/ AUGUST 2025
THE FUTURE
Long-awaited science center under construction near Ashburn IS HERE
"SHE SAVED MY LIFE"
Loudoun county resident Dawn R. had been experiencing the painful side effects of Peripheral Neuropathy, “my feet and legs were extremely painful and my doctor told me there was nothing they could do. That I would have to take Gabapentin for the rest of my life.”
Then she met Ashburn's very own Rachal Lohr, L.Ac.
Peripheral Neuropathy is the pain, discomfort, and numbness caused by nerve damage to the peripheral nervous system. Dawn explained that daily tasks like opening doors and using the bathroom were overwhelmingly painful.
“How can you live for the next 30 years when you don’t even want to get out of bed to do simple things?”
She was experiencing the burning, numbness, tingling, and sharp pains that those suffering from neuropathy often describe. “The way that I would describe it, it’s equivalent to walking on glass.” Dawn hadn’t worn socks in five years and was wearing shoes two sizes too big so that nothing would ‘touch’ her feet
Unfortunately, Dawn’s story is all too familiar for the over 3 million people in the U.S. suffering from Peripheral Neuropathy.
If you’re unfortunate enough to be facing the same disheartening prognosis you’re not sleeping at night because of the burning in your feet You have difficulty walking, shopping or doing any activity for more than 30 minutes because of the pain. You’re struggling with balance and living in fear that you might fall Your doctor told you to ‘just live with the pain’ and you’re taking medications that aren’t working or have uncomfortable side effects.
Fortunately, two months ago Dawn read an article about Rachal and the work she was doing to treat those suffering from Peripheral Neuropathy, without invasive surgeries or medications.
Rachal Lohr founder of Firefly Acupuncture and Wellness, in Ashburn is using the time-tested science of Acupuncture and a technology originally developed by NASA that assists in increasing blood flow and expediting recovery and healing to treat this debilitating disease
“Now, when I go to bed at night I don’t have those shooting pains. I don’t have that burning sensation. I don’t have pain coming up my legs,” Dawn enthusiastically describes life after receiving Rachal Lohr's treatments.
“I can wear socks and shoes!”
Dawn and her sister now operate a successful dog-walking business, sometimes covering up to 5 miles a day.
“It’s life-altering. As far as I’m concerned Rachal saved my life!”
Rachal has been helping the senior community for over 18 years using the most cutting-edge and innovative integrative medicine Specializing in chronic pain cases, specifically those that have been deemed ‘hopeless’ or ‘untreatable’, she consistently generates unparalleled results
What was once a missing link in senior healthcare is now easily accessible to the residents of Northern Virginia.
If you’ve missed too many tee times because of pain or you’ve passed on walking through the town centers with friends because you’re afraid of falling, it’s time to call Rachal and the staff at Firefly.
It’s time you let your golden years BE GOLDEN!
Rachal Lohr, L.Ac. is once again accepting new patients And for a limited time will be offering $40 Consultations so call (703)263-2142 before August 1st to schedule a consultation
Ashburn
PUBLISHER
Bruce Potter
publisher@ashburnmagazine.com 571-333-1538
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Chris Wadsworth editor@ashburnmagazine.com
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FROM THE PUBLISHER
Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes
If your Ashburn Magazine looks a little different this month, that’s because, well… it is. As we grow and evolve your local community publication, we’ve changed our look and feel a bit (with apologies to David Bowie).
Since launching the magazine in 2019, our content formula has focused on specific topics each issue: Amazing Kids, Business Boom, Our Neighbors, Wine & Dine and others. This ensured that we spotlighted a cross-section of topics in each issue but at times was too restrictive.
So, under the guidance of editor Chris Wadsworth and the design skills of art director Kara Thorpe, we have adjusted the sections of the magazine. In the front (pages 8 through 19 this issue), you will find what we call “Around Ashburn” – a catch-all of short items about people, businesses and developments in our community, including a calendar of local events.
Then, in the middle “well” of the magazine, you will find our cover story – this month about the Northern Virginia Science Center under construction in our backyard –
and two to three other longer feature stories. This month, those are about an Ashburn teen who has reached the semifinals of American Ninja Warrior and a local man who’s a “plogger” – you’ll have to read the article find out what plogging is all about. Toward the back of the magazine (pages 44-50 this issue) is a new section called “Dish,” which encompasses our popular coverage of food trends and the local restaurant scene. Before and after “Dish” are some regular favorites: the Real Estate roundup, an update on an article that appeared in a previous issue and our Time Travel feature about local history. Finally, facing the inside back cover is a new feature called “Parting Shot” – a reader-submitted photo that captures something that makes our area special. But while our content mix may have changed somewhat, our mission has not: to connect you to your community by providing engaging stories about your neighbors, local businesses, things to do and places to see right here in Ashburn.
And, as always, we welcome your feedback and ideas. Email me anytime at publisher@ashburnmagazine.com.
BRUCE POTTER, PUBLISHER PUBLISHER@ASHBURNMAGAZINE.COM
Ashburn Magazine is published every other month and distributed to about 13,000 selected addresses. While reasonable care is taken with all material submitted to Ashburn Magazine, the publisher cannot accept responsibility for loss or damage to any such material. Opinions expressed in articles are strictly those of the authors. While ensuring that all published information is accurate, the publisher cannot be held responsible for any mistakes or omissions. Reproduction in whole or part of any of the text, illustrations or photographs is strictly forbidden. ©2025 Rappahannock Media LLC.
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AROUND ASHBURN
‘What If?’
Ashburn filmmakers set short film in local coffeeshop
BY CHRIS WADSWORTH
Acouple of aspiring filmmakers have produced their first local short film, and the setting they chose is a popular local coffeeshop.
Aaryaman Patel and Juan David Campolargo graduated from the University of Illinois in 2024 and moved to Ashburn Farm because they have family in the area. Although the young men majored in engineering, they found some amount of campus fame thanks to a popular YouTube show they created. The more they learned about the production process – lights, cameras, microphones – the more hooked they became.
“We didn’t have any film classes or anything like that, but we’ve always just been curious and creative,” Campolargo said. Their local movie is called “What If?” and they filmed the roughly 3-minute, 20-second short inside SR Coffee Co., a coffeeshop in the Ashburn Farm Market Center near the Giant supermarket. It’s about a missed opportunity to connect with another person and the trepidation that can grip us all from time to time. “Many young people feel caught between being ‘too cool’ to approach someone or ‘too scared’ to inconvenience them,” Campolargo said.
