By Patricia Hall, Fairfax Family Fun Maybe it's because so many new stores and restaurants keep being added, or because the nearby MGM hotel and casino is just a little over a year old, but... can you believe National Harbor has been around for a decade? This community along the Potomac River in southern Maryland is celebrating 10 years with a full day of fun, including some great free offers, on Sunday, April 8, 2018. Among the highlights Continue Reading...
Virginia Polar Dip: Freezin’ for a Reason
By Patricia Hall, FairfaxFamilyFun.com Go jump in a lake! Really, it's for a good cause! Each winter Lake Anne Plaza hosts the Virginia Polar Dip, a fun and wacky fundraiser to benefit a camp for kids with life-threatening illnesses. This year's event is on Saturday, February 3, 2018. At this unusual but fun event, participants plunge into the icy waters of Lake Anne, raising money from pledges along the way. Don't worry, the dip is quick, Continue Reading...
MLK Day holiday weekend events
By Patricia Hall, FairfaxFamilyFun.com Martin Luther King (MLK) Jr. Day is next Monday, January 15, 2018, and it's a federal holiday and day off from school for the kids. Below is our annual list for ways to enjoy the day off with your family, whether you're honoring Dr. King's legacy, spending quality time with the kids, or doing both! Our list below for local 2018 MLK Day activities and events includes: MLK remembrance Continue Reading...
McLean Bible Church hosts free Christmas Village
What are you doing this Christmas season? Volunteering and spreading some cheer? Celebrating the story of Christmas? Having fun with the family? Doing some final shopping? McLean Bible Church invites the community to do all of that at its second annual Christmas Village. The event runs for seven days (December 10-16, 2017), takes place mostly indoors, and, best of all, is completely free ! The large church transforms its Tysons Campus Continue Reading...
Santa Claws: Here’s where to get your pet holiday photos
Pets are family, too, so some people are more than happy to include them in their holiday photos. Northern Virginia furbabies have several opportunities to meet jolly Saint Nick and pose for pictures. Below are some ideas for where you can have get your pet holiday photos this year. Please check the official links below for details, and note that most places have some restrictions and may require a waiver. This list is not comprehensive -- if Continue Reading...
VRE Santa Train tickets go on sale soon
By Patricia Hall, Fairfax Family Fun Christmas is still weeks away, but if you want to attend one of the area's most popular holiday events, you need to plan for this one-day sale soon: Virginia Railway Express (VRE) has set the date for its Santa Train ticket sales! Each year VRE hosts a series of “Santa Train” rides that serve as a public safety awareness campaign and a fun family outing. The VRE Santa Train is a very popular event Continue Reading...
Dulles Day Festival & Plane Pull: fun day for Special Olympics
By Patricia Hall, FairfaxFamilyFun.com At some point you probably have been at Washngton-Dulles International Airport (IAD) using all your might to lug all your belongings. How about using all your might to pull a plane -- for a good cause? Sure it's not every day that you see groups of people on the runway actually pulling a plane, but at the Dulles Day Festival & Plane Pull®, that is exactly what happens! The event, on Saturday, Continue Reading...
Fairfax County hosts free summer meals program for kids
School is out, and while that is cause for celebration for many children, it's also a source of worry for some families: approximately 20 percent of Fairfax County students receive free and reduced price meals during the school year, which means when summer ends, so does a reliable food source. But each year the Fairfax County Public Schools Office of Food and Nutrition Services helps. Its Free Summer Meals for Kids Program helps ensure that Continue Reading...
Tot Rock Fest & Del Ray Play Date = fun free day for kids
Grown-ups, you can keep your Coachella and other big festivals... young kids have a festival of their own, and this one -- with music, other live entertainment, and a good cause, and all free -- is right here at home! Local children's musicians Rainbow Rock have taken their annual Tot Rock Festival and joined others to host a community event that is all about local kids but also helps children in other places through music and more The free Continue Reading...
Annandale Chamber to host annual bed race
By Patricia Hall, FairfaxFamilyFun.com The idea of being in a hospital bed, like the ones pictured below, is seldom a happy one. Most people who are in a hospital bed are not there by choice or for any fun reason. Unless you're participating in the annual Annandale Hospital Bed Race, that is! Each year the Annandale Chamber of Commerce hosts the Annandale Hospital Bed Race, a community event that seems wacky on the surface but has a Continue Reading...
