Ashburn Magazine | July/August 2023

Jiminy Cricket!

INTERNATIONAL SPORT IS TAKING OFF IN ASHBURN

Ashburn

VOLUME 5, ISSUE 3

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interest. We played cricket in the field behind his house, and he gave me a wooden cricket bat to bring back to America. This was way-way-pre 9/11, yet the airline staff declared the bat a potential weapon, and it had to be checked in – to my dismay. (Although I spent the flight home playing a cricket-simulation dice game called Owzthat*, probably much to the annoyance of my fellow passengers.)

BY

From the Publisher

HOWZAT?!

As regular readers know, I was (and still am, to an extent) a sports fanatic. If it involved a bat, a ball or any combination thereof, I was going to learn about it, watch it and try to play it.

My parents had moved to this country from England, so our summers often included trans-Atlantic vacations to visit grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. On one such trip, when I was 11, I became enthralled with cricket. It reminded me of baseball, although it wasn’t quite the same.

When I returned home, my neighborhood buddies weren’t too interested in playing cricket, and the bat sat in our shed while we played baseball, basketball, football and other American sports. I couldn’t give it up, though, and the bat followed me to various homes through the years, although it was never really used other than to kill a spider or two in the garage (or maybe even a cricket!). Only when it was almost falling apart did I decide it was time to part ways. So imagine my surprise after moving to Ashburn when I saw signs on street corners for youth cricket camps. When I walked into a local Indian restaurant to pick up our order and saw cricket matches on the big-screen TVs. And when I first visited the new Hal and Berni Hanson Regional Park last summer and saw a cricket match on a real cricket pitch – complete with spectators and trophies.

Indeed, driven in part by its demographics, Ashburn has become a hotbed of cricket, as Paul Anthony Arco chronicles in this month’s cover story (starting on Page 22). Visit Hanson Park on any weekend in the spring, summer or fall and you’re likely to see a cricket match alongside the soccer and baseball games. The county cricket league has grown to over 60 teams – and that’s just adults. Professional cricket is even on the way. It’s enough to make me wish I still had that bat.

Players dressed in crisp white uniforms, although I always remember the bowler’s pants having a red streak on the thigh where he rubbed the ball to take the slick paint off. Games lasted three or even five days, with breaks for tea, of course. It all seemed very civilized.

My oldest cousin, Oliver, also a big cricket fan, was happy to indulge my

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ASTRI WEE

* - The game takes its name from the call “Howzat?”(“How’s that?”), which is when players on the fielding team in cricket ask the umpire for a decision regarding whether a batter is out or not. Technically in cricket an umpire may not rule a batter out unless the fielders ask for a decision.

(Photo by Astri Wee of Astri Wee Photography)

A Real Thinker

Local boy's question to CNN answered by Dr.

Jane Goodall

BY CHRIS WADSWORTH

Here’s a story about good things coming to those who wait.

In fall 2021, Willowsford resident Rupali Lach heard from a relative that CNN was soliciting questions from children that would be answered by experts. It was apparently part of a “feel good” project by the network’s online team to provide positive news during the pandemic.

The relative thought Lach’s son, Ronan, might like to submit a question. So Lach and her husband, Andrew, whipped out a phone and recorded Ronan – then a fifth-grader at Madison Trust Elementary – asking the following:

“I wonder – are animals smarter than humans? For example, bees can count and do math. However, it took humans thousands of years to learn math. Could it be that only their bodies – not their minds – are limited?”

The video was sent to CNN. com and then… crickets. Not the literal crickets of the animal world, but rather the type of crickets that signify that Ronan and the Lach family heard absolutely nothing.

“He asked about it a few times and we thought it was a good life lesson. Sometimes you do things, and nothing comes of it,” Rupali Lach said.

Fast forward to this April, and the Laches woke to an email from a CNN.com producer saying that Ronan’s question was going to appear on the cable channel’s website – with a response from none other than the iconic Dr. Jane Goodall.

“Hello, Ronan – that’s a fascinating question,” Goodall began in the video.

For anyone just waking up from a 60-year coma, Goodall is a world-famous English primatologist and anthropologist and a leading expert on chimpanzees.

When his parents told him the news, they say Ronan’s jaw fell open and his eyes got as wide as they’ve ever seen them.

“Honestly, I was just so excited that it was someone like Jane Goodall,” said Ronan, now 11 and a rising seventh-grader at Brambleton Middle School. “I’ve always been fascinated by her work, so I was

shocked that this was happening.”

In the video, with the headline “10-yearold asks Jane Goodall a real thinker,” the eminent scientist takes more than two minutes to answer Ronan’s question.

“One of the attributes of intelligence is the ability to think and solve problems,” she begins. “In the early 1960s, I was told that this was unique to humans and that only we

could use and make tools, that only we had language and culture. But more and more research has proved that many animals are excellent at solving problems, many use tools and many show cultural differences.”

Goodall discusses the language of whales and the long memories displayed by her beloved chimpanzees, but she goes on to make it clear that – as much as we may love animals – human intelligence is at a different level.

“Although the difference between humans and other animals is simply one of degree, our intellect really is amazing,” Goodall said. “As you say, bees can count and do math, and that just shows how much we still have to learn about animal intelligence. But humans can calculate the distance to the stars.”

Ronan was especially pleased when Goodall went on to address the need to use our intelligence to combat climate change and care for the planet.

Are animals smarter than humans? For example, bees can count and do math. ... Could it be that only their bodies – not their minds –are limited?”

(Left) Ronan Lach reacts to the news that Dr. Jane Goodall responded to his science question; (Above) Dr. Goodall seen answering Ronan's question in a video on CNN.com.

To watch the video of Ronan Lach asking his question on CNN.com and Dr. Jane Goodall’s response, visit: tinyurl. com/ronandrgoodall.

“It was nice that she added that at the end,” he said.

Ronan wrote Goodall a follow-up letter, thanking her for her response and for including information on how people are impacting the planet and also inspiring people to work toward protecting the environment. He’s also been learning about the Roots &

always had an interest in science, nature and animals;

Shoots organization. Founded by Goodall in 1991, the nonprofit aims to bring together young people from preschool to college-aged to focus on environmental and conservation issues.

“It would be an exciting launching point for him – where he could work toward a cause that he cares about,” said Ronan’s mom. A

(Far left) Ronan has

(Left) Ronan with his family — father, Andrew, mother, Rupali, and sister, Zara.

OK, we know all kids are amazing, but if you know of a kid who’s so amazing that they should be featured on this page, please email information to editor@ashburnmagazine.com.

Ashburn girl-powered robotics team wins award at international competition

“88880X - Ex Machina,” an all-girls robotics team from Ashburn, won a design award at the VEX Robotics World Championship in Dallas earlier this spring.

The team was made up of four sophomores from Rock Ridge High School: Niesha Karthik, Aneesha Koninty, Rayna Budigelli and Amulya Gottipati.

The team qualified for the World Championship by winning the Design Award at the VEX Robotics Virginia State Championship in Doswell earlier in the year.

