RESTON MULTICULTURAL FESTIVAL RETURNS SEPTEMBER 20 FOR ITS 24TH YEAR
A Day of Global Music, Dance, Art and Cultural Connections at Reston Town Center
RESTON, VA – The Reston Multicultural Festival celebrates its 24th year on Saturday, September 20, 2025, at Reston Town Center. From 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., the festival offers live music, dance, artisan crafts and family-friendly activities highlighting the region’s rich cultural diversity. Presented by Reston Community Center in partnership with Reston Town Center Association (RTCA) and co-hosted by BXP, the festival brings the community together through performances, art and dialogue. Volunteer coordination is provided by Reston Association with green rooms supplied by the Avant.
“For nearly 25 years, the Reston Multicultural Festival has been a vibrant celebration of the arts and the values that make Reston extraordinary – creativity, inclusion and connection,” said Beverly Cosham, RCC Board of Governors Chair. Robert Goudie, Executive Director of RTCA, added, “It is a highlight of our community calendar, drawing over 10,000 people last year. We couldn’t be happier to host this iconic event again.”
The festival features three stages – Pavilion Stage, Park Stage at Reston Town Square Park and Cultural Conversations Stage on Library Street – offering performances that inspire dialogue and engagement with artists. Market Street will host over 40 artisan vendors alongside community organizations with family-friendly activities. Pop-up performances will also take place throughout the day.
Opening the festival is the Howard Gospel Choir of Howard University, the world’s first collegiate gospel choir. The choir, composed of students, alumni and community members, shares messages of peace, restoration and inspiration. NEA Heritage Fellows featured this year include Shaka Zulu, a master of New Orleans Black Masking traditions, and Peniel Guerrier, a master dancer and drummer preserving Haiti’s cultural heritage. Other highlights include Minnush (Sephardic music), Afro Asia (Thai tunes with funk, jazz and blues), Foley Academy of Irish Dance, the DMV Turkish Music Ensemble, Changing Phaces Band (Go-go) and Sumona Apsara Parii (Bollywood-style dance).
For a full schedule, vendor list and community activities, visit www.restoncommunitycenter.com/mcf.
The Reston Town Center Application for a Photography Permit can be found here. The completed and signed application must be submitted to the RTC Marketing Department at least 3 business days prior to
shoot. The permit with complete instructions can be found on the Reston Town Center website via this link: https://www.restontowncenter.com/about-rtc/
About Reston Community Center
Reston Community Center provides a wide range of programs in aquatics, arts, enrichment and lifelong learning for all ages. RCC creates and sustains community traditions through special events, outreach activities and facility rentals enjoyed by all of Reston. RCC has been enriching lives and building community for more than 45 years.
About the National Endowment for the Arts
Established by Congress in 1965, the National Endowment for the Arts is the independent federal agency whose funding and support gives Americans the opportunity to participate in the arts, exercise their imaginations, and develop their creative capacities. Through partnerships with state arts agencies, local leaders, other federal agencies, and the philanthropic sector, the Arts Endowment supports arts learning, affirms and celebrates America’s rich and diverse cultural heritage, and extends its work to promote equal access to the arts in every community across America.
About the National Council for the Traditional Arts
Founded in 1933, the National Council for the Traditional Arts (NCTA) is the nation’s oldest folk arts organization. The NCTA presents the nation’s finest traditional artists to the public in festivals, national and international tours, concerts, radio and television programs, films, recordings and other programs. For over 30 years, the NCTA has worked with the National Endowment for the Arts on a consulting basis to manage and coordinate the National Heritage Fellowships activities honoring the Fellowship recipients.
About the Reston Town Center Association
Reston Town Center Association (RTCA) is the mixed-use, governing association for the Reston Town Center, which is not only Reston’s downtown but a major employment and amenity center for the region. The association’s services benefit all those who live, work, play, and visit here. Core aspects of its mission include design review, support of transit-oriented development, and a strong commitment to the arts and community programming, all in furtherance of Reston Town Center’s destination proposition.
Enriching Lives. Building Community.
Media Contact:
Lorna Campbell Clarke, IOM
Director of Communications
703-390-6158
Lorna.Campbell-Clarke@fairfaxcounty.gov
