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Hey neighbor! 👋
Happy Saturday! Halloween is one week away, and there is still plenty of time to get your scares in. Tonight, Halls of Hysteria and The Haunted Hill are open, and our guide below rounds up the haunted trails, ghost tours, and family-friendly fall fun running through October 31. If you’d rather save your screams for a winery, tickets are still available for Eve’s Haunted Soirée at Eden Try on Thursday, October 29, and Treats on the Streets takes over downtown on Halloween.
If you own a local business, don’t miss the first feature in this issue. Our Fredericksburg Area Local Gift Guide launches November 10, and listings are free, but featured spots are limited and early bird pricing ends November 6. We also have a workshop on clutter, a UMW leadership colloquium, and a spooky-season open house at the Fredericksburg Area Museum.
Grab your coffee and let’s dive in. 🌊
Dori
Local Pulse: FXBG Edition
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Still Time to Enter If You Dare: Haunted Trails, Ghost Tours, and Halloween Fun Through October 31 👻
Spooky season is winding down, but there’s still time to get your scare on. Here’s what’s still going from our Enter If You Dare guide.
For the thrill seekers:
Halls of Hysteria (Fredericksburg Convention Center): a massive indoor haunted trail tonight, October 24, and again October 30 and 31, $25, ages 13 and up
The Haunted Hill (Partlow): a haunted trail in the woods on Friday and Saturday nights through October 31, including tonight, 7:30 to 10:30 PM, and cash is faster ($25 cash, $27 card)
Haunted Pirates of Port Royal (Belle Grove Plantation, Port Conway): through November 1, with tickets now sold at the gate only
For the history lovers:
History Walks FXBG Ghost Tours: a 90-minute walking tour from the Visitor Center, with advance booking required (for last-minute spots, call or text 540-624-8280)
Witches, Ghosts, Murder and Mayhem Carriage Tour: a horse-drawn carriage ride through downtown’s darker history, from Olde Towne Carriages
Ghost Tour of Historic Bowling Green: a guided pedicab tour, $65
For the whole family:
Shannon Airport Harvest Festival Fly-In and Haunted Hangar: trick-or-treat, aviation style, Saturday, October 31
Kings Dominion Tricks and Treats: daytime Halloween fun on select dates through November 1
Dates and times can change, so check with each attraction before you head out.
A big thank you to our sponsors for keeping this newsletter free for the community🙏 Want your business in front of 52,000+ Fredericksburg-area neighbors? Become a sponsor. [email protected]
Clutter Isn’t a Stuff Problem, It’s a Decision Problem
Feeling stuck on where to begin? Brenda Mason Parmelee has been there. When life called her to start fresh, she downsized 50+ years of belongings and a 3,100 sq. ft. home into a 310 sq. ft. motor coach in just 31 days. Now she’s sharing her Downsizing31™ Method in a free 60-minute Essentials Workshop, a $497 value and her gift to you. You’ll learn how to:
Create your personal Oasis Vision
Use the Rule of Four™ to make confident decisions
Break free from the Clutter Code Chains™ that keep you stuck
It’s designed to work even with a busy schedule or a full house. Reserve your spot at downsizing31.com/live-workshop.
Brenda Mason Parmelee
Local Business Owners: Get Your Free Spot in the Holiday Gift Guide
Every gift bought from a neighbor pays a local paycheck and keeps the places we love open. Most of us would rather shop local, but at 9 p.m. with a long list, the easiest option usually wins. The new Fredericksburg Area Local Gift Guide makes local the easy option.
Launches Tuesday, Nov. 10 and runs through Small Business Saturday and the last-minute rush
Covers five localities: Stafford, Spotsylvania, the City of Fredericksburg, Caroline, and King George
Reaches 73,400 neighbors through this newsletter, our social media, and our December magazines
Free for any business that serves our area (national chains excluded). Shops, restaurants, salons, classes, and experiences all fit.
To be included on launch day, sign up by Friday, Nov. 6. Share your name, business, and email, and we’ll send your sign-up link within a day. A few featured spots are available for businesses that want extra visibility, and the free listing stays free either way.
Not a business owner? Forward this to a local favorite you’d love to see in the guide.
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FXBG’s Got It
Highlighting a few things worth knowing around town:
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Lead Your Way: UMW’s 32nd Annual Women’s Leadership Colloquium Is November 5
Women lead in more places than any job title shows, as executives, entrepreneurs, educators, caregivers, volunteers, and mentors. The University of Mary Washington’s 32nd Annual Women’s Leadership Colloquium brings professionals who support women from all walks of life together on Thursday, November 5, from 8 AM to 4:30 PM at the Cedric Rucker University Center. Everyone is welcome to attend and learn how to lead with confidence, navigate challenges with resilience, and speak with courage. Learn more here.
