"It's summertime and the living is easy" . . . at least it is for kids! If you're a grownup, I bet you wish you still got to have summers off too.
Well, you may not have a 2 month summer vacation, but how about welcoming the season in with Five Fab Summer Celebrations! If you live in or near Vienna - you're in luck!
1. Vienna's July Fourth Festival & Fireworks (FREE)
Vienna does 4th of July right! It's an old-fashioned kind of holiday and that's just up Vienna's alley. The Vienna Community Center is the site of the daytime activities (from 11AM to 4PM). The festival will include:
- Chili cookoff
- Arts & crafts sale
- Antique & classic car show
- Pooches on Parade!
- Oldies music
- Kid's crafts
- Vienna Community Band
- Presentation of the Colors by the Vienna Police Honor Guard
In the evening - head over to Yeonas Park for some great music by "Fat Chance" and the Vienna Fireworks show. Music starts at 7PM and fireworks are scheduled for 9:15PM. I've been watching the Vienna Fireworks since 1972. And truly, these are usually some of the best fireworks in Northern VA!
More info about Vienna's 4th of July celebration
2. Vienna's Summer on the Green Concert Series (FREE)
Grab a chair or a blanket & head down to Vienna's Town Green for free concerts every Friday & Monday (early May through early September). You'll hear a variety of groups - with everything from country to jazz to rock to bluegrass.(One of my favorites is Tommy Lepson Band!) You can picnic (no alcohol though) and if you have kids, they'll love it too.
Vienna Town Green Concert Schedule
3. Nottoway Nights (FREE)
One of Vienna's many parks is Nottoway Park. And during the summer, they also host a concert series. It's on Thursday nights throughout June, July and August. And it's also free! Groups like The Seldom Scene & The Hula Monsters can be found there this year. This is another great picnic location.
Nottoway Nights Schedule
4. Five After Five (Thirty) at Whole Foods ($5)
Pretend you're on vacation, head to Happy Hour & let someone else do the cooking! Whole Foods often has an event called "Five After Five Thirty" - also called "Thirsty Thursdays." Each event has a different theme. For example, tonight's event is "Backyard Celebrations". For $5, you get a wine glass, 5 pours of wine to taste and 5 small plates of food that might be served at summer cookouts. What a deal!
Whole Foods Vienna Events
5. Summer Stories and Sprinklers (FREE)
At 1 PM each Wednesday, Historic Vienna, Inc sponsors Story Hour (actually - story HALF hour) at the Historic Vienna Little Library (behind the Freeman House). Then at 1:30 the kids are invited to run through the sprinklers. This is a perfect way to beat the heat!
Just because you don't get the whole summer off like your kids do doesn't mean you can't celebrate summer. Especially if you're lucky enough to live in Vienna, VA!
