Taste of NoVA, the food and drink festival produced by Northern Virginia Magazine, will now be held at the NOVA LIVE campus in Manassas on October 11 and 12. The original venue, the National Museum of the U.S. Army, is temporarily closed due to the federal government shutdown.
Taste of NoVA will take place on the event field located next to MurLarkey Distilled Spirits and Proof Kitchen + Bar at the popular Prince William County venue, which is also home to 2 Silos Brewing Co. and The Black Sheep Restaurant.
“We wanted to guarantee our event could happen on the scheduled dates despite the government shutdown,” said Sang Yang, CEO of Northern Virginia Magazine. “We’re grateful to Villagio Hospitality Group and Prince William County for their extraordinary support in helping us make this happen so quickly.”
“NOVA LIVE is the perfect stage for this festival because we capture the energy, diversity, and creativity that define Northern Virginia,” said Marcus Silva, president and CEO, Villagio Hospitality Group.
Federal government workers can use promo code GOV20 to get 20 percent off of general admission tickets to Taste of NoVA with a valid government ID at TasteOfNoVA.com.
“I want to acknowledge the strong commitment of county staff, particularly the Development Services Department, who have stepped up to meet the accelerated permitting and coordination needs of this event,” said Christina Winn, executive director, Prince William County Department of Economic Development and Tourism.
A Winning Lineup
Taste of NoVA is empowered by Northern Virginia Food Rescue, a nonprofit fighting food insecurity and waste. Tickets are all-inclusive with tastings from more than 120 of the region’s acclaimed restaurants and award-winning wineries, breweries, distilleries, and mixologists over the course of the two-day event. The Inn at Little Washington, the only three-star Michelin restaurant in the region, will participate on Sunday.
This year’s food festival spotlights the talent behind the region’s most-loved dining destinations. It features live cooking demos with chef Bertrand Chemel of 2941 Restaurant and chef Bryan Yealy of the Villagio Hospitality Group, among several others; beverage pairing sessions; and a dynamic speaker series with beverage experts and social media tastemakers.
On October 12, Northern Virginia Magazine will honor The Inn at Little Washington’s chef Patrick O’Connell with a Lifetime Achievement Award recognizing his extraordinary contributions to the culinary world. He will also join NBC4 anchor Eun Yang for an intimate chat and take audience questions.
In addition to Eun Yang, Taste of NoVA’s emcee lineup includes FOX 5 DC’s Erin Como and Julie Donaldson and WUSA9’s Annie Yu. Miss Virginia USA 2025, Erin Houston, will serve as event correspondent.
Feature image courtesy NOVA LIVE
