I hope everyone has been staying safe & cool with this wild summer weather!

Here’s a few things we want to share with you:

Next Repair Café: 10:30am-12:30pm Saturday, July 11th

Our next event will be this Saturday at Ellen Coolidge Burke Library, in the City of Alexandria. We’ll be working with the Teddy Bear Repair Clinic again, so bring your stuffed friends too!

Here’s the library address:

4701 Seminary Road
Alexandria, VA, 22304

For transit: This location is served by:

• DASH 36A/B (free!)

• WMATA MetroBus F20.

By car: This location's parking lot is at the rear of the library, off "Library Lane". If you're coming from Seminary Road, you can turn at the light at that intersection. The library has two stories, with elevator and stair access to the top floor.

We’ll be across the street from Francis C. Hammond Middle School, in Alexandria.

Here’s a link with more information about the library: https://alexlibraryva.org/burke

Want to help? We’ve still got a few more positions open for this event: https://volunteernow.volunteerfairfax.org/custom/1427/opp_details/191331

Community partners: Teddy Bear Repair Clinic!

Our friends at The Learning Quest will be reprising their Teddy Bear Repair Clinic at July’s Repair Cafe! Sewists and plushie experts will be available to fix well-loved stuffed animals, dolls, and other friends. Attendees of all ages are invited to visit, and delicate cases are welcome.

Since we’ll be co-locating the Teddy Bear Repair Clinic and the Repair Cafe, any stuffed toys with mechanical parts may be exceptionally good for this event, too.

Read more about their first event here: https://www.thelearningquest.org/newsroom/blog/the-1st-ever-teddy-bear-fix-it-clinic-in-falls-church

Repair in our community: Barrett Branch Fixit Clinic

I had the opportunity to speak with staff at the Barrett Branch Library in Alexandria, and learn more about their event. The Barrett Branch Fixit Clinic will be meeting Saturday, July 25th, 2026 from 11:00am to 2:00pm at the Kate Waller Barrett Branch.

There’s a lot to love about repair events, but I was fascinated by their “Take-it-Apart table,” a feature that invites visitors to try taking old things apart, and putting them back together. Their event is truly massive, with a wide array of repair coaches for all kinds of things, and it sounds like a blast - I’m hoping to check it out myself!

Here’s the address:

717 Queen St
Alexandria, VA, 22314

And here’s the link to their event: https://alexlibraryva.org/event/16483052 (Registration not required)

Next up: August, September Cafés

Saturday, August 15th, 2026, 12:15pm-2:15pm @ Oakton Library

10304 Lynnhaven Place
Oakton, VA, 22124-1785

Volunteer sign-up: https://volunteernow.volunteerfairfax.org/custom/1427/opp_details/191420

Saturday, September 12th, 2026 10:30am-12:30pm @ Thomas Jefferson Library

7415 Arlington Boulevard
Falls Church, VA 2204

Volunteer sign-up: https://volunteernow.volunteerfairfax.org/custom/1427/opp_details/191463

Help wanted: October Café (International Repair Day)

We’re gearing up for our biggest event yet on Saturday, October 17th, for International Repair Day 2026, and we need your help to make it happen!

Check out our volunteer sign-up here: https://volunteernow.volunteerfairfax.org/custom/1427/opp_details/191476

Like usual, we are in need of repair and non-repair skills. That means there’s truly a place for everyone. Whether you’re good with people, good with kids, or if you just have a unique set of skills, we’d love for you to join us. And although we’ve listed a few specific repair skills here, like sewists and knife sharpeners, we would truly welcome any handy skill - software, hardware, locks, leather, and everything in-between.

If you know someone who would jive with our events, consider passing along our request (and thank you!)

That’s all for now - thank you for your continued support, and stay safe!

Ari Nicholas

Fairfax County Repair Cafe