Frequently Asked Questions
We are pleased to have you join us at this year's Tephra ICA Arts Festival! Below you will find Festival details and Frequently Asked Questions. This page will be updated frequently. If you have additional questions, please reach out to Festival Director Hannah Barco at hbarco@tephraica.org.
Important Dates
Ferbuary 12, Artist Notifications
March 3, Deadline to Register and Pay Booth Fees
March 24, Booth Announcements made via Zapp
March 28, Equipment Rental Order Form Due
March 28, Last day to Request a Refund (by 5pm EST)
May 16, Festival Load-In Day (details forthcoming)
May 17, Festival Open to the Public 10am-6pm
May 18, Artist Award Breakfast 9:00 am
May 18, Festival Open to the Public 11am-5pm
Accommodations
We are happy to extend a discounted room rate to Festival artists with check-ins beginning Thursday, May 15, 2025.
On-site partner, Hyatt Regency Reston, at $160 per night. The last day to reserve with the Hyatt Regency Reston is April 24, 2025.
Booth Fees
Standard Booth | $525
A standard booth space with room for a 10x10 tent.
Endcap: 10' x 10' Booth | $787.50
A standard 10' x10' booth space PLUS 5 additional feet of display area on one exterior side. This extra space may be on a street corner OR in a row of booths, depending on availability. Limited quantity available and provided on a first-come, first-served basis.
Double Booth | $1,050
A double booth space with room for a 10' x 20' tent.
Endcap: Double Booth | $1,312.50
A double booth space for a 10' x 20' tent PLUS 5 additional feet of display area on one exterior side. This extra space may be on a street corner OR in a row of booths, depending on availability. Limited quantity available and provided on a first-come, first-served basis.
Endcaps (2): Double Booth | $1,575
A double booth space for a 10' x 20' tent PLUS TWO additional 5 feet of display area, one on each exterior side (total of 30 linear feet for setup). This booth space may be on a street corner OR in a row of booths, depending on availability. Limited quantity available and provided on a first-come, first-served basis.
Festival Artist Load In
Download the detailed timeline and load-in map here.
ARTIST LOAD IN DAY Friday, May 16
Artist Check-in: 9am–4pm Located at Tephra ICA gallery (walk up only)
Load in and Booth Set-up : 10am* – 4pm *Pending unforeseen delays
After Hours Load In (by hand, no vehicles allowed on the property): 3:30pm-9pm
SAME DAY LOAD IN Saturday, May 19
Load in and Booth Set-up: 7am–9am Artist vehicles with passes visible are permitted on-site.
Late Artist Check-in: 9:00am – 10:30am Located at Tephra ICA gallery
LOAD IN PROCEDURES
Market Street and St. Francis Street Entrance | Booths in the 100s, 200s, 300s, 400s, 500s, and 600s
Library Street Entrance | Booths in the 700s, 800s, and 900s
Please review your Load In Map to enter the property at the correct entrance.
Wait in your vehicle and a Tephra ICA staff member will bring you your load in pass.
Streets are ONE WAY as indicated on the map. Do not attempt a U-Turn inside the Festival streets.
Artists will be directed to pull as close to their booth location as possible to unload.
Weather permitting, booth spaces will be indicated on the asphalt/concrete as well as the street curb with colored chalk and booth numbers written on duct tape.
All booths need to be set up to allow for clearance from the gutter which is one foot away from the curb.
We ask that you unload tent & equipment, move your vehicle, THEN set up the tent to allow room for your neighbors.
Artists will be asked to keep awnings down during set-up so that vehicles can pull up as close to their booths as possible. The center double yellow line will be the boundary and vehicle traffic will pass on the right side.
The booth layout on the festival map is an approximate overview of the total layout. Prior to setting up please check that you are in the correct booth location. All tents must fit within their allotted space.
All tents and displays inside must be constructed to withstand crowds, wind, and inclement weather. This outdoor venue is subject to high winds. All booths must be secured with appropriate weights to ensure stability in inclement weather, at least 50lbs per leg. The use of Pro-Panels, Happy Feet and other professionally made tent equipment is advisable. The use of E-Z Up/Pop-Up tents is not permitted.
Tents may not be secured to the pavement or any permanent structure by any means. In the event of this occurrence, artists are responsible for fines and the cost of repair as imposed by the property owners and must immediately remove any attachments from the structure.
Unsightly storage of materials behind booth spaces is not permitted. Artists may not impede pedestrian traffic in front of or behind their tents.
Chair/umbrella set ups are NOT permitted in the street. If the artist wishes to set up a chair for themselves outside of their booth spaces, they may only do so on the curb opposite their booth, and only if this set up does not impede fire lane or pedestrian flow.
Guards are positioned at the exits however If you move a barricade to exit the property, please put it back. This will prevent non-artists from entering the Festival streets.
If you arrive after 3:30pm you will need to walk/dolly your equipment in.
