Weekend: Fall Crafts, Wagon Rides, Afternoon Tea

The weekend is here and there is plenty to do at Fairfax County parks. Here’s a sampling of what’s going on this weekend, information courtesy of the county:

Saturday, Nov. 8

Workshop: Hypertufa Garden Container
Create a stone trough of hypertufa for a natural-looking container that’s ideal for succulents, conifers and rock garden plants. Green Spring staff member Susan Eggerton explains the process and leads you through construction from 10 a.m. to noon. The program cost is $45 per person, and there is a $20 supply fee. Register online. For information, call 703-642-5173.

Homeowner Rain Garden Workshop
From 1 to 4 p.m. at Green Spring Gardens, learn how to properly locate, design, construct and maintain a small-scale rain garden that captures rain water and allows it to soak into the ground. This action allows polluted runoff from roads and buildings to infiltrate the ground, slowing its flow and preventing pollutants from reaching local streams, the Potomac River, and ultimately the Chesapeake Bay. The program cost is $12 per person. Register online. For information, call 703-642-5173.

Hands-on Harvest and Biscuits, Too
At the slave quarter, learn about the lives and chores of slaves who lived at Sully. Bake biscuits in the open hearth kitchen, dip a candle and fashion a corn husk doll. This one-hour program is offered at 2 p.m. The cost is $10 per person. Register online. For information, call 703-437-1794.

Wild Side Wagon Ride
From 2 to 3:30 p.m., take a 90-minute tractor ride with a Huntley Meadows Park naturalist to parts of the wetland that are difficult to reach on foot. Look for and learn about songbirds, wildflowers, butterflies and waterfowl, then stop for a snack at the observation platform. Meet at the South King’s Highway park entrance. The cost is $6. Register online. For information, call 703-768-2525.

Scout Astronomy Festival
View outer space through a telescope, listen to ancient stories about the constellations ‘round the campfire, take a guided tour of the night sky and participate in hands-on activities at Riverbend Park from 6 to 8 p.m. Scouts work on night-sky- related patches, badges, pin and loops, and journeys. Hot chocolate and snacks are available for purchase. The cost is $7.50 per scout and siblings; $4 per adult. For information, call 703-759-9018.

Kids Korner: Fall
Children ages three to six explore nature or history, accompanied by an adult, at E.C. Lawrence Park. An outdoor activity and craft are included in the cost of $5 per child. Call for topic. This one-hour program is offered at 10 a.m. on 11/8 and 1 p.m. on 11/20. Register online. For information, call 703-631-0013.

Sunday, Nov. 9

Reptile & Amphibian Club
Children ages 6 to 15 join RAC and explore the amazing world of turtles, snakes, lizards, frogs and salamanders at E.C. Lawrence Park from 1 to 2 p.m. Learn new facts, encounter live animals, and discover their habitats in the park. The cost is $5 per child. Register online. For information, call 703-631-0013.

Bird Watching Club
Look up and listen carefully and discover the amazing variety of birds that inhabit E.C. Lawrence Park. Kids ages 5 to 11 meet from 3 to 4 p.m. to develop awesome birding skills that will last a lifetime. The cost is $5 per child. Register online. For information, call 703-631-0013.

Afternoon Tea: Celebrating Jane Austen
Enjoy afternoon tea on the 203rd anniversary of the publication of Sense and Sensibility. From 1 to 3 p.m. Sully Historic Site, we offer some lighthearted hints on how to talk like Jane Austen and some insight into the lives of the Dashwood girls. The cost is $27 per person. Register online. For information, call 703-437-1794.