McLean Holiday Art & Crafts Festival 2026

McLean, Virginia

Jury Fee: $20

Contact Information

Northern Virginia Handcrafters Guild

Contact Email: mcleanshow@nvhg.org

Contact Phone: 571-229-6119

Requirement Overview

Eligible Applicant Types: Artist
Emerging Artists: Emerging artists may apply.
Submission Limit: 2

Media Requirements

Images | Min: 5, Max: 5
Total | Max: 5

Opportunity Summary

Festival Dates and Hours:

Festival
Friday, December 4, 2026 - 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., open to the public
Saturday, December 5, 2026 - 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., open to the public
Sunday, December 6, 2026 - 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., open to the public
Location: McLean Community Center, 1234 Ingleside Ave., McLean, Virginia 22101

REQUIREMENTS:
Accepted Application Types: Artist
Images: 5 (at least 1 exhibitor booth shot is required)
Fee: $20.00 (Jury Fee)
Application Deadline:                     May 3 , 2026
Notification Date:                            June 1, 2026
Booth Payment Deadline:             August 2, 2026

General Information

Founded in 1982, the McLean Holiday Art & Crafts Festival is a highly anticipated and much beloved indoor, juried show, featuring art and crafts made by approximately 80 regional artisans, as well as other holiday-inspired activities. Handcrafted works include pottery, glass, jewelry, holiday decorations, mixed media, accessories, wood, fine art, artisanal foods, soaps, skin care, and more.

The festival focuses on fine art and crafts, welcoming both established and emerging artisans exhibiting innovative concepts executed with exceptional style and detail. Works in all media (as defined in Rules/Regulations) and price ranges will be considered. The goal is to create the most diverse show possible for our loyal and motivated attendees.

Show management will be provided by the Northern Virginia Handcrafters Guild (NVHG), a 501(c)3, nonprofit community-based organization, dedicated to helping artists and craftspeople exhibit and sell their work; developing art and crafts in the community; and supporting art and craft educational activities. Proceeds from the Festival help NVHG provide scholarships to new emerging artists and craftspeople.

Founded in 1972, the NVHG sponsors juried art and craft shows open to the public; offers artists and craftspeople advice and counsel about virtually every aspect of the business of art and crafts; provides knowledge exchange opportunities with other artists and craftspeople; and manages a variety of community service projects.

The McLean Holiday Art & Crafts Festival will be held December 4 – 6, 2026, in the McLean Community Center (MCC) at 1234 Ingleside Ave, in McLean, Virginia. Food and beverages will be available at the onsite café. The MCC is ADA compliant.

Contracted exhibitors must set up their assigned booth space on Thursday evening (December 3, 4:00 PM – 10:00 PM) and early Friday morning (December 4, 7:00 AM – 9:00 AM). All booth set-ups must be complete by 9:00 AM sharp for a jury walk-through before customers enter the building at 10:00 AM.
Booth sizes vary, but booth spaces average approximately 80 sq. ft. Electricity will be provided as specified in the Booth Information Section below.

Parking will be provided for vendors and attendees, as detailed in the Rules/Regulations.
Exhibitors should make their own arrangements for hotels, restaurants, etc. Nearby Tyson’s Corner offers an array of choices.

The Festival is advertised through a multi-media marketing approach that includes the Washington Post and other local publications, the MCC Program Guide, various social media, on MCC, NVHG, and other websites, through regional email advertising, via postcards mailed to residents, and signage. Exhibitors are strongly encouraged to advertise to their customer base and link to the MCC, NVHG and Zapplication websites.

Application Requirements

Applications must be made through Zapplication, include all required elements, and be submitted by the published deadline (May 3). Submitting the application is an agreement that you, the artisan, meet all the eligibility requirements stated herein, and agree to abide by the Festival's Terms and Conditions. If it is determined that you have misrepresented yourself or the origin of your work, you will be excluded from future consideration. Past acceptance is not a guarantee of acceptance to this or future festivals or shows.

The required elements include:

All fields in the Application Form must be filled out.
One Booth Photo that shows your professional booth including product displays and signage.
Four Product Photos of different items, all made by you, and representative of the work you plan to sell at the show. Each photo should be of the product only, on a neutral background. Only digital images will be accepted.
- Please do not send additional or “detail” photos of the same item.
- Photos must conform to the Zapplication photo standards, as follows:
  - Recommended Dimensions: 1920 pixels on the longest side.
    Note: To assist artists who do not have images that are 1920 pixels or larger, the system will also accept images that are at least 1400 pixels on the longest side.
  - File Format: Save all images as Baseline Standard JPEG. Do not save as a Progressive JPEG.
  - File Size: JPEGs should be under 5 MB in size.
  - Recommended Resolution: between 72 and 300 dpi
    Note: You may need to lower your resolution if the file size is larger than 5 MB.
  - Color space: Save images in RGB color space, preferably sRGB.
  - We recommend that your pictures are at least 300 dpi with a minimum pixel size of 1920 pixels vertically or horizontally, so they can be easily adapted for use in marketing materials.
Jury Fee of $20, payable through Zapplication during the application process.

