The annual Herndon Festival scheduled for Spring of 2021 has been cancelled due to the pandemic.

Herndon’s Parks and Recreation Department announced the cancellation in a press release yesterday morning. This would have made 41 years that the festival had been held.

Director of the Herndon Parks and Recreation Department Cindy Roeder said she is hopeful that the town will be able to have the festival again in the future.

“We hope that next year this time, we can again be talking about carnival rides and souvenir shirts, funnel cakes and deep-fried turkey legs, community, and fun,” Roeder said.

Last year, the annual festival brought activities such as a carnival, 5K and 10K races and arts and crafts shows.

The entire press release is below: Read More

For the 4oth year, the people around town can enjoy themselves at the upcoming Herndon Festival.

The celebration will take place from May 28- 31 at Northwest Federal Credit Union (200 Spring Street). Events will take place throughout the weekend and many of them will be free according to the event’s website.

For the second year, the festival will be at a new location due to the planned redevelopment in downtown Hernon. Developer Comstock Companies, which is working with town on the project has not broken ground on the project, which was expected to begin in late 2019.

This festival is organized by the Town of Herndon’s Parks and Recreation Department along with local businesses and vendors, the website said.

Activities this year will include entertainment on three stages, a carnival, children’s hands-on art area, arts & crafts show, business expo, 10K and 5K races, a fitness expo and a variety of food vendors, a press release said.

A map of activities and festival layout can already be found online.

Event planners are beginning to release the concert lineups. For example, the alternative-rock band “Broke Royals” will be performing on the Parkway Stage from 6 to 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 28.

For those who bike to the festival, organizers are offering a free bike valet until 10 p.m., according to the event page.

Image via Herndon Festival Facebook

Dog lovers can participate in the upcoming HernDOG Bark Bash this Saturday (Oct. 5).

Pet owners are invited to bring their fluffy friends by from 9:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. at Town Hall Square (730 Elden Street) for a costume parade and festivities. All are welcome to this free event regardless of pet ownership status.

The first 75 dogs to attend in costume will receive goodies, according to the event.

There will be a variety of booths and representatives at the event, including Homeward Trails Animal Rescue, an organization that matches cats and dogs with loving homes.

Event organizers ask that pet owners only bring vaccinated and friendly animals on a leash.

Anyone wishing to volunteer at the event or become a vendor can contact John Walsh at 703-435-6800.

Since late last week, festival-goers had the chance to enjoy the annual Herndon Festival at a new location.

The festival left its home in downtown Herndon — which was slated to be a construction site by the time the festival came around — for the Northwest Federal Credit Union this year.

Construction is expected to begin soon after plans for downtown were approved in mid-May by the Town of Herndon’s Heritage Preservation Review Board.

It’s unlikely the festival will return to its home in downtown Herndon.

The redevelopment of the town’s core likely will not have enough open space to make the festival happen.

Here’s some more information from the Town of Herndon:

“Once the redevelopment project is complete, town staff will assess what new events or activities will be appropriate and attractive to the community. The Herndon Festival, as we know it today, likely will not return to the downtown area, due to the loss of the open space to host the carnival and considerable number of vendor, sponsor and volunteer booths required.”

Nonetheless, Reston Now wants to know which location you prefer for the festival. Let us know your thoughts below.

Photo via Town of Herndon

Herndon Festival Kicks Off Today — The first day of the four-day festival begins today from 6-10 p.m. at Northwest Federal Credit Union (200 Spring Street). China Grove will perform at the Herndon Family Medicine Stage and transit Vocal Band will perform at the Parkway Stage from 7:30-9 p.m.  [Herndon Festival]

Police Seek Help to Connect Annandale Man to County Burglaries — Local police believe Stephen Anderson, 55, of Annandale, could be responsible for other burglaries throughout the county. He faces burglary charges and is being held at the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center without bond. [Fairfax County Police Department]

Creative Response Led by Co-owner of Bad Saint Set for Today — Genieve Villamora, co-owner of the buzzy Filipino restaurant in the District, will respond to the work of Stephanie William. The presentation will be followed by open conversation. The event starts at 7 p.m. [Greater Reston Arts Center]

A Recap of Reston Live — “The first Reston Live was held at Lake Anne Plaza on Sunday afternoon. This inaugural music festival featured a Children’s Area, a talent competition, a raffle, vendor booths, and special guest performances by Reston band, Catchin’ Toads, and Reston’s own singer/songwriter, Lindsey Hershfeld.” [The Connection]

Flickr pool photo by vantagehill

Mark your calendars for four days of fun-filled activities at the annual Herndon Festival, which has a new location at Northwest Federal Credit Union on 200 Spring Street this year.

