Nobody, not even young children, appeared to be bothered by the waiting line for the hayride, or for the little "train"... teenagers at the amusement rides chatted it up with each other, while parents pushed strollers and held little hands, and leashed dogs, minding their manners, contentedly walked with their humans.
And there were people, many people, listening, laughing, eating, buying, and voting. There were also people screaming, but they were riding on the Ring of Fire — which looked like a scary Ferris wheel — or Pharaoh’s Fury, a gondola swinging back and forth above the earth. Young Joy of Dance performers rocked the stage as pop music blared and spectators milled around. It was the annual McLean Day festival, spread out over the grass, under the shade trees and onto the athletic fields at Lewinsville Park on Saturday, May 19.
Virginia’s finest weather came out for the festival; not too hot, not too cold ... just right. Anne Spear could not have been happier with the breeze and stunning blue sky, calling the day "just beautiful."
Some people, like Spear — a volunteer at the SHARE booth — donated their time on such a sunny day to promote a cause. SHARE is a non-denominational distributor of needed goods, Spear said.
McLean Fire and Rescue brought along enough emergency vehicles to delight any child, and in a field adjacent to the booths, crowds gathered at a carnival of amusement rides. Behind the children’s play area, featuring a bounce and an octopus slide, the aroma-infused food court attracted the hungry and the epicureous. Funnel cakes, anyone?
Vendors hawked services and crafts and gave away free "stuff." Civic groups promoted their missions, cordially describing their purpose and achievements.
"We’re World War II veterans," said Mary Kingman, as she and compatriot, Marvin Quinn, handed out miniature American flags at the American Legion Post 270 booth. Langley High School student, Kathleen Clement, stopped by their booth to thank Post 270 for sending her to (Virginia) Girls’ State, telling Kingman and Quinn that she had "learned so much about state government."
This being an election year, the area’s political candidates manned booths with staff and campaign materials. Their representatives were eager to clarify and describe their candidates’ positions, and many festival-goers took the time to talk with them.