Culture, Cars and Wonder

Hello! We’re Emma and Julia, and we’ve recently started our summer internship with the Fairfax County Park Authority as marketing and communications interns. We’ll be using this space to share what we have learned every week!

Last week was filled with places to go and people to see. It was truly a showcase of how varied FCPA’s various events and offerings are. The first event was Taiwanese Cultural Heritage Night, part of the Spotlight by Starlight Concerts at Ossian Hall Park. There are tons of cultural celebrations, including Taiwanese, Irish and Bolivian, among other diverse cultures. This concert series is a reflection of the cultural richness in Fairfax County, and anyone in the community can attend because they are completely free!

We were also able to attend the annual Antique Car Show for Father’s Day at Sully Historic Site. This site in Chantilly is home to a lot of Northern Virginia’s history and hosts many engaging events throughout the year. Emma was also able to go to the Juneteenth event. It was a deeply meaningful event, and she was particularly drawn to the focus on quilting and its diverse uses and meanings. One of the most memorable moments was a conversation with someone whose family members were featured on a story quilt. They were surprised to find their family names and it was a heartwarming experience to witness their connection to the event.

After attending the first park activation of the Wonder Wagon at Justice Park, we became fascinated with how this mobile nature center works to provide educational programs about the local plants, bugs and animals to all areas of Fairfax County. Its mission is to connect communities to nature where they live, especially those who are underserved in our county, so that all residents can have access to learning more about their ecosystem through these free activities. It will be moving across the county all summer long to a park near you!

This week was a great example of how FCPA events connect and support our community. We are excited to keep sharing our experiences here as we continue our adventure with FCPA this summer!