The annual VEX Robotics World Championship brings together the brightest young minds from across the globe to compete in various robotics challenges. This year’s competition saw more than 800 high school teams from 50 countries participating. But it was Ex Machina that stood out for their innovative design and exceptional teamwork.

Local 10-year-old publishes her first book

10-year-old Anya Walia – a rising fifth-grader at Rosa Lee Carter Elementary – has done something many older writers only dream of. She completed and published her first book of short stories.

The book of eight fictional stories took Anya more than a year to write. And the title couldn’t be any more appropriate: “The Book of Many Stories.”

Anya’s mom says the book is available on Amazon and can also be found on the shelves at the Brambleton Library.

Anya’s stories intertwine the real world with her imaginary one. In one story, aliens fly their spaceship like a scooter to Earth for a dance party and, in a related story, they get stuck in an out-of-control rocket and can’t get out.

“My stories reflect my love for space, aliens and animals,” Anya said. “I am very excited to publish my first book and am already working on my next set of stories.” A

Belle of the Barter

Ashburn native thriving at southwest Virginia theater

BY TRACY OWENS

When she was in eighth grade at Farmwell Station Middle School, Zoë Velling was cast as Belle in the musical “Beauty and the Beast.” While singing some of Belle’s biggest numbers, she had an epiphany., “This was something I wanted to do with my life, not just for fun,” she said.

A dozen years later, in 2020, her dream came full circle when she performed the role of Belle as a professional actor at Barter Theatre in Abingdon, Va.

Barter Theatre, nestled near the Blue Ridge mountains in the southwest corner of the state, is Virginia’s official state theater.

Founded in 1933, it is the oldest continually operated professional theater in the country.

As a member of Barter’s repertory company since 2017, Velling, 27, is thriving. Her

success in a difficult field can be traced to her roots in Ashburn, where she was encouraged by a close-knit family and special teachers.

ASHBURN CHILDHOOD

Velling’s parents are Steven Velling, a veterinarian who formerly owned the Ashburn Village Animal Hospital, and Carolyn Velling, a former teacher.

Zoë Velling says her folks were always encouraging of her creative pursuits, enrolling her in a dance class as a preschooler and vocal lessons as an elementary school student. In her first public recital, with the Creative Dance Center, she pretended to be a frog jumping on a lily pad at a performance at the Ashburn Village Sports Pavilion. When her parents asked her later about her favorite part of the recital, her response:

“the clapping.”

PUTTING IN THE WORK

In high school, Velling studied STEM at the Academies of Loudoun while spending every other day at Broad Run High School.

“I had a really colorful high school experience,” said Velling, who studied everything from nanoparticles to theatrical blocking. “I’m really glad I exposed myself to so many things.”

Velling’s talent was obvious early on, said Tim Willmot, a drama instructor at Broad Run for 14 years before moving to Briar Woods High School in 2015.

When Velling started high school, Willmot’s then-wife, Jennifer Kauffmann, was the choral director at Broad Run. Willmot remembers the two of them reacting with

amazement at Velling’s tryouts for the musical “Into the Woods.”

“It was like, holy cow, there’s something there,” Willmot said.

Kauffman said Velling helped to improve the entire production and singled out her work ethic. When Velling was cast as the lead in “Thoroughly Modern Millie,” she wasn’t the best tap dancer, Kauffmann said, but she worked at it until she was.

COLLEGE AND BEYOND

At James Madison University, Velling graduated with a bachelor of arts degree in music. With some classmates, she went to Memphis, Tenn. during her senior year –  February 2017 – for the United Professional Theatre Auditions. This annual conference is attended by dozens of hiring outfits, from Disney World and Dollywood to smaller repertory theaters.

Each performer had about 90 seconds to show their acting and vocal chops, Velling said. “The audience is full of people

Style: Collins Color: Timeless

(Left and below) Zoë Velling performs in "Barter at the Moonlite" productions that were held outdoors during the recent pandemic.

PHOTO COURTESY OF BARTER THEATER

PHOTO COURTESY OF BARTER THEATER

looking to hire. It is terrifying.”

Katy Brown, now the producing artistic director at Barter Theatre, gave Velling a callback. Velling did three or four monologues and Brown – still looking for something – asked her just for one more. Having run out of scripted material, Velling performed a poem she had written as a spoken-word piece.

That powerfully vulnerable move is what got her offered a 15-month internship in the Barter Players. The Players company tours schools in low-income areas on the East Coast from Northern Virginia to Florida, performing for children who in most cases have never seen a live performance. Velling said the Players is part of Barter’s mission to help improve the world through the arts.

“You load in a van at 5 a.m. and set up to do ‘Tom Sawyer’ in a cafeteria at 8 a.m.,” Velling said. “It’s one of my favorite things I’ve ever done.”

BARTER

The internship led to Velling becoming a member of the acting company at the

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(Above) Zoë Velling appears in a production of "A Midsummer Night's Dream" at Broad Run High School in Ashburn; (Right) Velling in a performance of "Curtains" at Broad Run.

Barter, where early on she played the dragon in “Shrek” as well as Shelby in “Steel Magnolias,” the tragedy-ridden bride whose wedding colors are “blush and bashful.”

In a 2018 review, the Johnson City (Tenn.) Press wrote, “Newcomer Zoe Velling is instantly captivating as Shelby.”

But just as Velling was learning to grow and stretch in her craft, the COVID-19 pan-

demic in 2020 threatened to bring everything to a halt. This would have been a blow to Velling and her colleagues, but also to the town of Abingdon, where the Barter is the largest economic engine. “Barter is the heartbeat of the town,” Velling said. In those first scary days of the pandemic, Brown concocted a bold plan for how to do

Summer Time and Ashburn Livin’ is Easy!

theater safely. That summer, the troupe debuted “Barter at the Moonlite.” Casts took over the Moonlite Drive-In Movie Theater and invited people to watch musicals safely from their cars.

Velling says she recognizes it is rare for someone her age to be able to be settled in a community with an arts career without having a side hustle. She and her partner, Allan Lee, enjoy living in Abingdon with their pandemic puppy, an Australian cattle dog named Cali.

“I don’t take this for granted,” Velling said.

COMING UP

So far Velling’s professional experience has been mostly on stage, although you can spot her in early 20th-century garb in the television docuseries “America’s Hidden Stories,” filmed in Richmond. She has a non-speaking role as Woodrow Wilson’s daughter.

One of Velling’s favorite things about life with a repertory company is the chance to play many kinds of characters. She might be onstage with two roles while rehearsing for three others.

PHOTO COURTESY OF BARTER THEATER

A special part was Judy Bernly in “9 to 5: The Musical” – the character popularized by Jane Fonda in the movie version. Velling said she liked it because it’s about a woman learning to find her voice.

Not coincidentally, Velling is a vocal instructor when her schedule permits, working particularly with school-age girls, helping them find their own voices, as her mentors helped her.

