If you aren’t exhausted from all of the holiday excitement and are in search of a fun festival to attend in January, you’re in luck. Virginia has a number of unique festivals coming up this month. They range in focus quite a bit, so there will surely be one that will pique your interest.
Interfusion Festival
Location: Arlington
Date: Jan. 12-16
The Interfusion Festival is an indoor “transformative festival” that brings “together the like-minded from across the U.S. and beyond.” The community-centered creative project will offer educational resources in positive psychology, meditation and expressive arts, in addition to exposure to healthy social outlets, lifestyles and supportive communities. The festival will feature over 100 artists who will guide attendees through both the day and night experiences.
Virginia Fly Fishing & Wine Festival
Location: Doswell
Dates: Jan. 14-15
The Virginia Fly & Wine Festival at The Meadow Events Park “combines fine wine tasting, microbrewery beer, and everything you ever wanted to know about fly fishing but were afraid to ask.” The goal of the festival is to introduce fly fishing to as many people as possible, with the intention of raising awareness to the conservation issues facing Virginia. The family-friendly event will offer classes for beginners for both children and adults. There will also be lectures from various experts on topics such as casting. Ladies may want to register for “Beyond the Cast: Women’s Fly Fishing Symposium.” A new bourbon tasting class will be added this year, in addition to the regular free wine tastings.
Tet Grand Festival
Location: Chantilly
Dates: Jan. 14-15
The Tet Grand Festival at the Dulles Expo Center bills itself as “the largest Lunar New Year celebration and Asian cultural event” in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. The indoor festival will feature a 100,00-square-foot exhibition area with Vietnamese cultural exhibits, dances and other performances, arts and crafts, food and drinks and gifts and souvenirs. There will even be a car raffle.
The Richmond Jewish Food Festival
Location: Richmond
Dates: Jan. 15-16
Are you a foodie? If so, then The 15th Annual Richmond Jewish Food Festival at the Weinstein Jewish Community Center is for you. The festival will include food, music, including Jewish reggae, Eastern European, Balkan and Mediterranean folk and a Gershwin piano performance, and vendors.
Hot Drinks, Beer, and Cider Festival
Location: McLean
Date: Jan. 28
A good way to stay warm in January is to attend the Hot Drinks, Beer, and Cider Festival at Shipgarten, a roaming outdoor venue featuring 40-foot shipping containers. Attendees will be able to sample from more than 40 breweries or enjoy a hot drink from Shipgarten’s special winter menu. Once you’ve ordered a drink, cozy up to one of the firepits and enjoy some of the live music. Vendor tables will also be set up.
2023 Lunar New Year Festival Fair
Location: Fairfax
Date: Jan. 28
Celebrate the Lunar New Year in downtown Fairfax at the Sherwood Center at this family-friendly multicultural event that will feature live dance, martial art and musical performances, paper cutting, lantern making and calligraphy arts and crafts and Asian baked good and bubble tea tastings. Those who attend are encouraged to dress in cultural costumes. This will be the first time the event has been held, so don’t miss out on the celebration if you’re in the Fairfax area.
Winter Wildlife Festival
Location: Virginia Beach
Dates: Jan. 28-Feb. 5
The Winter Wildlife Festival is a celebration of coastal wildlife and nature that includes keynote speakers, a photo contest, story walk, birding challenge, workshops and library events, exhibits and excursions. The keynote speech for the festival, “Dawn Songs: The Poetics of Migration,” will be delivered on Sunday, Jan. 29 at Virginia Wesleyan University. One of the new excursions this year is the “Eastern Shore Birding & Lunch” activity that is scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 4 at the Bayside Recreation Center. The bus tour will cross the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel from Virginia Beach to the Eastern Shore in search of species such as the Snow Goose, Tundra Swan and Brant. For those with a competitive side, consider forming a team comprised of friends or family members to enter the birding challenge. Even if your team doesn’t win, you’ll likely have a lot of fun scouring the coastal part of the commonwealth for common, and not so common, birds.
International Wine Festival
Location: Roanoke
Date: Jan. 29
More than 40 wines will be available for sampling at the Taubman Museum of Art’s Annual International Wine Festival. The wines, which will range from bubbly sparklings to crisp whites to bold reds, will be paired with hor d’oeuvres and desserts. If you aren’t a seasoned consumer of wine, wine stewards will be on hand at the museum to guide you through the experience with tasting notes. Attendees will get to take home a souvenir wine glass to commemorate the day.