All vehicles will need to be moved off the streets by 4pm, however, artists are permitted to continue to set up inside their booths between 4pm and 9pm on Friday. Please wear your artist badge when you are in your booth.
Oversized vehicles can be parked at Lake Fairfax on a first-come basis. Please obtain an oversized pass from the logistics captain upon entry. This location is for parking only, no sleeping in vehicles, generators, etc.
All Artists are solely responsible for the safety and security of their artwork. Reston Town Center is open to the public 24/7. We strongly recommend that you do not leave anything of value in your tent. If this is not possible, please do what you can to secure your property. Artists may secure their work by wrapping it in plastic, tarps, or blankets (off the ground in case of rain), so they are not easy to remove. Tephra ICA will not be held responsible for damage, theft, or loss of your work or that of any other participating artist.
Load In Map for Artists on Bloacks 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, and 600
Load In Map for Artists in Blocks 700, 800, and 900
Preparing to Leave and Load Out Procedure
Sunday, May 18
Confirmation of load-out plan with Logistics team at your booth: 3pm– 5pm
Festival closes: 5pm
Vehicle Load Out: 6pm*-10pm
*NO vehicles will be permitted through the barriers until the streets are deemed safe for pedestrians by Reston Town Center security. This may be after 6pm.
All artists must fully pack up their tents prior to getting their vehicle, please speak with your block captain about any unique circumstances. Once approved to get your vehicle you will be given a APPROVED FOR LOAD OUT pass that you need to sidplay on your dashboard.
Artists may zip up tents and pack up artwork beginning at 5pm. Artists may remove artwork from their tents via hand truck beginning at 5pm while the streets are being cleared of pedestrians. All artists must fully pack up their tents prior to getting their vehicle. Break down of booths before 5pm is not permitted. Doing so may make you ineligible for participation in future festivals.
You must use your assigned entrance based on your booth number to enter the Festival for load out. (same as Load In).
Market Street and St. Francis Street Entrance: Booths in the 100s, 200s, 300s, 400s, 500s, and 600s
Library Street Entrance: Booths in the 700s, 800s, and 900s
Vehicles should not be lined up outside the barricades before 5:30pm. All artists must have their passes clearly displayed on their dashboards. This will let the logistics coordinator know where to send you as space on the street becomes available. Please note that long lines outside the barricades are expected.
NO vehicles will be permitted through the barriers until the streets are deemed safe for pedestrians by Reston Town Center security. This will be after 6pm.
All artists and their team members must comply with general rules of conduct and instructions given by Tephra ICA and Festival Staff, Reston Town Center Security, and Fairfax County Police.
Festival Promotion
This year Tephra ICA has increased the resources dedicated to marketing and Festival promotion including: significant paid advertising including on DC Metro Trains and Fairfax Connector Buses, calendar listings, earned media, dedicated e-blasts thorugh multiple local media outlets, radio announcements, street banner and signage at Reston Town Center, and of course social media.
This Festival Artists Media Kit has social media ready images, hashtags, links, and prepared ad copy for you to use in helping spread the word.
Tent Approvals
All booth spaces are located on asphalt in marked spaces measuring 10’ x 10' 6". All tents and/or structures must fit within the allotted footprint. Artist displays inside must be constructed to withstand crowds, high winds, and inclement weather.
Due to high wind concerns, lightweight, accordion-style, pop-up tents are not permitted. All frame tents must be weighted with at least 50lbs per leg to abide by Fire Marshal standards and to ensure stability in inclement weather.
All artists are required to share information and image(s) of their intended booth set up for the Festival as part of their registration through ZAPP. All artist display structures must be of commercial or professional quality. Innovative artistic displays that are not standard tents are subject to approval. Information submitted about booth set up must be accurate, and will be used to review equipment on site during load in.
Artists whose tents are not approved by the Festival production team will be contacted no later than March 25 and given the opportunity to rent an approved tent through a local vendor or provide an updated equipment plan.
As clearly articulated in the application materials, lightweight, accordion-style pop-up tents, like the EZ-up brand, are not permitted due to high winds. Artists who wish to use accordian-style tents, must apply as a unique display and demonstrate in photo documentation and notes that appropriate modifications have been made to address concerns of stability, weight, and proper airflow. Accordian style tents are required to have at least 100lbs per tent leg.
Booths that do not comply with these standards will be shut down and all fees will be forfeited.
Policies and Regulations
All artists and their team members must comply with general rules of conduct and instructions given by Tephra ICA and Festival Staff, Reston Town Center Security, and Fairfax County Police. Violations of Festival Policies may result in dismissal from the Festival and forfeiture of all fees paid.
Site Map
The 2024 Festival site map for reference. An updated 2025 Festival map will be available with booth anouncments on March 20, 2025.
Site Map
The 2024 Festival site map for reference. An updated 2025 Festival map will be available with booth anouncments on March 20, 2025.
