The grounds of Cherry Hill Park played host to Falls Church’s first “Civic Jam” on Friday evening.
The event, postponed from July 3 due to severe heat, featured civic engagement activities along with fun for all ages.
Families and other groups were able to spend the evening competing for the “Civic Cup” by participating in games, completing challenges, and visiting community groups and non-profit organizations with booths at the event.
“We just really want people to enjoy themselves and connect,” said Holly Irwin, the city government’s arts and humanities coordinator, as the four-hour celebration took place.
The Civic Jam is one of the signature projects of the Falls Church 250 Committee, which has led local commemorations of the nation’s 250th birthday.
“We really want this to be a family activity,” said Jim Coyle, a member of the Economic Development Authority who leads Falls Church 250.
Organizers had planned the event to take place over Independence Day weekend, but when temperatures spiked to more than 100 degrees on July 3, the decision was made to delay.
The choice proved wise, as July 24 brought lower temperatures, less oppressive humidity and a light breeze. The change in timing also allowed the event to proceed without much competition for the local public’s attention.
“There was a lot of stuff going on that weekend,” Irwin said of Independence Day weekend.
While the July 3 festival was postponed, Falls Church residents did have the opportunity to participate in the July 4 reading of historic documents, held at the Falls Church and sponsored by the Village Improvement and Preservation Society.
The three-week delay for the Civic Jam meant that some organizations that planned to participate were unable to do so. But others took their place, Irwin said.
Among participating organizations:
- Village Improvement and Preservation Society
- Welcoming Falls Church
- The Victorian Society
- Rotary Club of Falls Church
- Northern Virginia Transportation Authority
- League of Women Voters
- Falls Church Indivisible
- Falls Church Arts
- Falls Church Recreation and Parks
- Falls Church Climate Action Network
Events related to the nation’s 250th birthday will continue through the remainder of the year, Coyle and Irwin said. They include more in the “Reflections at 250” video series, a collaboration between Falls Church 250 and Falls Church Community Television.
Also ongoing is a monthly “soapbox” series, giving the public an opportunity to discuss current and historic issues, plus programming sponsored by Mary Riley Styles Public Library.
The goal is to “continue the conversation to the end of the year,” Coyle said.
In addition, the League of Women Voters is hosting a “Democracy Rocks!” scavenger hunt through Aug. 4, designed to teach children facts about history and civics and encourage adults to vote.
Monthly walking tours of historic Oakwood Cemetery are also continuing through fall, but all spaces have been booked.
Plans continue for a “big closing out” event in December, with details yet to come, Irwin said.
