Wednesday, July 10, 2002
Reston artist Marianne Cordyack has been living in Reston for 30 years, but this will be just her second year selling pottery at the Reston Festival. Cordyack sold her porcelain pieces at the festival two years ago, and would have been back last year if her daughter hadn't been getting married.
"It was wonderful," Cordyack said of the 2000 festival. "It was raining the whole weekend, but my booth was crowded with people with umbrellas. I met so many new people, and saw old friends."
This year's festival is happening this coming weekend, on Saturday, July 13, and Sunday, July 14. The festival, held at Lake Anne Village Center, runs from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturday and from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Sunday.
THE FESTIVAL, sponsored by the Reston Citizens Association, began in the late 1960s and continued for more than 20 years until it was discontinued, in part, because of complaints from Lake Anne merchants regarding rowdy behavior. The Reston Citizens Association re-opened the festival in 1998. The new incarnation of the festival includes more children's activities and features no alcohol, save what can be purchased at Lake Anne restaurants.
Storyteller Frank D'Aquila, from Falls Church, will be one new addition to this year's festival. A retired children's dentist, D'Aquila got into storytelling after seeing another storyteller perform. D'Aquila enjoyed the performance and realized many of the same skills needed to keep a child still on a dentist's stool are useful in storytelling.
"After one story I told, a little girl stood up and said, 'As you were talking, I saw the whole thing in my head,"' D'Aquila said. "I explained to her that when I'm telling a story, everybody sees it in their own head. If I say castle, everyone sees their own castle. Many of the kids have never listened to stories, so it's a whole new world for them."
D'Aquila will offer one of several children's activities at the festival. There will also be face painting, boat rides, clowns, magicians, a moonbounce and several other activities.
Throughout the festival there will be live music, as well. Headlining Saturday evening will be the Pancho Sanchez Latin Jazz Band, from California. Sunday's headliner will be the Mykle Lyons Trio, a local jazz act. The festival will also feature non-profit information booths, craft booths, and food booths.
"We like to think of it as Reston's birthday," said Al Golden, one of the festival organizers.
For more information on the festival, or to volunteer, visit www.restonfestival.com.