April 2026 Issue

“Washington Is Our Classroom” at Episcopal High School

Alexandria’s Episcopal High School offers students an advantage unrivaled across the state: The 130-acre historic campus sits just 7 miles from the White House, and its “Washington is Our Classroom” program capitalizes on that proximity. Daily forays into the capital are woven into the curriculum as 2.5-hour, midday “flex blocks.” Faculty members lead students on immersive […]

by Eric J. Wallace

Meet The Inn at Little Washington’s Newest Staff

Chef Patrick O’Connell has spent nearly five decades turning a former garage in rural Rappahannock County into one of America’s most celebrated restaurants—Virginia’s multi-Michelin-star Inn at Little Washington and Green Star honoree. This spring, his latest collaborators arrived on tiny webbed feet: a brood of American Buff geese and Golden 300 ducks that waddle across […]

by Madeline Mayhood

St. Anne’s-Belfield Robotics Team Takes Top Prize at World Competition

In 2024, a group of 10 middle-schoolers at St. Anne’s-Belfield School emailed a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration fish biologist and gear tester, Megan Amico, to ask about on-demand underwater camera systems. “I often handle outreach like this and was thrilled to connect with future scientists,” she says. Amico explained how the systems work: Special […]

by Eric J. Wallace

Confessions of a Serial Houseplant Killer Trying Again

I’m sorry, I’m so sorry, I whisper as the faucet runs. Is this the best way to do it? It certainly seems like the most effective method. I hold it up, feeling like Hamlet in an existential crisis. Why am I the way that I am? It—Rosso—stares back at me like he’s disgusted. I could […]

by Gabriela de Camargo Gonçalves

Virginia’s Most Spectacular Easter Brunches

Whether you’re craving oceanfront opulence, mountain grandeur, or historic elegance, Virginia’s luxury hotels are raising the bar for Easter brunch this year. Experiences span live jazz trios, carving stations, family egg hunts, and bottomless champagne on April 5. But don’t wait—these sought-after celebrations sell out fast, so make your reservations soon! The Jefferson Hotel | […]

by Madeline Mayhood

VA250 Meets the World of Wine, Beer, and Spirits

Cheers to a nation founded over tavern tables and mugfuls of rum! Since its inception, the United States has been fueled by passion, innovation, creativity, and, of course, alcohol. Heated debates over the choice to fight in the Revolution stirred through the flow of booze—Founding Fathers included. Virginia’s got the American spirit (pun intended) in […]

by Hope Cartwright

Richmond Scores Grocery Deals with Flashfood

Seeking quick-approaching “best by” dates might just be the way to make your grocery purchases your best buy. With the Flashfood app now at Richmond-area Krogers, shoppers are one click away from major savings on meat, cheese, produce, and bakery items nearing their “best by” deadlines. It’s a formula that lets you buy heavily discounted […]

by Hope Cartwright

Virginia Wesleyan University to Become Batten University

A crowd of more than 400 Virginia Wesleyan University faculty members, administrators, supporters, and alumni erupted into a standing ovation as board of trustees chair Nancy DeFord announced the Virginia Beach school was getting a new moniker in July: Batten University. The change, DeFord told guests, was an ode to the ongoing and titanic generosity of […]

by Eric J. Wallace

7 Easter Egg Hunts in Virginia With a Twist

Easter egg hunts are a spring must-do—but who says they can’t use a spruce-up? These hunts around the state put a fresh spin on the fun. Easter Egg Hunt in the Trees • March 18–April 5 Adventure Park at Virginia Aquarium, Virginia Beach Zip and climb through the ropes course while spotting paper eggs, then […]

by Hope Cartwright

5 New Restaurants Across Virginia Worth the Trip

Virginia’s culinary scene is having a moment. What started with Chesapeake blue crabs, Smithfield ham, and peanuts has exploded into full-blown food fascination. Think farm-to-table innovation meets boundary-pushing creativity. Richmond’s morphed into a straight-up foodie powerhouse. NoVa brings power dining. And don’t sleep on small towns like Abingdon—they’re racking up national accolades for punching way […]

