Independent Voters

Cafein in Chantilly is another good area cafe. I like their matcha and espresso. If I remember correctly, they have the usual assortment of pastries and breakfast sandwiches. All local cafes seem to have friendly staff, and this is no exception. you'll have no trouble finding parking either. Please come and add your own energy to the group. (Please keep your RSVP updated if you know you won't be able to attend, so others who can join have the opportunity to. No discussions on politics, religion or potentially controversial topics. We're here to relax and have fun. Just be respectful and we'll be alright. Pay your own way, and enjoy!)

It’s hard to believe our group is 1 year old now! Let’s have another great meetup to enjoy the hobby with each other and have a IFP&P birthday celebration! Note: location may change.

If you are a music lover, here's a free local event you might want to check out this Saturday night. RSVP REQUIRED: [Classical Open Mic - May 16, 2026 Tickets, Saturday, May 16 • 7:30 PM - 9:30 PM | Eventbrite](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/classical-open-mic-may-16-2026-tickets-1980269122252?aff=oddtdtcreator&keep_tld=true) Overview Classical Open Mic on May 16 at 7:30 P.M. at Walker Chapel UMC on Glebe Rd. Join us for an evening of collaborative and supportive music-making! Our musical gatherings are open to all, fostering a welcoming and supportive environment for playing your favorite songs, exploring new compositions and styles and as an opportunity to connect with the local music community. Whether you’re a seasoned professional, a student, or an enthusiastic amateur, there’s a place for you at our event. Joining us on piano as collaborative accompanist will be Faith Ellen McCandlish. All genres and instruments are welcome! Please plan to come early as sign-up for the event is first-come, first-serve. Following the music, a light reception will be held where you can mingle and connect with fellow musicians and music enthusiasts! ## Good to know Highlights * 2 hours * all ages * In person * Free parking * Doors at 7 PM ### Agenda 07:00 PM - 07:30 PM ### Registration 07:30 PM - 09:00 PM ### Music 09:00 PM - 09:30 PM ### Reception

Join us at the Chess Center offices (Suite 118, entrance on 2nd Avenue) on Saturday afternoons from 1:00 – 5:00pm ET for open play. Players of all abilities and ages are welcome. * Non-Members: $5.00/player table fee for the day. * Chess Center [Members](https://chessctr.org/membership/) always play for FREE ($0.00). Check our social media ([Twitter](https://twitter.com/uschess) / [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/USChessCenter)) for closure announcements: The Chess Center is closed on major holidays. We also have chess sets, clocks, and [used chess books](https://chessctr.org/usedbooks/) for sale.

**Join us for Soul Coffee, an informal gathering where we can connect a bit deeper, check in on each other, and share some real soul conversation together - as always, across beliefs and traditions.** Soul Coffee is a gathering by BreadBreakers, a community for people of all stripes to build meaningful relationships and have curious conversations. **Our mission in BreadBreakers is to be a place of compassion and belonging in a time of division and isolation; to rebuild the town square, one table at a time.** Usually we do this by breaking bread and having facilitated conversations over dinner, but sometimes it's good to just meet over coffee and spend some unstructured time talking about the deep stuff. At each Soul Coffee, we'll keep it simple and talk about three questions: - How's your soul doing? - How have you experienced wonder lately? - What do you need right now? No matter your religion, or if you even are religious; no matter where you are spiritually; no matter if you even think souls exist - come to be seen and known, to just be humans together in a crazy world, to talk about those things of the spirit that are so central to the human experience but rarely get discussed. **Join us, invite a friend, and be a part of the movement to mend our fractured society and normalize a better way of being in community with one another.** BreadBreakers, an initiative by[ Restoration United Methodist Churc](https://restorationreston.org/breadbreakers)h in Reston, VA, is a religiously inclusive community, a collaboration between the church and those of all different beliefs. All faiths and all stripes are welcomed. Our leadership, volunteer team, and community include people who attend Restoration and people who don't.

