Game Over Escape Rooms is open at 8955 Center Street in Historic Downtown Manassas.
Eleftherios “Ares” Nakos and Jonathan Thompson spent nearly three years planning the shop, the city’s economic development newsletter reported Thursday. They said the idea started with a shared love of escape rooms. Their research included a trip to Florida, where they played 12 Game Over rooms in two days before signing on with the franchise.
A D-BAT Baseball & Softball Academy is coming to The Shops of England Run on Warrenton Road, in the large storefront next to Rappahannock Goodwill’s new store in the former Big Lots space.
Owners Carrie and Brent Curtis say the indoor academy will be more than 14,000 square feet and will include 10 batting cages, a Rawlings-sponsored pro shop, and a flex room for birthday parties or corporate events. They are aiming to open in December or January.
A nearly 250-year-old home at one of Stafford County’s busiest intersections has found new life as a gathering place for local artisans, coffee lovers, and small businesses.
NOVA Life, a new wellness and recovery center offering science-backed, non-invasive therapies, celebrated its official opening with a ribbon cutting on Thursday, July 9, 2026, in the Haymarket/Gainesville area of Prince William County.
“Welcome to Caroline Street @lucabeesboutique! Luca Bee’s is a brand new boutique featuring curated baby and children’s clothing with sizes 0-12yo,” Fredericksburg Main Street announced.
“Carefully curated baby & children’s clothes. Sweet styles for your little honey,” the shop’s Instagram profile states.
A very important part of ballet is shoes. For dancers dressed in tights and tutus, getting up on pointe is a move known as “pointe,” and it requires a rugged pair of ballet shoes. Rugged yet dainty is the combination that sets apart outfitter R-Class, a new ballet outfitter in Manassas.
“It’s important to really work on the fit,” said Jennifer Fitzpatrick, who is one of the founders of R-Class with fellow dancer Natalya Balatsenko. Ballet dancers start out at a young age, wearing socks or tights, but haven’t reached the pointe level with fancy shoes. That comes with experience. “When you get on pointe shoes, it’s a real big deal,” she said.
A new arcade in Spotsylvania Towne Centre is flipping the script on traditional gaming — replacing joysticks and tokens with skill-based claw machines designed to let players walk away winners.
Planet Novak, a claw-style arcade featuring nearly 50 prize machines, opened Nov. 1 across from Build-A-Bear and near the children’s play area.
A new imagination-based play space has landed in Stafford, created by a mom who saw a gap—and decided to fill it.
Silly Goose Imagination Village in North Stafford was founded by Ellen Devine, who moved to the area in 2024 and quickly noticed a lack of activities for her youngest child. While she frequented local libraries and restaurants with play areas, Devine said she “craved…a comfortable place to connect with people on a regular basis.”
The Stafford Tourism & Business Marketing Summit has been rescheduled due to anticipated winter weather, with organizers moving the event to early February while keeping the same location and agenda.
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