Features - Potomac Local News

Win Free Tickets to Tommy Dorsey Orchestra (Final Post Before Our Drawing)

Published October 7, 2025 at 3:00PM

FREDERICKSBURG, Va. – Potomac Local News is giving away two tickets to see the world-famous Tommy Dorsey Orchestra when it takes the stage at Riverside Center for the Performing Arts on Sunday, October 12, 2025. One winner will be chosen at random and notified by email. Click here to enter the giveaway.

The 15-piece orchestra, known as “The Sentimental Gentleman of Swing,” will bring silky-smooth swing, toe-tapping rhythms, and timeless ballads that defined an era. The performance begins at 7:30 p.m., with doors opening at 6:30 p.m. Appetizers and drinks will be available, and Riverside is opening a space down front for those who want to dance along. Tickets are $55 online, and the show lasts 90 minutes, with a brief intermission.

VRE to hold 5th Annual Tour de VRE this Saturday

By Press Release

Published October 3, 2025 at 4:30PM

The Virginia Railway Express (VRE) will host the 5th Annual Tour de VRE on Saturday, October 4.

This year’s route will follow VRE’s Manassas Line, with a 35-mile ride beginning at Backlick Road Station in Fairfax County and ending at Broad Run Station in Prince William County. Along the way, cyclists will visit several VRE stations and the communities they serve, including Springfield, Burke, Clifton, Manassas, and Bristow. An 8-mile ride will begin at Manassas Park Station and end at Broad Run Station.

Win Free Tickets to See the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra Swing into Fredericksburg

By Uriah Kiser

Published October 2, 2025 at 10:00AM

FREDERICKSBURG, Va. – Potomac Local News is giving away two tickets to see the world-famous Tommy Dorsey Orchestra when it takes the stage at Riverside Center for the Performing Arts on Sunday, October 12, 2025. One winner will be chosen at random and notified by email. Click here to enter the giveaway.

The 15-piece orchestra, known as “The Sentimental Gentleman of Swing,” will bring silky-smooth swing, toe-tapping rhythms, and timeless ballads that defined an era. The performance begins at 7:30 p.m., with doors opening at 6:30 p.m. Appetizers and drinks will be available, and Riverside is opening a space down front for those who want to dance along. Tickets are $55 online, and the show lasts 90 minutes, with a brief intermission.

Report: White House eyes cutting up Discovery for Houston move

By Uriah Kiser

Published October 1, 2025 at 7:58PM

(Photo: Christopher Griffin)

The KeepTheShuttle team claims to have obtained a letter from a congressional staffer confirming that the White House’s Office of Management & Budget has directed the Smithsonian and NASA to examine plans to disassemble the Space Shuttle Discovery to facilitate its relocation to Houston.

The letter, sent by the Smithsonian to congressional authorizing and appropriating committees, warns that moving Discovery would likely require dismantling the historic orbiter. This process would cause “irreparable damage” to its aluminum frame, 24,000 ceramic tiles, and 2,000 thermal insulation blankets. The Smithsonian and NASA estimate the base cost of such a move to be between Z$120 million and $150 million, excluding the cost of constructing a new exhibit in Texas, which far exceeds the currently authorized $85 million.

&pizza offers 30% off for government employees in Woodbridge

By Press Release

Published October 1, 2025 at 7:44PM

& Pizza Woodbridge dining room

WOODBRIDGE, Va. – & Pizza’s Woodbridge shop is offering 30% off in-store purchases for government workers who show an official government-issued ID, available today through October 12, 2025. The company says the discount is also available at other &pizza locations. The Woodbridge shop is at 2453 Prince William Parkway, Woodbridge, Virginia 22192.

The offer applies to in-store orders and requires a valid government ID at checkout. Store hours are 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday–Thursday and 11 a.m. to midnight Friday–Saturday. Customers should confirm participation and details with their local shop before ordering.

Weather Wrecks the Brentsville Bluegrass Festival — What’s Next?

By Uriah Kiser

Published October 1, 2025 at 10:33AM

The Brentsville Historic Courthouse Centre once severed as a stop on the Underground Railroad to freedom. [Mary Davidson/Potomac Local]

The festival is typically held on the grounds of the Brentsville Courthouse Historic Centre, a 28-acre property in Bristow that features preserved landmarks such as the 1822 courthouse, a jail, church, farmhouse, and one-room schoolhouse. Once the county seat, Brentsville today draws visitors with music, history, and cultural programming.

In past years, the festival has featured performances by regional bluegrass acts, living history demonstrations, historic site tours, children’s activities, and local food vendors. The combination of music and history has made the daylong event a highlight of the fall calendar.

Eight Local Women’s Clubs Donate Clothing to Support Forensic Nurse Examiner Program at Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center

By Press Release

Published September 30, 2025 at 11:30AM

WOODBRIDGE, Va. — Eight women’s clubs from across Northern Virginia have joined forces to make a generous donation of new clothing and handmade items to support patients served by the Forensic Nurse Examiner Program at Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center.

The donation, valued at $3,725, includes underwear, socks, sweatshirts, pants, hats, scarves, blankets, and more.

From Local Breweries to UK Charts: The Rise of Uncle Drew and the Scoundrels

By Mike Salmon

Published September 25, 2025 at 1:30PM

Rachel Fleming and Drew Fleming

“Americana” is the word Uncle Drew returns to again and again when describing the sound of Uncle Drew and the Scoundrels, a band rooted in the Manassas area. On October 25, the group will host an album release party at Sinistral Brewing Company in Downtown Manassas.

Breweries have become a signature setting for the group, which has also performed at Heritage Brewing, Tin Cannon Brewing, and 4J’s Brewing, all in Prince William County.

Woodbridge Dad Marks National Daughters Day with Song for His 9-Year-Old

By Uriah Kiser

Published September 25, 2025 at 1:00PM

Jon Freeman, who writes songs under the name Witlove, with his daughter Kennedy. Freeman released a song called “45 Minutes” on National Daughters Day as a tribute to her.

WOODBRIDGE, Va. – For Jon Freeman, who writes songs under the name Witlove, National Daughters Day carried extra meaning this year.

Freeman, a local country songwriter, released a new track called “45 Minutes” for his 9-year-old daughter, Kennedy. The song tells the story of the first moments he held her after she was born, weaving in memories of singing Randy Travis’ “Forever and Ever, Amen” and Thomas Rhett’s “Star of the Show” in the hospital.

ARTfactory Presents: What the Walls Remember – A Haunting Factory of Fear Group Art Exhibit Featuring Over 80 Works by Local Artists

By Press Release

Published September 25, 2025 at 8:45AM | Updated September 25, 2025 at 10:03AM

The ARTfactory at 9419 Battle Street in Manassas.

MANASSAS, Va. – In conjunction with ARTfactory’s annual Factory of Fear event and fundraiser, the Caton Merchant Gallery is pleased to announce the opening of “What the Walls Remember,” a juried group exhibition featuring over 80 compelling works of art by 60 talented artists from across the DMV region.

Running through November 8, this evocative exhibit explores themes that encompass the eerie, the mysterious, and the surreal. Instead of focusing primarily on traditional Halloween imagery, the exhibition casts a broader net, inviting viewers to explore the darker corners of artistic expression. Featured pieces include shadowy landscapes, haunting portraits, abstract expressions of emotion, and visual explorations of mortality and the unknown.