Lockfest 2026 welcomes lockpickers, locksmiths and newcomers in Virginia

Lockfest 2026 is set to bring the locksport scene to the DoubleTree by Hilton Washington DC in Crystal City from September 18-20, 2026, with TOOOL US leaning hard into the event’s open-door identity. The annual gathering is framed as a meeting place for locksport enthusiasts, locksmiths and lock collectors, not a private industry function, and the organization says no certifications, memberships or referrals are required to attend.

That openness is the point. TOOOL says Lockfest is open to people from all backgrounds and all experience levels, with entry built around a badge and the group’s Code of Conduct. Attendees must be 18 or older, or accompanied by a legal guardian, and the conduct policy covers attendees, speakers, organizers, volunteers, media, exhibitors, sponsors and staff. For a hobby built on patience, dexterity and shared technique, the structure makes room for newcomers without shutting out the seasoned pickers who have been around the scene for years.

The hotel setting reinforces that community feel. The 300 Army Navy Dr. address puts the gathering in Arlington, Virginia, with Crystal City access, Metro connections and proximity to Reagan National Airport. TOOOL is also offering a host-hotel room block at $129 per night plus fees, a setup meant to keep people on site and turn the lobby into the kind of informal all-day hangout that locksport gatherings rely on.

Lockfest also sits inside a much larger TOOOL network. TOOOL US calls itself a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to advancing public knowledge about locks and lock picking through teaching, research and competition. The U.S. chapter was founded in 2005, while TOOOL’s roots go back to the Netherlands in 2002 and earlier Dutch lockpicking organizing from 1997. Lockwiki says TOOOL US now has chapters in more than 20 states and affiliated chapters in Canada, while TOOOL Netherlands is the second oldest lockpicking sports club in the world after Germany’s SSD e.V.

For beginners, the clearest entry point is the same one that has made TOOOL visible beyond the hobby: hands-on learning. The group’s Lockpick Village is built for visitors to see how physical security hardware works and practice on locks of different difficulty levels. Lockfest is taking the same idea into a weekend format, with TOOOL inviting panels, activities, workshops and table requests for collections, trades and relevant goods, all aimed at keeping the scene public, practical and approachable.