The weekend of May 20-21, the streets of Reston's Town Center will become a hub for local art. Check out Northern Virginia Fine Arts Festival!
This weekend, the Greater Reston Arts Center is hosting the largest arts festival the area has to offer. Northern Virginia Fine Arts Festival is a three-day event held in Reston Town Center in Reston, Virginia. This year marks the festival's 25th anniversary! An achievement worth celebrating, for sure. Want to find out what special surprises they have in store? You'll have to check it out for yourself. Rated one of the top 50 art fairs in the country, this massive arts festival has something to offer each one of its visitors. And that is a lot of visitors! The festival attracts over 30,000 people from across the region. Whether you are a dance-enthusiast or a hand-spun-pottery-aficionado, the work of one of the more than 200 artists featured at the festival is sure to catch your eye.About GRACE
The Northern Virginia Arts Festival is the largest annual fundraiser for the Greater Reston Arts Center (GRACE). Even though it's located in the Reston Town Center, the influence of GRACE reaches far beyond the popular shopping and dining destination. Founded in 1974 when Reston was just a small town, GRACE set out to enrich the regional community through high-quality visual arts exhibitions and excellent educational programming. Principles of diversity and inclusion characterize the philosophy of GRACE. The organization seeks to promote understanding of different cultures through art. Their events and exhibits bring diverse audiences together around common subjects or interests. GRACE ensures the opportunity for engagement to everyone regardless of age, race, ethnicity or income. Admission to the GRACE gallery is always FREE.What you can find at the festival:
In the true GRACE spirit, the 11-block arts festival is FREE, however, a five-dollar donation per-adult is encouraged. In exchange for the five-dollar donation, visitors receive a festival program containing more than $50 worth of dining certificates, a map of the festival, and a complete artist listing. The festival features art in a variety of categories:- Ceramics
- Digital & Multi-Media Art
- Drawing
- Fiber / Textiles
- Furniture
- Glass
- Jewelry
- Leather
- Metal
- Mixed Media 2D
- Mixed Media 3D
- Painting
- Photography
- Printmaking
- Sculpture
- Wood
Some of the wares sold at the Northern Virginia Fine Arts Festival, pictured on the GRACE website.[/caption]
The festival is also hosting three different performance art groups, including the nationally-acclaimed Gin Dance Company and the Ravel Dance Company.
If you feel hungry after all that shopping and walking, don't worry -- one of Reston Town Center's 30 restaurants and eateries has got you covered. If you want to avoid waiting for a table on what is sure to be one of the busiest weekends of the year, make a reservation ahead of time! You can find a helpful map of tasty stops (and more shops) here.
Parking for this weekend is also FREE, courtesy of Boston Properties, so that you can save your money for some unique handmade goods.
Are you going this weekend? Whats your favorite art-centric event in the DMV area? Drop a comment below to let us know!
