The Tephra ICA Arts Festival brings 200 juried artists to Reston Town Center. Next: May 15-16, 2027. Free, rain or shine, with free garage parking.

Last checked Oct. 19, 2026. This page is updated each year. Facts come from the organizer, Tephra ICA, and its 2026 festival guide.

The Tephra ICA Arts Festival returns to Reston Town Center Saturday and Sunday, May 15-16, 2027. It is a competitive, juried outdoor show with about 200 artists from around the country, and admission is free. Tephra ICA, the contemporary art center at the town center, lists hours of 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, rain or shine.

Tephra ICA calls the festival “consistently rated as one of the best outdoor art festivals in the country.” The 2026 show on May 16-17 was the 35th.

Who to call

The 2027 festival at a glance
Dates Saturday and Sunday, May 15-16, 2027
Hours 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday; 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday
Where Reston Town Center, Reston
Cost Free
Weather Rain or shine
Parking Town center garages free all festival weekend

What to expect

The 2026 festival guide gives a good picture of the weekend. Tephra ICA had not published the 2027 program when we checked, so these are the 2026 extras:

  • Artist booths both days: about 200 artists in ceramics, digital and multimedia, glass, jewelry, painting, photography, printmaking, sculpture and metal, textiles and wood, chosen by the festival’s jurors. The guide’s map also shows food vendors and Sip & Stroll drinks from town center restaurants.
  • Glass-blowing demonstrations from the Workhouse Arts Center’s mobile glass studio, noon to 4 p.m. both days in Reston Town Square Park.
  • Festival Art Park, a free hands-on art project for children and families, noon to 4 p.m. both days in Reston Town Square Park, run by the South Lakes High School STEAM team.
  • Dance by PEARSONWIDRIG DANCETHEATER at 1 and 3 p.m. both days.
  • Reston Concerts on the Town, a free concert at 7:30 p.m. Saturday in the Reston Town Center Pavilion, with extended Sip & Stroll hours.
  • Guided tours of the award winners with the jurors, 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Sunday from the Pavilion.
  • A people’s choice vote, the Judith Forst People’s Choice Award, named for the festival’s founder.

The festival is free, but Tephra ICA asks visitors to donate to “keep programs like the Tephra ICA Festival free for everyone.”

Parking and getting there

From Tephra ICA’s festival page:

  • Garage parking at Reston Town Center is free during festival weekend.
  • Metro: take the Silver Line to the Reston Town Center station. The festival is a 10-minute walk, or a short ride on the linkRTC shuttle.
  • Fairfax Connector buses also serve the town center.

Tephra ICA does not publish a street closure list; with the garages free all weekend, they are the simplest place to leave a car. For the garages, meters and the shuttle, see our Reston Town Center guide.

The name

Longtime visitors may know the festival by an older name. Tephra ICA was the Greater Reston Arts Center, or GRACE, and the festival guide says its founder, Judith Forst, was GRACE’s executive director from 1975 to 1980 and again from 1990 to 1995. Under GRACE the show was promoted as the Northern Virginia Fine Arts Festival.

For artists

Applications for the 2027 festival are open through ZAPP, the juried-show application site; the deadline and fees are listed there.

Frequently asked questions

When is the Tephra ICA Arts Festival 2027?

Saturday and Sunday, May 15-16, 2027, at Reston Town Center. Tephra ICA lists hours of 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, rain or shine.

Is the Tephra ICA Arts Festival free?

Yes. Tephra ICA describes the festival as free for everyone and asks for donations to keep it that way.

Where do I park for the Reston arts festival?

Garage parking at Reston Town Center is free during festival weekend, according to Tephra ICA. The Silver Line’s Reston Town Center station is a 10-minute walk away, or take the linkRTC shuttle.

Is this the old Northern Virginia Fine Arts Festival?

Yes. Tephra ICA was formerly the Greater Reston Arts Center, or GRACE, which ran the festival under the Northern Virginia Fine Arts Festival name. The 2026 festival was the 35th.