Cascades Marketplace is hosting its first Autumn Day this Saturday, November 1, in the newly redeveloped shopping center. The event runs from noon to 2 p.m. at 21000 Southbank St., Sterling. It’s free, and leashed pets are welcome to tag along with the family.
Several vendors will offer family-friendly activities like a petting zoo, a craft station, and hay wagon rides. Dress up in your spookiest costume to win prizes in the pet and people costume contests. There will also be special guest appearances by some beloved Disney princesses.
The event celebrates the fall season and the completion of a multi-phase transformation of Cascades Marketplace and surrounding areas that concluded earlier this year. The project created two new community parks, enhanced sidewalks, refreshed building exteriors, and made way for new restaurants and eateries like CHīKO, Taco Bamba, and Paris Baguette.
Some participating merchants will offer tasting samples, allowing guests to explore the several new food locations in the shopping center.
Giving Back
The event is a partnership between Cascades Marketplace and Galilee United Methodist Church. The church is accepting nonperishable food donations for a holiday food drive supporting its Backpack Buddies program.
The Backpack Buddies program started in 2011 to help feed Loudoun County students experiencing food insecurity during weekends and holiday breaks. Volunteers pack weekend food packages with several meals for low-income families and students who receive free or reduced lunches on school days.
“We’re proud to partner with Backpack Buddies for this event because of their strong community impact and their wonderful partnerships with [Algonkian district supervisor Juli Briskman] and Giant. Supporting Backpack Buddies aligns with Cascades Marketplace’s commitment to giving back, and the month of November is the perfect time to celebrate gratitude and generosity within our community,” said Anastasia Podorski, senior property manager for Cascades Marketplace’s management firm Willard Retail.
The program benefits over 600 students at 10 Loudoun County elementary, middle, and high schools, and relies on food, money, and time donations from the congregants of Galilee and the surrounding Loudoun community.
Feature image by Jenna Yingling
