The Herndon Festival is Here!

Have you attended the Herndon Festival?

This year they promise more rides and more fun! The fair boasts entertainment, fireworks, a carnival, a 10k/5k, and a K9 2k.


Here is some important information you should know.

If you've been to downtown Herndon, you know parking there is already a bear on a regular work day. No worries, they've made it easy to attend the fair! Free Shuttle Bus service is offered from two locations in Herndon. Busses will depart every 10 minutes from the Worldgate parking garage on Worldgate Drive and from Herndon High School off Dranesville Road. Parking at both locations is free.

Shuttle Service

The shuttle bus service hours are:

Thursday, May 28th, 6pm - 10:30pm
Friday, May 29th, 5pm - 11pm
Saturday, May 30th, 9:30am - 11pm and
Sunday, May 31st, 11am - 6pm.

Rides

The rides open on Thursday, May 28th and will stay open throughout the festival.

Thursday, May 28th, 6pm - 10pm
Friday, May 29th, 5pm - 11pm
Saturday, May 30th 1oam - 11pm and
Sunday 11am - 6pm

Thursday (6-10pm) and Saturday (10am - 2pm), the carnival will offer All-You-Can-Ride wristbands. The wristbands are $15 per person.
Thursday night bands are only available through pre-sale at the Herndon Community Center at 814 Ferndale Ave., until 2pm the same day.

Saturday wristbands will only be available at the carnival.

Ticket prices for the carnival rides on the other times are:

Single Ticket - $1
Book of 30 tickets - $22
Book of 50 Tickets - $35

Other rules of the carnival are as follows:

Each person wishing to enter the carnival areas will have to purchase a minimum of $5 in ride tickets each day. There is an exception for parents who accompany paying children.

Ticket sales end one hour prior to closing.

Entertainment

The list of entertainers is too long for me to post. You can check that out here on the event website.

Check out the Children's Hands-on Art area. It will be open on Saturday from 10am - 5pm and on Sunday from noon - 5pm. It is completely free and the kids LOVE IT!!

Fireworks

Fireworks displays will be on Thursday and Saturday nights at 9:30pm.

For the full schedule of the festival, please click here.

Don't forget to check out all the sponsors! They are the reason this event is free of charge!

Safety Tips

You know I can't leave you without a few safety tips.

Always keep an eye on your children at all times. These festivals draw huge crowds and small children can be easily swept up. Bring your umbrella stroller, child backpack, or leash, but keep your children close.

Remember to keep yourself, your kids, and your dogs well hydrated.
Children become overheated very easily and won't always ask for water when they need it. I have seen too many children go to the red cross tent from heat exhaustion during these events.

Remember to wear sunblock and to dress appropriately for the weather.

Don't miss this fair! It is four days of fun for the whole family and it's FREE - well, mostly!

Free Bowling for Kids

There is a really cool event I just found out about... it's called the Kids Bowl Free Program!

For the summer, at limited bowling locations, kids get to bowl two free games for free each day of the summer!

This program is setup to allow families time together. There is also a family pass which provides adults the same 2 games a day package for up to 4 adult family members for a one-time payment from $23.95. The cost for this pass may vary per center.

There are a limited number of center which currently participate in Virginia. Each center has their own beginning and end dates as well as times when the passes are valid. Please visit the participating center nearest you (found here) for the full Monty!

Parents must sign up their kids for the specified bowling center on the website.

For more information on this great program, please visit the site's FAQ and Contact pages.

What's the kicker you ask? It's fun!

If you can't find a center near you, contact your local center and ask them to join in with Kids Bowl Free!

I hope you get to participate in this great program! I'd love to hear from you if you've used this program in the past!

Enjoy bowling with your kids! Believe me, they enjoy it more than you think!

Memorial Day weekend events

If you happen to be staying in town this weekend, I found something for you to attend!
It's the Virginia Renaissance Fair! I've attended this event before, but not at this winery. If you've attended the Maryland Renaissance Fare, this one is similar, only I think it's better. This fair is not as hugely attended so there is more room to roam. This fair has a different character, if you will, than the one in MD. It is much less commercial, it's more raw but in a good way! You can read more about it here.
This great event is only running until June 14th, weekends only. If you're interested in a particular theme, here is a listing of what they're offering this year. This weekend the theme is Military History. All Active, Reserve and Retired Military admitted free this weekend with Military ID, in appreciation for their service (The photo was taken at the MD Renn Fest 2002).

I highly recommend that you attend this fair. Come back and let me know what you thought of it!

Huzzah!

On Monday there are also a number of Memorial Day events around town. From a parade to more serious memorial services.


And don't forget next week is the long awaited Herndon Festival! I love carnivals and fairs! This festival is one of my favorites. I'll post more about it later in the week.

Have a great Memorial Day weekend! You know the drill; be safe, don't drink and drive, and use sunblock!