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3 Ways to Get Excited About Fall in Fairfax, Virginia

Fall Activities in Fairfax, VA - Jim McKay Chevrolet
As the summer comes to an end, you might be sad to say goodbye to hot, sunny days, but cooler days are coming and bringing the fall season. Get ready for the fun fall holidays, like Halloween and Thanksgiving, by gathering up locally grown apples for cider, pumpkins for pie, and unique decor. Here are some ways to get excited about fall in Fairfax, Virginia.

Visit the Community Farmers' Market

Next to the Historic Fairfax County Courthouse, the Community Farmers' Market is a great place to enjoy freshly harvested fruits and veggies from local growers. As autumn approaches, the market will become full of fresh apples, squash, pumpkins, and other classic goodies that get us ready for the cooler season. Some of the produce vendors you can expect include Valdez Brothers Produce, Tyson Farms, and Liliana's Produce. On cool mornings, you can enjoy hot coffee from Kustom Coffee. The market is open on Saturdays and Sundays, so you can complete your weekend with a stroll around the grounds. The Saturday market is open until October 31 from 9 a.m. until noon each week, and the Sunday market runs until October 25 from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. each week. In addition to fresh local foods, there are many places to shop for handmade crafts. Get in the cold-weather mood with some cozy creations by local quilters, knitters, and artisans.

Attend the Fairfax County Brewfest

Every year, Mustang Sally Brewing Company joins with Dulles Regional Chamber of Commerce to host the Fairfax County Brewfest. This is an outdoor event with tons of food vendors and live entertainment. Local breweries will be showcasing their craft brews as local restaurants offer goodies from food trucks. Keep an eye on the event page for more details about performances, tickets, and updates regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. This is a great event to start off the fall season on Saturday, September 26 at the Mustang Sally Brewing Company taproom and outdoor area.

Watch the Leaves Change at Local Parks

In late October, the trees in Fairfax begin to change, making the area vibrant with pops of bright orange, yellow, and red. A heavily wooded area with lots of nature trails, Fairfax Villa Park is the perfect spot to watch the seasons change. Take a picnic with a friend or loved one, hike one of the many trails, or go for a brisk run as the falling leaves crunch beneath your feet. The trails at Fairfax Villa Park are short and easy, great for beginner hikers or families with young kids. Several small streams run throughout the park and are great for finding friendly wildlife like toads, salamanders, and crayfish. Providence Park covers 20 acres of land and offers a playground, tennis courts, picnic pavilions, and trails for hiking and biking. Other parks in Fairfax that are good for enjoying the changing leaves include Van Dyck Park and Daniels Run Park. Be sure to check the local park websites for open hours and park regulations. Don't let the end of summer bring you down. Make plans to visit these local places and events and get excited about cool weather, fun holidays, and fall community traditions. Image via Pixabay
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Do you love the feeling you get after a good workout? Do you sometimes feel like you spend too much time looking at screens and not enough time connecting with nature? If so, you may be interested to know that there are a number of scenic hiking trails in Fairfax, VA. To help you decide which local trails are worth making the drive in your 2024 Chevrolet Trax to, read on to discover our favorites. more Daniels Run Park Loop Are you looking for a short, peaceful hike? If so, we urge you to check out the Daniels Run Park Loop at 9800 Barlow Rd. This moderately intense loop trail is only 1.3 miles long, and it is great for hiking, running, mountain biking, and dog walking. However, if you want to take your furry friend on a fast forest exploration, she must remain on a leash. Long Branch Stream Valley Trail We also recommend checking out Long Branch Stream Valley Trail. You can access this 2.75-mile stone dust trail from Rutherford Park at 4798 Guinea Rd or Canterbury Woods Park at 5018 Wakefield Chapel Road. Both parks feature a playground, but Rutherford Park is also home to ball fields and tennis courts.  It is worth mentioning that you can access Cross County Trail from the Long Branch Stream Valley Trail. Cross Braddock Road where it intersects with Wakefield Chapel Road. Then, walk right down the sidewalk on the other side of Braddock until you reach Danbury Forest Drive. Then, you need to follow the asphalt trail south until you reach the trail over Accotink Creek. Bear left, and you can access Wakefield Park or Lake Accotink Park. Lake Royal Trail You also can't go wrong with enjoying a scenic 1.8-mile hike at Lake Royal Trail. This trail is suitable for dog walking, and it is quick and easy enough to be kid-friendly. The average person will complete this beautiful loop trail in 34 minutes. However, traversing this trail can easily take longer, especially if you are into birding or wildlife watching. There are many bird species you can spot here, including geese, eagles, and several types of songbirds. There are also other animals that you may see if you keep your eyes peeled. Also, there is exercise equipment around the lake. With a new Chevy, there is no shortage of scenic trails in Fairfax that you can explore. However, you must remember that your car needs regular maintenance to continue operating effectively. Every 5,000 miles you drive, contact us at Jim McKay Chevrolet to schedule a service appointment.

