Culture

Richmond’s Theaters Get a Glow-Up

Richmond’s historic theaters don’t just feed the city’s economy, they feed the city’s soul—preserving the vintage charm that makes Richmond so unique. In the early 20th century, Richmond introduced the Altria Theater, Carpenter Theatre at Dominion Energy Center, and Byrd Theatre (under different names) amid a booming entertainment industry. Today, the Altria Theater and Carpenter […]

by Sadie Porter

Surviving School

The Bray School was first in the colonies for Black children. (Courtesy of Colonial Williamsburg) “It was hiding in plain sight,” says Maureen Elgersman Lee, director of William & Mary’s new Bray School Lab, speaking of the small schoolhouse where freed and slave children were educated. Once thought demolished, the […]

by Don Harrison

Scout’s Honor

Actress and Virginia resident Mary Badham revisits To Kill a Mockingbird, 60 years later. Headshot: Mary Badham (photo by Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade) and Kennedy Center Playbill cover A then 10-year-old Mary Badham stole America’s heart as the plucky Scout Finch in 1962’s Academy Award-winning To Kill a Mockingbird (TKaM). She claimed her first-ever acting […]

by Vayda Parrish

The Buck Stops Here

Once extinct, Virginia’s Eastern elk are back. elk elk 2005 acrylic on reclaimed ply 10″ x 10.6” spring 2022 phil’s paintings are inspired by the overlooked erverydayness that surounds us. his artworks suggest the passage of time through a marked surface and evidences of wear. phil is represented by i2i art inc. at www.i2iart.com/phil […]

by caroline kettlewell

Potato Chips & Gratitude

The transformative power of a thank you. (Illustration by Hadley Hooper) When I was a child, I learned that any joy that lingered after a Christmas or birthday would quickly curdle with one stern question from my mother: “Have you written your thank-you notes?” Thus, the habit was ingrained and, in […]

by Staff

Kathryn Miles Interview

One writer’s quest to solve the Shenandoah Murders. Konstantin Rega: What drew you to this project, not being from Virginia yourself? Katheryn Miles: This book has been 25 years in the making. I was a full-time writer at Outside magazine, and it was a feature story for the 20th anniversary of the […]

by Konstantin Rega

Plunge into Planet Shark

Sink your teeth into the newest exhibit at the Science Museum of Virginia. (Courtesy of the Science Museum of Virginia) Sharks first appeared on the earth more than 450 million years ago. There are currently about 400 species and they range from a foot long (the cookiecutter shark) to 40 feet (the whale […]

by Staff

Back from the Brink

Founded in 1830, Clore furniture in Madison was facing the end. Their customers had other ideas. (Photography by Jeffrey Gleason) When the Great Recession slowed orders to a trickle in 2016, Clore Furniture president Troy Coppage was forced to make a heartbreaking decision. His company’s handmade hardwood tables, dressers, chairs, and […]

by Eric J. Wallace

Suzanne Stryk Interview

A celebration of Virginia’s landscapes through collage and travel. The Middle of Somewhere by Suzanne Stryk. Trinity University Press. pp.256. $27.95 Konstantin Rega: The Middle of Somewhere examines Virginia landscapes. What inspired the book? Suzanne Stryk: I’ve always been very interested in place—how to explore and “take its pulse.” […]

by Konstantin Rega

Transported by the Capital Trail

A two-wheeled tour through history offers luxury and adventure. (Anne Poarch of Basket & Bike; photography by Adam Ewing) I first cycled the Virginia Capital Trail when it opened to much fanfare in 2015, and I was eager to see how it had evolved since then. The trail—which runs parallel to the […]

by Dean King

Southern Ways

She was just passing through; but Ashland had other plans. (Illustration by Jane Webster) In my mid-40s, I almost married a farmer-professor from Vermont. In preparation for my new life, I bought a pair of rubberized boots, a new L.L. Bean parka, and tried to get interested in tapping trees for maple syrup. […]

by Phyllis Theroux

Anders Carlson-Wee Interview

A traveling poet, Carlson-Wee finds inspiration in the people he meets and the landscapes he sees. The Low Passions by Anders Carlson-Wee. W. W. Norton & Company. pp.112. $15.95. Konstantin Rega: Though you weren’t born here, you have a connection to Virginia that comes through your poetry collection. Anders Carlson-Wee: […]