Patel and Campolargo are already hard at work on their next film – a fulllength feature instead of a short. It’s an aggressive choice, but they say they learn best by jumping in and just doing something. They also admit choosing Ashburn as a place to start making films is a bit unorthodox versus Los Angeles or New York, but they’re happy with their choice.
“I think you can tell great stories here,” Patel said. “Every city has its own feel. Ashburn has its own essence and there is a particular type of story that you can only tell here.” A
Aaryaman Patel (left) and Juan David Campolargo (right) are exploring the world of filmmaking from their home in Ashburn.
Replanted
Two buildings from an Ashburn nursery live on in a new home
BY CHRIS WADSWORTH
When we think of recycling, we probably think of a bundle of newspapers or some aluminum cans. What we don’t probably think of is not one but two huge glass buildings that were otherwise destined for the scrap heap.
When the Blue Mount Nursery in Ashburn closed late last year, it was the end of an era. After 35 years, the nursery property was being redeveloped into a residential community. Everything on the site had to go – including Blue Mount’s greenhouses.
That’s where the folks at Abernathy & Spencer Greenhouse & Garden Center in tiny Lincoln stepped in. The huge facility just south of Purcellville in western Loudoun County agreed to buy two of Blue Mount’s greenhouses.
“There was certainly something to be said for not having new greenhouses manufactured for our purposes. Instead, we repurposed ones that did not have a home,” said Jacob Baker, one of the co-owners at Abernathy & Spencer. “It was going to be scrapped if somebody didn't put it back up and there aren’t a lot of people in the market for such a greenhouse. The timing just worked out really well. It was an awesome coincidence.”
Baker’s company worked with a contractor out of Culpeper to disassemble, transport and reassemble the greenhouses – one of them with a footprint of 100 feet by 120 feet, the other 65 feet by 50 feet.
He calls it both a delicate – and tedious – process.
“[They] took it down piece by piece, pane by pane, truss by truss,” Baker said. “Every piece came apart, was bundled, was shipped by tractor-trailer here to Lincoln, and then the same team reassembled those greenhouses here. Piece by piece, one pane of glass at a time.”
Now, the former Ashburn buildings have been given new life. The larger greenhouse has been used to create two new spaces in Lincoln. One holds the garden center’s tropi-
cal plants, houseplants and succulents. The other portion has been redubbed The Glass House and is a new classroom space.
The smaller greenhouse is now home to the center’s native sunloving perennials.
The new buildings and spaces all come at the perfect time for the company. Abernathy & Spencer is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. Originally named Hill Top Plant Gardens, it was founded in 1925. A
Top: The Abernathy & Spencer team includes (from left to right) Matt Lamberski, Autumn Knowles, Jim Knowles, Jacob Baker and Hillary Pennington. Bottom: One of the former Blue Mount Nursery greenhouses now in use at Abernathy & Spencer in Lincoln.
Ashburn Recreation Center ready to open
Sound the trumpets! After many years of planning, followed by three years of construction, the huge, 121,000-square-foot Ashburn Recreation Center is complete, and county staff are preparing to open its doors. The big day will be Thursday, July 31. A ceremony at 6 p.m. will commemorate the event, and then the doors will open for area residents to explore the two-story facility. It includes a 50-meter competition pool, a leisure pool, a spa, a full-size gymnasium, a sensory room,
a teaching kitchen, a licensed preschool and childcare classrooms.
There are also fitness areas, a running track and a cycling studio, while outside there’s a trail around the property, a large courtyard with seating, a splash play area and a playground.
The rec center will open for regular hours starting on Friday, Aug. 1, and will be free that first weekend – Friday to Sunday. After that, regular Loudoun County fees apply. Guests can purchase day admission passes or a monthly membership. A
A Place to Remember
A new park is in the works that will honor Trevor Brown
– the Loudoun County firefighter and Ashburn resident who died in a Sterling home explosion on February 16, 2024.
The FF Trevor Brown Memorial Park will be built at 347 Silver Ridge Drive – that’s the very spot where the home that exploded once stood and where Brown perished.
Steve and Cheryl Honard are behind the project. They live nearby
The Roads They
Are A-Changin’
Some folks call it a traffic circle. Others with a bit of whimsy call it a roundabout. Regardless, a new one is coming to Ashburn – along with some changes to area road names.
In June, Loudoun County officials announced that the name Broadlands Boulevard will be extended all the way to the intersection with Waxpool Road. Currently, the road changes names twice –first from Broadlands to Shellhorn Road, then from Shellhorn to Faulkner Parkway (going west to east).
New street signs reflecting the extended Broadlands Boulevard name should be in place by the start of August.
“Establishing one name for the street from its intersection with Belmont Ridge Road … to the intersection with Waxpool Road will alleviate the confusion resulting from multiple names for the same road,” the announcement read.
Meanwhile, a single stop sign currently governs traffic at the point where the soon-to-be Broadlands Boulevard meets Waxpool Road. The intersection can get congested at rush hour, and trying to turn there can feel dicey.
So, later this summer, construction is set to begin on a traffic circle at the intersection. Cars will slow down, yield to other cars already in the circle and proceed when clear. The idea is to smooth the flow of traffic through the area.
and bought the property after the explosion with the hope of turning it into a place for the community to remember and to heal.
Major supporters include The Black Chamber Group, a local data center developer, as well as Capretti Land, a real estate de veloper, and K&H Landscaping, which is overseeing the construc tion of the park.
The goal is to open the new park on Saturday, July 26 –Trevor Brown's birthday.
So much more than “just” a jewelry store
Baseball, hot dogs, and apple pie are icons of America and Summertime holds USA pride front and center. While the Ketterman family partners with designers across the globe, here we feature items created by our friends and neighbors right here in the States.
NY - Coming to us from New York are our favorite stackable bracelets and complimentary jewelry suites. Vahan features sterling silver, 14 Karat gold and gemstones to create comfortable, beautiful pieces that perfectly pair with any look from blue jeans to ball gowns.
PA - The Conkey family is located in Pittsburgh and has worked with the Ketterman ’s since shortly after opening in Leesburg. The close family connections and commitment to consistent quality and durability are what started and continue Conkey ’s success in our store and many other independent jewelers across the country.
VA - How about some hyper-local elegance from a local beauty? Suzanne Paynter of Leesburg, brings new life to old treasures by spotlighting them on hand -crocheted pearl strands. Vintage and antique buttons and shoe clips shine as necklaces, bracelets, earrings and brooches from The Elegant Muse .
