Reston's holiday calendar runs from November into early December this year, and it covers more ground than it used to. Town Center still has the rink and the parade. Reston Association has Winterfest, three nights at Brown's Chapel Park. Over by Wiehle-Reston East, the general manager and executive chef from the old Clyde's of Reston are opening their next restaurant on the Reston Row plaza.
All three places are within a short drive of each other. The rest of this post covers what each one offers and the dates that matter.
| Date | What | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Fri., Nov. 6 | Pavilion ice rink season opens, weather permitting | Reston Town Center, 1818 Discovery St. |
| Mid-November | Ebbitt House's listed opening window | 1860 Reston Row Plaza |
| Fri., Nov. 27 | 34th Reston Holiday Parade at 11 a.m., Sip & Stroll 4:30 to 8 p.m., tree lighting at 6 p.m. | Reston Town Center, 11900 Market St. |
| Thu.–Sat., Dec. 3–5 | Winterfest, 5 to 9 p.m. nightly | Brown's Chapel Park |
| Sun., Dec. 6 | Run with Santa 5K, 8 to 10 a.m. | Reston Town Center |
Town Center Still Has the Big Dates
Reston Town Center's Pavilion rink opens for the season on Friday, November 6, weather permitting. Admission starts at $10, and you choose skate rentals after you buy tickets. The rink keeps more than 500 pairs of rental skates and stays open daily through March. Hours run 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and until 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, with extended hours around the holidays.
The Reston Holiday Parade & Tree Lighting is on Friday, November 27, and this is its 34th year. It fills the whole day. The parade with floats, marching bands and giant balloons starts at 11 a.m. Sip & Stroll runs from 4:30 to 8 p.m., and the tree lights at 6 p.m. On December 6, the Run with Santa 5K takes over Town Center from 8 to 10 a.m.
The list of restaurants around those events is a little shorter this year. True Food Kitchen closed its Town Center restaurant at 11901 Democracy Drive after Sunday, October 4, FFXnow reported. The chain's Merrifield location is still open. On the retail side, The Burn reported that Brandy Melville is working on a shop of about 4,600 square feet in the former Apple space. It would be the brand's first store in Virginia.
So Town Center still hosts the season's biggest public events. The longest-running holiday dinner story connected to it, though, is now playing out across Reston, at Reston Row.
The Clyde's of Reston Team Lands at Reston Row
Clyde's of Reston closed in May 2022 after 31 years at Reston Town Center. Clyde's Restaurant Group's next Reston restaurant, Ebbitt House, is at 1860 Reston Row Plaza, across the plaza from the JW Marriott. General Manager Ajay Bhatia and Executive Chef Diego Ramirez both worked at Clyde's of Reston. In August, Bhatia told FFXnow he was "looking forward to coming back to Reston and reconnecting with my regulars," as Reston Review recounted.
Ebbitt House's hours page lists a mid-November 2026 opening and links to OpenTable for reservations. Developer Comstock has called the restaurant the first expansion of D.C.'s Old Ebbitt Grill brand. FFXnow reported that it will have its own menu and character rather than copy the original. The posted all-day menu includes tagliatelle Bolognese, a calamari-and-shrimp Fra Diavolo, scallops, crab cakes, steak frites and a raw bar with oysters.
The restaurant is large, and that matters for holiday groups. It seats 260 inside, with two private rooms and two bars. The patio adds 125 seats and a third bar outdoors. The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors approved changes to Comstock's Reston Station plans to allow that outdoor dining area.
Its listed hours also run later than the rest of the season. Ebbitt House plans to open at 11 a.m. Monday through Thursday and close at midnight. On Friday it stays open until 1 a.m., and on weekends it opens at 10 a.m., closing at 1 a.m. Saturday and midnight Sunday. The Pavilion closes at 11 p.m. even on its latest nights.
Reston Row's Dining Is Concentrated on the Plaza
Ebbitt House joins a plaza that has added restaurants all year. Noku Sushi opened at 1800 Reston Row Plaza on February 16, serving sushi, ramen and Korean barbecue, according to FFXnow. On May 7, Davio's Northern Italian Steakhouse opened a bar on the outdoor patio that used to belong to Matchbox. Tous les Jours and Vida Fitness are also in Reston Row. Founding Farmers, Starbucks, Big Buns, Sweet Leaf, Scissors & Scotch and CVS are on the original Metro Plaza.
The tower next door is losing its storefronts. The former Matchbox suite at 1900 Reston Metro Plaza, about 5,500 square feet, is becoming office space for Amentum, an existing tenant that is expanding, FFXnow reported in June. That leaves the building with no public retail. A Comstock spokesperson told the outlet that the project "is served by the existing food offerings on the plaza and Reston Row."
If you plan a holiday dinner near Wiehle this year, it will be on the plaza itself. Ebbitt House, Davio's, Noku and Founding Farmers are a short walk apart, and Wiehle-Reston East is close by.
Brown's Chapel Runs on the RA Calendar
Reston Association's Winterfest, now in its fourth year, runs Thursday, December 3 through Saturday, December 5, from 5 to 9 p.m. at Brown's Chapel Park.
Here's what this year's Winterfest includes:
- The half-mile Light Up the Park walk
- The Enchanted Forest of trees decorated and sponsored by local businesses, community groups and families
- A Vendor Village for holiday shopping
- Fire pits with marshmallows, food trucks and refreshments
- Free photos with Santa, plus a Grinch's Village
- New for 2026, a Polar Play Park with ice carvings and interactive ice games, weather permitting
Admission is free for Reston Association members and Recreation Passholders. Nonmember tickets are $20 for adults, $10 for ages 3 to 17, and free for children under 3. Everyone needs a ticket to get in, including members. The Enchanted Forest is made possible by Friends of Reston, and when Winterfest ends, the decorated trees go to families in need around Reston.
RA's board approved the 2027 budget on October 22. It sets the annual assessment at $900 per property, up $10 from 2026's $890, with invoices due March 1, 2027. The budget keeps current services across RA pools, trails, courts, lakes and programs. The 2027 capital plan adds a splash pad at Uplands Pool and finishes the trail-marker and signage upgrades.
The first weekend of December uses two of the three centers back to back. Winterfest's last night is Saturday, December 5, and the Run with Santa 5K starts at Town Center at 8 a.m. the next morning.
Around the Village Centers
Smaller changes this fall have spread the map further. Kinship Wine + Wares opened at 1635B Washington Plaza North on Lake Anne Plaza, with a ribbon-cutting on September 17 and a community celebration two days later, Patch reported. In South Lakes Village Center, Lakeside Asia Cafe at 11130 South Lakes Drive closed after its last day of business on September 30, ending a 13-year run, according to FFXnow. Big Greek Cafe is planned for 1470 North Point Village Center. Its operator told FFXnow the target is the end of this year or early 2027.
If you're working through a holiday shopping list, Lake Anne is one more stop beyond Town Center. Kinship opened in time for its first holiday season there.
RA has a smaller seasonal note for walkers too. Through November, its crews are removing invasive plants at nine worksites around Reston. RA asks residents to stay on open trails, follow posted signs and stay out of restoration areas.
My work with Reston homeowners includes paying attention to how places like Reston Row and the village centers change from season to season, since those changes shape daily life on each side of town. If you're thinking about how your own corner of Reston is changing, or want to talk through a home project ahead of the new year, Choose Wisely Group is glad to help. Let's Connect.