NO CLEAT SHOES. Please show up at 06:45 PM sharp so we can warm up, distribute pennies, and make the division. IF YOU ARE A FIRST-TIMER PLEASE PAY UPFRONT OR ELSE YOUR SPOT WILL BE GIVEN TO SOMEONE ELSE. We are back at our old location for the next set of games - Dulles Sportsplex at Sterling, VA ! We'll play in Field #2 for this game. (might be field 1 or 3 as a result of last minute change by sportsplex so please check other fields if you don't find us on 2) \*\*\*\* $15 each player \*\*\*\* 1- You need to RSVP. **Those who RSVP but do not show up will be banned from the group** 2- $15 each player will be collected before the game. We accept payment through Venmo (https://venmo.com/u/Rizwan-Sabir-1) and zelle (571-266-9736). Once you have paid please DM me so i can mark you as paid. 3- We'll play in Field #2. 4- Pinnies will be provided. 5. No cleats are allowed 6. Please download the Covidwise app 7. please appear at field at least 15 minutes ahead to warm up and manage the players distribution. For legal purposes, we need to add the following:- BY JOINING AND/OR PARTICIPATING WITH Sterling Pick-up Indoor Weekend Soccer YOU CERTIFY THE FOLLOWING: I certify that playing soccer may be risky and dangerous. I realize that those risks include, but are not limited to, permanent paralysis and death, and may result from slips, falls, collisions, equipment failure, bad decision-making, inattentive players and from equipment that has become worn, loose or damaged. I understand that there are unforeseeable accidents. While particular rules, equipment, and personal discipline may reduce this risk, I acknowledge the risk of injury does exist. You also certify that Sterling Pick-up Indoor Weekend Soccer and/or its organizers are not responsible for any injuries. Due to covid 19 please be advised with the following: 1- stay home if you have been in close contact with someone who was diagnosed with Covid 19 or if you had any of the following symptoms in the last 3 days: achy/itchy throat, diarrhea, elevated temperature, loss of smell or taste, coughing or sneezing continuously 2- wear a face mask at all time on the premises of the sports complex when not playing 3- do not shake hands with any team members or high five before or during the game 4- bring your own hand sanitizer with you in the game so you can disinfect with every water break 5- Download the covidwise app to help with contact tracing in order to insure safety of all game members 6- please understand that the risk of conducting Covid 19 is higher when you engage in contact sports and accept full responsibility towards this possibility. By signing up for this game you hereby accept the above terms and conditions and therefore any of the game organizers or game participants are not legally or morally responsible for anyone’s well being but their own.

We have many cats and kitties hoping to find their fur-ever families. Come meet them at [Pet supplies Plus](https://www.petsuppliesplus.com/store/va/sterling/4487-sterling/4487) in Sterling from Noon to 2pm on Saturday, May 17th. For a sneak peek of our adoptable animals, please visit the [Humane Society of Loudoun County website](https://humaneloudoun.org/adopt/)! If a particular fur-baby (or two) catches your eye, [complete a no-obligation application today](https://humaneloudoun.org/adopt/adoption-process/) to expedite the application process.

**NOTE: AN RSVP ON MEETUP DOES NOT SERVE AS A BOOKED SPOT. YOU MUST BOOK VIA LINK BELOW TO RESERVE YOUR SPOT.** **You must book your spot through our website: [[Booking Link Here](https://www.lesbifriendstravel.com/events/la-prensa-cooking-class)]** Good food has a way of bringing people together and we're leaning all the way into that. Lesbifriends Travel invites you to Pa' La Cocina, a private hands-on cooking class hosted at La Prensa Tacos & Tapas. This one is personal. We stumbled into La Prensa after a spa day, fell completely in love with the food, and knew right away we had to bring our community here. So, we made it happen. This is two hours of real cooking, real connection, and a full meal waiting for you at the end of it all. No experience needed, no pressure, just good energy, bold flavors, and a room full of people who feel like yours. **Event Details You Should Know:** 📅 **Date:** Sunday, May 17, 2026 ⏰ **Time:** 3:00 PM - 5:00 PM 📍 **Location:** La Prensa Tacos & Tapas, 21305 Windmill Parc Drive, Unit 140, Sterling, VA 20166 💸 **Cost:** Early Bird Tickets are $95 (until May 8th). Regular Tickets are $110. (Starting May 9th) 📋 **Registration Deadline:** May 14, 2026 **What to Expect:** * Make tortillas from scratch with La Prensa's culinary team guiding every step * Prepare your own salsa to take home * Sit down together and enjoy tacos and a cocktail * Two full hours of cooking, laughing, and eating with your community Your ticket covers hands-on cooking instruction, a full taco meal, a cocktail, your take-home salsa, and gratuity. Everything is taken care of, you just show up and enjoy. **Spots are capped at 30** to keep things intimate. Don't wait on this one. **Who This Event Is For:** Black queer women and non-binary people who are interested in learning bout Mexican cuisine, cooking from scratch, and enjoying bold flavors with new friends. ✨ Lesbifriends Travel invites you to roll up your sleeves, get into it, and leave with a full plate and a few new Lesbifriends. **Claim your spot here: [Pa' La Cocina](https://www.lesbifriendstravel.com/events/la-prensa-cooking-class)!** **Note:** By attending this event, you agree to being photographed. However, if communicated, we will try our best not to capture you in photos and post you publicly. That request must be communicated ahead of time/at the beginning of the event to photographer and host.

