Historic downtown Occoquan, VA, transforms into a festive Hallmark-like town for the holiday season with events such as the Annual Tree Lighting, Santa Sing-A-Long, and Shop Late nights. Visitors can enjoy shopping, entertainment, and family fun while participating in contests and writing letters to Santa through mid-December.

Press release:

SHOP, DINE, & WIN CONTEST
November 23 – December 15
Historic District

Shop and dine at your favorite Occoquan businesses for a chance to win $1,600+ in Occoquan business gift cards! Occoquan merchants have unique offerings of home decor, clothing, gourmet food, fine art, beauty, chocolates, jewelry, stationery, and gifts for all ages. See a list of participating businesses and rules for play at visitoccoquanva.com/holiday.

SHOP SMALL WEEKEND
November 29 – December 1
Historic District

Occoquan is home to 80+ brick and mortar small businesses, open all year long! When you #shopsmall and #shoplocal, you’re supporting your neighborhood artists, independent shopkeepers, restaurant owners, and their hardworking staff. Businesses are busy curating unique holiday selections just for you and many will have Black Friday and Shop Small Saturday sales!

SANTA SING-A-LONG
December 7 at 11:00am
River Mill Park

Visit with Santa while you are in town! The big guy will arrive by boat at the town dock at Mamie Davis Park (202 Mill Street) around 10:30am. Kids of all ages are then invited to parade with Santa down Mill Street to River Mill Park, where he will have a sing-a-long with kids. This event is free, no tickets required. Sponsored in part by VFW Post 7916.

HOLIDAY SHOP LATE NIGHTS
December 6, 13, and 20

Historic District

Need a little extra time to get all that #shopsmall holiday shopping done? Select businesses will be open until 8 p.m. or later on Friday nights in December, giving you more time to get the good stuff. See a list of participating businesses at visitoccoquanva.com/shoplate.

LETTERS TO SANTA
November 23 – December 15

Occoquan Town Hall

Drop your letter to Santa in our special North Pole mailboxes at Town Hall (314 Mill Street) or Tiny Supply Co. (125 Mill Street) from November 23 to December 15. Free coloring and fill-in Santa letters with envelopes will be available to kids of all ages at Tiny Supply Co. If you include a return address, Santa will send a personalized letter back!

For updates or to learn more about holiday events in Occoquan, go to visitoccoquanva.com/holiday.

Fairfax Water will test the Occoquan Dam Siren warning system on Wednesday, November 20, at 10 a.m. The sirens are intended to alert people near the Occoquan River to seek higher ground in case of a dam failure.

Press Release from the Town of Occoquan:

On Wednesday, November 20, 2024, at 10:00 a.m., Fairfax Water will conduct its annual test of the Occoquan Dam Siren warning system. Sirens in this warning system are designed to alert people to seek higher ground in the highly unlikely event that there is ever a massive failure of the Occoquan River Dam. The impact zone includes areas in Prince William and Fairfax Counties located immediately adjacent to the Occoquan River from the Town of Occoquan to Belmont Bay. For more information, including to hear what the siren sounds like, go to https://www.fairfaxwater.org/occoquan-reservoir/occoquan-dam-siren.

Press Release:

Join us for a wonderful holiday tradition in Occoquan on the evening of Saturday, November 23, 2024. This is our popular tree lighting and shop late event that will for the third year in a row include our Holiday Firelight activities.

The tree lighting itself will take place in front of Town Hall (314 Mill Street) at 6:00 p.m. From 5:00 – 9:00 p.m. visitors can also enjoy fire pits, marshmallow roasting, caroling, hot coca, and more by the Mill House Museum (413 Mill Street). Marshmallows for roasting are free, while hot cocoa, hot cider, adult drinks, and s’mores kits will be available for purchase.

And, of course, we would like to encourage everyone to shop in our Occoquan stores and restaurants for your holiday and entertainment needs. By doing so you will be supporting local artists, business owners, and their hardworking staffs. Our shops are busy preparing holiday items for you and a number of them will be open until 8:00 p.m. or later.

Worried about parking? There will be FREE shuttle service from 1:00 – 9:00 p.m. from the Old Bridge Road/Route 123 Commuter lot. Drop off points will be at Mamie Davis Park (200 Washington Street) and Town Hall (314 Mill Street).

At the Occoquan Town Council’s November 6 meeting, members revisited the Riverwalk Project, a long-anticipated expansion to connect more of the town’s waterfront to its main pedestrian pathways.

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The 2024 Fall Arts and Crafts Show in Occoquan, held from September 27 to September 29, wrapped up with positive reviews, high attendance, and valuable lessons learned. Despite challenges, the community and vendors enjoyed a weekend filled with art, crafts, and unique experiences, establishing the show as a beloved event in the town’s calendar.

Organized by town employee Julie Little and her team, this year’s show featured hundreds of vendors offering handmade items, artisanal products, and creative experiences. Many vendors were excited to showcase and purchase items before the upcoming Christmas, recognizing the show as a prime opportunity to kick-start holiday sales and stock up on unique gifts and decorations.

