F.C. Bulletin: Nov. Council Races; Letters; Little City Concerts; 3coFest
November's Falls Church City Council Race: Six Candidates Running for Four Seats
How would you like the City Council to look this fall?
In this November's city-wide elections, four City Council seats are currently open and the City's Elections Office has confirmed "there will be six candidates on the ballot for those seats in the November elections," according to The Falls Church Pulse. "Three current City Council members are running again, but Vice Mayor Debora Schantz-Hiscott has decided not to pursue another term."
Here are the current City Council members:
Council members Downs, Snyder, and Connelly will be running again in November, and candidates Arthur H. Agin, Brian W. Pendleton, and James C. Thompson, Jr. have qualified to be placed on the ballot.
See The Pulse's article fleshing out the candidates here:
Peng Highnam
Letter-to-the-Editor: Praise for 'No Kings Day Rally' Coverage
Dear Falls Church Independent,
While it may not be customary for you to receive a thank you note for your coverage, it is with a bit of amazement and awe that we saw your coverage of the Democracy Falls Church sponsored "No Kings" event June 14 – the very next day!
That your coverage included interviews with participants, innumerable photos while also capturing the importance, context and flavor of the event signaled an all-night effort to your rapidly growing fans and subscribers.
Please count Democracy Falls Church among your appreciative admirers and we will be pleased to pass the word about your wonderful publication!
Sincerely,
Ben Allard
Founder, Democracy Falls Church
Here's our article on the June 14 "No Kings Day Rally" in Falls Church:
Christopher Jones
Falls Church's Little City Concerts Releases 2025/2026 Performances, Dates
We were excited to see that local social justice-oriented Little City Concerts (LCC) has just announced its lineup for the 2025/2026 season, starting Sept. 20.
If you haven't heard of LCC, here's what they're all about:
"Little City Concerts, founded in the summer of 2023 by composer and Falls Church City resident Stephen Gorbos, seeks to present musical events of depth and distinction to Falls Church City, Va. Rooted in a contemporary/experimental aesthetic, events that aim to educate and inform are focused on newly composed music, alongside refreshing takes on older repertoire. Each concert is connected with a social justice theme, and a portion of ticket sales are donated to a specific charity connected with that theme. Little City Concerts is committed to presenting artists and repertoire that reflect the talent and diversity present in Falls Church City, Va. Artists presented have some connection to the larger Washington, D.C. metropolitan area."
"It's a very exciting day at Little City Concerts: we just released the names/dates of our performers for next season, which I'm so excited to share with you! (see flyer below)," said Gorbos. "Mark your calendars and join us in Falls Church City! Here's our lineup for next year:"
Saturday, Sept. 20: Nen Daiko. We're starting the season with a bang... literally. Nen Daiko is a taiko ensemble, which is a Japanese drumming tradition that involves a dynamic combination of drumming and movement.
Saturday, Nov. 22: Pianist Mary Voutsas and Friends. A tribute for trans remembrance: in memory of Sam Nordquist. Falls Church City's own Mary Voutsas will partner with several other performers in a sombre program that will also feature a visual artist painting live during the concert.
Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026: Bridge Voices performing the Pulitzer prize-winning work The Little Match Girl Passion by David Lang. David Lang's piece weaves Hans Christian Anderson's story with the text from Bach's St. Matthew Passion. For four singers playing percussion.
Saturday, April 18, 2026: 9th Street Quartet performing a program themed around the idea of home, featuring Kevin Puts' string quartet Home, along with a new quartet by Little City Concerts' own Stephen Gorbos.
We've also opened up sales for Season Tickets, which we are pleased to offer at a 20 percent discounted price from buying the four concerts individually. If you're interested, click this link to our ticket platform where you can purchase a ticket to all four concerts for $80, rather than the full-price $100. Like previous years, youth and anyone with a student ID gets in free (we just ask that you register them in our ticket system prior to the concert so they're accounted for in our demographics). We will continue to partner with The Falls Church Episcopal for our entire season: all of our concerts will again take place in their lovely modern sanctuary.
