Fairfax County, VA - May 9, 2011 - Summer is upon us, and parents all across the country are scouring for ideas to ensure their kids won't utter the dreaded phrase: "I'm bored. There's nothing to do!"

Fear not! Visit Fairfax's website (www.fxva.com/summerfun) and event calendar is full of one-of-a-kind celebrations, festivals, and fly-ins to ensure that the summer of 2011 never has a dull moment.

The season kicks off early with a truly singular celebration at the new Korean Bell Garden at Meadowlark Botanical Gardens in Vienna, VA. On Saturday, May 14th, the centerpiece of the Garden-a three-ton bell crafted by Korean artisans-will be installed in the ornate Pavilion marking the completion of Phase I of this unique attraction. Meadowlark's Korean Bell Garden is the only one in the Western Hemisphere and the only public Korean bell pavilion on the East Coast. Festivities begin at 11 AM, and will include free Korean delicacies, complimentary Korean/English cookbooks for the first 200 visitors, and special guests.

Over Memorial Day weekend (May 27 - 29), George Washington's Mount Vernon Estate and Gardens invites visitors to an unprecedented evening experience during its inaugural Sunset Celebration. The event offers a rare opportunity to visit Mount Vernon after the daytime crowds have departed. Visitors may take evening tours of the Mansion, relax and enjoy wine and desserts available for purchase, and delight in 18th-century music, dancing, games, and wagon rides. Costumed residents, like the charming Lady Washington and her granddaughter Nelly, will be onsite to interact with visitors.

 

Visitors and residents alike won't want to miss Northern Virginia's largest community-wide event and one of the best street festivals in the country-the Celebrate Fairfax! Festival. The festival (June 10 - 12), held on the 25- acre grounds of the Fairfax County Government Center (12000 Government Center Parkway, Fairfax, VA), will feature performances on the Bud Light Main Stage by Third Eye Blind, The Bangles and The Legwarmers, in addition to more than 90 other acts. All shows are free with daily tickets to the event, and don't forget to stop by the Visit Fairfax booth for the chance to win great prizes! Advance tickets are available online at http://www.celebratefairfax.com/.

 

For those who can't make it out to Celebrate Fairfax!, there are a number of other community festivals taking place during the summer, including:

 

Also be sure to save the date for the Become a Pilot Family Day and Fly-In on June 18th  at the Smithsonian Air & Space Museum's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, VA, near the Washington Dulles International Airport www.nasm.si.edu/becomeapilot.

 

The museum's most popular summer event, visitors have access to explore an outdoor aviation display with dozens of visiting vintage, recreational, military, and homebuilt aircraft; talk to pilots; and find out what skills are needed to fly. Inside the Center, guests can test their piloting skills in flight simulators, and participate in story

time and hands-on activities with the kids. The event is free and open to the public. Parking is $15. To make the summer even more memorable for one lucky winner, Visit Fairfax is giving away an Apple iPad. Enter for a chance to win the One-of-a-Kind Sweepstakes and start planning a Fairfax County adventure today online at http://www.fxva.com/summerfun. Also, join the discussion on Facebook (www.facebook.com/visitfairfaxva), and follow Visit Fairfax on Twitter (@VisitFairfax), for these and other not-to-be-missed events, deals/packages and more.

 

ABOUT VISIT FAIRFAX

Visit Fairfax is the official tourism organization for Fairfax County, Virginia. Charged with destination marketing and tourism promotion, it is directed by many of the County's top tourism and hospitality leaders. For more information, please visit www.fxva.com.

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MEDIA CONTACTS:

Sarah Maciejewski                                                         Melissa Gold

Dir of Communications, Visit Fairfax                              White+Partners PR for Visit Fairfax

sarahm@fxva.com                                                        melissag@whiteandpartnerspr.com

Ph: 703-752-9502                                                         Ph: 703-793-3450