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Hey neighbor! 👋
This issue is all about maximum payoff for minimum effort. Saturday brings the dog party of the year (adoptable pups included, so guard your heart), and when you're ready to escape town, we found four mountain views you can reach without ever breaking a sweat. Looking further ahead, a local auto shop is handing kids real tools in September, and you'll want to grab one of those spots early. Then stick around for a leadership conversation that will make every middle manager feel deeply seen, and a House Hunch on five Spotsylvania acres. Any guesses?
Grab your coffee and let's dive in.
Dori
Local Pulse: FXBG Edition
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The Only Party Where Sniffing Strangers Is Encouraged 🐾
Fredericksburg takes its dog-friendly reputation seriously, and once a year, The Barking Barley throws the party to prove it. This Saturday, July 18th from 10 AM to 3 PM, the annual celebration returns with local vendors who get the dog life, games and prizes, and an off-leash park where everybody, two legs and four, can run loose. The heart of the day: rescues and shelters bringing adoptable dogs looking for their forever homes, so you might arrive with one dog and leave with two. Cold craft beer and hot dogs keep the humans happy while the pups work the room. Free to attend, all ages welcome, and yes, obviously, dog-friendly.
The details 🐾
Saturday, July 18, 10 AM to 3 PM
The Barking Barley, 1515 Olde William Street, Fredericksburg
Free to attend, all ages, bring the dog
Round up the family and the floofs. Someone's forever home might start Saturday.
Views That Ask Nothing of You (Not Even a Hike) 🏔️
Some of Virginia's best views don't require hiking boots, granola bars, or a single drop of sweat. Just park, step out, and stare. Here are four overlooks close enough for an easy FXBG day trip where the payoff is enormous and the effort is basically zero:
Sunrise from Ravens Roost
Great Falls Park Overlook 1, McLean. The Potomac thundering through jagged gorges, reached by a flat, stroller-friendly five-minute boardwalk. About 90 minutes north.
Hazel Mountain Overlook, Skyline Drive MP 33. One of Shenandoah's finest sunrise spots, seconds from the parking lot. Perfect excuse for an early morning drive.
Jewell Hollow Overlook, Skyline Drive MP 36.4. The Page Valley spread out like a quilt below, glowing gold at sunset, with Luray Caverns waiting down in the valley to round out the trip.
Ravens Roost Overlook, Blue Ridge Parkway MP 10.7. A 180-degree Shenandoah Valley sweep with a famously photogenic lone pine, plus the occasional hang glider overhead.
And if you're feeling a longer road trip, Whitetop Mountain near Konnarock is the highest drivable point in Virginia, with three states visible from one bald summit.
Pick one for this weekend's golden hour. Your car does the climbing, you just show up for the view.
A big thank you to our sponsors for keeping this newsletter free for the community🙏 Want your business in front of 41,000+ Fredericksburg-area neighbors? Become a sponsor. [email protected]
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Featured Podcast
Middle managers lead up, down, and sideways, often all at once, yet most get zero training for it. Dr. Julie Armstrong of 3H Leadership Consulting joins us to share why "middle managers become middle leaders" is a performance strategy, not a slogan. A must-listen for anyone building a team. Tune in here!
Connect with Dr. Julie Armstrong:
🌐 3hleadership.com
📩 [email protected]
Community Digest
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Kids Get to Play Mechanic for a Day (Real Tools Included) 🔧
Affordable Automotive is turning its 10-bay garage into a classroom. On Saturday, September 5th, the shop hosts a free Youth Automotive Knowledge & Car Care Day for up to 100 kids ages 6 to 15, and this is no sit-and-listen field trip. Every kid gets an official "Mechanic Passport" and rotates through five hands-on stations: checking tire tread with color-coded gauges, matching engine fluids, decoding check engine lights with real digital scan tools, and a team Pit Stop Challenge spinning lug nuts on a real wheel assembly. Whether they grow up to be engineers, technicians, or just drivers who know what that dashboard light means, they'll leave with real skills. Free to attend, but spots are limited to 100 and registration is required.
The details 🔧
Saturday, September 5, 10 AM to 2 PM
Affordable Automotive, 4637 Mine Rd, Fredericksburg
Ages 6 to 15, free with registration
House Hunch FXBG
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Can you guess the price of this real estate listing in Spotsylvania based on just one photo? Here’s a hint: 5 bd, 3.5 ba, around 3,400 sqft. on around 5 acres.
This listing is brought to you by:
Want to feature your listing in House Hunch FXBG? Respond to this email for info!
Spotsylvania Living Magazine
The July edition of Spotsylvania Living Magazine has arrived! Click below to read the full edition.
What’s Happening In & Around the ‘Burg
Here are some of the top events happening soon. Always check with the venue for the latest details. Got an event coming up? Add it to our calendar.
Friday, July 17
Trivia Night | 6:30PM
Location: Tales & Tails, 1010 Charles Street, Fredericksburg VA
Description: Grab your smartest friends and join us for a fun and competitive team trivia!
Downtown Ghost Tours | 7:30PM
Location: Tales & Tails, 1010 Charles Street, Fredericksburg, VA
Description: This is more than a ghost tour—it’s a journey into the real people, tragedies, and mysteries that shaped Fredericksburg.
Friday Night Music | 6:30PM
Location: Potomac Point Winery, 275 Decatur Rd
Stafford, VADescription: Experience the magic of live music paired with our award-winning wines and seasonal cuisine.
Saturday, July 18
Summer Wine Festival | 10:00AM
Location: Spotsylvania Towne Centre, 137 Spotsylvania Mall, Fredericksburg, VA
Description: Get ready for a day filled with delicious wines, great shopping, and amazing company.
Maltese Brewing Company Glow Party | 8:00PM
Location: Maltese Brewing Company, 11800 Main Street, Fredericksburg, VA
Description: Transforming our nano brewery into a rave style party for one night only.
Location: The Barking Barley, 1515 Olde William Street, Fredericksburg, VA
Description: Join us for a full day of local vendors, rescues and shelters, games, prizes, and family fun.
Strange Oddities Flea Market | 12:00PM
Location: Strangeways Brewing, 350 Lansdowne Road, Fredericksburg, VA
Description: Packed with curious finds, spooky treasures, strange art, taxidermy, crystals, handmade creations, and all things weird and wonderful.
Sunday, July 19
Sourdough Making Class | 2:30PM
Location: Tater’s Corner, 89 Chatham Heights Rd
Fredericksburg, VA
Description: We will demonstrate each step and ensure you leave with a good understanding of how to make your own sourdough bread.
Weaving with an Opossum | 10:00AM
Location: Possum-bilities in the Burg2, 211 William St, Fredericksburg, VA
Description: Learn the traditional art of pine needle basket weaving in the presence of an opossum while also learning about the symbolism and importance of opossums for the indigenous tribes of Virginia.
