Highway marker to commemorate rock legend

It happened in 1957 at a sock hop in the old Fredericksburg Arena – a native-American musician named Link Wray first played what would become a huge hit – the instrumental known as Rumble:. Wray is now remembered for his innovative use of distortion or fuzz and the...

PHOTOS/WATCH: Veterans Day in Fredericksburg

A 312-year-old Stradivarius made a secret stop in Fredericksburg

For one night in October, the James Monroe High School auditorium was home to one of the most famous violins in the world, and almost nobody knew it was coming. Violinist Timothy Chooi joined the Fredericksburg Symphony Orchestra on Oct. 23 for Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto, playing the 1714 “Dolphin” Stradivarius, the instrument famously associated with Jascha Heifetz. For security reasons, the orchestra didn’t announce the violin’s appearance in advance.

Your Family Guide to Holiday Parades Near Fredericksburg

Make time for holiday parades near Fredericksburg, and explore more holiday and seasonal fun to enjoy with your family. Find holiday parades in Fredericksburg, Spotsylvania, Colonial Beach, Bowling Green and other nearby communities. Listings include dates, times and locations to help you plan your family’s outing. Some celebrations also...

Civil War soldier who died in Northern Virginia is finally laid to rest

This article was written by InsideNoVa's news partner, WTOP , and republished with permission. Sign up for WTOP's breaking news, traffic and weather alerts as well as daily emails. A Civil War soldier who died more than 160 years ago in Prince William County has been given a final resting place. He was laid to rest with full military funeral honors at Arlington National Cemetery on Nov. 4. “We gather to honor an unknown soldier whose life story is not fully known to history, yet whose sacrifice is fully worthy of the nation’s gratitude,” Chaplain Capt. Phil Morlock said while leading the ceremony. “We know that he answered a call greater than himself. We know that he stood in a time when the nation was tested by fire.” In March 2024, archaeologists discovered the soldier’s remains at Manassas National Battlefield Park at the site of a Civil War field hospital. His identity is unknown, but forensic analysis shows he was around 16 to 19 years old. The Union infantryman died during the Second Battle of Manassas in 1862. “As I watched that ceremony today, I felt it very hard not to cry,” said David Duncan, president of the American Battlefield

Nadia Phillips’ Maryland Crab Cakes Steal The Show On ‘Hell’s Kitchen’

WALDORF, Md. — There were violinists outside the kitchen and caviar on the dinner agenda, but it was a plate of Maryland crab cakes from Waldorf chef Nadia Phillips that won over the judges at the “Hell’s Kitchen” 25th-season gala challenge. Phillips, 24, a North Point...

Group works to find the remains of Civil War soldiers in Manassas

MANASSAS, Va. - An effort to find the remains of Civil War soldiers is underway just outside of Manassas National Battlefield Park. The site is already home to a monument to Timothy Dunklin, a Texan, who, at age 16, fought for the Confederacy in the Second Battle of Manassas during the Civil War. Dunklin died in August 1862, explained Cherie Johnston, the executive director of the Manassas Battlefield Trust.

There’s A Historic Train Depot In Virginia That Whisks You Back To The Early 1900s

There’s a spot in Montpelier Station, Virginia where the calendar on the wall still reads 1927, the telegraph equipment sits ready for the next message, and the only thing missing is the sound of a steam whistle cutting through the trees. The Historic Montpelier Railroad Depot, built around 1910,...

Visitor Center exhibit showcases Patawomeck Tribe’s literal roots

For David Jett and his fellow Patawomeck tribal citizens, the objects on display in the Fredericksburg Visitor Center this past Friday held dual meanings. “Where others see a poplar tree, we see a bark basket or a dugout canoe,” he said. “Where others see pine needles as an annoyance to sweep off your porch, we see a basket.”

History on the rocks: FAM turns museum pieces into cocktails

Some assignments are harder than others. This one sent me to two downtown restaurants to watch two talented bartenders at work, then drink what they made, all in the name of local history. I did it for you, dear reader. My excuse for a midday cocktail (OK, two) is FAM-TINI,...

