City of Falls Church Gov't Updates, Dec. 5, 2024
The following is based on press releases, social media and website postings from the City of Falls Church.
Holidays in The Little City!
Donation Drives
- Toys for Tots, Managed by the Police Department: Donate by Thursday, Dec. 5 at 6 p.m.
- Bring new, unwrapped toys and items for teens to a donation box located in the lobbies of City Hall, Police Department (City Hall East Wing) or the Mary Riley Styles Public Library.
- Donations are given to children and teens in need.
- Santa's Ride Toy Drive, Managed by the Sheriff's Office: Donate by Monday, Dec. 9
- Bring new, unwrapped toys to a donation box located in the City Hall lobby.
- Donations are given to children in local hospitals.
Annual Holiday Gift and Craft Show with Children’s Shoppe
- Saturday, Dec. 7, from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.; Children's Shoppe open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
- Sunday, Dec. 8, 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
- Community Center, 223 Little Falls Street
- Free Event: The Children’s Shoppe runs only on Saturday but kids crafts and activities both days.
- Official Event Website
Deck the halls this holiday season with special gifts from the annual two-day gift and craft show! Over 40 crafters and merchants sell unique gifts, handmade goods, and something for everyone on your shopping list during the first weekend in December. At the Children’s Holiday Shoppe, run by the Friends of Cherry Hill Foundation, volunteers help kids select gifts for friends and family for $6 or less. Volunteers can also wrap the gifts for free. The Children’s Shoppe is open only on Saturday, Dec. 7 from 9 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Don’t miss the live entertainment from FCCPS musicians and raffles on both days.
Santamobile from the Falls Church Volunteer Fire Department
- Dec. 6 through Dec. 14
- Nightly routes for the Santamobile are posted on the Fire Department’s website, Facebook, and Instagram.
- Questions? Please don't call the fire station! Email the Santamobile coordinator. Santa is unable to respond to requests for private drive-bys.
For additional information, please visit fallschurchfire.org.
Holiday Teas
- Saturday, Dec. 14, and Sunday, Dec. 15, from 2 - 4:00 p.m.
- Cherry Hill Farmhouse, 312 Park Avenue
- Registration Required: No Walk-Ins
Enjoy a special holiday tea hosted by the Friends of Cherry Hill Foundation! This experience will include a tea and talk at the historic Farmhouse, which will be decorated in mid-19th century period décor. The talk will be presented by the 1858 mistress of the Farmhouse, Eirene Blaisdell. The tea consists of tea sandwiches, assorted sweets, warm scones, and a bottomless cup of tea. Registration is required. Senior discount does not apply.
Watch Night New Year's Eve Celebration
- Tuesday, Dec. 31, from 7 p.m. to Midnight
- Star Drop Countdown at 11:55 p.m. near the intersection of Broad and Washington Streets
- Official Event Website
Celebrate New Year's Eve in the City of Falls Church at the 27th Annual Watch Night celebration presented by the CATCH Foundation and City of Falls Church. Fun and entertainment is in two locations, outdoors on the closed off block of Broad Street between Maple Avenue and N. Washington Street. Free, fun, and family friendly – including live music, inflatables and rides, karaoke and more! Indoor venues host live music, dancing, tours and are a great place to warm up!
Leaf Collection Ends Jan. 10
Leaf collection ends Friday, Jan. 10, 2025.
If bagging leaves, please only use the brown kraft bags and place the required $1 yellow sticker on each bag for collection. Leaves will not be accepted in privately-owned containers.
After collection, the leaves will be processed into high-quality leaf mulch that will be available at the Recycling Center in March, 2025.
2024 to 2025 Schedule
- Dec. 9 - 13: South of Broad St. (Zones 1 and 2)
- Dec. 16 - 20: South of Broad St. (Zones 1 and 2)
- Dec. 23 - 31: North of Broad St. (Zones 3 and 4)
- Jan. 2 - 7: North of Broad St. (Zones 3 and 4)
- Jan. 8 - 10: City-Wide – All zones for cleanup
The leaf collection schedule is subject to change based on weather conditions. Learn more about the City's compositing program and backyard composting workshops. For more information, go to: https://fallschurchva.gov/397/Leaf-Collection.
Mary Riley Styles Public Library
Falls Church Fiber Artists
Upper Level Conference Room
Thursday, 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m., Dec. 5,12,19, 26. Adults (18+).
