The weather forecast is for brisk but no precipitation this New Year’s Eve in Falls Church for Watch Night, the free New Years’ Eve festival held in downtown Falls Church. Everyone bundling up should not not be deterred from having a really good time. The evening’s festivities will kick off around 7 and culminate with a count-down to the New Year at, you guessed it, midnight.
With so much going on beginning shortly after the 100 block of W. Broad is closed off to traffic at 6 p.m. New Year’s Eve, next Tuesday night, it is a big plus this year that Watch Night now has a new standalone website to direct festival-goers to a night of food, fun and music.
The center of the event is what goes on in the middle of that 100 block of W. Broad, and in the restaurants, parking lot areas, entertainment venues and churches surrounding it. All the restaurants in that block and nearby will be open to take reservations for New Year’s Eve dining.
The volunteer-powered Watch Night event, now in its 16th year, previously had a virtual space attached to the Falls Church City’s government website.
Barbara Cram, volunteer coordinator for Watch Night, said the website was recently launched to help guide festival attendees to the different venues and attractions throughout the celebration.
“It’s meant to be a mobile guide and it’s been constructed so it has responsive design,” Cram said. “And so no matter whether you’re looking at it on your iPad, desktop or a mobile device while you are at the festivities, you can read it from where you are. You could be sitting on the bus and looking at where the next stop is for the shuttle bus.”
The website has a map listing the different stops for a shuttle bus that will take people to and from the East Falls Church metro and also stop at places around the city. There is another map listing the different restaurants surrounding the festival.
One of the restaurants contributing to the event is Dogwood Tavern. Jeremiah Mahoney, general manager of the restaurant, said Watch Night is a “cool” event because it gets people to come out into the community.
“I work every year for it and it looks fun,” Mahoney said. “I would bring my kids if I had the opportunity.”
According to Cram, Dogwood Tavern will be serving hot dogs, chili, mulled wine and hot cider from their new patio area near Grand Fun Alley, a section of the festival in parking lot between Park Avenue and the 100 block of West Broad Street.
Ireland’s Four Provinces will be offering hot chocolate and a special recipe potato soup near the main entrance of their restaurant, with party favors accompanying the full meals that will be served inside.
According to Cram, other food vendors include Mary O’Donnell, who will be selling Carnitas Taquitos, and Bonita Woods’ food truck, Cram said.
Read the full story. www.watchnightfallschurch.com
