Virginia

Ten Best Virginia Hikes

These Virginia views are worth the hike. The stunning natural beauty of Virginia was one of the great charms to the early settlers, so much so that places like Natural Bridge were seen as New World wonders. To photographer and hiker John Henley, they still are. Henley, a commercial photographer with studios […]

by Staff

Hop to Fat Rabbit

Ellyn Hopper’s cakes are as flavorful as they are stylish. One look at Fat Rabbit Bakery in Richmond’s Union Hill neighborhood and I can hear my grandmother: “Will you look at that?” she’d say when she spied a perfect cake in a bakeshop window. “It’s almost too pretty to eat.” Almost. […]

by Staff

All Aboard

The Virginia Scenic Railway steams through Staunton. With 280 miles of track, the Buckingham Branch Railroad is the largest short line rail service in the state. In August, the railroad introduced the Virginia Scenic Railway, a popular series of scenic train excursions that depart from Staunton’s Amtrak station and wind through the […]

by Margaret Wadsworth

Most-Viewed Articles of 2022

Here are the Virginia Living articles readers loved this year: from croissants to costume design and everything in between. As always, we have had great fun serving our readers and seeing where their tastes lie—food, homes, Virginia towns, and farming—so it seems. One of the more surprising facts about this Top Ten list is that most of […]

by Staff

Eggnog Eccentricities

While some are content with a carton or two of Richfood or Lucerne eggnog, many Virginians have secret family recipes. fpx23600 It’s rich and creamy and can’t be beat for washing down ham biscuits and frosted cookies or just taking the edge off the inevitable yuletide stress. From its commanding spot […]

by hubbard valerie

A Bath County Landmark

Restoration completed at Warm Springs Pools. When Bath County’s Warm Springs Pools (formerly Jefferson Pools) were closed in 2017, the news of their deteriorating condition saddened generations of Virginians for whom visiting the octagonal bathhouses—and floating in the 98 degree natural spring water—is a beloved tradition. Now, after a two-year delay, the Omni […]

by Constance Costas

(More) Holiday Sides

These Thanksgiving side dishes wonderfully double for any festive celebration. Chef Harper, Harper’s table, Suffolk, Sweet potatoes Walter Bundy Shagbark, Richmond For Walter Bundy, Thanksgiving at his grandparents’ summer home on the Piankatank River was always filled with extended family, and kids everywhere. But the gathering, which continues to this day, […]

by Staff

Cocktails at the Hotel Greene

The drinks are swell at this whimsical fauxtel, but there’s not a room in sight. Stepping into Hotel Greene, you could be forgiven for looking for a bellhop. This cocktail bar transports us to the fictitious lobby of a grand hotel in Bavaria—or is it Budapest? Housed in part of the former […]

by Stephanie Ganz

Best Albums 2022

Music moves us; see what got us going in 2022. Music can be so personal, but it also has the great ability to bring people together. See the albums from local artists and (inter)national ones—who toured in Virginia this year (or the next)—that have impressed us with how they create music and connect […]

by Staff

Bespoke Beauty

For Sallie Plumley, handcrafted furniture turns a house into a home. When Richmond furniture maker Sallie Plumley mentions being gifted, she’s not talking about her considerable talents. Plumley’s favorite gifts came from her grandfather: his wedding band, with instructions to give it to the man she wanted to marry someday; a classic […]

by Jill Devine

Local Cheer

Some must-visit Christmas celebrations around the state. From iconic markets like Richmond’s Bizarre Bazaar to fledgling events like Middletown’s Kris Kringle Market at Belle Grove, Virginia plays host to a bevy of holiday artist hubs teeming with locally made goods. You’ll find baked treats and jewelry from more than 60 vendors at […]

by Staff

A Trio of VA Winemakers

A new generation is earning accolades. If you’re a winemaker in Virginia, there are only three places to be when the year’s top wines are revealed at the Governor’s Cup Gala: pouring for the guests at Richmond’s glittering Main Street Station; up on stage when the Governor’s Case—the top 12 wines—is announced; […]

