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Fairfax County has selected Celebrate Fairfax to manage logistics for the county’s celebration of the United States’ 250th anniversary.

The Board of Supervisors approved the role Tuesday, July 15. Celebrate Fairfax will work with the county’s 250th Commission and community organizations to create what Mount Vernon District Supervisor Dan Storck described as an inclusive, community-driven experience.

Supervisors established the commission in 2021 to coordinate local planning and develop a signature experience commemorating the 1776 signing of the Declaration of Independence.

Celebrate Fairfax, a nonprofit founded in 1981, promotes the county’s people, art, recreation and culture. Once best known for producing the annual Celebrate! Fairfax Festival, the organization shifted its focus in 2022 toward supporting programs throughout the year.

Some anniversary events are already underway. In June, Mount Vernon staff member Daniel Cross appeared before supervisors as George Washington to help launch the county’s larger commemorative efforts.

“The celebration has started,” Hunter Mill District Supervisor Walter Alcorn said at the July 15 meeting. “There are some good things out there, and more are coming.”

Fairfax County also expects to debut a mobile exhibition that will complement Virginia’s traveling museum. The state exhibition stopped in Vienna this past weekend and will continue touring the commonwealth over the next year.

Other Northern Virginia jurisdictions are developing their own anniversary plans. Arlington has assigned the Arlington Historical Society to plan and coordinate events, while a Falls Church committee adopted a mission calling for a commemoration that is historically honest, grounded in founding principles, focused on the future and designed collaboratively.

Alexandria, which also highlights its ties to George Washington, has begun holding commemorative events ahead of larger programs planned for 2026.

Supervisors seek better homeowner-group contacts

In another action, supervisors asked their offices to give more attention to keeping accurate contact lists for homeowner and civic associations.

Springfield District Supervisor Pat Herrity initially proposed directing County Executive Bryan Hill and the Office of Public Affairs to find better ways to maintain contact with the groups and make current information available to residents.

“We can enhance the databases through outreach,” Herrity said, describing a strong contact list as “an invaluable tool” for both county government and the public.

Several supervisors worried that the proposal would place another demand on public affairs employees.

“I understand the information is valuable and hard to get,” Sully District Supervisor Kathy Smith said. “We have limited staffing. Our staff is working hard on the tasks they have.”

Board Chairman Jeff McKay proposed a compromise that Herrity accepted: Staff members in supervisors’ offices will discuss the issue during their meetings rather than assigning the work formally to the public affairs office.

Providence District Supervisor Dalia Palchik said maintaining contacts and conducting outreach are central responsibilities of supervisors’ offices.

Herrity agreed to the compromise while urging every office to take the effort seriously.

“We all get better if we share,” he said.

Fairfax County maintains a list of about 1,500 homeowners’ and condominium associations and offers a guide for operating those organizations.

Substation zoning hearings delayed

Supervisors also gave the county more time to consider zoning changes for new electric substations, including facilities needed as data centers expand.

The board voted unanimously to move the Planning Commission’s consideration of the amendments from Sept. 10 to Oct. 16. The supervisors’ public hearing was rescheduled from Oct. 14 to Dec. 9.

McKay said the original schedule was too aggressive and could have restricted public input and the Planning Commission’s review.

The proposed amendment would establish standards for setbacks, screening and other features. According to a staff report, the rules would cover all new substations and could require changes to some existing facilities.

Alcorn said the postponement should not be interpreted as a retreat from potential zoning changes.

“This has been a long time coming,” he said. “This is not a new discussion.”