Thousands of people are expected to visit Reston Town Center later this month for the return of the Tephra ICA Arts Festival.
Now in its 34th year, the annual festival organized by the Tephra Institute of Contemporary Arts will take place on May 17 and 18, bringing together more than 200 artists from across the U.S.
“This weekend is an amazing opportunity to not only view and collect artwork from over 200 artists, but to engage directly with those artists about their work, life, and what inspires them,” Tephra ICA associate curator and festival director Hannah Barco said in a press release.
Like last year’s edition, the 2025 Tephra ICA Arts Festival will coincide with the launch of Reston Concerts on the Town, a free summer music series sponsored by the Reston Town Center Association.
The concerts will kick off with the ABBA tribute band Dancing Dream on Saturday, May 17. Held at the town center’s pavilion (1818 Discovery Street), all concerts start at 7:30 p.m. and end between 9 and 10 p.m., depending on whether there’s an intermission.
Here is the full Reston Concerts on the Town schedule:
- May 24: Led Zeppelin (all-female tribute band)
- May 31: Everything (mix of pop, funk, rock, soul and Americana)
- June 7: Cowboy Mouth (New Orleans-based rock band)
- June 14: Fighting Gravity (ska, rock and world beat fusion)
- June 21: Herr Metal (’80s rock band)
- June 28: The Reflex (’80s tribute band)
- July 5: Scott Tournet & the Spark (American roots and pop music)
- July 12: Big Sam’s Funky Nation (funk, jazz, rock and hip-hop fusion)
- July 19: Sensational Soul Cruisers (homage to music of the 1960s, ’70s and ’80s)
- July 26: Pat McGee Band (rock)
- Aug. 2: John Acosta’s Bee Gees Gold Tribute
- Aug. 9: Hard Day’s Night (Beatles tribute band)
- Aug. 16: Yacht Lobsters (yacht rock)
- Aug. 23: Will Mosley Band and Sela Campbell (country)
In addition to the Concerts on the Town kickoff, the Tephra ICA festival will feature artist booths and demonstrations, an art park, food vendors, a guided tour, and performances at Reston Town Square Park (11900 Market Street) by this year’s headliner: Chicago-based inflatables artist Claire Helen Ashley.
According to Tephra, the festival routinely draws tens of thousands of people to Reston Town Center.
“We are so excited to welcome artists to the 34th Tephra ICA Arts Festival,” Tephra ICA Executive Director and Curator Jonell Logan said. “Reston was founded with the belief that the arts are an essential component of a well-rounded life. The Festival is a great opportunity to support this philosophy, which is at the core of our mission, with our local and extended communities. Come, stay, explore, and collect some amazing art!”
See below for the festival schedule, and a full lineup of the 200 artists participating this year can be found on Tephra’s website.
Saturday, May 17
- Artist booths: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Festival Art Park: Noon to 4 p.m.
- Guided tours: Hourly starting at 11 a.m.
- Artist demos: Noon to 4 p.m.
- Claire Helen Ashley performance: Noon and 3 p.m. in Reston Town Square Park
- Reston Concerts on the Town: 7:30 p.m. in the Reston Town Center pavilion
Sunday, May 18
- Artist booths: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Festival Art Park: Noon to 4 p.m.
- Guided tours: Hourly starting at 11 a.m.
- Artist demos: Noon to 4 p.m.
- Claire Helen Ashley performance: Noon and 3 p.m. in Reston Town Square Park
