F.C. Bulletin: Aug. 26, 2026
1) Virginia Village: CBC Calls for Housing Project to Focus on Lowest Incomes
2) Falls Church Arts: All-Media Exhibition 'Geometrix' Opens with Meet-the-Artists Reception, Aug. 29; Runs through Oct. 4
3) Further Explorations of the Digital Archives of Mary Riley Styles Public Library
4) Meridian H.S. Soccer Star Quill Scores First Goal in Virginia Dream FC's 2026 UPSL Fall Season
5) Notices & Announcements
Virginia Village: CBC Calls for Housing Project to Focus on Lowest Incomes
The following Aug. 24 ArlNow article is by Scott McCaffrey:
A key Falls Church civic group wants the Virginia Village affordable housing project to focus at least partly on low-income residents.
Citizens for a Better City (CBC) is calling for at least half of the new units in the project to go to those earning 30% or less of area median income (AMI). Advocates say this income bracket is “largely ignored” in the city’s existing affordable-housing efforts.
“The vast majority of the added units targeted wage-earners with incomes at the 60% AMI level — about $80,000 for a family of four in 2021,” the organization said in a recently released position paper on the Virginia Village project.
As a result, the organization said, a wide swath of those serving the community have been left out of housing efforts, including retail and hotel workers, house cleaners, janitors, kitchen staff, fast-food workers and waitstaff.
“We strongly suggest the focus be on creating opportunities primarily for lower-income wage-earners,” the organization wrote.
The organization’s recommendation comes as City Council members next month are likely to sign an interim agreement with one of three organizations that have filed development proposals for the Virginia Village site.
The city’s Economic Development Authority owns nine garden-style fourplexes on the 20-building site. Future development likely will include at least one mid-rise apartment building, with some existing units potentially retained and expanded.
The properties are located on Gibson Street, Shirley Street and S. Maple Avenue, southwest of Bowl America and the intersection of S. Maple and Annandale Road.
The commitment to 30% AMI units is just one recommendation of CBC, which has long been a force in Falls Church’s civic life. Among others:
- If city tax dollars are required to support the Virginia Village project, Falls Church leaders should “actively engage” with the community so residents understand the reasons behind the need
- Efforts should be made to “ensure that racial diversity is increased” as a result of affordable-housing initiatives
- City officials should seek extensions for existing affordable housing where the requirement to keep units affordable is about to expire
“Expanded affordable housing at Virginia Village should not be offset by the loss of existing units,” the memo says. It points to the expiration next year of an affordability requirement on 96 units of existing housing.
For the past five years, CBC has worked to encourage city leaders to increase the stock of affordable housing in the city.
In 2021, the organization joined with the League of Women Voters of Falls Church for a series of community discussions on the topic.
“The key conclusion was that there needed to be a major expansion in the amount of affordable-housing opportunities, along with an overarching objective of bringing about increased economic and racial diversity,” the CBC position paper said.
Selection committee aims to wrap up this week
The committee evaluating three affordable-housing proposals for the Virginia Village site in Falls Church expects to complete its work this week.
“The hope is we will be completed by the 27th,” said City Council member Marybeth Connelly, who chairs the seven-member Virginia Village Proposals Evaluation Committee.
She was speaking on Aug. 20, when committee members spent two hours behind closed doors, evaluating proposals by True Ground Housing Partners, Urban Atlantic Development and Homes for America.
The three organizations were the only ones submitting applications for redevelopment of the nine fourplex apartment buildings on the Virginia Village site. The city government on June 30 requested proposals from potential partners, which were due by Aug. 6.
Also on Aug. 6, the evaluation committee, set up by the City Council, held its first meeting.
Members of the evaluation committee are expected to meet on Wednesday (Aug. 26) for three hours, conducting interviews with the applicants.
A final meeting is expected Thursday (Aug. 27) from 5:30-7:30 p.m., when the panel will select a preferred partner and forward the recommendation to the City Council.
Council members will discuss the recommendations at their meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 8. Once Council members determine a preferred partner and sign an interim development agreement, the evaluation committee will be disbanded.
In addition to Connelly, members of the panel include:
- Economic Development Authority: Jim Coyle
- Planning Commission: Phil Duncan (selected as vice chair)
- Housing Commission: Sara Silverstein Ferrara
- City staff: David So (finance director), Cindy Mester (community relations and legislative-affairs director) and Matt Mattauszek (director of planning)
Efforts by Council member David Snyder to include representation from both Virginia Village residents and an adjacent neighborhood were rebuffed by his colleagues.