The annual festival, which features a carnival, food vendors, an arts and crafts show, and live entertainment, begins tomorrow and runs through June 2.

The location changed in anticipation of construction beginning in downtown Herndon. Although the process was delayed by an unsuccessful appeal by neighboring property owners, the decision to change the location was made one year ago.

Town officials say its unlikely the festival will return to its previous location because the redevelopment of the area will take up more open space.

The entertainment lineup, which kicks off with a performance by China Grove tomorrow (May 30), is available online.

The carnival will be open from 6-10 p.m. tomorrow (May 30), 5-11 p.m. on Friday (May 31), 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Saturday (June 1), and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday (June 2). Single tickets are $1.25 and a batch of 30 are for $30.

Kids can also immerse themselves in a hands-on art program, which will be held under the overhang at the rear entrance to Building 200. The program runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday (June 1) and from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday (June 2).

Races that take runners through historic downtown Herndon are also planned for Sunday (June 2) at the Herndon Community Center. Online registration closes tomorrow (May 30) at noon. Participants unable to finish the 10K race in 90 minutes and the 5K race in 45 minutes will be transported back to the Herndon Community Center.

A festival map is also available online.

The title sponsor for the event is Northwest Federal Credit Union and platinum sponsors are the Virginia Paving Company and Herndon Family Medicine.

Photo via Town of Herndon

Departing from its longstanding home in downtown Herndon, next year’s Herndon Festival will take place at the Northwest Federal Credit Union campus (200 Spring Street).

Due to a 2017 agreement with Comstock, the property that housed the festival carnival will be under construction beginning late 2018 or early 2019. As a result of limited space, an alternative site was found. Other areas of downtown Herndon are expected to also undergo construction.

It is unclear if the festival will ever return to the downtown area.

“Once the redevelopment project is complete, town staff will assess what new events or activities will be appropriate and attractive to the community. The Herndon Festival, as we know it today, likely will not return to the downtown area, due to the loss of the open space to host the carnival and considerable number of vendor, sponsor and volunteer booths required,” according to a statement by town officials.

Sans the charm of downtown buildings as a backdrop and grassy spaces for concert seating, county officials expect next year’s festival will feature different programming that will keep the event “fresh and interesting” for the audience.

County officials will not consider removing the carnival from the festival in order to keep the event in downtown Herndon because the carnival generates 45 percent of total revenues from the festival.

“Without a carnival the event would have to be curtailed in enough ways that it would not resemble what we now know as the Herndon Festival,” according to town officials.

Photo by Mikey Tate

The Herndon Festival returns to historic downtown Herndon on Thursday (May 31) through Sunday (June 3). The annual event will include four days of activities, vendors, and entertainment.

The event, which takes place at 777 Lynn Street, averages attendance of 80,000 over all four days, according to the festival’s website.

The carnival will be open on Thursday from 6-10 p.m., on Friday from 5-11 p.m., on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. and on Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Single tickets are $1.25, with bundle deals and an all-pass ticket available.

New this year is a kids’ puppet show and car creation event where kids can make their own cardboard car and watch a puppet show. Kids can also enjoy a hands-on art area, an entertainment alley, and fireworks displays.

On Sunday, 5k and 10k races will take place in the morning. Arts and crafts vendors, as well as an entrepreneur and business expo, will also be on site.

Attendees are encouraged to use a complimentary shuttle bus service, as parking will be limited. The following street closures will also be in effect:

• Elden Street in both directions between Monroe Street and Center Street
• Spring Street in both directions between Locust and Elden Street
• Center Street between Locus Street and Vine Street, with the exception of southbound traffic between Elden Street and Locust Street.

Street closures will impact Fairfax Connector routes.

A map of the festival is below:

For more information, visit the festival’s website.