This year, Velling is doing her first big role in a Shakespeare play at the Barter.

“I’m going to be terrified,” she said, laughing. “But that’s OK, because that means I’m growing.” A

Tracy Owens is a former magazine editor who writes about arts, businesses and people in the Southeast. Her work has appeared in Salon, Gulfshore Life, Islandia Journal and many other publications.

IT'S LIFE CHANGING

Finally! A local Doctor is helping cancer survivors live lives free from the constant pain and suffering associated with Peripheral Neuropathy!

Irreversible is not a word you want to hear from your Doctor but it’s a common one if you’ve been diagnosed with ChemotherapyInduced Peripheral Neuropathy or CIPN.

Tom S of Leesburg survived testicular cancer only to be living life in constant pain. He felt as though he were walking on pins and needles, becoming weaker and weaker every day. “I was beginning to be worried that one day I would be wheelchairbound.”

Nearly half of the patients who undergo chemotherapy will develop Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy or CIPN.

Chemotherapy meds travel throughout the body and attack cancer cells sadly they can also cause severe damage to healthy nerves. CIPN can begin within weeks of starting treatment and can worsen as treatment continues. A high number of really unfortunate people will be forced to endure the symptoms associated with CIPN for months, or even years after they’ve completed chemo

When asked how CIPN was affecting his quality of life, he responded, “It was difficult to even walk up and down stairs and do other things we usually take for granted.”

Visit

The most common symptoms include:

pain, tingling, burning, weakness, or numbness in sudden, sharp, stabbing or shocking pain sensations loss of touch sensation clumsiness and trouble using hands to pick up objects or fasten clothing loss of balance and falling

arms, hands, legs or feet

For some, their nerves will recover over time. For most, the nerve damage is ‘irreversible.’ Tom had been told just that by a series of Doctors and specialists. Essentially they could cure his cancer but couldn’t fix the damage done by the drugs used to cure his cancer.

Then Tom made a call to Rachal Lohr of FIREFLY|Acupuncture & Wellness right here in Ashburn. Rachal and her team are using the time tested science of Acupuncture and a technology originally developed by NASA that assists in increasing blood flow and expediting recovery and healing to treat this debilitating disease.

After a series of treatments Tom was taking stairs with stride!

“We have a beach house and it’s up stairs. This morning I walked right down the stairs and got in the car,” Tom shared.

“I remember thinking ‘that’s become mighty easy for me’, I didn’t have to hold on to the hand rail or anything! It’s life changing to have this mobility back!”

Again and again, we meet with patients who were once diagnosed as “untreatable” or “incurable” but after receiving Rachal Lohr’s treatments are now living lives free from pain and suffering. For 16 years she has been reversing the effects of CIPN and other varieties of Peripheral Neuropathy, including that caused by diabetes without invasive surgeries and medications that come with uncomfortable side effects

If you’ve recently beat cancer only to find that you’re living a life in constant pain and discomfort or you’re struggling with the same symptoms as a result of either Idiopathic Neuropathy or Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy, Rachal and the incredible team at FIREFLY can help!

Rachal Lohr is now accepting new patients but only for a limited time. In an effort to protect her patients, both current and future, she has made the difficult decision to limit the number of patients seen in her clinic.

Only 10 new neuropathy patients will be accepted monthly so call (703)263-2142 now to schedule a consultation.

INTERNATIONAL

SPORT IS TAKING OFF IN ASHBURN

Jiminy Cricket!

BY PAUL ANTHONY ARCO

PHOTOS BY ASTRI WEE

Ashburn resident Sumit Daryani grew up loving the sport of cricket. He was 10 when he first took the “pitch” in his native Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates. He eventually played for his high school team as a right arm fast bowler, and his passion only intensified. He idolized Kapil Dev, a cricket legend who helped India to its first World Cup in 1983.

“I like the entertainment of the sport,” said Daryani, who now lives in the Village of Waxpool neighborhood. “It can get suspenseful – you often don’t know who’s going to win until the last minute.”

If that’s the case, then there must be a lot of suspense in Ashburn and wider Loudoun County. Cricket is booming here. According to Loudoun officials, the county-sponsored cricket league had 60 teams this spring and some 1,800 players. And that’s just the adults. Youth cricket is growing, too.

The interest and demand has been so high that Loudoun’s new Hal & Berni Hanson Regional Park near Ashburn includes the county’s first dedicated cricket pitch. Daryani moved to the United States in 2001 to further his education. Over the years, he played recreational cricket across two countries, but his work as the director of software engineering for Capital One

Australia. It’s growing quickly in other parts of the world, including the West Indies, the Netherlands and Zimbabwe.

A large portion of Ashburn residents have moved here from many of those countries, along with India, Pakistan and Bangladesh – and brought with them that same passion for cricket. According to the latest census estimates, roughly one in five Ashburn residents is of Asian heritage.

Thanks to community support, Loudoun County Parks, Recreation and Community Services (PRCS) started an adult cricket league in 2009 with seven teams that played on a temporary cricket pitch at Mickie Gordon Memorial Park in Middleburg.

Modifications were then made to fields at Philip A. Bolen Park in Leesburg to accommodate cricket by adding temporary pitches and later permanent pitches on shared-use fields. In 2016, PRCS built two cricket fields that were shared with youth soccer on the weekends for games. In 2016, the baseball field at Mickie Gordon Memorial Park was redesigned to become a permanent cricket pitch with lights and a concrete base. When planning began for the Hanson Regional Park, which opened in fall 2022, county officials included a field specifically designed as a cricket pitch. The pitch at Hanson is the size of 2½ soccer fields and sits in the far corner of the park, next to a pavilion and surrounded by soccer fields.

keeps him busy, so he’s on a break for now.

Instead, Daryani spends much of his free time coaching his 11-year-old son, Arav, a left-handed pace bowler, who has followed in his footsteps. (A fast bowler or pace bowler refers to a style of play in cricket focused on the speed at which the ball is thrown. The other main style is a spin bowler, who puts spin on the ball.)

“He took to the sport and learned very quickly – bowling came naturally to him,” Daryani said. “He’s much better than me at that age and he’s learned a lot through his training. But the best part is cricket has become a way for me to bond with my son.”

WIDE WORLD OF CRICKET

Cricket is one of the oldest and most popular sports in the world, behind only soccer. It apparently originated in southeast England as early as the late 1500s. Besides England, the sport is especially huge in former British colonies, such as India and

“The parks system has done a fantastic job of recreating that passion for people who are from different countries where cricket is huge,” said local player Kaushal Kansara.

Terry Ellis, youth sports coordinator for PRCS, who previously served as adult sports coordinator, said when he inherited the program there were 12 teams and

(Left) A batter from the Fafda 11 cricket team swings at a ball during a cricket match at Bolen Memorial Park in Leesburg. (Above) Kaushal Kansara from the Reston Rockies jumps as a ball is pitched, or "bowled," during a cricket match at Hanson Regional Park near Ashburn.