FL - Summer can be a perilous time for your jewelry, especially at the pool. So take off those rings before taking a dip and store them on a Lucina K. ring dish from our friends in Florida. These pewter pretties are designed by Lori Strickland in Tallahassee and are a perfectly whimsical way to keep your jewelry safe while you aren't wearing it.
GA - Elizabeth Newton and her family in Atlanta weren ’t prepared for the incredible success they ’ve seen with their trendy fashion bracelets, earrings and necklaces. The wear -themeverywhere -durability and stack-ability make e. newton jewelry a favorite for Ketterman’s younger generation of shoppers.
NC - It smells like home in North Carolina where the Tassy family create Ella B. Neighborhood Candles . These 100% soy, hand poured candles represent our area towns with custom -selected fragrances and have become a Ketterman ’ s favorite.
CA - Did you know all Brighton Belts are made in their factory in California? The start and heart of their leather accessory business is still based in the USA. Both men and women can enjoy the unmatched quality and design of this functional fashion accessory.
Elegant Muse Earrings and Necklace, Lucina K. Ring Holder
Ella B. Ashburn Candle, E. Newton Bracelet stack, Brighton Belt
The Best of Ashburn
Left: Celebrating with their plaques and banners are Best of Ashburn winners Lewis and Nicole Thompson of Canine Carousel (top photo), the Row House team and coach Alex Myers with Ashburn Magazine publisher Bruce Potter (lower left) and the Bruster's Real Ice Cream team (lower right).
Above: Ashburn Magazine editor Chris Wadsworth (standing) and Best of Ashburn winners enjoyed the evening on the grounds of Belmont Country Club's historic Manor House.
Right: Attendees perused copies of Ashburn Magazine and its sister publications.
T he May/June issue of Ashburn Magazine was our annual Best of Ashburn issue –where the results of our 2025 survey were published announcing the winners in dozens of categories. But that wasn’t the end of the party.
This year, Ashburn Magazine threw a cocktail reception and awards ceremony where local business leaders had a chance to network with each other and collect the plaques and banners that tout their victories.
The event, at Belmont Country Club, allowed attendees to mingle, share laughs and celebrate being named the Best of Ashburn. A
PHOTOS BY DOUG STROUD
CALENDAR
For more events across the region, visit InsideNoVa.com/calendar.
TICKETS:
POLO PARK
PRESENTED BY SALESFORCE
MORVEN PARK INTERNATIONAL
EQUESTRIAN CENTER
41580 SUNDAY MORNING LANE, LEESBURG, 20176
SATURDAYS, JULY 12, 19 AND 26 AND AUG. 2, 6 TO 10 P.M.
Enjoy two fast-paced arena polo matches while tailgating or picnicking. Each match will showcase the skills of nationally and internationally recognized polo players. Spectators can bring a picnic, including their beverage of choice, or visit food vendors.
HOLIDAYS WITH THE COPS FUNDRAISER
DOUGLASS COMMUNITY CENTER
407 EAST MARKET STREET, LEESBURG SATURDAY, JULY 12, 11 A.M.
Support the Leesburg Police Department at the sixth annual Holiday with the Cops fundraiser. Activities include a 50/50 raffle and a silent auction, and Santa will be visiting for free photos. All proceeds benefit the department’s Holidays with the Cops program, where officers partner with children in need on a shopping spree for their family.
BUTTERFLY WALK AT WILLOWSFORD
WILLOWSFORD CONSERVANCY
41025 WILLOWSFORD LANE, ALDIE
SATURDAY, JULY 19, 9:30 TO 11:30 A.M.
Many different habitats at Willowsford Conservancy make this an ideal place to find a wide variety of butterflies. Join Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy’s Anne Ellis for a walk along the Farm Loop trail in search of Monarchs, Tiger Swallowtails and Summer Azures.
LOBSTERPALOOZA & MUSIC IN THE MOUNTAINS
DUCARD VINEYARDS
40 GIBSON HOLLOW LANE, ETLAN
SATURDAY, JULY 12, NOON TO 9 P.M.
LOUDOUN JAZZ JAM
THE DELL:
FOOD & BREW HALL 1602 VILLAGE MARKET BLVD. SE LEESBURG
SUNDAY, JULY 20, 1 TO 4 P.M. SUNDAY, AUG. 17, 1 TO 4 P.M.
On the third Sunday of each month, the Loudoun Jazz Society holds a jam session at The Dell. The event features seasoned jazz professionals mentoring the next generation of talent. Listeners and musicians of all ages are welcome.
PROFS & PINTS NORTHERN VIRGINIA: ANCIENT SEA MONSTERS
CROOKED RUN FERMENTATION 22455 DAVIS DRIVE, SUITE 120, STERLING SUNDAY, JULY 20, 5:30 P.M.
REMNANTS OF THE PAST SPECIALTY TOUR
THE DAVIS MANSION AT MORVEN PARK
17269 SOUTHERN PLANTER LANE, LEESBURG SATURDAY, AUG. 16, 11 A.M.
TICKETS:
The Morven Park Mansion is full of unique and interesting treasures from around the world. Discover the oldest artifact in the collection, check for secret drawers in the writing chests and peek inside the wardrobes with Morven Park’s Collections Manager David Roettger.
LEESBURG FESTIVAL OF KITES AND CRAFTS
IDA LEE PARK 60 IDA LEE DRIVE NW, LEESBURG SATURDAY, AUG. 16, 11 A.M. TO 5 P.M.
A family-friendly celebration of colorful kites, creativity and community. Watch stunning kites take to the skies in all shapes and sizes or bring your own and join in the fun. Also, explore a variety of handmade crafts, including jewelry and artwork, created by talented local artisans.
TICKETS:
Take a weekend drive down to Madison County for the second annual LobsterPalooza at the DuCard Vineyards. Enjoy wine along with treats from the Cousins Maine Lobster food truck while enjoying music by Smokin’ Trout from 2 to 5 p.m. and Scuffletown from 6 to 9 p.m.
Enjoy one of Crooked Run’s beers while learning about the fantastic sea creatures that were dreaded by Greek and Roman sailors and still dwell in our imaginations, with Georgia Irby, professor of Classical Studies at William and Mary.
43RD ANNUAL CHAMBER CLASSIC GOLF TOURNAMENT
Loudoun County’s premier business golf tournament for over four decades offers participants and sponsors an incomparable day of golf, friendship and networking.
Book now for summer and don’t forget to reserve early for fall travel!
the
FUTURE is here
Long-awaited science center under construction just minutes from the heart of Ashburn
BY KAREN FELDMAN
to say Daphne Boyle is looking forward to the upcoming Northern Virginia Science Center is an understatement. She is eagerly following every update about the museum’s construction here in Loudoun County.
