A week after the first-ever Celebration of the Arts took over Capital One Center in Tysons, Fairfax County’s Mason District will throw its own party championing the local arts community.
The inaugural Mason District Arts Festival will bring artist booths, live entertainment, a children’s play area and food trucks to the Eileen Garnett Civic Space (7200 Columbia Pike) in Annandale this Saturday (Oct. 11) from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
“This is the first event of its kind for Mason District, and I encourage all residents and families to come out, enjoy the festivities and support our local artists and local businesses,” Mason District Supervisor Andres Jimenez said when announcing the event at a Board of Supervisors meeting on Sept. 30.
Organized by volunteers with the Mason District Arts Advisory Council, the festival will feature 29 different artists showcasing works that range from painting and photography to sculpture, glass works and jewelry, council chair James Albright said in a post for Annandale Today.
The schedule also includes nine performers, starting with an appearance by current Fairfax County Poet Laureate Angelique Palmer at 11:05 a.m. and continuing with a variety of dancers, singers, musicians and Annandale High School’s Atoms Busking student group.
According to Jimenez, the idea for a Mason arts festival emerged out of an arts task force that he established shortly after taking office in early 2024. Initially formed to review the county’s Master Arts Plan released in 2023, the advisory committee — now the advisory council — is brought together artists, residents and organizations with the goal of helping the local arts community grow.
“Mason District is the cultural hub of Fairfax County, and we wanted an event that truly reflects the creativity and diversity of our neighborhoods,” Jimenez told FFXnow.
In addition to organizing events like the upcoming arts festival, the council is working to create new platforms for public art and performers in the Mason District and to bring arts programming to schools and libraries, according to Jimenez.
“Our goal is to make the arts a regular, visible, and celebrated part of Mason District life,” he said.
Other sponsors of the first Mason District Arts Festival include the Fairfax County Department of Planning and Development’s Community Revitalization Section, former Mason District supervisor Penny Gross, Annandale-based Beanetics Coffee Roasters, the Providence Players of Fairfax, Celebrate Fairfax and ArtsFairfax.
The festival will continue artoberVA, a new initiative developed by ArtsFairfax and the Richmond-based arts agency CultureWorks to give Fairfax County’s arts community its own version of restaurant week. The month-long campaign highlights arts-related events throughout the county, while encouraging local organizations to offer promotions and discounts.