Artists will be notified by email on or about June 1, 2026, regarding acceptance into the Festival.

The Applicant agrees that, if accepted into the Festival, all photo submissions and photographs taken at the Festival may be used by the MCC and the NVHG for publicity in the future.

All crafts must show original thought, design, and creation by the artist. Only original craft or art, made by hand or with the appropriate tools, by the artisan who is submitting the application is eligible. No Buy-Sell, commercial products or imports will be accepted. Exhibitors certify that they have handcrafted the items themselves. Handcrafted is defined as the exhibitor using materials to assemble, paint, draw, sew, forge, or make the craft items or as outlined on the application form.

Should there be questions regarding the authenticity of a craft or food being buy/sell or imported, exhibitors should be prepared to provide the Show Managers with a detailed collection of receipts for the raw materials used to produce exhibited items.
No trademarks, logos, copyrights, or their likeness belonging to others may be incorporated in any item, without written permission from the owner.
Acceptable Media categories include, but are not limited to:

Jewelry	Woodcraft	Painting/Drawing/Etching
Stone and other Natural Materials	Fiber and Textiles	Leather
Paper	Photography	Multimedia
Basketry	Soaps and Skin Care	Specialty Food
Candles	Sculpture	Ceramics
Glass	Metalcraft	Holiday Decorations

Exhibitors may only display items approved by the jury. No additional, non-juried items may be added to the artisan’s display during the show, or they will be subject to removal. The Show Managers reserve the right to require the removal of any merchandise deemed unacceptable.

The Jurying Process: Our jury consists of 7 qualified juried NVHG member artisans, with professional expertise and experience in a variety of media. Submissions will be reviewed by each juror independently, and given “scores” based on craftsmanship, creativity, originality, and other standard criteria. The results will be tallied, and the applicants with the highest overall scores in their media categories will be accepted into the show. It is important to note that the Show Managers reserve the right to limit the number of vendors in any media category for the purpose of creating a balanced show.

Show Notification: Applicants will be notified via email on or about June 1, 2026, as to whether they are accepted, wait-listed or declined for this year's show. The Exhibitor must return the signed contract and booth fee by August 2, 2026. Exhibitors will receive booth assignments and a floor layout on or about August 23, 2026.

Wait List: A wait list will be maintained by category. Crafters/Artisans who are wait-listed for the Festival will be notified at the same time as accepted vendors.

Jury Details

Average number of applications submitted each year

250

Average number of artists selected from the jury to participate in the event

Booth Information

It is important to note that Booth Sizes will vary, as booths must fit into the various rooms at the MCC. The average booth size is approximately 80 square feet. The dimensions of the assigned space will be indicated on the floor plan and booth layout that is sent to confirmed exhibitors on or about August 23, 2026.

If you have special requirements as to booth size, please include them in the Special Requirements section of the application. We expect all vendors to be adaptable, and work to accommodate their close neighbors at the Festival. Exhibitors must arrange their space so that other exhibitors are not blocked from view. Exhibitors must not infringe on their neighbor's space.

Two artists may share a booth, but both must individually apply and be accepted by the jury. Please indicate who your partner is on both application forms.

Crafters/Artisans must be on site during Festival hours. Exhibitors and their assistants must be on time, open and work the Festival hours as indicated below and may not leave early unless the show closes.

No signage indicating sales, discounts, or special deals or offers (e.g., two for one) may be displayed.  No past prize ribbons or other awards may be displayed.
Exhibitors must keep all storage boxes, handcarts and supplies out of sight. All tables must be draped to the floor on all viewable sides.  All tablecloths/table coverings must be clean and wrinkle free.

The MCC shall be open to exhibitors for the purpose of booth setup and breakdown:

Event Dates	Hours Open to Exhibitors	Hours Open to Public*
Thursday, December 3, 2026	4:00 PM – 10:00 PM	N/A
*Friday, December 4, 2026	7:00 AM – 7:00 PM	10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Saturday, December 5, 2026	8:00 AM – 7:00 PM	10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Sunday, December 6, 2026	8:00 AM – 8:00 PM	10:00 AM – 4:00 PM

On Friday, December 4, 2026, all booths must be set up and ready for the jury walk-through at 9:00 AM. The NVHG Jury/Standards Committee will walk the event at 9 AM on Friday morning to assure vendors/exhibitors are on time, in place, and compliant with show terms and conditions.

