Occoquan Regional Park celebrates grand reopening
Occoquan Regional Park held its grand reopening celebration yesterday, and throngs of visitors joined political dignitaries and community leaders in commemorating the event.
Following the official ribbon cutting and dedication ceremony for the new Jean R. Packard Center, U.S. Rep. Gerry Connolly tweeted a tribute to the life and legacy of his “mentor” Jean Packard, a community leader and environmental advocate who once served as chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors.
“Her contribution to our natural environment in Fairfax County continues to reach far beyond her time as Chairman,” he said.
The highlight of the Occoquan Recreated festival was the debut of The River View at Occoquan, a multi-million dollar events venue with sweeping views of the Occoquan River. The new facility, which features natural wood accents and floor to ceiling windows, can accommodate up to 300 seated guests for waterfront weddings and other special events.
According to River View staff, the events venue is already almost completely booked for Fall 2018 and Spring 2019 weddings. They will be holding their first open house, however, on Sunday, July 1 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., featuring food from Great Blue Heron Catering and a vendor showcase. Additionally, the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority (NOVA Parks) is giving away one free waterfront wedding at the River View with a total prize value estimated at $20,000. More information is available here.
As part of its upgrade, the park also improved its waterfront plaza and boardwalk, created a 5K paved loop trail and new playground, built a large group pavilion for rental, and opened the Brickmakers Café, a casual eatery with indoor and outdoor seating for the general public.
The Turning Point Suffragist Memorial — a national memorial to American suffragists — will be added to Occoquan Regional Park by 2020, according to Fairfax County officials. The memorial will be located next to the Jean R. Packard Center at the current Turning Point Plaza, which honors women who were once imprisoned at the Occoquan Workhouse across from the regional park.