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Fairfax City’s annual Chocolate Lovers Festival is returning for its 34th year later this week, assuming the weather is more cooperative than it was for the McLean Chocolate Festival.

Kicking off with a free concert on Friday (Feb. 6) and continuing through Sunday (Feb. 8), the festival will feature a variety of tasting opportunities, culinary crafts, entertainment and — in a new addition for this year — a 1-mile run for charity.


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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.


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A week after the first-ever Celebration of the Arts took over Capital One Center in Tysons, Fairfax County’s Mason District will throw its own party championing the local arts community.

The inaugural Mason District Arts Festival will bring artist booths, live entertainment, a children’s play area and food trucks to the Eileen Garnett Civic Space (7200 Columbia Pike) in Annandale this Saturday (Oct. 11) from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.


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Fairfax County is losing Taste of NoVA to Prince William County, a consequence of the federal government shutdown stretching into a second week.

The food festival was set to unfold this weekend (Oct. 11-12) at the National Museum of the U.S. Army in Fort Belvoir, which has been closed since Oct. 1 with all events canceled as long as the shutdown continues.


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Fairfax County’s very own film festival is returning this month with a lineup that ranges from “Shrek” to ruminations on women’s rights in Iran and European attitudes toward refugees.

Now in its 14th year, the Washington West Film Festival will kick off this Friday (Oct. 3) at Reston Town Center with a 25th-anniversary screening of “Shrek,” organized in conjunction with the town center’s inaugural Rocktoberfest. More than a dozen other movies will follow from Oct. 9-13.


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The end of September is within sight, which means Oktoberfest season will soon be in full swing.

One of the bigger festivals in the region is the Vienna Oktoberfest, which is organized by the Vienna Business Association and now celebrating its 16th year.


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For two days next month, Capital One Center in Tysons will give the arts precedence over traffic.

The mixed-use development will close its streets on Oct. 4-5 for the first-ever Celebration of the Arts, a free outdoor festival that will offer exhibits, workshops, live music, food vendors and more.


Around Town

Hear ye, hear ye! If you’re one of those frustrated by the ticket kerfuffle tripping up the Maryland Renaissance Festival, perchance Tysons could interest you in a little Renn Fest of its own.

Shipgarten is hosting its Summer Renaissance Festival next Saturday, Aug. 16, from 1-6 p.m. The festival will include presumably biergarten-sized variants of arrow shooting, axe throwing and jousting.


News

George Mason University’s Fall for the Book festival is returning for its 27th year this October to the Fairfax campus with some notable authors scheduled for the event.

The festival, scheduled across a couple days in early October, will feature Celeste Ng — author of Little Fires Everywhere — and Erik Larson — author of The Devil in the White City.


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