City of Falls Church Gov't Updates, Sept. 12, 2024

The following is based on press releases, social media and website postings from the City of Falls Church.
The City of Falls Church Launches New Tourism Website
The City of Falls Church is excited to announce the launch of its new tourism website, visitfallschurch.com, designed to provide an enhanced and comprehensive resource for visitors and residents alike. The new website serves as a dynamic platform to showcase the rich history, vibrant culture, and unique attractions that make the City of Falls Church a must-visit destination.

With the launch of the tourism website, the City now provides a central hub for all things related to tourism in the City of Falls Church. The goal is to enhance the visitor experience by offering a one-stop resource that highlights everything The Little City of Falls Church, Virg. has to offer.
Key features of the new website include:
- Comprehensive Directories: Detailed information on local attractions, dining, shopping, and accommodations to help visitors plan their perfect trip.
- Easy-to-use Interactive Maps: These maps highlight key points of interest, including shopping, dining, parks and trails, arts and culture, and historic sites.
- Current Events Calendar: A regularly updated calendar featuring local community and special events, festivals, and activities to keep visitors informed about all the exciting things happening in the City of Falls Church.
- Itinerary Suggestions: Curated itineraries to help visitors plan a trip to The Little City and make the most of their stay, whether they're here for a day, a weekend, or longer.
- Local Insights: Exciting developments, articles, and blogs providing insider tips, historical insights, and stories about the City's unique character.
Whether website visitors are first-time visitors or long-time residents, this new website will serve as a key resource to plan a visit, explore, and enjoy the City of Falls Church to the fullest.
The website launch is part of the City's broader efforts to promote tourism and support local businesses. Everyone is invited to explore the website and discover why The Little City is a hidden gem in the heart of Northern Virginia.

Fun for All at the Falls Church Festival
The 48th Annual Falls Church Festival returns Saturday, Sept. 14, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on City Hall grounds at 300 Park Ave. Find all your favorites, from live music and entertainment to pony rides and other children's rides and inflatables. Enjoy over 90 local vendors, businesses, and civic organizations, as well as a beer garden and the Taste of Falls Church! This event is rain or shine.

Admission and Tickets
Admission to the festival is free, but amusement rides, food, and beer require the purchase of one or more tickets.
Enjoy a full roster of restaurants ready to satisfy your every craving with small bites of delicious local food. Tickets are $3 per "taste" at each restaurant (some tastes may require two tickets). Taste tickets are available for purchase by cash and card at the outdoor ticket booths. Inside the Community Center is credit card only. There is no onsite ATM. No tickets sold after 3:30 p.m.
Taste of Falls Church

Participating restaurants include:
• Badd Pizza • Café Kindred • Clare and Don's Beach Shack • Fava Pot • Harvey's • Hot N' Juicy Crawfish • Mark's Pub • Nothing Bundt Cakes • One1ea Tea House• Open Road • Taco Rock • The Falls.

Beer Garden
The ROCK STAR realty group beer garden returns to this year's event, with selections from Audacious Aleworks and Solace Outpost. The beer garden will operate from 11 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. All are welcome to enter the beer garden, but only those with valid identification can purchase and consume alcohol.

Entertainment for the Entire Family
Main Stage Sponsored by ROCK STAR realty group

• 10:15 a.m. – City of Falls Church's 75th Anniversary Closing Ceremony
• 11:30 a.m. – Flashback
• 1 p.m. – Mars Rodeo
• 2:30 p.m. – Ocho de Bastos
Children's Stage Sponsored by Harris Teeter Delivery
• 11 a.m. – Marsha and the Positrons
• 12:15 p.m. – Noland's Magic
• 1:30 p.m. – Marsha and the Positrons
• 2:45 p.m. - Drew Blue Shoes Magic
10 a.m. – 4 p.m. - Children's Crafts, Pony Rides and Amusements
Event Sponsors
Thank you to the sponsors of the 2024 Falls Church Festival: • ROCK STAR realty group - Main Stage & Beer Garden Sponsor • CommuniKids - Children's Tent Sponsor • Harris Teeter Delivery - Children's Entertainment Sponsor • Capital Area Pediatrics • Center for Dentofacial Aesthetics • Ello • Falls Church Comprehensive Dentistry • Goldfish Swim School • Kitchen Saver • Renewal by Andersen • Stein Sperling Attorneys at Law • The Falls Church News Press • The Kensington Falls Church • TriVistaUSA Design and Build • Prince William Home Improvement.
Road Closures