(Right) An aerial view of Hanson Regional Park and the round cricket pitch in the center of the photo -at the back corner of the park.

now there are 1,800 players on those 60 teams.

“The growth is unreal,”

Ellis added. “Over the years, the demand for fields continues to get bigger and bigger.”

Ellis says players come from as far as Maryland, and the county has plans for additional fields.

The Loudoun County Cricket League consists of two seasons – a spring season from March to July and a fall league from July to October. The leagues run on weekends, and tournaments are held during the week. A tournament includes round robin play, playoffs and a championship. PRCS is looking at adding tournaments for participants age 40 and over.

LIKE A RELIGION

Cricket is a family event. During championship matches, the pitch is lined with adoring fans, including wives, children and even grandparents.

“Like any major sport, many of these

guys grew up playing cricket and they developed a love and a passion for the sport,”

Ellis said. “When you have that passion, you want to play and play and play. Some of these guys would play all day if they could.”

That includes Kansara, who started playing cricket at age 5, when he lived in his native India, where cricket is king. “It’s really big,” said the Leesburg resident. “It’s almost like a religion.”

A structural engineer who runs his own firm, Kansara moved to the United States in the early 2000s, when he enrolled in Virginia Tech to earn a master’s degree. His first glimpse of cricket in this country came when he played recreational cricket on the basketball courts at Virginia Tech.

Kansara says the excitement for cricket is comparable to that of football. “I’ve been to football games at Lane Stadium at Virginia Tech, where the fans are rowdy and you can feel the vibration from your seat,” he said. “It’s the same with cricket. It gets crazy.”

Although he enjoys the competition, Kansara appreciates the sport for its deco -

rum. “It’s called a gentleman’s game,” he said. “There’s no room for cursing at each other or at the umpires – no matter the call or decision. There’s respect for everyone. Any time we teach the kids about cricket, the first lesson is always about the spirit of cricket, which is to respect everyone. You never argue with anyone. You keep it to yourself.”

START THEM YOUNG

Chita Nilak is the co-founder and head coach of Loudoun Cubs Cricket Academy, a premium academy that has trained more than 250 boys and girls since it opened five years ago, including many from Ashburn. The academy hosts national, state and regional tryouts, boot camps and high-performance individual and

Cricket 101

Cricket is played with two teams of 11 players each. Each team takes turns batting and playing the field. The batter is a batsman, and the

pitcher is a bowler. The bowler tries to knock down the bail of the wicket (pieces of wood on the top) and the batsman tries to prevent the

ball from hitting the wicket. Two batsmen are on the pitch at the same time. The batters can run after the ball is hit – but they don’t

have to. A run is scored each time they change places on the pitch. The team with the most runs wins. Each at-bat, called an “over,” comprises no more than six bowls per batsman. The

fielding team must retire or dismiss 10 batsmen to end the innings. Batsmen also are out when a hit ball is caught in the air or when the wicket is hit while they are running between them.

(Far left) Young fans watch a match between the Reston Rockies and Motabhai 11 cricket teams at Hanson Regional Park near Ashburn. (Left) A player from the Fafda 11 cricket team swings at a ball at Bolen Memorial Park.

group lessons. Nilak said three other academies in Northern Virginia offer cricket training to more than 500 young people between the ages of 7-17.

Nilak has excelled both on the pitch and on the sidelines as a Cricket Australia certified national coach. He has not only coached his academy teams to regional and national championships but also coached the USA Cricket national women’s team and the regional U19 girls’ team to a national title in 2022.

“I used to take my kids to play baseball, softball and other traditional American sports, but then I thought, ‘Why not cricket?’” Nilak said. “So, I would spend time with kids in my neighborhood, throwing the ball to them. We’re using a bat and a ball, so basically, it’s the same hand-eye coordination as baseball, field hockey or lacrosse for that matter.”

Abhishek Shanbhag is a shining example of the Loudoun Cubs Cricket Academy’s

training program. The Brambleton middle-schooler was introduced to cricket when he was 5. But he was also playing soccer, his first love at the time. Then, in 2020, Shanbhag moved from soccer to cricket once and for all and hasn’t looked back.

And he’s good. The 12-year-old is the captain of the academy team. He was named the top bowler of the National Youth Cricket League and top player in the Washington Youth Cricket League. He was also selected captain of the U13 Virginia 2022 team.

Shanbhag attributes his early success to hard work and a commitment from his coaches to help their players improve.

“I love it,” said Shanbhag. “First, there is the sports aspect of it. It’s fun and simple. You bowl the ball, hit the ball or try to catch or field the ball. The best part is the people, though. My coaches, teammates and officials help create a fun and loving environment.”

Photo Credit: Annette Lee

A player sits with his bat and takes a break during a match between Fafda 11 and the VA Warriors cricket teams at Bolen Memorial Park.

GOING PRO

Nilak has even bigger plans for local cricket. He’s in talks with Loudoun PRCS to bring a minor league cricket team to Loudoun someday. “We want to take our time and do it right, to make sure we have the community support,” Nilak said. In the meantime, fans across the country, including Ashburn, don’t have to wait long to see the best cricket players in the world. Professional cricket has arrived, in the form of Major League Cricket, which is scheduled to begin play with a tournament in July in Texas. The Washington Freedom is among the six teams in the league.

“Cricket is a passion Indians have like basketball and football is here in the U.S.,” said Sanjay Govil, a major investor of the league. “Everyone in India played cricket, and when they came to the U.S., they were looking for avenues to play, hence the popularity of the sport.”

The Freedom are working with George

Mason University to study the feasibility of a stadium that could host both MLC matches and George Mason baseball games.

And for the first time, the cricket World Cup is coming to the United States in 2024. Achin Patel can’t wait. Patel moved to the U.S. in 1997. Growing up in India, he played cricket every chance he had. During his career, Patel, who lives in Leesburg, has won several cricket championships and was glued to his TV when India won the World Cup in 1983. But the best thing about the sport, he says, is the camaraderie among participants.

“I like to bring people together as a team,” Patel said. “Even when we’re not playing, our team will meet for a social outing, just to spend the day together. We’re more than friends – we’re family.” A

Paul Anthony Arco is a longtime journalist and freelance writer who has written articles for publications around the United States.

A C HIN PATEL

Players from the Reston Rockies hug and pose for a team photo after a recent match against Motabhai 11 at Hanson Memorial Park. Motabhai 11 won by 34 runs.

AS THE WORM TURNS

LOCAL BUSINESS BRINGS COMPOSTING TO YOUR DOORSTEP

BY JILL DEVINE

Ayear ago, a friend told Katie Eibner about a local service that offers customers a five-gallon bucket of “gold” in exchange for a year’s worth of kitchen scraps. That seemed like a great deal, so the Belmont Greene mother of three signed up right away.

Now Eibner is de ciding what to do with her bounty, which was delivered to her door by a Loudoun-based company called Worm Works LLC.

“My husband wants to save it for his favorite trees in our backyard,” she said.

