Woodbridge, VA — Community Happenings Synopsis

Research Date: April 17, 2026 | Past Window: April 10–17 | Upcoming Window: April 17–27

Local Events

Past 7 Days (April 10–17)

• WBLL Opening Day — Sat, April 11 at 14250 Veterans Drive. Woodbridge Baseball Little League kicked off its spring season. AllEvents
• DCVFD Auxiliary Spring Vendor Sale — Sat, April 11 at 13511 Hillendale Dr. Community fundraiser and local vendor market. AllEvents
• Dale City Winter Farmers Market — Sun, April 12 at Dale City Farmer's Market, 8:00 AM. Weekly community staple for local produce and goods. AllEvents
• Kids Run This Town: Seasonal Run Series — Sun, April 12 at Antietam Elementary, 4:00 PM. Family-oriented community run. AllEvents
• Gaither Vocal Band — Wed, April 15 & Thu, April 16 at Christ Chapel - Woodbridge, 7:00 PM. Two-night gospel performance series. AllEvents
• GOTAWAY Band at Electric Palm — Fri, April 10, 8:00 PM. Live music at The Electric Palm. AllEvents

Community & Lifestyle

• Child Abuse Prevention Month — PWC hosted a Pinwheel Garden Planting on April 9 to mark the awareness month. Prince William County
• Lake Ridge Park Marina — Online reservations are now available as of April 8, 2026 — a major quality-of-life upgrade for boaters and outdoor recreation enthusiasts. Prince William County
• VA Career Works Job Fair — Scheduled for Tue, April 21 at 11:30 AM at Virginia Career Works-Prince William Center, 13370 Minnieville Road. Free event. Stay Happening Relevant for the large federal workforce/PCS audience in the area.
• 2026 Macaroni KID Woodbridge Summer Camp Guide is now published — parents in the area are actively planning summer childcare and camp options. Macaronikid

Business Openings / Closures

Closures — Confirmed or Likely Affecting Woodbridge/Potomac Mills:

• Foot Locker / Champs Sports at Potomac Mills — Following Dick's Sporting Goods' acquisition of Foot Locker in 2025, approximately 8 Virginia locations are undergoing final clearance sales this spring as the company shifts toward larger "Power Store" formats. PhillyBite Magazine
• Yankee Candle — Closing its Woodbridge location as part of a 20-store national closure plan by parent company Newell Brands. Patch
• Torrid at Potomac Mills — The brand has shuttered 151 locations nationally in early 2026. The Woodbridge Potomac Mills location remains listed online but is at risk. Patch
• Big Lots — All Virginia locations have now completed liquidation following the company's full wind-down after a failed sale in late 2025. Patch

Openings / Coming Soon:

• Lidl — The German discount grocery chain is opening a new location in Woodbridge. Patch
• Potomac Shores Station House Retail — The completed 20,000-square-foot Station House at Potomac Shores has up to five retail spaces available, including a second-floor anchor restaurant with Potomac River waterfront views. Patch
• New Grocery Store — A 49,000-square-foot grocery store has been leased by KLNB Commercial Real Estate at Route 1 and Route 234 near the Dumfries/Woodbridge corridor. Patch

