25.

    • 6563 Springfield Mall Suite 12004, Springfield

• Muse Paint Bar Hosts “Family Day”

  • Families — both beginners and experts alike — can put their art skills to the test at the Fairfax art studio on Saturday, Dec. 27 and Sunday, Dec. 28. Tickets: $50/person.

    • 2920 District Ave., Ste. 100, Fairfax

• “All About Owls” Campfire

  • Children and families can learn more about owls that call our local stream valley parks home at the Hidden Oaks Nature Center on Sunday, Dec. 28 at 6:30p.m. Tickets: $10.

    • 7701 Royce St., Annandale

• Holiday Book Sale in Burke

  • The sale at Kings Park Library continues through Dec. 31, and features puzzles and holiday-themed books for adults and children alike. Admission is free.

    • 9000 Burke Lake Rd., Burke

Sports & Recreation

Home Games

• 🏈 NFL: Dallas Cowboys at Washington Commanders

  • Thursday, Dec. 25 at 1:00p.m., Northwest Stadium, Landover, MD

• 🏀 NBA: Toronto Raptors at Washington Wizards

  • Friday, Dec. 26 at 7:00p.m., Capital One Arena, Washington, D.C.

• 🏀 NCAAM: Penn at George Mason

  • Sunday, Dec. 28 at 5:00p.m., EagleBank Arena, Fairfax

• 🏀 NBA: Memphis Grizzlies at Washington Wizards

  • Sunday, Dec. 28 at 6:00p.m., Capital One Arena, Washington, D.C.

Fairfax County Fun Fact of the Week

Did you know: With more than 1.1 million residents, Fairfax County is the most populous county in Virginia.

Before We Go, Some Good News!

For this week’s Good News, we salute the men and women of the Fairfax County Police Department’s Motor Squad! Their annual “Santa’s Ride” delivers donated toys and gifts to children in hospitals and local charities to make sure no child feels left out during the holidays. For this one, Santa traded in his sleigh for two wheels.

Check out the video of their recent ride on Instagram linked above. (via Instagram/NorthernVirginiaPoliceCars).

Great work!

Community Contributions

Out & About Fairfax is a free, community minded, independent local newsletter. This holiday season, your contribution will help to grow our newsletter and spread the word about all of the local events and good news in our community. Appreciate you, my friends!

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.