Herndon is going all-in on a “hot and cool” theme with its newest festival, where upbeat and mellow musical performances will be complemented by activities such as a snowball fight and jalapeno-eating contest.
“Polar Heat on Lynn Street,” a free, day-long event sponsored by the town’s Parks and Recreation Department, will feature nonstop music on two different stages, food trucks, inflatables, a smores station and themed community vendor booths.
The “Cool Vibes” stage will include “family-friendly performances and interactive entertainment,” while the “Hot Beats” stage will include “high-energy performances and dance-driven acts,” according to an entertainment lineup recently released by the Herndon Parks and Recreation Department.
Cool Vibes stage
- 11-11:20 a.m.: Herndon High School Latin Dance Team
- 11:30 a.m.-noon: NextStop Theatre “Dance-A-Long” (Songs from Frozen)
- 12:15-1 p.m.: The Hula Monsters
- 1:15-1:45 p.m.: School of Rock Herndon
- 2:15-3:15 p.m.: Amanda’s Bluegrass Band
- 3:30-4:30 p.m.: Chris DeSantis
- 4:45-5:15 p.m.: Freeze Frame: The Ultimate Icy Music Trivia Challenge
- 5:45-6:30 p.m.: Crossing Elden
- 6:45-7:45 p.m.: Al & Caro
Hot Beats stage
- 11:15 a.m.-12:15 p.m.: LineDance4You
- 12:45-1:45 p.m.: Good Morning Tomorrow
- 2:15-3:45 p.m.: Radio Hero
- 4:15-5:15 p.m.: Melissa Quinn Fox
- 5:45-7:15 p.m.: Orquesta Nfuzion
In a third entertainment area, Mayor Keven LeBlanc and Town Manager Dan Hoffman will participate in a cauliflower “Hot Ones Challenge” at 5:15 p.m., inspired by the viral video series where host Sean Evans interviews celebrities while eating increasingly spicier wings.
Meanwhile, a jalapeño-eating contest invites members of the public to gobble up as many of the chilis as they can in three minutes, starting at 1:45 p.m. Sign-ups are now open to adults 18 and older for a limited number of slots.
Parking will be available at Herndon High School; the Fairfax Connector will run a complementary shuttle service throughout the event.
The marquee festival is one of several that the Parks and Recreation Department is hosting this year, as it celebrates its 50th anniversary.
“The town wanted the parks and recreation department to think of something new … a new event that brings people to downtown Herndon right before the start of summer,” Reid Okoniewski, a marketing and communications specialist for Herndon Parks and Rec, told FFXnow in December. “And this is a great way to do that.”
