Steps for Starting an Agritainment Business
Thank you for considering what it takes to open an agritainment business in Loudoun County! Agritainment helps to make farming more accessible to visitors and residents, thanks to talented farmers and entrepreneurs like you.
This page is designed to give you an overview of important considerations before establishing an agritainment business, but your specific situation may have different requirements. The Revised 1993 Loudoun County Zoning Ordinance is the ruling document.
Working with Loudoun County and Virginia Commonwealth staff will help verify that those requirements are met. Our combined goal is to ensure that your operation is safe for customers so that your business can be successful.
Before establishing an agritainment business, it is important to understand what is permitted with that use. Agritainment exists to support parcels actively in agricultural use by allowing associated events and activities, such as:
- Corn mazes;
- Hay rides;
- Petting zoos.
The above examples of recreation, entertainment, and tourism activities and events must be directly tied to the ongoing, on-site farming operation. While this page focuses on agritainment businesses, think about what additional uses (if any) you might consider later. Communicating these additional uses to Loudoun County and Virginia Commonwealth staff up front can help avoid surprises later in the process. If you have questions at any point, please contact Loudoun Economic Development at 1-800-LOUDOUN.
Detailed contact information for County and Commonwealth regulatory departments can be found at the bottom of this page.