Next Virginia Village Proposals Evaluation Committee Meeting, Thurs. Aug. 27
Final Virginia Village Proposals Evaluation Committee Meeting
Thursday, Aug. 27, 5:30-7:00 p.m., City Hall, Lower Level, Laurel Room, 300 Park Ave.
This meeting will start in open session. A portion of the Committee’s meeting will be spent in closed session pursuant to VA Code § 2.2-3711.29. Discussion of the award of a public contract involving the expenditure of public funds, including interviews of bidders or offerors, and discussion of the terms or scope of such contract, where discussion in an open session would adversely affect the bargaining position or negotiating strategy of the public body specifically for consultation with the City’s real estate consultant, JLL, regarding guidelines and process for reviewing the Virginia Village RFP responses, including discussion of terms or scope of possible contract.
Join open meeting online via Microsoft Teams: https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/251812871961696?p=HoO1EalY9nDT7ySzp5.
For our recent reporting on Virginia Village, see our stories below:
Christopher Jones
Christopher Jones
Christopher Jones
Falls Church Arts: All-Media Exhibition 'Geometrix' Opens with Meet-the-Artists Reception, Aug. 29; Runs through Oct. 4
Geometrix, a dynamic all-media exhibition that explores the power of shape, structure, and form, will open on Saturday, Aug. 29, from 7:00-9:00 p.m. with a Meet-the-Artists Reception. From bold abstractions to intricate patterns, the exhibit showcases how artists use lines, angles, curves, and repeated forms to interpret both the natural and built world.
Geometrix features 60 works selected from 232 submissions, highlighting the remarkable talent and creativity of the region's artists. The exhibition includes an impressive range of media, including oil, acrylic, watercolor, gouache, photography, collage, ceramics, sculpture, drawing, metalwork, and fiber art.
Geometrix
all media
Works that explore the power of shape, structure, and form. From bold abstractions to delicate patterns, this exhibit celebrates geometry in all its dimensions. Artists explore how lines, angles, and curves shape both our art and our world.
Juror: Sherry Trachtman
Reflecting on the jurying process, Trachtman noted the extraordinary diversity and quality of the submissions: "Only a show with a theme can bring together such diversity! I loved how the artists found geometry in nature, objects, grids, repeated forms, light and shadow and more. This crowd really sees!"
Sherry Trachtman: has maintained a studio in Arlington for over 40 years, and has worked in 3-D Assemblage, and 2-D Collage for the last 20 years. She received both her BA in Design and MFA in Painting from American University. Sherry served on the Fine Arts Faculty of Northern Va. Community College, Alexandria, for 32 years. She's honored to have been awarded Professor Emerita upon her retirement. Her responsibilities at NOVA included jurying the annual fine art student shows and curating shows by outside artists.
While teaching, Sherry participated in three international faculty exchange shows in Korea and the UK and, since retiring, has had solo shows at Barry Gallery, Marymount U., Passage Gallery, and NOVA, as well as a two-person show with Jenny Wu at Fred Schnider Gallery, Arlington, favorably reviewed by Mark Jenkins for the Washington Post.
Since 2017, Sherry has been a Signature Member of the National Collage Society. She has exhibited in their two Annual Juried Shows in many states throughout the USA and has won two national awards. She has participated in several Invitational Shows at venues including the Virginia Quilt Museum, The Workhouse Arts Center, MOCA, the Atheneum, and Women Artists of the DMV at Falls Church Arts.
Visitors are also invited to participate in selecting the People's Choice Award by voting in the gallery before September 18.
Geometrix will be on view Aug. 29 through Oct. 4, 2026, at the Falls Church Arts gallery, located at 700-B West Broad Street (Route 7), Falls Church, Va. Gallery hours are Tuesday–Friday, 11:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m.; Saturday, 9:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.; and Sunday, 11:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.
All exhibited artwork is available for purchase both at the gallery and online at https://www.fallschurcharts.org.
Come experience an inspiring collection that reveals the many ways geometry shapes our art — and the world around us!
Further Explorations of the Digital Archives of Mary Riley Styles Public Library
Have you explored Mary Riley Styles Public Library's Digital Archives yet? They're fascinating.
Here are some samples from the archives that allow browsers to search and view "historic photographs and maps from the Falls Church History Room's extensive print and negative collection from the 1860s through the present, focusing on the City of Falls Church and some neighboring communities."
