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Deadline Approaches for 2013 Elly Doyle Award Nominations
Nominations for the Elly Doyle Park Service Awards will be accepted until June 21, 2013. The Fairfax County Park Authority is searching for those unique and giving individuals and organizations which support local parks through volunteer service. Submit your application now to recognize volunteers who make outstanding contributions of time and talent to the Fairfax County park system.
Park Authority Seeks Mobile Food Vendors For Pilot Project
The Fairfax County Park Authority is offering a new opportunity for mobile food vendors in designated parks throughout the county. Selected vendors will have the ability to conduct food sales from a stationary vending pad. Food trucks are very popular nationwide and park officials are confident that vendors in the parks will add positively to a visitor’s experience, while also providing economic benefits to the community and the park system.
Summer Social Allows You to Discover Historic Huntley
Historic Huntley, known locally as the villa with a view, will open its doors for a summer social from 2 to 4 p.m. on Saturday, June 29, 2013. The public is invited to explore the recently renovated mansion and cool off with a glass of old-fashioned lemonade. Admission is $8 for Fairfax County residents and $10 for out-of-county visitors.
Pat McGee Opens Concert Season at Arrowbrook Centre Park
Arrowbrook Centre Park’s summer concert season opens Saturday, June 22, 2013 with free performances by singer, songwriter, and rock guitarist Pat McGee, and the U.S. Army field band, The Volunteers. The music starts at 6 p.m. and concludes at 9 p.m. McGee will present an acoustic performance.
Engine #62 Coming to Fairfax County Parks
The Fairfax County Park Authority has purchased a trackless train that will combine fun rides with resource interpretation. The new attraction’s three brightly colored cars, one of which is fully accessible, will be pulled by a tractor that will be transformed into a train with a wooden engine cover.
Children Experience Daily 19th Century Life Firsthand
For children who have grown up playing video games, listening to music on MP3 players, and texting their friends, it may be difficult to imagine what life was like 100 years ago. A new experiential program called Hands-on History at Ellanor C. Lawrence Park immerses children in 19th century activities, providing a fun and unique look into the past. This program will be offered from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. on Sunday, June 23, 2013, and the cost is $10 per person.
Early Registration Deadline For Rec-PAC Approaches
The deadline to receive a discount for early registration for Fairfax County Park Authority’s Rec-PAC summer program is Friday, June 14, 2013. Families that register children by this date receive an $8 discount per child per week. June 14 is also the deadline to apply for scholarships.
Braddock Park Softball Complex Will Honor Longtime Champ
The Fairfax County Park Authority Board will rename the softball complex at Braddock Park in Centreville in honor of local “Hall-of-Famer” Sharon H. Sealock. A ceremony will be held this fall on Friday, September 6, 2013 at 3:30 p.m. at which this longtime player, volunteer and Fairfax Adult Softball (FAS) employee will be feted.
Motown Mashup at Arrowbrook Centre Park
Three veterans of the music industry, from three of the premier vocal groups of our time -- the Temptations, the Platters, and the Drifters -- will bring their great music to Arrowbrook Centre Park in Herndon, Virginia on Saturday July 20, 2013 from 6 and 9 p.m. Come celebrate an evening of great music of rhythm and romance.
Variety of Music Can be Heard at Free Concerts in Parks
The Fairfax County Park Authority’s Summer Entertainment Series is now underway. Residents are invited to enjoy free musical performances in parks located throughout the county. Concerts are scheduled through August with top talent performing music from a wide range of genres.
New Art Class Teaches Legal Ways to Display Urban Designs
It’s hard to visit a city and not see colorful graffiti art sprayed on walls, trains, and buildings. Once considered nothing more than vandalism, this popular urban art form has emerged from the shadows and can now be found in designs on everything from clothing to skateboards to the interior décor of luxury condominiums. With the introduction of Urban Art Design, a new class at Audrey Moore RECenter, the Fairfax County Park Authority is providing a place for aspiring graffiti artists to learn legal ways to express themselves.
