Members of the audience will be asked to participate when Barnett Williams performs on the CareFirst Kids Stage on Saturday, Oct. 5, at 1 p.m. at Fall for Fairfax on the grounds of the Fairfax County Government Center. Barnett, who has a 40-year career in music and teaching, uses a variety of exotic instruments such as the balafon, a West African xylophone, and the djembe, a goblet-shaped hollow log, to get the show going. He invites the audience to play along with him as he demonstrates a hambone—two strips of wood tied by a cord originally from China but adopted by the Scots and the Irish. All of the instruments are used in a call-and-response chant that involves Barnett and the audience in the rhythms of many cultures. This is a performance for the entire family.
Also performing on the CareFirst Kids Stage is Paul Hadfield, “The Funny Guy.” This is a performance of knock-about comedy with juggling, unicycling, rope-spinning, music and audience participation.
BLAST OFF in a celebration of astronomy in the exuberant style of Radio WOOF! Bill Wellington as he introduces audiences to the wonders of the universe and to humankind’s attempts to better understand them at 1:45 p.m. on the Cox Community Stage. This performance incorporates folklore, showing how Greek and Roman Mythology contributed to the naming of the planets and how Native Americans used storytelling to explain the mysteries of the sky. Included in the show are songs on everything from the invention of the first airplane to modern day spacecraft, which have traveled to the edge of the Solar System. During the song about Black Holes, audiences hear actual recordings of the radio signals emitted by Neutron Stars. Other concepts covered include weightlessness, supernovas, meteor impacts, the earth’s atmosphere, and of course, Space Aliens.
A human gyroscope designed by NASA will have fairgoers turning in circles while the fair's trackless train will travel throughout the entire site.
There will be face painting and an exhibit of model trains, pumpkin painting and scarecrow making. There will also be an expanded food court and a Farmers Market where visitors can purchase a wide variety of foods.
The Reston Animal Park Petting Zoo will bring a large variety of animals to this year’s fair . Animals will include llamas, goats, sheep, ducks, chicks, geese, bunnies, calves, a donkey, a pony and birds. The Kid Zone, will feature the Giant Castle Slide, Iron Man Obstacle Course and other activities ($1 off coupon available at allnva.com.)
There will also be hayrides and pony rides, an opportunity to build with Lego, and Exhibitor Trade Show for the grownups, public safety exhibits and a thrift sale from boy scout troop 1547.
There are many activities, attractions, and entertainment for the entire family at this event. The admission to Fall for Fairfax is free and so is the parking. Usher in the Fall season with the entire family at Fall for Fairfax! For the latest information call 703-324-3247 or visit www.fallforfairfax.com.