Where do you eat after skating at Reston Town Center this year? This November, it depends on the week. The ice at the Pavilion goes down on Friday, but the restaurants around it are in the middle of a turnover. One has closed, one has "coming soon" banners up, and one is getting close to opening at Reston Station.
The rink, the races, the parade, and the tree lighting all have 2026 dates posted. The dining is the part still moving, and it will look different on Thanksgiving weekend than it does tomorrow night.
The Ice Opens Friday
The Reston Town Center Ice Skating Pavilion at 1818 Discovery Street opens for the season on Friday, November 6, 2026, weather permitting, according to the rink's official ticketing page. The rink runs daily from November through March with extended holiday hours, and it keeps more than 500 pairs of rental skates.
What you need for a first skate this season:
- Regular hours: Sunday through Thursday 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., Friday and Saturday 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m., per Reston Town Center's skating page
- Adult admission: $12
- Youth admission, ages 12 and under: $10
- Senior and military admission: $10
- Skate rental: not included in those tickets; you add it after choosing admission
- Groups of 10 or more: $15 per person, skates included
- Rink hotline: (703) 709-6300
The group rate matters if you're organizing a birthday, a scout troop, or a team outing. At $15 with skates included against $12 plus a separate rental, a group of ten that would have rented skates anyway probably comes out ahead.
Three Restaurant Addresses, Three Different Stages
11901 Democracy Drive, closed. True Food Kitchen served its last day at Reston Town Center on October 4, FFXnow reported. When the closure was reported, no replacement tenant had been announced for the space. That means one fewer sit-down option close to the core of Town Center for at least the start of the skating season.
1845 Fountain Drive, under construction. Guapo's has taken over the former Not Your Average Joe's building at The Spectrum at Reston Town Center for a new concept called Guapo's Mar y Tierra. The Burn reported on October 6 that preliminary work had started, the exterior was being painted, and temporary "coming soon" banners were up. Reston will be the first location for the concept, which will have a new menu and contemporary decor. The Guapo's Mar y Tierra website still says "Coming soon." No opening date has been given.
1860 Reston Row Plaza, almost open. Clyde's Restaurant Group's Ebbitt House at Reston Station is the opening most likely to land in November. In August, FFXnow reported an October target. In mid-October, The Burn reported that a restaurant representative was aiming for "around the first week in November." The hours page on the Ebbitt House website now says the restaurant opens in mid-November 2026, and reservations go through OpenTable. Plan on November, and check the restaurant's own page before you count on a specific night.
Why Reston Station Changes the Late Shift
Ebbitt House is the one to watch for skaters because of its hours. The restaurant's posted schedule runs Monday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to midnight, Friday from 11 a.m. to 1 a.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 a.m., and Sunday from 10 a.m. to midnight. The rink's last weekend session ends at 11 p.m. A kitchen and bar that stay open two hours after that turns a Friday or Saturday skate into a full evening, with no need to end the night when the ice closes.
The building is set up for a crowd. FFXnow's August report described a 260-seat dining room, two indoor bars, two private rooms, and a 125-seat patio with its own outdoor bar. The menu is classic American: burgers, steak, housemade pasta, seafood, and a raw bar with oysters, plus wine, beer, martinis, and cocktails. The private rooms are worth knowing about if you're hosting a December gathering and the usual Town Center rooms are already booked.
This continues the shift we covered in our late-summer look at RTC Next. Reston's evening options keep spreading beyond the original Town Center blocks. This winter you can see it plainly: the newest large dining room nearby is at Reston Station, and the Town Center space that just went dark has no announced successor.
November Runs on the Calendar
With the restaurants in flux, the events give the season its shape. Each one is listed for 2026:
- Friday, Nov. 6: The Pavilion rink opens for the season, weather permitting.
- Saturday, Nov. 7: The Reston Community Orchestra performs "250 Years of America," on Reston Community Center's performance schedule.
- Wednesday, Nov. 11: Run for Valor 5K at Reston Town Center, 8 to 10 a.m.
- Sunday, Nov. 15: Beverly Cosham's "Timeless" is on the RCC performance schedule. The same afternoon, 2 to 4 p.m., brings the free reception for the RAGS "Color Connects" exhibit, which RCC's calendar lists all month from Nov. 1 through Nov. 30.
- Wednesday, Nov. 18: RTC Senior Movie Day, 9 a.m. to noon.
- Friday, Nov. 27: The 34th annual Reston Holiday Parade & Tree Lighting. The parade starts at 11 a.m., Sip & Stroll runs 4:30 to 8 p.m., and the tree lights at 6 p.m.
- Thursday, Dec. 3, through Saturday, Dec. 5: Reston Association's Winterfest at Brown's Chapel Park.
- Saturday, Dec. 5: The Reston Chorale's "The Wonder of the Season" is on RCC's December schedule.
- Sunday, Dec. 6: Run with Santa 5K at Reston Town Center, 8 to 10 a.m.
Nov. 27 is the day to plan around. It's the Friday after Thanksgiving, and the Reston Town Center event page spreads the program from a late-morning parade to an evening tree lighting. The rink stays open until 11 p.m. on Fridays. By then, Ebbitt House should have had a couple of weeks to settle in, if it opens on the November schedule it has posted. Thanksgiving weekend is likely the first time this winter that every piece is in place.
Mid-November is the other cluster worth noting. On Sunday, Nov. 15, the "Color Connects" reception and Beverly Cosham's performance share the same RCC listings. The orchestra performance a week earlier gives you a second arts evening before the holiday rush.
Off the Plaza, Two Stops With Their Own Timing
Not every winter outing has to start at Discovery Street. At Lake Anne Plaza, Kinship Wine + Wares at 1635B Washington Plaza North sells wine, vintage housewares, and gourmet goods. It held its official opening in September after a July soft opening, FFXnow reported. Hours are Wednesday through Friday 3 to 8 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Sunday 1 to 6 p.m. That makes it an easy stop for a host gift on the way to a holiday dinner. It's closed Monday and Tuesday, so plan accordingly.
Winterfest is the other big December event away from Town Center. Reston Association's listing puts the Saturday, Dec. 5 program at Brown's Chapel Park from 5 to 9 p.m. That same weekend the Reston Chorale has its RCC listing on Saturday, and the Run with Santa 5K starts Sunday morning. It's one of the busiest weekends of the season, spread across several parts of Reston.
If you live near Town Center or Reston Station, the restaurants changing on your block also show up in how buyers see your address. At The Pearl Team, we follow these changes closely, and we're glad to talk through what Reston Station's growth and Town Center's turnover mean for your own plans. Schedule your free home strategy whenever it fits around your skating schedule.
