This afternoon, from 3 to 6 p.m., volunteers will string garland through two historic buildings at the Great Falls Grange. The Grange Foundation calls the event Deck the Halls. The page says no experience is needed and snacks and drinks are provided. It's the first event of the season, and it means the people who will shop, sing and eat breakfast in those rooms over the next five weeks are also the ones decorating them.
Great Falls' holiday season works that way. Nearly every gathering between now and Dec. 21 happens on one small campus, the Grange hall and its neighboring Schoolhouse, plus Village Field just behind the post office. Volunteer foundations run it. The 2026 changes are at the restaurants. Three Great Falls tables are going through their first holiday season under new circumstances: one new restaurant in a familiar space, one café in Great Falls Center, and one 50-year landmark under a new owner.
Five weeks of events in two buildings
Here's the Grange Foundation's holiday schedule in order, with the Great Falls Philharmonic's concert added where it falls:
- Deck the Halls, Thursday, Nov. 19, 3 to 6 p.m. Volunteers decorate the Grange and the Schoolhouse.
- The Great Falls Merry Market, Saturday, Nov. 21. More than 30 vendors sell curated holiday gifts in the Grange. Local Great Falls artists, including Begona Morton, show work in the Schoolhouse. Santa is at the Schoolhouse from 1 to 3 p.m., caroling runs from 2 to 3 p.m., and there's a youth bake sale and crafts. The Great Falls Citizens Association also lists the market on its community calendar.
- Breakfast Bites with Santa, Saturday, Nov. 28, 10 a.m. to noon, in the Schoolhouse. Crafts, hot chocolate and treats, and no sign-up needed.
- Toys for Tots drive, Saturday, Dec. 5, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., at the historic Schoolhouse.
- A Great Falls Christmas, Sunday, Dec. 13, 4 p.m., at the Grange. Tickets from the Great Falls Philharmonic are $60. Two featured singers join the Philharmonic String Quartet and Jazz Combo for carols, with beer, wine, light snacks and Christmas cookies.
- Sugarplum Tea, Monday, Dec. 21, 11:30 a.m., in the Schoolhouse. The tea includes scones, tea sandwiches, seasonal sweets and a holiday craft. It costs $60 for one adult, one child ages 2 to 12 and one craft activity, plus $25 for each additional child. Spaces are limited, and the Grange asks guests to sign up.
The schedule follows the season in order. It opens with decorating and a market on the weekend before Thanksgiving. The Saturday after Thanksgiving is breakfast with Santa. Giving comes in early December, an adults-friendly afternoon concert on Dec. 13, and a children's tea four days before Christmas. Families with young children have four Schoolhouse events to choose from, three of them on Saturdays. The Dec. 13 concert, with beer and wine, is the Grange's one event built around adults.
Dec. 6 moves outdoors to Village Field
On the season's one evening outdoors, the setting moves a short walk from the Grange to Great Falls Village Field, behind the post office. There, the Celebrate Great Falls Foundation hosts its free Celebration of Lights on Sunday, Dec. 6, from 4 to 6 p.m.
| Time | What happens |
|---|---|
| 4:00 to 5:45 p.m. | Pony rides, petting zoo, holiday treats from foundation sponsors, letters to Santa |
| 4:00 to 5:45 p.m. | Performances by local school musical groups |
| 5:00 to 5:10 p.m. | Santa and Mrs. Claus arrive by fire truck and light the tree |
| 5:15 to 6:00 p.m. | Visits with Santa |
| 5:45 p.m. | Live Nativity; petting zoo and pony rides close |
| 6:00 p.m. | Wrap-up |
Two rules from the foundation's page help with planning. Santa visits end promptly at 6 p.m. In bad weather, the tree will still be lit, but the other activities won't be rescheduled. If your children have a list for Santa, the 5:15 window is the time that matters, and arriving by 4:30 leaves time for the ponies first. The 2026 team listed on the page includes Laura Burke, Nancy Mahdessian, Barbara Morehouse and Melissa Whitson, all volunteers.
The day before, Dec. 5, already fills a full morning at the Grange campus with the Toys for Tots drive. Riverbend Park, covered below, has its own programs that morning, so that Saturday can be built as one long local day.
