Vietnamese New Year Celebration in Annandale was a bit chaotic. There was a nice size crowd in not…read moreso big place. The ushers looked stressed out as well. I never got a sense that people were there to celebrate something (Vietnamese New Year). There was no bilingual option at the announcements - and I was sort of OK with that because it was in the Vietnamese community but it would have been nice to have English option. The market was small (about half dozen vendors) and the entertainment program was simple. The biggest disappointment was that there were not many choices as far as the food is concerned. There were only two small food stands, with many food items gone by 12:30. What I got to eat was great - egg rolls, drink, seafood, pork dumpling. Nothing out of this world but very good never less. The sculptures made out of bamboo toothpicks in the lobby were impressive (see pictures). Long colorful silky traditional dresses worn by women with style were beautiful. The music was loud - why was music loud on each of 4 Vietnamese events that I attended is mystery to me? It is hard to enjoy it when you look around to find a spot where music and announcements are not coming out loud. Entrance fee was $2 and parking was free and plenty of it at NVCC Annandale campus. Out of 4 Vietnamese events that I attended I still like the Viet fest @ Tysons Corner the best (see my review of it).

Every year the event gets better and better. This is a great family event and weather is usually…read moreperfect around the beginning of October. My family tries to go every year to see whats new in Annandale and to meet different vendors and try a bunch of food trucks. Who can say no to free pens and free samples. The lines can get long if you go later in the day but there ate plenty of restaurants around if you want a sit down place. The fire department and the police department has their usual chili cook-off and you can explore fire trucks at the fire station. They also have multiple children's activities like face painting, story time, and games so the kids won't get bored.

Love this event! We went last year and this year was just as great. Gets super busy so try and come…read moreearly. There are food trucks from empanadas to pho to bbq, lots of different options! Also food options in tents such a kbbq, bubble tea, lemonade and kombucha. There is also free cotton candy and popcorn. The fire station across the street has little fire hats for kids and balloons, little snacks and drinks! They also offer a free tour of a fire truck which my son enjoyed. The building next to the station also had outside activities for kids and inside and around are great picture opportunities with haystacks and pumpkins. There are restrooms located inside and an actual photographer that will take pictures of your kids in a fall setting (haystack and pumpkins display) and will let you keep a copy! Also activities for kids inside as well such as coloring and we were also offered a free book per child! As always, such an amazing event and we will be back next year!

This bowl of Bo Kho was the best I've ever had outside of my mom's cooking. There was so much…read moretender beef, and the soup broth was so perfect and authentic. It had a little kick to it too. I dream of it. The soup spoon was a little small for the soup and noodle combo bite. The noodles were a tad al dente but so so good! I'll be back for another cozy soupy weather day!

Ambiance: fun and lively food hall…read more Service: there are 4 restaurants and 1 dessert spot to choose from. There is also a bar as well Food: I love Pokeworks. You can chose been a bowl, salad or burrito. They also have to Hawaiian selections now. I love that they don't have a limit on the toppings. Wished they have more locations in the area.

44th Annual Slavic American Festival is a great festival for the "festival beginners." There is no…read morespoken foreign language because this festival has a limited exposure to the Slavic culture, which is a shame. There were not any nation costumes and dances. One super nice elderly lady dressed "old Europe style" stated that she has compiled her outfit from three countries (Russian vest, Ukrainian shirt and American skirt). That sort of summons it out. There was a polka music in English that older generation liked but its fast tempo added certain frantic pace where people were rushing to get the seats to eat, in one case knocking a plate to my chest for which I did get "sorry" from a person who did it. No ethnic beer was available and that was a big downside. The Haluski and Pirohi were good within the limited food choice, which did not upset anybody because there was a line of 104 people at 12:05 when the single food stand opened for business. The kielbasa sausage was burned on one side and I hope that next time the food folks will incorporate a quality control and serve only good food - not burned food. The deserts were just like the festival title said - american (brownies) and Slavic, but nothing memorable like I had in a few previous Ukrainian festivals (see posts of 2 Ukrainian reviews desserts - for comparison) At the end, I felt like everything was homemade and was made by a good American cook. It all supported their church and they were welcoming and well organized (44th Annual). It was A-OK. From talking with other folks at the festival, it looked like the most folks are a repeat crowd who eats pirohi once a year (at the festival).

Meadows Farms sells excellent mulch. I try to buy it when on sale. Regardless of when I buy it…read morehowever, the piles from which they pull the bags are consistent water soaked. This makes for both a messy car and an extra heavy bag of mulch. Cover the bags from the elements please. I can physically no longer buy the super heavy, water laden bags of mulch.

Really nice folks here. Backlick Road can be a challenge. Have been able to get several plants,…read morepumpkins, and a tree from here. All have been wonderful. My kudos and thank you for the employees here. They know what they are doing. A lot of garden centers, don't feel welcoming in the area. These folks do. They are happy to help a rookie to a veteran. Also I would like to thank them, in helping me learning some new tricks. Price wise they are competitive. Definitely visit here and see for yourself.

