Lake Anne Plaza in Reston will be immersed in the sounds of reggae this weekend with the return of the annual Reggae on the Lake festival.
Now in its fifth year, the free festival will bring live music, crafts and Jamaican food to Lake Anne Village Center (1609 Washington Plaza North) this Saturday (Sept. 12) from noon to 9 p.m.
“The success has been tremendous,” festival founder Ramon Pardo said of the event’s first four years.
A Lake Anne resident for over 30 years and owner of the local real estate firm Terra Properties, Pardo was inspired to create Reggae on the Lake by the band Culture, which performed at his wedding in Jamaica. The group later participated in the inaugural festival organized with the support of the Lake Anne Washington Plaza Merchants Association — of which Pardo is a member — in 2022.
This year’s festival will be headlined by Sister Nancy, the singer and dancehall DJ best known for her often-sampled take on the song “Bam Bam.”
Other planned event highlights include an appearance by Ricky Chaplin, an artist from Kingston, Jamaica, who leads tours of the city’s Bob Marley Museum. He also acted in the 2024 biopic “Bob Marley: One Love,” portraying the icon’s mentor Mortimer Planno.
According to Pardo, the full entertainment schedule includes:
- Noon: Eclipse International Band
- 1:30 p.m.: I & I Riddim
- 3 p.m.: Ras Lidj & the Regg’go Band
- 4:30 p.m.: Proverbs Reggae Band
- 6:30 p.m.: Ricky Chaplin
- 7 p.m.: Sister Nancy
In addition to celebrating reggae music, the festival was conceived by Pardo as a way for him to give back to the local community.
Ticket sale proceeds from a raffle for an all-expenses-paid trip for two to Negril, Jamaica, will go the Reston nonprofit Cornerstones, which operates the Embry Rucker Community Shelter and other safety net programs. The raffle is being funded by sponsors Image Kitchen & Bath and Atlantic Coast Mortgage loan officer Ben Biscoe.
Last year’s charity beneficiary was the Michael J. Fox Foundation, which supports research on Parkinson’s disease.
“Reggae music is the perfect symbol for the world we strive to live in — one of peace, love and unity,” Pardo said in a press release.
Presented by Terra Properties and its nonprofit Terra Gives Back, Reggae on the Lake also counts Fairfax County and the Reston Community Center, Reston Association, The Reston Letter, True Mover, Kalypso’s Sports Tavern, and KMG Hauling as sponsors.
