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

Spring Books

Here are some notable Southern books coming out this Spring. University of Virginia-alum Alexis Schaitkin follows up her New York Times Notable Book, Saint X with Elsewhere (Celadon Books, $26.99). Her publisher says: “Vera grows up in a small town, removed and isolated, pressed up against the mountains, cloud-covered and damp year-round. […]

by Staff

F. Scott and Zelda’s Excellent Adventure

A serendipitous road trip led to a night at The Jefferson. (Illustration by Maddalena Carrai) They were newlyweds in July of 1920 when, on a whim, Zelda and F. Scott Fitzgerald set out on an eight-day road trip that would take them through Virginia. Zelda longed for the breakfasts she’d known at […]

by John William Van de Kamp

The Violin Conspiracy

Does the instrument make the musician? The Violin Conspiracy by Brendan Slocumb. Anchor Books. pp.352. $28 Brendan Slocumb’s debut novel, The Violin Conspiracy, tells the story of Ray McMillian, a young black violinist who discovers a lost family secret that beggars belief—a genuine Stradivarius violin in his grandmother’s attic, worth […]

by Matt Cantor

A Dream Deferred

An interview with bestselling, local author S. A. Cosby. S.A. Cosby is the author of the New York Times bestseller Razorblade Tears and Blacktop Wasteland, which won the Los Angeles Times Book Prize, was a New York Times Notable Book. His works discuss race, class, and sex. When not writing, he is an avid […]

by Konstantin Rega

An Interview with Amber McBride

Showing the capacity for humans to love in 5,000 different ways. Amber McBride is an English professor at the University of Virginia and holds an MFA in poetry from Emerson College. Her poetry has been published in several literary magazines including Ploughshares and The Rumpus. She lives in Charlottesville, Virginia with her dog, Shiloh. Me (Moth) is […]

by Konstantin Rega

Botanical Beauty

(Art by Hannah Cross Hanlon) Artist Hannah Cross Hanlon’s stunning botanical drawings are inspired by childhood summers spent on the York River in Gloucester. “I inherited my love of nature and creatures from my Virginia grandfather, who was a wildlife biologist, field trial judge, and outdoorsman.” In fact, her grandfather served as executive director […]

by Konstantin Rega

Orchid Showoffs

The Orchid Show & Sale is on at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden. From flowers worth thousands of dollars to your grocery store variety, orchids are not only beautiful but make excellent house plants. After all, they are one of the largest families of flowering plants with more than 100,000 hybrids and cultivars. […]

by Staff

Virginia’s Historic Trails

When the pavement ends, the travel by gravel fun begins. Douglas Graham Douglas Graham / WLP Willisville Road Some historic treasures don’t fit inside a museum. Take the 300 miles of gravel roadways that wind through Loudoun County’s pastures and ridges. “These are the same paths traveled by early colonists, Revolutionary War soldiers, and George Washington […]

by Jill Devine

Ruth E. Carter Exhibit

Movie costumes showcase a master designer’s four decades of passion. Colin Douglas Gray SCAD Atlanta – Winter 2021 – Exhibitions – Ruth E. Carter – “Afrofuturism in Costume Design” – Documentation – SCADFash – Photography Courtesy of SCAD (Taubman Museum; photo courtesy of Scad) Academy Award-winning costume designer Ruth E. Carter has worked […]

by Konstantin Rega

Poetry in America

Poetry in America returns for its third season in 2022. (Host Elisa New and Olivia Gatwood; photo by Verse Video Education) Eight new half-hour episodes of Poetry in America will begin airing on public television stations nationwide (check local listings) and on the World Channel starting in January 2022 and continuing through the spring. […]

by Staff

Boats, an Island, and Murder

Our exclusive interview with bestselling author Rachel Hawkins about her latest thriller, Reckless Girls. Rachel Hawkins was born in Newport News, Virginia, but lives in Alabama. She is the author of the bestselling thriller, The Upstairs Wife, which is followed up by her latest adult thriller, Reckless Girls (St. Martin’s Press), now out […]

by Konstantin Rega

Nature: A Restoration

Diana Woodcock’s poetry collection discusses our world, how it’s eroding, and hope for the future. Facing Aridity by Diana Woodcock. Wayfarer Books. pp. 168. $18.00 The poems in Facing Aridity were inspired by research expeditions and residencies in Alaska, the Arctic Circle, the Everglades, and southern Africa; and by fifteen years spent living […]

by Staff

Aboriginal Art Amazes

The Past and Present Together exhibit at the Kluge-Ruhe in Charlottesville’s tie-in art book is a gorgeous catalog of art and essays. (©Michael Jagamara Nelson; licensed by Aboriginal Artists Agency Ltd.) The Kluge-Ruhe Aboriginal Art Collection of the University of Virginia’s Irrititja Kuwarri Tjungu (Past and Present Together) exhibit is a fascinating collection of artwork from Papunya Tula Artists […]

by Staff

Legends that Linger

Virginia’s history includes stories of sasquatch sightings and pirate gold. Virginia Legends & Lore by Charles A. Mills. History Press. pp.173. $21.99 Virginia Legends George Washington’s secret son, the origins of Chincoteague’s wild ponies, the hiding place of the mysterious Beale Treasure? Virginia is full of strange […]

by Konstantin Rega

Winter Books

Here are some notable Southern books coming out this Winter. Virginia-born, Alabama-based author Rachel Hawkins follows up her bestselling thriller with Reckless Girls (St. Martin’s Press, $27.99). Her publisher says: “Six stunning twentysomethings are about to embark on a blissful, free-spirited journey—one filled with sun-drenched days and intoxicating […]

by Staff

A Divine Appointment

Gospel singer Billy Gaines lands the role of a lifetime. (Billy Gaines and Kathie Lee Gifford) Gospel singer and songwriter Billy Gaines is eagerly awaiting the theatrical release of his first-ever film The Way, written and directed by former Today Show co-host Kathie Lee Gifford. “I just saw the finished movie and it feels […]

by Staff

Opossum Particulars

No rodent, this pascal packs a paunch. Although it doesn’t have the cachet of the kangaroo or the cuddliness of the koala, the Virginia opossum is the only native North American member of that strange order of non-placental mammals, Marsupialia. Like other marsupials, the opossum has a pouch in which it nurtures […]

by Henry L. Waller

A Smashing Good Time

Breaking stuff, it turns out, can soothe the soul. (Illustration by Tommy Parker) “Do you want the bat, the sledgehammer, or this little guy?” Kat Burson offers a claw hammer as if it’s a daisy. A registered nurse and the owner of Smash Pit, a Springfield “rage room,” Burson knows a lot about […]

by Robert Nelson

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Events

July 7, 2025

June – July @ Art Works!

Art Works

July 7, 2025

Waitress at Virginia Repertory Theatre

Virginia Repertory Theatre

July 8, 2025

Yoga on the Magnolia Terrace

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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Events

June – July @ Art Works!

Waitress at Virginia Repertory Theatre

Yoga on the Magnolia Terrace

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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

June – July @ Art Works!

Waitress at Virginia Repertory Theatre

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

Get our most popularweekly newsletter: VL Today

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weekly newsletter: VL Today

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