RiverFest & Craft Show
June 3-4, 2023 from 10am-5pm
Occoquan's annual RiverFest & Craft Show is the perfect kick off to summer! Over 200 artisans fill the streets of the historic district for a weekend of family fun.
In additional to great arts and crafts, you will find our popular Beer & Wine Garden with live concerts in River Mill Park. Here with the family? Head to Conservation Alley for performances, demonstrations, recycled crafts, eats, music, and plenty of love for the natural world. Through our Jr. Passport program, kids can earn a Conservation Alley sticker badge while learning simple ways to protect our wildlife and water. On Sunday, do NOT miss our first ever Whatever Floats Your Boat Parade! Of course, all your favorite Occoquan shops, galleries, and restaurants will be open to enjoy!
Admission: FREE | Shuttle $8 each or 2 for $15
Festival Schedule
Arts & Crafts
10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Do you love to shop? The wonderful weekend you know and love is back. Get ready for 200+ Artisans, Makers, and Creators to fill the streets of Occoquan for this dynamic new festival. Plus, 35 of our local businesses are participating, and we have scores of emerging artists with eco-friendly materials and/or processes.
River Fun
10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Say hello and meet the river during RiverFest!
Whatever Floats Your Boat Parade!
Sunday at 10:30 a.m.
As part of our festivities on Sunday, get ready to watch the first ever Whatever Floats Your Boat Parade on the Occoquan! Entrants have creatively designed and decorated a river vessel -- be it raft, canoe, inflatable, dinghy, kayak, rowboat--and will ride, paddle, or row the 1/2 mile along the coastline of town to arrive at the Occoquan footbridge by 11am where judging will take place. Visitors can watch the parade from the Town Dock, Conservation Alley, or at the footbridge. The award ceremony is at 2pm in River Mill Park.
Kayak / SUP Rentals
Paddle the Occoquan with Penguin Paddling. Ducks, eagles, osprey, herons and many varieties of reptiles, fish, and even beavers can be spotted!
-
Single Kayaks: $20/Hour, $65/Day
-
Double Kayaks: $25/Hour, $75/Day
-
Standup Paddleboards (SUP): $25/Hour, $75/Day
Beer & Wine Garden, plus Live Music
12:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
River Mill Park, with its spectacular views of the river, is the perfect spot for concerts, food, and adult beverages. Ample seating makes this a great place to take a break, grab a drink, and enjoy something tasty.
Saturday
12pm-4pm
Up All Night
Sunday
12pm-4pm
Ashleigh Chevalier Band
Conservation Alley & Jr. Passport
10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Explore Conservation Alley, packed with family fun, performances, demonstrations, recycled crafts, eats, music, and plenty of love for the natural world! Journey with Jr. Passport and earn a Conservation Alley sticker badge while learning simple ways to protect our wildlife and water.
Pop into Town Hall to see these limited ticketed performances:
Saturday
Kids Nature Puppet Shows
Meet a variety of wildly exciting animal puppets while learning about many of the Earth’s major biomes as Caroline Seitz presents her popular Wetlands and Biomes puppet shows. Shows at 12:30pm and 2pm. Tickets available soon.
Sunday
Reptile World
Get up close and personal with an interesting selection of live, large, colorful, and gentle reptiles from all over the world. Discover what reptiles are (and aren't), what makes them different from birds and mammals, and how important they are in our environment. Shows at at 12pm and 2pm. Tickets available soon.
Getting Here
Location
The Town of Occoquan is located less than a mile from I-95, just 20 miles south of Washington, DC.
CAR TRAVEL
When traveling north or south on I-95, take exit 160 west (Route 123/Ox Road) for 0.6 miles. Parking in town is blocked off during festival days, however shuttle service is available from three convenient lots (see below for details). Dropping off visitors is permitted at the Yellow Lot shuttle stop in town (under the Rt. 123 bridge). See our accessibility section for more information.
AIR TRAVEL
Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (Located closest to Occoquan, about a 25 minute drive.)
Washington Dulles International Airport (Located northwest of town, about a 35 minute drive.)
RAIL TRAVEL
Both Amtrak and Virginia Railway Express (VRE) provide convenient service to Occoquan, via the Woodbridge, VA railway station. The Lorton Amtrak Car station is 5-10 minutes away as well.
Shuttle Service
Shuttles are $8 round trip per person or 2 for $15. Children 12 and under ride FREE. Visitors may park at designated lots and hop a shuttle into Town.
Lake Ridge Commuter Lot, Woodbridge, VA
(Corner of Old Bridge & Minnieville Roads)
Drop off/pick up located at Commerce St. & Washington St. shuttle stop
Rt. 123 Commuter Lot, Woodbridge, VA
(Corner of Rt. 123 & Old Bridge Rd.)
Drop off/pick up at Footbridge shuttle stop by River Mill Park
Workhouse Arts Center, Lorton, VA
Drop off/pick up at the shuttle stop under the Rt. 123 Bridge
General Information
ATM Locations
-
Inside Madigan’s Waterfront Restaurant at 201 Mill Street
-
At the VFW at 204 Mill Street
Restrooms
-
Restrooms are located throughout the event area. Detailed locations will be made available in our Festival Map.
First Aid
-
A First Aid Tent, made available by O.W.L., is located at 209 Washington Street during the festival.
Accessibility
Shuttle Service
-
Shuttle buses are not, in general, wheelchair accessible.
-
Steps are required to get in and out of shuttle buses.
-
Visitors may opt to be dropped off at a shuttle stop and have a driver park at satellite parking. The Yellow shuttle stop (under the 123 bridge) is the flattest area for wheelchair users.
Parking
-
Accessible parking is available in town under the Route 123 Bridge, which can be reached via Poplar Lane during the run of the craft show.
-
Accessible parking is also available on Commerce Street. Patrons wishing to use this space should travel in on Washington Street, where they will be directed to spaces by police. Please note that there is a hill from Commerce to Mill.
General Accessibility
-
The main streets of the festival are mostly flat, with slight inclines. Businesses in town are in a mix of historic and modern buildings, making full accessibility varied from business to business. We recommend contacting a business directly to inquire about wheelchair accessibility.
-
Access to River Mill Park in accessible via two ramps. Access to the Beer & Wine Garden and Concert area may require leaving paved pathways, into grassy areas.
-
Accessible restrooms are located throughout the festival. See the Festival Map for locations, closer to the event.
- Seating is available throughout the festival. See the Festival Map for locations, closer to the event.
Vendor Directory
A full vendor directory will be made available closer to the event. Follow us on Instagram and Facebook for a sneak peek of what vendors will be exhibiting this year!