What's New: Your Guide to 2025 in Fairfax County

With a fresh new year comes a fresh new perspective – and some pretty incredible things to look forward to here in Fairfax County.

Here’s a preview of what’s new in 2025 in Fairfax County. What are you most excited about for the new year?

 

Pick Your Interest:

Historic Sites & Museums | Parks & Recreation | Special Events | Hotels | Food & Drink | DC

 

New Exhibits at Historic Sites & Museums:

 

• To lead up to America’s 250th Anniversary in 2026, George Washington’s Mount Vernon will be creating a new pathway of living history with its upcoming Revolutionary War Encampment, expected to debut in March 2025. Visitors can see how soldiers, officers, and camp followers lived during the Revolution and encampment interpreters will be on hand to answer questions.  
  • Note that during 2025, George Washington’s Mount Vernon is embarking on a landmark preservation project to safeguard the Mansion for future generations and to prepare for America’s huge 250th Anniversary in 2026. Several rooms in the mansion will be under construction throughout the year, but the mansion tour will now include several outbuildings and a virtual tour that allows you to see the rooms that are currently off-view. Additionally, the Education Center is off-view for an extensive renovation that will see an all-new experience open in 2026. Learn more and plan your visit accordingly here.
     
• The National Museum of the United States Army is unveiling a new exhibit starting June 2025 curated specifically for the U.S. Army’s 250th Birthday (June 14, 2025) and ahead of America’s 250th Anniversary commemoration, which kicks off in 2026. The exhibit, called CALL TO Arms: The Soldier and the Revolutionary War, features more than 280 artifacts and more than 5,000 sq. ft. of stories.
   
• Now on display at the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, Star Wars fans can check out one of the actual T-70 X-wing drones that took flight over Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Walt Disney World Resort.
   
• Historic Huntley, the 19th-century home of George Mason’s grandson and the former mayor of Alexandria Thomson Francis Mason, will be celebrating 200 years in 2025. Historic Huntley is located on the same parkland as Huntley Meadows Park.
   
• The Workhouse Arts Center has rebranded its on-site museum to the Lorton Prison Museum and Lucy Burns Gallery. Open most weekends, the museum highlights the 90+ years of prison history at this former correctional facility turned vibrant arts haven and explores the integral ties to the women’s suffrage movement.
   

Parks & Recreation:

• Huntley Meadows Park, one of the top spots for wildlife viewing in the region, will celebrate its 50th Anniversary in 2025. Special events will take place throughout the year.
   
• CitySwing, a woman-founded and Black-owned business, opened at Reston Town Center in mid-2024, bringing an immersive indoor golf experience through top-notch golf simulation technology to players of all skill levels. Visitors can also enjoy a fashionable lobby lounge with a food menu and full bar, including spirits from neighboring Open Road Distilling Co., a new-ish distillery and restaurant in Reston.
   
• Level99 will be opening at Tysons Corner Center in 2025 as a first-of-its-kind destination for adults featuring real-world, interactive, social gaming with over 50 physical and mental challenges set in immersive, artistic environments. The space will include installations from local artists, opportunities for groups and player-vs-player and a food and beverage area serving various handcrafted menu items.
   
• Movement Fairfax, opening late 2025, will be a place for people to come together and share their passion for adventure through climbing and fitness. Featuring 37,000+ square feet of climbing, yoga, and fitness, plus 27,000+ square feet of climbing terrain, and more, Movement Fairfax will be conveniently located right off I-66 at the Fair Oaks Mall.
   
• In summer 2025, Puttshack will be bringing its indoor, nightlife-vibe, tech-infused mini-golf experience to Reston Station. And once the game is done, Puttshack’s globally inspired, mixologist-obsessed signature bar and restaurant will be waiting.
   
• At Lake Fairfax, in partnership with the NHL’s Washington Capitals, Fairfax County Park Authority welcomed a new, outdoor in-line skating rink ideal for both roller hockey and skating that is open for general use when not reserved. The rink is just the newest addition at this popular park that already offers a pump track, a skatepark, a waterpark, and a myriad of hiking, boating, camping, and biking opportunities.
   
• SkyZone will add another trampoline park and entertainment center to its portfolio when its newest location opens in Chantilly in 2025.

 

Special Events:

Photo: Matt Beard © 2017 Cirque du Soleil
 

• Woodlawn and Pope-Leighey House’s annual Needlework Show will be celebrating 50 years of Nelly’s Needlers during the month of March.
   
• The inaugural Bull Run Wine Festival at The Winery at Bull Run will debut on May 31 – June 1, 2025 and will feature various wineries in the Fairfax County, Prince William, and other Northern Virginia localities. The event will also feature live music, food trucks, vendors, and more.
   
• Virginialicious, a local woman-owned company, has started exclusive food tours of Annandale's Korean food scene, exploring the food, the culture, and the community that helps establish Annandale as some of the best Korean food in the United States.
   
• Cirque du Soleil returns to the Big Top at Tysons with its spectacular touring show, LUZIA, from September 6 – October 19, 2025.
   
• Ahead of America’s 250th Anniversary in 2026, Fairfax County is gearing up with early celebrations and activities, including an interactive “mobile experience” that will travel around the County starting in Fall of 2025, showcasing Fairfax County’s past, present, and future. Additionally, the United States Army is celebrating its 250th Birthday in June of 2025, followed by the United States Marines in November 2025.
   