• On Saturday, Sept. 14, portions of Little Falls St., between Park Ave. and Great Falls St., will be closed to vehicular traffic for the Falls Church Festival. No vehicular traffic will be allowed onto Little Falls St. from Park Ave. between 7 a.m. and noon. The traffic light at Little Falls St. and Park Ave. will also be on flash during this period.
• Between 7 a.m. and 10 a.m., Little Falls St. at Great Falls St. will only be accessible to Falls Church Festival and Farmers Market vendors. From 10 a.m. to noon, Little Falls St. will reopen to one-way-only traffic from Great Falls St.
• After noon, Little Falls St. will open up to all traffic in both directions.
Parking
• Primary parking for the Falls Church Festival is on select side streets and the Kaiser Permanente Garage. Please do not park in private lots. Dedicated accessible parking for the Farmers Market (8 a.m. to noon) and Falls Church Festival (10 a.m. to 4 p.m.) will be located on Great Falls St.
Pop-Up Parks Coming on PARK(ing) Day

The City of Falls Church proudly presents its annual PARK(ing) Day on Friday, September 20, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 479 S. Maple Street. PARK(ing) Day is a global annual event where parking spots typically used by cars are transformed into temporary pop-up parks to rethink the use of urban spaces. This event will enrich the community by creating an inviting streetscape and promoting activities that allow for social exchange, fun, creativity, and a rethinking of the public-right-of-way.

"Park(ing) Day is a unique and exciting opportunity to engage in the ongoing dialogue around how our cities are designed and built," says MyParkingDay.org. "It began as a guerilla art project and act of design activism in a single parking space, and has grown into a global movement, inspiring the creation of “parklets” and Covid-era “streateries” in cities across the United States and beyond."
Interested in Voting Early?
Remember, ballots for early, absentee and mail-in voting for the 2024 U.S. presidential and down-ballot elections are due to be ready by Sept. 20. See our interview with Chief Deputy Registrar for the City of Falls Church, Stacy Pilson, about "what sorts of questions people are asking the City’s Voter Registration and Elections Office at 300 Park Ave., City Hall, and what messages her office would like to disseminate to City residents during this heated time."
Accessory Dwelling Unites (ADUs) ~ Upcoming Meetings:
City residents are invited to participate in two upcoming meetings on possible updates to accessory dwelling regulations. The first meeting is on Wednesday, Sept. 25 at 6 p.m. in Council Chambers at City Hall, 300 Park Ave. For this meeting, remote participation will be available. The second meeting will take place on Sunday, Sept. 29 at 2 p.m. in the Lower Conference Room at the Mary Riley Styles Public Library at 120 N. Virginia Ave.

Sunset Cinema at Cherry Hill Park
The 21st Annual Sunset Cinema Series Presented by Renewal by Andersen continues on select Fridays and a spooky Saturday in the fall. Movies start at dusk (between 7-7:30 p.m.). Sunset Cinema is located at Cherry Hill Park at 312 Park Ave. next to the barn and playground. Arrive early to get a good spot!
Viewers are encouraged to bring blankets, bug spray, and a picnic. Drinks, popcorn and snacks will be available for purchase (cash and card). In case of inclement weather, screenings will be rescheduled to the last Friday of the month OR the following Friday evening.
- Sunset Cinema:
- Friday, September 20, 2024, 7:15 p.m. - Honey, I Shrunk the Kids

- Saturday, Oct. 26, 7:15 p.m. - Monsters University

- SweetFrog will be onsite this date selling sweet treats.
Apply for Rain Barrel Funding through RainSmart

The City of Falls Church partners with the Village Preservation and Improvement Society (VPIS) for the RainSmart Program to improve management of stormwater.
RainSmart gives funding to City residents to implement practices – like using rain barrels – that help rainwater soak into the ground on-site to prevent flooding and protect the quality of local streams and the wider Chesapeake Bay watershed. The RainSmart Program includes:
- Public education and outreach;
- Grants for rain barrel projects; and,
- Grants for rain garden and landscape conservation projects.
The grants are awarded by VPIS, giving priority to projects with the greatest stormwater benefits to the community. Grants for rain barrels will be considered on a continuing basis.
See the VPIS website for details and the application.
Recycling Extravaganza!

