City of Falls Church Gov't Updates & Pre-Holiday Guide, Nov. 20, 2024
The following is based on press releases, social media and website postings from the City of Falls Church.
Holiday Gift and Craft Show with Children's Shoppe Returns to The Little City, Dec. 7-8
The City of Falls Church makes it easy to stay close to home and enjoy the fun of the winter holidays!
Support local businesses, artisans, and merchants by shopping at the Holiday Gift and Craft Show with Children's Holiday Shoppe at the Community Center (223 Little Falls St.) on Saturday, Dec. 7, and Sunday, Dec. 8.
Admission to both craft show days and the Children's Shoppe are free, with 45 local crafters and merchants selling handmade items, baked goods, and unique holiday gifts.
The show is open on Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and on Sunday from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Don't miss live holiday performances from local Falls Church City Public Schools student musicians and singers, multiple daily raffles, and the brand new kids' corner with holiday crafts and treats!
The Children's Holiday Shoppe, hosted by the Friends of Cherry Hill, is a sweet holiday tradition open on Saturday, Dec. 7, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Located in the Community Center, volunteers help children select gifts for $6 or less for friends and family. Sales at the shoppe are cash only, with free gift wrapping available!
More details, including a list of vendors, are available at fallschurchva.gov/CraftShow. Guests are encouraged to park for free at the Kaiser Permanente Garage on the corner of Park Avenue and N. Washington Street (201 N. Washington St.; garage entrance on Park Avenue). The garage is a short, two-block walk to the Community Center. Visit fallschurchva.gov/Parking for additional public parking options.
Find all of the City's holiday events and programs at fallschurchva.gov/Holidays.
City of Falls Church's Winter Wonderland at Founders Row
Get ready for a magical evening on Tuesday, Dec. 3, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the City of Fall Church's Winter Wonderland at Founders Row (109 Founders Avenue)! Kick off the holiday season with fun for the whole family with festive lights, music, and seasonal treats!
Enjoy all the following FREE activities brought to you by Founders Row:
❄️ Remarks and Holiday Countdown at 6 p.m. with Special Guests
❄️ Live Music - The Meridian Choir
❄️ Polar Express Train
❄️ FREE Hot Chocolate and Cookies, sponsored by Realtor Tori McKinney
❄️ Photos with Santa
❄️ Kids' Craft Station
❄️ Onsite Food Truck: Malia's Kitchen
❄️ Giveaways and Much More!
There will be FREE parking during the event in the Founders Row Parking Garage.
Additional details: visitfallschurch.com/winter-wonderland.
Holidays in The Little City!
Spend the holidays with us in The Little City!
Donation Drives
- Oglala-Lakota Coat Drive: Donate by Monday, Nov. 18. Organized by the nonprofit Re-Member.org, the drive will benefit the residents of Pine Ridge, South Dakota.
- Donation bins can be found in the front vestibule of Mary Riley Styles Library.
- New and/or gently used items needed include:
- Hooded winter coats (all sizes)
- New socks (all sizes)
- Baby blankets
- Hoodies
- Toddler/kids winter clothes
- Bars of soap
- Toothbrushes and toothpaste
- Diapers (sizes 4-5-6)
Moravian Stars
- Saturday, Nov. 23, from 1:00 - 3:00 p.m.
- Cherry Hill Farmhouse, 312 Park Ave.
- Registration Required: No charge for Friends of Cherry Hill Foundation members, donations welcome. Please contact Holly Irwin at hirwin@fallschurchva.gov or call 703-248-5171 (TTY 711) to register.
Moravian stars originated in the 19th century and were used as Christmas decorations during advent. Today, the stars represent hope and peace!
Join the Friends of Cherry Hill Foundation and Gretchen Wilmouth in this historic craft workshop!
A Very Victorian Christmas
- Saturday, Nov. 30, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
- Cherry Hill Farmhouse, 312 Park Avenue.
- Free Event: Drop by any time and stay as long as you like!
Start your holiday season off with a visit to the Farmhouse to see how Christmas was celebrated in the 1860s.
In collaboration with the Victorian Society of Falls Church, costumed interpreters will welcome friends and neighbors who gather for holiday cheer! The festivities will include decorations, music, holiday stories, and children's activities.
SantaMobile from the Falls Church Volunteer Fire Department
- Dec. 6 - 14;
- Falls Church Volunteer Fire Department The FCVFD is gearing up for SantaMobile 2014.
- "We'll be escorting Santa Claus through the streets of the Greater Falls Church area between 6:30 and 9:30 p.m., beginning December 15 and extending through the 23rd," they posted to Facebook.
- Santa's helpers will be handing out candy canes and fire safety literature during Santa's rounds. Check out our website - www.fallschurchvfd.org for details!
- 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 2:00 - 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.
Sheriff's Department Collecting Toys for Annual Santa's Ride Toy Drive
The City’s Sheriff’s Department is collecting toys for the annual Santa’s Ride Toy Drive. If you're able, please bring new, unwrapped toys to the donation box located in the City Hall lobby.
