Oak Spring Garden Foundation’s Rokeby festival recommended to BOS as one‑day event with 1,500 cap

The Planning Commission recommended that the Oak Spring Garden Foundation’s request for class B event approval for the Rokeby Community Festival be forwarded to the Board of Supervisors with amended conditions that limit the event to a single day and cap attendance at 1,500 people per day.

Staff described the property near Mill Reef Road as approximately 440 acres held in a Virginia Outdoors Foundation easement and part of the Upperville Agricultural and Forestal District. The applicant sought flexibility to expand a successful 2024 one‑day festival into a two‑day, up to 3,000‑person event in future years. Staff and the Virginia Outdoors Foundation stated the proposed use could be consistent with conservation easement terms if limited in scale, and staff proposed a reduced initial term and conditions for traffic, parking on the airstrip, temporary sanitation, and required permits.

An Oak Spring Garden representative told the commission they primarily see the event as one day for now and only seek flexibility to expand if demand grows. After staff and public remarks, a commissioner moved to amend the proposal to a one‑day event with a 1,500 attendee cap; the motion was seconded and the commission forwarded the special exception to the Board of Supervisors with those amendments and a shorter initial approval term.

The Board of Supervisors will consider the commission’s recommendation, the required site plan, and interagency permits (VDOT, Health Department, ABC, and sheriff’s office coordination) before any event may proceed under the special exception.