 

Hotels:

 

• In January 2025, a dual property AC Marriott & Residence Inn Reston will open adjacent to the Reston Town Center, featuring a 120-room Residence Inn and a 147-room AC Marriott. The hotels will be located near the Reston Town Center Metrorail station and will share a lobby, a standalone restaurant, SEVEN, and a rooftop bar and lounge. 
   
• Virginia’s first J.W. Marriott property will open in late 2025 at Reston Station, a bustling lifestyle center adjacent to the Wiehle-Reston East Metrorail station. The 26-story hotel will include 243 guest rooms and 94 upscale condos, plus two restaurants and luxury amenities.

 

Food & Drink:

Neutral Ground Bar + Kitchen

Fairfax County’s culinary scene is bursting with news about new restaurant openings, new breweries, and more food and beverage offerings. Here is just a sample of what has just arrived and what's coming in 2025:

• Bunnyman Brewing Co., a self-serve brewery concept whose namesake is derived from an evocative urban legend, opened its highly anticipated second location on the campus of Lorton’s Workhouse Arts Center, a former prison with direct ties to the local legend itself. This gives visitors to the Workhouse options for food and drink for the first time.
   
• Negus Winery and Meadery recently opened, becoming the first and only honey wine-tasting room in the U.S. The small winery features Ethiopian Honey Wine (Tej) made on the premises.
   
• River Sea Chocolate Factory is set to open its Reston expansion in early 2025, offering production tours, chocolate demonstrations, classes and more at this sister-site to the original Chantilly café. In other River Sea news, a recent collaboration with Capital One now sees its handcrafted mini chocolate bars in select Capital One Lounges at major international airports around the country, including Washington Dulles International, Dallas/Fort Worth International, and Denver International. Each of the bars has been thoughtfully crafted to reflect the unique flavors of the region, from Smoked Salt Milk Chocolate in Dallas to Mountain Peach and Hops in Denver. Washington, of course, offers a Cherry Blossom dark chocolate blend.
   
• Key Restaurant Openings:
  • Neutral Ground Bar + Kitchen – the first full-service restaurant from celebrity chef David Guas opened in McLean in mid-2024
  • Peter Chang Herndon – a new tapas concept from James Beard Award Finalist and prolific Chef Peter Chang opened in Herndon in mid-2024
  • The Carnegie Diner – a new expansion for the New York City classic diner opened in Vienna in mid-2024
  • Elyse – an exclusive, 30-seat tasting menu concept from award-winning Chef Jon Krinn, located speakeasy style in the City of Fairfax opened in late 2024
  • Modan – an upscale, chic Japanese fine dining restaurant serving Omakase offerings, caviar service, and a menu that utilizes a proprietary in-house dry aging program that opened in Tysons in November 2024
  • Sisters Thai – the largest and newest location of this aesthetically-stunning Thai café concept opened at Capital One Center in Tysons in December 2024
  • Call Your Mother – two new locations of this popular neighborhood bagel shop and deli opened in Fairfax County in late 2024, with another on the way in 2025
  • Stupid Good BBQ – the newest concept from the popular Great American Restaurants group opened in December 2024 in Springfield offering slow-cooked barbecue and delectable comfort foods
  • SEVEN Restaurant – European-inspired cuisine with Latin American flair will be on the menu at SEVEN Restaurant, a new concept from Executive Chef Alexis Hernandez and located in the lobby level of the new AC Hotel & Residence Inn by Marriott Reston, opening in January 2025
  • Electric Bull Steakhouse – a boutique South American steakhouse by famed Chef Victor Albisu will open in Vienna in Summer of 2025
  • Ruthie’s All Day – a second location for the popular comfort food eatery will open at Fairfax Corner in Fall of 2025
  • Ebbitt House - the first ever expansion of Washington, DC’s world-famous Old Ebbitt Grill, opening in Reston in 2025
  • The Salty Donut – a Miami-based small-batch donut shop will open its first Virginia location in 2025
  • Corsica Wine Bar – showcasing small plates and appetizers from the island of Corsica and an extensive wine and cocktail list, this sister concept of Barcelona Wine Bar will open in Reston in 2025

 

Major Events in Nearby Washington, DC:

 

• January 2025 – The Presidential Inauguration will take place on January 20, 2025 at the U.S. Capitol. For more information on inaugural events and other resources, click here.
   
• January 2025 - The National Zoo’s new pandas – Bao Li and Qing Bao – will be ready to welcome visitors as they settle into their newly renovated home starting on January 24, 2025.
   
• March 2025 – The Washington Nationals will kick off the 20th Anniversary season of baseball in Washington, DC with a home opener on March 27 against the Philadelphia Phillies. Throughout the season, 20th-anniversary events will take place at various games.
   
• June 2025 - Washington, DC will be host city to the 2025 World Pride celebrations. Fairfax County and Northern Virginia, as Metro-accessible neighbors to the District, will be partnering in celebrations throughout the May-June 2025 timeframe. Events, festivals, parades, and special hotel packages and dining offers will be showcased.
   
• July 2025 – The first-ever FIFA Club World Cup will take place at Audi Field, as the Washington, DC area will be one of 12 hosts for this month-long competition that features soccer clubs from across the world, including teams like Chelsea and Bayern Munich.