The president and CEO of Visit Fairfax believes an expected increase of $6.5 million a year in funding for promoting local tourism can be leveraged to create more than $1 billion annually in new economic activity countywide.
The tourism sector’s impact on the county economy “will get to $5 billion a year,” potentially within the next “three to five years,” Barry Biggar predicted at the Board of Supervisors’ Economic Initiatives Committee yesterday (Tuesday).
After its courting of professional cricket fizzled, George Mason University has scored an entirely different pro sports league.
George Mason Stadium on the university’s Fairfax campus will serve as the new home of Old Glory DC, the region’s Major League Rugby team, hosting all regular season and playoff matches starting in 2026.
Fairfax County’s leadership appears willing to move cautiously forward in considering the creation of a sports and entertainment authority.
However, the responsibilities of a potential independent agency, where it would get its funding and how it would interact with existing public and private facilities still need to be ironed out.
Heads up, local fans of youth ice hockey: USA Hockey’s national championships are coming to town.
The 2025 Chipotle-USA Hockey Girls Tier II 16-under National Championship will play out at two venues in Northern Virginia this week, from April 2-6.
The exclusive rights to bring an indoor ski resort to Lorton will soon expire for one developer, but the project isn’t going away.
Alpine-X, which is looking to build a 450,000-square-foot complex on a closed section of the I-95 landfill, will continue to pursue the “Fairfax Peak” project after the rights end on Dec. 31.
Fairfax County is considering creating a specialized agency to enhance its recreational facilities and boost sports tourism.
The Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a board matter yesterday (Tuesday) directing County Executive Bryan Hill to explore the establishment of a Public Recreational Facilities Authority.
The Fairfax County Park Authority is still scouting for its next sports tourism project.
After opening Patriot Park North, a $28 million baseball and softball facility, near George Mason University last spring, the park authority put out a call in June for potential private partners on a new, multi-sport tournament complex that it hopes could benefit both residents and visitors.
A $28 million baseball and softball complex in Fairfax officially opened this past weekend, marking the county’s first foray into sports tourism.
The ribbon-cutting for Patriot Park North was held Saturday morning (April 15) with local officials, a Washington Nationals representative, and Little Leaguers all in attendance.
Concerns over equity and the recommendation of specific sites have delayed Fairfax County’s push into sports tourism.
At last week’s Board of Supervisors meeting, Springfield District Supervisor Pat Herrity proposed that the county start advertising that it’s seeking proposals from private entities to develop sports tourism facilities.
The climb continues for Fairfax Peak, a long-anticipated project to bring one of the largest indoor ski facilities in the world to Fairfax County.
The county is considering partnering with Alpine-X, a Tysons-based company, to lease land at the county-owned I-95 landfill (9850 Furnace Road) in Lorton for the public-private project.