The three tables with a new first December
Two of these changes are in Great Falls Center on Georgetown Pike, and the third is at a Springvale Road restaurant that has been in Great Falls since 1976.
| Restaurant | Address | What changed in 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Great Falls Lodge Bar & Grill | 9835 Georgetown Pike, Great Falls Center | New restaurant in the former El Tio Tex-Mex Grill space; soft launch set for Sept. 7 |
| Toastique | 9891 Georgetown Pike, Great Falls Center | Grand opening announced for Jan. 24 |
| L'Auberge Chez François | 332 Springvale Road | Became part of Reston-based Thompson Restaurants on Sept. 1 |
Great Falls Lodge, in the old El Tio space
According to FFXnow, the 4,689-square-foot space at 9835 Georgetown Pike was previously home to El Tio Tex-Mex Grill. Owner and chef Neel Kamal told FFXnow in September that Fairfax County's permitting and inspection process "took longer than expected," and a soft launch was set for Monday, Sept. 7. It's the first Virginia location for a concept that started with the Urbana Lodge and Clarks Lodge in Maryland, and it pairs classic American bar food with Asian flavors. The soft-opening menu included burgers, flatbreads, baby back ribs, fish and chips, Maryland crab cakes and jambalaya.
The plan reported in September was dinner only, 3 to 10 p.m. The Lodge's website now lists daily hours of 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. and a weekend brunch from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. It also has a November live-music schedule, with every set starting at 7 p.m.
- Melissa Quinn Fox, Friday, Nov. 20
- Liberty Street, Saturday, Nov. 21
- Dave Futrell Trio, Wednesday, Nov. 25
- Melody Klemin, Friday, Nov. 27
- Hello Cleveland, Saturday, Nov. 28
Nov. 21 lines up with the Grange schedule. After an afternoon at the Merry Market and caroling, Liberty Street plays at the Lodge that evening. On Nov. 28, Breakfast Bites with Santa runs in the morning and Hello Cleveland plays at night.
Toastique, a few doors down
FFXnow reported in January that Toastique planned a grand opening at 9891 Georgetown Pike on Saturday, Jan. 24, with a menu of toast, smoothies, bowls, juice and coffee. The chain's location page lists the Great Falls café with hours of 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Those listed hours cover the morning slot the holiday calendar keeps landing in. The Merry Market, Breakfast Bites, the Toys for Tots drive and Riverbend's Dec. 5 programs all start before lunch.
L'Auberge Chez François, under a longtime regular
The biggest change is the one guests are least likely to notice from their table. FFXnow, republishing a report from InsideNoVa, reported on Sept. 1 that L'Auberge Chez François is now part of Thompson Restaurants. The Reston-based group is led by Warren Thompson, described in the report as a longtime regular at the restaurant. According to that coverage, the restaurant's announcement said "the goal isn't reinvention, it's preservation. Same Alsatian menu, same charm, same staff." Executive Chef Jacques Haeringer remains in his leadership role.
The restaurant goes back further than its Springvale Road location. Haeringer's father, Chef François "Papa" Haeringer, opened it as Chez François in Washington, D.C., in 1954. It moved to Great Falls as L'Auberge Chez François in 1976. Thompson Restaurants runs 15 brands across more than 70 locations, including Makers Union, matchbox and Hen Quarter. FFXnow quoted Thompson saying, "My role now is simple, to help make sure it's here, in the same spirit, for decades to come." For households that book a December anniversary or holiday dinner at L'Auberge, this is the first season under the new ownership, and the stated plan is that the meal stays the same. Reservations and contact details are on the restaurant's site.
Weekday options at Riverbend and the library
The Grange calendar mostly fills weekends, which leaves weekdays and school-break afternoons open. Two other community spaces cover them.
Riverbend Park holds Family Fun Fridays from noon to 5 p.m. on Nov. 27, Dec. 4 and Dec. 18, with Nature Center play, crafts, games and naturalist presentations for all ages. The Nov. 27 session falls on the day after Thanksgiving, when relatives may still be in town. On Saturday, Dec. 5, a Winter Bird Walk runs from 8 to 9 a.m., followed by "To Build a Fire" from 11 a.m. to noon, a naturalist-led fire-making session that ends with s'mores. On Dec. 6, "Penguins and Polar Bears" for ages 3 to 9 runs from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m., and "Naturally Crafted" for ages 5 through adult runs from 1 to 2:30 p.m. On Dec. 6, a morning at Riverbend still leaves time to reach Village Field for the 4 p.m. start of the tree lighting.
Tonight, Nov. 19, also brings the Friends of the Great Falls Library's Fall Book Pre-Sale from 6 to 8 p.m., with a $30 early-access fee. The main sale follows tomorrow, Friday, Nov. 20, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and proceeds support library programs. So the village's first holiday-season evening has two volunteer events back to back: decorating the Grange until 6 and the book pre-sale at the library from 6.
If you're hosting family in Great Falls this December or thinking about how your home might show during the holidays, Gurdeep Mangat knows the village calendar as well as the market. She can help you time a listing or a move around the weekends that matter to your household. Schedule a complimentary consultation.
