Culture

Top Summer Mountain Events in Virginia

Making the most of summer’s fleeting sweetness reaches new heights in a mountaintop setting. From the Blue Ridge to the Alleghenies, sun-soaked adventures unfold among soaring trees and peaks. Discover what Virginia’s ridges offer at mountain venues this summer. Chairlift Sunset Sessions, Roseland July 12 & Aug. 16 Take in sunset views of misty blue […]

by Hope Cartwright

The Singularities

The Irish prose master returns with a novel filled with his past work. The Singularities by John Banville. Knopf, pp.320. $30. If there is a lonely man and an old house, you’re probably reading a John Banville novel. And one does not read Banville for plot—his unreliable narrators’ reliability make […]

by Konstantin Rega

Healing Through Song

Morgan Wade makes soundwaves about triumphing over addiction. Jace Kartye “Music has such a powerful way of reminding us we’re not alone,” says Floyd-based singer-songwriter Morgan Wade, 26. For her debut album, Reckless (2021), she collaborated with Grammy Award-winners Paul Ebersold and Sadler Vaden to create a song cycle about the realities of […]

by Konstantin Rega

Lynchburg’s Rocket Man

Leland Melvin believes in reaching for the stars. Robert Markowitz-NASA Lynchburg native Leland Melvin seems to be everywhere. The retired NASA astronaut and one-time NFL draftee has logged more than 565 hours in space and served as a mission specialist on two Atlantis flights. Last year, he turned up on the Netflix […]

by Staff

Stacey Mindich Interview

The producer of Dear Evan Hansen shares how it all began. The winner of 6 Tony Awards, Dear Evan Hansen is at Richmond Altria’s Theater this week through Sunday. The original musical also won a Grammy and the Olivier Award for Best Musical on London’s West End. I was in […]

by Constance Costas

A Weekend in Wytheville

Surprisingly hip, this town yields funky finds and unravels a family mystery. (Photo by Sam Dean) My husband, Alex, and I tear down I-81 from Roanoke to Wytheville, late for a meeting at the Bolling Wilson Hotel. We roll past the big yellow pencil above Wytheville Office Supply, a fantastically silly local […]

by Staff

Heritage & Harmonies

The Wildmans are making roots music their own. What drives a group of young, classically trained musicians to play old-time Appalachian melodies? The Wildmans, all in their early twenties, see traditional tunes as anything but old news. “We use American roots as our basis and blend modern styles to create something new,” […]

by Konstantin Rega

Dairy Farm for the Win

At Vint Hill Farms, code breakers intercepted crucial messages from around the world. In 1942, a Virginia dairy farmer was listening to his short-wave radio when he picked up something entirely unfamiliar: conversations in German. The chatter turned out to be exchanges between German taxi drivers and their dispatchers, more than 6,000 miles away. Excited […]

by John William Van de Kamp

Grow Your Knowledge

The Garden Club of Virginia’s Symposium brings experts in all things botanical. Savor the eye candy of Françoise Weeks’ foraged haute couture and Robert Llewellyn’s extraordinary microphotography—all botanically inspired. Both are featured at the Garden Club of Virginia’s Symposium 2022, Grow Your Knowledge, Sept. 20-21, at the Science Museum of Virginia in […]

by Madeline Mayhood

My Life on a Roller Coaster

A terrifying rite of summer becomes a family tradition. (Illustration by Robert Neubecker) Look around any theme park and you’ll notice two kinds of kids: the daredevils who ride every roller coaster, waving their hands in the air and screaming their heads off. And the timid ones, like I was, secretly praying […]

by Staff

Heartfelt Music

Conductor Valentina Peleggi draws out a new sound from the Richmond Symphony. (Photography by David Pearson) “When you make music, you make it with your heart. And this orchestra does that,” says the Richmond Symphony’s newest music director, Valentina Peleggi, who’s conducted in Baltimore and São Paulo. “Richmond is so welcoming and embracing of the […]

by Konstantin Rega

Abigail Cutter Interview

Inheriting a haunted house and reading Civil War soldiers’ letters inspired this gothic novel. Long Shadows by Abigail Cutter. She Writes Press. pp.344. $16.95. Konstantin Rega: How long have you been in Virginia? Abigail Cutter: I’m a long time Virginia resident and really love the Shenandoah Valley. I was born […]