Saturday, October 5, 2024
- NEW LOCATION: Old Fairfax Water Building, 217 Gordon Road.
- Time: 8:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
- Open to City of Falls Church community members only; ID or other proof of residency is required.
- Residents will be asked to stay in their vehicles and allow event staff to remove items and materials directly.
Accepted at the Event
- Hazardous Household Waste (HHW) such as household cleaners, automotive fluids, herbicides, pesticides, oil-based or latex paints, fluorescent bulbs, and petroleum based products.
- Electronics like computer monitors, laptops, desktops, TV's, printers and toners. See the full list of accepted items. No kitchen appliances are accepted.
- Paper shredding – up to three boxes.
- Other items:
- Wheelchairs, walkers, and crutches;
- Bicycles;
- Clothing, accessories (like belts and purses), textiles (like bed sheets, towels, and curtains), and clean scrap cloths;
- Small kitchen appliances in good working order.
Not Accepted at the Event
- Large kitchen appliances such as refrigerators, laundry machines, or air conditioners;
- Broken small kitchen appliances, including dehumidifiers and vacuum cleaners;
- Metal kitchen items like pots and pans;
- Other medical items, such as drugs, medicine, or syringes.
Hazardous Waste Disposal
The safest and easiest way for residents to dispose of household hazardous waste is to bring it to the permanent collection facility hosted by Fairfax County (open every day of the week). Hazardous waste disposal is free of charge for all City residents. For information, call 703-324-5068 (TTY 711).
- 4618 West Ox Road Fairfax, Virginia, 22030
City Calendar for September

Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA) Meeting
Sept. 12, 7:30 p.m. at Council Chambers/Court Room. More Details.
Quarterly Meeting of the Retirement Board
Sept. 12, 6-9:00 p.m. at Dogwood Room A and B. More Details.
City Council Work Session
Sept. 16, 7:30-11:00 p.m. at Dogwood Room A and B. City Council Work Sessions are held the first and third Monday of the month, with the exception of August and December when only one meeting is held. These meetings are open to the public and are conducted to allow Council Members to discuss upcoming legislation and policy issues; the public is not generally invited to speak. Watch the meeting at www.fallschurchva.gov/CouncilMeetings or FCCTV (Cox 11, RCN 2, Verizon 35). Video will be available after the meeting both online and on FCCTV. More Details.
Economic Development Authority Meeting
Sept. 17, 7:30-10:30 p.m. at Dogwood Room, City Hall (adjacent to main entry) 300 Park Ave. Regular monthly EDA meeting. More Details.
Library Board of Trustees Meeting
Sept. 18, 6-8:00 p.m. at Upper Floor Conference Room. Regular Library Board Meeting. More Details.
Urban Forestry Commission Meeting
Sept. 18, 7:30 -9:00 p.m. at Dogwood Room A and B. Regular monthly Urban Forestry Commission meeting. More Details.
Planning Commission Meeting
Sept. 18, 7:30-10:00 p.m. at Council Chambers/Court Room. More Details.
Mayor's Agenda Meeting with Staff
Sept. 18, 8:30-9:00 a.m. at 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.
Arts and Humanities Council of Falls Church Meeting
Sept. 19, 9:30-11:00 a.m. at Dogwood Room A and B. Regular meeting of the Arts & Humanities Council of Falls Church. More Details.
Environmental Sustainability Council & Energy Transition Subcommittee Meeting
Sept. 19, 7:30-9:30 p.m. at Council Chambers/Court Room. More Details.
Housing Commission Meeting
Sept. 19, 6-7:00 p.m. at Laurel Room. More Details.
Human Services Advisory Council Meeting
Sept. 19, 6:30-8:00 p.m. at Dogwood Room A and B. More Details.
City Council Budget and Finance Committee Meeting
Sept. 20, 8:30-9:30 a.m at Oak Room. More Details.
City Council Meeting
Sept. 23, 7:30-11:00 p.m. at 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
Sept. 24, 1- 2:30 p.m. at Oak Room. More Details.
City Council Government Operations Committee Meeting
Sept. 25, 9-10:00 a.m. at Oak Room. More Details.
Mayor's Agenda Meeting with Staff
Sept. 25, 8:30-9:00 a.m. at 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
Sept. 26, 7-9:00 p.m. at City Hall. Dogwood Room A and B. More Details.
Historical Commission Meeting
Sept. 26, 2024, 7-9:00 p.m. at Dogwood Room A and B. More Details.
Citywide Notices
Court Day (General District Court)
Sept. 18, 2024, 8-2:00 p.m. at Council Chambers/Court Room. Court day in Council Chambers/Courtroom. More Details.
Court Day (Juvenile and Domestic Relations)
Sept. 24, 2024, 8-2:00 p.m.
Member discussion