How will you enjoy spring in Reston and Herndon?
A good afternoon hike does not always need a long drive or a complicated plan. This week, we’re looking at a surprisingly satisfying route from Lake Fairfax Park to Colvin Run Mill, with a wooded trail, a gentle pace, and a historic stop at the halfway point. It is the kind of close-to-home outing that works for families, visiting friends, or anyone who wants to feel like they got out of town without actually leaving Reston. Watch the post before your next open afternoon.
Also inside this week: Davio’s opens its new Plaza Bar at Reston Station, Herndon’s Polar Heat festival is coming up, and the local news roundup has updates on Lake Anne, Bowman Manor, RTC concerts, farmers markets, and a safer W&OD crossing in Herndon.or anyone who still likes the thrill of finding a stack of books for almost nothing.
For events, Herndon Farmers Market is the easy first pick as it returns to downtown Lynn Street on Thursday morning. If you are looking for something quieter, Walker Nature Center has Spring Short Films Night on Friday and a Rain Barrel Workshop on Saturday. Families may want to keep Saturday morning open for Reston Water Safety Day and the free Zack Smith and The Mardi Gras Kings performance at RCC.
Feature Story
UNEXPECTED HIKE IN RESTON
This easy afternoon hike from Lake Fairfax Park to Colvin Run Mill is a great close-to-home adventure for Reston families, with a gentle wooded trail, creekside scenery, and a historic payoff at the midpoint. The preserved 1800s mill, general store, restrooms, and water refill stop make it feel like more than just another walk in the woods, and you can still be home in time for dinner. Watch to see the fun midway point.
Around Town
NEW TASTES COMING TO RESTON AND HERNDON
Davio’s Plaza Bar opens today (May 7) at Reston Station, bringing a dedicated outdoor bar and dining setup to the former Matchbox patio space overlooking the plaza. With 76 seats, a full bar, seasonal cocktails, premium wines, lounge seating, TVs, and a menu pulled from Davio’s signature dishes, it is shaping up to be a prime Reston spot for after-work drinks, weekend nights, and Summerbration concerts. Click for more info!
Quick Hits
IN OTHER NEWS
Reston Community Center could get a Lake Anne glow-up. Fairfax County is now studying whether a new RCC satellite space could be folded into the future Crescent Apartments redevelopment, giving Lake Anne a possible civic anchor instead of just another round of “what’s happening with that site?”
Bowman Manor may become the centerpiece of a new townhouse project. County supervisors agreed to speed up review of a plan for up to 57 townhomes at 1850 Old Reston Avenue, while preserving the 1899 Bowman Manor estate because Reston history does occasionally survive the site plan process.
Reston Town Center’s free concerts are back this month. The Saturday night series returns May 16 with a lineup that leans big, loud and very “bring a chair before all the good spots are gone.”
Farmers market season is officially awake. Reston’s market is already underway, Herndon’s Thursday market returns outside the courthouse, and Halley Rise now has a Sunday EatLoco market for anyone who prefers their errands with a pastry in hand.
Herndon is bringing “Polar Heat” downtown. Lynn Street will turn into a full-day community festival on May 16, with live entertainment, food, activities and the kind of town-center energy Herndon has been trying to bottle for years.
Herndon picked up another finance gold star. The town received the GFOA Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting for the 51st straight year, which is the municipal-government version of never missing a homework assignment.
A safer W&OD crossing is coming to Crestview Drive. Herndon plans to install a new pedestrian crossing warning light where the trail meets Crestview, giving walkers and cyclists a little more help at one of those “please tell me they see me” crossings.
East Link is moving through the county pipeline. Stanley Martin’s proposal near the Herndon Transit Station Area would turn an underused office park off Sunrise Valley Drive into a residential community with apartments, townhomes, stacked townhomes and affordable units.
Curated Events
EVENTS IN RESTON, HERNDON, AND BEYOND
This week’s local calendar is nicely split between market season, nature-center know-how and a few easy Saturday stops around Reston. Herndon Farmers Market returns to downtown Lynn Street on Thursday morning with local vendors and fresh finds, while Walker Nature Center has a spring-themed short film night Friday and a hands-on rain barrel workshop Saturday for anyone ready to make their yard a little more eco-friendly. Saturday also brings a full morning at Reston Community Center and Hunters Woods, with community coffee, a free family music performance from Zack Smith and The Mardi Gras Kings, and Reston Water Safety Day with activities, prizes and a free family swim afterward.
A Final Note
YOU KNOW YOU’RE FROM RESTON WHEN…
“…you’ve said ‘it’s only a mile’ and somehow meant through woods, across a creek, and past three tennis courts.”
Your Next Step
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