Fredericksburg’s Summer Restaurant Week returns this year from July 26 through Aug. 4, 2024. The city has held a Restaurant Week each year since 2005, eventually adding a second week. In Jan. 2024, Winter Restaurant Week had 18 participating restaurants.
During the week, restaurants offer special menus with a set price. These prices often reflect the current year – $20.24 for an appetizer and an entree, or $10.24 for a lunch combo.
The Fredericksburg City Council and the Fredericksburg Fire Department announced a public unveiling of a sign marking the location of the new Fire Station #3. The celebration will take place on Tuesday, July 9, 2024, at 4:30 p.m. at Snowden Park, and marks the start of construction on the new station.
The Fredericksburg Fire Department currently serves an area of 11 square miles with a population of approximately 25,700 people. The department operates two fire stations, staffing them 24/7/365 with two engine companies and one ladder/tower company. Additionally, the department operates two Advanced Life Support (ALS) ambulances 24/7/365, with all fire suppression personnel certified at the EMT level or higher. Mutual aid agreements are in place with Stafford and Spotsylvania counties.
Central Rappahannock Regional Library held its 21st annual Claudia Emerson Teen Poetry Contest in June.
The event was named in memory of Claudia Emerson, an advocate for teen poets. Emerson, a Pulitzer Prize-winning poet and former professor at the University of Mary Washington, played a key role in the annual Teen Poetry Contest. She judged the contest and hosted Teen Poetry Night, providing thoughtful feedback to young poets. In 2022, she was named a Changemaker in the Virginia Women in History program.
George may have a Federal holiday, but Historic Kenmore is making sure his sister Betty has a party of her own. Betty Washington’s 291st birthday celebration will be June 22 at her Fredericksburg home Kenmore.
Betty Washington Lewis and her husband Fielding Lewis began construction on Kenmore in 1769, and the family moved in by the fall of 1775. The Fredericksburg plantation originally covered 1,270 acres, now reduced to a single city block. Kenmore is notable for its 18th-century decorative plasterwork ceilings. After Fielding’s death in 1781, the property passed to his first-born son, John, while Betty stayed on for 14 more years. Kenmore has had eleven owners and has been owned by The George Washington Foundation since 1925. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1970.
The City of Fredericksburg has announced the revival of its “Around the Town” free trolley service to downtown for the upcoming summer season. Operated by Trolley Tours of Fredericksburg, the service will run on Friday and Saturday evenings from May 31 to August 31, offering residents and visitors a convenient way to explore downtown attractions.
The trolley will make a 20-minute loop around downtown with stops at six locations, including popular spots such as the Fredericksburg Visitor Center, Carl’s Ice Cream, Mason Dixon Café, Haley’s Honey Meadery, Red Dragon Brewery, Harry’s Downtown, Mellow Mushroom, Castiglia’s, and Rebellion Bourbon Bar and Kitchen. Additionally, on the first Friday of each month, extra stops will be added for art gallery openings. The free, family-friendly rides are available from 5 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Following a record-breaking fundraising gala in October 2023, STEP VA has moved into its new home on Bourbon Street.
Last fall, a 10-year anniversary gala brought in a record $50,000 for the organization. One month later, the group obtained its own space for the first time. STEP VA had been holding meetings in rooms rented or borrowed from local businesses and houses of worship to hold meetings. “Our dream is to create a space where people with disabilities feel welcome and can freely express their creativity in a space that prioritizes their sensory needs,” said Carol Yeh, STEP VA secretary.
I-95 Northbound: Exit 118 (Thornburg): Sunday – Thursday, 9 p.m. – 5 a.m. and Monday – Friday, 9:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. and 9 p.m. – 5 a.m. Alternating lane closures at night at mile marker 119 north of exit 118 (Thornburg) at the bridge over the Po River for bridge maintenance repairs. Single lane closure during the day for bridge washing.
I-95 Southbound: Exit 148 (Quantico) to Exit 143 (Aquia/Garrisonville): Monday – Thursday, 9 p.m. – 10 a.m. and Thursday – Friday, 9 p.m. – 4:30 a.m. Single lane closure between mile markers 147-146 for 95 Express Lanes Fredericksburg Extension work.