Regular coffee meetup for people to meet, make new friends, or enjoy general conversations with coffee. Great for those who are new in town or looking for new activities to do! This will be held at Weird Brothers Coffee at Worldgate Centre in Herndon. Afterwards, if anyone is interested, we can grab lunch at whichever nearby restaurant in the shopping center. There’s a TGI Friday’s, a Thai place, a Mexican place, Inchin’s Asian fusion restaurant, and we are open to alternative preferences. Additional Note: If you are on the Wait List, you can still feel free to attend if you wish.

Ready for a little ocean air and a break from the routine? Join Social Sips & Bites for a relaxed weekend visit to the Ocean City Beach , think sunshine, salty air, casual walks, great food, and even better company. This is an easygoing getaway where you can come for the beach, the conversations, or just the change of scenery. Whether you want to dip your toes in the water, enjoy a long walk along the shore, or hang out and unwind, this trip is all about enjoying the moment together. If you’re interested, let us know and we’ll share more details soon.

Libertarian National Convention Memorial Day Weekend - Once again LPNOVA will have several delegates joining the Virginia Delegation to represent our region at National. Please see link below for information and contact us if you wish to join us in Grand Rapids! [2026 Libertarian National Convention - Home](https://www.lnc2026.com/)

After hosting successful events, I always think that we could have done better and relate it to our day to day life and make it educational. In this connection, I wanted to show off my investment and trade hat and organize series of Happy Hours around Investment & Trade. We will have speakers from different sectors and industries, at each Happy Hour. At this particular event, the speakers will discuss Avoiding Big Mistakes When Saving For Retirement. Topics will include: • The Effect of Inflation on the value of a dollar • Proper Investment Allocation • Underestimating the Effect of Taxes • Underestimating Spending During Retirement • Unrealistic Investment Expectations • Underestimating Time Spent in Retirement • Mismanaging Tax-Deferred Assets • Unexpected Health-Care Expenses The address will be sent to members who RSVPed, before the Event. Enjoy!

**In a time of division and isolation, come be part of the community that's rebuilding the town square, one table at a time.** In BreadBreakers, we use the common space of the dining table to have conversations where neighbors can **hear, be heard, and know one another.** If you're hungry for good conversation and deeper community, join us for a Community Dinner in Reston and help blaze the trail to a healthier, more connected society and democracy. Here’s how it works: For just two hours, multiple tables of people set aside the need to "win" and instead focus on sharing, listening, and connecting. Guided by experienced table hosts, we'll tell our stories, try to understand each other, and practice being in community with those with different views or backgrounds. **At this dinner, participants will get to choose between three different topics, including some current events.** Topics range from the political, to the "slice of life", to the spiritual, to the philosophical, to the off-the-wall - but no matter which table you choose to sit at, you can be sure it'll be like no dinner conversation you've had before! You can also **suggest a topic** by emailing us at BreadBreakersInfo@gmail.com. Food will be provided for free. For those who wish to provide a donation to help fund BreadBreakers, you can [give here](https://pushpay.com/g/restorationrestonumc?fnd=pO6G-N7oO7FH7Mp1u-x6mA&fndv=Lock&r=No&lang=en&src=pcgl) or at the event. We'll have vegetarian and gluten-free options available. If you have any additional dietary restrictions (Celiac Disease, vegan, etc.) please let us know at BreadBreakersInfo@gmail.com so that we can implement the appropriate food handling procedures. **Join us, invite a friend, and be a part of the movement to mend our fractured society and normalize a better way of talking with one another.** BreadBreakers, an initiative by [Restoration United Methodist Church](https://restorationreston.org/breadbreakers) in Reston, VA, is a religiously inclusive community. We are a collaboration between people of all faiths and stripes. Our leadership, volunteer team, and community include people who attend Restoration and people who don't.

Some expert speaker (or panel) will be telling us about some subject, or maybe we'll hold a roundtable discussion, or whatever. Please bring your questions, ideas, etc., and a friend or three who might be interested in our Meetup. Approximate Schedule: 6:00 pm: people arrive, network, mingle, and order dinner/drinks/whatever 6:30 pm: presentation, discussion, or whatever, begins 7:30 pm: presentation/whatever is over; we network, mingle, and go home PLEASE RSVP YES IF COMING, AND CHANGE IT TO "NO" IF YOU THEN WON'T COME AFTER ALL. DO NOT MAKE US WASTE TIME WAITING FOR YOU. DO NOT DEPRIVE OTHERS OF A SPACE BY BOGARTING ONE. DO NOT MAKE ME THINK UP AN APPROPRIATE PENALTY FOR NO-SHOWS. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO ADJUST THE PICTURE. DO NOT TAUNT HAPPY FUN MEETUP ORGANIZER. This will be a joint meeting with the DC Computer Consultants (https://www.meetup.com/dc-computer-consultants).

