Around Town

A new Best Buns location opened today (Thursday) in Falls Church, serving up all-day breakfast and fried chicken sandwiches with a full-service bar.

The standalone spot in the West Falls development (265 W. Falls Station Blvd) is the Shirlington-based chain’s first to offer outdoor rooftop seating with cocktails, wine and draft beer, which sits above a grab-and-go area selling pastries, coffee, specialty sandwiches and more.


Schools

Virginia’s best public school system, middle school and elementary school are all in Falls Church or Arlington this year, according to one ranking.

Overall, Arlington Public Schools clocked in at No. 3 in the state in a new ranking from Niche, while Falls Church City Public Schools held onto its spot at No. 1.


News

Falls Church library officials are seeking to increase awareness of the rights and responsibilities of youth using their facilities.

An updated portion of the Mary Riley Styles Public Library website focused on young people “will be a really great resource for people who want to know more,” city library director Megan Dotzler said at the Sept. 16 meeting of the library’s board of trustees.


News

Falls Church officials hope that their next major sidewalk improvement project will support economic development.

City Council members plan to approve a construction contract worth up to $2.45 million today (Monday). It’s part of a $5.72 million effort upgrading sidewalks and intersections on W. Broad Street between West Street and Virginia Avenue.


Events

Two screenings of an international short film festival are coming to a Falls Church movie theater this weekend and next.

Paragon Theaters will host two screenings of the Manhattan Short Film Festival on Founders Row at 5:30 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 27 and Sunday, Oct. 4.


Around Town

A new bookstore specializing in fantasy, sci-fi and “all of your witchy needs” is getting close to opening in Falls Church.

The Dark, Unbound, in the works for over a year, has been gradually taking form at 112 W. Broad Street. A new sign for the “mystic parlor,” which plans to sell incense, herbs and candles in addition to books from diverse authors, says it’s planning to open this fall.


Around Town

A new spot for homemade ice cream, specialty cupcakes and other sweet treats has opened its doors in Falls Church.

Lil’ Cakes & Creamery opened at 120 Founders Avenue, on Founders Row, earlier this month. So far, a store employee told ARLnow, the business’s deluxe cupcakes have been particularly popular — with flavors like pumpkin salted caramel cheesecake, caramel apple pie crisp and maple pecan praline.


Around Town

A locally owned Yemeni cafe has opened its doors in Falls Church, serving spiced coffee, pastries and brunch fare from avocado toast to za’atar labneh.

Rashfa Cafe soft opened last week at 310 S. Washington Street and is planning a grand opening next month, owner and founder Abdulrahman Al Harethi told ARLnow.


News

A blueprint for an expanded network of bus rapid transit (BRT) in Northern Virginia includes three lines passing through Falls Church.

The city was the last stop on a three-month tour for Northern Virginia Transportation Authority (NVTA) CEO Monica Backmon, where she has been explaining the BRT master plan and how area governments can support it.


News

Falls Church’s efforts to mark the nation’s 250th birthday could spill into 2027.

One of the goals for 2026, improvements to Fort Taylor Park, has yet to pan out. However, leaders hope that it could be completed with the support of local Eagle Scout candidates.


News

A former youth minister in Falls Church has been indicted on federal charges related to child sex abuse.

Jeffrey Taylor, who served as youth minister at The Falls Church from 1990 to 2002, is accused of sexually abusing multiple boys that he allegedly groomed “under the guise of spiritual guidance,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia announced in a press release today (Tuesday).


Events

The Falls Church Festival is coming back for its 50th year this weekend, with music, food and a scavenger hunt.

“We’re celebrating it very much like a big bash,” Falls Church spokesperson Mary Catherine Chase told ARLnow. “We want an anniversary or a birthday party. I think that’s going to play up a whole lot, is the celebratory mood of this.”


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