The Hot Seats Bring Their Brand of Bluegrass to Royal Lake
You don’t have to live in Appalachia to hear great bluegrass music. On Friday, June 28, 2013, The Hot Seats will perform a free one-hour concert at Royal Lake Park in Fairfax, Va. The show starts at 7:30 p.m.
Special Shopping Day Supports Huntley Meadows Park
Springfield Whole Foods Market has selected the Friends of Huntley Meadows Park to participate in its quarterly 5% Day. On Wednesday, June 19, 2013, the store will donate 5% of net proceeds from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. to the Friends of Huntley Meadows Park, a 501c3 non-profit organization that raises money for environmental education and resource projects at Huntley Meadows Park in Alexandria, Va.
Sully Celebrates 40th Anniversary of Father's Day Antique Car Show
Sunday, June 16, 2013 marks the 40th anniversary of the Sully Antique Car Show, co-sponsored by Fairfax County Park Authority and the Model A Ford Club of America. Between 10 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., bring dad to this historic show featuring foreign and American cars, trucks and specialty vehicles through 1988. Admission is $10 for adults, $8 for seniors and $6 for children. Free parking is available on site.
Father's Day Offers Family Fun, Memories at Local Parks
There are a host of new adventures to be had this Father's Day weekend at local parks, golf courses and historic sites. These programs offer an affordable and close-in means to spend the day with family while learning something new or enjoying a great activity.
REI and IMA Renew Partnership to Help Parks
The Fairfax County Park Authority and REI are deepening their partnership in the battle against invasive plants. REI has approved a $10,000 grant for the Park Authority's Invasive Management Area (IMA) program. This is the third grant, totaling $35,000, that REI has given to the Park Foundation in the past two and a-half years to support the national award-winning IMA program and its associated youth outreach efforts.
New Interactive Trail Map Takes Guess Work Out of Trekking
Fairfax County is well-known for its picturesque and diverse system of trails that crisscross the County. Fairfax County offers over 900 miles of trails, bikeways and sidewalks for non-motorized transportation. Navigating this interconnected system can be a challenge, but a new tool has just gone online and local trail users will find that enjoying trails just got a whole lot easier.
Garden Workshops Invite Hands-on Excitement
Green Spring Gardens offers a wide array of activities all summer long including interesting, hands-on workshops that allow you to express your artistic side or simply gets your hands a little bit dirty. From plant markers, to watercolors, soap making to casting leaves in concrete, consider spending a Saturday at the gardens.
McLean Central Park Master Plan Revision Meeting Set
The Fairfax County Park Authority is holding a Public Comment Meeting on the draft master plan revision for McLean Central Park located at 1468 Dolley Madison Boulevard in McLean. The meeting will be held on Monday, June 10, 2013 at 7 p.m. in the McLean Community Center located at 1234 Ingleside Avenue, McLean, VA.
Two New Venues to Host Park Authority Summer Concerts
Last summer the Fairfax County Park Authority presented a free concert at Arrowbrook Centre Park in Herndon, Va. The venue was a hit with the audience, leading to its inclusion in the Park Authority's 2013 Summer Entertainment Series. Joining Arrowbrook as a new place to hear live music this year is the back lawn of the Fairfax County Government Center.
Park Authority Seeks Flag Football Teams For Tournament
The Fairfax County Park Authority in partnership with Fairfax Athletics, an adult social sports league, is seeking teams to compete in a flag football tournament July 6-7, 2013.
Park Authority Seeks Comment on Draft FY 2014 - 2018 Strategic Plan
The Fairfax County Park Authority is seeking public comment and response to the Draft FY 2014 - 2018 Strategic Plan. The plan, developed internally over the past two years, reflects the challenges faced by the Park Authority during these austere economic times, focuses on the diverse and growing needs of the near future, and seeks to outline the strategic vision that when adopted by the Park Authority Board will provide guidance and direction to meet agency goals.