Last Call for Eve’s Table: Thursday Night Tickets Are Still Available
Friday’s dinner is sold out, but there’s still a seat at Eve’s Haunted Soirée on Thursday, October 29 at Eden Try Winery. Doors open at 6 PM for a candlelit evening that begins with a welcome winetail, tarot readings, and curious discoveries, then moves into the Great Hall for four seasonal courses paired with Eden Try wines, a live string ensemble, and a story told one chapter at a time. It’s an elevated Halloween evening for guests 21 and older, with assigned seating, so buy your tickets together if you’re coming with friends. Reserve Thursday at edentrywinery.com/eveshauntedsoiree.
Treats on the Streets: Trick-or-Treat Downtown on Halloween Morning 🎃
Bring your little goblins and witches downtown on Saturday, October 31 from 10 AM to 12 PM for Treats on the Streets, a free morning of trick-or-treating at participating Fredericksburg businesses. Wear your costume and bring a bag for the candy. Come early for the annual Costume Stroll, with pre-stroll festivities at 8:30 AM and the stroll beginning at 9:30 AM. Find more Halloween fun downtown at FxbgScarecrowFest.com.
Trick-or-Treat in the Galleries, Then Hunt Ghosts After Midnight
The Fredericksburg Area Museum is embracing its spooky side. On Saturday, October 31, its free Halloween Open House runs from 10 AM to 5 PM with a gallery trick-or-treat scavenger hunt, a photo booth, face painting, and spooky crafts, plus photos with Gus from the FredNats from 11:30 AM to 1 PM. Then on Saturday, November 21, a guided overnight paranormal investigation of the museum and Masonic Lodge No. 4 runs from 5:30 PM to 1 AM, with tickets available in advance online. Learn more at famva.org.
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.
Saturday, October 24
2nd Annual Paws for Peace | 10:00AM
Location: Old Mill Park, 2201 Caroline Street, Fredericksburg, VA
Description: A dog walk raising awareness for domestic violence, with a survivor testimony, community resource fair, and the option to walk a rescue dog.
Fall Garage Sale | 8:00AM
Location: Fredericksburg Convention Center, 2371 Carl D Silver Pkwy, Fredericksburg, VA
Desccription: Browse hundreds of vendors selling antiques, furniture, clothing, and more.
Halloween 5K and Monster Mile | 8:00AM
Location: Embrey Mill Park, 1600 Mine Road, Stafford, VA
Description: Join a morning of family-friendly fun, festive costumes, friendly competition, and prizes, all while supporting a great cause.
Halloween Trivia | 4:00PM
Location: Maltese Brewing Company FXBG, 11800 Main Street Building #3, Fredericksburg, VA
Description: Test your knowledge on all things creepy, dark, and terrifying.
Heels, Horns, and Horror Drag Show | 9:00PM
Location: Reclaim Arcade, 2324 Plank Road, Fredericksburg, VA
Description: This frightfully fierce cast is ready to give you show that is sure to make your spine shiver!
Shiver by the River | 6:30PM
Location: Friends of the Rappahannock, 3219 Fall Hill Avenue Fredericksburg, VA
Description: Spend an evening by the river learning about the nocturnal natives that live along the Rappahannock.
The Cold North Preforming | 7:00PM
Location: Adventure Brewing Company, 4 Hazel Park Ln, Fredericksburg, VA
Description: The kind of night where the air is crisp, the beer is cozy, and the music hits with that warm‑sweater, soft‑light, autumn‑magic energy.
Trunk or Treat at the Barn | 5:00PM
Location: Hope for Horses, 129 Hartwood Rd., Fredericksburg, VA
Description: Featuring trick-or-treating, a craft for kids, and a meet & greet with our horses.
Location: Brompton Community School, 490 Central Road, Fredericksburg, VA
Description: A free trunk-or-treat for families, with decorated car trunks, candy, and a low-key, welcoming Halloween atmosphere.
Sunday, October 25
Trunk or Treat at Lake Anna Winery | 2:00PM
Location: Lake Anna Winery, 5621 Courthouse Rd, Spotsylvania Courthouse, VA
Description: An afternoon filled with costumes, candy, music, and unforgettable family memories!
Nerds & Horsepower Round 2 | 1:00PM
Location: Strangeways Brewing Fredericksburg, 350 Lansdowne Rd, Fredericksburg, VA
Description: Get ready for an unforgettable day where anime culture meets automotive passion!
Trunk or Treat 2026 | 4:00PM
Location: Spotswood Baptist Church, 4009 Lafayette Blvd, Fredericksburg, VA
Description: An evening packed with decorated trunks, tons of candy, costumes, huge trucks, and FOR THE FIRST TIME: A PETTING ZOO!
Open House at the Archive | 1:00PM
Location: The Heritage Center, 900, Barton Street, Fredericksburg, VA
Description: Enjoy light refreshments, tours and a silent auction of rare local items.
RAAI's 5th Annual Trunk-or-Treat | 1:00PM
Location: The Fredericksburg Food Co-op, 320 Emancipation Hwy., Fredericksburg, VA
Description: Check out everyone's cool decorations, build your own s'mores and have a hauntingly great time!
