The Eastern Shore Rail Trail ends at the corner of Fig Street and Mason Avenue. The 4th Annual Decoy Show runs Saturday, Nov. 7, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. For the first time, it turns Mason Avenue into an open-air market.
So the corner where the trail comes into town and the street hosting the show's market are now the same place. On Nov. 7 you can leave the car at a lot near Route 13, ride to the show, and never touch Lankford Highway. The trail has been open a little over two months. This is its first big downtown Saturday.
Three and a Half Miles of New Path
The Virginia Department of Transportation opened the Cape Charles segment on Aug. 20, 2026. That followed a public ribbon cutting hosted by the Eastern Shore Rail Trail Foundation. The Cheriton segment opened on Sept. 21, ahead of the contract's mid-fall completion date.
| Segment | Opened | Length | Runs between | Parking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cape Charles | Aug. 20, 2026 | 2.2 miles | Fig Street and Mason Avenue to the shopping center near Route 13 and Country Place | Trailhead lot at Mason Avenue and Fig Street |
| Cheriton | Sept. 21, 2026 | 1.4 miles | Route 13 and Country Place to Sunnyside Road in Cheriton | New lot just north of Country Place |
Together the two segments make 3.6 continuous miles of paved shared-use path. Northampton County's trail page identifies the Route 13 and Country Place stop as the Food Lion location. That makes the halfway point a grocery run. At the north end, VDOT added half a mile of striped bike lanes on Sunnyside Road out to South Bayside Road.
Branscome, Inc. built both segments under a $3.9 million VDOT contract, with work starting in April 2025. In its Cheriton release, VDOT asked trail users to stay alert while crews finished cutting grass and seeding.
The Decoy Show Comes Downtown
This show has been a winter event until now. The 3rd Annual Eastern Shore of Virginia Decoy Show took place on Feb. 1, 2025, at the Oyster Farm at Kings Creek, as Shore Daily News reported at the time. The next show had been announced for Feb. 6 and 7, 2026, at the same venue. By spring 2026, the Town Manager's report showed a meeting about holding the show in town in the fall. Over the summer, the Town's Community Relations and Recreation staff kept planning with Decoy Show board members.
The result is a November date and a new setting. Cape Charles Main Street's Summer 2026 newsletter promises carvers, handcrafted decoys and a Mason Avenue market built around duck carving. The Town's event listing has the date and hours. Admission, parking fees and street closures for this year's show haven't been published yet, so check the Town calendar before you go. Last year's parking fee and auction details belonged to the Oyster Farm setup, so don't plan around them.
What the Trail Ordinance Allows
Cape Charles Town Council adopted Ordinance 20260819 on Aug. 19. Within town limits, it makes the trail a public nonmotorized transportation facility and recreational shared-use path, and it took effect immediately, as the Cape Charles Mirror reported. The Northampton County Board of Supervisors had passed Ordinance 2026-003 on July 14 to cover the parts of the trail under county jurisdiction.
Under the town ordinance:
- Not allowed: golf carts, motorized skateboards, motorized scooters and Class 3 electric bicycles.
- Allowed: Class 1 and Class 2 electric bicycles. The Mirror's summary says both lose motor assistance at 20 mph. Class 3 bikes can assist up to 28 mph.
- Exceptions: motorized vehicles used by emergency personnel or by people with mobility disabilities.
- Trail manners: keep right, pass on the left, yield to pedestrians, give an audible warning, keep pets leashed and clean up after them. Violations carry a civil penalty of up to $50.
The full text is in the Town Council's Aug. 19 meeting packet. Golf carts were already a sore spot before the trail opened. At the Aug. 5 work session, council members said drivers kept taking golf carts into restricted areas. Staff agreed to add permanent signs at the north side of Strawberry Plaza, on Stone Road along the east side of Cape Charles Brewery, and on Cassatt Parkway coming out of Bay Creek. If a golf cart is your usual way downtown, plan to park it before the trail on show day.
This is general information, not legal advice. If you're unsure whether your e-bike or mobility device qualifies, check the ordinance text or ask the Town.
Getting to the Show on Nov. 7
The new lots make the trail a park-and-ride for downtown. Here's one way to use it on show day:
- Park at Country Place. The lot just north of Country Place sits 2.2 miles from Fig Street. That leaves the Mason Avenue trailhead lot for people who live closer in.
- Know which rules apply where. The town ordinance covers the part of the trail inside Cape Charles town limits. There it permits Class 1 and 2 e-bikes and prohibits Class 3 e-bikes and motorized scooters. Outside town limits, Northampton County's Ordinance 2026-003 sets the rules.
- Sort out a rental ahead of time. The Eastern Shore Rail Trail Foundation asked for proposals for a one-year bike rental concession at the trailhead next to Rayfield's Pharmacy, 2 Fig Street, with proposals due July 31, 2026. No operator has announced an opening there yet. Makefast Cycles offers e-bike rentals in Cape Charles with free delivery to your door and pickup afterward.
- Plan your restroom stop. In August, council members asked that the new Strawberry Street restrooms be finished by Nov. 1, ahead of the town's fall events. The Town Manager's report for Sept. 14 to 25 said demolition and slab plumbing were nearly done, with fixtures ordered and flooring delivered.
- Stay for lunch on Mason Avenue. Two places on the market street opened this year. El Soul, a Mexican restaurant with a bar and rooftop lounge at 225 Mason Avenue, opened May 15, 2026. Wilde Plant Studio opened in April 2026 at 300 Mason Avenue, Unit A.
Where the Trail Goes After Cheriton
The full plan is 49.1 miles of trail from Cape Charles to Hallwood in Accomack County. The Foundation's FAQ lists Cheriton to Birdsnest as in design, with construction estimated to start in early 2027 and finish in summer 2028. On that schedule, Birdsnest to Melfa would start construction in December 2027 and finish in December 2029, with May 2030 as a contingency date. Melfa to Onley would follow, from summer 2028 to spring 2030. The Foundation says only finished sections are open. Unfinished stretches stay off-limits for safety.
For at least the next year and a half, then, the trail is 3.6 miles that start or finish on Mason Avenue. The rest of the holiday calendar keeps that corner busy. The Cape Charles Museum Oyster Roast is listed for Nov. 28, 2026. On Friday, Dec. 11, Local-ISH Art at 22 Strawberry Street hosts a free Christmas music performance by Starfire from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
If the new trail has you rethinking where you'd like to live or own on the Eastern Shore, walkable to Mason Avenue or near the Country Place lot, Sharon Daugherty and our team can talk through how those streets compare. Contact us when you're ready to take a closer look.
