Viva!Vienna! Celebrates 25 Years This Weekend

Twenty-five years ago, Viva!Vienna! was a festival that turned little profit, and drew mostly only those that lived in town. Vendors barely filled up half of a Church Street block; a handful more sold food in the parking lot adjacent to the Freeman Store, or ran rides in the Caboose parking lot.

Approaching its quarter-century anniversary this weekend, the festival has grown into a celebration that draws tens of thousands of people. Three hundred vendors will pack into spaces that stretch from the Post Office on Lawyers Road, down Church Street and its side roads; nearly 20 different community groups will provide entertainment on two different stages. And the festival is expected to raise upwards of $140,000 – all of which is awarded back to local groups and nonprofits by the Rotary Club of Vienna, which organizes the event.

Former Festival Chairman and Rotary Club member Woody Bentley, who ran the festival from 2000 to 2009, says the festival has set itself apart from others in the area – like the Herndon Festival or Celebrate Fairfax – because it’s free, donates all of its proceeds to local groups and charities and doesn’t offer alcohol.

“Our focus has always been that this is truly a community-oriented, fun event, where families can bring their children and feel free for them to run around,” he said.

Bentley said the festival was first run by the Vienna Chamber of Commerce, until it became too large for them to handle. They turned it over to longtime resident Lou Zone. In 1995, he asked for the Rotary Club’s help, and in 2000, the Rotary Club became the sole organizers with Bentley at the helm.

At that point, the festival ran a profit of just 4,000 and had about 150 vendors. This weekend, the profit will be more than 35 times that, and about 300 vendors will set up shop, though the festival had to turn many more away many more, said Bentley and current chairman Howard Svigals.

In that time, the festival began to offer free shuttles from the Vienna Metro and James Madison High School, and added a separate children’s stage on the Town Green, which has expanded the festival grounds to include much of downtown.

Bentley credits much of the festival’s growth to the support provided by the Town of Vienna and Navy Federal Credit Union, along with the festival’s other sponsors.

“I’m very proud [of the festival],” Bentley said.

 The Festival will begin on Saturday with food and rides from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. and from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. On Sunday, vendors will operate from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., food and rides will run from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. and entertainment will run from noon to 10 p.m. On  Monday, vendors, food and entertainment will run from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. 

There will also be a  Memorial Day Tribute beginning at 3 p.m. Monday on the Sandy Spring Bank Main Stage, located on the Vienna Town Green at the corner of Maple Avenue and Mill Street.

Vienna Patch will publish a full guide to the festival later this week.