Images from Memorial Day 2011 in the Little City

Thanks to Kathleen Nixon for preparing this collage of City of Falls Church Memorial Day festivities.

Photos by Shaun Dakin

Farmers’ Market is Number One Again

Special to the Falls Church Times

For the second year in a row, a painting of the Falls Church Farmers’ Market won first place in the Falls Church Arts Plein Air Festival juried show.  This past Saturday, May 28, prizes were awarded during a ceremony at the Falls Church Community Center. The juror, noted local artist and teacher Gwendolyn Bragg, commented that she had a hard time picking the first-place winner but “enjoyed jurying this group as there was a lot of variety and style represented.” 

The $500 Don Beyer Volvo-KIA Plein Air First Place Prize was awarded to Meg Walsh for her painting titled “The Farmer’s Market”.  The second place prize – a $100 gift certificate from Art and Frame of Falls Church — was awarded to Leni Gurin for her painting “Locally Owned, Sustainably Grown.”  Gurin’s painting also won The People’s Choice Award, a $100 gift certificate to Argia’s Restaurant.

A $75 gift certificate for art supplies was the third place prize and was given to “Summer Days I – The Falls Church Community Center” by the artist V.T.

The Plein Air Show and Sale continues in the City Hall Permanent Gallery on the lower level of City Hall, outside the Dogwood Room, through June 24. 

The 2nd Annual Plein Air Festival, whose theme again this year was “Scenes in the City,” was open to all artists who had their canvas and papers stamped with the Falls Church Arts Plein Air stamp and drew or painted outdoor scenes in Falls Church City during May.  Generously assisting FCA in making the stamps available were two local retail businesses, Art and Frame of Falls Church and Stifel and Capra.

Organizers from Falls Church Arts expect next year’s Plein Air Festival to attract more artists to create vibrant and interesting “Scenes in the City.” The 2012 Plein Air Festival will be extended, running during May and continuing into June, to allow artists more time and opportunities to paint during Memorial Day activities, the Tinner Hill Blues Festival, and other outdoor events.  Details will be released later this year and posted on FCA’s web site www.FallsChurchArts.org.

We’re A Football Town!

By STEVEN VALLEY

May 30, 2011

You read that right; Falls Church City is a football town! You wouldn’t know it from walking down the street, but it’s there, just below the surface and it’s looking for a way to be heard.

Every year George Mason High School fields a team of experienced players who take on other high schools with decades of football culture and tradition behind them and the Mustangs win! Before they got to GMHS though some of them have spent anywhere from 2 to 5 years working with one of the local clubs: The James Lee Razorbacks, the McLean Mustangs, or Vienna Youth football. But, as most of the parents involved with the program will tell you, it is a struggle, a labor of love, and for those parents it’s one that takes years to support and nurture. Dozens of Falls Church City residents send their kids to football camps, join youth football clubs, and then watch as a few years later their child takes to the field wearing the red and black helmet that is the George Mason Mustangs for the first time!

So to aid in increasing the participation in football by the youths of the City of Falls Church, the Falls Church City Football Association (The FCCFA) was founded. At first it was just to mail the youth football info a couple of Dads had found through their own research and send it out as a flyer in the Friday Folders. Over the past 4 years however those flyers have grown into so much more. Increased awareness of youth football opportunities, a weeklong football camp, and an annual scholarship to a GMHS football player who has previously participated in local youth football.

On March 14th 2008 the FCCFA was launched. It was in the Mustang Cafeteria with 4 members, 2 parents, and 2 future players along with coaches from the 3 local clubs looking on. It was a pretty inauspicious start to say the least, but the FCCFA was able to hang on and establish itself and in the process has become stronger. Last year the FCCFA held its first citywide pre-season summer camp, it became a full fledged non-profit, and it funded and gave its first scholarship. Most importantly it began supporting Head Coach Tom Horn in developing young players who will eventually attend GMHS. 2011 marks the first year that Coach Horn will be receiving players who have been helped by the Association.

The 2011-12 Football Season is on us!  The FCCFAs season starts with the pre-season summer camp, which will be held July 18-21st from 6 to 8 PM rain or shine, the camp fee is $75.00 and to sign up go to: http://www.thefccfa.org/styled/styled-2/ SIGN-UP FOR CAMP TODAY! It’s the best way to get ready for the 2011 season!

To view information on the benefits of playing youth football go to: http://www.thefccfa.org/styled-4/

To get more information on the local clubs in the area go to: http://www.thefccfa.org/styled-5/

To become a member of the board or to volunteer at the camp contact The FCCFA directly at: info@thefccfa.org

The FCCFA is a non-profit 501 c 3 organization. The current officers are Brian Sulc, Steven Valley, Kevin Creed, and Dave Hagigh. The association was founded with the mandate to increase awareness of and participation with local youth football clubs, host an annual football summer camp for kids 7-14, and handout one-time scholarships to graduating senior players who exemplify the game. For more information about the association go to: http://www.thefccfa.org