Fairfax County Weekender for June 22nd to 23rd!!

 Friday, June 21: Music in the Parks 

Music in the Parks: Music to suit a variety of tastes is featured as part of free summer concerts in county parks. Spice up your Friday evening with Cajun music by the Crawdaddies at Grist Mill Park. Or rock on with Night Music at Royal Lake Park. For a more mellow sound, folk tunes by The 9 will be featured at Lake Accotink Park and Tom Paxton with Robin Bullock will entertain at Mason District Park. Bring a picnic if you want, blankets and/or lawn chairs; flashlights also recommended as some parks are not lighted. Concerts are 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. Free, no registration required. If there’s a threat of bad weather, call 703-324-SHOW (7469) one hour prior to the start of the concert for updates. More information.

Also on Friday:

Basic Gardening: Waterwise Garden
Learn how to use water efficiently in your garden. From 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. at Green Spring Gardens. Ages 18 and up. $10/person. Register online. For information call 703-642-5173.

 Saturday, June 22: Celebrate the Summer Solstice

Summer Art Party: Celebrating community and the arts, this event invites neighbors and the community to learn about, engage in, soak up, talk about, be inspired by, see, hear and feel art, artists and arts education programs. Entertainment, games, fitness, art, food vendors and much more! From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Workhouse Arts Center. Free, although donations of nonperishable food items are requested for the Lorton Community Action Center (LCAC), the featured partner for this community event. For information call 703-584-2900.

Also on Saturday:

Old and New, Tried and True Vegetables
Get to know favorite heirloom vegetables that mid-Atlantic gardeners favor and discover exciting edible plants new on the market. From 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. at Green Spring Gardens. Ages 18 and up. $15/person. Register online. For information call 703-642-5173.

Dinosaurs Galore
Follow a naturalist as you and your child explore this prehistoric world. Children make a fossil to take home. From 10 to 11 a.m. at Cub Run RECenter. Ages 3 to 8. $5/child. Register online. For information call 703-817-9407.

Free Concerts: Take your pick of a variety of musical styles. Enjoy Celtic/Rock by the group, Enter the Haggis from 7 to 8 p.m. on the Quad at the Workhouse Arts Center. Or transport yourself figuratively to the Greek Isles with Greek Cultural Heritage Night and music by Karpouzi from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Ossian Hall Park. A variety of music will be presented by Pat McGee as well as the U.S. Army Field Band “The Volunteers” from 6 to 9 p.m. at Arrowbrook Centre Park. Bring your picnic, lawn chair or blanket (outside alcohol not permitted); flashlights also recommended as some parks are not lighted. Free, no tickets required. If there’s a threat of bad weather, call 703-324-SHOW (7469) one hour prior to the start of the concert for updates. More information.

Ballroom Social Dance: Put on your dancing shoes and join the monthly Ballroom Social Dance featuring complimentary refreshments and a cash bar. All skill levels welcome! Arrive early for a 30-minute mini-lesson on the cha-cha from 7:30 to 8 p.m. The social dance is led by a professional ballroom instructor. From 8 to 10:30 p.m. in the McGuire-Woods Gallery (second floor of W-16), Workhouse Arts Center. $10/person (Ballroom Social) and $5/person (mini-lesson). Mini-lesson tickets sold only at the door. Ballroom Social Dance tickets may be purchased online, by phone or at the door. For information call 703-584-2900.

Free Movie: “The Goonies”: Join a misfit group of friends as they search for One-Eyed Willy’s hidden treasure. Will they be able to find the fortune and save their neighborhood from becoming a golf course? Find out in this movie from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. at the Alden Theatre, McLean Community Center. Free, no registration required. Please note: no food or beverages allowed in the theatre. For information call 703-790-0123.

Campfire Celebration: Summer Solstice
Learn about our closest star and enjoy storytelling while toasting marshmallows as we celebrate the start of summer from 8 to 9 p.m. at Hidden Oaks Nature Center. Ages 4 and up. $6/person. Register online. For information call 703-941-1065.

Summer Solstice Campfire: Join a naturalist at the campfire to hear about summer solstice traditions and star stories. Roast marshmallows. From 8 to 9 p.m. at Huntley Meadows Park. Ages 4 and up. $5/person. Register online. For information call 703-768-2525.

Starry Skies: Solstice
Peer through a telescope and learn about the summer solstice, stars, planets and the final frontier. From 8:30 to 10 p.m. at Hidden Pond Nature Center. $6/person. For information and to register, call 703-451-9588.

 Sunday, June 23: Step Back in Time

Hands-On History: Drop off your children and let them travel back in time with a costumed interpreter to explore the lives of 19th-century children. Activities include games, penmanship, washing clothes and making a food item such as butter, ice cream, cheese or applesauce. From 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. at Ellanor C. Lawrence Park. Ages 4 to 9. $10/child. Register online. For information call 703-631-0013.

•  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.