
Bibliophiles Rejoice
Richard Byrd Library Book Sale a holiday bestseller.
Booklovers, bargain hunters and holiday shoppers will find the perfect gift for everyone on their holiday list at the annual Richard Byrd Library holiday book sale beginning Thursday, Nov. 29.

Brief: Greenspring Donates 800 Turkeys With Funds Raised From 10th Annual Turkey Trot
Brief: On Friday, Nov. 16, Greenspring residents and staff participated in the retirement community’s 10th Annual Turkey Trot, raising money to provide Thanksgiving turkeys to area families in need.

A Sanctuary for Cigar-Lovers
Solving world problems at Burke Cigar Shop.
“This is a place where everybody knows your name, or nickname, where we solve the world’s problem.” —Tim Jeter, a retired Fairfax County firefighter

Lorton/Springfield Calendar, Nov. 8-Nov. 18
Get out and about with these events in Lorton and Springfield.

Locals Join All-Star Line-up at Metro Cooking Show
Area specialty food entrepreneurs among the attractions at the 2012 Metropolitan Cooking and Entertaining Show.
When celebrity chefs and Food Network stars were in Washington last weekend for what has become a Super Bowl for foodies (Giada De Laurentiis, Jacques Pepin, Tom Colicchio and Gail Simmons and The Chew’s Michael Symon and Carla Hall were just some of the famous faces), some area culinary enthusiasts joined them as well.
Happy Halloween
Haunting events to round out your trick-and-treat filled evening.
Get all the treats and tricks, fright-in-the-night and boo!-filled fun to be had out of Halloween this fall with a little help from some Fairfax County seasonal events.

Vienna Halloween Parade Keeps Them Smiling
Floats, emergency vehicles, bands and costumed children set the mood for festive evening.
The weather during the 66th Annual Vienna Halloween Parade on Wednesday, Oct. 24, did not merely cooperate, it begged the community to revel in its balmy temperatures and clear skies.

Dog Day Afternoon
Greenspring celebrates 10th annual Halloween Pet Parade.
Prancing, dancing and wagging their tails, Midnight, Ladybug, Itsy & Bitsy paraded across the stage in their Halloween finery as Greenspring celebrated its 10th annual Halloween Pet Parade on Saturday, Oct. 20.

Burke Artist Launches ‘Barn Sale without the Barn’
Think "Upscale Tag Sale" of original art, vintage jewelry and everything in between.
A year ago, I read an article about this new phenomenon called "Barn Sales." These various groups of women in the suburbs of Maryland and Virginia would put all this beautiful antique and vintage furniture for sale in differently-styled vignettes. The kicker was that these vignettes were set up in different stalls of a barn. Each had a different look: Victorian here, retro there, Hollywood regency there, farmhouse chic there, with antiques throughout. As I watched all these people waiting in line eagerly to buy all these vintage and antique and "freshened" goodies, two things occurred to me. 1. The art I was making at the time would look amazing in this venue. 2. Between me and Sharon, we knew where to find or how to make almost everything in the show. On the way home I looked at her and said, "Sharon, let's have a barn sale this fall." and she said, "Where are we going to find a barn in Burke?" And we just decided we didn't need a barn. Hence the tag "Branches: the Barn Sale Without a Barn".

Lorton/Springfield Calendar, Oct. 19-Oct. 31
Get up, get out and explore before October slips away. Isn't it time for that date night, checking out all those fall flea markets you said you wanted to, and enjoying the fall weather with the family? Take your picks: rummage/yard sales, flea markets, an exhibit, a George Washington vestryman election commemoration, an art workshop, a parenting discussion on raising grateful children, one last lingering Oktoberfest to catch, Halloween bowling, a haunted trail, a zombie race, a dance benefit and a concert.

German Band Comes to West Springfield
ARTIG performs at area school.
As the drum and bass began to echo throughout the auditorium, West Springfield High School students cheered for the German band ARTIG this past Friday.

Halloween Happenings
It’s back! This year’s haunted trail winds through Clifton’s eight-acre Buckley Park on Saturday, Oct. 27 from 7-10 p.m. This year will include several new terrifying skits including re-enactments, popular scary movie scenes and plenty of frightening lighting and props. Parents should accompany children along the Trail. This year the Haunted Trail features several new and scarier skits from zombie land and the legendary headless horseman may ride by on his stallion from time to time.
Fairfax County Fall Fun Calendar
Along with the seasonal changes of fall—“sweater weather,” the oft-sighted decorative pumpkin, new menus and produce, and the swath of color across the treeline in every direction—come the fall events. Apple picking, parading through town in costume and spending time enjoying fall in Fairfax County are musts. Here are some favorite events to aid and abet your celebration of the season at hand.

Fairfax Station/Springfield, Sept. 21-26
If you're interested in a little time-on-the-town, fall fun and activity to broaden your horizons and round out your week, you're in the right place.
Fairfax Station/Springfield, Aug. 30-Sept. 9
Send notes to the Connection at south@connectionnewspapers.com or call 703-778-9416. Deadline is Friday. Dated announcements should be submitted at least two weeks prior to the event.