Welcoming Week

National Welcoming Week | September 8 - 23

We look forward to celebrating Welcoming Week 2023, as part of the larger Welcoming America movement. Come meet new neighbors and the volunteer cadre behind Welcoming Falls Church. We’d love to get to know you too!

Ice Cream Social | Friday, Sept 8 from 5-7pm

Join us for our annual Welcoming Week Ice Cream Social at Mr. Brown’s Park, at the 100 Block of West Broad Street, Falls Church. Enjoy some ice cream from Lil’ City Creamery, and meet some new neighbors. All are welcome, especially immigrant and refugee families.

City of Falls Church City Council Meeting | Monday, Sept 11, 7:30pm

Join us as the City of Falls Church again recognizes National Welcoming Week as Welcoming Week in Falls Church. We appreciate the strong support of and partnership with the City of Falls Church. City Council will recognize us with a proclamation, as we kick off Welcoming Week.

Harvey's Yacht Club Fundraiser | Saturday, Sept 16 from 1-5pm

Thanks to Harvey's for giving 10% of their first annual Yacht Club fundraiser to Welcoming Falls Church! On Saturday, Sept 16, Harvey's will be open exclusively for ticket holders from 1PM - 5PM! Chef Thomas will be serving up fire-roasted pig while two professional oyster shuckers crack open local, fresh oysters on the half shell and Ed Foxwell, of Harvey's Wine Club fame, pours bubbles, wine, and beer. Tickets are $175/per person. Your ticket includes all you can eat fresh-shucked raw oysters, fire-roasted pig, sides, and dessert along with unlimited select beer and wine. You will also receive a Special Edition Harvey's Yacht Club cup! An After Party will be held down the street at Clare and Don's (130 N Washington St, Falls Church, VA 22046). Get your ticket here.

Falls Church Fall Festival | Saturday, Sept 23 from 10am-4pm

Come say “hi” any time between 10am-4pm at our booth at the Fall Festival, on the grounds of the Falls Church Community Center, 223 Little Falls Street, Falls Church. Learn how you can get involved!

Past Welcoming Weeks

We have celebrated Welcoming Weeks in Falls Church every September since 2018.

During Welcoming Week 2022, we launched our Renting to Refugees initiative, a true public-private partnership. We were honored to have Congressman Don Beyer with us. Three refugee families from Afghanistan have since been resettled into Falls Church!

Welcoming Week 2021 was our biggest yet. The highlight was the launch of our Celebrating Community: Our Stories | A Film Series, sponsoring a showing of Raya and the Last Dragon at Falls Church’s Cherry Hill Park, then hosted a webinar - featuring Disney’s producer and chief cultural advisor of Raya and the Last Dragon! - in honor of Falls Church’s Southeast Asian community and in partnership with Eden Center.

We observed Welcoming Week 2020 online because of the pandemic, but our Pick Two (or more) activities offered lots of options to get involved and Be Welcoming.

Welcoming Week 2019 saw us welcome Imbolo Mbue, author of Behold the Dreamers, to Falls Church for a memorable program. Many thanks to FCCPS Superintendent Peter Noonan for making Behold the Dreamers a community book recommendation for Summer 2019 and inspiring so many to read the book - helping us make this event a big success.

Welcoming Week 2018 was our public launch. Thank you to everyone who has gotten involved over these past four years, and we look forward to all that is to come!