Reston Town Center drew 4,000 people to its annual KidsFest in 2026, double the 2025 turnout, amid a broader social-media overhaul by owner BXP.

Animal Expedition, another family event centered on animals and pets, grew from 3,000 attendees to 4,500 over the same period. BXP does not credit social media alone for the gains, according to a profile published Monday, Sept. 28, by ICSC, the trade group for the shopping center industry. But the numbers track with a deliberate shift in how the center presents itself online.

The change started in January 2025, when BXP hired IRL Agency to run Reston Town Center's social accounts. The old Instagram feed leaned on text-heavy graphics supplied by individual retailers. Kelsey Youngblood, BXP's marketing manager for the property, described the previous look as a "hodgepodge" that failed to capture the center's community programming.

The feed changed fast. Within 90 days the account gained roughly 1,000 followers. Posts now feature pets, food, cocktails and live music. Youngblood told ICSC that the agency packages upcoming events into carousel guides and films behind-the-scenes reels when a new restaurant opens.

Alex Young, BXP's vice president of regional marketing, told ICSC the goal was making people want to be part of the property. She recounted a conversation with a neighbor while walking her dog. The neighbor, unaware Young worked for BXP, said the Instagram posts had convinced her to bring her family to the center's holiday events.

"She was like: 'Their social media is really getting me,'" Young said.

Reston Town Center hosts more than 150 events a year across its 580,000 square feet of retail space at 11900 Market St. The ICSC article profiled the center alongside Santana Row in San Jose, California, and other properties nationwide as examples of shopping centers using Instagram as a placemaking tool.

Coming up at Reston Town Center: A free Rocktoberfest concert takes the Pavilion stage Saturday, Oct. 10, featuring Vertical Horizon, Everything and Virginia Coalition. The show includes Sip & Stroll drink options from nearby restaurants and free garage parking.