Contributed by Reston Community Center
The Reston Multicultural Festival returns to Reston Town Center to celebrate Reston’s rich diversity through song, dance, craft arts and community engagement on Saturday, Sept. 21. Reston Community Center presents this beloved community event in partnership with Reston Town Center Association (RTCA). BXP cohosts the expanded festival. Volunteer coordination is provided by Reston Association.
“Our diversity is our greatest strength,” said Beverly Cosham, RCC Board of Governors Chair. “We present the Reston Multicultural Festival each year to share the incredible sights, sounds and joyful energy of people who come from all over the world to be here. Bob Simon established Reston as a place where everyone could feel a sense of belonging. For more than 20 years, this festival has embodied that spirit. We welcome people from all over the region to join the fun!”
The Reston Multicultural Festival will take place Sept. 21 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. with a full day of entertainment and activities that includes global music and movement representing a vibrant tapestry of diverse traditions and influences, and craft artisans offering beautiful, high-quality, unique pieces. Families can enjoy games and engage in activities with community organizations as they share their missions. Participants are encouraged to come dressed in attire that demonstrates pride in their cultural roots.
This year the Festival expands to three stages (Park Stage, Library Street Stage and Pavilion Stage) hosting over 20 performances. The festival will also have more than 30 artisan vendors displaying and selling items from all around the world.
The Reston Multicultural Festival continues its partnership with the National Council of Traditional Arts (NCTA) and National Endowment of Arts (NEA) Heritage Fellows, recipients of the nation’s highest honor in folk and traditional arts, and the Virginia Folklife Program. The NEA Heritage Fellows performers this year are the Zuni Olla Maidens, a venerated dance troupe from Zuni Pueblo in western New Mexico; Rosie Flores, a singer/songwriter and lead guitarist from Austin, Texas; and Sochietah Ung, a celebrated Cambodian costume and crown maker from Washington D.C. Everyone will enjoy a Festive Finale from the first collegiate choir of its kind in the world, the Howard Gospel Choir of Howard University, who are celebrating over five decades of musical excellence. The choir, a collective of students and alumni from Howard University and the surrounding community, will bring a message of peace, restoration, healing and inspiration through their music.
Other performer highlights include the Foley Academy of Irish Dance, Fundacion Socio Cultural Diablada Boliviana, and Gin Dance. Storytellers Mlanjeni Nduma, and Nelly and Paloma Zapata, will bring fascinating tales to share. New this year, a documentary film featuring many folk artists from the Mid-Atlantic region will be shown in the LOOK Cinema on Market Street at 3 p.m. The film “In Good Keeping: the 2023-2024 Virginia Folklife Apprenticeship Program” has a running time of approximately 65 minutes.
Visit www.restoncommunitycenter.com/mcf for a comprehensive performance schedule along with a list of vendors and community organizations.
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