Kings Dominion’s new Hops & Harvest Festival takes over International Street

DOSWELL, Va. (WWBT) - Kings Dominion is debuting a new festival this fall, turning International Street into a festive gathering place complete with fall foods, local drinks, live music and family activities. It’s called the Hops & Harvest Festival, and it runs from noon to 6 p.m. on select dates...

Fairfax County Public Library launches online portal for historical photos

The City of Fairfax Regional Library’s Virginia Room has long stewarded an extensive collection of historical photographs taken throughout the decades in the county, city, and region. Now, many of those snapshots are available online through Fairfax County Public Library (FCPL). Launched last week, the Fairfax County History Portal...

Spotsylvania student rep: “Prioritize student art over AI”

In her last meeting as student representative to the Spotsylvania School Board, Cora Shields asked division staff for support. “I would like to ask SCPS staff to consider asking art students to create their school flyers and posters,” Shields said during her comments at Monday’s school board meeting.

From 9/11 Survivor to Turkey Trot Grand Marshal

ALEXANDRIA, VA — Thousands of runners will fill the streets of Del Ray this Thanksgiving, but one will be running with 2,977 names on her mind. U.S. Air Force Capt. Hanna Born, an Alexandria native who survived the terrorist attack on the Pentagon as a toddler, has been named grand marshal of the 51st annual Alexandria Turkey Trot on Thursday, Nov. 26. After riding in the ceremonial grand marshal car, she plans to join the five-mile race, dedicating each mile to a different person killed on Sept. 11, 2001.

Reston Town Center Announces Changes to Its Holiday Programming

Reston Town Center’s ice rink and annual holiday parade and tree lighting make it a popular seasonal destination. This year, the shopping and dining location has made some changes to its holiday programming. The annual holiday parade is scheduled for November 27 at 11:00 a.m. However, it will not...

Fourteen Flucos Advance to All-District Choir

On Nov. 5 and 6, FCHS choir and piano students hosted over 500 choir students from the area to audition for All-District Choir. All-District Choir is when students from all over the district sing a song and sight-read on their own, while a pair of judges blind-judge the auditions. From there, the top students chosen make it into All-District Choir, which will be held in February at Eastern View High School.

Disney’s Frozen Brings the Magic of Arendelle to Manassas

Get Your Tickets Today! Almost all shows are SOLD OUT online!. Actors Theatre at the ARTfactory presents the full-length Broadway musical at the Hylton Performing Arts Center Nov. 20 to 29. When newly crowned Queen Elsa accidentally unleashes her hidden powers, trapping Arendelle in an eternal winter, her fearless younger...

Veterans Day to close Fairfax County government, but not schools

Fairfax County government offices will close, but public schools will remain open tomorrow (Wednesday) for Veterans Day. Fairfax County Public Schools students will head to class tomorrow as usual after the school board voted this spring to no longer observe Veterans’ Day as a student holiday. Seeking to reduce disruptions to the standard five-day school week, the board also considered Indigenous Peoples’ Day for elimination, but that proposal didn’t pass.

The Breakfast at This Maryland Diner Comes With More Than 70 Years of History and an Unexpected Backstory

Today’s breakfast orders pass through a kitchen where workers once patched flat tires. The building previously held a gas station and electrical shop, so the change from grease-stained tools to a breakfast griddle is quite a turnaround. That unlikely history belongs to a Maryland diner still serving meals on...

The Mall was meant for peace. It’s getting crowded with war.

The sylvan landscape around the Lincoln Memorial is a mess, and it will only get worse. On Oct. 24, a new memorial honoring those who served in the first Iraq War, the 1990-91 conflict that forced an invading Iraqi army out of Kuwait, opened just north of the Lincoln Memorial. It sits close to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial along Constitution Avenue and next year there are plans to break ground on new Global War on Terrorism Memorial shoehorned between the two of them. President Donald Trump is also trying to build a giant triumphal arch just across the river, which will loom over the western end of the mall, with yet another monumental addition, a riverside “Garden of American Heroes,” planned for nearby West Potomac Park.