2020 RESTON MULTICULTURAL FESTIVAL
CANCELED DUE TO COVID-19 (PDF)

RESTON, VA – Due to public health concerns, Reston Community Center is canceling the 2020 Reston Multicultural Festival scheduled for September 26 at Lake Anne Plaza.

The annual event brings thousands of people together to honor the community’s diversity and the vision that Reston founder Robert E. Simon had for Reston through performing arts, food, visual arts, a naturalization ceremony and much more.

“Regretfully, we must cancel the 2020 Reston Multicultural Festival,” said RCC Executive Director Leila Gordon. “After monitoring and reviewing the COVID-19 risks since the pandemic’s beginning, we have realized there is no safe way to present the Multicultural Festival in 2020. The health and safety of our performers, vendors, staff, volunteers and community have to take precedence in these unprecedented times.”

Gordon says she hopes the festival can return in 2021, pending public health conditions in our region. RCC Board Chair Bev Cosham, who typically both emcees and performs at the Festival’s signature Naturalization Ceremony noted, “It breaks our hearts to take this step. We know that this event is a cherished part of Reston’s calendar and has deep meaning for participants and festival-goers alike. We are hopeful that spring will bring greater safety and restoration of the public gatherings that mean so much to Reston.”

RCC will continue its multicultural programming this summer and fall through smaller, socially distanced events such as Take a Break Concerts (Thursdays at Lake Anne), Summerbration Fab Fridays (Fridays at Reston Station), Equity Matters movie screenings at the CenterStage, Professional Touring Artist Series performances, and robust performing and visual arts programming on RCC’s YouTube channel. These events will be of much shorter duration and have controlled seating, required safety measures and ongoing monitoring for safety to determine if they proceed or not.

“Like our colleagues, we are trying to balance our desire to support artists, bring valued content to audiences and do so safely at all times,” said Arts and Events Director Paul Douglas Michnewicz. “It’s a constantly evolving environment, so we depend on flexibility and people staying alert to sudden changes in programming.”

Please visit www.restoncommunitycenter.com for more information about all RCC events and performances throughout the coming months.

Reston Community Center has presented the Reston Multicultural Festival since 2000; it is co-sponsored by Lake Anne of Reston Condominium Association and Reston Association, with partners from a variety of Reston-based organizations and businesses.