A selection of special events for February 2017. Click the hyperlinks for more details. Check back ofter, as we update this list throughout the month. (Last update 8:30 p.m. February 2, 2017)
FEBRUARY 1 – 8, 2017
First Friday Fredericksburg
Join the art galleries and studios of downtown Fredericksburg, Virginia, for First Friday Art Walk on February 3, 2017. Opening receptions are from 6 – 9 p.m., unless otherwise indicated.
810 Weekend Gallery, 810 Caroline St.
Art First Gallery, 824 Caroline St.
Artful Dimensions Gallery, 911 Charles St.
Art Mart, 1405 Princess Anne St.
Brush Strokes Gallery, 824 Caroline St.
Community Bank of the Chesapeake, 425 William St. (2 – 5 p.m.)
Fredericksburg Center for the Creative Arts, 813 Sophia St.
Gallery VC, Fredericksburg Visitor Center, 706 Caroline St.
Kingdom Inspiration Studio, 1008 Sophia St.
LibertyTown Arts Workshop, 916 Liberty St.
PONSHOP, 712 Caroline St.
Sophia Street Studios, 1104 Sophia St.
Winter with the Presidents
Friday, Feb. 3, 6 – 8 p.m. at James Monroe Museum and Memorial Library, 908 Charles St, Fredericksburg, Virginia 22401
Historian Eve Watters offers charming examples of the music, songs, stories, and other domestic amusements enjoyed by James Monroe, Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison with their families during Colonial nights.
Free. Sponsored in part by the Virginia Commission for the Arts.
Daddy-Daughter Dance
Friday, Feb. 3, 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. at Dorothy Hart Community Center, 408 Canal St., Fredericksburg, VA 22401
Fredericksburg Parks & Rec presents their Second Annual Valentine’s Dance for fathers, stepdads, grandpas, and uncles (sorry, no moms!) to treat their little sweethearts to an evening of dress-up, fun and dancing. Girls must be between the ages of 4 and 12. Refreshments will be served.
Tickets: $12 Daddy/Daughter couple ($6 each add’l daughter) by February 1. After February 1 it’s $15 per couple and $8 for each add’l daughter with the same father.
Museum of Culpeper History Open House
Saturday, Feb, 4, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. at the Museum of Culpeper History, 113 S. Commerce St., Culpeper, VA 22701
The museum is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. Join us on Saturday for a FREE open house.
FREE
EOD Warrior Foundation 10th annual Polar Bear Plunge
Saturday, Feb. 4, 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. at City Dock, 207 Sophia St., Fredericksburg, VA 22401
Check-in begins at 9 a.m., with the plunge taking place at 11 a.m. Early registration is $25; registration after January 10 is $35. Early registrants receive a commemorative shirt.
Friends of Wilderness Battlefield Volunteer Open House
Saturday, Feb. 4, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. at Ellwood Manor, 36380 Constitution Hwy. (Route 20), Locust Grove, VA
Friends of Wilderness Battlefield (FoWB) is seeking new volunteers to staff positions at Ellwood Manor for the 2017 season. FoWB volunteers will be on hand to show prospective volunteers the house, and to answer questions about volunteering.
Free.
Take Your Child to the Library Day
Saturday, Feb. 4, 9 a.m. to closing.
Stop by the Youth Services Desk at any Central Rappahannock Regional Library, enjoy a fun activity, and get a prize.
List of branches: http://www.librarypoint.org/branches
Free.
Wintering Waterfowl with Andrew Dolby
Saturday, Feb. 4, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. at Stratford Hall, 483 Great House Road, Stratford, VA 22558
Stratford Hall lies at the heart of eastern Virginia’s prime overwintering habitat for Tundra Swans, Ruddy Ducks, Buffleheads, and other waterfowl visitors. Some fly thousands of miles each fall from the shores of the Arctic Ocean, while others make their way from North America’s Prairie Pothole region to the Northern Neck’s sheltering rivers, creeks, and ponds. This illustrated presentation will provide identification tips and natural history information for the ducks, geese, and swans that make Virginia their winter home. It will be followed by a field trip to a nearby waterfowl-watching hotspot. Binoculars and a spotting scope will be provided. $30 per person. Preregistration suggested.
