A giant plush toy Pikachu of Pokémon fame hangs from the ceiling of one of the Festival’s many carnival booths. Children of all ages competed in games, such as spraying a target with a water gun or shooting free throws with a basketball, for a chance to win prizes such as this one. Photo by Thomas Friestad/The Connection
The Celebrate Fairfax! Festival returned to the Fairfax County Government Center grounds for its thirty-seventh year last Friday through Sunday. According to about.com, this year’s Festival saw the participation of over 120 musical performances on eight stages, as well as more than 400 exhibitors, venders and craters in the Community Marketplace.
"The Festival is beautiful; my family and I come to Celebrate Fairfax! every year because we love everything it has to offer," electric physiologist April Dikeman of Fairfax said. "We’ve come here for I think the past three years in a row. We absolutely enjoy going as a family together."
Danielle Faust and Angela Sim, both 16 and of Centerville High School, took advantage of the large crowds at the Festival by setting up a booth to promote their cake pop company, Angel Pops.
"We decided to sell cake pops at the Festival, and we’re also advertising our company online," Faust said. "It’s a private business that we’re hoping will receive more exposure here."
Since its inception, the Festival has offered a plethora of entertainment attractions, including karaoke, carnival rides, food stands and nightly fireworks. Manager Robert Underwood of Sterling said his favorite attraction was the Kids’ Bungee Jump, since it offered him a great opportunity to bond with his grandson.
"The Bungee Jump was definitely my favorite part of the festival; it goes up high," Underwood said. "My grandson enjoyed it, even though it might have gone up a little too high for him. I’m sure he’ll have fond memories of it in a few years."