To secure your spot, purchase your ticket from the Eventbrite link (https://www.eventbrite.com/e/reston-outing-tickets-149365443061). RSVPing only on the Meetup Page doesn't allow you to attend the Event. Due to the pandemic, we have limited spots and we allocate them, before the event, to serve our customers safely according to CDC and local governments guidelines. Hence, advance ticket purchase is required and don't try to walk-in; AS THIS RESULTS BEING REMOVED FROM THE GROUP. This is a different type of event, designed around the pandemic. ABOUT THE EVENT We go all over Virginia and canvas all cities and towns. This time it is Reston's turn. Here we come! We will be heading to ________. It is a rustic-modern spot which serves an American menu, local brews & cocktails. CASH BAR AFTERWARDS. Ticket Price : $15 (will increase soon) Ticket price includes a half order of wings, goat cheese fritters; AND a beer or cocktail of the day. As per local Government guidelines, this is a sit down dinning event. Maximum of six people will be seated per table. We have super limited space! Get your tickets ASAP. After dinner, we will rotate dinners from table to table. So that everyone meets everyone. You would get to meet your future friends/acquaintances/buddies/pals /partner-in-crimes or may be more:) - To hang out/go out or do things together. Also, this is an ideal event if you are new in town. MASKS ARE REQUIRED FOR ENTRY AND SHOULD BE WORN AT ALL TIMES EXCEPT EATING AND DRINKING. * Come one, come all; this is the most friendliest event you have ever attended! * Feel free to invite your friends. They don't necessarily have to be a member * Celebrate your birthdays or your moments in life with us * Event is 21+ We are at 50% capacity. So, please drink for two:) As we all know, the hospitality industry is badly hit by the crisis and be generous to your bartenders and waitresses. Due to the pandemic the entire set up of this event is changed: * We will be complying with all CDC, state, and local guidelines. * Occupancy never exceeds 50%. * No Cash Transaction to reduce contamination. * All patrons must wear masks. If you don't wear a mask, we don't allow you to enter and you won't be refunded. * A thorough cleaning and disinfection of frequently contacted surfaces will be done during the event and please bear with us. * Temperature check for staff and patrons. Payment Instructions : 1. You should login from a PC to see the 'Pay Now' button, after RSVPing. Then hit the button. 2. Verify correct dollar amount for number of people you're paying for. 3. If you don't have a Paypal account, click "Pay with a Debit or Credit Card". 4. If you have a Paypal account, simply log in, and pay as you normally would via Paypal. Refund & Ticket Resell All sales are final. We only refund the full amount, if the event is canceled. If it is rescheduled, we will send an email to those who RSVPed 'YES' advising that. A full refund will be given to those that let us know within 2 calendar days of the update email, if you are unable to make it on the new date. No refunds will be given after that time. However, you can sell your ticket to someone else if you are unable to attend. Please, feel free to post in the comment box for the event, that you have a ticket for sale. Work out payment between yourselves, and have the seller only send the organizer a message letting us know the full name of the person taking your spot. You must let us know two hours before the RSVP close time, on the day of the event. PARKING INFO : Free parking. However, the event involves drinking and we highly recommend a shared ride or taxi service. DRINK RESPONSIBLY. **FOR FURTHER INFO, REFER THE EVENTBRITE LINK AND PURCHASE TICKET. IT RULES**

Members of the public are invited to view the wonders of the universe through the telescopes of NOVAC volunteers at the Smithsonian's Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, VA. You do not need to be a member of the club or own any astronomical equipment to attend. Telescopes will be provided by the Smithsonian and pre-approved members of the NOVAC. No other personal telescopes are permitted at the event. The event will take place on the bus parking lot of the museum. **Please park your vehicle at the south end of the main visitors lot and follow signs and red lights to the observing site. As a reminder, parking during the event is free.** Have a cosmic question? One of NOVAC's astronomers or museum staff will be happy to help you. As the sky gets dark, be prepared to enjoy the wonders of the night sky! Don't forget to dress warmly. Please check the weather forecast. For lighting, cover a flashlight in red cellophane (the darker the better). Bring along water to keep hydrated. Note: This outdoor event is weather-dependent and may be cancelled because of significant cloud cover or precipitation.