Thousands of people walked through the streets of downtown Fairfax for the 30th annual Fall Festival, Saturday, Oct. 14, looking at and purchasing food, arts and crafts.
A new event this year, the Festival Superstar, was a big hit, said Leslie Herman, special events coordinator. More than 50 children participated in the singing competition's preliminary rounds at Old Town Hall. Judges awarded points to each contestant, and the top two scorers from each of four age categories moved on to perform on the big stage in the finals. Parents gave judges a mobile phone number during the preliminaries so they could be contacted with news of elimination or with a time slot for the finals. Each singer had to sing a cappella — with no music — in front of a large crowd at the end of the festival for the finals. The singers were judged on their vocal quality, technique and strength, along with their stage presence and the appropriateness of their song choice. Four talented "superstars" each took home a $100 cash prize.
The blue skies and moderate climate made the festival a success over last year's festival, which was rained out and postponed a day.