Government & Policy

• 🔥 Property Tax Cut — On April 14, 2026, the Prince William Board of Supervisors voted during its FY2027 budget markup to set the real estate tax rate at $0.85 per $100 of assessed value — an approximately $48.6 million overall revenue reduction, saving the average homeowner roughly $145/year. Potomac Local Revenue from data center tax assessments is making this cut possible.
• Meals Tax Reduction — Also on April 14, supervisors approved cutting the meals tax from 3% to 2%, effective January 1, 2027, citing relief for local restaurants and diners. Potomac Local
• Union Card Rule Change — On April 7, 2026, the Board voted 5–3 to amend the county's collective bargaining ordinance, eliminating the 12-month expiration on employee authorization cards. Potomac Local
• ⚖️ Major Ruling: Digital Gateway Data Centers Voided — A Virginia Appeals Court invalidated three controversial Prince William County rezoning ordinances — Compass, Digital Gateway North, and Digital Gateway South — which had proposed nearly 23 million square feet of data center space. The court ruled the Board of Supervisors failed to meet state and local advertising requirements. The ordinances were declared void from inception, though a partial stay remains in effect pending a potential Supreme Court of Virginia appeal. Patch
• New Woodbridge District Supervisor — Jeannie LaCroix was sworn in as Woodbridge District Supervisor on March 18, 2026. Prince William County
• FY2027 Budget Process — The County Executive presented the proposed FY2027 budget on February 17, 2026. The public comment window closed April 6. Board markup is ongoing. Prince William County Police Department

Development & Infrastructure

• Potomac Shores VRE Station — Platform Construction Starting 2026 — The five-level, 370-space parking garage was completed in September 2024. Platform construction is targeted to begin in 2026, with the station expected to open in late 2027. The Station House building, completed in October 2025, connects directly to the future VRE platform. Colganteam This is one of the most consequential infrastructure milestones for the Route 1 corridor in a decade.
• North Woodbridge Pedestrian/Bicycle Bridge — Federal investment has been secured for a dedicated pedestrian and bicycle bridge connecting the Woodbridge VRE Station to the future North Woodbridge Town Center, improving transit access and walkability. Prince William County
• 149-Unit Affordable Housing Proposal — Woodbridge Church Site — Wellington Community Partners LLC filed a rezoning request in March 2026 to build 149 affordable multifamily units on 5.6 acres of a Woodbridge church campus owned by Victory Christian Ministries International, adjacent to Cheshire Station Plaza and the Quartz District. Units would serve households earning up to 60% of Area Median Income. Colganteam
• Prince William Pkwy / Minnieville Road SPUI — An innovative Single Point Urban Interchange (below-grade) is under design/construction at Prince William Pkwy (Route 294) and Minnieville Road, taking Route 294 underground with shared-use paths for pedestrians and cyclists. Prince William County Police Department
• Route 1 Widening Study — A study is underway examining widening Route 1 from 4 to 6 lanes between Cardinal Drive and Route 234/Dumfries Road. Prince William County Police Department
• Potomac Shores Elementary School — Prince William County Public Schools broke ground on a new elementary school in September 2025, with construction expected to be completed for the 2027–2028 school year, serving up to 1,050 students. Patch

Historical/Recent Recap (April 10–17)

The past week was a strong community activation period for Woodbridge. Spring sports and markets launched, with WBLL Opening Day and the Dale City Farmers Market drawing families out after winter. The Gaither Vocal Band's two-night run at Christ Chapel drew faith community attendance. On the policy side, the week was dominated by the April 14 Board meeting that produced a headline-level tax cut driven by data center assessment revenues — a meaningful story for homeowners and buyers. The Digital Gateway court ruling from earlier this month continues to ripple through the development community, with uncertainty about whether the Board will pursue a Supreme Court of Virginia appeal.

📅 Upcoming Highlights (April 17–27)

On the Horizon (Just Outside the Window — Worth Noting):

• Free Concert: "A Celebration of Freedom" — May 2 at 7:30 PM and May 3 at 3:30 PM in Woodbridge. Free, all ages, patriotic music. Patch
• Touch-A-Truck Free Community Event — Sat, May 2 at Veterans Memorial Park, 10:00 AM. Kid-friendly, featuring fire trucks, police cars, and construction vehicles. AllEvents

Sources: Woodbridge VA Patch · AllEvents.in · Prince William County Government (pwcva.gov) · Potomac Local News · InsideNova · PWC Transportation Dept · ColganTeam.com (Development Analysis) · PhillyBite Magazine · Bandsintown · Macaroni KID Woodbridge · VRE Projects Page