2013 Season Opens at Fairfax County Farmers Markets
April showers bring May Farmers Markets. It happens every year in Fairfax County. The 2013 season began on Wednesday, May 1, with the opening of the McCutcheon/Mount Vernon, Oak Marr and Wakefield markets. The other eight markets sponsored by the Fairfax County Park Authority will open by May 5 and be open weekly well into fall.
Park Authority Board Renames Huntley Meadows Visitor Center
The Fairfax County Park Authority Board has approved the renaming of the visitor center at Huntley Meadows Park in honor of a long-time volunteer. Norma Hoffman devoted nearly 38 years to the preservation, protection, and promotion of Huntley Meadows and its wetlands.
Skatefest 2013 Set For Late June at Wakefield Skate
Skaters from all across the region will travel to Wakefield Skate Park June 21 and 22, 2013 to participate in the Seventh Annual SkateFest. The festival celebrates National Go Skateboarding Day and raises money for Children's National Medical Center in Washington., D.C. SkateFest is sponsored by the Fairfax County Park Authority which owns and operates this facility located in Wakefield Park in Annandale, and the Fairfax Skate Shop in Fairfax, Va.
Park Authority Receives Four Communication Awards
The Fairfax County Park Authority won the Best in Show Award from the National Association of Government Communicators (NAGC) at the NAGC's annual conference last week in Arlington, Va. It was one of four 2013 Blue Pencil and Gold Screen awards presented to the agency at the NAGC awards banquet.
Park Authority Seeks Elly Doyle Park Service Award Nominees
Nominations are now being accepted for the 2013 Elly Doyle Park Service Awards. The Fairfax County Park Authority is searching for those unique and giving individuals and organizations which support local parks through volunteer service. These awards recognize volunteers who make outstanding contributions of time and talent to the Fairfax County park system.
Park Authority Improvements Begin on Fort Hunt Road Trail
The Fairfax County Park Authority began construction on a project to install 3,150 linear feet of eight-foot wide asphalt trail along Fort Hunt Road in Mount Vernon District Park.
Comp Plan Amendment on Tap For Planning Commission
Parks and recreational areas comprise a major county land use as well as public facilities. As such, parks are addressed throughout the County Comprehensive Plan – the County's guide to decision-making about the natural and built environment. The Parks and Recreation Policy section of the Comprehensive Plan was last reviewed and updated in 2005.
Park Users Reminded to Leave Landscape Undisturbed
The arrival of spring and warmer weather draws people out of their shuttered homes for walks in the woods and trips to the playground. Hikers and bikers are treated to the sweet scent of blossoming trees and blooming flowers along the trails, and songbirds serenade picnickers and fishermen. As more people find their way to their favorite green spaces, the Fairfax County Park Authority would like to remind park users of the old adage, "Take only photographs and leave only footprints."
Wetlands Reconstruction Begins at Huntley Meadows
After more than 20 years of extensive monitoring, the time has arrived for restoration of the central wetland at Huntley Meadows Park. A reconstruction project to restore the wetland to its 1980s condition begins this spring.
U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship Seeks Volunteers
The Fairfax County Park Authority is seeking volunteers to assist at the 2013 U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship to be held at Laurel Hill Golf Club in Lorton, VA July 15 through 20, 2013. Volunteers are needed for a wide variety of jobs during the weeklong event. Specifically, we need walking scorers, forecaddies, and standard bearers.
Park Authority Board Names 2013 Officers
Elections were held last week by the Fairfax County Park Authority Board and its 2013 officers were selected. Board members unanimously approved re-election of Chairman William G. Bouie who will now serve his fifth term in the top spot. Elected Vice Chairman is Dranesville District Representative Kevin J. Fay. Kala Leggett Quintana, an At-large Member of the Park Board will serve as Secretary and Providence District Representative Ken Quincy will serve as Board Treasurer.
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