A family-friendly event full of entertainment, music, children’s activities, food and fun — that’s the second annual Chantilly Day. And it’s happening this Saturday, May 4, at the Sully Place Shopping Center, off Route 50 West in Chantilly.

The festival runs fr

om 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m. in the Kmart and Babies R Us parking lots and will even feature two former a

stronauts, Carl Walz and Frank Culbertson. During the opening ceremonies, Supervisor Michael R. Frey (R-Sully) will read a proclamation officially declaring Chantilly the “Air and Space Capital of Virginia.”

The astronauts will address the crowd, talking about life in space and aboard the International Space Station. They’ll also meet the public and answer questions at a tent next to the space-shuttle moonbounce in the Babies R Us lot.

The Chantilly-Centreville Chamber of Commerce (an offshoot of the Dulles Chamber), in partnership with the Westfields Business Owners Association and Kaiser Permanente, are putting on the event. Host sponsor is the shopping-center owner, Beatty Management Co.

There’s free, offsite parking, and Staybridge Suites will provide free shuttle buses to and from the event. So visitors are encouraged to use the nearby parking area at 3900 Skyhawk Drive (off Centreville Road); signs will mark the parking lot.

Opening ceremonies and an awards presentation are at 9:30 a.m. at the stage in the Kmart parking lot. All other events begin at 10 a.m., except for the stage entertainment which starts at 10:15 a.m. and the Taste of Chantilly, beginning at 11 a.m.

The Chantilly Academy’s Air Force JROTC Color Guard will present the colors at 9:30 a.m. and Dulles Chamber member Brittani Poindexter will sing the national anthem.

The Chantilly-Centreville Chamber will then give out business, nonprofit, partnership and citizen of the year awards. It will also present four, $1,000 STEM scholarships (science, technology, engineering and math) to graduating seniors at Chantilly, Centreville and Westfield high schools and The Chantilly Academy – a Governor’s STEM Academy.

CHILDREN’S ACTIVITIES

The free, children’s activities are provided by the Chantilly-Centreville Chamber and its sponsors. They’ll be in a fenced-in area along Metrotech Drive in the Kmart lot, near the business expo. And sponsoring many of them is Wholesome Campus of Chantilly.

“I’m really excited about Chantilly Day,” said company President Donna Cooper. “We’ll have face-painting, bubbles and lots of gymnastics equipment, including balance beams, plastic tunnels, tents, parachutes and rockers. We have a competitive jump rope team and some of the members will be performing on stage. We also hope to bring in a balloon artist and a tarp covered with Legos.”

In addition, the Elden Street Players will perform at a special children’s stage. Children will also be able to climb on a rock wall sponsored by F3 Tactical of Chantilly and enjoy a space-shuttle moonbounce and trackless train rides sponsored by the Chantilly-Centreville Chamber. There’ll also be games and arts and crafts.

FOOD AND ENTERTAINMENT

The Taste of Chantilly food area will be in the Kmart lot. Vendors will include: The Similans Thai Eatery, Thai dishes; Bungalow Billiards, pulled pork and chicken sliders; Hooters, chicken wings, hot dogs and hamburgers; Coyote Grille, tacos; Chick-Fil-A, chicken sandwiches; Moe’s Southwest Grill, Mexican food; and Ms. P’s Concessions, jerk chicken, red beans and rice, steamed cabbage, plantains, fish, funnel cakes, lemonade, soda and water.

There’ll be a variety of entertainment for all ages. PRO Martial Arts of Chantilly will give a martial arts demonstration and the competitive jump ropers from Wholesome Campus will show what they can do.

Also performing will be the Westfield High Jazz Combo, plus THEYCALLMEPIANO, a local pop, rock and electronic dance music artist. Three rock bands will liven up the day, as well. They are …AND WHAT ARMY, Soul Raising Visions and The Stolen Camaros.

Chantilly Animal Hospital will hold a pet adoption in the Babies R Us lot, next to the moonbounce. Some Chantilly High clubs and classes are also participating in Chantilly Day. The Chantilly Academy’s Robotics Club will bring its basketball-playing robot, and the school’s Hispanic Leadership Club will do face-painting.

More than 100 local businesses will be in the Chantilly Day Business Expo. They’ll range from finance to health, education and government contracting and will offer giveaways and prizes to people visiting their booths.