Park Authority

Embark on a journey of discovery this spring at Turner Farm Park as we launch a stellar lineup of programs designed to inspire and engage visitors of all ages. Join us as we delve into the wonders of astronomy and reach for the stars with our exciting array of spring programs.

• Stargazing with Binoculars on Tuesday, March 12, from 7:30-8:30 p.m. Cost $8.
• Exploring the Moon on Monday, March 18, from 7:30-8:30 p.m. Cost $8.
• Pluto: Planet or Something Else? on Wednesday, March 20, from 7:30-8:30 p.m. Cost $8.

View a list of Astronomy programs

For more information about astronomy events and programs, visit the Astronomy website.

Turner Farm Park Observatory is located at 925 Springvale Road in Great Falls. For more information, visit Turner Farm Park or call 703-324-2820.

Happy Women’s History Month from the Fairfax County Park Authority! Throughout FCPA’s history, extraordinary women have provided the inspiration, leadership and vision that has contributed to the creation of beautiful park facilities and a diverse range of program offerings. This month, the Park Authority is pleased to celebrate the accomplishments and impact of these women on the Park Authority’s nationally recognized park and recreation system.

The Park Authority is offering a variety of women-focused programs in spring 2024, including self-defense courses, golf lessons and historic demonstrations. For a full list of offerings and to register for a program, visit the Women’s History Month webpage.

Has your child ever imagined performing on the big stage or designing that next runway look? Do you have a youngster eager to get a jump start on baseball, softball or soccer season? How about a student excited to try unique arts and crafts — everything from clay mosaics to fluorescent art? Fairfax County Park Authority has all of these activities and more covered in the upcoming spring camps.

When schools close for student holidays and spring break, fun and engaging Park Authority camps are in session! This year, spring camps will be held:

• Monday – Friday from March 25-29
• Monday – Tuesday from April 1-2
• Wednesday, April 10
• Friday, May 3

The Park Authority is home to award-winning programs and camps that help youth develop their talents, discover new skills and create lifelong memories with friends. Camps are hosted all year and many spaces remain open for both spring and summer camps. Visit the Park Authority Camp website, and make use of our online resources to help search for the camp that is right for you:

• Use the Camp Spreadsheet to sort camps by student age, week, type of camp and location.
• Browse offerings by keyword and location using the Camp Search tool.
• Explore the 2024 Camp Guide.

Don’t wait, secure your child’s spot in a spring camp today, and don’t forget to check out our summer camp options as well!

Learn more at the Camps website. For assistance, please email camps@fairfaxcounty.gov.

Come make a splash and earn some cash this summer at the Fairfax County Park Authority’s Water Mine Family Swimmin’ Hole. The Water Mine is hiring more than 200 seasonal team members, including lifeguards, park attendants and security staff.

Pay is competitive, starting at $16.87 per hour for lifeguards, $13.50 per hour for park attendants, $18.87 per hour for security and $17.87 for leadership staff.

Lifeguards must be 15 years old or older to apply. No prior experience or certifications are required to apply. Lifeguard training and uniforms are provided free of charge.

The Water Mine will be holding several open-hire opportunities that job seekers are welcome to attend.

The following events include both a swim test and an interview:

• Saturday, March 9, anytime between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. at Spring Hill Rec Center
• Saturday, March 23, anytime between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. at Cub Run Rec Center
• Wednesday, March 27, anytime between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. at Oakmont Rec Center

The following events will be held at the Water Mine and will be interview-only:

• Wednesday, April 10, anytime between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.
• Saturday, April 13, anytime between noon and 3 p.m.
• Wednesday, April 24, anytime between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m.
• Sunday, April 28, anytime between noon and 3 p.m.

For more information about the Water Mine’s open hire events and online application, visit the Water Mine employment webpage; or contact the Water Mine by email at FCPAWaterMine@fairfaxcounty.gov or call 703-246-5933.

The Water Mine is located at 1400 Lake Fairfax Drive, Reston, Virginia. For more information, visit the Water Mine website or call 703-246-5929.

Start Your Application

Kids and teens can get ready for the upcoming golf season with classes and discounts from Golf Fairfax. Golf Fairfax is committed to the development of young golfers in a game that encourages good manners, builds friendships and can make for a lifetime of enjoyment. Junior golfers can enjoy Golf Fairfax discounts and instruction programs all year long:

At the Range: Junior golfers can buy any-sized bucket and get one small bucket free at Burke Lake and Oakmont Golf Centers (limit one per day).