“It’s great,” Boyle said. “It’s about time this area had something STEM-related.”
STEM, of course, stands for science, technology, engineering and mathematics – and it’s become a focus for many parents, schools and organizations preparing the next generation for careers in these fields.
Born in the Philippines, Boyle grew up in the Richmond area in a STEM-focused family, and both her parents were doctors.
Today she lives in the Broadlands and is a school nurse at St. Theresa Catholic School. She also has two girls – Gracie, 9, and Lilly, 7 – and she’s excited to expose them to STEM topics when the science center opens.
“Early exposure is always important, and children learn more with hands-on and interactive exhibits,” Boyle said. Currently, Northern Virginia has the distinction of being the world’s largest data center market and boasts 2½ times more computer science graduates than similarly tech-heavy hubs such as New York, Seattle and San Francisco, according to the Northern Virginia Technology Council.
Yet it also holds the dubious distinction of being the largest U.S. metropolitan area without an interactive hands-on museum for children.
“We have 3 million people who live in the region, and we don’t have a science center,” said Adalene “Nene” Spivy, CEO of the Northern Virginia Science Center Foundation. “Our children go to centers in Baltimore and Washington and Philadelphia, but it’s expensive and, for many families, it’s out of reach.”
The foundation Spivy leads wants to correct this “oversight.” The nonprofit is leading the effort to build a huge science
Renderings show different galleries and exhibits planned for the new science center.
COMING ATTRACTIONS
A sampling of the planned galleries and exhibits:
WONDER: Dedicated to young learners and families, many of the activities from the current Lab at the mall will be found here: an experiment hub, tinker shop and programmable orchestra will allow visitors to let their imaginations soar. Exhibits here are designed to encourage creativity, exploration and discovery.
FLOW: The constant flow of matter and energy will be presented in fully interactive installations. Exhibits will help visitors visualize mathematical principles and the flow of data and information –concepts that have been abstract and hard to experience until now.
HELIOS: Explores the solar system and beyond with a focus on the sun’s influence on seasons and ecosystems, life and even our concept of time. An immersive rocket launch exhibit brings science history to life by simulating the sights, sounds and physical impacts as if visitors were viewing a launch closeup.
HABITAT: Explore the surprising way in which human activity and nature are inextricably woven. It also examines our love of nature.
HUMAN: Who we are and what makes us human. The gallery will encourage guests to explore what they think they know about their bodies, minds and communities, while revealing unexpected aspects of being human.
OTHER HIGHLIGHTS: The Rain Wall, Innovation Hub and Idea Lab and a human-sized great blue heron nest in which children can sit.
Nene Spivy (center), the CEO of
TIMELINE
2004:
Founded as Children’s Museum of Northern Virginia
2006: Partners with Junior League of Northern Virginia to advance mission
2012: Launches school outreach programs
2014: Receives land donations from Kincora for future science center 2015: The Children’s Science Center Lab opens in Fair Oaks Mall 2018: Science Center included in governor's budget 2019: Publicprivate partnership, lead gift confirmed 2020: Exhibit and architectural design begin
2022: Building and exhibit design completed
and crystallized it into thematic areas, took those and narrowed it into five big themes. The topics that we came up with encapsulate a lot of STEM activities, but you don’t necessarily have to be a STEM lover. You’re still going to be curious about what it means to be human.”
Exhibits will blend disciplines, which means there will be no potentially intimidating galleries labeled physics, chemistry
approach it this way,” Spivy said. “We all want interactive-ness. My theory is that the best exhibits are fun for kids, but if you’re designing them well, they are really for adults.”
They see proof of that theory at the Children’s Science Center Lab, a “temporary” museum that the foundation opened at the Fair Oaks Mall in Fairfax County in 2015. This was a chance to engage with the
2024: Knowledge Drive – the road leading to the museum site –completed 2025: Construction begins
2027: Anticipated opening
Source: Northern Virginia Science Center Foundation
ECONOMIC IMPACT
Spivey has been CEO since 2010, get ting involved when the Junior League of Northern Virginia donated to the fledgling project. “I believed in the mission but was also involved in securing the investment of the Junior League,” she said.
A public/private partnership made the project possible, even though it pro longed the planning process.
“In some ways, getting the right pub lic/private partnership in place has been part of what took so long,” Spivy said. The partnership is a collaboration in which public and private entities share responsibility for fundraising, construction and operation of the center.
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•
•
•
WHAT: Northern Virginia Science Center, an interactive science center
WHERE: Kincora development, near Routes 7 and 28
SIZE: 5-acre property; 70,000-square-foot structure and access to 200 adjoining acres of stream valley parkland and nature trails
PARTNERSHIP Pivotal partners include the state of Virginia, Loudoun County, Kincora and Northwest Federal Credit Union, contributing resources and expertise
REACH: Expected to serve
300,000-plus visitors annually
COST: $100 million, with about $3 million still to raise
ECONOMIC IMPACT: $118 million in the short term and $11 million annually upon completion
Source: Economic analysis by Dr. Steve Fuller, George Mason University, Northern Virginia Science Center Foundation
Loudoun County and the state of Virginia have both provided funding, and the Science Museum of Virginia in Richmond shares resources, including its team of museum experts and administrative staff.
The partnership also includes the Kincora development, which donated the five acres on which the science center will sit.
Beyond the educational punch this center will deliver, it’s also predicted to have a positive economic impact on the region. An economic analysis by Dr. Steve Fuller, professor of public policy and regional development at George Mason University, determined that the museum would generate roughly $118
million in the short term during the construction phase – and $11 million annually once it’s open.
For Daphne Boyle, 2027 can’t come soon enough. If she can swing it, she hopes to be at the museum’s opening day with her daughters.
“Loudoun County has so many fun things to do, but none of it is really science-based. I think the science center is going to be a cool field trip for the kids.” A
Karen Feldman is a career journalist who has worked as an editor and writer at newspapers and magazines around the country.
ANOTHER MUSEUM?
The Northern Virginia Science Center isn’t the only museum slated for the Kincora development. There are also plans for the National Museum of Intelligence and Special Operations. This facility will “honor Americans who have served at the ‘the tip of the spear’ as our nation's first line of defense” – meaning our nation’s spies who worked in departments such as the OSS, which operated during World War II and was the precursor to the CIA.
The team working on the National Museum of Intelligence and Special Operations is currently fundraising for the project. You can learn more at nationalintelligencemuseum.org.
