http://occoquanwaterfront.com

The 10th Annual Occoquan River Spring Clean-Up with take place on Saturday, April 9 from 9:00am to 12:00pm. Join your neighbors and Friends of the Occoquan volunteers in sprucing up the shoreline in town! Meet at Town Hall wearing sturdy shoes. Gloves and trash bags will be provided.

According to the 2010 census figures, the resident population of Occoquan soared by 23% during the 10 year period from 2000 to 2010. I say that in jest because it grew from 759 to 934 people. Yes, you have 175 new neighbors. Most, I assume, live in the Occoquan Reach development on Occoquan Road.

According to Mayor Porta, the astounding population growth does not put Occoquan in any new categories under state law that might require additional regulations or oversight.

Per Mayor Porta:

Thanks to the efforts of the Prince William County/Manassas Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) and others, Occoquan is on the itinerary of the 2011 Tauck Civil War Event Tour. The tour, created by documentary filmmaker Ken Burns and collaborator Dayton Duncan, will take place from May 22-May 26. Other tour stops in Prince William will include Manassas National Battlefield Park and the Ben Lomond House.

Is Occoquan haunted by ghosts? This 3-part series on YouTube examines the ghosts of Occoquan in a series of interviews with local merchants. Ghost tour season runs from late April through October. The OMA has more information.

Occoquan resident and history buff Boyd Alexander put together this photo montage that recounts the “Liberty Pole Incident” that occurred in Occoquan prior to the Civil War. Enjoy!

Visit Occoquan this Friday, November 19, for the annual Holiday Open House organized by the Business Guild of Occoquan. The open house runs from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. and offers an evening of shopping, free refreshments, and specials.

It’s one of the most festive nights of the year in town, with most retail merchants open late, and the streets and storefronts decorated beautifully for the holidays–a great time to enjoy people’s company and get some shopping done early for the holidays. After the stores close at 8:00 the town will hold a brief ceremony in front of Town Hall to light the town’s holiday tree.

At 8:15 p.m., the Business Guild will hold multiple prize drawings in front of Hawthorne House Fine Papers.

1- Finally, VDOT will open the 4th lane of I-95 Southbound, which spans a five-mile distance from the Fairfax County Parkway south to the U.S. 1 exit, just north of the Occoquan River Bridge, per Fredericksburg.com. (Commuters rejoice!)

2- According to the News & Messenger, a shoreline boardwalk may soon come to town, stretching from the existing pier at Madigan’s Waterfront, through the Gaslight Landing development, all the way to the Mill House Museum at the end of town. More details coming soon.

3- ChesapeakeBoating.net just published the feature article from the November issue of Chesapeake Bay Magazine, which recounts a weekend trip from Annapolis to Occoquan and puts the town in a wonderful light.

Mayor Earnie Porta has written a 128-page book about the history of Occoquan. The book is available for pre-order on Amazon.com. On the book’s formal release date, November 22, the Prince William Public Library Foundation, Occoquan River Communities (ORC), and the Occoquan Historical Society (OHS), will host a book signing and launch party fundraiser at Madigan’s Waterfront Restaurant from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

All net proceeds from the event, including royalties on books sold, will go to benefit the Library Foundation, ORC, and OHS.

Here is the description from Amazon:

Although Native Americans have lived along the banks of the Occoquan for thousands of years, John Smithwas the first European to visit the area, arriving at the river’s mouth in 1608. Here he encountered the Dogue Indians, from whose language the river and town take their names. With the coming of settlers, Occoquan’s location at the meeting of the Tidewater and Piedmont made it ideal for water-related industry and commerce. By the end of the 18th century, it boasted one of the first automated gristmills in the nation. During the Civil War, Occoquan housed both Union and Confederate troops and was the sight of several small engagements. In 1972, the river, which had provided so many commercial and recreational benefits, revealed a more dangerous side as flooding from Hurricane Agnes caused severe damage. The people of Occoquan rebuilt, and the town evolved into the wonderful mixture of old and new that gives it the unique character seen today.

Occoquan resident Boyd Alexander recently uploaded a slideshow to YouTube that includes a number of great pictures. Enjoy!

The Occoquan River Festival will be reborn this Saturday in the Historic Town of Occoquan. This year the Occoquan Merchants Association will be hosting the event, which will include a petting zoo, pony rides, craft demonstrations, costumed reenactors, live music, sidewalk sales, boat tours, a Taste of Occoquan. The OMA website has complete details!

Sadly, the Occoquan Craft Fair director, Greg Gilker, passed away in an unfortunate accident at Belmont Bay Marina last Thursday. Greg did a lot for the town and will be sorely missed by many. InsideNoVa has more details

The 2010 Occoquan Spring Craft Fair will take place in Historic Occoquan, this weekend, June 5th & 6th. Per the semi-annual tradition, it will feature lots of greasy food and crafts from a wide array of local artists and vendors. The official craft show website has complete vendor details.

You can park in nearby commuter lots and take a shuttle to Occoquan for $4/person (kids free). If you don’t mind a little traffic, there is parking to be found in the neighborhoods surrounding the fair. The weather looks like its going to be great, stop by and check it out!