Chinese New Year Celebration in Falls Church gave me more than I expected except for the number of…read morethe people who attended it. While the Finish bazaar easily gets thousands of people (see my Finish Bazaar review) this event only had hundreds of people. Three large rooms are nicely separated - Market room, Food room and Theater for the cultural program. Market room offered what you expect to see on the Chinese market - clothing, toys, and jewelry with total of about 3 dozen vendors. A few private schools were there as well, like Burgundy Farm School in Alexandria, looking for the opportunity for diversity. There were two tables with calligraphy, so I had to have my name written in two characters (I + GOR) Food met my expectations - only 3 options but all worth the consideration. After getting a plenty of a typical Chinese food (Orange chicken, drunken noodles, Singapore noodles, etc...) the vendor handed me three full food containers remarking, "ONLY $26." That was cute and food was delicious - the best Chinese food I've ever had. Good fruit juice and bubble tea options as well. The theater and its program were great. One has to realize that Chinese communities are not encouraged by the Chinese government to have these events. One has to know about immense loss of the cultural treasure during the Cultural Revolution in China to appreciate the program. The program put had not only the traditional Chinese program including the best dragon dance ever; 2 string instrument (erhu) starting mournful as the bagpipes and later cheerful as the fiddles; very interesting fashion show of the traditional Chinese clothing done in very slow motion with Chinese music; but also had traditional dance from India and Indonesia (while I was there) which showed that the community is inclusive of all, traditional and that we all live in the diverse USA. There is no entrance fee, parking is available and there are kids activities and it is fun for all ages. The festival showed how hard the organizers worked and it brought us closer to the Chinese culture. For that I am thankful that I attended this great event. 谢谢

From the owner: The most traditional Chinese New Year Festival in the DC area. Activities include Dragon Lion…read moredance, magic show, Asian cuisine, parade, kids games, cultural exhibitions; red envelop for kids, good luck for your family the whole year. Join us for our 13th annual celebration of Chinese New Year on Jan. 25. at Luther Jackson Middle School.

Awesome event!!! Although it was my mistake that I thought…read morethat this was one of those Elite perks when you go pick up an order , it was an actual event! Yes, an afternoon event! I wish I paid attention to that! But anyway it's hard to leave work between 2 and 4 but still I loved the idea and on a different day for me it would've worked perfectly fine!! I loved the Hawaiian theme and decoration for the event! By the time I arrived there, most of the options ran out, but I did enjoy a beef Hawaiian bowl and an espresso milk tea with creme ! Also, a nice goodie bag gift was given out ! It had a delicious treat in it! The venue, the bar, the hospitality, and the taste will definitely bring me back ! Great job by Kimi and Sydney! Thank you all!

Wow wow wow- great event! So happy and grateful I got in. I…read moregot the spare ribs and the taste took me back to Hawaii. The Mac salad was creamy. Soooo good. Drink (pass-o-guava) was refreshing. Music was creating the best vibes. Space is open and airy. Staff were super friendly. Can't wait to return to try the katsu chicken!

Vick performed as Professor Snape at our twin boys' 8th birthday party. He was amazing to work…read morewith, especially in light of the commute required. We were so lucky he agreed to drive well outside of his usual area to perform. His illusions were mesmerizing, and he expertly handled a room full of inquisitive and skeptical kids by getting most of them involved in his performance. He gave a great message in the end of the performance also, drawing on the themes of inclusion and acceptance from the Harry Potter stories, which the adults present also mentioned as being a highlight. We cannot say enough great things about his professionalism and performance and we would highly recommend him for any event!

We hired Vick for our wedding reception! I was thinking of a simple way to entertain older folks,…read moreyoung children, and everyone in-between -- he was the answer! Vick had a wonderful story line and great tricks that kept everyone's attention! We had some guests that are very skeptical of magic tricks, and he still blew them away! I'm so happy we had him! We ended up starting his show a little late, unfortunately, but he was incredibly patient, set-up, and mingled with a few guests while he waited! He then put on a 45-50 minute show for all of us, and included some guests, my father, and us in the show! I highly recommend him for ANY event -- weddings, birthdays (children AND adult), social events, etc. Thanks, Vick!

Great festival for both kids and adults. Event offers a combination of class activities and face…read morepainting. At on $7 What a great deal.

Very responsive to emails and calls. Ballet instructors are wonderful and this is a small business…read morewith huge love of dance. Highly recommend if you have a little one that loves to dance.

This school has been an incredible blessing to our family for over 20 years. Leadership and…read moreteaching team genuinely care for each dancer. They teach technique along with how dance can be a joyful way to stay healthy (heart, mind and body) for a lifetime. Teachers challenge students so they grow in confidence, build strong friendships and have fun along the way. There is an excellent blend of new choreography balanced with traditional dances that have shaped the ID experience through the years. Dancers are able to experience modest new costumes along with those that have been handmade and in the school's collection for decades. Ideally, the facility would have more than one studio. Recent improvements to the shopping plaza make drop offs or parking and hanging out much more pleasant. Retail nearby for errands.