Ampersand International Arts Festival returns to Williamsburg March 16 – 22
Ampersand International Arts Festival is Packed with an Exciting Lineup of Free and Ticketed Programs!
The Ampersand International Arts Festival returns to Williamsburg, March 16 – March 22. The festival features 50 programs featuring special guests conversations, films, live performances, author talks and more.
All events are ticketed individually. Many programs are free and do not require a ticket. View the full line up of programs and additional information at ampersandfestival.com.
Most festival events take place at Kimball Theatre, College of William & Mary, or Muscarelle Museum of Art.
2026 Spotlight Programs:
March 19: Jennifer Egan Reception & Book Signing – Jennifer Egan is an award-winning novelist and journalist, best known for A Visit From the Goon Squad, which won the 2011 Pulitzer Prize. She also wrote Manhattan Beach and The Candy House, and has served as President of PEN America.
March 19: Humor Magazine Live – You’ve seen their work on Saturday Night Live, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, The New Yorker, and beyond. See them live for a laughter-filled evening of short comedy pieces, cartoons, audience interactions, and more! Featuring Katie Rich, Aaron Jackson, Asher Perlman, Jen Spyra, and Steve Waltien. Ticket needed for this event.
March 20: A Conversations with Leslie David Baker – Best known for playing Stanley Hudson on the Emmy Award–winning NBC series The Office. He has also appeared in films like The Happytime Murders and Wish I Was Here, along with numerous television shows, animated projects, and national commercials. Ticket required for this event.
March 20: Sarah Jarosz – Six-time GRAMMY Award–winning singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist known for her contemporary folk and Americana sound. Her seventh album, Polaroid Lovers, features intimate, emotionally rich songwriting and showcases her luminous vocals and masterful musicianship. This is a ticketed event and a limited number of Meet & Greet tickets are available.
March 21: Poetry Showcase – This event celebrates spoken word poetry and its cultural impact, featuring performances by youth and adult poets and musicians that highlight the art form’s intergenerational power to bring people together. The showcase is hosted by Williamsburg’s inaugural Poet Laureate, Lacroy “Atlas” Nixon. FREE event, seating is first come.
March 21: Conversation with Cecily Strong – Cecily Strong is an actress and author best known for her decade as a cast member on Saturday Night Live, earning Emmy nominations for her work. She has starred in the Apple TV+ series Schmigadoon!, appeared on Broadway and in major stage productions, acted in films such as Ghostbusters, and released her memoir This Will All Be Over Soon. This is a ticketed event.
Highlighted Programs:
March 16: Dinner & A Movie – Enjoy a prix fixe dinner at Blue Talon Bistro followed by a screening of Sentimental Value. Ticket includes meal, taxes, gratuity, and a film ticket. Tickets for the film only are also available.
March 18: The Best Man Show – An interactive dark comedy in which Mark Vigeant plays Paul, the groom’s brother, giving a toast at a polyamorous wedding. What begins as playful wedding roasting spirals into a chaotic, drunken unraveling as Paul confronts love, loneliness, and his own toxic masculinity with audience members joining in. Ticket is required.
March 21: Jenny Hagel Gives Advice – Jenny Hagel (W&M ’98) is an Emmy-nominated writer and performer for Late Night with Seth Meyers, where she co-created “Jokes Seth Can’t Tell.” In her interactive live show, she gives humorous (and questionable) life advice to audience members, then brings a real therapist onstage to judge how she did. Ticket required.
March 21: Festival Reception – Enjoy appetizers and an open bar with wine and beer selections while mingling with festival guests and attendees. Ticket required.
March 22: Project: A performance-Lecture on the Mental Architecture of Magic – Jeanette Andrews presents a performance-lecture blending interactive magic, live drawings, and philosophical discussion to explore perception and belief. Using everyday objects and sleight of hand, she creates surreal illusions that examine why we believe in the seemingly impossible.
Additional information and the full schedule at ampersandfestival.com.
The Ampersand International Arts Festival is produced by AVAdventure Productions, with main sponsorship support from the City of Williamsburg. Other sponsors include Colonial Williamsburg and William & Mary.
Author