Women’s Health & Fitness Expo
Saturday, Feb. 4, 2016, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. at the Greater Richmond Convention Center , 403 North 3rd St., Richmond, VA 23219
The Richmond Women’s Health and Fitness Expo is celebrating its 16th anniversary of providing health screenings, healthy cooking recipes and demonstrations, and the latest trends in fitness.
$25 – $65
Civil Rights Gallery and Walking Tour
Saturday, Feb. 4, 11 a.m. beginning at the Fredericksburg Area Museum and Cultural Center. 907 Princess Anne St., Fredericksburg, VA 22401
Join John Hennessy for tours beginning at 11 a.m. on the first Saturday of each month. Limited space is available, so please RSVP to Melanie Johnson at [email protected]
Free for members; $10 for non-members
Quill You Be My Valentine?
Saturday, Feb. 4, 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. at Mary Washington House, 1200 Charles St, Fredericksburg, VA 22401
Learn the art of quilling, a decorative art form from the Colonial period. The event is for ages 10 and up.
Price is $12 for members, $15 for the public — includes the price of supplies. For questions, please contact .
Please reserve your spot by calling 540-373-1569 or emailing [email protected] (by February 1)
Fredericksburg Grizzlies Basketball
Saturday, Feb. 4, 7 p.m. at University of Mary Washington, Anderson Center, 1301 College Ave., Fredericksburg, VA 22401
The Grizzlies take on the Salisbury Bulldogs.
en Route! A Touring Dance Project
Saturday, Feb. 4, at 7:30 p.m. at The Hurley Convergence Center Digital Auditorium, University of Mary Washington, 1801 College Ave., Fredericksburg, Va. 22401
Tickets: $10 General; $5 Artist/Military (with ID)/Child; $3 Student with ID
James Farmer Multicultural Center Human Rights Film Series: “MOOZ-LUM”
Monday, Feb. 6, 6 p.m. at the University of Mary Washington James Farmer Multicultural Center Colonnade Room, Fredericksburg, VA 22401
Thanks to a strict Muslim upbringing that largely shielded him from the outside world, Tariq’s first year of college proves transformative. That is, until the 9/11 terrorist attacks invite growing suspicion and distrust from his angry classmates.
Free.
FEBRUARY 9 – 15, 2017
Bags of Hope to Benefit Loisann’s Hope House
Thursday, Feb. 9, 6 – 9 p.m. at Inn At The Olde Silk Mill, 1707 Princess Anne St., in Fredericksburg.
New and gently used purses, totes, and clutches will be auctioned to benefit Loisann’s Hope House. Brand-name bags including Coach, Kate Spade, Brighton, and Chanel will be available.
Tickets are $35 a person or $325 for a group of 10.
Civil War to Civil Rights
Thursday, Feb. 9, 2017, 7 – 8 p.m.
Headquarters Branch Library, 1201 Caroline St, Fredericksburg, VA 22401
Professor of Art History Dr. Evie Terrono examines the multifaceted and highly politicized dimensions of race and American identity in the artistic production of African American artists, marking the transition from slavery to the Civil War to the Civil Rights period in the 1960s and 1970s. Artists discussed include Elizabeth Catlett, Faith Ringgold, Kara Walker, Fred Wilson, Kehinde Wiley, and Hank Willis.
Free.
Friends of Chatham Reception
Friday, Feb. 10, 6:30 – 8 p.m. at at Central Rappahannock Regional Library, 1201 Caroline St., Fredericksburg, VA 22401
Friends of Chatham invites you to a reception honoring its members, donors, supporters, and volunteers. Board members will be there to provide updates on our plans for 2017. Park Superintendent Kirsten Talken-Spaulding and our favorite historian John Hennessy will also be on hand to fill us in on their ideas and plans for Chatham.
Genealogy Class
Saturday, Feb. 11, 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. at Mary Washington House, 1200 Charles St., Fredericksburg, Virginia 22401
Curious about researching your family tree, but don’t know where to start? Join the museum for an introduction to genealogy. This class will give you tips and tricks to start researching your family’s history.
$15. Please RSVP to [email protected] or 540-373-1569.
Kids Expo
Saturday, Feb. 11, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Sunday, Feb. 12, 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Fredericksburg Expo & Conference Center, 2371 Carl D. Silver Parkway, Fredericksburg, VA 22401
Petting zoo, inflatables, lego train display, police K-9 demos, pony rides, seminars, and more.