Drop in for this informal weekly group to knit and crochet. Share what you're creating. Get advice from other knitters and crocheters. Or just chat while you work on your own project! All are welcome.
New Yorker Discussion Group
Upper Level Conference Room
Thursday, Dec. 5, 2 - 3:00 p.m. Adults (18+).
Enjoy reading The New Yorker but wish you had someone to chat with about it? Drop into the monthly New Yorker Discussion Group to share your thoughts on what you’ve read in a variety of articles. The group meets on the first Thursday of the month from 2-3 p.m. on Zoom.
Article to be determined. This program will be held in person at the library and via Zoom. Please email to request a Zoom invite.
MRSPL Used Book Sale
Upper Level Conference Room
Friday, Dec. 6, 1-5:00 p.m., Used Book Sale Preview (5-item limit). All Ages. Used Book Sale: Dec. 7-9.
Jazz Concert: Quentin Walston Trio
Lower Level Conference Room
Saturday, Dec. 7, 2 - 3:00 p.m. All Ages.
Registration for this event will close on Dec. 7 at 2:00 p.m.
There are 28 seats remaining.
Quentin Walston is an active pianist, composer, and music educator in the Washington D.C. area. He composes for piano, his jazz trio, and large ensembles, blending memorable melodies, striking rhythms, and adventurous improvisations. As a music and jazz educator, Quentin spreads the joy of learning and playing music to individuals of all ages.
Quentin was introduced to improvisation surprisingly through bluegrass and folk music. As the harmonica player in the folk band Jake and the Burtones, he fostered a passion for improvising solos while appreciating the musicianship of others around him. Once that budding interest crossed over to his enthusiasm for piano, Quentin shortly began playing and learning jazz. He went on to study jazz and piano at James Madison University, focusing on improvisation, composition, and arranging.
"The Good Book Suite" is Quentin Walston's newest album, composed entirely for his trio. Inspired by his faith and Scripture, the suite covers a huge musical landscape. Wonderful builds and interplay between the jazz trio are found in the biggest and boldest moments to the most quietly intimate passages. "The Good Book Suite" is available now everywhere.
RSVP Requested
RSVP is requested, but drop-ins are welcome, space provided. To RSVP, please register using the form here.
Board Game Night
Lower Level Conference Room
Monday, Dec. 9, 6 - 8:00 p.m.
Come check out the wonderful and varied world of modern board games. Play various tabletop games that are simple to learn and fun to master. This is a great way to meet new people. Experienced players will be on hand to offer instruction.
We meet in person every 2nd Monday of the month. Newcomers are always welcome! For adults 18+.
No registration required. Attendance is first-come, first-served until seating capacity is reached.
In partnership with the Northern Virginia Board Game Group.
Tuesday Morning Book Group
Upper Level Conference Room
Tuesday, Dec. 10, 10:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Adults (18+).
Registration for this event will close on Dec. 10 at 10:30 a.m.
There are 24 seats remaining.
For December we will be discussing The Stone Diaries by Carol Shields.
A general book discussion held roughly every 6 weeks from Sept. through June, usually on Tuesday mornings at 10:30 a.m. Focuses on a variety of fiction and nonfiction titles selected in advance (over the summer) by the group.
Need a copy of the book? Please search our online catalog or our Overdrive ebook/audiobook collection to check the availability of this book. Special book group copies are also set aside roughly several weeks before the discussion and can be requested on a first come, first serve basis by emailing circ@fallschurchva.gov.
Poetry Circle
Study Room, 1 & 2 Combined
Tuesday, Dec. 10, 6:30 - 8:00 p.m. Adults (18+).
If you write or just love reading poetry, you are invited to join this monthly, in-person poetry circle! Please contact Rachel Clark, the volunteer coordinator, to register: vzexw6az@verizon.net.
Facilitated by group members, we each bring in our own work or the work of other poets to share with the group. The emphasis is on reflection and response rather than critique or “workshopping.”
Great Books Discussion Series
Virtual Programs
Tuesday, Dec. 10, 7 - 8:45 p.m. Adults (18+).
The group will discuss:
- The Tao Te Ching (4th century B.C.E). Reading to be announced. (Moderator to distribute text via e-mail.)
View all meeting dates and reading selections for the 2024-2025 discussion series, which runs Sept., 2024 through June, 2025.
This program will be held virtually on Zoom unless otherwise noted. Please email Amy Azzam (the group's volunteer coordinator) at amyazzam@gmail.com, for a Zoom invite or more information.
