In the center of Vienna is the Town Green which hosts activities year-round.
The Town Green ties together Maple Avenue and Church Street hugging the W&OD Trail, and it is across the street from Whole Foods so visitors can easy pick up a picnic while attending an event.
Recently my daughter and I attended the grand finale of Vienna Idol, a talent competition for aspiring musicians. Although a fundraiser for a local charity, the competition spans a couple of months and the top three contestants win prizes.
Other events include summer concerts on the weekend, and these evening concerts on the Green are free to the public.
Over Memorial Day weekend there is an all out community fair with rides and activities. The Town Green and the outdoor amphitheater provide a nice break from the pavement of Church Street.
And early this summer the Town of Vienna was featured on the Fox5 morning broadcast. Luckily it was a perfect Virginia morning and the Town Green provided the perfect backdrop.
One interesting fact is that the Vienna Town Green is relatively new. The Town Council voted in the late 1990s to buy a couple of existing commercial properties, tear down the buildings and create the 2.25 acre Green.
Although there was some controversy at the time, a temporary additional 1/2-cent meals tax paid for it. It is hard to believe that the Town Green almost didn’t get approved.
The feeling at the time was that too much money was being spent, and that the Church Street redevelopment project was taking Vienna down a slippery slope of spend, spend, spend.
These days Veterans groups perform ceremonies here, the annual Oktoberfest showcases the property, it is used in the Halloween Parade, and the list goes on. People now look at Vienna as an excellent destination for fun, dining, and living.
