Only a few more shows in the parks this summer
You’ve got only a few more chances to catch a free concert in Mason District this summer.
Due to funding cutbacks by the Park Authority, only eight Spotlight by Starlight concerts are scheduled for 2026 in Mason District Park. a significant reduction from recent years.
The most recent performance, featuring the Falls Church Concert Band on July 24, drew a large crowd to the park’s outdoor amphitheater. Of the three shows previously scheduled, one was canceled due to extreme heat and one was rained out.
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Here’s the lineup for the remaining shows planned for Mason District Park:
- July 31 – NOVA Symphony Orchestra, the Orchestra-in-Residence at the Northern Virginia Community College’s Annandale Campus.
- Aug. 7 – Kiti Gartner & the Drifting Valentines, Western swing, rockabilly, and classic country.
- Aug. 14 – Pat McGee, a singer-songwriter who grew up in Annandale.
- Aug. 21 – Orquesta Tropikiimba, high-energy salsa and Afro-Caribbean music.
If the weather looks iffy, call the concert hotline at 571-202-SHOW (7469) before leaving home. Cancellations are also posted online an hour before show time.
The Cultural Heritage Night shows at Ossian Hall Park in Annandale have also been greatly cut back, with only six scheduled for the entire summer. There are just two more shows:
- Aug. 1 – Taiwan Cultural Heritage Night, with music and dance from the Hai Hua Community Center.
- Aug. 8 – West African Cultural Heritage Night, featuring the Dogo du Togo & the Alagaa Beat Band and their high-energy blend of traditional Togolese rhythms and psychedelic Afro-rock.
The Park Authority no longer includes the Ossian Hall Park shows as part of the Spotlight by Starlight series. Instead, those shows, which are aimed at all ages, are included in the Arts in the Parks series along with the children’s shows held throughout the county.
The Saturday morning children’s shows at Mason District Park have been entirely eliminated for this summer. Last year, there were nine.
There are just two more children’s shows. 10 a.m., at Wakefield Park in front of the Audrey Moore Rec Center:
- Aug. 1 – Marsha and the Positrons, songs about science with positive social messages.
- Aug 8 – Munit & Z Love Bugs, an Ethiopian-Haitian-American family band that plays music from around the world.