Second Annual Waffle Fest a Hit in Vienna

Strolling along the W&OD bike path, you could smell the aroma of fresh blueberry waffles and hear lively music. Follow your senses and you would have ended up at “Waffle Fest,” an annual benefit concert staged on the Vienna Town Green on Saturday, June 7.

This was entirely the doing of five bands and scores of volunteers – all from Fairfax County high schools – who performed their hearts out and sold custom-designed T-shirts and homemade waffles to raise close to $1,000 for Vienna’s Alternative House, a safe haven for homeless and abused teenagers.

With styles ranging from the five-piece rock band to jazz rap, the lineup of bands for this year’s Waffle Fest included Axis, Thirteenth Story, Mixed Nuts, Two Smoking J’s, and Little Bird.

The latter is a professional touring band, but all the performers were talented, well- rehearsed musicians with dynamic stage presence. One band spotlighted a saxophonist, another a trumpeter, which added a rich dimension to the electrical guitars, bass, drums, and a Fender Rhodes keyboard.

Organizer Mark Im, 18, explained, “It’s amazing how much planning and coordination goes into an event like this. I had so many people pitch in – not just the musicians, but the sound technician, the T-shirt designer, the waffle grille masters, and all my friends who helped me promote the event.”