Local Parks Near Fairfax, VA - Jim McKay Chevrolet

Just Down the Road: 5 Local Parks Near Fairfax, VA

The residents of Fairfax, VA live remarkably healthy lifestyles, enjoying an impressively long average life expectancy of over 85 years. This robust good health is helped, no doubt, by lots of exercise and easy access to excellent outdoor spaces and activities. If hearing this makes you feel like taking a brisk stroll in the park, here are some of the best parks you'll find in Fairfax. more Van Dyck Park This popular park has 20 acres of well-maintained lawns and tree-lined walkways. It's a terrific place for playing sports, with lighted outdoor tennis and basketball courts, a sand volleyball court, an exercise trail, and a fenced-in skate park. With a gazebo, two picnic pavilions, three grills, and two well-equipped playgrounds that separate younger from older children, it's also a fine park for bringing all the family for a picnic. You'll find the park at 3720 Blenheim Bvld. Draper Drive Park This excellent park is heaven for soccer fans, providing two top-notch full-sized soccer fields that are really well looked after. There's also a great playground with shaded parts, swings for special needs children, and slides that are safe for well-supervised younger children: most of the ground underneath is a soft rubber composite. Head to Draper Drive Park to relax in the sunshine while your children have fun at 9797 Beech Dr. Stafford Drive Park This quiet, picturesque park has long, interesting walking trails through areas of lush green foliage with woods and a trickling creek. There's also a very large football field and a nice little playground, all kept clean, safe, and in good condition. It's an ideal place to come for a jog in natural surroundings if you live nearby. You'll find it at 3300 Stafford Dr. Kutner Park Another local favorite is this attractive 10-acre park on the west side of Fairfax, which has a community garden plot where you'll often see locals tending to their plants and vegetables. This very well-stocked park has a large variety of things to do, with a tennis court, a large grassy field, a volleyball court, and a cute little nature trail that leads into a pleasant wooded area. Visit Kutner Park at 3901 Jermantown Rd. Carney Park This scenic little park has a very nice playground for younger children. It's also a great place to go for a walk surrounded by birdsong and the sounds of nature. The park is enveloped on all sides by trees which cut out the noise of the city and create a peaceful, quiet, leafy oasis. For a break on a busy day at work, you can drive here in your brand-new 2024 Chevrolet Trax LS, effortlessly weaving through the city streets with your Chevy's sophisticated navigation system. Find Carney Park at 11652 Fairfax Center Woods Tr. Once you've had a relaxing afternoon at the park, visit Jim McKay Chevrolet. For over 50 years, our family-run Chevrolet dealership has been providing the drivers of our local Fairfax community with consistently high-quality cars, deals, and customer service.

Outdoor Activities Near Fairfax, VA - Jim McKay Chevrolet

3 Great Outdoor Activities in Driving Distance of Fairfax, VA

If you're from Fairfax, VA and want to spend some time in the fresh air with your family, there are many great outdoor activities to choose from. Take a look at what's on offer. more Daniels Run Park You'll not be able to keep the smile off your face as you squeeze your entire tribe (dog included) into your sleek new full-size 2024 Chevrolet Trax for the journey to Daniels Run Park. Located at 9712 Barlow Road, this park is a 2.1 km trail that's fantastic for hiking, running, and walking. There's plenty of shade thanks to the surrounding trees, and with its peace and tranquility, it provides an escape from the daily grind of the working week. It isn't a sanctuary for humans alone, either. It's also a haven for various wildlife, such as deer, foxes, squirrels, and many varieties of native birds. There is also a picnic pavilion where you can eat comfortably and a play area where the children can play safely while you watch from nearby. Bon Air Park This vast 24-acre park can be found at 850 N Lexington Street and is home to a charming memorial rose garden that was founded by Nelly Broyhill in 1939 to pay tribute to local World War II veterans. An extraordinary variety of roses stand to attention in perfectly formed rows, much like the soldiers would have done while parading on duty back in the 1940s. Other amenities include play areas, basketball courts, a gazebo, and a picnic area with access to charcoal grills. A bench in honor of Nelly's dedication to Fairfax sits adjacent to a stone plaque, a memorial to the 841 local heroes. Frying Pan Farm Park The Frying Pan, located at 2739 West Ox Road, brings farm life from the 1920s to the 1950s into the modern-day world. Kidwell Farm sits within the grounds and allows visitors to travel on a wagon to meet peacocks, horses, sheep, cows, and pigs. Children can ride the carousel, play in the park, or celebrate African American culture by listening to stories and music while sampling African American cuisine from parked food trucks. On-site, you'll find the Old Forest Schoolhouse built in 1901, and the younger Floris Vocational Technical High School, which was opened two whole decades later in 1921. The buildings were no longer used as schools by the 1950s. They were instead set up as youth centers where they can learn about modern-day farming and sometimes attend fairs or Boy Scout meetings. You'll definitely have a lovely time at all three places (and with little or no cost, too.) Be at one with nature at Daniels Run Park, spend some time enjoying the beautiful rose garden at Bon Air Park, or meet the animals at Frying Pan Farm Park. After that, make a stop at Jim McKay Chevrolet to take a look at the superb range of new and used cars that we have for sale in Fairfax, VA. You'll not be disappointed!