One of my favorite things to do during the summer is to go
to outdoor festivals, fairs, and local celebrations. I have many fond memories of the ones I grew
up with in Pennsylvania. In Virginia, I
go to them less often, but there is one that I have attended nearly every year
that I have lived here and that is Herndon Festival.
Herndon Festival runs for four days over the last weekend in
May each year. It is operational
Thursday in the evening, Friday in the evening, all day Saturday, and Sunday
afternoon. The best part is that much of
it can be enjoyed for free. There is no
entrance fee. There is free parking at two
offsite locations with shuttle bus rides provided to the festival grounds. All of the on-stage entertainment and fireworks
can be watched for free. You do have to
pay for carnival rides, food, and wares of the various vendors. Window shopping however is always free.
This past weekend was the 2015 Herndon Festival. I made it three of the four days. I have yet to make it to all four days, but I
will keep trying. Here are some of my
highlights from this weekend.
Arts and Crafts: I
enjoy going around to all the stalls to look at the goods available for sale. There is a lot of variety, and everyone can
find something they would enjoy. There
is artwork, jewelry, clothing, bath products, candles, children’s toys, pet
treats, garden paraphernalia, food products, etc. I am much more of a viewer than a purchaser,
but this year I did actually buy some small items. I got some citrus scented lotion, some herbal
skin balm remedies (respiratory, focus, and calm), and some dips to eat.
Entertainment: The
free entertainment is one of my favorite parts of the festival. In the past they have had some fairly well-known
groups play at the festival, such as Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, Josh Kelley, The
Smithereens, and Fastball. This year I
did not recognize any of the acts by name, but I still enjoyed them. Thursday I saw a local rap artist called
JDVBBS and an act called Cutting Edge Dueling Pianos. I really loved the dueling pianos which was
very interactive and accepted crowd requests.
Saturday I saw an 80s hair band cover group called Teaze. This band was great fun with hits everyone in
the crowd could sing and witty banter in between numbers.
Fireworks: I love
fireworks. I have liked them ever since
I was a little girl. I am not a fan of
setting them off myself or being near amateur pyros playing with them either. However, a good professional program done
from a safe distance puts a smile on my face every time. The ones on Saturday evening lived up to my
expectations with a good twenty minutes done to a medley of radio hits.
Food: The best part
of the festival is all the fair food. If
all I have time for is a few minutes to grab some food, I would count it as a
festival well spent. I indulged in some
food every day that I was there. I had
hot sausage, pulled pork, empanadas, and ice tea. I try different vendors each time I go there,
but a consistent favorite of mine is Jimmy’s Old Town Tavern which is local restaurant
that can be enjoyed throughout the year.
There is also a carnival, a 10K/5K race, a business expo,
and a kids’ alley available. I do not
really explore these areas much, but the crowds indicate these are popular as
well. The festival is located in Historic Downtown
Herndon and so there is easy access to many permanent community offerings as
well (stores, restaurants, municipal building, train depot, library). Plus who can beat several hours enjoying good
weather (hopefully) and the company of friends.
I hope to see you all there next year for all four
days. See you next week!
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