“Imagination Alley,” spearheaded by team member Tammy, was particularly popular, capturing the attention of younger attendees with its interactive exhibits. Kids and families were also thrilled by the kid entrepreneurs showcased at the event, highlighting the town’s commitment to inspiring young business minds.

During a recent Town Council meeting, members and public safety teams worked closely to ensure the event ran smoothly despite some instances of traffic and parking enforcement. Six vendors received tickets due to traffic violations, which emphasized public safety. Feedback from the community suggested improvements, particularly in communicating rules around vehicle movement in restricted zones. Town Manager Adam and the team plan to implement more visible signage and other reminders for vendors in future events.

Vice Mayor Jenn M. Loges praised the event’s organization, noting the dedication of all involved. “It’s always fantastic to see our community come together to support creativity and small business,” she said. Council Member Nancy Freeborne Brinton echoed the sentiment, celebrating the “art-focused” atmosphere created by the beautiful installations and the diversity of the vendors.

The Occoquan Town Council and public safety staff will continue refining the show to enhance the experience for vendors and visitors, aiming to make future events more welcoming and safe. The town also acknowledges the contributions of sponsors like AARP, Kitchen Saver, and local businesses that added value to this year’s event, helping to offset costs and deliver a memorable experience for all attendees.

The next big events in Occoquan are Christmas-themed, with the town tree lighting ceremony planned for Saturday, November 23.

 

The Occoquan Town Council will meet on Tuesday, November 5, 2024, to discuss a significant milestone in the development of the Occoquan Riverwalk. The public meeting will begin at 7 p.m. at the town hall, 314 Mill Street.

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From Mayor Earnie Porta:

Some of you may have noticed new 20 mph signs on a small stretch of Washington Street in Occoquan. Effective this past July 1, the Commonwealth of Virginia authorized localities to reduce the speed limit to no lower than 15 mph on state roads within a locality’s boundaries.

In accordance with that authority, and as reported earlier in a town newsletter, the Occoquan Town Council has decided to lower the speed limit to 20 mph on a section of Washington Street. Now, before I hear from a legion of self-proclaimed traffic experts, let me take a moment to explain the town’s rationale for the change.

First, as many of you have no doubt observed, our town police regularly assist in slowing and stopping traffic around school bus stops. This effort on the part of our town police is part of our commitment to enhancing the safety of children in high traffic areas of town. The stretch of Washington Street where the new speed limit signs have been installed is one such high traffic location.

Second, and I encourage people to read thoughtfully what I am conveying here, 30 mph is simply an unsafe speed for this particular portion of Washington Street, both because of school bus traffic in that area and due to the presence of two crosswalks. It is an unfortunate reality, however, that this speed is too often met or exceeded, particularly during afternoon commuting hours and at night.

Given that the judicial system generally frowns on tickets issued for going only fives mile per hour over the speed limit, the prior maximum speed limit of 25 mph provided us with little ability to deter those traveling at a speed unsafe for that stretch of road. Third and last, to increase the safety of the two crosswalks located on this stretch of Washington Street, particularly during non-daylight hours, we have long wanted to place flashing outline lights on the crosswalk signs to alert drivers to the presence of pedestrians. Unfortunately, VDOT will not authorize us to do so.

By installing our own 20 mph speed limit signs, however, we can eventually place such lights on those signs, thus further enhancing pedestrian safety in the area. While we have had to take a somewhat circuitous route to achieve our goals, we feel confident that the steps taken will help enhance the safety of an area about which residents have long been concerned. It is our hope, of course, that residents, visitors, and commuters will cooperate in this endeavor for the benefit of all.

Update from Mayor Earnie Porta:

Join us Saturday, October 26, 2024, at 10:00 a.m. for our annual family-friendly Halloween Costume Parade and Contest. Meet at the Riverwalk Shops at 125 Mill Street, from which we will begin our parade down Mill Street to River Mill Park. At the park judging will take place for the categories of cutest, scariest, funniest, most original, and family/group. First place winners in each category will receive $25 gift certificates that can be used at select businesses in town. No advance registration is necessary, there is no fee to participate, and this event is open to everyone. (To accommodate the parade Mill Street will be closed briefly on a rolling basis between 10:00 and 10:30 a.m.). For more information go to the Visit Occoquan web site at https://www.visitoccoquanva.com/costumeparade. Hope that you can join us for this popular annual Occoquan event.

Original post — Halloween decorations have brought the spooks and goblins to Occoquan. Skeletons, witches, pumpkins, and more line the windows and storefronts on Mill Street.

The Prince William County Circuit Court Clerk will host a special winter edition of the “Seal the Deal” event in Occoquan on Dec. 13.

The clerk, Jacqueline Smith, will host this special event for civil celebrant weddings and vow renewals in Occoquan, chock-full of riverfront views and small businesses to enjoy following a ceremony. The event will be held at the Occoquan Town Hall (314 Mill St.) and provide couples the chance to exchange vows in the historic building.

To schedule a marriage license application and ceremony, contact the clerk’s office at 703-792-6036 or at [email protected]. More information on marriage licenses can be found on the county’s website.