Weekender Newsletter

Friday, Sept. 4 - Sunday, Sept. 6

Things to Do in September

With changing leaves and autumn breeze comes Oktoberfests, scenic adventures, spooky activities, festivals, performances and more. Check out Visit Fairfax’s list of things to do in September.

Weekend-Long Events

Farmers Markets Friday - Sunday, Hours Vary Shop for a variety of fresh produce, flowers, locally made goods and more at our markets this weekend. SNAP is accepted at the Reston and Lorton Farmers Markets.

Friday, Sept. 4 Events

Line Dancing for Beginners (11:15 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.) Learn to move to the music with step-by-step lessons in popular line dancing choreography at Sherwood Regional Library in Alexandria. This is a beginner’s class for adults with little or no experience in line dancing. This is the first class in a five-class series.

LEGO Time (11 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.)

Come to our City of Fairfax and Pohick Regional libraries to build your own LEGO masterpieces and release your inner architect.

Family Fun Fridays (noon - 5 p.m.)

Visit the nature center at Riverbend Park in Great Falls to spend time together as a family reading books, making crafts, playing games, exploring natural objects with a microscope, doing puzzles, digging in the sandbox and more. Registration is $5.

Kayak Tour - Wildlife of the Potomac (5:30 - 7:30 p.m.)

Watch for deer foraging on the islands and osprey and bald eagles searching for fish as we paddle through a wildlife-rich section of the Potomac River at Riverbend Park in Great Falls. Kayaks will be provided. Registration is $45.

Saturday, Sept. 5 Events

Paw-Paw Prowl (10 - 11:30 a.m.) Go off trail with a naturalist to learn about the paw-paws historical and ecological importance to Virginia at Ellanor C. Lawrence Park in Chantilly. Going off trail is not permitted outside of scheduled park programs. Registration is $12.

STEAM Team - Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month (10:30 - 11:30 a.m.)

Learn about papel picado, decorative banners, and create your own at Burke Centre Library to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month.

Wee Got the Beat (11 - 11:30 a.m.)

Children ages 2 to 5 can enjoy music, rhymes and movement with music therapist Beth Barbaro. This program is designed for children with sensory needs but all are welcome. 

Adult Crafting: Clay Essential Oil Diffusers (2:30 - 3:30 p.m.)

Create discs out of air-dry clay and add impressions using materials such as lace, stamps, leaves and stencils at Great Falls Library. Take your disc home and add essential oils to make it a diffuser.

Making Ice and Ice Cream at Walney (3 - 4 p.m.)

Crank ice cream as you discover how ice was harvested and stored in the 19th century farm at Ellanor C. Lawrence Park in Chantilly. Registration is $9.

Memory Depot Orientation (3 - 4 p.m.)

Learn how to digitize your own materials such as VHS tapes, audiocassettes, 3.5" floppy disks, and photographic prints, negatives and slides at Reston Regional Library.

Campfire Saturdays - Stargazing (7 - 8:30 p.m.)

Enjoy an evening in the woods and learn about the constellations, their stories and other night-sky features at Burke Lake Park. Our naturalist will identify the stars and have telescopes to use. End the evening with a campfire and s'mores. Registration is $12.

Sunday, Sept. 6 Events

Women of Walney Walking Tour (3 and 4 p.m.) Hike around Ellanor C. Lawrence Park in Chantilly and learn about the women whose lives and work helped shape our land. From the Brown family in the 1740s to Ellanor C. Lawrence in the 1970s, women have defined the park's cultural and natural history.

Intro to Kayaking (11 a.m. - 1 p.m.)

This beginners class at Lake Fairfax Park in Reston is for those who want to learn how to paddle more efficiently. Learn about different kayaks, paddles, personal flotation devices and safety gear. Practice moving the boat using various strokes and maneuvers. All equipment will be provided. Registration is $45.

Cain's Branch Archaeology Tour (2 - 3 p.m.)

Learn about the history of abandoned sites at the Sully Historic Site in Chantilly. Follow trails of forested areas and Cain’s Branch waterway to learn about the life of early inhabitants who made Sully their home.

A Safe Place: How to Prevent the Next School Shooting by local author Luis D. Aponte (2 - 3:30 p.m.)

Join us for a conversation with local author and librarian Luis D. Aponte at Centreville Regional Library, inspired by his book “A Safe Place: How to Prevent the Next School Shooting.” Based on seven years of research into more than 1,200 U.S. school shooting incidents, he shares research‑based steps families and schools can take to strengthen safety and emotional well‑being.

Swap Meet Sunday: Plant Swap (3:30 - 4:30 p.m.)

Bring in any plants you'd like to re-home and pick out some new ones at Chantilly Regional Library. A master gardener will be on-site for advice and questions.

Upcoming Events

Fairfax County Government offices including libraries will be closed Monday, Sept. 7, for Labor Day. However, some facilities are open, and schedules vary. For details, visit our status page.