When the DMV Chocolate and Coffee Festival announced earlier this fall that it will return to the Dulles Expo Center in mid-November, organizers didn’t know yet that their fourth year would be their last at the popular Chantilly events venue.
Though rumors of Ikea coming to the building had emerged over the summer, Dulles Expo Center’s management didn’t officially inform promoters that it will close in December until last week, the Washington Business Journal reported last week.
Ikea subsequently confirmed that it will open a store at 4320 Chantilly Shopping Center Drive in spring 2026. The International Gem and Jewelry Show and Greenberg’s Train & Toy Show, both set to close on Dec. 21, will be the hall’s final events, Dulles Expo Managing Partner Geoff Pence said in a separate press release on Friday (Oct. 31).
“We will be turning the building over to IKEA in late December and are very pleased that such a strong international retailer will be using the facility,” Pence said, adding that the management team is “so appreciative” of the many promoters, customers and employees over the years who have made the expo center “a special place where people come together to share common interests.”
John and Lindsay Hill, the husband-and-wife team that has organized the DMV Chocolate and Coffee Festival since 2022, say their four years at Dulles Expo Center have been “incredible,” so they were “very disappointed” to learn that it will close.
However, rather than stewing in frustration over what they say will be “a big loss for the local small business community,” the organizers hope to deliver a send-off worthy of the 25-year-old venue, which has hosted everything from flea markets and craft festivals to gun shows and the Fairfax Comic Con.
“Knowing that this will be the final month before the venue closes, we want to make this show our biggest and most memorable yet — a true Grand Finale at Dulles Expo,” the Hills told FFXnow by email. “This event isn’t just about chocolate and coffee; it’s about celebrating and supporting more than 200 small businesses from across the DMV and beyond who make this community so special. We hope everyone will come out … to help us send off this iconic venue with record-breaking crowds and the same spirit of connection and support that’s defined it for decades.”
Set for Nov. 15 and 16, the fourth annual DMV Chocolate and Coffee Festival will bring over 200 vendors to the Dulles Expo Center’s South Hall, where it has been held since switching from the smaller North Hall in 2023.
According to a festival press release, newcomers to this year’s vendor lineup include the chocolate makers Bon Fiction US, Bycao, ChocolAknin Paris, Ecuadorian Essence, Eigen Chocolate, KESSHO, Powhatan Chocolates and Wholehearted Chocolate, along with coffee roasters Adventurists Coffee, Bouvardia Coffee, Broad Porch Coffee, Cafe Tio Conejo, Five Star Coffee Roasters and Happ Coffee.
Other attractions include craft booths, a Sip and Share Seminar Stage where visitors can learn about chocolate tasting techniques and flavor profiles from experts Estelle Tracy, Leila Carvajal Erker and Ricardo Trillos; and a Coffee Education Lab by Café Kreyol with sessions on coffee cupping and origins.
Festival mascots Chunk and Bean will also be present for photo opportunities and to present their debut children’s book “The Adventures of Chunk and Bean: Festival Fiasco.”
General admission will be 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 15 and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday. VIP ticket holders receive access to both days, plus an extra hour from 9-10 a.m. on Saturday where they’ll receive a free goodie bag. They also get first dibs on any free samples offered by vendors.
Tickets are available for discounted prices of $18 for general admission and $36 for VIP passes until Nov. 14. At the door, they cost $20 and $40, respectively.
As part of a partnership with the Christian radio station WGTS 91.9, which receives a portion of every ticket sale, the festival is hosting a food drive to support the Merrifield-based food bank Food for Others. Any attendees who bring a canned food item can get $2 off a ticket purchased in person at the box office.
“Our goal through this festival is to support small businesses and give attendees the chance to shop and taste their amazing products,” the Hills said in the press release. “The festival is about discovering new favorites, supporting the community, and indulging in exceptional chocolate and coffee.”
While the Hills are focused on “bringing out a big community turnout for this final festival” at the Dulles Expo Center, they have also been evaluating future venue options in Northern Virginia, Maryland and the greater D.C. region since they first heard rumors that the center might close.
“Our goal is to find a location that keeps the same accessible, welcoming atmosphere our attendees and vendors have come to love, because this event plays such an important role in supporting hundreds of local small businesses,” the Hills said. “We’re very open to ideas and community input — if anyone has suggestions or local connections that might be a great fit, we’d love to hear from them.”