* All exhibitors must remain at their booths from 10:00 AM through event closing time each day of the show.

On Friday, Saturday and Sunday, December 4-6, all booths must be completely staffed and show-ready by 9:45 AM sharp.

Fees:

The jury fee is $20.00, non-refundable, and must be paid via Zapplication at the time of application.
All booth fees are $280.00. Booth fees are payable by the contract deadline (August 2, 2026)
Tables (8’ x 30”) are available for rent at $21.00 each. If you wish to rent one or more tables, please indicate this when you pay your booth fee.

MCC will provide:

Electrical outlets where possible. Exhibitors must provide extension cords and outlet strips. Placement of electric cords/materials is subject to approval by the Show Managers. Exhibitors must understand that electricity must be shared, and that use of LED/Fluorescent lighting fixtures is required. No open flames are allowed.
Two (2) chairs are provided free to all booths.

Exhibitor Set-up and Breakdown:
Exhibitors may begin setting up on Thursday afternoon at 4:00 PM. It is important to note that the MCC will be locked at 10:00 PM. There is armed security at the MCC during the evening and overnight, as well as during the days of the Festival, but set-up on Thursday is at your own risk. Please keep in mind that the building will be open to the public during business hours on Thursday. All set-ups must be completed by 9:00 AM, Friday morning in time for a jury walk-through. The Festival will open to the public at 10:00 AM.

Upon arrival for Set-up, exhibitors must check in and register at the Show Desk in the lobby of the MCC main entrance. Upon registration, exhibitors will be provided with a check-in packet that includes instructions, identification badges and other information. Badges must be worn in the building.
Loading and unloading can be done from all external doors. Both floor levels have ground level access. An elevator serves both levels. No items may be delivered to the MCC prior to loading in. MCC has no storage and cannot take responsibility for any deliveries of product or display materials. Exhibitors will be responsible for loading in and loading out their booth and products. The MCC does not provide any carts, dollies, or other assistance.

Parking: Vehicles may be unloaded in the loading zones and lower parking lot. Once they are unloaded, exhibitors must park in the upper parking lot (beyond the main parking area) and the lot behind the library. Spaces closer to the building are reserved for customers only. DO NOT park in the lower main parking lot area of the MCC during Festival hours.

Breakdown/Loadout: Exhibitors must not begin packing up before the close of the Festival on Sunday, at 4:00 PM. All items must be removed from the premises by 8:00 PM. All debris, including the tape outlining the booth, must be removed and disposed of properly.

Other Exhibitor Booth Requirements

Exhibitors are responsible for collecting and reporting the Commonwealth of Virginia Sales Tax (6%) and abiding by all County, State and Federal health requirements. The check-in packet provided to exhibitors at the Show Desk will include a form for submitting Sales Tax to the Commonwealth of Virginia (on a temporary basis) for those who do not already have an account with the Commonwealth.
Exhibitors and their assistants must wear their Festival ID Badges while on the premises of MCC for the duration of set-up, the show, and takedown. Each exhibitor is allowed up to four personnel per booth and will be provided with name badges for these assistants. Booth staff must wear these badges to get in and out of the show without paying admission.
Exhibitors are responsible for enforcing all rules and regulations including with their booth assistants.
Exhibitors must bring everything they need to set up their booth. No carts, tools, labor or other items or assistance will be provided.
All booth personnel must dress professionally.
No table coverings are provided.
No Pipe and drape, or other structural supports or backgrounds are provided.
All exhibitors must provide floor pads under tables and chair legs, stands, shelving units, etc., to protect wood floor surfaces from scratches, dents or tears.
Signs are important to identify your work to the customers. Exhibitors should provide their own professional quality identification signs, large enough to be seen across a large room. Only blue painters’ tape may be discreetly used to affix signage to MCC walls.
No Exhibitor or assistants will be allowed access to the MCC on Thursday, December 3, 2026, prior to 4:00 p.m. to set up your booth.
The MCC staff and/or the Show Managers reserve the right to move, alter or adjust any exhibitor’s space to ensure a safe and professional appearance.

Refund Policy

Refunds will only be considered if requested in writing. There is a $50.00 penalty for cancellations postmarked 90 days prior to the event date and a $100.00 penalty for cancellations postmarked 60 to 89 days prior to the event date. There will be no refunds after 60 days prior to the event except for medical reasons or other extenuating circumstances as determined reasonable by the Show Managers, AND provided that the Show Managers can find a suitable Exhibitor/Crafter replacement. All refund requests must be accompanied by documentation.
Table fees will be refunded if the vendor withdraws from the event prior to the start date, December 4, 2026.
Jury fees will not be refunded.

Additional Fees

Booth Fee: $280

8 ft. by 30 inch table: $21