Get Out Weekend Planner: Concerts, Nature, and More

Wondering what to do this weekend? Patch encourages you to catch at least one of the final performances of the Braddock Nights Concert series. Spotlight by Starlight also has a show this Friday night at .

Are you a nature lover? Then head over to Bull Run Regional Park to explore the wonders of pond life, and don’t forget to check out the 29th Annual Begonia Show and Sale at . Also this weekend, Fairfax County encourages you to clear out some of that clutter with Free Document Shredding.

Final Braddock Nights Concerts at and

• Where: 5344 Gainsborough Drive in Fairfax and 7500 Accotink Park Road in Springfield
• When: Both concerts are on Friday, Aug. 26 at 7:30 p.m.
• Why Go: Don’t miss the final concerts of the 2011 Braddock Nights Series at Royal Lake and Lake Accotink. At Royal Lake Park you’ll be entertained by the indie rock sounds of “No Second Troy”. Enjoy authentic German music by "Alte Kameraden German Band" over at Lake Accotink Park.
• Price: Free

• Where: , 621 Columbia Pike, Annandale
• When: Friday, Aug. 26 at 7:30 p.m.
• Why Go: Imagine yourself relaxing in the Hawaiian Islands as you listen to the tunes of “The Aloha Boys”
• Price: Free

Pond Life Exploration at Bull Run Regional Park

• Where: 7700 Bull Run Drive, Centreville
• When: Saturday, Aug. 27 at 3 p.m.
• Why Go: Help the park's naturalist survey life in the pond using dip nets. Search for fish, tadpoles, crayfish, insects, and more. Dress to get muddy! Visit the park's website to make reservations for this event.
• Website
• Price: Free

• Where: , 7900 Heritage Drive, Annandale
• When: Sunday, August 28 at 7 p.m.
• Why Go: Don’t miss the final performance in the Braddock Nights Concert Series at Ossian Hall. Enjoy an evening of Chinese culture, featuring music and dance. A film will follow the performance after dark.
• Price: Free

• Where: , 4603 Green Spring Road, Alexandria
• When: Saturday, Aug. 27 from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Sunday, August 28th from Noon to 3:30 p.m.
• Why Go: View the brightly colored begonias that Green Spring Gardens has to offer. The 29th annual show and sale will have a wide variety, including subtropical species. There is no charge for admission.
• Price: Free

Fairfax County offers and

• Where: Documents for Shredding will be collected at 9002 Burke Lake Road, Burke.
• When: Document Shredding: Saturday, Aug. 27 from 8 a.m. to Noon. 
• Why Go: On Saturday, Fairfax County residents are invited to bring in their sensitive or personal documents to be destroyed.
• Price: Free