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Alexandria council approves live music stage for Del Ray Farmhouse Market

Alexandria council approves live music stage for Del Ray Farmhouse Market

Rule Changes Alexandria, VA local

City Council approved the Farmhouse stage permit Sept. 19 after the Planning Commission's 6-0 recommendation.

September 19th, 2026: City Council approves live-music stage permit

Overview

Updated Oct 18

Alexandria City Council approved the live-music special use permit for the Del Ray Farmhouse Market and Garden on Sept. 19, endorsing the Planning Commission's 6-0 recommendation. The permit allows small bands or a DJ at 1913 Mount Vernon Avenue during pop-up markets and special events, with the stage inside the corner vision clearance.

Applicant D. Jason 'Jay' Portlance, the market's owner, sought permission for groups of up to two musicians or a DJ in four-hour blocks, with a noise permit issued separately for each event. The council's vote gives the market standing approval for the stage; individual events still need their own noise permits.

Why it matters

Approval gives the Farmhouse standing permission for outdoor live music and sets a precedent for other Del Ray businesses.

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Key Indicators

2
Maximum musician ensemble size
Portlance requested permission for groups no larger than two pieces.
4 hours
Performance block length
The stage is used in four-hour blocks per event, with noise permits issued separately.
1
Vision clearance modification requested
The permit places the stage inside the corner sightline at Mount Vernon Avenue and East Howell Avenue.
CL
Zoning district
The property is zoned CL, a commercial-low district.
6-0
Planning Commission vote
Commission voted 6-0 to recommend approval at its Sept. 1 hearing.
2026-09-19
City Council approval
Council approved the permit, endorsing the commission's recommendation.

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People Involved

D. Jason 'Jay' Portlance
D. Jason 'Jay' Portlance
Owner and applicant, Del Ray Farmhouse Market and Garden
Special use permit for outdoor live entertainment at 1913 Mount Vernon Avenue approved by City Council on Sept. 19, 2026

Organizations Involved

Del Ray Farmhouse Market and Garden
Del Ray Farmhouse Market and Garden
Retail business
SUP #2026-00024 approved by City Council Sept. 19, 2026

Grocery, garden and event space at 1913 Mount Vernon Avenue in Del Ray.
Alexandria Planning Commission
Alexandria Planning Commission
City advisory body
Recommended approval 6-0 for SUP #2026-00024; City Council approved the permit Sept. 19, 2026

Appointed board that hears special use permits and land-use applications.

Timeline

April 2025 September 2026

8 events Latest: September 19th, 2026 · 2 months ago
Tap a bar to jump to that date

  1. City Council approves live-music stage permit

    Latest Decision

    City Council approved the Planning Commission recommendation, granting the special use permit for outdoor live entertainment at 1913 Mount Vernon Avenue, with a modification allowing the stage in the vision clearance.

  2. City Council agenda lists live-music stage permit

    Agenda

    The published agenda for the Sept. 19 City Council public hearing lists SUP #2026-00024 for the Farmhouse stage, noting the Planning Commission's 6-0 recommendation to approve.

  3. No action summary published day after hearing

    Status

    As of Sept. 2, no written action summary or staff report had been posted, and no news outlet had reported the outcome.

  4. Planning Commission holds public hearing on Farmhouse stage

    Public Hearing

    The commission hears testimony on the outdoor live entertainment stage and the vision clearance modification.

  5. Planning Commission agenda published

    Agenda

    The agenda lists SUP #2026-00024 for public hearing on Sept. 1.

  6. Live music permit application publicized

    Permit

    ALXnow reports Portlance's special use permit request and the Sept. 1 hearing date.

  7. Grocery soft opening begins

    Opening

    The grocery side of the market starts a soft opening in October 2025; the source does not specify an exact day.

  8. Del Ray Farmhouse Market opens

    Opening

    The market opens at 1913 Mount Vernon Avenue in spring 2025; the source does not specify an exact day.

Scenarios

4

Farmhouse stage sees first use at a Del Ray street event

Deadline passed (Nov 1, 2026)

Discussed by: Local coverage; Art on the Avenue and the Halloween Parade are the two big Del Ray street events of early fall 2026.

The permit is settled. The open question is whether a band or DJ actually performs on the approved stage at a major Del Ray event. Art on the Avenue ran Oct. 3 with music stages along Mount Vernon Avenue, but no report as of Oct. 18 places the Farmhouse stage among them. The Halloween Parade follows Oct. 31.

Historical Context

3 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.

1926–2017

New York City's Cabaret Law (1926–2017)

New York required a cabaret license for any room where people danced or live music played. The law was used selectively against jazz and hip-hop venues, and could shut down a business for an unlicensed performance.

Then

After decades of complaints, the city repealed the license requirement in 2017 and shifted enforcement to noise and capacity rules.

Now

The episode became a standard example of how permit rules, not just noise, shape where live music can exist.

Why this matters now

Alexandria's special use permit is a narrower version of the same lever: it decides in advance where and when outdoor music is allowed.

August 2018

Seattle's Showbox (2018)

A developer planned to tear down the Showbox, a live-music club open since 1939, and replace it with an apartment tower. Musicians and residents packed city hearings, and Seattle's council moved to make the venue a landmark.

Then

The demolition was delayed while landmark status was reviewed, and the club kept operating.

Now

The fight showed that land-use decisions can decide whether music venues survive.

Why this matters now

The Farmhouse stage is a commercial amenity rather than a historic club, but it raises the same question: how much weight should zoning give to live music?

2019–2026

Virginia Paving's closure promise (2019)

In 2019, Alexandria City Council approved a five-year extension for an asphalt plant that has run since 1960, with a promise it would close by Jan. 1, 2027. The Planning Commission later voted 6-0 to deny a new five-year extension, saying the plant conflicts with the Eisenhower West plan.

Then

The application moved to City Council, which was set to decide in September 2026 whether to keep or break the 2027 closure promise.

Now

It shows that a special use permit's conditions can be revisited, and that the Planning Commission is willing to recommend denial even when staff recommends approval.

Why this matters now

The Farmhouse permit is much smaller, but it runs through the same process: public hearing, commission vote, and conditions that can shape the use for years.

Sources

(11)
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City of Alexandria Legistar ALXnow City of Alexandria Alexandria Brief MyTownView (City of Alexandria) City of Alexandria Legistar The Zebra ALXnow Alexandria Living City of Alexandria City of Alexandria Legistar