WILLIAMSBURG 一 The Virginia Cat Festival is relocating to the Greater Williamsburg Sports & Events Center for its 2026 run, giving organizers room to add vendors and programming after two years of selling out its previous venue.
The festival returns Nov. 7-8 with workshops, entertainment, shopping and cat adoptions over the two-day weekend.
“After selling out the venue’s capacity for the past two years, we’re excited to move the festival to the Greater Williamsburg Sports and Events Center,” said Adam Stackhouse, festival producer. “We’ll be able to welcome even more cat people this year and expand programming.”
This year’s guests include Moshow, known online as the Cat Rapper; Charmaine Freemonk, a cat expert with The Amazing Acro-Cats; Dan Rimada, founder and author of Bodega Cats of New York; comedy musical duo Griefcat, made up of songwriters Annie Nardolilli and Louisa Hall; Kate Benjamin, founder of Hauspanther and a New York Times bestselling co-author of “Catification”; Bob Lynch, known as the Cowboy Cat Wrangler and a nationally recognized Trap-Neuter-Return advocate; and Laura Cassiday and Mary Stevens of Pawsitive Vibes Cat Behavior & Training.
Workshops will cover clicker training, “catification” home design, and Trap-Neuter-Return and colony caretaking.
The event’s MarCATplace marketplace will feature more than 60 vendors, including artists, makers, businesses and nonprofit organizations. Families can take part in games, activities and coloring stations, and costumed attendees can join daily “PURR-ades” celebrating cat-themed cosplay.
Attendees looking to adopt can meet cats available through partnerships with Critters 4 U Rescue and Purring Hearts RVA.
“We’ve built a weekend that celebrates all things cats,” said Liz Sykes, festival producer. “Whether you’re looking to learn more about caring for your cat, meet some incredible entertainers, discover unique cat-themed merchandise, adopt a new feline friend, or simply spend a weekend surrounded by people who share your passion for cats, there’s something here for everyone.”
The festival is produced by AVAdventure Productions and sponsored by the City of Williamsburg. A portion of ticket sales and all raffle proceeds go to animal welfare organizations.
Weekend and single-day tickets are $15- $45, with discounts for children ages 6 to 12. Children 5 and younger get in free. For more information on the festival’s schedule, workshops, or to purchase tickets, visit vacatfestival.com.
