Northern Virginia Fun Things To Do This Weekend, July 26-July 27

The Silver Line Is Here!

NBC 4 has a great video about Metro’s extension into Northern Virginia, which takes off today at noon (12pm).

Northern Virginia Fun Things To Do This Weekend, July 26-July 27. There are plenty of activities going on this weekend in Northern VA – aren’t there always! – but the big news for Northern Virginians this weekend is the opening of Phase 1 of WMATA’s Silver Line. The Silver Line is a 23-mile extension of the existing Metrorail system that will eventually stretch all the way to Dulles Airport. Now, you can ride from East Falls Church Metro through Tyson’s Corner, and end in Reston. Conversely, WMATA points out, the “11.7 mile segment will…provide a transfer-free ride to downtown DC on to Maryland.”

Rent a boat at Lake Anne Plaza In Reston, image, The Washington Post

Although the line does not extend to Dulles Airport yet (click here for news on Phase 2), The Washington Post has a great article about 5 excursions you will enjoy right now. Like, taking your bike to the last stop (Wiehle-Reston East) to explore the many trails in the area: Happy, Green, Blue and Washington & Old Dominion…who knew there were so many popular off road paths in Reston! Not a road enthusiast, then do your power walking at Reston Town Center where you can shop and dine to unwind.

Parking, fees and other important Silver Line notes:

• The Reston stop is the only one of the five new stops to offer a dedicated parking lot.
• At the McLean station, a temporary 700-space parking lot is open nearby for $5/day during the week, $2/day on weekends, or $90/month.
• Blue Line travelers will have fewer trains (hence, a longer wait time) to make room through the Rosslyn tunnel for the Silver Line.
• Calculate fares to and from the Silver line here
• Silver Line trains are set to run every 6 minutes during peak hours and every 12 to 20 minutes non-peak hours.
• WMATA is providing a downloadable brochure as a carry along to help with the new addition – click here to download

The other four stops are in Tyson’s Corner. Here they are with a little info about each:

• Spring Hill: now, it’s heavy on parking lots and car lots, but envision a Northern Virginia nightlife hotspot…the developers want you to, because that’s what they are planning.
• Greensboro: this will be your stop for “big-box bargain stores and affordable dining options” Also nearby is access to Solutions Drive (near SAIC) that is Solutions Drive and its many food trucks
• 

  image courtesy WMATA

  Tysons Corner: well, you know what’s here…two Macy’s, the Cheesecake Factory, Crate & Barrel, etc. But did you know, there are many “Metro” related deals to be found, like this one at At Sassoon Salon, in the Galleria (703-448-9884), 20% off a cut and color when you show your Metro card through October.

• McLean: the first of the new Silver Line stations. It connects off of the existing system and is two miles from central McLean. A quick walk to lots of employers in the area, like Capital One, Northrop Grumman and MITRE Corporation.

Other area events of note:

Pirate Fest at Lake Fairfax. Argh Matey!

Pirate Fest at Lake Fairfax Park (Saturday, 10-6). Experience life as a pirate, explore the children’s deck. Click here for ticket prices and full details.

DC Jazz Festival celebrates its 10th Anniversary at The Yards Park! Besides the events that require tickets, the Great Lawn and Basin Pool/Waterfall will be free to the public all weekend. Click here for more information.