In 1976, Jimmy Carter won the presidential election over the Republican incumbent Gerald Ford, Queen Elizabeth traveled to Virginia for the nation’s bicentennial, and “Happy Days” was appointment TV for millions of Americans.
That same year, the Town of Herndon created its Parks and Recreation Department with just one full-time staffer and one Fairfax County-owned park.
With 2026 on the horizon, the department — whose purview now includes summer camps, playgrounds, a community center, sports fields and courts, a 58-acre nature park and numerous trails — is getting ready to celebrate its 50th anniversary through a series of annual events, including a new marquee festival, “Polar Heat on Lynn Street.”
“It’s going to be an exciting, immersive community event with entertainment and food that matches that ‘cool and hot’ theme,” said Reid Okoniewski, a marketing and communications specialist with the department. “So, we’re very much excited for that. We’re hoping to announce our entertainment, our community booths and all our participants shortly after the new year. We’re still out looking for community organizations to get involved with us, as well as nailing down some fun entertainers.”
The festival will include a “hot beats” stage for bigger bands who travel regionally, as well as a “cool vibe” stage reserved for artists such as acoustic musicians and local community groups, Okoniewski said.
“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,” Okoniewski said. “And this is a great way to do that.”
Other big events coming soon include a VIP dance that kids can attend with an important adult in their lives in February, a fishing derby and stream clean-ups, and an “aqua egg hunt” in March.
The department has also released a new logo that it will use throughout the year at to-be-announced events honoring long-time staff and members of the community.
Okoniewski said he’s eager to hear and highlight more stories from residents about their memories — for example, former campers who are now sending their own kids to Herndon Parks and Rec camps.
“We’re highlighting … a subsection of local government, but in all reality, we would not be around if it wasn’t for the community having that buy-in with us and being with us,” he said. “And so, yes, it’s the department celebration, but it’s the community celebration as well.”