Booth Assignments
Booth Assignments will be sent via the ZAPP email system on March 24, 2025.
Refund Policy
The application fee is non-refundable. Booth fees will be refunded if a refund request is submitted to hbarco@tephraica.org by March 28, 2025.
Once an artist accepts the invitation to participate in the Festival, by paying their booth fees and submitting the Booth Request Form via ZAPP the artist automatically guarantees commitment to comply with event policies listed in the Policies and Regulations Section below, and to participate in the Tephra ICA Arts Festival.
In the event a registered artist cannot participate:
-The artist must email hbarco@tephraica.org, on or prior to March 28, 2025.
-The artist will be refunded their full booth fee, less the $50 processing fee unless otherwise specified.
-At its discretion, Tephra ICA may invite an alternate exhibitor.
No refunds will be made after March 28, 2025.
Artist Hospitality
We have developed a national reputation for best-in-class artist hospitality, and this year is no exception. Tephra ICA organizes Artist Hospitality volunteers to provide artists with support during Festival weekend. These volunteers will be available regularly on-site to assist artists as much as possible.
This year's Artist Lounge will be located in a vacant retail space in Reston Town Center. Each morning, breakfast items and coffee will be available from 9am-10:30am Friday-Sunday. This space will be a fully air-conditioned location for artists to use during load-In and during open Festival hours. Seating, bottled water, and a unisex restroom are all available in the Artist Lounge.
Additionally, a text messaging app, will allow the production team to message all participating artists about important Festival information, inclement weather, and any other urgent updates during load-in, Festival open hours, and load-out.
Artist Awards
Tephra ICA recognizes outstanding artwork through ten (10) Awards of Excellence. The three jurors will visit artist booths on Saturday, May 17. Artists are judged on their entire body of artwork, not just one piece. Awardees each receive a $500 cash prize, a blue ribbon to display on their booth, and are automatically juried into the following year’s Festival. Award winners must still complete an application for entry for the 2025 Festival; however, the application fee will be waived.
Awards will be announced at the Artist Award Breakfast
Sunday, May 18, 9:30–11am | RTC Pavilion
As a participating artist of the Tephra ICA Arts Festival you and a guest are invited to join Tephra ICA members, our Board of Directors, and sponsors at our complimentary invitation-only Festival Artist Award Ceremony, sponsored by Hyatt Regency Reston.
Ten Artist Awards of Excellence will be presented to recognize outstanding artwork from Festival artists across ten categories, and Festival jurors will be present. This event is not to be missed.
RSVP required, with forthcoming link. We look forward to seeing you there!
Electricity
Electricity is not available on-site at the Festival. Artists are encouraged to utilize quiet, battery-powered lighting systems within their booths.
Parking
For passenger vehicles, Reston Town Center has seven color-coded garages that have a height restriction of 6' 8". Artists will be able to park in the garages for free Friday, May 19 during load in. Free garage parking will be available over the weekend for artists and the public.
For large vehicles that do not fit in the garages, Tephra ICA has contracted with Fairfax County to provide a parking area for oversized vehicles at no cost to our artists. Located just 3 miles away from Reston Town Center at Lake Fairfax Park, the portion of the upper parking lot at Lake Fairfax will be available from noon on Friday May 16 through noon on Monday May 19. This lot will be clearly designated and is for parking only, no artists will be permitted to stay overnight in the lot. Artists will be responsible for displaying their vehicle passes in their dashboards. For overnight accommodations, please see the hotel links above, or utilize the rentable RV campsites which are available through the Northern Virginia Park Authority.
The address of Lake Fairfax is 1400 Lake Fairfax Drive Reston, VA 20190.
Lake Fairfax is accessible by the Fairfax County Connector bus. Getting from Lake Fairfax To Reston Town Center takes two bus rides. From Lake Fairfax take the 552 Bus to Wiehle Metro. Then take the 950 from Wiehle Metro Station to Reston Town Center Transit Station. For help planning your trip please call the Fairfax Connector Telephone Information Center at 703-339-7200. Uber rides between the Festival and Lake Fairfax range between $8-$15.
Security
Tephra ICA will not be held responsible for damage, theft, or loss of artwork, or that of any other participating artist. However, Tephra ICA does hire additional Reston Town Center security personnel to patrol the Festival grounds after hours.
Artists are strongly advised to remove the temptation and secure all valuables each night. This can include covering items with a tarp in the center of the booth to prevent easy access. In addition, we recommend that artists remove artwork from the walls or shelves at the end of the day.
Artists are encouraged to use the soft load-out hours to remove valuables as an extra measure of precaution.
Sales Tax
Sales Tax for Northern Virginia is 6%. The Temporary Sales Tax form, St-50, for shows and events starting on and after July 1, 2023 is available for download below.
If you have additional questions, please visit the Virginia Tax website.