I took my kids here for a dad and kids day out. My kids are 5 years old and they just had an…read moreincredible time. I ended up booking the splatter room with the dark light experience. It was trippy with the black lights and projections on the wall of various etherial scenes. We all dressed up in the protective suit, googles and boots. The kids were a little small for the suits, but they managed to make it work! Once inside, you can throw paint all over, stomp on the artwork with your feet (a personal favorite of my kids), and twist the painting around to have the colors spread in all directions. We were joined by a staffer the entire time who took a few pictures along with a cute video. I recommend having the staffer snap photos with your own iPhone as mine came out a little better. But I did enjoy the video. At the end of the experience, they pack up the painting in gigantic pizza boxes. The paint is expected to dry in 24-48 hours, though ours took a much longer. I recommend putting the paintings outside on a dry day in the sun to help move that along. Granted ours had a lot of paint on it, but even after 48 hours it was super wet. This is a blast. And it's located in a classic 1990s mall. The kids LOVED this mall, complete with a Spencers gift store, bowling alley and reptile interactive experience. In fact, we'll probably come back here again once the winter sets in since there are so many things here to do with kids inside.

We were so excited to come here after hearing many great things, especially since it was our first…read moretime visiting. We booked a reservation online for the splatter room at 3 PM on May 23 and even had to leave a deposit. In the days leading up to our reservation, we received text reminders telling us to arrive at 2:45 PM. When we arrived at 2:45, we were greeted by a Caucasian man who I assumed was the manager. He told us it would be a few minutes because they were waiting for a staff member to arrive. Okay... we placed our belongings in a locker and waited. Once another employee arrived, we were then informed that they were short-staffed and did not actually have availability for our reservation. We were told we would need to wait until someone else came in to assist us because they were understaffed. Huh??? First of all, how is that our problem? We had a confirmed reservation, and NOBODY contacted us beforehand to let us know there was an issue. Honestly, it didn't even seem like anyone knew we had a reservation at all, and the employee helping us looked confused. We ended up leaving and requesting a refund, which was extremely disappointing because my family was really looking forward to this activity. There was no accountability taken, nor did the manager seem at all concerned that no one was available to assist us. He was avoidant and dismissive, leaving the employee to handle the situation instead of trying to accommodate us or offer a solution. Unfortunately, since this was our first impression of this business, it will also be our last. Very unprofessional and I would not recommend this place to anyone.

I just attended my first open studio session at Creative Brush Studio. I had a wonderful time. I…read moreemailed the studio and set up an appointment during open studio time so I ensured an available easel. The workspaces are perfect with a desk to hold your materials. Everyone was welcoming and at the same time I felt comfortable working quietly. I also loved being surrounded by art on all the walls, it's inspiring. I highly recommend checking out the studio if you are looking for a creative space to enjoy your craft.

A true fine arts studio with professional lessons. I've taken lessons for 5 years and I look back…read moreat what I used to do and the work I've completed lately and my family says it's a huge difference. They teach a very classical approach to oils. This isn't "craft art" - it's definitely fine art.

I've gone for the past three years and won't go again until they change it up a bit. Same vendors -…read morenothing new. Lots of booths of the same type of items and overpriced for the same crafts and junky. Last year especially had a sad feel. Doesn't seem to matter though as it's always crowded. Needs a refresh.

This was an ok festival. It was crowded and the parking lot had a ridiculous cliffwalk down to the…read moretown. They should have warned people as they paid. Lots of booths of the same type of items. They should jury the booth participants and get a better variety. Long lines at the food booths and man what a wait for crossing at the train track, which bisected the town. The train stopped every 30 mins or so to drop off and pick up people and then there was the Amtrak that came through also. I probably wouldn't return as there wasn't enough to capture my interest for long. Seems like this is better suited for families with young children.

Love this cute little pottery studio! Super helpful employees and very good selection of paint your…read moreown pottery! Will be visiting again with my nephews when they come up for summer break! Great family friendly activity with affordable pricing!

