Herndon residents Alex Ludwig and Jim Hynson at the Herndon Labor Day Festival. Photo by Reena Singh.
Never-ending wine. Dramatic cooking demonstrations. Endless food vendors.
Herndon’s Labor Day Festival attracted people from all over the region Monday, Sept. 1, to the town square for a food and libation-centric hoorah for the unofficial end of summer.
“It’s a great ending to the summer,” said Town Parks and Recreation Department Deputy Director Ann Marie Heiser. “People enjoy the music, the wine and the variety of music we provide.”
She said the crowd was similar to previous years - a feat for a humid afternoon with a thunderstorm threatening a deluge of rain in the distance.
This year, the department brought in more specialized local vendors that would echo the craft beer and wine theme for the festival. Several of the town’s local restaurants took part in culinary demonstrations to showcase their cuisine while educating their audience how to cook their specialties.
“It represents an effort for the town to support local businesses here and have them feel included,” said Parks and Recreation Director Abby Kimble.
Heiser said the current theme has been successful for the Herndon Labor Day Festival.
“A few years ago, it was called the Labor Day Jazz Festival,” she said. “We were interested in bringing in another component, so we added microbreweries because it’s trendy.”
When the craft brews became popular, more local wineries were added to the list of vendors.
Herndon resident Alex Ludwig was sipping an oatmeal stout sample as she chatted with friends at the festival. She said she found out about it through a flyer sent in the mail.
“We just moved here a couple of months ago, but we went to another Herndon festival this year,” she said.
Jim Hynson, of Herndon, elaborated on the experience.
“It’s pretty good,” he said, both about the festival and his brown ale. “It’s a lot of fun so far. The beer sizes could be adjusted, but it’s not too bad.”
Representatives from Williamsburg Winery said the festival brings in a lot of profit for them. They have been at the festival for several years.
“We love it,” said employee Chris Leverenz. “Sales are always really good and we get a nice positive message from the people out here.”
Herndon resident Lindsay Gross wandered through the festival with a wine sample glass in hand, ready to find another winery vendor with her friends.
“We grew up going to Herndon’s festivals,” she said. “And day drinking is always fun.”