Happy Thursday, Northern Virginia!
In today’s update:
🚲 Haymarket is weighing new rules for e-bikes and scooters after a packed public hearing brought out safety concerns, frustrated parents, and young riders asking for clearer guidance.
☀️ A former landfill in Lorton is getting a second life as Fairfax County’s largest solar project. The new 5-megawatt site is expected to power public buildings, support future clean-energy projects, and save residents millions over time.
🛶 A new kayak launch at Alexandria’s Four Mile Run is opening the water to more people than ever before. The nearly decade-long project brings the D.C. region its first ADA-compliant kayak access point, giving residents a safer, easier way to explore one of the city’s hidden natural gems.
Scroll down and enjoy!
—Chris Colgan
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Best Things To Do This Weekend
in the NoVA/DC Area
Sails on the Potomac | 48th ALX Jazz Fest
Celebrate America's 250th on Alexandria's historic waterfront with three days of live music spanning Americana roots, jazz, and poetry. Tour the visiting tall ships, enjoy family activities, and end with fireworks over the Potomac.
📍 Location: Waterfront Park, Alexandria
📅 Date: Jun 12–14 | 12–6 PM
🎟️ Tickets: Free
MORE INFO→
Cajun Fest at Breaux Vineyards
Laissez les bons temps rouler with a full day of New Orleans and Cajun heritage in Virginia wine country. Expect live Louisiana Zydeco music, Cajun cuisine, craft vendors, and a souvenir glass included with admission.
📍 Location: Breaux Vineyards, Purcellville
📅 Date: Jun 13 | 11 AM–6 PM
🎟️ Tickets: $20 general / $15 Cellar Club members
MORE INFO→
Orville Peck
The enigmatic masked country outlaw makes his Wolf Trap debut for a genre-bending night of musical mayhem. Pack a picnic for the lawn and hear songs from his latest EP Appaloosa and more, with Kaitlin Butts and August Ponthier.
📍 Location: Filene Center at Wolf Trap, Vienna
📅 Date: Jun 14 | 7 PM (gates 5:30 PM)
🎟️ Tickets: Starting at $51.50 (incl. fees)
MORE INFO→
🚲 Haymarket Considers New Rules for E-Bikes and Scooters
Driving the news
The Haymarket Town Council held its first public hearing June 1 on a proposed ordinance that would set age rules, speed limits and sidewalk restrictions for e-bikes and scooters.
Details
The proposal would:
Bar kids under 14 from riding without immediate adult supervision.
Ban e-bikes from sidewalks.
Cap speeds at 20 mph.
Require riders under 14 to wear helmets.
Ban riders from wearing earphones in both ears.
Set a $150 fine for violations.
Require commercial rental businesses to pay a $5,000 license fee.
Why it matters
The debate gives Haymarket a chance to make streets safer while still letting kids and families use e-bikes and scooters as a fun, low-cost way to get around town.
The big picture
Virginia already treats many e-bikes as bicycles, including models that go up to 28 mph. Local governments can add rules for sidewalks and shared-use paths, which is what Haymarket is now considering.
By the numbers
Federal safety data shows micromobility devices have led to rising injury concerns.
More than 360,000 ER visits were tied to e-bikes, scooters and similar devices from 2017 to 2022.
At least 233 deaths were reported during that period.
About 36% of injuries involved children 14 or younger.
Two Virginia hospitals reported 175 trauma visits tied to e-scooter and e-bike crashes in 2025.
Between the lines
Many residents agree safety is a real concern.
The harder question is where young riders should go in a town with few bike lanes and growing use of electric rides.
What’s next
A second public hearing is set for June 23.
The council plans a June 29 work session and could vote on the ordinance in July.
🎥 INSANE Homes For Less in Northern Virginia New Community
☀️ County’s Largest Solar Project
Opens in Lorton
Driving the news
A closed Lorton landfill is now Fairfax County’s largest solar project, turning unused public land into a long-term source of clean power and savings.
Fairfax County leaders cut the ribbon May 28 on a 5-megawatt solar project at the I-95 Landfill Complex, the county’s 13th solar installation.
Details
The landfill stopped taking waste in 1992 and was fully capped in 2008.
The project was first proposed in 2017 and cleared by the Virginia General Assembly in 2020.
Power from the site will move through Dominion Energy’s grid to support county facilities, including schools and community centers.
Madison Energy Infrastructure developed the project.
Why it matters
The project is expected to save the county about $12 million over its lifespan while putting old landfill land back to public use.
County officials called it a major step in Fairfax’s clean-energy plan, showing how public land that once handled waste can now help power local buildings.
Also, the savings could help support more solar projects at schools, community centers and government buildings across the county.
What’s next
Fairfax County has set long-term goals to expand solar use across county buildings by 2040 and homes by 2050.
🎥 Why Northern Virginia Is CHANGING Right Now (Here's How)
🛶 Alexandria Opens D.C. Region’s
First ADA Kayak Launch
Driving the news
A new public kayak launch opened May 9 at Four Mile Run Park, giving Alexandria its first ADA-compliant kayak access point, and the first of its kind in the D.C. region.
Details
The launch is located at 3700 Commonwealth Avenue in Arlandria and is open from dawn to dusk for kayaks, canoes and other non-motorized boats.
The site includes a raised boardwalk ramp, gangway, floating dock, wheelchair transfer platform and roller system.
The project was built with the Four Mile Run Conservancy.
City officials and community members marked the opening with a ribbon cutting, music and family activities.
Why it matters
It opens Four Mile Run to more residents, including people with disabilities, beginners and families looking for safe outdoor recreation close to home.
The big picture
Four Mile Run connects to the Potomac River Water Trail and gives paddlers access to wetlands and natural areas that have been hard to reach from the water.
By the numbers
The project took nearly a decade to complete and cost about $600,000, funded through public and private support, including Alexandria’s Community Matching Fund and environmental groups.
Between the lines
City leaders say it will also support environmental education, clean-up events, guided paddles and youth programs focused on the local ecosystem.
What’s next
Community programming is expected to bring more residents to the water while helping people learn about the plants, wildlife and waterways around Four Mile Run.
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