Fairfax Weekender for May 4th - 5th

Friday, May 3: Friday Night Lights 

Campfire Fridays: Join a naturalist for outdoor adventure and nature study concluding with a campfire. Dinoflagellates, fireflies and Foxfire fungus are some of the glowing organisms you will learn about. S'mores will also be provided. From 7:30 to 9 p.m. at Hidden Pond Nature Center. $7/person. Register online. For information call 703-451-9588.

 Saturday, May 4: The Early Bird Spots the Bird

Off-trail Birding: Search for neo-tropical songbird migrants. Binoculars and field guides are recommended. From 7 to 10 a.m. at Huntley Meadows Park. Meet at the park's South King's Highway entrance. $6/person. For information call 703-768-2525.


Also on Saturday:

Riverbend Bird Stroll: Hike with a naturalist during peak warbler migration. Discover why this park is an important stopover and nesting area that attracts so many species. Beginners welcome. Bring binoculars. From 7 to 9 a.m. at Riverbend Park. Meet at the visitor center. $7/person. For information call 703-759-9018.

Wagon Ride: Journey to the Pond: Journey to see what's hopping, splashing and swimming in the pond from 10 to 11 a.m. at Riverbend Park. Meet at the nature center. $5/person. Register online. For information call 703-759-9018.

Alternative Healing Workshop: Advanced Health and Fitness Specialist David Cohen will conduct a workshop on alternative healing. Discussion will include cupping, acupuncture, tai chi, medical qi gong and chi healing. Explore different techniques from healing yourself to healing others and let David show you how to better cope with stress, high blood pressure and arthritis. From 1 to 2:30 p.m. at the City of Fairfax Regional Library, Meeting Room A/B. Ages 18 and up. Free. Register online. For information call 703-293-6227.

Red Riding Hood and Other Stories: In this fast-paced, frenetic world, isn’t it comforting to know that some things never change? One of them is the joy and enchantment of stories that begin with “once upon a time.” Pushcart Players has chosen four of these time-honored fables – The Princess and the Pea, The Emperor’s New Clothes, All’s Well that Ends Well, and the title piece, Little Red Riding Hood. They are told with a twinkle, a grin and a contemporary spin, and brought to life on stage from 2 to 3 p.m. at the Alden Theatre, McLean Community Center. $15/person. Buy tickets online. For information call 703-790-0123.

May Day Baskets: Make a May basket and fill it with flowers to hang on the front door of friends or neighbors as a May Day surprise. Children learn to identify some wildflowers and make art with flowers from 2 to 3 p.m. at Hidden Oaks Nature Center. Ages 4-8. $6/child. Register online. For information call 703-941-1065.

Slaughter House Wagon Ride: Join us on a nighttime wagon ride to the lesser known grounds of the old Lorton Prison known as the Slaughter House. Learn about some of the prison history and what happens when nature takes over the abandoned buildings. Tours offered from 6:30 to 8 p.m. and 8:30 to 10 p.m. at Laurel Hill Park. $8/person. Register online. For information call 703-451-9588.

Mason Cabaret Presents the Millennials: Come hear the next generation of musical theater voices! Through special arrangement with George Mason University, enjoy an evening of cabaret celebrating the work of musical theater's most exciting new composers including Jason Robert Brown (The Last Five Years, Songs for a New World), Joe Iconis (TV's SMASH, Things to Ruin), Pasek and Paul (Dogfight, Edges) and many more. From 8 to 9:30 p.m. at the W3 Theatre, Workhouse Arts Center. $25/person includes planche campagnarde; à la carte cash bar available. Buy tickets online. For information call 703-584-7900.

 Sunday, May 5: Nature on Display

Wetlands Awareness Day: Enjoy an active, colorful afternoon with live animal presentations, nature activities and family fun. Bring friends and family to learn all about wetland ecology, local natural history and the importance of our wetlands. From noon to 4 p.m. at Huntley Meadows Park. Admission is free and no registration is required; however, there is a small fee for some activities. For information call 703-768-2525.

Also on Sunday:

Local Watercolor Artists Reception: Meet artists from the Potomac Valley Watercolorists at a reception held at Green Spring Gardens. Works displayed by the artists will be for sale. From 1 to 3 p.m. at Green Spring Gardens. Light refreshments served. Free. No registration required. For more information call 703-642-5173.

Teddy Bear Picnic: Today's the day the teddy bears have their picnic! Bring your teddy bear to join stories, songs, games and light refreshments for humans and bears from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. at Hidden Oaks Nature Center. $8/child. Register online. For information call 703-941-1065.

Weather-wise or Otherwise: Ride the gust of scientific discovery as you rotate to weather-wise stations making a wind vane, barometer and a weather journal. Offered at 1, 2 and 3 p.m. at Sully Historic Site. $10/child; $5/adult. For information and to register, call 703-437-1794.

Music Friends Concert at the Alden: Sponsored by the Music Friends of the Fairfax County Public Library and the McLean Community Center, this free classical music series, now in its 38th season, features Young Soloist Recitals that showcase local school-age musicians. Enjoy the music of these talented students including violinists Noelle Midori Takebe Naito, Nicholas Brown and Abigail Tucker, as well as pianists Risako Takamura, Kevin Su and Satowa Kinoshita. From 3 to 4 p.m. at the Alden Theatre. Free. No registration required. For information call 703-790-0123.

• Information was correct at time of publication.  Please contact individual event sites to confirm programs are being held as scheduled. 
• The Fairfax County Weekender highlights a selection of county events taking place each weekend. Many more events and activities can be found at the Parks and Library pages, and elsewhere on the Fairfax County website. Additionally, the towns of Herndon and Vienna as well as the city of Falls Church offer many arts, entertainment and recreational opportunities.  
  A complete list of county calendars is also available online.
• To request this information in an alternate format, call 703-324-3187.
• TTY is 711 unless otherwise indicated.