 

Backpacks Checked Out at Festival — Herndon Police say abandoned backpacks Friday and Saturday at the Herndon Festival brought out the department’s Explosive Ordnance Disposal Unit. No threat was found in either case. [Herndon Police Department]

SLHS Student-Athletes Honored — Spring sports players at South Lakes High School were honored Monday night for their performances on and off the field. [South Lakes Athletics]

Official Name Change for RTC Street — The private street at Reston Town Center that is home to The Avant, CVS, Barcelona and Bartaco is officially known as Town Square. The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, as an administrative item, approved a name change to Town Square Street. [Fairfax County Board of Supervisors]

Area Player to Go High in MLB Draft — Ashburn’s J.B. Bukauskas, a Stone Bridge High School grad and a star pitcher at the University of North Carolina, is projected to be picked in the Top 7 of next week’s Major League Baseball Draft. [EIN Presswire]

Running, swimming and bicycling are always big activities in Reston, but this weekend in particular they will be in the spotlight.

The 11th annual Reston Sprint Triathlon, benefiting Cornerstones, will be held at Lake Newport Pool starting at 7 a.m. Sunday. The event will last about 3 1/2 hours and will impact portions of local roads including Lake Newport Road, Reston Parkway, Wiehle Avenue and Baron Cameron Avenue. Most of the run will take place on RA pathways in the area.

There quite a lot more on the events calendar for the Reston area this weekend. Here is just a sampling of the events you can enjoy:

• Reston Station’s “Summerbration” series kicks off tonight at 7 p.m. with a free concert by Battery Lane. Tomorrow night at 7:30 p.m., visit for a free outdoor showing of “Rogue One” on the plaza. The Summerbration events outside the Wiehle-Reston East Metro station will continue through the end of August.
• The Herndon Festival continues through this weekend. Events this weekend include numerous concerts on three stages, kids’ entertainment, carnival rides, food and drinks, and much more. The event takes place throughout downtown Herndon in the area of Elden and Lynn streets.
• Reston Town Center’s summer concert series begins Saturday night at 7:30 p.m. with a performance by former “America’s Got Talent” winner Landau Eugene Murphy. The show will take place at the Town Center’s pavilion.
• Other live music at Reston Town Center this weekend will include a performance from 6-10 p.m. tonight at Tavern64 (1800 Presidents St.) and both tonight and Saturday from 10 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. at Crafthouse (1888 Explorer St.).
• Reston Town Center businesses are organizing this summer for “Small Business Support Sundays,” which begin this weekend. For a full list of promotions available, check out their website.
• The Reston Farmers Market will take place from 8 a.m. to noon Saturday at Lake Anne Village Center.
• Lake Anne is also hosting Sunday Yoga on the Plaza each week, at 9:30 a.m.
• The 2017 Reston Lake Cleanup is slated for Saturday from 10 a.m. to noon. Meeting locations will be at Lake Audubon, Lake Anne and Lake Thoreau. Volunteers will get into their boats, as well as walking on the shorelines of each lake, to collect as much trash as possible.
• Lake Anne Brew House (11424 Washington Plaza W.) will celebrate Pride Month tonight with a special “Night Out” event.
• Bird lovers are invited to the Walker Nature Center (11450 Glade Drive) on Saturday from 6:45 a.m. to noon to participate in the summer bird count.
• “Radcliffe Bailey: The Great Dismal Swamp” remains on display at Greater Reston Arts Center (12001 Market St.) through August.
• “Urinetown: The Musical” is being performed at NextStop Theatre Company (269 Sunset Park Drive) through June 25. Two of this weekend’s performances are already sold out, but tickets remain available for 8 p.m. tonight and a 2 p.m. matinee Sunday. General admission tickets start at $40.
• Kalypso’s (1617 Washington Plaza N.) will have live music tonight at 9:30 p.m. from The Reluctors.
• Vinafera Wine Bar and Bistro (11750 Sunrise Valley Drive) has live music from 7-10 p.m. every Friday and Saturday night.