Knot perfect Ninja
ASHBURN TEEN APPEARS ON NATIONAL TELEVISION IN HIS FIGHT AGAINST HUNGER
BY CHRIS WADSWORTH
Some young people are just so dang impressive, you kind of sit back in awe.
Stone Bridge High School alum Austin
Baron is one of those people.
At age 12, Baron – who lives in the Ashburn Manor neighborhood with his parents and his three brothers – participated in a charity event where they packed food for hungry families. That’s when he learned that an estimated 1 billion people go to bed hungry each night. This fact moved him so deeply, he’s spent the past seven years focused on helping feed the hungry. He started his own nonprofit called Knot Perfect giving away knotted dog toys – strips of fabric twisted and knotted tightly together that dogs love to play tug-of-war with. He learned how to make them on YouTube. Local businesses keep the toys near the checkout counter, and when someone makes a donation they get a toy. Baron has raised more than $30,000 – all of which has gone to a variety of local and national charities that feed the hungry. The money he’s raised was
enough to create more than 100,000 meals. Baron is now 19 and a rising sophomore at University of Notre Dame. He’s still running Knot Perfect and – lest we forget to mention – he’s also competing this season on “American Ninja Warrior” on the NBC television network. Baron is one of 20 contestants to advance to the semifinals this summer.
Ashburn Magazine had the good fortune to interview Baron. Here are excerpts from our conversation.
WHEN DID YOU FIRST BECOME INTERESTED IN NINJA COURSES?
“The summer before sixth grade, I went rock climbing on a cliff over the Atlantic Ocean in Maine with my family. Around the same time, one of my older brothers heard about the show ‘American Ninja Warrior’ from a friend, and we all visited a ninja gym to try some of the obstacles.”
HOW DID YOU GET INVOLVED IN THE “AMERICAN NINJA WARRIOR” PROGRAM?
“A friend suggested that I apply for the show, and I thought I could use the platform to advocate for children and families facing hunger.”
YOU APPEARED ON A PREVIOUS SEASON – SEASON 15 IN 2023. HOW DID YOU DO THEN?
“In my qualifier run, I made it to the end of the fifth obstacle when I missed the last ledge and fell in the water. That was the last obstacle before the warped wall, and I was so close to hitting my first buzzer. In the semifinals, I raced another ninja, so I tried to go fast and link the second obstacle, but I came up short.”
WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO GO BACK AND TRY AGAIN?
“The summer that Season 15 aired, I collected enough donations to provide over 40,000 meals to people facing hunger. I came back to raise awareness, collect more donations and feed more people.”
WHAT DID YOU THINK WHEN YOU FOUND OUT YOU WERE COMPETING ON “AMERICAN NINJA WARRIOR” AGAIN?
“I was at college in the dining hall eating dinner with my friends when I got the call, and I didn’t want to be impolite, so I didn’t check my phone. I got back to my dorm, saw there was a missed call from the producer, and called him right back.”
HOW TO WATCH
If you are interested in watching Austin Baron compete on “American Ninja Warrior,” the season is already underway. His semifinal run is scheduled to air on Monday, July 14, on NBC at 8 p.m.
HAVE YOU EVER GOTTEN INJURED ON A NINJA COURSE?
“My hands constantly rip from hanging and swinging on obstacles, but thankfully, I haven’t had any major injuries.”
WHAT’S YOUR MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT FROM COMPETING ON THE SHOW?
“One of the nicest things happened the first night that I competed on Season 15. It was my 17th birthday, and a bunch of the competitors sang ‘Happy Birthday’ to me before we started running the course. It was unreal because I had watched them for years on the show when I was growing up.”
HOW DO YOU BALANCE YOUR COMPETITIONS WITH BEING A COLLEGE STUDENT?
“I had to be diligent with my schoolwork when I missed days to compete. I find time to train when I'm not studying or in class. The University of Notre Dame has a rock wall that I have been bouldering on to work on my grip strength. I do pull-ups on bars around campus and bought some balance obstacles that I train on in my dorm.”
HOW TO HELP
Austin Baron named his charity Knot Perfect both because he makes dog toys by tying ropes into square knots, but also because he believes any world where people are going to bed hungry is “not” perfect. Learn more about his efforts and support Knot Perfect by visiting knotperfect.org.
WHAT’S NEXT FOR YOUR NINJA ASPIRATIONS?
“As Season 17 airs this summer, I am working to raise enough donations so that youth in Ashburn can pack their 1,000,000th meal. This is their 10th anniversary of packing meals together as a community at St. Theresa Catholic Church. I want to help them reach their goal.” A
THE
COMETH TRASH MAN
Ashburn’s Alan Speicher is a man on a mission
BY CHRIS WADSWORTH
Hey, most people have hobbies. Maybe it’s pickleball. Or model trains. Or mountain hiking. Or quilting. Or if you’re Alan Speicher, it’s plogging.
“It’s a conjunction of ‘jogging’ and ‘to pick up’ – only in Swedish,” Speicher explains without really making it any clearer.
So, we’ll intervene – plogging is an activity where recreational runners carry a bag with them and pick up litter and trash as they go. It’s a way to get exercise and do some good for the world – and it literally does come from the Swedish phrase for “to pick up” (plocka upp) combined with the word “jogging.”
And Speicher, who lives in the Belmont Greene neighborhood, is the uncontested master of plogging in Ashburn, in the region, maybe in the whole dang commonwealth. He’s been running since he was a kid growing up near Gaithersburg, Md., and he started picking up trash on his runs about eight years ago. In that time, he’s racked up some pretty impressive stats.
He has plogged all over Ashburn and Loudoun County. He’s also plogged overseas in places such as Iceland, Norway and the Netherlands. His longest plog is the time he took the Metro into Washington
and plogged all the way back to Ashburn – about 36 miles.
And then there’s the trash. Using “claspers” or “grabbers” and wearing gloves, Speicher estimates he picks up about 300 pieces of litter on a typical run. And he runs nearly every day. And he keeps count while he’s running. From about 2017 to 2024, he estimates he picked up 437,000 items, including plastic bottles, aluminum cans, catalogs, discarded mail, old boxes, used diapers and VHS tapes.
When you add in his runs from 2025, he says he’s somewhere around a cool half a million pieces of trash picked up and properly disposed of.
“I’ve picked up trash every day for an hour for eight years, but those numbers are so much bigger than I first realized,” Speicher said. “I’d like to get to 3 million pieces. I’d love to pick up one piece of litter for every person in the DMV.”
