Spotlight on the Arts Fairfax
Illumination 250 - Shining a Light on Creativity, Discovery, and Community
Illumination 250 celebrates the transformative power of creativity to connect, inspire, and illuminate. As America marks its 250th anniversary, the 2026 Spotlight on the Arts Festival will shine a light on the ideas, stories, and innovations that define Fairfax’s rich cultural identity.
This year’s theme highlights:
Creativity expressed across music, theatre, dance, film, literature, and visual arts
Discovery through both artistic exploration and emerging technologies
Community through shared experiences, participation, and collaborative imagination
The festival will bring together local artists, students, performers, makers, technologists, and the public, united by light, motion, sound, and the joy of creative expression and discovery.
Spotlight on the Arts is sponsored by the City of Fairfax in cooperation with George Mason University and the business and arts community of Fairfax. “Spotlight” is considered one of Virginia’s foremost arts festivals. For 40 years, it has continued to be committed to supporting and encouraging awareness of cultural opportunities in the greater Fairfax community.
