About
A Mission Serving Our Entire Community
Fairfax County, Virginia, is a large and ever-changing community. Steeped in history, the county has seen tremendous growth and has a bright future. But in a place this big (get a sense of its size below) and this dynamic (also below), how does Fairfax County develop and maintain a strong community identity?
Celebrate Fairfax exists to fill this need. Our vision is to connect and celebrate our community. Furthermore, our mission is to develop and support community experiences that bring people together and create a sense of belonging. We envision a vibrant community for all, a place where people feel a lasting sense of community and connection. This is no small mission, but we have over four decades invested in this work. Our history is a special story of evolving with the needs of the County.
How do we do it? Every day looks a little bit different for the Celebrate Fairfax team. But first and foremost we fulfill our mission to build community by working in partnership. Everything we do is in collaboration with the stakeholders in our community ranging from county agencies, organizations, other nonprofits, elected officials, and community members. We all have the same goal to make Fairfax County a special place for all.
Our work is multi-layered, starting with three focus areas: placemaking, events, and special initiatives. Working in partnership in these areas, we celebrate people, art, recreation, and culture. Finally, we connect and engage across the community. Learn about all this work below and then see our impact.
Fairfax County by the Numbers
- 406+ square miles
- 1.2+ million people
- 31,000 + employers
- 2,000 + nonprofits
- 2,000+ arts organizations
- 190,000 students in Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS)
Fairfax County at a Glance
- Home to 11 Fortune 500 company headquarters, including Booz Allen Hamilton, Capital One Financial, General Dynamics, Hilton Worldwide, Northrop Grumman, SAIC, and others.
- Largest public research university in Virginia: George Mason University
- If Fairfax County were a city, it would rank as the 10th largest in the United States, making it larger than major U.S. cities such as San Francisco, Seattle, Baltimore, Atlanta, and Miami.
Fulfilling Our Mission: CF Connect & CF Engage
Get Connected
We connect you with information, resources, opportunities and more as a key component of building a vibrant community! First, learn how to connect with us through our communication platforms, and our CF Connect Guides to connect you to our community.
Get Engaged
There are so many ways to participate and get involved in our community through Celebrate Fairfax! opportunities for all to engage are another important aspect of our community-building mission. Learn about ongoing opportunities to engage and special CF Engage initiatives.
Fulfilling Our Mission:
People, Art, Recreation, Culture
Finally, throughout all our work, we celebrate people, art, recreation and culture in Fairfax County, and work in partnership with diverse groups, organizations, and individuals:
People
We celebrate the every day lives and accomplishments of the people in Fairfax County, and provide opportunities for community members to connect and engage in our community.
Art
Fairfax County is known as a vibrant art community. We work in partnership with arts organizations to elevate the arts and provide opportunities for all to access and experience art.
Recreation
Activities done for enjoyment are important to celebrate in community. We provide free access to recreational opportunities as well as opportunities to meet recreational providers and learn more about their services.
Culture
We provide opportunities for all to celebrate the customs, achievements, and institutions in Fairfax County.
In the News
Over 40 years of building community
Our history is intertwined with the growth of Fairfax County. Our nonprofit organization was officially formed in 1983 as a result of two years of work by a blue-ribbon panel comprised of Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, elected officials and community leaders seeking a way to physically find a way to bring the residents together when it lacked a centralized downtown.
Out of this desire, the new nonprofit organization was formed, Faxfair Corporation, with the purpose of strengthening quality of life and building a sense of community in Fairfax County.
This mission was to be fulfilled by producing the Fair, educational and cultural programming, other public events and by collaborating throughout the County in support of community life.
In 1997, our nonprofit organization changed its name from Faxfair Corporation to Celebrate Fairfax, Inc. to better align with the type of work the organization was doing in the community.
Since we were created decades ago, Fairfax County has experienced tremendous growth and development. Alongside these changes, our work has evolved and developed, while staying true to the mission of building a vibrant community.
We are best known for producing the Celebrate Fairfax! Festival from 1981-2019, a world-class event spanning three days and tens of thousands of participants. But beyond the Festival, we have always been an integral part of developing our community.
As we emerge from the pandemic as a community, we have reimagined our work to take the experiences of coming together as a community from the 3 days of the festival and find innovative ways to support the community 365 days a year. Learn more about the history and evolution of Celebrate Fairfax and Fairfax County through the timeline below.