Colonial Beach is calling all bird lovers to come and gaze from a social distance.
The town, located on the Potomac River just 32 miles from Downtown Fredericksburg, will host a virtual Osprey Festival. The birds return every year to this community on Virginia’s Northern Neck Peninsula.
This is the second year for the festival and it’s going virtual, this year, due to the coronavirus.
A town spokeswoman tells Potomac Local News:
The Colonial Beach “Virtual” Osprey Festival offers much of what would have been offered at the live festival. There are many photos, stories, videos, and presentations on the ospreys and other birdlife characteristic of the area. New material will be coming in week by week and people can access several osprey cams through the site.
Local townspeople are urged to become “Osprey Watchers” of the osprey families nesting in and around Colonial Beach. From among these postings, a King and Queen Osprey will be chosen at the end of their season in September with a prize awarded for the observant reporters. Others further afield who feel they have something interesting to show or tell about ospreys and other birdlife are also encouraged to send in reports. Posts can be sent in directly for the website to [email protected] or posted on the Colonial Beach Osprey Festival Facebook site.
Birds are not the only subjects on display. Art, music, and local historic sites are featured including the birthplaces of three presidents born nearby–Washington, Madison and Monroe–and the ancestral home of the Lee family. The site also showcases the history and architecture of the Colonial Beach downtown and beachfront, a steamboat era resort at the dawn of the 20th century and an early casino gambling mecca mid-century.
Donations, sponsorships, advertising revenue raised through the virtual festival will be applied to revitalizing the historic downtown through preservation-based development and beautification through landscaping and tree planting to make the town an even more welcoming and enjoyable place for residents, visitors, and our feathered friends.
Last year, the festival drew about 100 people, we’re told.
Businesses in the town are currently operating under Gov. Ralph Northam’s Phase 2 coronavirus reopening plan.
- Restaurants and beverage services may operate at 50% occupancy load with at least six feet of spacing between tables.
- Farmers markets may operate as long as six feet of separation can be maintained between guests (including between tables and persons on public sidewalks).
- Non-essential retail may operate at a 50% occupancy load.
Recent Stories
FREDERICKSBURG, Va. – A Fredericksburg attorney is sharing his personal connection to a vandalized gravesite in the city’s Confederate Cemetery and calling the crime “heartbreaking.”
FREDERICKSBURG, Va. – The Fredericksburg Nationals are hopping into local history tonight as they officially take the field as the Fredericksburg Frogs for the very first time.
FREDERICKSBURG, Va. – Taco lovers along Caroline Street are disappointed as word spreads that Juan More Taco is closing its doors in Fredericksburg.
Drivers traveling on Interstate 95 and local roads through Northern Virginia and the Fredericksburg region this week should plan for overnight lane closures, ramp work, and rest area closures, according…
POTOMAC, MD – A local credit union is receiving national recognition for offering some of the highest certificate rates in the country. Lafayette Federal Credit Union, headquartered in Rockville and serving the greater Washington, D.C. region, has been named by financial outlets including The Wall Street Journal, Kiplinger, Investopedia, DepositAccounts, and GoBankingRates for its top-ranked share certificate products.
According to these sources, Lafayette Federal currently holds the #1 national ranking for its 2-, 3-, 4-, and 5-year certificate terms. The institution is offering fixed annual percentage yields (APYs) up to 4.28%, with a minimum deposit requirement of $500.
Share certificates, also known as certificates of deposit (CDs) at traditional banks, have grown in popularity as a low-risk savings option during a period of economic uncertainty. With interest rates rising and market volatility continuing, many savers are seeking fixed returns on their funds without taking on additional risk.
The Montgomery County Women’s Chorus will present a concert to benefit the Betty Ann Krahnke shelter for survivors of domestic violence. 100% of ticket sales (less any online processing fees) will go to the shelter.
The concert will take place at 3:30 pm on Sunday, May 18th at Darnestown Presbyterian Church, located at 15120 Turkey Foot Rd in Gaithersburg. Tickets are $35 and may be purchased at https://www.mocosings.org/events-1/nocturnes-and-lullabies-benefit-concert.
The program, Nocturnes and Lullabies, spans numerous centuries and genres, and includes beloved favorites from Johannes Brahms, Leonard Bernstein, and Billy Joel, among many others. We’ll be joined by three of the DMV’s premiere professional instrumentalists – Cara Dailey, flute, Matthew Maffett, viola, and Rachel Flicker, piano.
Your Weight Matters National Convention
Hosted by the Obesity Action Coalition (OAC) since 2012, this highly-anticipated gathering is the nation’s leading gathering focused on empowering individuals with science-based education, support and practical tools for managing weight and improving health.
This unique Convention truly has something
Van Metre 5K Run
Participate in the 33rd Annual Van Metre 5K Run—a race that goes further than 3.1 miles, where every stride you take supports Children’s National Hospital. The Van Metre 5K Run donates 100% of proceeds to Children’s National Hospital and has
