Rachel Kester

Rachel Kester is a Chesterfield-based writer who covers topics ranging from the environment to culture. When not writing, she can be found tending to her garden and exploring farmers’ markets.

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Food

Eastern Shore Figs are Virginia Royalty

For just a few fleeting weeks, usually late in the summer, Virginia’s Eastern Shore figs debut. Featuring an array of shapes, hues, flavors, and backstories, this tiny fruit (technically an inverted flower) is royalty. Despite its short season, many strive to celebrate each harvest, like Eastern Shore Fig Co.’s Paula Henao. Founder of the Cape […]

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Buc-ee’s Opens Its First Virginia Location

If you happened to be standing near the I-81 exit for Mt. Crawford in the early morning hours of this past June 30, you’d have witnessed a spectacle. Shoppers flooded into the parking lot and shuffled into block-long lines in hopes of being among the first through the doors of Virginia’s first Buc-ee’s travel station. […]

by Eric J. Wallace

Sail250 Virginia Brings Tall Ships From Around the World

When more than 60 tall ships and military vessels from 30 countries glide into Virginia waters this June, they’ll carry centuries of seafaring history—and usher in one of the most ambitious celebrations America has ever staged. Sail250 Virginia, the Commonwealth’s landmark commemoration of the nation’s 250th anniversary, runs June 12–23, transforming Norfolk and 11 affiliate […]

by Madeline Mayhood

All Aboard: Virginia’s Summer of Steam Celebrates America250

This summer, the legendary Norfolk & Western 611 steam locomotive is firing up her wheel—and she’s bringing history along for the ride. Built in 1950 in Roanoke, Virginia, the 611 is the last surviving member of the “J-Class” fleet, widely regarded as the pinnacle of steam technology. With her iconic bullet-shaped nose, Tuscan Red stripe, […]

by Abby Borgeson