By Kate Masters
School may still be in session, but there’s still time for summer fun on the weekends. These fairs and festivals are sure to wipe away classroom woes and dish out some early amusement for families before that final school bell rings.
1.) Virginia Renaissance Faire
When: June 7 and 8, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Where: Lake Anna Winery, 5621 Courthouse Road, Spotsylvania
Cost: $9, ages 6 and up; children 5 and under are free
Don’t miss a chance to head back through history at the final weekend of the Virginia Renaissance Faire. Kids can carry pikes in the opening Queen’s parade, learn sword skills from professional jousters and become knights for a day in a ceremony officiated by Queen Elizabeth herself. This year’s fair includes a merchant exchange area where specific demonstrators can explain skills and customs of the period—everything from rag doll making to Renaissance clothing.
2.) Lake Anne Summer Film Festival
When: June 8, at sundown (around 8 p.m.)
Where: Lake Anne Plaza, 1609 Washington Plaza, Reston
Cost: Free
June 8 is Family Night at the Lake Anne Summer Film Festival, which shows free movies on the second Sunday of every month from May to September. Pixar’s Up is scheduled to screen this Sunday, so bring the kids, a picnic, and a few lawn chairs and settle in for cinema under the stars.
3.) Taste of Reston
When: June 13, 3 to 11 p.m.; June 14, 12 to 11 p.m.
Where: Reston Town Center, 11900 Market Street, Reston
Cost: Admission is free, but food and carnival tickets each cost $20 for a set of 24
While parents enjoy local food and booze at the Taste of Reston festival, kids will have just as much fun at the Family Fun Zone. Throughout the fest, DJs there will hold dance offs, hula hoop contests and limbo lines, and there’s a family karaoke competition on Saturday from 3-5 p.m. Kids can also head to the carnival for plenty of whirling rides, from merry-go-rounds to a giant fun slide.
4.) Become a Pilot Family Day and Aviation Display
When: June 14, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Where: The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum’s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, 14390 Air and Space Museum Parkway, Chantilly
Cost: Free
At the Smithsonian’s 10th annual Become a Pilot Day, kids can get a taste of life in the air while staying safely on the ground. Just for the day, the Udvar-Hazy Center will display dozens of small-scale aircraft, giving kids the chance to meet their pilots and ask questions. Visitors can also take test flights in museum simulators, fly kites around the grounds and take part in hands-on crafts and experiments.
5.) Father’s Day Weekend at Mount Vernon
When: June 14 and 15, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Where: 3200 Mount Vernon Memorial Hwy, Mount Vernon
Cost: $17, ages 12 and up; $8, ages 6 through 11; children 5 and under are free
Celebrate Father’s Day with the father of our country at historic Mount Vernon, George Washington’s longtime home. In addition to the usual tours of the Mansion, gardens and grounds, Washington himself will be on hand during the day to discuss his role as husband, stepfather and Founding Father. Families can also enjoy a Father’s Day barbeque on June 15 at the Mount Vernon Inn Restaurant, not included in the admission price.
