Arts & Flowers Tour of Fairfax

Celebrate spring in the heart of Fairfax where creativity blooms!
Plan your visit around the Festival of the Arts scheduled from April 20-May 5, 2007. Don’t miss the annual Historic Fairfax City Homes Tour scheduled for May 5th from 10-4 p.m. Also enjoy art shows, concerts, dance and more throughout Old Town. For a schedule of events call 703-352-ARTS.

Arrive on a Friday evening to enjoy a concert in Old Town Hall built in 1900 by the son of Confederate spy Antonia Ford and union officer Joseph Willard or at the Center for the Arts at George Mason University. (www.gmu.edu/cfa)

Begin at the Fairfax Museum and Visitor Center. Explore the city’s history and heritage by enjoying the displays. Pick up a walking tour brochure.

Proceed to the Kitty Posner Garden adjacent to the Ratcliffe Alison House. KittyPosner was the gardening writer for The Washington Post and the last resident of the oldest house in Fairfax. Enjoy her gardens then the Fairfax Art League Gallery in Old Town Hall. As you walk uphill on Main Street to the Courthouse, enjoy the city’s  unique boutiques.

On Saturdays, stop at the Downtown Fairfax Coalition Community Farmer’s Market. On Tuesdays, the City of Fairfax Farmer’s Market is at Van Dyck Park. Enjoy a cup of coffee and some fresh baked goods while you shop for fresh produce and garden goodies.

Stop at The Fairfax Courthouse built in 1800. It’s where George and Martha Washington’s wills are filed. It’s also the site where the first Confederate officer fell during the Civil War. Be sure and see the Marr Monument in his honor.

Walk past the Truro Episcopal Church to the City Cemetery. Walk to the Civil War monument marking the graves of Civil War soldiers interred there.

Walk to the Legato School, a one room site preserved on the courthouse grounds by Fairfax County.

Stop for lunch at one of the City’s excellent restaurants.

Travel south on Route 123 to St. Mary’s Church and Fairfax Station Museum. The church was built in 1858 by Irish immigrants working on the Orange and Alexandria Railroad. The churchyard was the site of heroic work treating the wounded by The Angel of the Battlefield, Clara Barton.

Follow 123 South to Clifton Road. Drive through Fairfax County’s horse country. Make a stop for a walking tour of the village of Clifton. The entire town is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Return to the city via Clifton and Braddock Roads.

Relax and refresh before dinner. 

Enjoy fine cuisine at one of the city’s 125 restaurants. Most recommended for a romantic evening are Le Tire Bouchon, Bellisimo, Dolce Vita, Vespucci’s and Artie’s.

See an award winning film at Cinema Arts Theatre (703-978-6991 9650 Main Street where little films get the attention they deserve.

Day 2

Start your day with a little exercise. Ride your bike along the city’s cycling trails or play a game of tennis at Van Dyck Park.

Enjoy a hearty breakfast at The 29 Diner (703-591-6720) on Fairfax Boulevard, listed on the National Register of Historic Places where dining is still affordable.

Visit Meadowlark Gardens (703-255-3631) in Vienna to wander through 100 acres of natural beauty with three ponds and a remarkable azalea garden. 

Enjoy lunch and an afternoon of shopping or arts event the city of Fairfax. Refresh with an ice cream treat at Sweet Life Café (703-385-5433).

Visit the gardens of Ben Lomond Manor House on Sudley Manor Drive in Manassas, (703-367-7872) site of one of the largest gardens dedicated to Old Roses in the United States. Inspired by a French garden, there are 160 cultivars in bloom in May. Perennials make it a must-see through September.

End your visit on a high note with a concert or live performance at The Center for the Arts (703-993-2787), The Patriot Center 703-or a long, quiet dinner ending with a moonlit walk through the city’s historic district.

Day 3

Don’t miss the riverfront beauty of George Washington’s Estate and Gardens ( 703-780-2000 on the George Washington Parkway in Alexandria) and the nearby River Farm, 703-768-5700 7931 East Boulevard in Alexandria)….home to  the American Horticultural Society.

Conclude your visit with an outdoor concert at Wolf Trap, America’s only national park dedicated to the performing arts. 703-255-1900 www.wolftrap.org