ARTfactory, a creative arts center dedicated to providing quality programming in the visual and performing arts to Manassas, Prince William County, and surrounding areas, celebrates its 40th anniversary this year.

Read more in the ARTfactory’s press release:

The ARTfactory was founded in 1984 by a group of artists and art lovers with the goal of enriching lives in the community through the arts. Originally named the Center for the Arts of Greater Manassas/Prince William County, the center was relocated in 2002 to its current location, the Hopkins Candy Factory building.

In 2020 the center was officially renamed ARTfactory and what started as a vision to foster partnerships for the arts within the community has grown
exponentially over the years.

Additionally, the center is home to the historic Pied Piper Theatre and Rooftop Productions where youth and adults train in and perform live theatre.

ARTfactory also houses the Caton Merchant Family Gallery where numerous rotating exhibits featuring area artists are on display, as well as the newly named Wind River Theater where events and theatrical performances are held.

Extending its community outreach, ARTfactory also hosts artist receptions and talks, live theatre productions, special events, and a summer concert series, Summersounds, which is held each summer in partnership with the city of Manassas and MICRON.

Although ARTfactory’s official anniversary falls in March, the center is celebrating the achievement throughout the year with increased programming and events, such as additional theatrical performances and fundraising events. ARTfactory’s 40th anniversary is being sponsored by area businesses United Bank, Farrell & Croft, Didlake, Inside Nova, Primeau
Mayer, The Irving Law Firm, UVA Health, and Mike Garcia Construction.

ARTfactory is open to the public Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sundays from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. For more information on ARTfactory classes and events, visit their website at virginiaartfactory.org.

The students and staff of Grafton Village Elementary School (GVES) have once again shown their
dedication to helping others through the success of their second annual cereal box drive.

Organized by the school outreach committee in collaboration with the GVES Parent-Teacher Association (PTA), this year’s drive surpassed expectations with overwhelming community support.

Read more in a Stafford County Public Schools press release:

Last year, GVES collected 1800 cereal boxes, setting a goal of 2000 for this year’s drive. With the combined efforts of students, staff, and the local community, that goal was not only met but exceeded.

“The drive kicked off slowly last week as students began bringing in boxes, but momentum picked up dramatically this week, especially with the timely cereal sale at the local Giant store,” said Annmarie Mulholland, PTA VP of Hospitality at GVES.

The PTA diligently counted boxes daily and released classroom counts, fostering a healthy spirit of competition among students. The winning class on each grade level will enjoy a Domino’s pizza party sponsored by the PTA.

Today, during a school-wide celebration, fifth-grade classes took the lead helping to place the boxes throughout the entire school building, spanning the upstairs hallway, winding down the stairs, snaking the main floor, all the way to an impressive corkscrew finale in the gymnasium.

Ms. Stacee Rogers, the school’s service employee of the year, initiated the domino effect, symbolizing the cascading impact of collective efforts. The fifth-grade students worked tirelessly alongside staff and volunteers to load each of the 2,000 boxes onto the large pallets, which will be picked up by the Fredericksburg Regional Food Bank on Tuesday.

“We extend our heartfelt gratitude to our community, students, and dedicated staff for their unwavering support and commitment to this cause,” said Michael Sidebotham, principal. “This drive exemplifies the spirit of generosity and compassion that defines the GVES community. Go Grizzlies!”

For more information about Stafford County Public Schools, or to apply for a vacancy, please visit staffordschools.net.

Mary Washington Healthcare (MWHC) donated more than 450 Easter baskets to children in need. This annual initiative aims to ensure that children in need receive treat-filled baskets during this holiday season.

For the past 11 years, MWHC has partnered with social service organizations in Fredericksburg city, Stafford, Spotsylvania, King George, and Caroline counties to support those in need. Jennifer Maxwell, executive assistant of hospital operations at Stafford Hospital, has played a pivotal role in coordinating Easter basket drives across various departments during her seven-year tenure.

Rebecca Fizer and Laura Ward, from MWHC’s Administrative Professionals of Excellence (APEX) department, spearheaded the Easter basket collection efforts at the Mary Washington Hospital collection location.

Since the program’s inception, MWHC has collected more than 5,700 Easter baskets for distribution throughout Fredericksburg and the surrounding counties.