$2 – $8; Kids 3 and under free.
Black History Month Lecture by David Banner
Saturday, Feb. 11, 1 p.m. at Germanna Community College’s Fredericksburg Area Campus, 10000 Germanna Point Dr, Fredericksburg, VA 22408
Banner is a rapper, record producer, actor, and activist.
Free
Valentine’s at Stratford Hall
Saturday, Feb. 11, 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.
The cost is $140 per couple (including tax and gratuity) for diners who wish to purchase dinner only. For those who may want to dine and spend a romantic night in Stratford’s guest house, the price is $280 per couple; this includes dinner, one night’s lodging on February 11, complimentary breakfast buffet and late checkout (1:00 p.m.). These prices do not include tax or gratuity. The one night’s lodging includes a private room with either two twin beds or a king bed (call early for the king-size beds). Lodging and extended weekend accommodations are also available.
Sweet History: A Valentines Tasting
Sunday, Feb. 12, 3 – 6 p.m. at Rising Sun Tavern, 1304 Caroline St., Fredericksburg. VA 22401
Valentine’s Day sweets are older and more remarkable than taste reveals. Taste the candy and learn the tantalizing stories of how each became true American sweethearts. You will sample the earliest aphrodisiacs (4,000 years old), Conversation Hearts (1860s), Cinnamon Hearts (1940s), and more.
For ages 16 and up. $15. Call 540-371-1494 to reserve your spot.
Love Is In The Air Concert
Tuesday, Feb. 14, 8 p.m. at Riverside Center for the Performing Arts, 95 Riverside Pkwy, Fredericksburg, VA 22406
Guest Vocalist Connor Bogart with members of the Rappahannock POPS Orchestra present songs and music from Broadway and the Silver Screen
$30, cash bar. Call 540-370-4300 for tickets A portion of the proceeds benefit the Holy Cross Academy Expansion Fund
FEBRUARY 16 – 22, 2017
Virginia Motor Trend International Auto Show
Friday, Feb. 17, 10 a.m. – 9 p.m.
Saturday, Feb. 18, 10 a.m. – 9 p.m.
Sunday, Feb. 19, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
At the Greater Richmond Convention Center, 403 N 3rd St., Richmond, VA 23219
Hundreds of the hottest new cars and trucks will fill the Greater Richmond Convention Center for the 2017 Virginia Motor Trend International Auto Show.
Adults (13 and over) $10; Senior Citizens (62 and over) $5; Military (w/any DOD ID) $5; Children (12 and Under) FREE.
The Vagina Monologues
February 17, 18, 24, 25, 8 p.m. at Picker’s Alley Black Box Theatre, 902 Caroline St. second floor. Enter through the alley.
Fredericksburg Theatre Ensemble presents “The Vagina Monologues.”
Admission is by donations at the door, with all proceeds directly to the Rappahannock Council Against Sexual Assault (RCASA).
Washington’s Birthday Weekend at Mount Vernon
Saturday, Feb. 18, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Sunday, Feb. 19, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Monday, Feb. 20, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
George Washington’s Mount Vernon, 3200 Mount Vernon Memorial Hwy., Mount Vernon, VA 22121
Celebrate George Washington’s birthday with a weekend of special events at his plantation home, Mount Vernon. Included are character performances, dancing demonstrations, book signings, story time, and much more.
February 18 and 19 events are included in admission. February 20 admission is free.
George Washington’s Birthday at Ferry Farm
Saturday, February 18, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. at Ferry Farm, 268 Kings Hwy., Fredericksburg, Virginia 22405
Celebrate George Washington’s 285th birthday at his boyhood home with fun activities for the whole family, including games, crafts, exhibits, the Stone Throw Challenge (weather permitting), history theater, and birthday cake. “General Washington” will attend the birthday celebration to talk about his youth on the farm. Learn about the ongoing construction of the Washington house at Ferry Farm.
$5 adults; 17 and under free.
George Washington’s Birthday at Mary Washington House
Sunday, Feb. 19, 12 – 4 p.m. at Mary Washington House, 1200 Charles St, Fredericksburg, Virginia 22401
Celebrate George Washington’s birthday decorating a cupcake at Mary Washington House. Price is included with admission.
