Weekend brings cultural festivals | Arts & Entertainment

Weekend brings cultural festivals | Arts & Entertainment







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Multiple festivals will be taking place around Fairfax County this weekend. Two of the larger ones are designed to broaden attendees’ cultural horizons.  

Kick-off Hispanic Heritage Month a day early at the ¿Qué Pasa? Festival of Herndon. The  celebration takes place on Saturday from noon to 6 p.m. Qué Pasa can be translated as  “what’s happening.” This free festival promises to be filled with Hispanic and Latino culture, including music, dance, food, and fun.  







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The Virginia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (VaHCC) has held a ¿Qué Pasa? Festival in Richmond for the past 20 years. Michel Zajur, the organization’s president and founder, said it was time to share the Latino-themed festival with Northern Virginia. 







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Two stages will be dedicated to entertainment. The Town Green Stage will start the ball rolling with the opening ceremony. Then, various musical groups will perform to highlight the rich traditions of Latin music. Grupo Etnia takes the stage at 1 p.m., El Grito de  Independencia & Mariachi Guadalajara will play at 2:30 p.m., and Igor Music will close the festival starting at 4 p.m. The Lynn Street Stage will showcase the stylings of DJ Ray throughout the day. During breaks, there will also be a JROTC flag presentation; later, the Herndon High School Latin Club will perform.  







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Festival goers will have a chance to purchase a range of savory to sweet meals and treats. Vendors will offer a variety of flavors from all over, including Venezuela, Honduras, and Mexico. Informational booths will cover community needs, politics, health care, and social clubs. There will also be an artisan market for shopping.  







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The festival takes place around the Herndon Town Green, with vendors lining Lynn St. between  Center St. and Station St. Parking in downtown Herndon will probably be tight, so if you are attending, the best plan of attack is to take the complimentary shuttle to the festival. Two drop-off and pick-up points will have available parking. The first is the Northwest Federal Credit Union, at 200 Spring St.; the pick-up spot is the 2386 bus stop. The second location is at Boeing Co., at 460 Herndon Pkwy. Bus stop 2387 is this location’s pick-up spot. The shuttle will run every  20 minutes between 11:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m.  







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If you like your festivals on the rustic side, try the 24th annual Virginia Native American Festival, which returns to Riverbend Park in Great Falls. Activities start at 10 a.m. and run to 3 p.m.  







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“This year, we are pleased to have representatives from the Rappahannock Tribe, the  Chickahominy Tribe, and the Mattaponi and Upper Mattaponi Tribes joining us. They will provide performances, demonstrations, and selling traditional crafts,” said Benjamin Boxer, Fairfax County Park Authority senior communications officer. “The Park  Authority also hosts several activity and exhibit stations, including archery, a dugout canoe station, fire making, crafts, and archaeology and collections. This event has developed a reputation for being a fun and engaging time for families and friends to enjoy exhibits, demonstrations, performances, and try a variety of activities that celebrate and develop a  stronger awareness and understanding of the rich and vibrant heritage of the Native American community in Virginia.” 

The festival cost is $12 per person. While there is plenty of parking at Riverbend Park, the lots can fill up quickly on sunny days. When that happens, the park rangers will let one car in as one leaves which can cause a back-up, so plan accordingly.

 

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