🎆 22 fireworks shows. 16 days. Every date, time, and price you need to plan your Fourth in NoVA.

🔥 One of football’s biggest events is heading to the National Mall, and D.C. could see massive crowds, national attention and a major boost for local businesses when the NFL Draft arrives in 2027.

🏟️ D.C.’s RFK campus could soon look very different. A new draft plan imagines the 174-acre site as a year-round destination with thousands of homes, hotels, shops, parks and better access to the Anacostia River, all centered around the Commanders’ future stadium.

Scroll down and enjoy!

—Chris Colgan

Celebrate Independence Day in Middleburg — Noon at Middleburg Community Center, 101 N. Madison St. Free.

Independence Day in Historic Downtown Manassas — 3–10 p.m. on the Manassas Museum lawn, 9101 Prince William St. Free.

Fireworks in the Valley! at Bluemont Vineyard — 4–10 p.m. at 18755 Foggy Bottom Rd., Bluemont. $20 (21+), $15 (under 21).

The Big Boom at Great Meadow — 4 p.m. at 5089 Old Tavern Rd., The Plains. $60+ per car.

Franklin Park Independence Day Celebration — 5–10 p.m. at 17501 Franklin Park Dr., Purcellville. Free.

Stafford County 4th of July Spectacular — 6 p.m. at John Lee Pratt Memorial Park, 120 River Rd., Fredericksburg. Free.

Concert and Fireworks at Ida Lee Park — 6 p.m. at 60 Ida Lee Dr. NW, Leesburg. Free.

Great Falls 4th of July Fireworks — 6–9:30 p.m. at Turner Farm, 925 Springvale Rd., Great Falls. Free ($20 suggested donation).

City of Fairfax Evening Show & Fireworks — 6:30–10:30 p.m. at Fairfax High School, 3501 Lion Run. Free.

Herndon's 4th of July Celebration — 6:30 p.m. at Bready Park, 814 Ferndale Ave., Herndon. Free.

July 4th Fireworks in Fredericksburg — 9 p.m. at Fredericksburg Convention Center, Carl D. Silver Pkwy. Free.

The NFL is bringing one of its biggest fan events to Washington, D.C., with the 2027 draft set for a three-day run on the National Mall.

Driving the news
The NFL Draft will take place April 29-May 1, 2027, from Third Street to Seventh Street NW, with the main stage on Fourth Street NW and the U.S. Capitol as the backdrop.

Details
The Washington Commanders will host the event, with Events D.C. helping the NFL plan and stage the draft.

Why it matters
This is a major tourism win for the D.C. area.

The draft is expected to bring fans into local hotels, restaurants, shops and transit hubs, giving the region a strong economic boost.

The big picture
This will be the first NFL Draft in Washington since 1941, when the event was held at the Willard Hotel.

After decades in New York, the NFL began moving the draft to other cities in 2015.

By the numbers
The 2027 draft is expected to draw about 1 million fans and create roughly $250 million in economic impact for the D.C. region.

Between the lines
Hosting the draft on the National Mall gives the NFL a high-profile setting while giving D.C. a chance to show it can handle a large sports event in one of the country’s most watched public spaces.

The bottom line
The NFL Draft is set to bring huge crowds, national attention and a strong local spending boost to Washington, D.C., in spring 2027.

READ THE FULL ARTICLE→

D.C. has released a draft master plan for the 174-acre RFK campus, laying out a new vision for a stadium-centered neighborhood with housing, retail, hotels, offices, parks and waterfront access.

Driving the news
The plan, created with Gensler, maps out how the land around the future Washington Commanders stadium could become a year-round mixed-use district.

Details
The draft plan divides the campus into six districts, with the Commanders controlling three areas and D.C. overseeing the other three.

Why it matters
The plan could bring more homes, jobs, food options, public space and recreation to Northeast D.C. while reconnecting residents with land that has long been dominated by stadium parking lots.

The big picture
D.C. is planning for a campus that works beyond game days.

The goal is to create a place where people can live, shop, gather, play sports and use the waterfront throughout the year.

By the numbers
The draft plan calls for major development across the RFK site.

Between the lines
The plan leaves key decisions for later, including zoning, developer selection and how the campus will be phased.

It also shows how the District and the Commanders will need to coordinate across separately controlled parts of the site.

What’s next
D.C. is taking public comments on the draft master plan through Aug. 14.

The final plan will help guide updates to the District’s comprehensive plan and future land use map.

The bottom line
RFK’s next chapter is being framed as more than a stadium project.

If built out as planned, the campus could become a new mixed-use neighborhood with housing, parks, retail and riverfront access for D.C. residents.

READ THE FULL ARTICLE→

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