Why does he do it? Well, there’s the satisfaction of doing something good for the community. There’s also the cold hard cash. Speicher regularly finds dollar bills, five-dollar bills, tens, even twenties that blow across his path or are stuck in brambles on the side of the road.
“I find money every week,” he said. He guesses he’s roughly $1,000 richer from the treasure he’s found plogging. And then there are the costumes. Speicher has been spotted running and
plogging dressed as a banana, the Incredible Hulk, Darth Vader, Chewbacca – the list goes on and on. It’s a mild day when he’s only wearing knee high socks and a Forest Gump beard.
“I enjoy being funny. It’s part of my identity. And you know – going on about the problems facing the environment can be a bit humdrum, so we might as well keep things upbeat and have some fun while trying to fix it.”
When he’s not pounding the pavement, Speicher is a corporate recruiter. He and his wife of nearly 20 years, Kerry, have two kids – son Griffin, 16, and daughter Quinn, 13.
“Sometimes he’ll be running in the neighborhood wearing the crazy costumes and I’m sure our teens find it a little cringeworthy,” Kerry Speicher said. “Everyone knows him.”
Oh, and there’s one more thing you need to know about Alan Speicher. He founded a club. A plogging club. Right here in Ashburn. Back in 2018, he created The Trash Pick-Up Club of Ashburn –TPC Ashburn for short.
the annual "races" sponsored by the
JOIN IN THE FUN!
This year, The Trash Pick-Up Club of Ashburn has scheduled its annual plogging 5K run for Saturday, Sept. 27
More information is available on the club’s TPC Ashburn Facebook page, or its Instagram page, @tpc.ashburn
And each year since, the club has held an annual 5K plogging run/walk – complete with a finish line arch made out of abandoned cardboard boxes. It’s not a competitive race. Rather dozens of friends, family and fellow ploggers come out and run or walk the W&OD Trail
and other trouble spots around Ashburn picking up trash. Each run has netted anywhere from 3,000 to 6,000 pieces of litter.
Felix Tanh is a runner who lives in the Belmont Country Club neighborhood. He’s participated in Speicher’s plogging run at least five times and says it’s always rewarding.
“It’s very interesting. You kind of learn where trash goes and how it flows with rainwater and ends up in forested areas,” Tanh said. “You think a place like Ashburn looks pristine, but there’s a lot of trash out there.”
Above: Participants at one of
Trash Pick-Up Club of Ashburn at the cardboard finish line. Right: Cardboard "medals" given out to participants in the event.
FELIX TANH
It’s not a controversial thing. It’s not political... It’s unquestionably good for the community, right? I just feel good when I’m doing it."
At the end of the run, the group brings the bags of trash they’ve collected through the cardboard arch, and they are presented “medals” – handmade by Speicher out of even more cardboard.
“A lot of folks bring their kids, and this teaches them the value of picking up trash and knowing where litter might be hiding,” Tanh said. “They get in the habit of keeping their neighborhood clean so it’s a nice event to do together as a family.”
Alan Speicher with his wife, Kerry, son, Griffin, and daughter, Quinn.
Speicher says he could give the usual platitudes about wanting to make the world a better place for his kids – but he says he also does it for himself. He wants a cleaner world while he’s still here to enjoy it.
He also says he doesn’t want to get to the end of his life and look back and realize he had only taken and not given.
“That’s not how I want to feel about myself,” Speicher said. “It just feels good to pick up litter. It’s not a controversial thing. It’s not political. There’s not one side that is going to say, ‘Well, you know he shouldn’t be picking up litter.’ It’s unquestionably good for the community, right? I just feel good when I’m doing it.” A
ASHBURN'S TOP 10
$2,095,000
THE BIG PICTURE:
The local real estate market slowed in May as home sales were exactly the same in the two Ashburn ZIP codes combined, compared with May 2024. Countywide in May, home sales were up 5.3% compared with the prior year, the ninth straight monthly increase.
MORE INVENTORY
COMING ONLINE…
UPDATE
Need for Speed
Abigger kid means a bigger bike – but Sacha Agam is still racing just as fast and hard as ever.
Longtime readers may recall way back in our January 2020 issue of Ashburn Magazine – more than five years ago –we profiled Sacha, then 8 years old, and the many trophies he was winning on the mini motorcycle racing circuit.
We’ve learned that Sacha is still racing, but the motorcycles are bigger – he rides a 250 GP race bike – and the speeds are higher – as fast as 132 mph. And he’s only 13!
“Over the winter, Sacha received an upgrade to his racing license and is now an expert-class racer versus amateur
class,” said his father, Omesh Agam. “He has been racing on full-size race tracks against adults – and still winning.”
Case in point – over Memorial Day weekend, Sacha raced at Summit Point Motorsports Park in West Virginia and reached the podium four times in four races, and two of them were for wins. Sacha and his family continue to live in Ashburn’s Farmwell Hunt neighborhood, and he will be a freshman at Broad Run High School this fall. The high school probably doesn’t offer a course in motorcycle racing, but if it did, we know who would be getting an A+. A
– Chris Wadsworth
of Ashburn Magazine.
Feeling Crabby
A new restaurant serves up jumbo lump crab cakes in
Ashburn
BY CHRIS WADSWORTH
Despite the greater Ashburn area having an abundance of riches when it comes to interesting restaurants, there is still sometimes grumbling that there’s a lot of the “same old, same old.” Too many burger joints, pizza joints, Indian food restaurants, Mexican eateries – you name it.
So, when Frye’s Famous Crab Cake Co. recently opened off Waxpool Road in Ashburn, it was noteworthy for offering something a little different:
a menu focused on one thing – fresh, jumbo lump crabcakes.
“We think we have the No. 1 crab cake in the USA,” said Brandon Frye, the founder and co-owner of the brand. “Even though crab cakes aren’t something you eat every day, we were pretty sure once people tried it, they’d be coming back.”
Rewind a decade and Frye was working hard at becoming the next Guy Fieri. He was traveling around the
country doing high-energy food and restaurant review videos for his Food Dude USA YouTube channel. But when he started getting raves for his fresh, homemade crab cake recipe from friends and family, Frye took a leap of faith and in 2019 started a crab cake business out of his Haymarket home. In 2024, Frye and his family opened their first brick-and-mortar location in a small storefront in Manassas. Even though that location is a take-out
only restaurant, Frye’s regularly sold out of its crab cake platters and crab cake sandwiches to eager customers who couldn’t get enough.
When the Frye’s team started eyeing expansion, they set their sights on Ashburn.
“Honestly, Ashburn is just such a great community. We knew we wanted to come here,” Frye said.