On the Green: Junior golfers ages 5 to 17 can enjoy 35% off regular weekday greens fees (holidays excluded) at Burke Lake, Greendale, Jefferson, Oakmont, Pinecrest and Twin Lakes; and at Laurel Hill after 12 p.m. every day.

Golf Instruction: Golf Fairfax offers a variety of ways for junior golfers of varying ages to learn and improve. Group classes or private lessons are available at Burke Lake, Laurel Hill, Oakmont, Pinecrest and Twin Lakes. Starting New at Golf (SNAG) course teaches junior golfers ages 5 to 8 the basics of the game in a modified form using larger and colorful clubs to increase confidence and coordination. Junior Get Golf Ready and Get Golf Ready Parent/Child are perfect for new and learning juniors and families, who want to get into the game.

Register for spring golf classes

First Tee Experience: Golf Fairfax partners with The First Tee of Greater Washington, DC, to offer The First Tee Life Skills Experience classes and camps at Laurel Hill Golf Club, Oakmont Golf Center and Twin Lakes Golf Course. Registration closes on March 1 for spring session. Classes are held March 14 through April 18. This six-week program teaches kids and teens golf mechanics through engaging drills and fun games. For more information, visit the First Tee Experience webpage.

Youth On Course: Golf Fairfax’s partnership with Youth on Course and the Virginia State Golf Association provides access to life-changing opportunities for junior golfers ages 6 to 18. Burke Lake and Oakmont Golf centers now offer Youth on Course members a round of golf (nine holes at Oakmont, nine or 18 at Burke Lake) for $5, Monday-Thursday after 12 p.m. and Friday-Sunday after 2 p.m. For more information, visit the Youth on Course webpage.

To learn more about all of the Junior Golf classes, discount and programs Golf Fairfax has to offer, visit the Junior Golf webpage.

The Fairfax County Park Authority is hiring several part-time seasonal and year-round positions at park locations across the county. Pay is competitive and ranges from $12 to $18 per hour depending on position and experience. Additionally, new employees hired to support summer operations may be eligible for a $500 sign-on bonus. Join our team to share your passion for nature, history, farming or gardening as an employee in the Resource Management and Interpretation Division (RMD).

Positions are available at the following Park Authority sites: Lake Accotink Park, Burke Lake Park, Colvin Run Mill, Frying Pan Farm Park, Green Spring Gardens, Lake Fairfax Park, Riverbend Park, Sully Historic Site and Natural Resource Branch (Herrity Building). 

For a full list of open roles and detailed job descriptions, visit the Nature and History Jobs webpage.

The Park Authority will be hosting two open hire events for positions at these locations. Job seekers are welcome to attend one of the following events to meet staff from the sites, apply, interview and potentially walk away with a job.

• Saturday, March 9, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., at the Herrity Building (12055 Government Center Parkway, Fairfax)
• Saturday, March 16, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the Park Office at Lake Accotink Park (7500 Accotink Park Road, Springfield)

If you are unable to attend one of RMD’s open hire events, you can submit an application online at the Nature and Jobs webpage.

For more information, contact the Park Authority at FCPAJOBS@fairfaxcounty.gov or call 703-324-8792.

Start Your Application

Spring is on the way and that means Earth Day is right around the corner! Mark your calendar and make your plans to join Fairfax County’s largest, family-friendly Earth Day extravaganza at Sully Historic Site on Saturday, April 20. Celebrate Earth Day with a fantastic time filled with games, entertainment, food and a variety of hands-on crafts, exhibits and activities. Activities will take place all day long from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free. There is a parking fee of $10 per vehicle.

There’s more than enough fun to go around! Meet WUSA-9 meteorologist Topper Shutt and his team, see the Eco9 hybrid production truck and learn how to report your own weather forecast. See our farmland friends from Frying Pan Farm Park and learn about local plant and wildlife. Enjoy fun experiments that will increase your understanding of the water cycle and other natural processes going on all around us. Challenge yourself with the popular Earth Day obstacle course or test your inner-outdoorsman with Nerf archery, ax throwing, fishing and camping skills. You can also participate in a wide variety of outdoor fitness demonstrations from yoga to bootcamps, and even try our outdoor synthetic ice skating rink. Earth Day will also have a full slate of live entertainment, a touch-a-truck exhibit, food trucks and a craft beer garden.

For those who may need to find a calmer and more relaxed way of celebrating the day, or who may just need to take a break from the excitement, there will also be a sensory tent with toys, fidgets and crafts.

