December 2024 Issue

Mise en Place Rules

Chefs reveal the keys to a successful kitchen. -By Janelle Alberts Georges-Auguste Escoffier, considered the father of modern cuisine, scored a chef’s job at the London Savoy in 1890 and promptly introduced a rigid organizational habit that nobody in his kitchen liked. Called mise en place, it’s since become a wildly popular phenomenon, ranking somewhere […]

by Staff

Ensuring Loudoun County’s Country Roads Remain Rural

By Regan Hofmann Something happens when you leave the pavement. Suddenly, the journey becomes more about where you are than where you are going. You have arrived somewhere special even though you are still on your way. Whether it’s the tire of your car or bike, your sneaker, or a horse’s steel-clad shoe that crosses […]

by Staff

A Celebrated Virginia Artist IDs Emerging Artists

When Virginia Living magazine’s Editor-in-Chief Madeline Mayhood reached out to me to identify some artists who inspire me and whose work I love, I didn’t have to look far. Some of my faves have studios in my own neck of the woods of Albemarle County, which makes for a rich stew in which to live […]

by Staff

Smyrna Boldly Celebrates Aegean Cuisine

We must begin with the meze trio. Usually, I aim to find a menu’s hidden gems, but on an evening with friends at Smyrna in Charlottesville, the path extends clearly before me, and the first step is Chef Tarik Sengul’s holy trinity—impossibly soft, luscious hummus; a smoky charred eggplant smothered in garlic confit; and tangy […]

by Stephanie Ganz

Elder Fraud is an Epidemic

You’re happy, healthy, and about to settle into retirement. Falling for a fraud scheme? No way. You’re way too sharp. You can spot them a mile away. Think again. Take William Webster—as in the William Webster. He and his wife, Linda, came perilously close to falling victim to an elder fraud scheme that began with […]

by Madeline Mayhood

A Quest to Save Lost First Air Force One

A highly customized, mirror-polished 1948 Lockheed C-121 Constellation with hand-painted lettering and art, four propellers, and a tapered fuselage shaped like a bottlenose dolphin secretly touched down in Seoul in November 1952 carrying U.S. President-elect Dwight D. Eisenhower. The former Allied Supreme Commander was there to fulfill a now-famous campaign promise: to visit the front […]

by Eric J. Wallace

Outfitting Your Home in the Digital Age

If aging in your home is a priority, check out AARP’s HomeFit program that reviews ways to make your home über-intelligent. Many new home builds have options for “smart home” features, including virtual assistants like Google Home, Amazon’s Alexa, or Apple’s Siri. These assistants handle many tasks with simple voice commands, such as turning TVs […]

by Madeline Mayhood

NMSS—Dinner of Champions Harrisonburg

McGAHEYSVILLE: Brix & Columns Vineyard Over 160 attendees gathered in support of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society’s (NMSS) Dinner of Champions Harrisonburg on Aug. 22 in McGaheysville. This signature evening fundraising event, hosted in over 20 locations nationwide, unites people in the mission to raise awareness about this debilitating disease and generate funds to support […]

by Staff

Fred SPCA—9th Annual Fur Ball Gala

FREDERICKSBURG: Fredericksburg Convention Center Over 500 animal lovers gathered at the 9th Annual Fur Ball Gala for the Fredericksburg Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Fred SPCA) on Aug. 24. Held at the Fredericksburg Convention Center, attendees reveled in “glitz, glam, and goodwill” as they raised over $200,000 and enjoyed the event’s Old […]

by Staff

VCCA—Annual Gala

AMHERST: Artists’ Residence/Mt. San Angelo Lively music and fragrant flowers filled the air as the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts (VCCA) hosted its annual gala on June 15. The Studio Barn on the campus of the VCCA’s Mt. San Angelo artists’ residence was transformed into a Havana Nights–themed event that featured a Latin soundtrack […]

by Staff

Restoration of 17-Century Ship in Virginia Sets Sails

—By Katie Farthing With the winds of hope and prosperity filling its sails, the Susan Constant landed at Jamestown in 1607 with 54 Englishmen aboard hoping for glory and gold. Fast forward 400 years, the original three-masted square rig has long since disappeared, but her lore has remained a vital connection to Virginia’s past, […]

by Staff

Find Art Along the ART

Metallic, prehistoric creatures welcome visitors to three riverfront parks along the Appomattox River Trail (ART). These Atlantic sturgeons, an ancient species of fish (think dinosaurs) stand in statue form on the riverbanks. Located in Hopewell’s City Park, Roslyn Landing Park in Colonial Heights, and Petersburg’s Patton Park, they raise awareness for river conservation and celebrate […]

