First Date at the Ice Arena: Milestone Moments at Mount Vernon Rec Center 

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Remember those big feelings that come along with your first date — the butterflies, the awkwardness, the shy hope a budding connection will blossom into something more? For Roberta Korzen, Fairfax County Park Authority Marketing and Analytics Branch manager, this teenage milestone will forever be tied to one special place: Mount Vernon Rec Center.

Korzen grew up in the Fort Hunt area of Alexandria and went to school right around the corner from the Rec Center. At fifteen, she was asked on her first official date, the destination: Mount Vernon Rec Center’s ice rink.

Korzen clearly recalls the anticipation of that early fall night in 1990. She remembers being doubly nervous because it was not only her first date ever, but also her first time ice skating. As they stepped onto the ice, Korzen looked around in wonder at the big, bright rink with dozens of other couples and families skating, hand in hand. The upbeat energy and high spirits of the space immediately put her at ease.

“My date took my hand, helped me with my balance and next thing you know, we were skating around the rink, laughing and talking and joking around,” she says. Though there wasn’t a second date, the Ice Arena made a strong impression. Korzen visited the Rec Center many times over the years.

Returning to the newly renovated Mount Vernon Rec Center, Korzen feel fifteen again as those memories came flooding back. But at the same time, the space felt totally fresh and new, she says. “It was so open and welcoming, and the vibe was just contagious.”

Korzen is eager to get back on the ice, this time with her husband in tow. She also wants to explore everything else this facility has to offer, especially the Pilates Reformer machines in the Fitness Center.

One of Korzen’s favorite things about the Rec Center is the multigenerational character of Mount Vernon’s community. On any given day, you can find grandparents doing Zumba and parents jogging on the indoor track while kids take rock climbing lessons — all under one roof. It’s even got the perfect spaces to celebrate birthdays, graduations, anniversaries or life’s other most special moments.

Korzen also looks forward to bringing her nieces and nephews to Mount Vernon. “Some of them are around the same age as when I first started coming. Who knows, maybe they’ll have their first dates here too!”

— Aditi Iyengar, Fairfax County Park Authority Marketing and Communications Intern

What stories will you write at Mount Vernon Rec Center? Visit today to begin your own adventure at the newly renovated facility! Have an inspiring story to share? Send it to the Park Authority at parkmail@fairfaxcounty.gov or share it on social media using #MVRCstories tagging @FairfaxParks.

Celebrate the reopening of Mount Vernon Rec Center on Saturday, November 15, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Learn more and join us!

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About Fairfax County Park Authority

About Fairfax County Park Authority HISTORY: On December 6, 1950, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors created the Fairfax County Park Authority. The Park Authority was authorized to make decisions concerning land acquisition, park development and operations in Fairfax County, Virginia. To date, 13 park bond referenda have been approved between 1959 and 2016. Today, the Park Authority has 427 parks on more than 23,000 acres of land. We offer 325 miles of trails, our most popular amenity. FACILITIES: The Park system is the primary public mechanism in Fairfax County for the preservation of environmentally sensitive land and resources, areas of historic significance and the provision of recreational facilities and services including: • Nine indoor Rec Centers with swimming pools, fitness rooms, gyms and class spaces. Cub Run features an indoor water park and on-site naturalist • Eight golf courses from par-3 to championship level, four driving ranges including the new state-of-the-art heated, covered range at Burke Lake Golf Center • Five nature and visitor centers. Also nine Off-Leash Dog Activity areas • Three lakefront parks including Lake Fairfax, Lake Accotink and Burke Lake, with campgrounds at Burke Lake and Lake Fairfax. The Water Mine Family Swimmin’ Hole at Lake Fairfax, Our Special Harbor Sprayground at Franconia as well as an indoor water park at Cub Run Rec Center • Clemyjontri Park, a fully accessible playground in Great Falls featuring two acres of family friendly fun and a carousel, as well as Chessie’s Big Backyard and a carousel at the Family Recreation Area at Franconia Park • An ice skating rink at Mount Vernon Rec Center and the Skate Park in Wakefield Park adjacent to Audrey Moore Rec Center • Kidwell Farm, a working farm of the 1930s-era at Frying Pan Farm Park in Herndon, now with historic carousel • Eight distinctive historic properties available for rent • A working grist mill at Colvin Run in Great Falls and a restored 18th century home at Sully Historic Site in Chantilly • A horticulture center at Green Spring Gardens in Annandale • Natural and cultural resources protected by the Natural Resource Management Plan and Cultural Resource Plans, plus an Invasive Management Area program that targets alien plants and utilizes volunteers in restoring native vegetation throughout our community • Picnic shelters, tennis courts, miniature golf courses, disc golf courses, off-leash dog parks, amphitheaters, a marina, kayaking/canoeing center • Provides 263 athletic fields, including 39 synthetic turf fields, and manages athletic field maintenance services at 417 school athletic fields. PARK AUTHORITY BOARD: A 12-member citizen board, appointed by the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, sets policies and priorities for the Fairfax County Park Authority. Visit https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/news2/social-hub/ for Fairfax County Government's Comment Policy.

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