The Board of Directors of the Arts Council of Fairfax County voted in December of 2010 to discontinue the Arts Council's role as presenter of the International Children’s Festival. This has been a difficult decision based on many years of decline in sponsorship funding and the inability to restructure an economic model for the Festival that would make if financially viable going forward. The past year’s 40th Anniversary Festival — a success on so many levels — provides a natural point at which to close the program.
We are especially grateful that the 2010 Festival brought back Bob McGrath to help celebrate the event’s many years. As the county’s service organization to the arts in Fairfax County, we will continue to serve the arts community, the schools, and the general community through our arts education programs such as CAPs, Video Fairfax, our grants program, and through improved communication services. We are also embarking into two massive studies, which will be the corner stone for planning the master arts plan for Fairfax County.
Words can’t begin to express our feelings and thanks to all the donors, volunteers, participants and attendees — making the Festival a success and a community highlight for so many years. We will all miss being at Wolf Trap in September but we hope that you will continue to support us in other endeavors in the years ahead. The Arts Council wants to continue with the relationship we have established over these past years. We will be reaching out to you in the coming months to continue our work together for the arts in the county.