by Hope Cartwright

Artistica Makes Art Accessible

At Academy Center of the Arts in Lynchburg, the focus is on living art and accessibility to consumers both in the gallery and through their online shop, Artistica. Michelline Hall, chief programming officer, explains their place in the art world: “We’re an art center. Our pieces are museum-worthy, but we’re dealing with living artists who […]

by Heather Bien

Culture Through Costumes with Ruth E. Carter

—By Katie Farthing Bright colors, bold patterns, and cultural significance define the Ruth E. Carter exhibition, Afrofuturism in Costume Design, at the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation through Jan. 5. Visitors can explore hand-drawn sketches, real costumes, and Carter’s childhood sewing machine that tell this award-winning costume designer’s powerful story. Carter is most well-known for the outstanding costumes […]

by Staff

Mark Your Calendars for Virginia’s Studio Art Tours

If you’re interested in building or adding to your art collection, art tours are a wonderful way to check out a local art scene. They can be like moveable feasts, where perusing is encouraged and pressure to purchase is low-key. Unlike a gallery, artists are usually on hand to answer questions and schmooze with potential […]

by Gabriela de Camargo Gonçalves

Booming Questions: Smart Planning is a Baby Boomer’s Must

It’s never too late to plan for retirement might be a cliché, but the hard truth is that Baby Boomers—whether they like it or not—are on deck now and for the next decade. For many of us, retirement is inevitable, and while financial planning is paramount, other considerations need sorting out, too. Where do I […]

by Madeline Mayhood

A 1980s Mountain Home Update Takes Inspiration From Nature

You can change a house, but you can’t change its location. That’s the mindset homeowners Gail and Clay Huber took with them when they purchased an 8,000-square-foot home in Wintergreen that dates to the ’80s. Carefully built on the eastern slopes of the Blue Ridge Mountains, with four-season views that reach out over miles and […]

by Heather Bien

These Virginia Cities are Tops for Retirees

The golden years are about living your best life in ways you prioritize—be it weather, cost of living, or access to amenities like restaurants, golf courses, fitness facilities, and healthcare. With proximity to the mountains and coastline, Virginia is a nature lover’s mecca. And it’s one of the few states that counts Washington, D.C., as […]

by Madeline Mayhood

Building an Art Collection with Soul and Intention

Early memories shape the art we gravitate toward. That could be a walk through the Met on a childhood trip to New York. Perhaps it’s the illustrations from a favorite children’s book or a certain angle in your bedroom that stretched your understanding of color and light as the hours and seasons evolved. For Page […]

by Heather Bien

Pages: 1234

Events

September 11, 2025

The Pumpkin Patch Pop-Up Show at The Bay School’s Art Speaks Gallery

Bay School Community Arts Center/Art Speaks Gallery

September 11, 2025

August-September Exhibits @ Art Works!

Artworks

September 11, 2025

Masterpeice Minigolf

Workhouse Arts Center

Submissions are open for Virginia Living's Top Wedding Vendor 2026 List!

Virginia’s Best Small-Batch Ice Cream Shops

Move over, chocolate and strawberry. It’s not that you’re boring, it’s just that Virginia’s small batch scoopers are churning out so many flavors that it makes plain old vanilla seem, well, vanilla. In the Old Dominion, we found that Scoop in Richmond’s Fan District is out of this world, with flavor bombs like Tahini & […]

by Madeline Mayhood

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

Why Virginia Is Becoming a Major Tech Hub

Everyone knows tech geniuses are around every corner in Silicon Valley or Seattle. But don’t underestimate Virginia. The Commonwealth is becoming an increasingly major player in the tech industry, appearing on top techy lists worldwide. Hyperscale Hub From projected fusion plants to 3D-printed houses, it’s never a slow news day in the Old Dominion’s tech […]

by Gabriela de Camargo Gonçalves

December 2024 Issue

Mise en Place Rules

Current Issue

Events

The Pumpkin Patch Pop-Up Show at The Bay School’s Art Speaks Gallery

August-September Exhibits @ Art Works!

Masterpeice Minigolf

Most Popular

Virginia’s Best Small-Batch Ice Cream Shops

Top 10 Fall Festivals in Virginia 2025

Why Virginia Is Becoming a Major Tech Hub

December 2024 Issue

Mise en Place Rules

Current Issue

Events

The Pumpkin Patch Pop-Up Show at The Bay School’s Art Speaks Gallery

August-September Exhibits @ Art Works!

Masterpeice Minigolf

Get our most popularweekly newsletter: VL Today

Most Popular

Virginia’s Best Small-Batch Ice Cream Shops

Top 10 Fall Festivals in Virginia 2025

Why Virginia Is Becoming a Major Tech Hub

Get our most popularweekly newsletter: VL Today

Get our most popular
weekly newsletter: VL Today

Get our most popular
weekly newsletter: VL Today