It’s pets, paintings and fun at River Festival

At 7-years-old, Lacee says she really liked the bunnies at the petting zoo at the Occoquan River Festival on Saturday. She picked them over the ducks, ponies and goats that also filled the pens at the temporary zoo erected on Mill Street, the town’s main drag.

“I really like them because they are so soft. I think a pet goat would be too much trouble and I don’t think there is a cage big enough for the goats,” said Lacee.

She and her family were part of the hundreds who came to Occoquan, known to officials as the crown jewel of Prince William County, for the annual river festival.

In addition to the petting zoo, roving minstrels and other reenactors clothed in robes from the 17th century roamed the streets playing music and speaking with festival goers. Sidewalk sales lined the streets and those who wanted to learn more about the town took guided tours and boat rides.

Jack Dyer, an artist whose worked with the town’s Artists Undertaking art gallery for the past 14 years, stood next to passing tourists while painting a picture of a building on Mill Street.

“I started sketching out the drawing of the building about 11:30 this morning, and it’s after 2 o’clock now and I’ve used about four or five colors on it,” said Dyer. “This is one of those things that I could put down and in a month come back to it. You never really know when you’re finished with a painting and I think that comes from being too close to it.”

The festival also drew politicians who rarely waste a good opportunity to shake hands.

“One of the points of river fest is to link all of the river communities together…we’ve got Belmont Bay, we’ve got Fairfax County right across the river, and to try to get all of these communities talking and to show the people that this is a great place to come and visit, to spend your money and to keep coming back,” said Prince William County Supervisor Michael C. May, R-Occoquan.

For others, the festival was the perfect place to have a bite to eat and to relax.

Peggy Jackson, who was visiting the festival from her home near Pittsburgh, had just left a garden café and was standing on Mill Street with her newborn granddaughter, while mom and dad were getting lemonade.

“I’m just here visiting my son and daughter-in-law for the weekend, but this little one is the real reason why I’m in Virginia,” said Jackson, holding the child.