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Who was the Fairfax family?
Belvoir was a behemoth of an estate until it burned down in 1783. | Photo via VA Department of Historic Resources
The Fairfaxes were an incredibly prominent and wealthy family in Virginia. How influential? Well, they are the namesake of the city and county, after all. The Fairfax family eventually became neighbors with George Washington — who, at the time of their meeting, was not nearly of their social standing. But it was Washington’s connections to the Fairfaxes that helped launch his political career.
Tracing the family tree
The Fairfax family lineage can be traced back to Yorkshire, England. Thomas Fairfax, the sixth Baron of Cameron (and the only person with an English title to be a long-time resident of the colonies), inherited the Northern Neck Proprietary, encompassing more than five million acres from the Potomac to the Rappahannock.
Thomas, along with notable family members like his cousin William Fairfax, settled on the property in the 1740s — an incredibly massive, lavish mansion on the west bank of the Potomac known as Belvoir.
Juneteenth Celebration | 10 a.m.-2 p.m. | Old Town Square, Fairfax | Free | Celebrate Juneteenth in Fairfax with an opening ceremony and live performances.
Tennessee Frisky | 9:30 p.m. | Alexandria Bier Garden, Alexandria | Cost of purchase | Groove out with this DC-based folk group while sipping on your favorite Hefeweizen.
The military parade will bring road closures to Arlington from 6 p.m. Friday, June 13, to 6 a.m. Sunday, June 15. This will include a portion of GW Parkway, the Arlington Memorial Bridge, and part of the Mount Vernon Trail. However, the festivities will not take place in Arlington. (ARLnow)
Try This
The Summer Reading Adventure is back at the Fairfax County Public Library. Available to both children and adults, the program starts today and runs through August 17. The library will also host its third Children’s Summer Reading Festival on Saturday, June 14 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Holiday
Pentagon City will host a Juneteenth celebration on Thursday, June 19, starting at 4 p.m. Put on by the Arlington nonprofit Challenging Racism, the event will have live music, performances, and food trucks. (ARLnow)
Plan Ahead
Capitol One Center will host its inaugural Culinary Week starting Monday, July 14. Take part in nine different events with acclaimed chefs and mixologists, learn how to make sushi, and vote on the best cocktail. (FFXnow)
Opening
Fairfax City is getting a new coffee shop. Layered plans to open in the former McDonald’s building at Courthouse Plaza next month. Along with coffee, the shop will serve up pastries, desserts, sandwiches, and more. (FFXnow)
Festival
It’s about a month until Alexandria’s 267th birthday celebration on Saturday, July 12. Hang out along the waterfront at Oronoco Bay Park and enjoy food trucks, live music from Alexandria’s symphony orchestra, and more. (ALXnow)
Coming Soon
Concorde, a premier meeting and event destination, is slated to open in National Landing early next year. This state-of-the-art hospitality and conference venue will transform the region’s corporate events landscape with its top-notch service, culinary excellence, and beautiful facilities. Learn more + preview the space.*
Post of the Day
The Wall That Heals, a scaled-down version of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, will be in Alexandria from tomorrow, June 12, through Sunday, June 15. Head to the George Washington Masonic National Memorial grounds to check it out.
The fun doesn’t have to end here. After reading the newsletter, head over to our games page. Games refresh with new challenges every day at 6 a.m. from crossword puzzle to Sudoku to themed word search.
Did you see this? A black bear that’s believed to be the same one that visited Maryland last month spent hours in Herndon on Monday. The bear was safely removed and given to the state wildlife agency.
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