On July 27^th at 8 am the sixty-five foot American Spirit Schooner will set sail from Old Town Alexandria to Belmont Bay in Woodbridge as a part of the Occoquan River Festival.   A few months ago I penned a post about the planning for the Occoquan River Festival through the new Occoquan River Communities committee made up of local businesses and residents along the Occoquan River.  After months of hard work the Occoquan River Festival is gearing up for its big debut.

The American Spirit Schooner will be docking at the Belmont Bay Marina around 11 am.   The boat will be open for FREE tours throughout the day and then at 4:30 will make the return trip to Old Town Alexandria.  It will be a spectacular and rare sight to see this ship sailing up the Occoquan River into Prince William County. 

Throughout the day water taxis will be available for festival participants between the various venues in Old Town Occoquan, Occoquan Regional Park and Belmont Bay.   Each venue will be providing a variety of entertainment options including tethered hot air balloon rides, historical reenactments, kayak demonstrations, food and music.  Belmont Bay will also host the traveling exhibit from the Children's Science Museum. 

The Occoquan River Festival is a new event that joins the calendar of "Seasons on the Occoquan" which debuted this year as well.  The committee looks forward to growing this event in the future and helping to encourage the understanding of the history of the Occoquan River and its importance to conservation in Prince William County.

So mark your calendars for July 27^th.  As a founding member of the Occoquan River Communities I'm looking forward to seeing everyone enjoying a day the river!    

Event schedule for the Occoquan River Festival