🏗️ After decades of planning, delays, and changing visions, one of Loudoun County’s most talked-about developments is finally breaking ground.

🎈 Hot air balloons, wine, live music, and a glow show at sunset? One of Virginia’s most unique spring festivals is back this May, and it’s only a short drive from NoVA.

🏛️ A towering new 250-foot arch has been approved for Washington, D.C., and it would stand more than twice the height of the Lincoln Memorial.

Scroll down and enjoy!

—Chris Colgan

Sample bites from local restaurants, enjoy live music, family activities, and one of Northern Virginia’s most popular annual community food festivals benefiting the Vienna Volunteer Fire Department.
📍 Location: Vienna Volunteer Fire Department, Vienna
📅 Date: April 25 | 11 AM – 8 PM
🎟️ Tickets: Free admission
MORE INFO→

Spend the afternoon tasting wines from Loudoun County wineries with live music, food trucks, artisan vendors, and scenic vineyard views in DC’s Wine Country.
📍 Location: Old Farm Winery at Hartland, Aldie
📅 Date: April 25–26 | 12 PM – 5 PM
🎟️ Tickets: Starting at $45
MORE INFO→

Run or cheer on racers during Northern Virginia’s marquee spring race featuring a half marathon, 5K, and Kids Dash through Old Town and the scenic George Washington Parkway.
📍 Location: Old Town Alexandria, Alexandria
📅 Date: April 26 | 7 AM
🎟️ Tickets: Starting at $55
MORE INFO→

NOT ENOUGH? SEE 10+ GREAT THINGS TO DO THIS WEEKEND→

Driving the news: County leaders this week marked the start of construction on Rivana at Innovation Station, a long-planned mixed-use development at Rt. 28 and the Dulles Toll Road.

After years of revisions and debate, the project is moving from vision to reality with homes, retail, offices, hotels, and public space.

Details:

Why it matters: This is good news for the local area because it turns a long-watched site near Metro into a walkable community that can bring new housing, jobs, shopping, and public gathering space.

For Loudoun, it also supports the county’s push to grow around transit and create places where residents can live, work, and spend money closer to home.

The big picture: Rivana has been in the works for decades. The Loudoun side was first rezoned in 1989 for a research and development park, but the vision kept shifting as market conditions changed.

More recent versions included Dulles World Center and The Hub before county leaders approved the current Rivana plan in 2023.

Between the lines: Local officials used the groundbreaking to make clear this site was always meant to be more than industrial space.

County Chair Phyllis Randall said leaders pushed back for years against ideas like data center or industrial use, holding to a vision of dense housing, entertainment, retail, and a community built around Metro access.

That message matters because it shows Rivana is being framed as a model for what transit-area growth should look like in Loudoun.

What’s next: Construction is starting with the first phase, which includes apartments, hospitality, office space, and a retail village.

Taller office and residential buildings are planned to follow in later phases as the project builds out over time.

The bottom line: Rivana’s groundbreaking is a milestone for a site that spent years in planning.

Now, county leaders are betting that patience will pay off with a major new mixed-use destination in the Silver Line corridor.

DIVE INTO THE PROJECT→

If you’re looking for a spring weekend that feels a little more memorable than the usual dinner out or winery stop, this is one to know about.

The Wine, Balloons & Tunes Festival returns to Wind Vineyards at Laurel Grove from May 8 to May 10, combining hot air balloons, wine, live music, food trucks, and family-friendly attractions into one full festival experience.

It’s about 1.5 to 2 hours from most of Northern Virginia, which makes it a very doable day trip.

Hot Air Balloons: The main attraction. Expect balloon launches at sunrise and near sunset, when conditions are best.

Balloon Glow at Dusk: Friday and Saturday evenings, balloons light up after sunset. If you’ve never seen one in person, this is usually the can’t-miss moment.

Festival Atmosphere: Wine, sangria, cider, food trucks, vendors, live music, and open space to explore.

Family Friendly Extras: Kid activities and even monster truck rides are planned throughout the weekend.

Go for the evening if you want the best visuals
The balloon glow is expected to be the most popular experience.

Book early
Ticket prices typically rise closer to the event, and popular times can sell out.

Watch the weather
Balloon activity depends on wind and rain.

Don’t bring outside food or drinks
Venue rules prohibit it.

I put together the full breakdown, tips, FAQs, and everything to know before you go on my website. Click below for the complete guide.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE DETAILS→

Driving the news: The federal Commission of Fine Arts approved Trump’s proposed 250-foot arch overlooking the Potomac River.

The structure, described by the White House as the “Independence Arch” or “United States Triumphal Arch,” would rise more than twice the height of the Lincoln Memorial.

Details:

The big picture: The arch plan is part of a wider push by Trump to reshape high-visibility federal spaces.

That effort also includes the White House ballroom project, which has already changed the footprint of the White House grounds.

Between the lines: While the arch project is moving forward, Trump’s building plans elsewhere are facing legal friction.

A federal judge ruled that some above-ground work tied to the White House ballroom cannot continue without congressional approval, though safety and structural work may proceed.

What’s next: The arch now moves from design approval into the next phase of planning and execution.

Meanwhile, the Justice Department is appealing the judge’s ruling on the White House ballroom, setting up another legal fight over how far the project can go without Congress.

DIVE INTO THE PROJECT→

Reply and let me know what you liked the most and what you’d like to see in next week’s newsletter. See ya!