We'll have more details rolling out in the next few weeks, such as our exciting list of nonprofit partners for the year, and how each one connects to the theme of their respective concert feature. We'll also have a lot more to say about the artists we're working with, and will profile them on our social media channels (check us out on Facebook and Instagram if you use those platforms).
Thank you again for supporting bringing great music and social justice causes together in Falls Church City!
Sincerely,
~ Steve Gorbos, Founder & Director, Little City Concerts
For more in-depth coverage of Little City Concerts, see our recent articles below:
Christopher Jones
Christopher Jones
Three Collective Celebrates Grand Opening with a Wonderland-Inspired Preview and Community Festival, 3coFest
Have you ever heard of so many residential amenities and such wild real-estate celebrations?
After our June 5 real estate story on the spectacular Wonderland-themed soft opening celebration of the new "adaptive reuse community," held by Three Collective (3co), in Baileys Crossroads – where they've opened 675 "flexidential" apartments, replacing office spaces in three large towers at 5203 Leesburg Pike – we received this 3co press release highlighting their follow-up 3coFest grand opening celebration on June 14.
Here's their June 24 press release:
Three Collective (3co), the new flexidential community redefining residential living in Falls Church, marked its grand opening with two distinct celebrations that showcased the creative spirit of its residents and surrounding neighborhood.
With local government, business and style leaders in attendance, the Grand Opening event took place on Thursday, May 29 with a Wonderland-themed evening, which highlighted the creativity of the community with an immersive experience for more than 200 guests. Guests were welcomed by the Queen of Hearts outfitter, dressed in a ball gown made of champagne flutes. Whimsical decor, including giant flowers, mushrooms and playing cards enhanced the already playfully designed community. Guests were treated to a curation of mind-bending activities including aura photography, tea leaf readings, roaming portrait artists and acrobatic performers. Catered delights leaned into the theme with playful touches like potion bottles labeled “drink me” and desserts tagged “eat me.” The Social Kitchen became a lively cocktail lounge, featuring custom drinks and music by resident DJ Easy.
Throughout the evening, guests explored 3co’s dynamic amenity spaces including coworking lounges, art studios, podcast booths, bowling lanes, and more, while learning about the community’s resident-first lifestyle from team members.
On Saturday, June 14, Three Collective welcomed the wider Falls Church community for 3coFest, a free afternoon festival celebrating local talent, creativity, and connection. Hosted by resident activators Woofbowl, Noelia Voigt, and Frank Grimsley, 3coFest featured over 20 local makers and artisans, including Dunnie O, Sophie Blake, Black Nerd Coffee, AJM Kimchi, CADŌ, Crescent Clay, and more.
Guests enjoyed grilling demos and tastings from Chef Christopher Eley, professional pet portraits by Happy Paws Photography, and dog-friendly activations, including a snuffle mat station and healthy treats. Operation Paws for Homes was onsite with adoptable dogs and a donation drive, adding a meaningful rescue component to the festivities.
Together, these two celebrations offered a first look at how Three Collective is building a bold, imaginative space for today’s creative class with flexible living options, vibrant community programming, and thoughtful design throughout.
Here's a video recap for the Wonderland Event.
About Three Collective
Three Collective (3co) is a modern flexidential community in Falls Church offering 675 thoughtfully designed live/work loft residences with spacious layouts, modern finishes, and oversized windows. Residents enjoy an unmatched lineup of creative amenities including coworking spaces, recording and photo studios, VR arcade, bowling lounge, art and maker studios, indoor dog park, demonstration kitchen, and sky cinema. With direct access to nearby retail and just minutes from Washington, D.C., Three Collective blends inspired design, community connection, and everyday convenience for today’s creative class.
By Christopher Jones
Member discussion