by Madeline Mayhood

Fredericksburg: Virginia’s Hallmark Movie Town Come to Life

Chances are, you know Fredericksburg as one of the cradles of American history. And there’s good reason: the Virginia town witnessed one of the largest and bloodiest battles of the Civil War, and George Washington’s mother once called the town home. That history never feels far away in Fredericksburg; it’s etched in its streets brimming […]

by Madeline Weinfield

Shenandoah University Announces Major Milestones in “Shine” Campaign

Last September, hundreds of alumni, supporters, community leaders, and faculty members poured into Shenandoah University’s James R. Wilkins Jr. Athletics and Events Center to celebrate the final phase of a wildly ambitious, $100 million fundraising campaign in honor of the school’s 150th anniversary. “The ‘Shine’ campaign is a testament to everything that makes Shenandoah exceptional—our […]

by Eric J. Wallace

Top 10 Events to Celebrate Spring 2026

Spring Kickoff Festival Christiansburg March 14: Enjoying being outdoors again means spring has arrived—and this charming town in the Blue Ridge Mountains wastes no time. Kick off the season with an outdoor movie, a bonfire, games, and tasty food and drinks. Christiansburg.org Virginia Derby Day at Colonial Downs New Kent March 14: What says festivity […]

by Sadie Porter

Charlottesville Ballet Celebrates America’s 250th Anniversary

Imagine two and a half centuries of American triumph, anguish, joy, fear, and hope unraveling before you on a grand stage. This March, the Charlottesville Ballet joins forces with Opera on the James to give audiences precisely that, with a two-act multimedia show highlighting major historical moments that have led the nation to modern day. […]

by Sadie Porter

Meet the Irish Baker Behind Two and a Half Irishmen in Richmond

Everybody loves a plot twist. When Niall Duffy, owner of Richmond’s Two and a Half Irishmen bakery, moved his family from Ireland to Virginia, he had a choice to make. With a degree in chemistry, Duffy’s career back in his home country was overseeing sensitive explosives that removed rock without reverberating shockwaves. Upon arriving in […]

by Janelle Alberts

15 Colorful Bulbs to Plant for a Showstopping Garden

When the topic of bulbs pops up, don’t stop at tulips and daffodils. A vibrant world of warm-season bulbs awaits—perfect for planting in spring to deliver stunning blooms throughout summer and fall. While we commonly call them “bulbs,” many of these showstoppers—including dahlias, crocosmias, and callas—are actually tubers, rhizomes, or corms. These dramatic performers bring […]

by Madeline Mayhood

Eastern Spadefoot Toads Dig Living Underground

Picture a nondescript, water-filled depression somewhere in the outdoors: a roadside ditch, the flooded low-lying sections of a fallow agricultural field, a boggy spot which will evaporate into dried mud within a few short weeks. As insignificant as they might seem, in spring and summer these fleeting and fast-drying pools can play host to a […]

by caroline kettlewell

The Stars of Virginia’s Historic Garden Week 2026

Sure, nearly 130 of Virginia’s most stunning private homes and gardens open their gates each spring for Historic Garden Week, the biggest and oldest house and garden tour in the country. Yes, 29 tours across eight days raise funds to preserve historic landscapes statewide. But in addition to the gorgeous homes and gardens on each […]

by Madeline Mayhood

Irish Dancing in Virginia

“Drinking a few pints and doing a couple of Irish dancing steps in a pub always seem to go hand in hand,” says Cian Walsh, an Irish dancer from County Cork. Come St. Patrick’s Day in the States, it’s Virginians’ turn to experience that festive pairing. Walsh dances in A Taste of Ireland tours that […]

by Hope Cartwright

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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

April 2026 Issue

“Washington Is Our Classroom” at Episcopal High School

Current Issue

Most Popular

Buc-ee’s Opens Its First Virginia Location

Sail250 Virginia Brings Tall Ships From Around the World

All Aboard: Virginia’s Summer of Steam Celebrates America250

April 2026 Issue

“Washington Is Our Classroom” at Episcopal High School

Current Issue

Get our most popularweekly newsletter: VL Today

Most Popular

Buc-ee’s Opens Its First Virginia Location

Sail250 Virginia Brings Tall Ships From Around the World

All Aboard: Virginia’s Summer of Steam Celebrates America250

Get our most popularweekly newsletter: VL Today

Get our most popular
weekly newsletter: VL Today

Get our most popular
weekly newsletter: VL Today