That’s because Eibner’s industrial-sized bucket was filled with something farmers and gardeners call black gold, a natural, nutrient-rich soil additive that turbocharges plant growth, thanks to a powerful component: worm castings, or –perhaps more simply – worm poop.

CURBSIDE COMPOSTING

Eibner pays Worm Works, the only service of its kind in Loudoun County, a small monthly fee to pick up her family’s food waste. The scraps are then added to those from other subscribers and delivered to a farm in Middleburg for vermicomposting, a

CAN I COMPOST THIS?

FOOD

Clients put food scraps into a Worm Works food waste bucket and later receive a bag of nutrient-rich compost to use in their gardens or yards.

controlled process that uses worms to break down biodegradable material.

Eibner keeps a can near the kitchen sink to gather scraps like apple cores and coffee grinds, and at the end of the day she dumps it into a larger bin on the back deck. Worm Works picks up that bin and leaves a clean one every other week.

“I’ll probably bump up to weekly service soon,” Eibner said. Rates range from $15 a month for a once-a-month curbside collection to $35 a month for weekly collections.

The yearly bucket of black gold compost that Worm Works offers as a courtesy to curbside customers is a great perk, but that’s not what motivated Eibner.

“Composting brings an awareness of how much food you are buying and wasting,” she said. “The amount of waste that fills our bin is pretty shocking. Even with the monthly collection fee, I save money, because seeing all that waste motivates me to stop over-purchasing.”

YES: Fruits and vegetables, including raw, cooked, spoiled, moldy or frozen food and peelings. Bakery and dry goods, including pasta, beans, rice, bread, flour, cereal, nuts and shells. Eggs and eggshells. Pet Food.

NO: Meat and fish, including bones and scales. Fats, oils and greases. Dairy products. Stickers on produce. Plastic produce bags.

PAPER

YES: Napkins, paper towels, tissues, paper egg cartons, paper grocery bags, cardboard toilet paper rolls, printer paper, parchment paper, certified-compostable plates, bowls and silverware.

NO: Magazines or waxcoated/shiny paper.

OTHER

YES: Coffee grounds, tea bags, houseplant trimmings, wooden popsicle sticks, chopsticks, toothpicks, hair and pet fur.

NO: Aluminum foil, staples, cigarettes, human or animal waste, cat litter, dryer lint.

Source: Worm Works LLC

Here she is seen standing on top of a pile of

material.

Broadlands resident Trisha McKnight — a route driver for Worm Works — rinses out a collection bucket.

Belmont Greene resident Michelle Wendt is a co-owner of Worm Works.

composting

Katie Eibner, with her husband, Drew, and their children at the family's Belmont Greene home.

in the United States ends up in landfills. Organic material rotting in landfills creates significant amounts of methane, a potent greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change. In the United States, more food is

Eibner learned of Worm Works from her friend Michelle Wendt, who also lives in Belmont Greene. Wendt co-owns Worm Works with its 22-year-old founder, George Ardura, who lives in Sterling.

Ardura graduated from the University of Virginia this spring. He founded Worm Works while still a student and was a grant winner in the 2020 U.Va. Darden School of Business VentureLab summer incubator program. Worm Works incorporated in April 2020, and Ardura focused his fledgling business in Ashburn.

“It’s centrally located, and so many peo -

ple in Ashburn were already aware of the benefits of composting,” he said.

Ardura met Wendt when she applied to be a Worm Works route driver.

“I am passionate about eco-living and composting, so I was one of Worm Works early customers,” she said. “Not everyone can or wants to bring composting into their own backyard. The piles grow quickly and can get pretty messy and stinky. Our service makes composting easy.”

When Wendt’s family moved to Ashburn 13 years ago, she left a career in aviation administration to stay home with her children. “My career took a hiatus, but in hindsight that led to this great opportunity with Worm Works,” she said.

At first, Wendt borrowed her husband’s truck for her route, which then was just 15 homes. Today, Worm Works serves more than 170 customers in Fairfax and Loudoun counties.

“I found myself thinking all the time about how to improve and grow this business,” said Wendt, who compares composting to recycling glass, plastics and paper.

Some folks choose to do it and others don’t. Recycling food scraps is just another way to repurpose waste and keep it out of landfills.

In 2022, Ardura asked Wendt to help with a presentation for the Loudoun Economic Development Authority’s Innovation Challenge. The pitch was a success, and the business won a $35,000 grant, which it used to buy a commercial van.

In December 2022, Ardura gave Wendt co-ownership of the company he founded.

“We are a social enterprise. Our main goal is to expand composting,” Ardura said. “I could have held onto everything for myself, but Michelle is there every day, growing the business and greatly benefiting our mission.”

Wendt predicts the company will continue to grow. “Once you know about composting, you can never unknow it. I will never be able to throw a banana peel in the trash for the rest of my life.”

Wendt spends her off hours teaching about composting at local school and community events.

Broadlands resident Trisha McKnight is another Worm Works route driver.

McKnight lives in a townhouse so she can’t compost in her yard. She says the compost Worm Works produces reminds her of the rich black soil of Illinois, where she grew up.

“I’ve been recycling since I was little –it’s something my dad taught me. He could find a way to reuse everything,” McKnight said. “Composting is so easy. There is no reason to keep adding to our landfills when we can instead turn food waste into something so beneficial.”

Eibner hopes attitudes like this spread.

To paraphrase an old saying, one person composting may seem like just a drop in the bucket — or the bin in this case — but it’s those drops that make the bucket full.

“If even just one home in every 20 participated,” she said, “the results would quickly add up to something meaningful.” A

Jill Devine is a freelance writer and former magazine editor from Loudoun County who writes for a variety of Virginia publications.

To learn more about composting and Worm Works, visit wormworkscomposting.com.

Worm Works co-owners George Ardura (left) and Michelle Wendt (right) with Danelle Hayer (center) from Loudoun County's Department of Economic Development.

Ashburn’s ECHO Barkery wins national award

ECHO Barkery received a National Achievement Award in May from SourceAmerica, which creates employment opportunities for people with disabilities.

The Ashburn shop was honored at SourceAmerica’s annual conference in Anaheim, Calif. Pete Yuska, the Barkery’s general manager, is seen in the photo below accepting the award on behalf of ECHO, a nonprofit based in Leesburg that offers lifelong support for adults with disabilities.

Yuska started ECHO Barkery, a dog biscuit bake shop, during the

Future Northern Virginia Science Center reaches major milestone

The Launch the Future Campaign – which is raising funds and support aimed at bringing the Northern Virginia Science Center to the Kincora development between Ashburn and Sterling – has reached a major milestone with the title funding for all five of its planned galleries.

• The Dominion Energy Gallery featuring “Flow” will feature a tour of science and natural phenomena expressed through motion and art.

• The Shrivastava Family Gallery featuring “Helios” will offer an expansive and mind-bending journey across our solar system and beyond.

• The Craig Family Gallery featuring “Wonder” will be a gathering place for young scientists and their families to explore, experiment and create together.

