The Northern Virginia Christmas Market was supposed to fill the new DTC Expo & Events Center in Sterling with holiday shoppers this weekend. Instead, vendors got word late Tuesday night that the whole thing was off, just days before doors were set to open, leaving small business owners holding trailers full of unsold inventory and no clear timeline for getting their money back.
Organizer Events Management Group canceled the event, citing a permitting problem with the brand-new venue. In a notice to vendors, the company said the facility would not receive its occupancy permit in time for the show, according to WUSA9. On its website, the company put it bluntly: “The new facility, Dulles Town Center Expo, will not get their Occupancy Permit in time for our show,” according to Events Management Group.
The market had been scheduled to run Friday through Sunday, Nov. 6-8, at the venue in Sterling, as FFXnow reported. The DTC Expo & Events Center's president and general manager likewise pointed to a lack of occupancy approvals as the reason the show couldn't go forward, per the same outlet's reporting. Events Management Group said it only learned the news itself at 5:30 p.m. the Tuesday before opening weekend, writing on its site that “Everything was a go until 5:30pm today (Tuesday 11/3) when the General Contractor broke the news.”
How Many Vendors Were Caught Off Guard
Accounts of the cancellation's reach differ. WUSA9 reported that about 200 vendors were affected, while FFXnow put the number at roughly 150. Either way, vendors said they had no warning the venue might not be ready.
Vendors Count the Cost of a Canceled Weekend
Vendors had already prepared merchandise for the holiday shopping season and were left deciding what to do with it.
The financial hit extends beyond the vendors WUSA9 spoke with. Sun & Spruce owner Krissy Reynolds estimated the cancellation cost her business roughly $6,000 to $8,000 in lost potential revenue, according to FFXnow. At the time of that outlet's report, the events center had no compensation plan in place for vendors' expenses.
Refunds Promised, Return Date Already Set
Events Management Group said on its website that it is working to refund pre-purchased event tickets, adding that the refunds will be processed in one large batch rather than individually. The company said it feels terrible for everyone involved given the time, energy and money already invested in this year's show.
Despite the collapse, organizers are already looking ahead: Events Management Group has announced the Northern Virginia Christmas Market will return Nov. 12-14, 2027.
A New Venue Still Finding Its Footing
The DTC Expo & Events Center opened in the former Lord & Taylor space at Dulles Town Center. The venue is 120,000 square feet across two levels, according to Events Management Group, and FFXnow also reported its size as 120,000 square feet; the center had been expected to open in late October or early November before the occupancy issue surfaced.
The Greater Virginia Bridal Show, originally set for Nov. 8, was relocated to the Westfields Marriott, according to Northern Virginia Magazine. The Just Between Friends consignment show remained on the calendar for Nov. 19-22 at the DTC venue as of that publication's report, and the DMV Chocolate and Coffee Festival was slated for Nov. 14-15 at the venue, according to FFXnow, though it remained unclear whether the venue would be ready in time.
