Beginning in late February, there are many fun festivals coming to Virginia. These festivals will interest many in the family and make a great weekend adventure.

The Virginia Polar Plunge Festival is celebrating their 25th anniversary. According to polarplunge.com, “the plunge is so much more than just an icy dip in the water; Special Olympics Virginia provides year-round sports training, competition, leadership opportunities, and health services to more than 27,000 athletes of all abilities.” Summer is not the only time for swimming, especially when it is for a cause. This festival will take place in three locations. On February 25, it is at the Shops at Willow Lawn located at 1601 Willow Lawn Drive, Richmond. On the same day, the festival is also being held at Tim’s Rivershore Restaurant & Crabhouse located at 1510 Cherry Hill Road, Dumfries. On March 11, it takes place at The Shops at Stonefield, 2100 Hydraulic Road, Charlottesville. Freshman Annalise Gellene states, “the polar plunge festival sounds great because you get to jump in for a great cause. Everything is always better if it is for a cause.” Visit polarplunge.com to register and jump into the water with a celebratory cannon ball while benefiting the Special Olympics.

Located in Richmond, the Tucker-Boatwright Festival is presented by the University of Richmond. According to their website, this festival is for art, culture, and literature lovers. Festival goers can learn more about these topics by professors in the respective departments. This also, “delves into the cultural impact of cinema and its creators.” The event will be held on February 24-25 at the University of Richmond.

February 25 is the day of the Harmony Sweepstakes A Cappella Festival. Held in Alexandria, this festival is a competition for hundreds of vocal groups from across the country. According to harmonysweepstakes.com, “the winning group from each festival is flown to perform in front of celebrity judges and a sold out house of enthusiastic a cappella fans at the national finals.” Freshman Katherine Clough says, “I like the Harmony Sweepstakes Festival because I like music and I also really liked Pitch Perfect, which is basically a capella throughout the whole movie.” For more information about this event, go to harmonysweepstakes.com.

According to everfest.com, The Richmond International Film Festival is one of the largest international competitive film festivals in the Mid-Atlantic. On February 25, viewers will experience more than 100 films from many different countries and live music performances. This festival has also been praised by USA Today as, “one of the top 10 places to see a splendor movie in the United States.”

Originating in South Carolina, the Craftsmen’s Classic Art and Craft Festival will be held on March 10-12 in Richmond Raceway Complex. According to their website, “The Craftsmen’s Classics have won many prestigious awards in the industry, including many Southeastern Tourism Society Top 20 Events, Art Fair Sourcebook’s Top 100 & Top 200 fine art and fine craft show awards and 100 Best awards from Sunshine Artist Magazine.” To see original, handmade works by craftsmen of Virginia and South Carolina, visit their website at craftshow.com.

To celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, the Shamrock the Block Festival is being held in Richmond. According to shamrocktheblock.com, about 50,000 people attend this festival every year. Many food vendors and local restaurants will be at this event. With live music, kid booths, and being pet friendly, this is the ultimate family festival.

These well-known festivals will bring happiness to a boring week. For tickets and more information on a festival, visit the respective websites for each event.