COVID-19 pandemic, when nine of ECHO’s 16 pre-pandemic worksites closed. This displaced 71 of the participants who needed a new place to work.

In less than two years, Yuska transformed the ECHO Barkery into a thriving business that now employs 18 individuals with disabilities. The ECHO Barkery counts Whole Foods stores in the Mid-Atlantic – along with 16 other retailers – as customers. In addition to baking over 45,000 biscuits of various flavors monthly, the organization retails at fairs and trade shows on weekends.

• The CACI Gallery featuring “Human” invites guests to contemplate big questions about who we are and what makes us human.

• The Bolos-Powell Family Gallery featuring “Habitat” showcases how we are not apart from nature, but a part of nature.

Google co-hosted a reception in June to celebrate the milestone. At the event, Northern Virginia Science Center Foundation Executive Director Nene Spivy shared the news that the science center groundbreaking will take place in 2024. A

ON THE ROAD AGAIN

From push carts hawking hot dogs on the streets of New York City to ice cream trucks slowly cruising through suburban neighborhoods, people have always loved the concept of mobile food. The latest incarnation, of course, are the ubiquitous food trucks.

From office parks at lunch hour to wineries and breweries on weekends, an endless parade of food trucks, food wagons and food trailers provide hungry customers with every type of cuisine imaginable. Ashburn is no exception. Many of our favorite local restaurants – Ford’s Fish Shack, Parallel Wine & Whiskey Bar, Robeks – have mobile versions of their brick-and-mortar locations.

Ashburn Magazine thought we would introduce you to a few fan favorites based right here in our community. Warning: We can’t be held accountable if reading this fires up your appetite.

ASHBURN-BASED

BY CHRIS WADSWORTH

THE PÂTÉ WAGON

FOOD TRUCKS FIND FANS EVERYWHERE

OWNER: John Kerschensteiner, Ashburn Village

LAUNCHED: 2021

CUISINE: French, German, American

SPECIALTY: Pâté, sausages and poutine

WEBSITE: thepatewagon.com

HOW DID YOU COME TO LAUNCH A FOOD TRUCK?

“I got into the food truck business during COVID. I was a chef in D.C. for over a decade – in fine dining mostly – and when COVID hit, and I was temporarily laid off… I wrote up my business plan and made

WHAT ARE SOME PROS AND CONS OF THE FOOD TRUCK LIFE?

“The idea of having a kitchen on wheels is awesome – until you start having automotive issues, cooking equipment failures and power generators malfunctioning all on the same day – because of course you have a kitchen built into a truck. [But] on the truck, you get a different office view every day, which is pretty cool. Some days we are in a city serving directly on the sidewalk, and other days we are in a farm field or on top of a mountain.”

WHAT’S THE FUNNIEST THING THAT HAS HAPPENED SINCE YOU LAUNCHED THE TRUCK?

“One of the funniest things about The Pâté Wagon is that – for the first 1½ years – no one would buy pâté from The Pâté Wagon. When I moved to Ashburn and moved the business to Loudoun County –[that’s] when I finally started selling pâté. Now, I am making 20-plus pounds of pâté a week. So, thanks, LoCo, for having the refined palate The Pâté Wagon was looking for.”

BIG KYLE BBQ

OWNER: Kyle Norris, Brambleton

LAUNCHED: 2020

CUISINE: Authentic smoked barbecue

SPECIALTY: Beef brisket, hot dogs

WEBSITE: bigkylebbq.com

WHY DID YOU GET INTO THE FOOD TRUCK BUSINESS?

“I did home improvement for 20 years and I got tired of being dirty every day and being in and out of Home Depot. But I love to cook, and I have a big family, and I was cooking every weekend and they said I should sell it. The main reason is my wife said, ‘I’m sick and tired of you complaining about your job.’ She said to find something I enjoy and do that. I don’t know if she was joking or not, but here we are.”

WHAT’S THE FUNNIEST THING THAT HAS HAPPENED WHILE WORKING THE TRUCK?

the move to be my own boss. I came up with the concept for The Pâté Wagon when I was in culinary school at The French Culinary Institute in New York City. I wanted to take my passion for butchery, charcuterie and sausage-making and do a food truck showcasing that.”

“We were serving at a winery out in Purcellville at a wedding, and I had stepped out of the truck to talk with one client, and one of the ladies that was in the wedding party came and she pulled me into the building and said, ‘You are going to dance with me.’ So, I danced with her, and it was a big scene – ‘the BBQ guy is dancing’ – and everyone was clapping and cheering, but eventually I had to get back to the truck.”

WHAT’S ONE SECRET ABOUT BIG KYLE’S BBQ THAT NO ONE KNOWS?

“A lot of my recipes come from my great-grandmother, who died at 98 years old. She is the one that sparked the cooking tradition in my family. Everyone thinks the BBQ guy is doing his own thing, but it has to come from somewhere. No matter how hard this business gets – and it’s very hard; it’s very trying; it’s very competitive – there is something about that connection to family that makes it worth it to keep doing it.”

MR. FALAFEL

OWNER: Ahmad Abou Adas, Brambleton

LAUNCHED: 2019

CUISINE: Mediterranean, American

SPECIALTY: Falafel, shawarma and gyros

HOW DID YOU GET INTO THE FOOD TRUCK BUSINESS?

“When I finished school, I started looking for a business, and I went to D.C., and I saw the food trucks at the National Mall, and we started it from there. I had a food truck in D.C. for several years – the Gyro Brothers – and then I didn’t want to work in D.C. any longer so we moved out to Virginia. My family is originally from Jerusalem in Palestine, but I was born and raised in Dubai. All the recipes are my mom’s recipes.”

HOW DOES WORKING ON A TRUCK COMPARE TO WORKING IN A RESTAURANT?

“It’s totally different. Working on a food truck – it’s a very congested place. You have to just move right or left– that’s it. In a restaurant, you go to the kitchen or the dining room or the freezer. In a food truck, everything is close by. You just jump here or there. It’s less stressful and less responsibility because it’s a smaller operation.”

WHAT’S THE MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT FROM OPERATING YOUR TRUCK?

“One time, I parked right next to 17th and K streets in D.C. and people there just started to line up immediately. There were more than a hundred people in the line. As soon as we opened the window to start taking orders, the first guy said, ‘It’s free, right? This food is for free?’ I said, ‘No, you have to pay.’ It turned out the whole line was homeless people and they thought we were giving out food.”