"Notable local photographers include Quentin R. Porter, H.H, Douglas, and William Edmund Barrett," the Falls Church City's award-winning library says. "Also included are more than 1000 photographs from a 1995 review and documentation of Falls Church historic homes conducted 1995."
Meridian H.S. Soccer Star Quill Scores First Goal in Virginia Dream FC's 2026 UPSL Fall Season
Falls Church, VA – After a postponement of the season opener match due to weather, Virginia Dream FC was away at Los Toros this past Sunday. This game marked a historic first for the team. Declan Quill, a 2021 Meridian High School graduate and soccer star captain, is the first Meridian athlete to put on Virginia Dream’s kit and play in a match.
And it did not take long for Quill to make a huge impact! Just one minute into the game, Quill scored his first goal with a sublime left footed strike into the back of the net and followed that up just 10 minutes later with a great assist to Diarra Zoumana, the previous two seasons’ Golden Boot winner.
Although Virginia Dream dominated the game, a couple of defensive mistakes led to a 2-2 final result.
The next UPSL home match is this Sunday, Aug. 30 against undefeated Bowley’s Athletics.
Here's a clip of Declan Quill scoring twice in a match for Virginia Tech last year.
And, a compilation of a few of Quill's many accolades playing for the Meridian H.S.'s Mustangs:
For the third consecutive year, the team has been accepted into the qualifying rounds of the US Open Cup and will start those matches in mid-September. In the previous two editions of the US Open Cup Virginia Dream FC defeated two fully professional teams; Richmond Kickers in 2025 and Carolina Core in 2026!
For updates and more information, visit: https://www.instagram.com/virginiadreamfc.
Virginia Dream's 2026 UPSL schedule:
Virginia Dream FC is a Falls Church-based semi-professional soccer club founded in 2022 with a mission to remove financial barriers by covering all player costs. Competing at a high level across national leagues, the club blends elite competition with community impact, creativity, and culture. Virginia Dream FC has gained national recognition through its U.S. Open Cup performances and growing digital audience.
Virginia Dream FC Releases 2026 Dream Club Membership
Virginia Dream FC’s 2026 DREAM CLUB MEMBERSHIP is now available!
Dream Club Membership perks include:
- Free entry to all 2026 NPSL HOME regular season and post season matches.
- Free entry to all 2026 Spring and Fall UPSL regular season and post season matches.
- Dream Club Membership Limited Edition Item.
- Meet and Greet autograph session with players.
This Hot Deal is promoted by Falls Church Chamber of Commerce.
Go to: https://www.virginiadreamfc.com/dreamclubmembership. To join and become a Virginia Dream FC Member! For updated team information go here.
Virginia Dream FC: (703) 470-2043; Send Email; Visit Website.
Notices & Announcements
Final Days for Falls Church's First-Ever Summer Restaurant Week, Now Through Sunday, Aug. 30
For the first time ever, Falls Church will be hosting a Summer Restaurant Week, from Friday, Aug. 21 through Sunday, Aug. 30.
Here's a pitch from Mayor Letty Hardi for Falls Church's very first Summer Restaurant week!
This year's event features 80 participating restaurants offering prix-fixe menus, exclusive specials, and unique dining experiences.
While Falls Church spans just 2.2 square miles, it's home to one of the region's most diverse culinary scenes, with restaurants serving everything from Afghan and Bolivian to Italian, Thai, Vietnamese, Salvadoran, Ethiopian, and more.
Check out Ellie Bird's recent guest appearance on ABC News 7's Good Morning Washington, teasing their special Summer Restaurant Week menu:
Good Morning Washington
Guests can also take part in the Restaurant Week Passport, visiting at least eight participating restaurants for a chance to win one of three $100 restaurant gift cards.
You can find participating restaurants, specials, and event details at fallschurchrw.com.
2026 Falls Church Arts Plein Air Festival Runs Aug. 29 - Sept. 25
Web Curator
Here's a 2024 story we published profiling what the festival is all about!
Christopher Jones
Falls Church Forward's Upcoming Activities
4th Annual Community Potluck, August Happy Hour, FCF Fundraiser, and New Website
Happy August, Falls Church Forward,
We hope you've been enjoying summer! We've been busy reading through grant applications (there were over 30 gatherings proposed!) and planning some fun events that will take us through the end of this year. See below for updates and ways to get involved:
FCF 4th Annual Community Potluck, Sunday, August 16, 4:00 p.m.-6:00 p.m. at Cherry Hill Park Picnic Shelter, 312 Park Ave, Falls Church.