File photo via Christin Photography/Reston Association

Majority Say They’ll Go to RTC — With our story Wednesday about changes to parking fees at Reston Town Center, we posted a poll asking whether those changes will make readers more likely to visit the Town Center. With nearly 900 votes on the unscientific poll, about two-thirds of responders said they would. [Reston Now]

Herndon Festival Starts Tonight — The 37th annual festival will run tonight through Sunday in downtown Herndon. Several streets, including Elden Street, will be closed throughout the event. Free parking and shuttle buses will be provided to get to the festivities. [Herndon Festival]

Community Center Board Meets Monday — The Reston Community Center Board of Governors will continue the decision-making process regarding the budget outline for FY19, and possible timelines for capital projects including the proposed  renovation of the Terry L. Smith Aquatics Center, Monday at 8 p.m. at RCC (2310 Colts Neck Road). The annual public hearing for programs and budget is slated for Monday, June 19. [Reston Community Center]

Barton Hill Tennis Courts Closed — Reston Association says the courts are being resurfaced, and it is hoped they will be reopened by mid-June. [Reston Association/Twitter]

Halogen Lamp Starts Fire — A blaze earlier this week south of Reston caused about $125,000 in damages after a lamp in the basement ignited nearby combustibles. Two residents of the home have been displaced. [Fairfax County Fire and Rescue]

The stage is being set for next week’s 37th annual Herndon Festival.

The annual outdoor festival, on Lynn Street in the town, is set for June 1-4. The free event averages attendance of 80,000 annually, according to its website.

“Every year we throw ourselves a big town party,” said Herndon Mayor Lisa Merkel. “Thursday night is a local favorite, where tons of neighbors walk downtown to kick off the festival. The rest of the weekend we welcome people from across the D.C. region. Three stages of entertainment, great crafts and, of course, funnel cake! What’s not to love?”

This year, in addition to the 5K and 10K races, carnival atmosphere and musical entertainment, there will be an event called Country on the Green on the new Herndon Municipal Center stage. The event goes from 11:30 a.m to 6 p.m on Sunday, June 4. The daylong celebration will consist of music, line dancing, barbecue and drinks.

The music stages at the festival are the Cafe Stage, the Depot Stage and the Kids Alley. Concerts range from bluegrass to rock and children’s music. Check out the full entertainment lineup here.

Ticket prices for the carnival will be $1.25 for a single ticket, with bundle deals and an all-day pass available. A minimum of $5 worth of tickets must be purchased for those who want carnival access.

Carnival hours will be:

• Thursday, 6-10 p.m.
• Friday, 5-11 p.m.
• Saturday, 10 a.m. to 11 p.m.
• Sunday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

There is also fun on the docket just for kids. Little ones can enjoy themselves with hands-on art exhibits and projects, children’s entertainers, a model train display, fireworks shows and more.

The festival’s Arts and Craft Show starts Friday, June 2 and continues throughout the weekend, featuring booths selling items such as jewelry, furniture and folk art. In addition to arts vendors, there will be several food vendors selling items throughout the festival, including the Big Cheese food truck, Jason’s Mini Donuts and Robeks Fruit Smoothies.

For more information about the festival, visit its website or call 703-787-7300.

Sign of summer: The 35th annual Herndon Festival kicks off Thursday night.

This four-day street fair is fun for the whole family, with rides, beer trucks, a wine garden, food vendors and some new special events.

Here is what you need to know:

Festival hours are Thursday, 6 to 10 p.m.; Friday, to 11 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The Herndon Festival takes place in downtown Herndon, on Lynn Street and surrounding areas. There is offsite parking and shuttle buses from Herndon High School and Worldgate.

Admission is free. You need tickets ($1.50 each) for rides (most of which cost several tickets. All-you-can-ride wristbands and ticket books are available.

There are four entertainment stages with a wide variety of musical acts each day, including a Fleetwood Mac tribute band; a Simon and Garfunkel tribute band; Hip-hop; country; and more.

There will be a Kids Alley stage with entertainment such as The Unicycle Lady, The Monkey Man, and mimes and jugglers. See the full entertainment schedule on the festival website.

There will be fireworks Thursday and Saturday nights about 9:30 p.m.

Food vendors will be on hand. See a complete list on the festival website.

Also for kids: The Childrens Hands-On Art area at Station and Lynn Streets.

There will be a 5K and 10K Race on Sunday. The course goes through downtown Herndon and is open to all ages.

There will also be a video game competition on Saturday and a demonstration by the Northern Virginia Roller Derby on Thursday night.