Although Frye’s crab cakes are still the centerpiece of the menu, with the larger space they procured in Ashburn – and the small dining room that came with it – the folks at Frye’s expanded the menu a bit.
In addition to crab cakes, the new store serves up things like a fried fish sandwich, a fried shrimp platter and even chicken wings. It even has some “secret family recipe” side dishes such as potato salad, shrimp pasta salad and coleslaw.
“My mom created the potato salad,” Frye said. “We thought about not offering it anymore because it’s so hard to make and takes so much time, but it’s probably our No. 1 seller and we knew we had to have it on the [Ashburn] menu.”
Frye says business in Ashburn has been good so far, and the brand is already looking for a possible third location in the Vienna or Tysons area. The ultimate goal – to franchise the brand nationally and truly live up to their “No. 1 in the USA” claims. A
“Honestly, Ashburn
The Brunch Bunch
Angela Goodman Famous Toastery owner
Restaurants focused on breakfast and lunch
are all the rage
BY CHRIS WADSWORTH
There have always been restaurants that specialized in breakfast dishes. Think IHOP or The Original Pancake House back in the 1950s or 1960s.
But in recent years, we’ve seen a new breed of restaurant putting the focus on brunch-style menus –complete with fancy cocktails – and limiting their hours to morning and early afternoon.
In Northern Virginia, we have multiple First Watch restaurants, Baker’s Crust in Ashburn, a Toastique coming to Reston, and a new brand called Another Broken Egg headed to Brambleton. Brunch is becoming ubiquitous.
One of the first local examples of this trend is the Famous Toastery restaurant in Ashburn’s Loudoun Station center off Shellhorn Road.
Ashburn Magazine spoke with Famous Toastery owner Angela Goodman about this brunch-centric business model. Here are excerpts from our conversation.
You opted to open a Famous Toastery back in 2016 – a restaurant that focused on breakfast, brunch, and lunch hours. What attracted you to this specific concept?
“I had been a customer of the original Famous Toastery back when it was called Toast Café when they opened in Charlotte, N.C. heard that they were starting to franchise, and I’d been in Ashburn maybe eight months at that time and – quite honestly – I didn't have a whole lot of breakfast options here that liked. wanted to get into the restaurant business, but did not want to have a traditional nighttime restaurant with all the challenges that that comes with.”
So, you contacted Famous Toastery?
“I sent them an email and said, ‘Hey, would you be interested in Ashburn?’ and they wrote me back within a week and said, ‘Yeah, we would definitely be interested in that market. Let's talk.’”
Why do you think we are seeing more restaurants focusing on breakfast and brunch? From a business standpoint, what are the pros and cons?
“When IHOP first started, you think about how many pancake houses there were, right. So, the breakfast concept was a popular concept. It just had never been imagined as something that was more than pancakes. And so, when these smaller places like Famous Toastery started to develop more around the model of fresh food and not pre-made food –breakfast became more popular because the cost structure is better.”
How so?
“Well, you aren't required to have two full staffs. A lot of lunch and dinner restaurants have to have almost twice the amount of labor that a breakfast restaurant needs. You only have one staff of employees operating in those morning and afternoon hours so it’s better from a labor perspective.”
The cocktail offerings were new – something the IHOPs didn’t have, at least back then.
“Breakfast is a meal that wasn't being capitalized on. People were eating out for dinner. They were eating out for lunch. But then popular culture came around to, ‘Let’s have a cocktail at lunch. Let’s go out for mimosas.’ Mimosas became a big thing. Brunch was a fancy concept back in the day.”
You’re paying rent for a full 24 hours, but you’re closed for much of the day? Is that a challenge?
“If you think about it, there are a ton of dinner restaurants out there that are only open from 4 p.m. to midnight, right? So, they’re open for eight hours. Outback is one of the big ones. It was only open for dinner. You couldn’t get in there for lunch, and they were still paying the same rent.”
With the growth we’re seeing, the business model must work.
“What I’ve been able to do with our Famous Toastery location is get creative with revenue earning. We rent out the space in the evenings if someone wants to have a private event. We are also catering beyond the normal operating hours. So, you might not see our team in there serving customers in the dining room, but you’re seeing catering go out the back door at 4, 5 and 6 o’clock in the evening.”
What does the future hold for these brunchstyle restaurants? Trends come and trends go. Does this one have legs?
“I don't think the breakfast concept is going anywhere. People love to eat breakfast out. It’s a cheaper price point [than dinner] – so if you want to eat out, it’s cheaper for you to go in the morning. do think it’s going to be way oversaturated. In just our area, there are eight different [brunch restaurant brands].” A
Finger Licking
Chicken 4U
20020 ASHBROOK COMMONS PLAZA, 106, ASHBURN ORDER.TOASTTAB.COM/ ONLINE/CHICKEN-4U-ASHBURN
Summer is prime picnic time, and nothing says picnic like a basket of fried chicken. Here are some worthy contenders in the area to try.
There are lots of Korean fried chicken restaurants around Northern Virginia. A noteworthy one is Chicken 4U, a small local brand that opened in Ashburn earlier this year. The pieces are huge, juicy and cooked-to-order. You can get them plain (what we call “American style”) or topped with a variety of sauces such as Flaming Soy, Lemon Spring Onion, Garlic Spicy or Volcano.
Lowry’s Crab Shack
420 WEST COLONIAL HIGHWAY, HAMILTON LOWRYSCRABSHACK.COM
Ahso
Restaurant
22855 BRAMBLETON PLAZA, NO. 108, ASHBURN AHSORESTO.COM
One of Ashburn’s favorite upscale dining options –Ahso Restaurant in Brambleton – sure knows how to go old school when the mood strikes, which is every Sunday. That’s when Chef Jason Maddens and his team whip up classic Southern fried chicken. It’s sold by the “halfbird” and comes with sides such as grits, bacon-braised collard greens and mashed potatoes with gravy.
Sure, this roadside restaurant in rural Loudoun County is a bit of a hike from Ashburn, but if you like fried bird, this is a must-try. While the name may say “crab shack” and the menu may be filled with crab platters, crab balls and crab cakes, it’s the fried chicken at Lowry’s that repeatedly gets named as some of the very best in the area.
Roy Rogers
540 EAST MARKET STREET, LEESBURG
451 SOUTH KING STREET, LEESBURG ROYROGERSRESTAURANTS.COM
There are lots of fast-food restaurants that offer fried chicken. But one that has a decidedly local vibe is good, ol’ Roy Rogers. The name was first used here in the DMV when the Marriott Corp. started rebranding some of its Washington-area restaurants after the famous Western film star. With two locations in nearby Leesburg, Roy’s offers some solid fried chicken with a unique flavor.