by Konstantin Rega

Hotel Art Redefined

Meet five Virginia artists making a statement at Keswick Hall. Sera Petras A great resort is more than the sum of its parts. More than its 600 thread count sheets, its infinity pool, its clay tennis courts. It’s a feeling. Mollie Hardie, co-owner of Keswick Hall in Albemarle County with her husband, Robert, […]

by Kinsey Gidick

Cowboy Culture

Virginia’s ranch horse legacy and the cowboys keeping it alive. David Zielinski To see him on a horse wearing leather chaps, work gloves, and a broad-brimmed cowboy hat, you might think Mike Jennings was riding the range in the Wild West. But Jennings is on his farm in Berryville, watching a cow […]

by Cathy Herbert

Sophia A. Nelson Interview

Nelson’s latest book explores 21 life lessons to be a better you. Be the One You Need by Sophia A. Nelson. Health Communications. pp.368. $17.95. Konstantin Rega: When did you come to Virginia? Sophia A. Nelson: I initially came here as a first-year law student at Washington and Lee […]

by Konstantin Rega

Over the Moon

Hampton’s Virginia Air & Space Science Center celebrates 30 years. Space lovers should add Hampton to their next liftoff: NASA’s Langley Research Center welcomes visitors to its Virginia Air & Space Science Center, and a just-completed $2.5 million renovation means there’s more to see and do than ever. “We’re proud to […]

by Staff

Horse by Geraldine Brooks

Brook’s sixth novel dives into the life of the great racehorse Lexington and his trainer Jarret. (Painting by Edward Troye) Horse by Geraldine Brooks. Viking. pp.416. $28 “To be alive is to be in perpetual conflict,” is Sartre being a classic cynic but also a truth-teller. Conflict is everything […]

by Konstantin Rega

TJ Klune Interview

We talk to the bestselling YA author about his teen superhero romance series and other works. Heatwave by TJ Klune. Tor Teen. pp.384. $18.99. Konstantin Rega: When did you move to Virginia? TJ Klune: Before, my partner and I were living in Tucson, Arizona. We moved here in 2013, for my job. […]

by Konstantin Rega

The Crocodile Bride

Pedersen’s debut examines the myth and reality of female roles in the South. The Crocodile Bride by Ashleigh Bell Pedersen. Hub City Press. pp.296. $26. Deep in the Black Bayou, a ravenous crocodile feasts on everything from human bones to the surrounding physical landscape, and even the odd diamond ring […]

by Lauren Carpenter

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July 5, 2025

Carlyle House Family Fun Day – Best Friends Bash

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Carlyle House Historic Park

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Carlyle House Historic Park

The U.S. DOE Labeled These Virginia Schools Outstanding

Eight Virginia schools received the National Blue Ribbon 2024 award for their high performances. The Exemplary High Performing Schools are Spring Hill Elementary in McLean, Green Run Collegiate in Virginia Beach, Bethel Manor Elementary in Hampton, and St. Andrew the Apostle School in Clifton. The Exemplary Achievement Gap Closing Schools are Central Academy Middle […]

by Gabriela de Camargo Gonçalves

UVA Claims Top Spots Among Public Universities

The University of Virginia has climbed to No. 4 among public universities in U.S. News & World Report’s 2025 Best Colleges rankings, advancing one position from last year. The university maintained its No. 24 overall ranking, tying with Emory and Georgetown universities. UVA’s commitment to accessibility and student success stands out in several key metrics. […]

by Madeline Mayhood

Small Town, Big History: The Stories of Abingdon

Long before the first European settlers ventured into the American wilderness, the Delaware and Catawba tribes tracked a buffalo trace through the Shenandoah Mountains. Abingdon—once known as Wolf Hills—emerged along this trail, today’s Route 11. Frequented by westward expansionists on the Great Valley Road, Main Street grew. Today, the city of 8,336 residents hugs Route […]

by Michael C. Upton

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Top Summer Mountain Events in Virginia

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The U.S. DOE Labeled These Virginia Schools Outstanding

UVA Claims Top Spots Among Public Universities

Small Town, Big History: The Stories of Abingdon

Culture

Top Summer Mountain Events in Virginia

Current Issue

Events

Carlyle House Family Fun Day – Best Friends Bash

Carlyle House Family Fun Day – July 4th Jamboree

Yoga on the Magnolia Terrace

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Most Popular

The U.S. DOE Labeled These Virginia Schools Outstanding

UVA Claims Top Spots Among Public Universities

Small Town, Big History: The Stories of Abingdon

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