THE PROUD WINNER OF 19 AWARDS FROM THE VIRGINIA PRESS ASSOCIATION FOR ADVERTISING AND EDITORIAL EXCELLENCE IN 2022

FIRST PLACE

Informational Graphics: Kara Thorpe

Pictorial Photo: Astri Wee

Feature Story Writing: Jill Devine

Feature Writing Portfolio: Jill Devine

Headline Writing: Bruce Potter

Fashion and Personal Care Advertising: Connie Fields & Creative Staff

Home and Garden Advertising: Judy Harbin & Nicky Marshok

Professional Services Advertising: Judy Harbin & Nicky Marshok

SECOND PLACE

Combination Picture and Story: Jill Devine & Astri Wee

Feature Photo: Astri Wee

Food and Drug Advertising: Judy Harbin & Nicky Marshok

Home and Garden Advertising: Judy Harbin & Nicky Marshok

Real Estate Advertising: Connie Fields & Creative Staff

THIRD PLACE

Front Page or Front Cover: Kara Thorpe & Chris Wadsworth

Personality or Portrait Photo: Astri Wee

Feature Story Writing: Jill Devine

Food Writing: Chris Wadsworth

Food and Drug Advertising: Connie Fields & Creative Staff

Professional Services Advertising: Judy Harbin & Nicky Marshok

And WINNER of a 2023 Dateline Award for journalism excellence, presented by the Washington, D.C., Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists : Magazine Feature Photography: Astri Wee

JAMBALAYA BROS.

OWNER: Jared Bourgeois, Lakes of Belle Terra

LAUNCHED: 2017

CUISINE: Cajun

SPECIALTY: Jambalaya, étouffée, gumbo

WEBSITE: jambalayabros.com

WHAT BROUGHT YOU TO THE FOOD TRUCK WORLD?

“I was in news media. I was the technical director at ‘Good Morning Washington,’ on Channel 7. That’s a ‘wake up at 2 a.m. job’ and after 12 years of doing that, I needed a way out. So I created my way out of that by doing the food truck thing. It was a way to work for myself, which is the greatest thing ever. Took a leap of faith and it’s been going for six years now.”

Prepare

HOW DID YOU SETTLE ON CAJUN FOOD AS YOUR SPECIALTY?

“I’m from south Louisiana. I was born in New Orleans, spent a lot of time in Baton Rouge and went to college in Lafayette. My grandfather was a shrimper, so we always had fresh seafood available. I grew up in a small town that had no pizza places, no Chinese food. I didn’t even taste those things until I was a teenager. Some advice for anyone wanting to start a food truck – cook something you really love because you’ll be eating it every day.”

WHAT’S ONE SECRET ABOUT JAMBALAYA BROS. THAT PEOPLE MIGHT NOT KNOW?

“There are no jambalaya brothers. There are no other boys, no other brothers, in my family – just me. It was just a clever name my 12-year-old came up with. People are always coming up to me and asking where the other brother is.” A

The May Details

Closed sales:

• Down 29% in 20147 Zip code

• Down 27.8% in 20148 Zip code

• Combined sales totaled 167, down from 233 a year earlier. That was about the same as the overall Loudoun County decline of 29%.

The big picture:

Home sales dropped about 28% in the two Ashburn Zip codes combined in May, compared with May 2022

But… that was a significantly smaller year-over-year drop than earlier in the spring, and sales prices remained strong, according to the latest data from the Dulles Area Association of Realtors. And many houses are selling within 10 days of going on the market.

Ashburn’s TOP TEN 20147

New listings:

• Down 43% in 20147

• Down 28.7% in 20148

Median sales price:

• Up 12.5% to $699,995 in 20147

• Up 0.2% to $775,000 in 20148

Average days on market (homes sold in May):

• 7 in 20147

• 9 in 20148

Top sales: Listed below are the five highest-priced homes that sold in each of Ashburn’s two Zip codes between late April and late June. Data and photos from Realtor.com.

20148

What they’re saying:

“Tight inventory, mortgage rates, and continually rising prices are still heavily at play, making it quite challenging for many would-be homebuyers. Because there is less than a month of inventory available…, properties continue to receive multiple offers, in turn driving the prices upward.”

– Allan Marteney, 2023 president of the Realtors group.

June 14

6,803 square feet

44405 STONE ROSES CIRCLE $1,301,100

June 15

bathrooms 6,075 square feet 21044 STARFLOWER WAY

June 1

20753 ASHBURN STATION PLACE

June 1

Designed for Success

Renowned men’s clothier owned by Ashburn resident

BY CHRIS WADSWORTH

For David Eisele, it would seem his fate was written in the stars all the way back to high school. That’s when his classmates at Mark Morris High School in Longview, Wash., voted him “Best Dressed.” It was an early sign that clothing and fashion and style would always be at the center of his life.

“When I was in high school, denim jeans were just starting to come into play after years of people wearing khakis. And I wore designer denim and dress slacks,” Eisele recalled. “I always dressed really nice. It made me feel good and I think it made me do better in my environment – and it was a springboard to the business.”

Eisele, who lives in Brambleton’s Birch-

wood neighborhood, went on to study at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City. He worked in the jewelry business – even owned a jewelry store – for more than two decades. In 1991, he wanted to start a new business from the ground up and launched Timeless Ties and More. He grew that to four locations across Northern Virginia.

Eventually, Timeless Ties transitioned into the business he is known for now –Davelle Clothiers, one of Northern Virginia’s premier bespoke suit and clothing shops for men.

“I’ve been in Northern Virginia for 40 years, so I get the feeling here. I get the vibe,” Eisele said. “We bring a European taste to the area. Initially, some people aren’t com-

fortable with that more modern style – they like to stick with what they know – until they see what we have to offer.”

Today, Davelle Clothiers is found in the Reston Town Center – its home for 31 years – and caters to businessmen around the region. Eisele is also the official designer for D.C. United, the Major League Soccer team in Washington, and he was named a top designer by Washingtonian Magazine. Despite this wide reach, Eisele notes that nearly half his clients are from the Ashburn area.

Among them is Stephen Brown, who lives in Lansdowne.

“You’d go to Nordstrom or somewhere and you’d pull a shirt off the rack, and they might include alterations, but it was never quite right,” said Brown, a runner who is 5-foot-9 and between 165 and 170 pounds. “You can’t just pull something off the shelf and expect it to fit everybody.”

So, a few years ago, Brown walked

(Far left) David Eisele, founder and owner of Davelle Clothiers in Reston; (Left) David Eisele with his son, Dave Jr.; (Above) The entrance to Davelle Clothiers at the Reston Town Center.

into Davelle Clothiers. He was immediately wowed by the personal attention from Eisele and his team.

“They take great pride in what they are doing. He’s got a couple of his own lines … and the next thing you know, I had a suit coming my way and a couple of shirts,” Brown said.

“Looking back, I don’t know how I ever pulled something right off the shelf. They were always baggy, and now it’s so nice having something that is custom fit to me.”

Few people in the business know Eisele better than his son, Dave Eisele Jr., who works with his father at Davelle.

“I was raised in the family business,” Eisele Jr. said. “When I was a kid, our warehouse was the house. We started back in 1991. I was 10 at the time. I remember using that old-fashioned pricing gun. It was my way of earning some extra spending cash.”

Eisele Jr. admits his father can be intense.

The store’s motto is “Davelle is in the details” – a play on the saying, “The devil is in the details” – and David Eisele is a stickler for the details – probably a good trait for someone who deals with precise measurements and high-quality products.

