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Mount Vernon is filling the summer calendar with free concerts, fireworks, outdoor recreation and newly reopened facilities across the district.
The Workhouse Arts Center has introduced an artist-designed, 18-hole miniature golf course inspired by art history. The attraction is open to children and adults while supporting local artists.
The center will also host its annual FireWorks Festival from 4 to 9:30 p.m. Saturday, June 28. The free Independence Day celebration will feature live music, food trucks, art exhibits, family activities, Bunnyman Brewing and a fireworks finale.
Free performances return every weekend through the Mount Vernon Nights Summer Concert Series. Shows begin at 7:30 p.m. Fridays at Grist Mill Park and Saturdays at the Workhouse Arts Center. Visitors can bring lawn chairs and picnics.
The renovated Mount Vernon Rec Center has reopened after slightly more than two years. Improvements include two new ice rinks and a two-level fitness center, while summer camps are also underway.
The reopening is occurring in phases, with the climbing wall scheduled to open June 23. Pool renovations remain unfinished because of unexpected construction problems. In the meantime, Fairfax County residents can use the Martin Luther King Jr. pool for free.
Outdoor options include hiking, paddling and eagle watching at Mason Neck State Park and Pohick Bay Park. Families can also travel the Mount Vernon Trail for views of the Potomac River.
Other destinations include George Washington’s Mount Vernon, Gunston Hall, River Farm and the National Museum of the U.S. Army, which is celebrating the Army’s 250th anniversary. These attractions are among the sites promoted through the Potomac Banks: Explore Fairfax South tourism initiative.