Tried to take our family of 7 to do the pottery. Unfortunately, when we arrived the business had…read morewhat appeared to be 2 to 3 employees and 15 to 20 customers. Of all the folks inside, only one was wearing a mask. Folks were somewhat spread out, but it was impossible for our group to maintain 6 feet of separation from the group next to us and employees were walking around the entire place and interacting with all customers without masks on. When I asked the employee why they weren't following or enforcing the mandated mask requirements, she said they didn't have to because they were occasionally sipping coffee. Yeah, right. We decided it wasn't worth it to risk ours and our community's safety to stay. It's a shame because it looked like it would've been fun. There was a large selection of pottery styles to choose from. I've you've been vaccinated, already had COVID, or have an affinity for places that don't prioritize customer safety, it may be worth checking out. Otherwise, paint at your own risk.

As a member of this gallery I have had such a positive experience. All of the local artist that…read moreare apart of Art A La Carte are so wonderful and easy to work with. What is so fantastic about visiting this gallery is that no 2 artists do similar work. Every one brings something very unique and often times something you have never seen before. I have found the environment to be encouraging and welcoming for me to expand my creativeness. I added some art photos from the artists I work with and my own that are found at the gallery.

Really cute little art gallery in Historic Occoquan. All of the artists are local, and all of the…read moreartists take turns running the gallery, which I thought was a very cool idea. Right now, there is a blues sale for the month of January. Everything blue is on sale. There's a variety of media--photography, jewelry, glass, clothing, etc. There were a few pieces of the glass that caught my fancy, and the prices weren't terrible, but more than I wanted to spend.

In an area better known for technology, GRACE is the prime jewel in Reston's cultural tapestry…read more Not only does this beautiful art space at the lower end of the Reston Town Center bring the best in cutting edge contemporary art and artists to Reston, but their annual Northern Virginia Fine Arts Festival is one of the most respected and best fine arts and crafts outdoor arts festivals in the nation. For that event GRACE brings several hundred artists and craftspeople from all over the nation for a two day art extravaganza in May. This is the perfect family outing for the art lover. The Center also offers all kinds of classes, talks and events designed to bring a powerful art presence to Restonians.

I went to the 2014 Northern Virginia Fine Arts Festival in Reston. This is an annual event held…read moreevery year in mid-May. The Greater Reston Arts Center (GRACE) sponsors the event. Over 200 artists from around the country participate and set up booths in the Reston Town Center to display and sell their works. The items displayed are very professional and generally very attractive. The items range from traditional to the unusual. However, the items for sale tend to be very expensive. I'd recommend this festival; it is unique and has creative art.

Great small museum, rich in local history! I visited the…read moreManassas Museum in downtown Manassas and thought it was a fantastic, bite-sized immersion into the area's past. The museum reopened in 2023 after major renovations, and it feels both fresh and inviting while still honoring its roots. Highlights: Free admission makes it an excellent stop for visitors or locals alike. The museum is compact a few rooms covering settlement, Native American history, railroad development, and the Civil War so you can fully explore in about 30 minutes.

I attended National Night Out!…read more What a great family event! So glad I was about to attend.

I've been extremely happy with US Arts. Our children have been taking classes there for nearly…read morethree years, and we've been consistently impressed by the curriculum, the well-structured lessons, the high quality of instruction, and the school's efficient management. Our kids have very busy schedules with many extracurricular activities, but US Arts has been incredibly flexible with scheduling regular classes and makeup lessons. The availability of classes throughout the summer also makes it easy to continue learning year-round. Overall, we feel that the program offers exceptional value and is well worth the investment.

My kids completed one year and every week he is excited to resume and attend classes. We are…read moreinformed in advance of the curriculum to practice at home and every session has been excellent with great feed back and improvement. Highly recommended signing up to unleash the creativity in you to rise and shine