by Staff

String Theory

The VMFA’s Storied Strings: The Guitar in American Art gives the guitar its solo. Photo by Sandra Sellars, © 2022 Virginia Museum of Fine Arts Leo Mazow says that the first thing people want to know about Storied Strings: , the guitar-centric exhibition he’s assembled at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (VMFA), […]

by Don Harrison

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

Haunted Virginia

For centuries, Virginia has laid claim to the best—and the first—ghost stories. Tom Green The party was already in full swing at Williamsburg’s Governor’s Palace when the beautiful Lady Anne Skipwith spied her husband flirting with her younger sister on the dance floor. Guests at the ball looked on as she […]

by Staff

Surf Artist

Abbi Custis draws beachy inspiration from the Eastern Shore. (Photo by Chris M. Rogers) When a client asked artist Abbi Custis to paint an old surfboard, it sparked a new passion. “I started thinking of the surfboard as a blank canvas,” she says. “People put them in beach houses, kids rooms, anywhere—just […]

by Constance Costas

The Jefferson Connection

Did a Founding Father have a hand in Edgemont’s design? In the 1930s, Milton Grigg, a noted Virginia architect, was exploring the picturesque countryside of Albemarle County, when he quite literally stumbled on a dilapidated house, almost completely obscured by brambles and vines. The gardens were all but obliterated, their bones barely […]

by Madeline Mayhood

The Muse & the Mosaic

At New Ravenna, Eastern Shore locals tap their inner artist. Lemons glass mosaic At last count, the town of Exmore on the Eastern Shore had 1,348 residents. Among them, 120 spend their days creating exquisite mosaic tile murals for New Ravenna, a company that sprawls through five buildings in Exmore’s sleepy downtown. […]

by Constance Costas

Fall Books

Here are some notable Southern books coming out this Fall season. Currently living in Virginia, Barbara Kingsolver returns with a dynamic retelling of Dicken’s David Copperfield. Demon Copperhead (G.P. Putnam’s Sons, $32.50) will be out October 18. Her publisher says: “Demon Copperhead is set in the mountains of southern […]

by Staff

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Events

July 10, 2025

June – July @ Art Works!

Art Works

July 10, 2025

Yoga on the Magnolia Terrace

Carlyle House Historic Park

July 10, 2025

Sounds of Summer Concert Series with The Embers

Riverwalk Landing

New Innovative Virginia Tea Rooms to Try

Around the world, as both a beverage and a pastime, tea is steeped in history and ritual. From the casual to the ceremonial, tea is a throughline for many cultures, and now, it’s enjoying a renewed interest from beverage pros who are drawn to tea’s unique flavor characteristics, health benefits, and cultural connections. Recently, two […]

by Stephanie Ganz

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

Virginia’s Top 10 Summer Festivals and Events 2025

STAUNTON – Festival of Concerts June 26–Aug. 2: The stunning strums and resounding chords of classical music echo through Staunton’s mountain landscape as Heifetz International Music Institute students from around the world take the stage, with new concerts every day. HeifetzInstitute.org GLOUCESTER – Food Truck Frenzy July 13: Virginia’s most mouthwatering food trucks descend on […]

by Hope Cartwright

Virginia

Ten Best Virginia Hikes

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Events

June – July @ Art Works!

Yoga on the Magnolia Terrace

Sounds of Summer Concert Series with The Embers

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New Innovative Virginia Tea Rooms to Try

The U.S. DOE Labeled These Virginia Schools Outstanding

Virginia’s Top 10 Summer Festivals and Events 2025

Virginia

Ten Best Virginia Hikes

Current Issue

Events

June – July @ Art Works!

Yoga on the Magnolia Terrace

Sounds of Summer Concert Series with The Embers

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Most Popular

New Innovative Virginia Tea Rooms to Try

The U.S. DOE Labeled These Virginia Schools Outstanding

Virginia’s Top 10 Summer Festivals and Events 2025

Get our most popularweekly newsletter: VL Today

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weekly newsletter: VL Today

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weekly newsletter: VL Today