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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.
Celebrate Springfield Days With A Party in the Park
The long-running annual community celebration Springfield Days kicks off Saturday, June 1, 2013 at South Run District Park with a full day of activities dubbed Party in the Park. Highlights include a pet parade, kids Olympics, farm animals, live entertainment, and an outdoor movie. Admission is free. It’s a full day of fun from morning until night at South Run District Park!
Cardboard Boat Crews Prepare To Set Sail At Annual Regatta
Which boats will sink? Which ones will float? When the boats are made from cardboard, one never knows until the boats have been launched! On Sunday, June 2, 2013, the 24th Annual Cardboard Boat Regatta returns to Lake Accotink Park. Crews will race their cardboard creations around the lake starting at 2 p.m. Spectators are invited to cheer on the contestants from the shoreline.
Park Authority Summer Entertainment Series Starts June 1
Fans of the Fairfax County Park Authority’s Summer Entertainment Series don’t have to wait much longer to hear free concerts at their favorite outdoor music venues. The 2013 season begins Saturday, June 1 with Taiwanese Cultural Heritage Night in Annandale and a performanc by Grammy® Award-winning folk duo Cathy Fink and Marcy Marxer in Lorton. The beat goes on Sunday with an uplifting performance by the City of Fairfax “Concert Band” in Annandale.
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.
Discover History at the Colchester Open House on June 1
The Fairfax County Park Authority and the Friends of Fairfax County Archaeology and Cultural Resources (FoFA) will sponsor an open house at Old Colchester Park and Preserve, a 140-acre site that includes both cultural and natural resources of great importance to Fairfax County. The open house will take place, weather depending, Saturday, June 1, 2013 from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m.
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.
Audrey Moore RECenter Seeks Summer Basketball Teams
Registration is now underway for Audrey Moore RECenter’s summer basketball league. “League of Champions 2013” games will be played on Sundays and Wednesdays beginning June 5, 2013.
Catch Snakes With An Ellanor C. Lawrence Park Naturalist
The Northern Copperhead is the only species of venomous snake in Fairfax County. So it is not surprising other non-venomous snakes mimic its pattern. At a snake survey at Ellanor C. Lawrence Park on Sunday, May 26, 2013, participants will capture, identify, and release snakes with the help of a trained naturalist.
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.
Volunteers Needed to Help Take Back The Forest
The Fairfax County Park Authority's Invasive Management Area (IMA) program seeks volunteers to help Take Back the Forest this spring now through May 31. For the second year in a row, thanks in part to a grant from community partner REI, volunteers will help restore parkland during events held at IMA sites around the county. This year IMA plans to host 625 volunteers during this two-month period, and there is always room for more helping hands.
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.
Open Hire Dates For 2013 Rec-PAC Employment Announced
The Fairfax County Park Authority will accept applications for summer employment with Rec- PAC during four open hire sessions this spring. The Rec-PAC program will operate camps at 50 elementary school locations around the county on weekdays from July 1 through August 9, 2013. During the summer, staff will be assigned to a site and work daily from 8:15 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. or 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
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