Weekender Newsletter

Friday, Feb. 14 - Monday, Feb. 17

Love is in the Air: Valentine's Day Events

Friday, Feb. 14 and Saturday, Feb. 15, Times Vary

Celebrate the day of love this weekend with events for couples, families and kids. 

• Couples Evening at the Hidden Oaks Nature Center
  
  
• Family Skate and Dance Night at the Franconia Rec Center
  
  
• Tractor Wagon Rides for Families at Frying Pan Farm Park
  
  
• Sweets and Treats Family Bingo at the Oakton Library

Friday, Feb. 14 Events

Memory Bingo: Motown Love Songs (noon - 1 p.m.) Listen to love songs and see if you can guess your way to bingo at the Burke Centre Library. Work together as a group or see if you can win solo. Have fun and win prizes!

Bring Your Own Book Club (2 - 3:30 p.m.)

Read quietly with fellow readers at the City of Fairfax Regional Library. Bring your own book or choose a bestseller. Drop in anytime before 3:30 p.m.

Get Hooked on Crochet (4 - 5:30 p.m.)

Join us at the Pohick Regional Library's Maker Lab to hang out with other fiber friends and learn a technique or two. Bring your own project or get started with our supplies.

Full Moon Nature Hike and Campfire (6 - 7:30 p.m.)

Enjoy the night sky under a full moon at Riverbend Park. A naturalist will point out signs of creatures that glide, fly and tiptoe through the woods in the dark. End the hike with s'mores by the campfire. Registration is $10. 

Saturday, Feb. 15 Events

Black History Month at the Meeting House (noon - 3 p.m.) In honor of Black History Month, the Frying Pan Baptist Meeting House is open and has interpretive signage for guests to read about Black History and stories of the people from the community.

Stuff the Bus (10 a.m. - 3 p.m.)

Visit Herndon, Alexandria and McLean Giant supermarkets and the Fairfax Walmart to drop off food and gift card donations.

Winter Bird Walk (10 - 11 a.m.)

Take a hike through the woods at Ellanor C. Lawrence Park, and listen and look for the park’s winter avian residents and migrants. Find out how birds survive the winter weather. Registration is $8. 

Brain Power (10 a.m. - 6 p.m.)

Enhance your mental fitness with train-your-brain activities at the Reston Regional Library. Visit the information desk for sudoku, crosswords, coloring pages and word searches.

Healthy Hearts (10:30 - 11:30 a.m.)

Join the Literacy Engagement Action Project at the City of Fairfax Regional Library for a family literacy workshop devoted to healthy hearts. We will share stories and information followed by a variety of hands-on activities.  

Black History Month Art Party: The Art of Alma Thomas (2 - 3 p.m.)

Celebrate and learn about artist Alma Thomas by creating collages at the Richard Byrd Library. All ages and abilities welcome.

Sunday, Feb. 16 Events

Owl Walk and Talk (5:30 - 6:30 p.m.) Enjoy a late afternoon walk at Lake Fairfax Park to learn why winter is the best time to go owl-ing. During a story reading, learn to identify local owl calls, discover why owls are nicknamed flying tigers of the night and enjoy a woodland stroll.

Winter Bird Walk (10 - 11 a.m.)

Take a hike through the woods at Riverbend Park with a naturalist to listen and look for the park’s winter avian residents and migrants. Registration is $8.

Paige in Full: A B-Girl’s Visual Mixtape (3 p.m.)

Paige Hernandez returns to the stage at the Reston Community Center to bring us a visual mixtape that blends poetry, dance, visual arts and music to tell the tale of a multicultural girl growing up in Baltimore.

Art Supply Swap (3:30 - 4:30 p.m.)

Are your drawers full of art supplies gathering dust? Brush them off and join us for our first Art Supply Swap at the George Mason Regional Library. You can browse, make an exchange or connect with like-minded artists.

President's Day, Monday, Feb. 17 Events

County offices, including library branches, are closed in observance of the holiday. View our operating status.

Free Admission to Mount Vernon (9 a.m. - 5 p.m.) Celebrate the United States' first president at his beloved home, Mount Vernon. Enjoy free admission on President's Day.

Huntley Meadows Monday Morning Birdwalk (8 a.m.)

Look for birds with the Friends of Huntley Meadows Park. Following the walk, gather at the nearby Denny's for breakfast and to compile the morning's bird list.

Campfire Night Hike - Predators at Night (5:30 - 7 p.m.)

Enjoy a night hike at Lake Fairfax Park to learn about nocturnal hunters. Listen to taped calls of owls and coyotes and possibly catch a glimpse of them in the forest. End the evening with s'mores around the campfire. Registration is $10. 

Upcoming Events

Remembering Metilda - Growing Up Enslaved Saturday, Feb. 22, 1 - 2 p.m. Learn about Metilda, an enslaved 14-year old girl who came to live at Colvin Run Mill. Discuss her life at the mill and the house. Examine what history tells us about the lives of enslaved children, their work and families. Learn more.

Astronomy Festival Saturday, March 8, 6 - 8:30 p.m. Enjoy guided star gazing, looking through the telescope and listening to ancient stories about the constellations around the campfire at Turner Farm Park. Participate in activities and games throughout the evening. Learn more.

Weather and Event Status

Weather and other reasons may impact the events listed above. View the weather forecast.

Be sure to check the links for each event's status. You may also view department operating status information. 

Looking for more events? Find additional activities on our Events Calendar.

To request this information in an alternate format, call 703-324-3187, TTY 711.