Folger Frost Fair

Celebrate the season with a month-long winter festival at the Folger. Enjoy festive decorations, holiday music, free activities, and more.

The idea for the Folger Frost Fair was inspired by the frost fairs held in London when the River Thames completely froze in winters between the 1600s and 1800s. Londoners used the frozen river as an opportunity to take daily life to the ice—setting up stalls and booths selling food and drink and conducting commerce. People played games and held contests, and there were even printing presses on the ice from which souvenir postcards and prints were sold.

"The carnival-like atmosphere on the ice in the 17th century drew people out in spite of the cold. We want to welcome people with the same cheerful bustle of activity, along with the warmth and light of the holiday season." — Folger Director Farah Karim-Cooper