A "Great Books" discussion concentrating on literary classics (both traditional and modern) usually meeting at 7 p.m. on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday of each month. All are welcome.
Mindfulness Meditation for Everyday Life
Upper Level Conference Room
Wednesday, Dec. 11, 18, 10:30 - 11:30 a.m. Adults (18+).
Registration for this event will close on Dec. 11 at 10:30 a.m.
There are 18 seats remaining.
Most of us are always on the go in some capacity, tasking ourselves to keep things running smoothly or remedying situations that aren’t going as we hoped. The practice of mindfulness meditation gives us the skills to step out of our habitual mode of doing, and allows us to have mindful recognition of what is present here and now. In our group setting we investigate the practical application of bringing mindfulness into our daily lives. Open to beginners and experienced meditators.
Your teacher, Mary Hale, is a native of Scotland and a certified meditation teacher having completed Jack Kornfield and Tara Brach’s Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certification Program. “Come for the voice, stay for the calm,” ThistleMeditation.com.
If you plan to attend a specific session, please RSVP in advance here if possible. Drop-ins are also welcome (space permitted).
The Rogers Act: 100 Years of the Foreign Service
Upper Level Conference Room
Wednesday, Dec. 11, 6:30 - 8:00 p.m. Adults (18+).
Registration for this event will close on Dec. 11 at 6:30 p.m.
There are 19 seats remaining.
Please join us for a presentation from the National Museum of American Diplomacy's Historian, Dr. Alison Mann, on the people behind the Rogers Act, their motivations for reform and the influences of post-WWI nativism.
As the United States emerged as a global power in the early 20th century, the State Department’s division of consular and political duties no longer met the needs of the American people.
After WWI, the Director of the Consular Service, Wilbur Carr, set out to enact personnel reform and found an eager ally in Massachusetts Congressman and WWI veteran, John Jacob Rogers. Rogers believed that a professional Foreign Service was essential for global peace and stability and advocated for Congress to pass the Act.
The Foreign Service Act of 1924, commonly known as the Rogers Act, established the modern U.S. Foreign Service as a career organization with employment based on competitive examination and merit. This change had an immediate effect on the scope and impact of the Foreign Service, and created the merit-based system that led to personnel diversity in the ranks of the Foreign Service we see today.
Meridian High School Student Concert
Upper Level Conference Room
Saturday, Dec. 14, 2 - 3:00 p.m. All Ages.
Join us for a musical performance by students from Meridian High School!
Armchair Travel - The Alps of Switzerland and France
Upper Level Conference Room
Tuesday, Dec. 17, 1:30 - 3:00 p.m. Adults (18+).
Join us at a Conference Room of the Mary Riley Styles Public Library to continue our "travels." We will meet the third Tuesday of September, October, November, and December at 1:30 p.m. to watch a travel video from destinations around the world! This program is hosted jointly by the Falls Church Senior Center and the Mary Riley Styles Public Library.
It's winter! Let's enjoy the snowy Alps of Switzerland and France!
Volodymyr Sukhin: Ukrainian Winter Concert
Lower Level Conference Room
Saturday, Dec. 21, 2 - 3:00 p.m. Adults (18+).
Registration for this event will close on Dec. 21 at 2:00 p.m.
There are 36 seats remaining.
Volodymyr Sukhin is the lead vocalist for ManSound, which performs jazz standards, love ballads, rock hits, immortal classics and Ukrainian folk songs.
Volodymyr has toured dozens of countries on three continents and participated in more than 70 music festivals around the world. Each of ManSound's six albums has received awards from the International A Cappella Society (CASA). Among the group's achievements are the nomination ‘Best Vocal Group’ at the All American Entertainment Awards (2001, Branson, USA), the Grand Prix of the international a cappella competition Vokal.Total (2002, Graz, Austria), and the Showbiz award in the nomination ‘Best Jazz Group of Ukraine’ (2005).
Volodymyr Sukhin and his charming children, Olexandra (violin) and Mykhailo (flute), will perform Christmas carols, classical music, and rock songs.
RSVP using this form is requested, but drop-ins are welcome, space provided.
City Calendar for December, 2024
Board Of Equalization Organizational meeting
Dec. 5, 4 - 6:00 p.m. Laurel Room. More Details.
Dec. 10, 6 - 9:30 p.m. Dogwood, Room A and B. More Details.
Dec. 10, 6 - 7:00 p.m. Laurel Room. More Details.