Nick Arrington, cast member of Bravo TV’s “Summer House: Martha’s Vineyard,” will appear at Potomac Mills Mall tomorrow, April 2, 2024.

A mall PR person writes:

“…fashion icon, reality TV star and Woodbridge local is returning back to his favorite local spot – Potomac Mills – for an exclusive meet and greet event on April 2, from 6:30 – 7 p.m. This special occasion not only celebrates the premiere of season two of Summer House Martha’s Vineyard but also pays homage to Nick’s enduring love for fashion, which blossomed during his childhood shopping trips to Potomac Mills with his mother.”

“Summer House: Martha’s Vineyard” premiered on on May 7, 2023. It is a spin-off of Summer House and follows a group of young Black professionals and entrepreneurs vacationing on Martha’s Vineyard.

Things are looking very spring-like here on Burnside Farm. Some beautiful tulips and daffodils are starting to bloom, and the attraction opened this past Sunday, March 24.

The tulip farm in Nokesville, often described as Holland in Virginia, allows visitors to stroll the gardens, picnic, take photos, and pick tulips and bulbs to take home.

Tickets are available online. Attendees must pre-purchase their tickets online, as there are no tickets available at the gate.

Most of the weekend tickets have already sold out. Prices range between $19 and $25 each.

Burnside plans to operate its spring festival until April 14. “If crop conditions are favorable to extend our season beyond April 14, we will release additional dates/tickets on April 11 at noon,” the farm posted in a press release.

Once a traveling theater group with audiences of 20 to 30 people, Stage Door Productions has built a thriving theater in the heart of downtown Fredericksburg with sell-out shows and a broad community of performers.

Ray Manfredi, president of Stage Door Productions, said the group’s 25th season is a milestone. The group was formed in 1999 when a handful of local actors and theater fans wanted to bring new experiences to the community. Manfredi notes that SDP is “one of the first organized community theaters in Fredericksburg and…the longest operating community theater in the …area.”

Manfredi said the heart of the theater is the community of volunteers and performers. Each season features new faces alongside returning actors. Manfredi emphasized that “community theater survives on volunteers:” the set designers, costume designers, and actors are all unpaid volunteers.

In addition to entertaining and inspiring audiences, Manfredi said SPD provides “an outlet for artistic expression and creative passion” and provides education and enrichment opportunities for local youth, including children with special needs. SDP uses performances, programming, workshops, and community outreach to preserve the art of live theater locally. In short, Manfredi explained, “SDP wishes to be Theater for All.” The theater is available for many groups, as “live theater should not be a competition but a collaborative effort to entertain,” said Manfredi.

In 2018, SDP’s board began searching for a multipurpose facility where “several theater groups could co-exist,” said Manfredi, sharing resources and physical assets to offer programming for the community. Manfredi led efforts to build collaborative relationships with other local theater groups and remove the sense of competition in order to “help professionalize the arts experience in our community, which would hopefully make Fredericksburg proud of the theater we built,” Manfredi said.

The group signed a lease for its new home in downtown Fredericksburg, 810 Caroline Street, in February 2020 and prepared to launch its first production. Then, the government-ordered closures of the coronavirus pandemic hit, and SDP could not offer live programming until June 2021 but had to continue to pay its rent. With less than $1,000 left in its bank account, it opened with Shakespeare in July, offering a new show each week. According to Manfredi, Audiences loved them, which helped the theater troupe rebuild its budget. The troupe has been financially sound ever since, residing in the All Community Theater of Fredericksburg. The Manfredi Family Insurance Agencies made a $250,000 grant to fund the theater, managed by SDP.

SDP trusts artistic director Justin Ball to propose up to 15 productions to the board; Manfredi added Ball is encouraged “not be afraid to add some ‘edginess’ to [the] full season.” The 12-member board of directors reduces the list to 10 selections and typically plans a season’s programs a year in advance. Cast members may be residents, middle and high school students, and the University of Mary Washington students. Some are theater aficionados who drive from as far as Maryland to rehearse four nights a week to put on a show. Recent productions, like “Annie” and the upcoming “Annie Get Your Gun,” also include elementary school performers.

