A Penny for Your Thoughts: News of Greater Falls Church

It’s going to be another busy weekend in Mason District, and it looks like the weather may cooperate. One of the exciting things about this area is that multiple opportunities exist for spending leisure time, without having to spend a lot of money. At recent community events, the conversations centered on new neighbors, and new babies, as well as chats about traffic, sidewalks, and how pleased folks are to call Mason District and Fairfax County home.

A second pop-up park in Mason District will be unveiled on Saturday, at 10 a.m. The new park is just west of the Radley Acura dealership on Columbia Pike in Bailey’s Crossroads, and easily is recognizable by the bright yellow shade structures on site. There are open areas for play, and benches and tables for more passive activities. Instead of standing vacant, the property will serve a recreational purpose in the community until redevelopment opportunities are finalized. Funding for the interim pop-up park was secured through Fairfax County’s Economic Development Support Fund.

The Crossroads pop-up park is the second on Columbia Pike. The Annandale pop-up park opened in June, and was the site of several popular Saturday programming activities throughout the summer. The Annandale park features a snazzy spinet piano for anyone who wants to tickle the ivories. (The piano will be removed for the winter months). Both pop-up parks are open during daylight hours, and are within easy walking distance of residential and business areas. Limited parking also is provided. The ceremony on Saturday morning is open to the public.

One of the most popular community activities — the Friends of the George Mason Regional Library book sale — starts today, and extends to Sunday, Sept. 29. On Sunday, most used book prices drop to half-price! The semi-annual Friends book sale always is well-attended; you may have to wait for a parking space, but it’s a terrific opportunity to find new reading material and meet your neighbors at the same time. Today’s sale hours are 3 – 9 p.m.; tomorrow 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. and Sunday noon – 5 p.m. More details are available at GeorgeMasonFriends.blogspot.com.

Also this weekend is the annual KORUS Festival, celebrating 137 years of US-Korean diplomatic relationship. The festival, which is free and open to the public, starts on Saturday at 11 a.m., and features local officials and Korean Embassy personnel on stage, followed by various entertainment and martial arts group performances. The KORUS Festival will have multiple ethnic foods for purchase, and booths for your shopping pleasure. The KORUS Festival will run through Sunday evening on the parking lot of the former Kmart store on John Marr Drive in Annandale, and is just steps away from the popular eating hall, The Block.

Next week, on Saturday, Oct. 5, the Taste of Annandale will take over Tom Davis Drive in central Annandale for the fifth year. Food trucks, two beer gardens, community booths, and entertainment on the Showmobile stage will be featured, along with children’s programs at the ACCA Child Development Center (next door to the Annandale pop-up park). A 5-K race will open the event at 9:30 a.m. For more information, visit the Taste of Annandale website at tasteofannandale.com.