Architectural Advisory Board Meeting
Dec. 11, 7:30 - 10:30 p.m. Council Chambers/Court Room. More Details.
Citizens Advisory Committee on Transportation Meeting
Dec. 11, 7:00 p.m. Dogwood, Room A and B. More Details.
Advisory Board of Recreation and Parks
Dec. 11, 7 - 9:00 p.m. Art Room. Regular monthly meeting. More Details.
Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA) Meeting
Dec. 12, 7:30 p.m. Council Chambers/Court Room. More Details.
Dec. 12, 7 - 9:00 p.m. Dogwood, Room A and B. More Details.
Falls Church250 Committee Meeting
Dec. 17, 6 - 7:30 p.m. Dogwood, Room A and B. First meeting of the Falls Church250 Committee. More Details.
Affordable Living Policy Update Workgroup
Dec. 18, 6 - 7:30 p.m. Dogwood Room, A and B. More Details.
Library Board of Trustees Meeting
Dec. 18, 6 - 8:00 p.m. Upper Floor Conference Room. Regular Library Board Meeting. More Details.
Dec. 18, 7:30 - 10:00 p.m. Council Chambers/Court Room. More Details.
Cancelled: Urban Forestry Commission Meeting
Dec. 18, 7:30 - 9:00 p.m. Dogwood, Room A and B. More Details.
Arts and Humanities Council of Falls Church Meeting
Dec. 19, 9:30 - 11:00 a.m. Dogwood Room, A and B. Regular meeting. More Details.
Human Services Advisory Council Meeting
Dec. 19, 6:30 - 8:00 p.m. Dogwood, Room A and B. More Details.
Environmental Sustainability Council & Energy Transition Subcommittee Meeting
Dec. 19, 7:30 - 9:30 p.m. Council Chambers/Court Room. More Details.
Historic Architectural Review Board Meeting
Dec. 26, 7 - 9:00 p.m. City Hall, Dogwood, Room A and B. More Details.
City Council
Dec. 9, 7:30 - 11:00 p.m. Council Chambers/Court Room. The City Council meets the second and fourth Monday of the month, with the exception of August and December when only one meeting is held. The public is welcome to address the City Council on any topic during the public comment period. Sign up to speak at www.fallschurchva.gov/publiccomment. Watch the meeting at www.fallschurchva.gov/CouncilMeetings and FCCTV (Cox 11, RCN 2, Verizon 35). Video will be available after the meeting both online and on FCCTV. More Details.
CANCELLED: Mayor's Agenda Meeting with Staff
Dec. 11, 8:30 - 9:00 a.m. Oak Room. The Mayor will meet with staff to determine the agenda schedule for future City Council meetings. Other members of City Council may also participate in this meeting. More Details.
Dec. 11, 9 - 10:00 a.m. City Hall, Oak Room. The public is welcome to attend this session to meet with Council members and ask questions in an informal setting. More Details.
City Council Appointments Committee Meeting
Dec. 11, 8 - 9:30 p.m. Oak Room. The City Council Appointments Committee will meet to interview candidates for boards and commissions and conduct exit interviews. More Details.
CANCELLED: Mayor's Agenda Meeting with Staff
Dec. 18, 8:30 - 9:00 a.m. Oak Room. The Mayor will meet with staff to determine the agenda schedule for future City Council meetings. Other members of City Council may also participate in this meeting. More Details.
Council Breakfast with City Staff
Dec. 19, 9 - 10:00 a.m. Teen Center. More Details.
CANCELLED: City Council Budget and Finance Committee Meeting
Dec. 20, 8:30 - 9:30 a.m. Oak Room. More Details.
City Council Economic Development Committee Meeting
Dec. 24, 1 - 2:30 p.m. Oak Room. More Details.
CANCELLED: Mayor's Agenda Meeting with Staff
Dec. 25, 8:30 - 9:00 a.m. Oak Room. More Details.
City Council Government Operations Committee Meeting
Dec. 25, 9 - 10:00 a.m. Oak Room. More Details.
Citywide Notices
Court Day (Juvenile and Domestic Relations)
Dec. 10, 8 - 2:00 p.m. More Details.
Court Day (General District Court)
Dec. 11, 8 - 2:00 p.m. Court day in Council Chambers/Courtroom. More Details.
Court Day (General District Court)
Dec. 18, 8 - 2:00 p.m. Court day in Council Chambers/Courtroom.More Details.
Dec. 24, 2024 - Dec. 25. More Details.
By The Falls Church Independent
Member discussion