The Alexandria Cider Festival will return to Lloyd House on Nov. 22, featuring Virginia cideries, live music, and historical context during the state’s annual Virginia Cider Week.
The Office of Historic Alexandria will host the event from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. at 220 N. Washington St., in partnership with the Virginia Association of Cider Makers. Last year’s festival sold out.
Tickets cost $50 through Nov. 2, $55 from Nov. 3-21, and $65 at the door. Designated driver tickets are $25. Online sales end at 5 p.m. on Nov. 21. Attendees must be 21 or older.
Lost Boy Cider, Ciders from Mars, and other Virginia cideries will offer tastings. Attendees receive a souvenir glass. Roaming Coyote and Scuttlebutt Bakeshop food trucks will sell food.
Lindsay, Martin, & Dobbs will perform traditional Irish music, and Hardtack & Sea Biscuits will play mid-19th-century fiddle and banjo. Tavern games will also be available.
Cider was popular in 18th- and early 19th-century Alexandria and served at taverns including Gadsby’s Tavern. Thomas Jefferson grew 18 apple varieties for cider at Monticello between 1769 and 1814. Today, more than 30 apple varieties are grown for cider production across Virginia.
Virginia Cider Week runs Nov. 16-22. The Virginia General Assembly established it in 2012.
The outdoor event’s proceeds will benefit Historic Alexandria Museums. Tickets are available online.