T-6 days until we gather for our annual FCF potluck event. RSVP to let us know you’re coming and what you can bring to share! Do you play an instrument? If so, bring it along for a jam sesh in the park. We'll also have an opportunity to build a fun project that we'll use at an event later this year. RSVP here!
August Happy Hour, Thursday, Aug. 20, 6:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m., Stratford Garden, 300 W. Broad St., Falls Church.
Join us for our monthly happy hour! This will be a no agenda, come-as-you-are event to meet fellow members and friends! We'll gather in the beer garden.
SAVE THE DATES!
• FCF Fundraiser, Sunday, Sept. 27, 3:00-6:00 p.m., Audacious Aleworks Brewery, Details TBA.
• FCF Halloween Bike Parade, Sunday, Oct. 25, 3:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m., Location and Details TBA.
FCF's New Website:
We rebuilt our website and our new website is live! Now it does things you can't get anywhere else.
The City Meeting Hub has plain-English summaries of 460 (and counting) Council and Board meetings, and posts new meetings within hours – not the weeks official minutes take. Want to be notified every time a new meeting summary or upcoming agenda drops? Sign up for the FCF Discord!
Ask the Archive answers questions directly from thousands of city documents collected over decades of history in the city — meeting summaries, minutes, budgets, the zoning code, with sources linked. Try it out with, “What's recently been top of mind for the City Council?”
Stay in tune with the FCF news, and be sure to check out our calendar to see what’s coming up next!
Cheers,
Pat, Evan, Naudy, Andrea, Letty, Ross, and Justine
Falls Church Forward is "a coalition of Falls Church residents and civic leaders coming together as active, vocal advocates — backing the policies, projects, and programs that make our home more welcoming, more vibrant, and more sustainable for the long run."
Tickets on Sale for Little City Concerts Fall Season
From Founder & Composer of Little City Concerts, Stephen Gorbos:
A quick end-of-summer note with some good news: tickets are now on sale for all four of our Little City Concerts this season!
You can visit our website to explore the full season and purchase individual tickets or discounted season tickets (20% off). Students and youth always attend free; we just ask that you register for a ticket so we know you're coming.
And if you’re new to Little City Concerts — or need a reminder of what makes us a little different — here’s what we’re all about:
Every concert begins with a local artist and an issue or cause that matters to them. We build the program around that connection, and then partner with a local nonprofit doing work in that area. Half of every ticket sold goes directly to that nonprofit.
Four Upcoming Shows This Season:
October 3 ~ Christylez Bacon & Qi Yu
Hip-hop artist Christylez Bacon and traditional Chinese musician Qi Yu are joined by the Oak Street Elementary School Choir. Half of your ticket purchase will support the Falls Church Education Foundation’s Family Assistance Fund.
November 21 ~ Sound Impact
A string quartet from Sound Impact presents an evening that brings together music and their work with incarcerated youth through their Use Your Voice program. Some graduates of the program will participate in the concert as well. For the first time, our musicians are also our nonprofit partner!
January 30 ~ Sam Post
Pianist and composer Sam Post presents an environmentally-themed program featuring Robert Schumann alongside new music written for the occasion. Earlier that day, Sam will lead our second Young Pianists Masterclass for area high school students, with some participants selected to open the evening concert. Our nonprofit partner is the Falls Church Climate Action Network.
April 3 ~ Ashi Day: Wolf at the Door
Our season concludes with the premiere of a new work commissioned from composer Ashi Day, exploring the domestication of wolves during an earlier period of climate upheaval. Balance Campaign returns as our ensemble, joined by four extraordinary singers — and, if all goes according to plan, some special canine guests from our nonprofit partner, Heeling House, which trains and places service dogs with children with disabilities.
Over our first three years, this model has allowed Little City Concerts to put more than $30,000 directly into the hands of local DMV artists while donating more than $6,500 to local nonprofit partners.
We're an entirely volunteer-run organization, and we rely on the generosity of our audience, along with support from arts councils, foundations, and local businesses, to make these concerts possible.
Buying a ticket is already a wonderful way to support us. If you’d like to do a little more, we’d also be grateful if you would consider making a donation. Every contribution helps us continue paying artists fairly, supporting local nonprofits, and bringing these unusual musical collaborations to our community.
For ticket purchases go here. To donate to the nonprofit Little City Concerts go here.
