Photo: Lucelle O’Flaherty With over 151 years of service in the area, and as the oldest continuously running Alexandria hospital, NOVA’s presence is legendary in Northern Virginia. In late December of 2020, INOVA and partners, along with the City of Alexandria, announced plans for a new and improved hospital complex right where the now-demolished Landmark Mall stood.  The development plans are designed by Ballinger and Ennead Architects, with Clark Construction leading the teams. The project is aiming for LEED Silver certification— a level of building certification for sustainability— and will reduce carbon emissions by 50%. The project is a large undertaking, and the hospital won’t open until 2028. Here’s what’s been going on…

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SPA has had a long history in Northern Virginia with its roots grounded in Fairfax County. Over the last 50 years the company has grown into the tech giant it is known to be today. It’s considered a top work place with many current and former employees speaking on the positive workplace environment. 

 

Back in early September SPA announced plans to grow their presence in Alexandria and further develop their HQ in Fairfax County. Chantilly and Lorton facilities are also undergoing further development and in October SPA acquired Group W, a top-tier data science organization for the Department of Defense, which has expanded SPA’s modeling and simulation capabilities and created a need to size-up most of their NoVa based operations. So what…

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Northern Virginia is a pretty snazzy spot so it makes sense that some neat inventions and innovations have come from this little nook of the U.S. To preface, there are some technicalities on this list— I.E a lot of these creations originate in ancient times, but patents for them as products emerged out of NoVa. Nonetheless I’ve compiled a list that gives Northern Virginia credit where credit is due. 

 

Camouflage

North Virginia didn’t really invent this print, the story is a bit more complicated— technicalities and all that. Camouflage had been around since 1914 when a French artist created the pattern for WWI. Then Britain adopted the ‘advance technology’, with the U.S following suit. Now this was mostly used within military context; hunters…

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NoVa Pop Culture Pride: Movies That Were Filmed or Take Place In Northern Virginia.  

 

Northern Virginia is not the first place that comes to mind when you think of movies. D.C gets far more attention from the film industry. However, proximity to the U.S capital gives Northern Virginia an opportunity to be a part of the world of movies too. The film scene here is mostly associated with political narratives and colonial-era historical dramas, which are mostly excluded from the list, as it’s all too common and predictable. Besides these genres, there are still— surprisingly— so many types of movies that were (partially) made in Northern Virginia. Whether you want to check these locations out or just want another Northern VA fun fact to add to your…

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Discovering Fairfax: From It's Historic Past to It's Current Day Happenings

 

What makes Fairfax particularly unique is the fact that it’s both part of the Northern Virginia  suburb area, but also considered incremental to D.C. Its history stretches back to the very first settlers (arguably, and sadly, before that too), like much of Northern Virginia. In 1649, King Charles II allowed Thomas Fairfax’s request for Fairfax County to become official.   In 1732, life in Fairfax could be described as tranquil, quaint, and community-focused. Although the former and latter descriptions are still true today, much has changed in Fairfax, and I don’t think the word ‘quaint’ quite suits it anymore. Let me tell you the town’s journey…

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NoVa’s Haunted Houses & Trails Are Perfect for the Upcoming Spooky Season


 

Markoff’s Haunted Forest 

 

I have to start with the most obvious and well-loved haunted attraction near the DMV area. Markoff’s is by far the best ‘haunted’ location but word of warning, it’s about an hour out of the Northern Virginia area and is located on the Maryland side of the border. The drive is inarguably worth it. The haunted forest is really a nighttime walk on a trail  with gnarled tree roots and in-the-way branches littering the path. The whole experience feels very much like Tolkien’s Mirkwood forest.

 

Markoff’s has incredible production value and puts their whole heart into the set and costume design for ultimate realism. As a side bonus,…

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Middleburg’s Oktoberfest is One of Northern Virginia’s Best Fall Attractions

Here’s What You Need to Know

Autumn is near, and with it comes orange hues, chilly weather, and best of all, fall festivities. If you don’t have plans yet to celebrate the change in season, come to Middleburg’s Oktoberfest for unique activities, lively music, and warming food. This is the fifth year of the event, and it takes place on September 20th from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. it’s completely free to attend. Below is a rundown of what you can find at the celebration. 

 

 

Food and Drink 

 

Food can be found at vendor stands, which are local to the area. There will be fourteen vendors selling a variety of cuisine, from authentic German eats and street food…

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Fall is coming up fast in Northern Virginia, and with it, a lot of fun festivities and places to see. There are events all over the region, making it difficult to decide what’s really worth checking out. It’s still early in September, so many of these events start now and continue into the true spooky season of October, or begin then and are events worth keeping in the back of your mind. This is a list of autumn must-visits that tackle everything from festivals, haunted houses, to natural beauties and everything in between. 

 

 

Attend the Cox Farms Fall Festival 

"Cox Farm Bridge" by rittyrats is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

Hayrides, waterslides, petting zoos— this festival is perfect for family weekend outings. There’s a variety of…

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