Folger Shakespeare Library Announces Second Annual Frost Fair

Holiday decor, festive musical performances, family-friendly and Shakespeare-themed activities, and special celebrations for Jane Austen's 250th birthday are all a part of this year's festival

WASHINGTON, Oct. 30, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The Folger Shakespeare Library welcomes visitors to step into a world of winter wonder during the holidays as the Folger Frost Fair returns for a second winter season. The Folger will be decked in seasonal splendor and offer an array of holiday programming and activities that bring Shakespeare, the arts, and poetry to life, including the annual Emily Dickinson Birthday Tribute, Folger Consort's Resplendent Joy series of holiday concerts, printing press demonstrations, building tours, craft stations, and special events, including a holiday sing-along, from November 28, 2025–January 4, 2026. 

"Hundreds of years ago, Frost Fairs provided early modern Londoners with a place to meet, to experience something special beyond their everyday lives, and to cultivate moments of joy," said Folger Director Dr. Farah Karim-Cooper. "We want the Folger Frost Fair to revive this sense of wonder."

Inspired by the historic Frost Fairs that took place when the River Thames in London froze solid during sporadic winters between the 1600s and the 1800s, the Folger Frost Fair brings a sense of Shakespearean merriment and discovery to Washington, DC. The original Frost Fairs were bustling scenes of entertainment and play set upon the frozen river, complete with vendors selling food, drinks, and crafts. Last year, after the major renovation and reopening, the Folger launched its first Frost Fair to great success, welcoming thousands of people throughout the holiday season. This year's slate of holiday programming and festive decor has been expanded beyond the inaugural festival, while honoring the traditions of Frost Fairs past. 

Special holiday programming includes:

Celebrating Jane Austen at 250

To commemorate Jane Austen's 250th birthday, the Folger is celebrating in true Regency fashion this Frost Fair season. On December 20, the Folger hosts An Austen Afternoon, with afternoon tea served in the Reading Room (2-4pm) followed by a Regency Dance (5-7pm), with demonstration and instruction taught by Sebastian English Country Dance for spirited dancing. Costumes and festive attire are highly encouraged. Tickets for An Austen Afternoon will go on sale Monday, November 17. To sign up for the interest list to be notified as tickets become available, please visit: folger.edu/austenafternoon.

This year's Emily Dickinson Birthday Tribute, December 9 at 7:30pm, also celebrates Jane Austen's 250th birthday with noted Dickinson scholar Martha Nell Smith and contemporary romance author Nikki Payne (Pride and Protest). Co-sponsored by the Emily Dickinson Museum, the celebration ends with a slice of Emily Dickinson's famous black cake, based on her own recipe. For more information or to purchase tickets ($20), please visit: folger.edu/dickinson.

The Folger's current exhibition Imagining Shakespeare: Mythmaking and Storytelling in the Regency Era displays paintings from the only art gallery dedicated to Shakespeare, founded in the 18th century in London by publisher John Boydell, which Jane Austen visited in 1796. To learn more, please visit: folger.edu/boydell.

Afternoon Tea Options for the Holidays

The Folger offers elegant afternoon tea by reservation on the first Saturday of each month. In addition to the sold-out tea service on December 6 and January 3, and An Austen Afternoon on December 20, the Folger will offer a special Family Tea in the Reading Room on December 26 with storytelling and activities for children. Details will be available on the Folger Frost Fair webpage.

Resplendent Joy: Christmas Traditions from Spain and Portugal

Highlighted in Washington City Paper's Fall Arts Preview as one of this season's "concerts that won't disappoint," Folger Consort, the award-winning early music ensemble-in-residence at the Folger, will perform early Spanish Christmas carols and traditional holiday music from early modern Spain and Portugal during the concert series Resplendent Joy in the Elizabethan-styled Theatre from December 5-14. Tickets ($20-$65) are available at folger.edu/resplendent.

Festival-long and free activities 

Throughout the duration of Frost Fair, visitors can look forward to many other festive activities for all ages, including:

• Storytime in the Reading Room and the Great Hall in partnership with the DC Public Library
• Printing press demonstrations to see how Shakespeare's First Folio was printed
• Craft stations to create ornaments, paper crowns, and hand fans, and coloring sheets from the Folger collection
• Walk-up tours focused on the history and architecture of the Folger Shakespeare Library
• Family workshops about Shakespearean feasting and the exhibition Imagining Shakespeare
• Holiday Sing-along on December 19 for singers of all ages and levels, with provided songbooks, holiday crafting, and much cheer
• Quill & Crumb will have seasonal treats, such as hot chocolate, a new festive latte, and specialty pastries, available for purchase
• Free gift-wrapping an the Folger Shop on November 30, December 20, and December 21, with additional shopping deals on Museum Shop Sunday, November 30

The full Folger Frost Fair schedule with dates, event details, and ticket pricing may be found at folger.edu/frostfair. 

The Folger Shakespeare Library is located at 201 East Capitol Street, SE, Washington, DC 20003, and is open Tuesday–Sunday from 11am–6pm, with extended Friday hours until 9pm. Admission is free, with a suggested donation of $15. The Folger will close at 3pm on Christmas Eve (December 24) and New Year's Eve (December 31) and is closed on Christmas Day (December 25) and New Year's Day (January 1). 

About Folger Shakespeare Library
The Folger Shakespeare Library makes Shakespeare's stories and the world in which he lived accessible. Anchored by the world's largest Shakespeare collection, the Folger is a cultural organization where curiosity and creativity are embraced, and conversation is always encouraged. Visitors to the Folger can choose how they want to experience the arts and humanities, from interactive exhibitions to captivating performances, and from path-breaking research to transformative educational programming. The Folger welcomes everyone to connect in their own way—from communities throughout Washington, DC, to communities across the globe. Learn more at www.folger.edu.

SOURCE Folger Shakespeare Library