In our July 28 article on Falls Church's 'Civic Jam,' we met Founder and Composer of Little City Concerts, Stephen Gorbos at an information table. Here's an excerpt:
"Strolling through the community booths we stopped to chat with Founder and Board President of Little City Concerts, composer Stephen Gorbos. 'What’s the latest?,' we asked. 'We want to get the message out about our upcoming season. We’ve got some amazing collaborations with some great nonprofit organizations,' Gorbos said. 'All of our concerts are framed around a social justice issue that we work on with the artists we partner with. They’re as local as possible and nonprofit and we donate half the ticket sales to them. So, we’ve got some great collaborations including our second commission coming up this year.'"
For a few of our recent stories on Little City Concerts, see below:
Christopher Jones
Christopher Jones
Cherry Hill Park's Sunset Cinema Series: Next Up, Hoppers and Jumanji
The Annual Sunset Cinema Series brings monthly outdoor films to Cherry Hill Park from August to October at dusk (between 6:45–7:45 p.m.). Arrive early to secure a good spot! Pack a blanket, bug spray, and a picnic.
Leashed, well-behaved dogs are welcome — please be courteous of others while enjoying the movie with your furry friend.
Drinks, popcorn, and snacks available for purchase (cash or card) from the Recreation and Parks Department. Additional food vendors will be onsite selling treats and food starting one hour before each movie begins.
Sunset Cinema Series
Mark your calendars!
Friday, Sept. 25
Movie: Hoppers (2026) PG
Start Time: 7:15 p.m.
Food Trucks Onsite: Kaziville (Burgers and hotdogs), Mr. Flavors (Ice cream & sweets)
Friday, Oct. 16
Movie: Jumanji (1995) PG
Start Time: 6:45 p.m.
Food Trucks Onsite: Kaziville (Burgers and hotdogs), Mr. Flavors (Ice cream & sweets)
Inclement Weather
City of Falls Church staff will announce any weather related cancellations and reschedules as soon as possible the day of the event. In case of inclement weather, screenings will be rescheduled for the following Friday evening.
For Inclement Weather Updates, call 703-248-5027 (TTY 711).
Hidden American History
at Mary Riley Styles Public Library
Sunday, Aug. 30
Date: Sunday, Aug. 30, 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Location: Mary Riley Styles, 120 N. Virginia Ave., Main Level Conference Room
Join historical researcher Steven Bost for an illuminating look at some "hidden" American history!
- You know about Martin Luther King, Jr.'s dream... but have you ever heard about the woman activist whose organizing skills helped make King's speech audible to millions?
- Everyone knows about Benedict Arnold's treachery during the Revolutionary War, but did you ever learn about his earlier battle victories for the United States?
- Jack Daniel's whiskey is famous around the world, but did you know about the enslaved person who helped him perfect his recipe?
Celebrate the nation's 250th anniversary by learning about these figures – and more! – at this entertaining history talk.
About the Presenter
Steven Bost – a Falls Church transplant – is an historical re-enactor, urban explorer, and Washington, D.C., tour guide. He has been a stand-up comedian, sketch comedy writer/performer, and an award-winning playwright who spends his spare time roaming battlefields and hunting ghosts. Ultimately, he's happiest in the seat of the Quizmaster, and in his almost two decades as a trivia researcher and presenter, he's covered every topic you can imagine, from Antietam to Zootopia, bringing a uniquely curious approach to the odd, the obscure, and the overlooked.
City of Falls Church 250
The year 2026 marks the 250th anniversary, or Semiquincentennial, of the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776, marking the formal founding of the United States. This national milestone is an opportunity to reflect on the country's founding, honor its diverse history, and explore how the American story continues to evolve. Communities across the nation, including the City of Falls Church, will host events, programs, and projects to commemorate the occasion and engage people in meaningful conversations about the past, present, and future of the United States.
Contact: e-mail:Paula Hawkins.
To register go here.
Guitar Renegades Concert
Cherry Hill Farmhouse
Cherry Hill Farmhouse, 312 Park Ave. August 29, 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. Free, registration required.
Join Guitar Renegades as they explore a wide-ranging repertoire — from Bach and Jobim to Simon & Garfunkel, Nirvana, and The Beatles. Blending the precision of a classical guitar ensemble with the spontaneity of jazz improvisation, their performances balance intricate arrangements with dynamic, improvised moments.
Brought to you by Levine Music. Admission is free. Email hirwin@fallschurchva.gov to register.
By Christopher Jones
Member discussion