Neabsco Regional Park In Woodbridge To Open Holiday Lights, Other Upgrades Underway

WOODBRIDGE, VA — As Neabsco Regional Park in Woodbridge undergoes construction for park upgrades, visitors will enjoy a free holiday lights attraction starting Friday.

Prince William County Parks and Recreation will again offer the Holiday Walk of Lights this year at Neabsco Regional Park, 15125 Blackburn Rd., Woodbridge, VA. It will be open on select nights from Friday, Dec. 6 to Friday, Dec. 27. Hours are 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.

On opening night from 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Friday, holiday characters and carolers will greet visitors. A sensory-friendly event with holiday characters and carolers will follow from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Dec. 10. Holiday characters will also visit on Dec. 13, 18, 20 and 27 from 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Holiday markets will be held on Dec. 7, 14, 19, 21 and 27 from 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.

The attraction is closed on Dec. 9, 11, 12, 16, 17, 23, 24, 25 and 26.

Visitors should be aware that parking at Neabsco Regional Park is reserved for those with a disabled placard or license plate.

Free shuttle buses will pick up every seven minutes at Rippon Middle School (15101 Blackburn Rd. Woodbridge, VA), Porter Traditional School (unavailable Dec. 6) (15311 Forest Grove Dr., Woodbridge, VA) and Featherstone Elementary School (14805 Blackburn Rd., Woodbridge, VA). The last shuttles to Neabsco Regional Park arrive around 8:35 p.m.

Donations of canned goods and non-perishable foods will be collected at drop bins for Haymarket Regional Food Pantry.

During the holiday lights attraction, parts of Neabsco Regional Park are in the midst of construction. The county is constructing four new accessible parking spaces west of the main entrance. The new parking spaces will help people with disabilities park and take a paved path down to the park's boardwalk.

Another upgrade will be a new kayak launch being added to Neabsco Creek, a 13.9-mile tributary connecting to the Potomac River. A new stone dust trail will connect to the launch, which will not be accessible to vehicles. The boat launch is for non-motorized boats only.

Construction on the new boat launch and parking spaces will be completed by the end of December.

Neabsco Regional Park is a 300-acre park with highlights like Rippon Lodge Historic Site, Rippon Landing, the Neabsco Creek Boardwalk, Julie J. Metz Neabsco Creek Wetlands Preserve, and portions of historic Kings Highway. The boardwalk takes visitors across wetlands that help filter pollution from the river and provide habitats for wildlife like great blue herons, wood ducks, mallards, sparrows, red-winged blackbirds and more.