– Chris Wadsworth DON’T MISS
NEWS FROM THE BURN going
The latest news from the local restaurant and food scene – powered by The Burn. For more details, check out at TheBurn.com and follow The Burn on Facebook and Instagram.
coming
If you like Southern cuisine, you’re probably going to like the upcoming JULEPS
KENTUCKY TAVERN coming to Loudoun Station in Ashburn. Juleps is the brainchild of Reese Gardner, who used to own and operate Copperwood Tavern at One Loudoun. His new restaurant will feature dishes such as Jalapeño Honey Fried Chicken and a Bourbon Glazed Pork Chop. Juleps is taking the space vacated by the Blackfinn Ameripub restaurant.
A new BBQ joint has opened in Ashburn. It’s called ADDY’S BARBECUE and it’s in the Broadlands Village Shopping Center at Claiborne Parkway and Broadlands Boulevard. Addy’s is part of a small Maryland-based chain expanding into Northern Virginia. Its menu includes ribs, steaks and burgers.
By the time you read this, a new Mexican restaurant could be open in Ashburn. At press time, THE TACO SHOP & BAR was nearly ready to open its doors. The eatery has taken over the former Neighbors Sports Bar & Grill spot on Truro Parish Drive in the Broadlands neighborhood. A first look at the menu showed dishes such as Asada Fries with steak, cheese sauce, pico, spicy crema and guacamole, as well as Taquitos de Pavo made with duck.
A new brunch-focused restaurant is in the works for Brambleton. It’s called ANOTHER BROKEN EGG CAFE and is part of a national chain. Egg is going to take a space in the Bram Quarter development at LoCo Parkway and Evergreen Mills Road. That’s the same center that is home to Paris Baguette. Another Broken Egg will be open for breakfast, brunch and lunch –but not for dinner.
A new Thai restaurant opened in late May. We’re talking about THAITAN THAI CUISINE which moved into the Shoppes at Ryan Park. That’s the center off Shellhorn Road with the former (and currently vacant) Giant grocery store. The menu at Thaitan Thai includes Crispy Duck, Fried Vegetable Rolls and Chicken Curry Puffs.
At press time, Ashburn was eagerly awaiting the arrival of YODER’S DUTCH DELIGHTS
The doughnut shop currently has a location in Manassas Park, and it has leased one of the small kiosks (really a repurposed shipping container) at One Loudoun’s Container Park. The Yoder’s team will be offering their fresh-baked doughnuts from the site.
Ashburn bid farewell to the CALIFORNIA TORTILLA restaurant that was a staple of the Brambleton Town Center. It closed permanently in June. The location was the last Cali Tort restaurant in Loudoun. There were once multiple locations in the area and across the greater Washington market. However, the numbers have been dwindling in recent years.
changing
Changes are coming to DYNASTY BREWING CO. off Loudoun County Parkway north of Gloucester Parkway. The owners are looking to either bring on new investors and new operators or possibly sell the brewery outright.
“As our lease comes to an end, we have to make some decisions,” partner Favio Garcia said. “As much as we love our Ashburn brewery, we are ready for something new.” Dynasty also has a taproom in downtown Leesburg.
A popular Ashburn restaurant is making a big switcheroo. In fact, it may have happened by the time this issue comes out. The owners of the SOCIAL HOUSE KITCHEN & TAP at Goose Creek Village off Belmont Ridge Road are changing the restaurant into a different concept called MAKERS UNION PUB Both restaurant brands are owned by the Thompson Restaurants company. The changeover was scheduled to take place around the start of July.
The team at the much-loved YUM YUM HIBACHI on Ashburn Road in Old Ashburn officially debuted their new dining room in June. The restaurant – which opened in 2023 – previously only offered takeout and delivery. But enough customers expressed a desire to “dine in,” so when the space next door became available, Yum Yum jumped. A
Soul Man
Famous
singer-songwriter Wilson Pickett once called
Ashburn home
BY CHRIS WADSWORTH
The celebrity quotient in Ashburn is pretty low. Sure, we have some high-powered government officials living here and some high-wattage CEOs, but Hollywood-type celebrities are few and far between.
But once upon a time a music star walked the streets among us. Longtime residents may know this story, but newcomers will probably be surprised to learn that famed soul music singer and songwriter Wilson Pickett once lived right here in Ashburn. Yes, that Wilson Pickett – the performer who sang hits such as “Mustang Sally,” “In the Midnight Hour” and “Land of 1000 Dances.” Pickett – originally from Alabama – started performing in the 1950s and became a major star in the 1960s. He eventually released dozens of songs that appeared on the R&B music charts, and in 1991 he was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
While he continued to perform, his later years were marred by well-publicized addiction issues and run-ins with the law. According to the Washington Post, Pickett quietly settled in Ashburn around 1998.
He lived in The Regency neighborhood on Hyde Park Drive in a two-story home with a red brick façade out
front and a big deck in the back. At the time, the musician had a grand piano in his home and his beloved vintage Stutz Bearcat sports car in his garage.
“During that time, he was getting a lot of gigs over in Europe, so I think the proximity to Dulles was appealing to him,” said Mark Ganzer, who along with his wife, Cheryl, lived three doors down from Pickett. They’re still there today and they remember him as fun and outgoing.
“He was a wild man. He used to hang over the deck and watch all the moms in the pool. He was a real flirt, but he was cute. A real nice guy,” said Cheryl Ganzer. “He played Wolf Trap and a lot of us went. There was some party in The Regency afterwards.”
Sadly, in January 2006, Pickett had a heart attack and passed away at a hospital in Reston. He was only 64. His personal items – including that piano and sports car –were reportedly sold at an estate sale, and the house in Ashburn has been through several different owners since Pickett called it home.
But Pickett’s legacy in the music world lives on and so do the memories here in Ashburn among residents who were lucky enough to call him a friend.
“He was a character,” said Mark Ganzer. A
Wilson Pickett's former home on Hyde Park Drive in Ashburn.
“It was exactly a month after we moved to Ashburn from the West Coast, and places were just starting to cautiously open up after the first round of COVID lockdowns. We were so excited to be exploring our new surroundings, and the Udvar-Hazy Center was at the top of our list. My son, Owen, had just turned 4 in this photo, and he was obsessed with all things space and astronaut related. This was his first time seeing a space shuttle in
and he was absolutely thrilled. He was only disappointed he couldn’t get on board for a ride.”
—Katie Herche
