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Summer is fast approaching, with it will come a full season of musical entertainment.

Fairfax County is home to a number of venues that will host concerts and festivals in the coming months, in many cases for free. Here are some options community members can look forward to, from Wolf Trap to Herndon:


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The pavilion at Reston Town Center will once again host more than a dozen free concerts throughout the summer, starting next month.

The 33rd annual Reston Concerts on the Town series is set to return on May 16, coinciding, like in past years, with the Tephra ICA Arts Festival.


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Friday Night Live! is coming back to Herndon, capping off last week’s heat wave with the release of its upcoming schedule.

The popular summer concert series produced by the Dulles Regional Chamber of Commerce will return to the Town Green on May 22, kicking off with cover band Lost in Paris.


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For anyone seeking a welcome reminder that this winter will eventually end, no matter what the snow still piled up on local sidewalks and parking lots suggests, look no further than Wolf Trap’s newly released summer schedule.

In honor of the nation’s 250th anniversary, a special series celebrating the eclectic music woven into the U.S.’s “rich cultural tapestry” will take center stage at the Filene Center throughout the season, the Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts announced today (Tuesday).


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The Fairfax Symphony Orchestra (FSO) is expanding its season with a pair of newly announced concerts.

In separate events next spring, the orchestra will host musical theater legend Patti LuPone and perform alongside the animated film “How to Train Your Dragon,” adding more star power to a season that has already featured cellist Yo-Yo Ma as a soloist.


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Though it may be small solace for not knowing when their next paycheck may come, a night of music or theater could become at least a temporary escape for the thousands of workers affected by the ongoing federal government shutdown.

That’s what George Mason University hopes to provide by offering free tickets to select artistic performances for federal employees and contractors.


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Reston Town Center is extending its free summer concerts into the fall this year with a Shrek-themed ogre-haul.

The inaugural Rocktoberfest will kick off a week before the concert with a special 25th anniversary screening of “Shrek” in the Pavilion at 11900 Market Street on Friday, Oct. 3 at 7:30 p.m.


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Acclaimed musicians representing a range of genres, from rock and country to jazz and classical music, are coming to The Barns at Wolf Trap to celebrate the venue’s 300th anniversary.

The Barns are rebuilt and renovated iterations of a pair of barns at the site, built in the 18th century. The larger German barn was built in 1725 and features a “unique” swing beam design that enabled horses to maneuver in the building’s original hayloft, according to the venue’s website.


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Acclaimed cellist Yo-Yo Ma is tuning up for a visit to Fairfax County later this year.

Ma, a household name even outside the classical music world, will perform with the Fairfax Symphony Orchestra (FSO) at George Mason University’s Center for the Arts on Dec. 6 as part of the local ensemble’s 2025-2026 season.


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A group of Northern Virginia residents who bonded through their shared love of live music now hopes to translate that passion into support for a worthy cause — and a memorable goodbye for a local band.

NoVA Live Music Mingle will host its first-ever fundraiser tonight (Thursday) at Jimmy’s Old Town Tavern (697 Spring Street) in Herndon to benefit the music education program StudioRock of Northern Virginia.


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