🧸 Donations will be given to children in local hospitals, and will be accepted now through Monday, Dec. 9.
Police Department Collecting Toys of Annual Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Drive
The City of Falls Church’s Police Department is collecting toys for the annual Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Drive this holiday season.
Help fill the box and make the holidays brighter for a deserving child by donating a new and unwrapped toy. Donation boxes are located in the Police Department and the Library.
Donations will be accepted now through Thursday, Dec. 5.
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! The annual Star Drop returns, as well as Grand Fun Alley and all its moonbounces, rock walls, and more. Stay tuned for the main stage entertainment lineup and details on other activities.
City of Falls Church Police Department Announces Launch of Community Police Academy, Feb. 2025
Are you curious as to how policing works or what it's like to be a police officer, and want to learn more about your local law enforcement?
The Community Police Academy is designed to give participants an inside look at what policing entails and to provide information about training, policies, and the many divisions and services within the City of Falls Church Police Department.
The Department's inaugural Community Police Academy session will be held February 19, 2025 to April 2, 2025. Applications are due by December 6, 2024.
In this seven-week program, participants will learn a variety of public safety related matters and participate in lectures, demonstrations, tours, and hands-on exercises. Every session covers a new topic taught by different officers and staff from the City of Falls Church Public Safety team.
Mary Riley Styles Public Library
MRSPL Mystery Book Club
Wed., Nov. 20, 6:30 - 8:00 p.m. Lower Level Conf. Room. Adults (18+).
Join us for a discussion of the classic British mystery Smallbone Deceased, by Michael Gilbert. Published in 1950, it is considered a first-rate novel of the latter golden age, written with style, pace and wit.
When workday begins at the legal firm of Horniman, Birley and Craine, the large deed box is opened and reveals a corpse. It is the body of Mr. Smallbone. Inspector Hazlrigg sets out to solve the mystery – who was Smallbone, and why did he die?
Falls Church Fiber Artists
Thursday, Nov. 21, 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Upper Level Conf. Room at Mary Riley Styles Public Library. Ages: 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
Thursday, Nov. 21, 2 - 3:00 p.m. Upper Level Conf. Room at Mary Riley Styles Public Library. Adults (18+).
Enjoy reading The New Yorker but wish you had someone to chat about it with? 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.
Great Books Discussion Series
Tues. Nov. 26, 7:00 - 8:45 p.m. Virtual Program. Adults (18+).
The group will be discussing "Revelation" by Flanner O'Connor (1965). Available at https://www.jaxcathedral.org/uploads/images/oconnor-revelation_795.pdf.
A "Great Books" discussion concentrating on literary classics (both traditional and modern) usually meets at 7 p.m. on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday of each month. All are welcome. This program will be held virtually on Zoom unless otherwise noted. Please email Amy Azzam (the group's volunteer coordinator) for a Zoom invite or more information.
Mindfulness Meditation for Everyday Life
Wed., Nov. 27, 10:30 - 11:30 a.m. Upper Level Conf. Room.
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.
About the Instructor
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.
RSVP Requested. If you plan to attend a specific session, please RSVP in advance if possible. To RSVP, please use the registration form here. Drop-ins are also welcome (space permitted).
City Calendar for Nov., 2024
Arts and Humanities Council of Falls Church Meeting
Nov. 21, 9:30 - 11:00 a.m. in the Dogwood Room, A and B. Regular meeting of the Arts & Humanities Council of Falls Church. More Details.
Environmental Sustainability Council & Energy Transition Subcommittee Meeting
Nov. 21, 7:30 - 9:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers/Court Room. More Details.
Human Services Advisory Council Meeting
Nov. 21, 6:30 - 8:00 p.m. in the Dogwood Room, A and B. More Details.
City Council Meeting
Nov. 25, 7:30 - 11:00 p.m. in the 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. All members of the public may view the meeting at www.fallschurchva.gov/CouncilMeetings. The meeting may also be viewed on FCCTV (Cox 11, RCN 2, Verizon 35). Video will be available after the meeting both online and on FCCTV. More Details
City Council Economic Development Committee Meeting
Nov. 26, 1 - 2:30 p.m. in the Oak Room. More Details.
City Council Government Operations Committee Meeting
Nov. 27, 9 - 10:00 a.m. in the Oak Room. More Details.
Mayor's Agenda Meeting with Staff
Nov. 27, 8:30 - 9:00 a.m. in the 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.
Historic Architectural Review Board Meeting
Nov. 28, 7 - 9:00 p.m. in City Hall, Dogwood Room A and B. More Details.
Historical Commission Meeting
Nov. 28, 7 - 9:00 p.m. in the Dogwood Room, A and B. More Details.
Citywide Notices
Court Day (Juvenile and Domestic Relations)
Nov. 26, 8:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. More Details.
Thanksgiving Holiday
Nov. 28 - Nov. 29. More Details.
By The Falls Church Independent
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