by Konstantin Rega

Jim Minick Interview

From blueberries to ravens, local author Jim Minick celebrates nature and community. Fire Is Your Water by Jim Minick. Swallow Press. pp. 352. $26.95. Konstantin Rega: So when did you move to Virginia from Pennsylvania? Jim Minick: In 1989. I was attending grad school at Radford in the New […]

by Konstantin Rega

Wool Week

The Frontier Culture Museum celebrates Wool Week in April. (Photo courtesy of the Frontier Culture Museum) In a rite of spring, sheep shearing begins once the lambs are born and, during the Frontier Culture Museum’s Wool Week (April 25–May 1), visitors can experience plenty of both. Once clipped, each sheep produces more than […]

by Konstantin Rega

Casey Wilson’s Heart is in Virginia

The Alexandria native’s film career began in her own backyard. ZUMA Press, Inc. / Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo T8WF5K T8WF5K May 14, 2019 – North Hollywood, California, USA – 14, May 2019 – North Hollywood, California. Casey Wilson attends Showtimes EmmyA® For Your Consideration ‘Black Money’ at The Saban Media Center. (Credit […]

by tupponce joan

Journey with Ernie

A dog lover shares the lessons of an overseas adoption. Leigh Ann Burdett When she adopts a golden retriever from Turkey, Yorktown high school teacher Heidi Speece finds her life turned upside down. Why Turkey? Unlike in the U.S., where dogs are like family, it’s not uncommon there for owners to abandon […]

by Konstantin Rega

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

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Events

October 3, 2025

Craft Talk: Culture and Connection with Abel Selaocoe

Center for the Arts at Virginia Tech

October 3, 2025

September – October Exhibits @ Art Works!

Art Works

October 3, 2025

Sinkland Farms 34th Annual Pumpkin Festival (Thursdays & Fridays)

Sinkland Farms

Top 10 Fall Festivals in Virginia 2025

Alexandria – 23rd Annual Alexandria Art Festival Sept. 13–14: Stroll Old Town’s John Carlyle Square Park as it’s transformed into an outdoor art gallery for this fall festival. Admire the work from more than 200 juried artisans from around the globe. VisitAlexandria.com Virginia Beach – VIRGINIA BEACH NEPTUNE FESTIVAL Sept. 26–28: The 51st anniversary of […]

by Madeline Mayhood

Where to Eat, Drink, & Stay in Staunton During Queen City Mischief & Magic

Staunton might be a small town, but during the annual Queen City Mischief & Magic Festival, the last week of September, it’s larger than life. The festival draws tens of thousands of witches, wizards, warlocks, ghouls, and more to the Shenandoah Valley—and they fill up the local hotels, restaurants, and bars quickly. To plan ahead […]

by Hope Cartwright

A Couple’s Small-Town Makeover

After a successful career in investigative services in Washington, D.C., Terri Wesselman and her husband, Julien Patterson, decided to settle down in Irvington. Initially drawn to the area by the Tides Inn, the couple had been weekending in the Northern Neck since the late ’90s. “There was something about the area that was quiet but […]

by Stephanie Ganz

Culture

Richmond’s Theaters Get a Glow-Up

Current Issue

Events

Craft Talk: Culture and Connection with Abel Selaocoe

September – October Exhibits @ Art Works!

Sinkland Farms 34th Annual Pumpkin Festival (Thursdays & Fridays)

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Top 10 Fall Festivals in Virginia 2025

Where to Eat, Drink, & Stay in Staunton During Queen City Mischief & Magic

A Couple’s Small-Town Makeover

Culture

Richmond’s Theaters Get a Glow-Up

Current Issue

Events

Craft Talk: Culture and Connection with Abel Selaocoe

September – October Exhibits @ Art Works!

Sinkland Farms 34th Annual Pumpkin Festival (Thursdays & Fridays)

Get our most popularweekly newsletter: VL Today

Most Popular

Top 10 Fall Festivals in Virginia 2025

Where to Eat, Drink, & Stay in Staunton During Queen City Mischief & Magic

A Couple’s Small-Town Makeover

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weekly newsletter: VL Today

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