Archaeology Day at Ferry Farm
Monday, February 20, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m at Ferry Farm, 268 Kings Hwy., Fredericksburg, Virginia 22405
Hear firsthand from staff archaeologists about the 735,000 artifacts unearthed at George Washington’s boyhood home. Enjoy crafts, theater performances, presentations by Muraca the Magnificent – Guru of Glues, and behind-the-scenes visits to the archaeology laboratory. Tour the visitor center exhibits, and learn about the Washington house under construction.
Archaeology Day is a free event.
President’s Day at the Washington Heritage Museums
Monday, Feb, 20, 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. at Hugh Mercer Apothecary Shop, 1020 Caroline St., Fredericksburg, Virginia 22401
Mary Washington House, 1200 Charles St, Fredericksburg, Virginia 22401
Rising Sun Tavern, 1304 Caroline St, Fredericksburg, Virginia 22401
In honor of George Washington, Washington Heritage Museums is offering half-price admission: $2.50 Adult / $1 ages 6 – 18.
Presidents’ Day Presidential Press Conference
Monday, Feb. 20, 6 – 7:30 p.m. at the University of Mary Washington, Monroe Hall, Room 116, 1301 College Ave., Fredericksburg, Virginia 22401
A discussion of leadership and civic responsibility with University of Mary Washington President Troy Paino and President James Monroe.
Free.
FEBRUARY 23 – 28, 2017
Our Stories: Post WWII through the Civil Rights Era
Thursday, Feb. 23, 2017, 7 – 8 p.m. at Central Rappahannock Regional Library Headquarters Branch, 1201 Caroline St, Fredericksburg, VA 22401
A panel of community members from our area – Fredericksburg, Stafford, Spotsylvania, and Westmoreland – will share their experiences that parallel, in ways both large and small, those of the women profiled in the book, Hidden Figures, our Rappahannock Reads selection. How were the challenges, obstacles, and opportunities encountered by four trailblazing African American women mathematicians at NASA also a reflection of the lives of local African Americans in the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s?
Free.
Princess Parties 10th Anniversary Royal Ball
Friday, Feb. 24, 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. at
This event for children features professional singing and dancing, cupcakes, professional photography, and seven princesses ready to meet and greet and give hugs.
$10 per child. All proceeds will go to Joy to the Kids, a charity that gives joy to hospitalized children through character visits to promote spiritual healing.
Ellwood Manor Volunteer Training
Saturday, Feb. 25, 8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m. at Ellwood Manor, 36380 Constitution Hwy. (Route 20), Locust Grove, VA
Friends of Wilderness Battlefield (FoWB) is seeking new volunteers to staff positions at Ellwood Manor for the 2017 season. FoWB, in conjunction with the National Park Service, will provide a training session for new volunteers who are interested in becoming interpreters. Contact Bob Lookabill at [email protected] or 540-972-5668 with questions and to indicate interest.
Garden Work Day
Saturday, February 25, 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. at Downtown Greens Community Greenspace, 206 Charles St #1, Fredericksburg, VA 22401
Help with early spring tasks, including clearing, cleaning, compost bin renewing, organizing, plant bed preparing, mulch moving and more.
Free.
Kitchen Table Stories:Graveyards, Genealogies and the Next Generation
Saturday, Feb. 25, 2 – 4 p.m. at the duPont Library at Stratford Hall, 483 Great House Rd., Stratford, VA 22558
Rooted in the African-American experience are memories of time spent in the kitchen. Kitchen Table Stories is a yearly offering of oral histories gathered from the African American communities in the Northern Neck.
The program is free to the public. Any donations will be accepted.
Getting Your First Book Published – A Germanna Community College Authors Panel Discusssion
Tuesday, Feb. 28, 7 – 8 p.m. at Headquarters Library, 1201 Caroline St, Fredericksburg, VA 22401
Authors on the panel include Howard Owen (Littlejohn), Jim Hall (The Last Lynching in Northern Virginia), Cory McLauchlin (Butterfly in the Typewriter), Dr. David Sam (Dreams of Wolves, Memories in Clay) and Rick Pullen (Naked Ambition). The panel discussion and Q&A will be followed by a book signing.
Free.
_____
