Herndon's biggest downtown block will sit empty through another holiday season, so what is actually bringing people downtown this December? A few small rooms, a few town events and a few blocks of Lynn, Spring and Elden streets. This fall the Town Council decided to build its next downtown effort around those businesses too.
The largest parcel downtown stays empty this season
The nearly 5-acre site at the northeast corner of Elden and Center streets was supposed to become a mixed-use block with apartments, an arts center, retail space and a parking garage. In December 2020 the town deeded the land to Comstock for that project. In December 2024 Comstock told the town it would not go ahead. The town declared the developer's interest terminated in February 2025 and sued in July 2025 to get the property back, according to the Town of Herndon's redevelopment project page.
In September 2026 a Fairfax County Circuit Court judge granted summary judgment to Comstock. FFXnow reported that the opinion found the town "is not entitled to a reconveyance of the property," because of a 2020 amendment to the agreement and the wording of the deed. The town filed an appeal on October 7. In a statement covered in the same FFXnow story, Comstock said it was still willing to work with town officials on redeveloping the site.
Neither side has announced a construction start or an opening date for any part of the project. The arts center and parking garage from the concept plan are on paper only, and the case is now in front of the Court of Appeals.
The town's next move is built around the storefronts already open
On Tuesday, October 27, the Town Council authorized staff to apply for Virginia Main Street. The state program, run by the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development, helps communities revitalize and promote their downtowns. FFXnow's coverage of the vote notes that if the application is approved, Herndon would be the first locality in Fairfax County to join.
The town's reasoning, as Collin Okoniewski described it, explains what makes this December's downtown worth a visit. Okoniewski is Herndon's economic development manager and acting deputy town manager. He told the council the downtown qualifies because it is compact and pedestrian-oriented, even without a literal main street. In remarks reported by FFXnow, he also pointed to who runs the businesses:
"We do have a strong, locally owned business sector that are small businesses. They're not scattered with chains, whether that be bank chains, retail chains. It's small business owners."
FFXnow reports that the program would give the town grant funding and other resources to set up a community-led nonprofit to run downtown business support, marketing, events and placemaking. Herndon's finance director told the council that seed money for that group could come up in the fiscal year 2028 budget. That budget will be proposed early next year and take effect July 1, and the plan is for town funding to phase out as the nonprofit becomes self-sustaining. Staff told the council that joining requires no money up front.
FFXnow described the move as town officials choosing not to wait on the developer.
A holiday calendar that starts in mid-November
The town and local venues have published their 2026 dates. The season opens with a mid-November concert, and the rest falls in the first two weekends of December. Each item below links to the page that confirms it.
- Sunday, November 15: "Folk Rock for Food Justice" at Arts Herndon. The benefit concert takes place at 750 Center Street. The Arts Herndon events calendar also lists a gallery exhibition there from October 5 through December 30, 2026, so you can see the show before or after the music.
- Saturday, December 5: Holiday Tree Lighting & Sing-Along. This free event at Town Hall Square runs from 5 to 6:30 p.m. and appears on the Town's December 2026 calendar.
- December 5 through 13: "Lola's Christmas Gifts" at NextStop Theatre. The Winter Academy production plays at NextStop, 269 Sunset Park Drive, and opens the same day as the tree lighting. Dates are on NextStop's Winter Academy page.
- Sunday, December 6: Holiday Arts & Crafts Show. The show runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. with more than 70 vendors selling handcrafted gifts, seasonal décor, jewelry, artwork and treats. Admission and parking are free, according to the Town's event page. The 2026 page doesn't list a venue yet, so check it before you head out.
- Saturday, December 12: Herndon WinterMarkt. The WinterMarkt site lists noon to 6 p.m. In 2025 the market was set up on lower Lynn Street in front of the Herndon Municipal Building at 777 Lynn Street, according to the organizer's FAQ. The 2026 location is worth confirming on the site closer to the date.
The Town's general Hometown Holidays page still shows last year's dates, a Saturday, December 6 tree lighting and a Sunday, December 7 crafts show. The dedicated 2026 event pages and the December calendar above are the ones to go by.
The first weekend in December is the busiest. If your household can only get downtown once, the tree lighting on Saturday evening and the crafts show on Sunday are a day apart, and the NextStop run covers both days.
Where to go between events
The places that make those evenings work are the independent businesses Okoniewski described.
Aslin Beer Co. at 767 Elden Street updates its Herndon draft menu online. The most recent update was October 30, 2026, and the Herndon location page lists hours. It sits on Elden near the downtown core, convenient before or after the tree lighting.
Jimmy's Old Town Tavern at 697 Spring Street hosts live music. A local band's listing had a show there on October 22, 2026, and its booking calendar is worth checking for December weekends.
La Bonne Vie posts wine dinners on its events page. The most recent was held October 29, 2026, so check there for holiday-season dinners.
The Herndon Depot Museum at 717 Lynn Street, beside the W&OD Trail, is open on Sundays, according to the Herndon Historical Society. That puts it open on crafts show day. Since the museum sits on the trail, you can walk or ride the W&OD to downtown on December 6 instead of looking for parking.
Arts Herndon at 750 Center Street rounds out the list. Its gallery exhibition runs through December 30, so it stays open well after the event weekends are over.
All five are small, locally run businesses and venues, the kind of downtown the Main Street application describes, and they are open this December while the largest parcel nearby sits empty.
What comes next for downtown
Two pending items could change downtown over the coming year, and both will be decided in public.
The first is on Elden Street. The owners of Designs and Interiors by The Upholstery Shop at 757 Elden Street have applied to add Herndon Hall, a private event venue, to their downtown building, FFXnow reported. Town staff recommended continuing the Planning Commission's review to its November 16 meeting. The venue has not been approved and has no opening date. If it is approved, a historic downtown building would get another private-event option.
The second is the Main Street application itself. Its first test comes with the fiscal year 2028 budget proposal early next year, when the council decides whether to fund the nonprofit that would run downtown events and marketing. The Comstock appeal will run on the court's schedule, separately from both.
If you're a Herndon homeowner wondering how the downtown lot, the Main Street application or the next budget cycle might affect your own plans, I'm happy to go through what's public with you. I bring the same careful look at the numbers to every conversation, whether the subject is a holiday calendar or a home sale. Monica Gibson is a call or email away. Let's Connect.