Manfredi doesn’t have a favorite past show but constantly looks forward to the next. “When one show closes, all hands come on deck to get the next show on that stage. The effort is a community effort, with everyone wanting the next to be better than the last – because our audience deserves the very best…,” he explained.

Upcoming shows include “Romeo & Juliet,” “Annie Get Your Gun,” and “Harry Potter” inspired productions, as well as several Improv shows. SDP also offers theater camps and workshops for a variety of ages.

Kelly Sienkowski is a freelance reporter for Potomac Local News.

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It’s off again.

Michael Huntley, better known as “Huntley,” has canceled the city’s celebration in his honor, in Fredericksburg.

Huntley is the most recent winner of NBC’s “The Voice.”

On March 19, the Fredericksburg City website stated the celebration “is being canceled due to Huntley’s schedule.” Messages were also sent to those who had signed up on the city’s website to attend the event.

In response, Huntley shared a video on his social media stating plainly “I didn’t cancel Huntley Day because of my schedule.” He called the event a waste of fans’ time, saying he had agreed to it after seeing the community’s support for him. He envisioned the event as a celebration with Fredericksburg, featuring food trucks and children’s activities. He added “I definitely would have rather played you guys some music.”

Huntley ended his video assuring there will be an event to celebrate the community and thank his supporters.

Originally scheduled for January 21, 2024, Huntley Day was postponed to March 31 due to cold weather concerns. The celebration was to begin with a parade in downtown Fredericksburg, followed by a pep rally style celebration at the Fredericksburg Nationals Stadium. Huntley was not going to perform, but would speak to the audience, which was expected to be about 4,000 people

Once a teenager singing Poison songs in 1986, Norman Voss now plays bass in Bret Michaels Band (BMB). The band has been nominated for the Country Music Television (CMT) Performance Award for a collaboration between BMB and Chris Janson.

Voss hails from Northern Virginia and lives in Fredericksburg. His Stormin’ Norman band formed in 1997 and traveled the Northern Virginia area for years playing popular songs from the 1960s to today.

His band members have changed, with his wife, brother, and many friends playing alongside him. COVID helped boost the band’s popularity—bars, restaurants, and other venues with open-air stages sought live music to attract customers. The push for live music has continued, and Voss is encouraged by the local music scene and support for musicians.

He supported Huntley, the Fredericksburg native and recent winner of NBC’s “The Voice.”

For Voss, performing is a fun way to enjoy music with friends who have “known each other for decades.” Some of those friends helped connect him to the BMB.

In 2021, Michaels’ bassist of 20 years became ill shortly before a Virginia performance. Pete Evick, Michaels’ music director, BMB band member, and owner of the Shining Sol Candle Company in Manassas, contacted Voss to step in for the show. Many of Voss’s band members are longtime friends or high school classmates, so the first gig was almost a reunion of his old friends, Voss said.

Voss wasn’t particularly nervous – Michaels was the only person he didn’t already know.

Voss commended Michaels’ strength and dedication. “I really think Bret Michaels is the hardest working man in show business,” said Voss.

When the other groups on tour with BMB take the night off, Michaels plays more shows with his solo band. Michaels recently announced he plans to take more time off in 2025 and has also announced a Poison tour will be coming soon. Voss said, “He makes you want to push yourself harder…he’s someone who just helps the community, supports the military…[and] just pushes me myself to be a better person.”

Voss is known for being generous with his own time. He routinely visits senior centers and works with the homeless. He has been working with Alternative Paths Training School, a year-round school for children with developmental, physical, and emotional disabilities.

Seeing the impact of music on children in the autism program inspired Voss to write a song with the kids.“I think music is God’s gift, so if I can use that gift that I have with someone in need…then I’m going to do it,” said Voss.

“Humans are made to connect with each other. Let’s not put walls up. Let’s take that step forward to try and connect with someone today,” he adds.

Using social media, Voss shares his volunteer activities to encourage others to share their gifts. “I’m just playing three chords on a guitar and holding someone’s hand. Anybody can do that…” said Voss.

Voters can visit CMT to vote for BMB and Norman Voss for the Performance Award up to 10 times daily. Voting is open until Sunday, April 7, when the awards show will air on CBS.

Evick mixed and edited the audio for the CMT awards show. “It’s actually one of my proudest moments in my career,” Evick said.