Your Guide to Viva!Vienna! 2012

For Vienna residents, and those across the greater Northern Virginia area, it isn't summer until

The festival, returns to Church Street and the Town Green this Memorial Day, with rides, food and entertainment beginning on Saturday. Vendors join the fun as the event continues on Sunday and Monday.

Viva!Vienna!, run by the Rotary Club of Vienna, donates all proceeds from the event; it expects

When To Go:

Festival hours are 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday and Sunday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday.

For Rides: The rides are one of the highlights of the festival, and also one of the features that will be open on all three days. Twenty-four rides will run 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.on Saturday and Sunday, and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Monday.

Food: There will be various sweets, treats and goodies throughout the festival, including a few local favorites: The Pure Pasty Co, Ya Hala Restaurant, , and . Food will be available from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday and Sunday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday.

Entertainment: The festival will feature two main stages: the Easterns Automotive Group Main Stage and the Sandy Spring Bank Children’s Stage. The main stage is open from 2 to 10 p.m. on Saturday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Sunday and 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Monday.

The children's stage is open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m Monday.

Tomorrow, we'll preview who you can expect to see on stage throughout the weekend.

Vendors: Vendors will be at the festival on Sunday and Monday only, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. More than 300 artists, businesses, nonprofits and other groups will set up along Church, Center and Mill Streets, along with Dominion Road.

For a map, see the PDF attached to the article.

Memorial Day Tribute: The tribute begins at 3 p.m. Monday on the Main Stage, located on the Vienna Town Green at the corner of Maple Avenue and Mill Street. 

How To Get There

If you live within a mile or two, walk! You won't sit in traffic or take hours trying to find parking. Biking is an option, too.

If you're driving, park at :

• Madison HS in front lot with Shuttle
• Vienna/GMU Metro Station with Shuttle from NORTH Parking
• 301 Maple Ave W - White Oak Tower Building/park on top or under deck behind building. No shuttle.
• Magruders corner of Maple Ave (123) and Courthouse Rd/park only behind store in large marked "commuter" lot. No shuttle.

Bus Schedule:

From Vienna/GMU Metro Station (NORTH Side) to Festival

Saturday - Shuttle departs at 00, 20 and 40 minutes after the hour, beginning at 10:00AM through 9:00PM

Sunday - Shuttle departs at 00, 20 and 40 minutes after the hour, beginning at 10:00AM through 9:00PM

Monday - Shuttle departs at 00, 20 and 40 minutes after the hour, beginning at 10:00AM through 5:00PM

From Festival on Center St to Madison HS & Vienna/GMU Metro

Saturday - Shuttle departs at 00, 20 and 40 minutes after the hour, beginning at 10:20AM through 10:20PM

Sunday - Shuttle departs at 00, 20 and 40 minutes after the hour, beginning at 10:20AM through 10:20PM

Monday - Shuttle departs at 00, 20 and 40 minutes after the hour, beginning at 10:20AM through 6:00PM

How Much Does It Cost?

It's free! But you'll have to buy tickets to get on the rides.

Kiddie rides require 3 tickets per ride; Major rides require 3-5 tickets depending on the ride. One ticket is $1. A sheet of 24 tickets is $20, and a sheet of 48 tickets is $40. A wristband that covers all rides is $35 and is valid for one day.

The rides ticket booth accepts MasterCard, Visa and Amex. Individual booth vendors have their own policies on accepting credit cards. Navy Federal Credit Union will run an ATM in front of the Freeman House on Church Street.

How Will I Keep Up-To-Date On Festival Happenings?

Maybe that's not in the FAQ ... but we'll answer anyway. This year, festival organizers to help visitors stay in touch with what's happening.

Vienna Patch will be tweeting and updating Facebook all weekend. We'll also have a tent on Dominion Road. Stop by to donate canned food in our food drive for Food For Others, enter a graduation gram or win a prize.

Make sure you "like" Vienna Patch on Facebook, and follow it on Twitter, to stay up to date about traffic tangles, special giveaways and performances.

Make sure you follow Viva!Vienna! on Facebook to stay in touch with all festival happenings.

Look for more coverage of Viva!Vienna! throughout the weekend.