That’s just for starters! With so much to do, learn and experience, it’s an event you’re not going to want to miss. Keep up-to-date with the latest event details at the Earth Day website. See you at Earth Day on April 20!

Download Flyer

Sully Historic Site is located at 3650 Historic Sully Way, in Chantilly, Virginia. For more information, please contact the Public Information Office at Parkmail@fairfaxcounty.gov.

The 2024 Earth Day Festival is made possible in partnership with the Fairfax County Park Foundation. The Fairfax County Park Foundation, a 501(c)(3), supports the Fairfax County Park Authority by raising private funds, obtaining grants, and creating partnerships. Visit the Park Foundation website for more information or call 703-324-8582.

The Fairfax County Park Authority will begin revitalization work at McLean Central Park in early March. The project scope includes the removal and replacement of the existing walkways and playgrounds, and the addition of a new pavilion.

Contractor Imperio will mobilize on site over the next week, and active construction activities are slated to begin the first week of March. FCPA anticipates that active construction will conclude by the end of 2024.

Residents should expect occasional construction traffic entering and exiting Dolley Madison Road. While portions of the park will be closed throughout the duration of the construction, access for tennis court and basketball court usage will remain open.

McLean Central Park is located at 1468 Dolley Madison Blvd. in McLean. For more information, please contact project manager Heather Lynch at heather.lynch@fairfaxcounty.gov; or contact the Public Information Office at Parkmail@fairfaxcounty.gov. 

This project was made possible in part by contributions made through the Fairfax County Park Foundation in partnership with the McLean Central Park Playground Team. The Fairfax County Park Foundation, a 501(c)(3), supports the Fairfax County Park Authority by raising private funds, obtaining grants, and creating partnerships. For more information about the Park Foundation, visit its website or call 703-324-8582.

Tired of searching through tee time cancellations to see whether your desired spot has opened up? Get “No-Tee-Fied” with Golf Fairfax’s new virtual tee time waitlist and assistant, powered by Noteefy.

This new system allows golfers to receive real-time notifications when their desired tee time becomes available. Notifications are personalized for each golfer and are fully integrated with the tee sheet. The new virtual tee time waitlist and assistant eliminate looking for cancellations, calling the pro shop and constantly refreshing the online tee sheet.

"We know that looking for cancellations, or calling over and over to find a desired tee time isn’t fun. With our new virtual waitlist and assistant, golfers will know immediately when the time they want has become available. We hope that this new tool enhances our customer experience," said Ryan Carmen, division director for Golf Fairfax.

Customers can set their desired playing preferences at any Golf Fairfax course (days of the week, time of day and number of players) for as far in advance as they’d like. Then, based on those preferences, the virtual waitlist and assistant will text and email them as soon as any applicable tee times are available, with a link directly to the booking page. Tee times are still first come, first served and are not guaranteed, so booking when notified is key. Customers can easily stop notifications after obtaining a tee time.

Signing up for the virtual tee time waitlist and assistant is quick and easy and takes less than 30 seconds. For more information and to sign up, visit the Virtual Tee Time Waitlist and Assistant website.

It is with an extremely heavy heart that we must deliver the news that Charlie, our beloved Belgian Draft horse passed away peacefully in his sleep February 15 at the age of 20. 

Charlie was more than just a farm animal; he was a part of our Park Authority, Friends of Frying Pan Farm Park and Frying Pan Farm Park family. Our staff had the pleasure of caring for and bonding with him for over 7 years. Many staff attended draft horse driving school to better care for Charlie. Everyone loved him and understood his personality. He didn’t like to be tied to something but would stand there all day if you asked him. He was fearful of the stripes on the crosswalk and the Ferris wheel gave him the chills, but once he got to know something, he was great with it. 
 
Charlie lived a life filled with love and brought great joy to the lives of others. He warmed the hearts of our staff and community with his gentle nature and affectionate personality. Charlie and his fellow horse Jeff were the main attraction for almost every visitor to the park. He was often seen posing for a group of folks that wanted a picture with the giant work horse. 

Charlie took ill on Monday, February 12, and staff and veterinarians worked with him all week to provide around-the-clock care and comfort while awaiting blood test results. Once the results were received, he was given antibiotics to fight the infection in his abdomen, but in the end, he passed away on the evening of Thursday, February 15. Charlie’s remains will be sent to pathology for a better understanding of his cause of death. 

Charlie will be very missed, but his legacy will live on with the lasting impact he made and fond memories he shaped.

Those who would like to pay their respects and honor Charlie are welcome to drop off letters or items to his stall at the Kidwell Barn at Frying Pan Farm Park.