2019 RESTON MULTICULTURAL FESTIVAL
PERFORMERS AND ACTIVITIES ANNOUNCED (PDF)
RESTON, VA – It is time to “Discover the World in Reston” as the annual Reston Multicultural Festival returns on September 28, 2019. This signature Reston event honors our community’s diversity and brings to life the vision that Reston founder Robert E. Simon had for the unique Northern Virginia community.
The 2019 Reston Multicultural Festival will be held at Lake Anne Plaza from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
“Bob Simon knew that the success of his vision for Reston depended on diversity – he believed that a community that embraces the value of every single person and their capacity to contribute is the path to creating vibrant, creative, thriving and healthy places to live, work and play,” said RCC Executive Director Leila Gordon. “At the Reston Multicultural Festival each year, people enjoy the fruits of that inclusive and celebratory approach to building community.”
The Festival will open with a Naturalization Ceremony, where America’s newest citizens will take the Oath of Allegiance. The World Stage, Global Stage and the Gallery Stage will feature free, all-day entertainment schedules.
Following the Naturalization Ceremony, the New Line Brass Band leads a lively New Orleans-style procession from the World Stage to the Global Stage at 12:15 p.m.; there will be continual performances of music, dance and more from India, Bolivia, Japan, Russia, Taiwan, China, Ireland and Spain, among others.
The Festival will feature two National Endowment for the Arts National Heritage Fellows, Cajun musician Michael Doucet and African American storyteller Linda Goss. Doucet will perform on the World Stage from 12:45 p.m. to 1 30 p.m. Goss will be on the Gallery Stage from 1:45 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Michael Doucet is a fiddler, composer and bandleader who is considered one of the most important figures in the revitalization of Cajun music in the United States. Michael will be
performing with his brother David, a soulful singer and an exceptional guitarist. They will pay homage to past Cajun masters with delightful stories and beautiful tunes performed with freshness, immediacy and unmatched virtuosity.
Linda Goss, called “Mama Linda,” has blazed a trail in the black storytelling tradition. She is the author of seven books, including co-editing Talk That Talk: An Anthology of African-American Storytelling.
Please visit www.restoncommunitycenter.com/mcf to see the full schedule of performances, vendors and events.
Other highlights:
- Food at the Global Café, featuring local vendors with dishes from around the world.
- Crafts for purchase at the Global Market, where international cultures are represented in textiles, clothing, jewelry, housewares and more.
- New this year is the Family Activity Area, where young visitors can learn origami and take a picture in a Japanese-themed photo booth, listen to storytelling from the Fairfax County Public Library, and more.
Where: Lake Anne Plaza, 1609-A Washington Plaza, Reston, VA 20190
When: Saturday, September 28, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Parking: Free; Lake Anne Plaza upper and lower lots, on-street North Shore Drive, as well as offsite parking at Brown’s Chapel, within a short walking distance to the Festival site.
Reston Community Center presents the Reston Multicultural Festival; it is hosted by Lake Anne Plaza and co-sponsored by Reston Association, with partners from a variety of Reston-based organizations and businesses.
