What's Open, Closed In Reston For Thanksgiving 2019

RESTON, VA — The week of Thanksgiving is almost here, and that means lots of travel, food, and closures.

The Thanksgiving tradition in America began with the pilgrims and Puritans who traveled from England in the 1600s. In 1621,pilgrims at Plymouth in present-day Massachusetts had a feast after a good harvest, which they enjoyed with the local Native Americans who helped them pass the winter by giving them food when there were lean times.

Thanksgiving falls on a Thursday every year, which makes it a little more predictable compared to other holidays in terms of what's going to be open and what's going to be closed. Everything is closed on Thursday and usually Friday as well, but there is a little bit of ambiguity on Wednesday. Mondays and Tuesdays are typically normal days but some organizations simply take the whole week off.

Here's a look at what's open and what's closed in the Reston area:

Fairfax County government offices: Closed Thursday and Friday

Courts: Closed Wednesday through Friday

Schools: Closed Wednesday through Friday

Libraries: Closed Thursday and Friday

U.S. Postal Service: The post office will be closed on Thursday

Trash and recycling: Contact your service provider directly

Fairfax Connector: Sunday service schedule on Thursday, holiday weekday service on Friday

Metro: On Thursday, the rail system will open at 8 a.m. and close at 11 p.m., and trains will operate on a Sunday schedule, which means every 15 minutes during the daytime. Off-peak fares will be in effect, and parking will be free at Metro stations. Metrobus will operate on a Sunday schedule. Metro will return to its regular weekday schedule and parking rates on Friday.

Parks:

Travel tips:

According to John B. Townsend II, AAA Mid-Atlantic's public and government affairs manager, travel times could start to increase on the Sunday of Thanksgiving week. However, AAA Mid-Atlantic projects the busiest travel time will be the day before Thanksgiving, Wednesday, Nov. 27. The peak travel time is expected between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. INRIX projects delays will be multiplied by 2.8 during this two-hour period.

Additional reporting by Emily Leayman/Patch