“Details are everything,” Eisele Jr. said.

“From the bookkeeping… to the appearance of the store – the cleanliness, the presentation. Everything is meticulously folded and hung just so.”

One of the big changes David Eisele has seen over his decades in the business is the slow movement towards a more relaxed look at work. Casual Fridays have bled into casual all week long. And the recent pandemic and increase in people working at home didn’t help.

Still, Eisele says there is room for high-quality clothing even in these changing times.

“If you’re not going to wear a tie, then a man needs a power symbol to represent himself,” he explained. “So, a jacket can really differentiate a person and separate them from everyone else.”

Even custom dress shirts can be tweaked with unique touches such as special trims or buttons, he noted.

After so many years and so much change, this grandfather of six admits to occasionally thinking about the future. But retirement? It doesn’t sound like it’s imminent.

“I’d like to do this for the rest of my life,” said Eisele, an energetic 69 years old. “You can tell it’s my passion. You can tell that I love it. I want to continue designing and creating for the people I love.” A

(Above) One of the private label clothing lines created by David Eisele; (Right)

At Davelle Clothiers, customers are measured for custom-fitted jackets, shirts and other garments.

WANT MORE?

A Calendar of Community Events

POLO IN THE PARK

Saturday, July 15 and July 22, 6 to 10 p.m.

Morven Park International Equestrian Center, 41580 Sunday Morning Lane, Leesburg

Polo in the Park brings fast-paced arena polo action to Loudoun on two Saturday nights in July, wrapping up its summer season. This unique event is the place to go for your date night, family outing, girls’ night out or corporate entertaining.

HEIGH TORR ESTATE WINE DINNER –FEATURING WALSH FAMILY WINE & THE POLISHED FOXX

Wednesday, July 19, 6:30 to 9 p.m.

Heigh Torr Estate, 13656 Harpers Ferry Road, Purcellville

Enjoy a summer wine dinner at Loudoun County’s premier event venue with awardwinning Chef Erik Foxx, owner and head chef of The Polished Foxx. Chef Erik’s carefully curated dinner will be paired with wines curated by Sarah Walsh, owner of Walsh Family Wine.

For a complete list of events around Northern Virginia, visit InsideNoVa.com/calendar

GUITAR AND VIBRAPHONE DUO

Saturday, July 29, 2 p.m. Ashburn Library, 43316 Hay Road, Ashburn

GEARS FOR GOOD CHARITY CAR SHOW

Saturday, July 22, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Loudoun Station, 43751 Central Station Drive, Ashburn

Enjoy some classic cars and help raise money for the TSJ Foundation, a nonprofit educational organization that provides a unique sci-fi/fantasy themed S.T.E.A.M. experience and is building a mobile classroom to serve the community.

DRAG BRUNCH HOSTED BY CRIMSYN QUEEN

Sunday, July 23, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Fleur de Cuisine, 44200 Waxpool Road, #112, Ashburn

Enjoy a high kick-flying, hair-flipping, big hair-raising good time as Crimsyn Queen and friends wow attendees with their amazing performances. Tickets include an amazing brunch buffet and bottomless mimosas.

THE LEGWARMERS

Saturday, August 26, 7 p.m.

Loudoun Station, 43805

Central Station Drive, Ashburn

Join your neighbors for a night of dancing and singing along with the ever-popular ’80s cover band, The Legwarmers. Enjoy dinner at one of the restaurants in Loudoun Station and we’ll see you at District Park in neon.

Take a pause amidst all the books and enjoy the unique music of Danny Webber (guitar) and Anthony Stoika (vibraphone). If you’re wondering what a vibraphone is, it’s like a marimba and features a musician striking metal bars with a mallet.

ROOFTOP PRODUCTIONS

10 X 10 NEW PLAY FESTIVAL

ThursdaySaturday, Aug. 24-26, 7:30 to 9:30 p.m.

ARTfactory, 9419 Battle Street, Manassas

Rooftop Productions presents the Second Annual 10 x 10 New Play Festival. Local playwrights submitted their works this spring and 10 plays have been selected for staging. This year, a high school category has been added as well.

A round-up of the latest restaurant, retail, and other cool news from Ashburn and beyond. Check out The Burn at TheBurn.com and follow it on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

1,400-square-foot space that used to be a Subway sandwich shop. Details on the exact menu haven’t been released, but we’re told sushi is part of the plans.

1 DUCK DONUTS OPENING IN THE BROADLANDS

The much-loved gourmet donut brand Duck Donuts has announced its first location in Ashburn. The North Carolina-based brand will open a 1,200-square-foot shop in the Broadlands Village shopping plaza. Ironically, it will be just a few doors down from LA Fitness. Duck Donuts was founded in 2006 and has grown to more than 100 locations. Another Duck Donuts is under construction in South Riding.

2 NEW ASIAN RESTAURANT HEADED HERE

3 COMMUNITY AMPHITHEATER OPENS IN GOOSE CREEK VILLAGE

seems. South Block, an açai bowl shop, recently opened at One Loudoun, and Robeks in the Broadlands has açai bowls on their menu too. Now we await the arrival of Nautical Bowls. The brand has signed a lease for a space in the Lansdowne Town Center that was previously home to Qwench, a juice and smoothie shop.

A new amphitheater has opened in Ashburn’s Goose Creek Village community off Sycolin Road near Belmont Ridge Road. The outdoor venue features a stage area and four grassy tiers where folks can open lawn chairs or spread out a blanket. Goose Creek Village has also launched a music series each Tuesday night all summer. Various musicians and bands from the area are playing at the free events open to all.

4 NEW AÇAI BOWL BRAND SIGNS LEASE IN LANSDOWNE

In a surprise move, the owners of Bungalow Alehouse in Ashburn closed the restaurant and bar permanently last month. They said the economics were no longer working out. Bungalow Alehouse – in the Pipeline Plaza restaurant center off Ashburn Village Boulevard – was a sister operation to the Bungalow Lakehouse in Sterling, which remains open. In their closing announcement, the owners hinted at possibly returning to the spot with a different concept.

An Asian restaurant called Matsu Poke is coming to the Cameron Chase Village Center, near the Ashburn Ice House. The team behind Matsu Poke are the same folks who operate several Matsutake Sushi & Steak restaurants around Northern Virginia. In Ashburn, they are taking over a roughly

Açai bowls are all the rage right now in the restaurant business with new brands popping up almost weekly it

6 NEW DETAILS ON THE X-GOLF VENUE COMING TO THE BROADLANDS

A 7,000-square-foot indoor golf venue is coming to the Broadlands Village shopping center, and we have new details on what it will feature. Currently, seven golf

simulators are planned where players can work on their skills or play a round with friends on simulated golf courses around the world. One of the seven simulators can be set aside for private events, with its own gathering space and a curtain to separate it from the main facility. There will also be a small putting green and a cen-

tral bar serving drinks and food with seating for 16 people. No word yet on when X-Golf plans to open. A

5 BUNGALOW ALEHOUSE CLOSES