Falls Church's October Saturdays Have New Stops on Broad Street

"Harvey's will stay Harvey's and my amazing staff will be staying on." Thomas Harvey wrote that on social media in the last week of September, when he announced that he had sold his West Broad Street restaurant to a group he named as Andy, Parul and Sam. He started the build-out in April 2021 and opened in March 2022. He also said he would be behind the bar through the end of September.

That same Falls Church News-Press story covered three more things happening that week. A food hall had moved into the old Brown's Hardware. A cupcake and ice cream shop had opened at Founders Row. A from-scratch bakery and burger spot was about to open in West Falls. The new food landed at three different addresses, but the city's October calendar is still built on one block of Park Avenue. Every free daytime Saturday event this month happens at City Hall or Cherry Hill Park next door, and the one evening event, Little City Sips, spreads out across downtown. That gives an October Saturday in the Little City a clear shape. It starts on Park Avenue, and lunch or dinner depends on which new spot you head to afterward.

The downtown anchor changed hands, not names

Harvey's matters because of what Thomas Harvey built around it. The News-Press credited him with doing as much as anyone in the local restaurant community to build support for small businesses in the city. In his farewell note, he remembered other owners coming in during the early days to introduce themselves and offer help. He asked readers to "continue to support all small businesses." Since the name and the staff are staying, the place regulars know on West Broad is still there under new owners.

A few blocks away, the change is bigger. Wonder is now open at 100 W. Broad Street, in the space that housed Brown's Hardware for years. It puts several restaurant concepts under one roof for dine-in, takeout and delivery. The Falls Church location's menu draws on chef and restaurant partners, including Bobby Flay Steak, Streetbird by Marcus Samuelsson, Maydan and SriPraPhai. It took a while to get here. The City had pointed to an early-April grand opening back in the spring. The doors were open by the end of September.

Two more openings, at Founders Row and West Falls

Lil' Cakes & Creamery opened in early September at 120 Founders Avenue, in Modera Founders Row. The case holds cupcakes, house-made ice cream, cake jars, cookies and macarons. The shop also makes milkshakes. Staff told ARLnow that the deluxe cupcakes were selling especially well. The two fall flavors they named are pumpkin salted caramel cheesecake and maple pecan praline.

Best Buns Bakery & Burgers opened on Thursday, October 1, at 265 W. Falls Station Boulevard in West Falls Commons Park. This is the brand's fourth location. It serves breakfast all day along with from-scratch bakery goods, sandwiches and burgers. It also has a full-service bar and rooftop patio seating. Spokesperson Erica Herrera described the pastries and bread as "scratch-made." CEO Jon Norton said he was excited to become part of the Falls Church community.

That covers dessert at Founders Row, the food hall in the old hardware store downtown and the bakery and bar in West Falls. They're spread across different parts of town, but they opened in the same few weeks, and most October daytime events take place on one block.

October's daytime events happen on Park Avenue

City Hall is at 300 Park Avenue and Cherry Hill Park is at 312. Here is the month's Saturday calendar, based on City and Visit Falls Church listings:

The Farmers Market runs every Saturday of the year, so the other events build on a routine that's already in place. On October 10, Farm Day takes over Cherry Hill Park with farm animals, historic trades, crafts and pony rides. Admission is free. The Halloween Carnival on October 24 is free with no registration. It's aimed at children 11 and younger with an adult, and it's split into two afternoon sessions.

October 17 fills the whole day

The third Saturday wasn't supposed to be this full. Falls Church Arts moved its Scenes in the City Plein Air Festival to October 17 after storms forced a postponement. Painters will work on the City Hall grounds from 9 a.m. to noon. That puts the easel crowd next to the morning Farmers Market, and it leaves the afternoon open before Little City Sips starts at 5 p.m.

Little City Sips is the City's Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area. Adults 21 and older buy drinks in official Sips cups and can carry them around downtown within the event boundary. The October 17 music lineup:

• Mr. Brown's Park: The 19th Street Band, 5:30 to 9:30 p.m.
• Clare and Don's Beach Shack: Relaxed Fit, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.
• Northside Social: Matthew Shuster, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
• Stratford Garden: Crackinbush, 7 to 10 p.m.
• Dogwood Tavern: Pete Carlone, 9:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m.

The full day runs from coffee at the market to a late set at Dogwood Tavern, and the morning, early evening and late-night parts all happen downtown. The Sips listing invites people to check out local shops and outdoor murals between drinks, so the event stays focused on downtown storefronts.

Why the new spots and the calendar fit together

This fall builds on a September and an August that already pulled people across town. The 50th Falls Church Festival on September 19 brought more than 85 vendors to City Hall, and 18 food businesses took part in the Taste of Falls Church. The Taste lineup included Audacious Aleworks, Bit Bakery, Cafe Kindred, Clare & Don's, Costiera, Honoo Ramen Bar and Solace Outpost. A month earlier, the city ran its first-ever Summer Restaurant Week from August 21 to 30. Participating restaurants stretched from West Broad Street to Founders Row, with a Little City Sips night on August 22.

The city's events, restaurant promotions and new openings all point in the same direction. The daytime events gather people on Park Avenue, and the restaurants are spread across town. Someone at Farm Day with kids can head to Founders Row afterward for a maple pecan praline cupcake. Someone leaving the Halloween Carnival's second session at 5:30 can go to West Falls for a burger on the Best Buns patio. On Sips night, Wonder at 100 W. Broad gives a group that can't agree on dinner several menus in one room.

A few addresses on the map are still empty. Sweet Leaf's location directory lists its Falls Church shop at 603 W. Broad Street as coming soon, with a winter target. Dok Khao Thai Eatery at 180 West Falls Station Boulevard is listed as "Coming Soon" on its own locations page. Neither has an opening date yet.

After October, the next big date on the city calendar is Watch Night on December 31. It runs from 7 p.m. to midnight on West Broad Street, with live bands, a DJ, food, family activities, fire pits and the midnight Star Drop.

When new restaurants open near a neighborhood, they change what a home there is worth to buyers. They also shape how a listing should present daily life within walking distance. If you're thinking about selling in Falls Church City this fall or winter, Kathy Fong and our team can tell you where your home stands. Request Your Home Valuation, and we'll include the local details that matter in today's market.