In partnership with
Hey neighbor! 👋
Happy Saturday! Today downtown Fredericksburg officially flips the switch on the holidays, and you’re going to want to be there. The Holiday Open House kicks off this morning, the Holiday Passport starts today, and tonight the tree lights up at Riverfront Park.
The other big news: after years of planning, Kalahari is officially open in Spotsylvania, and we want to know how you feel about it. Plus we sat down with Amy Cherry Taylor of Porch & Stable Realty, roller derby skaters are collecting toys for kids, a longtime Stafford restaurant says goodbye, and we found two DC date nights worth the drive.
Grab your coffee and let’s dive in. 🌊
Dori
Neighbor Poll: Kalahari Edition
Are you counting down to your first slide, or dreading the I-95 traffic? Tell us! We’ll share the results next week.
Kalahari is officially open in Spotsylvania. How do you feel about it? 🌊
Local Pulse
🌊 It’s Here! Kalahari Is Officially Open
After nearly two decades of talk and years of watching those colorful slides go up along I-95, Kalahari Resorts & Conventions opened its doors in Spotsylvania on Thursday. Virginia’s largest indoor waterpark is officially open for splashing: more than 175,000 square feet with over 50 slides, plus the Tom Foolerys Adventure Park.
Your no-hotel-room-needed cheat sheet:
🎟️ Day passes are on sale now. Choose waterpark only, adventure park only, or a combo, with prices that vary by date. Kalahari caps how many day passes it sells each day, so book ahead for weekends and holidays.
🍽️ Just going for dinner? Parking is validated when you come to dine. Try Double Cut Steak House, Sortino’s Italian Kitchen, Cinco Niños or B-LUX Grill & Bar.
🦃 Skip the Thanksgiving dishes: Kalahari’s Thanksgiving Celebration Buffet runs Thursday, Nov 26, from 11 AM to 4 PM, with Christmas and New Year’s Eve buffets too. Reserve at kalahariresorts.com/virginia/things-to-do/holiday-happenings.
Plan your visit at kalahariresorts.com/virginia.
🏡 On the Podcast: Amy Cherry Taylor of Porch & Stable Realty
Amy Cherry Taylor has been a Fredericksburg-area realtor for 23 years, and her boutique firm, Porch & Stable Realty, turns three in December. Its specialized divisions, including luxury and a fast-growing farm and land division, help her listings sell 48% faster than the market average. She doesn’t just sell the farm life, she lives it: at Revatone Farm, her family cares for 10 horses on 46 acres.
Amy’s top tips from our conversation:
🏠 Selling? Start early. Amy walks through clients’ homes 6 to 12 months before they list. Pricing your home just $10,000 too high can add 30 to 45 days on the market.
🤝 Interview two or three realtors. Look at their sales, their customer service and their results, and ask friends and family who they trust.
🔑 Buying? Focus on what you can’t change: location, layout, and how long you plan to stay. Get pre-approved with a good local lender so you’re ready when the right home comes along.
More than 85% of Porch & Stable’s business comes from referrals. That says a lot about how they take care of people.
📍 11019 Leavells Rd, Fredericksburg · 🌐 porchandstable.com
🎄 Today Downtown: Your Holiday Kickoff Cheat Sheet
🛍️ Holiday Open House, today and tomorrow: Special promotions, discounts, and free gifts with purchase at participating downtown shops.
🎟️ Holiday Passport starts today: Find it under the Goals icon in the free Visit Fredericksburg app. Collect five stamps from five businesses to enter to win prizes. Runs through Dec 31.
🎄 Tree Lighting, 4 to 7 PM at Riverfront Park: Live music, food trucks, vendors, the Kid Zone, and the big moment the tree lights up.
🍷 Then, 7 PM: Walk across the street to City Vino for live music from Alejandro & Caroline, benefiting Hub of Hope.
Getting there: Free 4-hour street parking starts today, or ride the free holiday trolley (9:30 AM to 6:30 PM) from the VRE Lot or the Fall Hill Lot. Shuttle map and stops
Photo credit: Shelby Stuart of Blackwood Images
🛼 Pink Ponies vs. Toy Soldiers: Roller Derby Hits Hard for Toys for Tots
Fredericksburg Roller Derby just wrapped its 2026 competitive season, and it’s closing out the year the best way it knows how: with hard hits for a good cause. Today is the league’s 5th annual Toys for Tots benefit, a two-game exhibition at the Fredericksburg Field House:
2:30 PM: Pink Ponies vs. Toy Soldiers
5:00 PM: Blue Aliens vs. Green Dinosaurs
Come in costume! There’s a costume contest for skaters and spectators during the first game, plus raffles all afternoon. Rumor has it Santa and the Grinch will both be there. 🎅💚
The skaters have been busy all season. They already went toy shopping with the Marines at Ollie’s and hosted a toy drive at Maltese Brewing. Today is the grand finale, so bring a new, unwrapped toy and help make Christmas brighter for local kids.
🎟️ Get tickets at fredericksburgrollerderby.com or at the door.
FXBG’s Got It
Highlighting a few things worth knowing around town:
🥾 Catch the Last of the Fall Color
Oaks are the last trees to turn, so there’s still color out there before the holidays take over your calendar. Here are five favorites from our new Fall Hiking Guide, one for every kind of walker:
👟 Easiest stroll: Rappahannock River Heritage Trail & Canal Path. This 3.5-mile paved loop starts at Old Mill Park downtown, with the river on one side and the canal on the other. It’s flat, stroller-friendly and close to coffee.
🦅 Best for eagle spotting: Caledon State Park, King George. The Boyd’s Hole Trail runs through old-growth forest to the Potomac, and bald eagles live here year-round. Parking is $5.
🌿 Best hidden gem: Government Island, Stafford. It’s a 1.5-mile loop with a boardwalk on the island that supplied sandstone for the White House and the U.S. Capitol. Free, flat and leashed dogs are welcome.
🏛️ Best history walk: Fredericksburg Battlefield trails. The Sunken Road Walking Trail starts at the visitor center on Lafayette Boulevard, with wooded ridges and stories on every marker. Free.
🌲 Best wild walk: Crow’s Nest Natural Area Preserve, Stafford. It has 9+ miles of trails through mature hardwood forest between two creeks. Heads up: from Nov 1, the Raven Road access is open Thursday through Sunday only, and parking holds just 18 cars, so go early.
🧡 Quick safety tip: hunting season overlaps with fall color, so wear a blaze orange hat or vest. That goes double at Crow’s Nest and the bigger state parks.
Find 20+ trails across all five counties, plus mountain day hikes, in our Fall Hiking Guide.
🎁 Have You Browsed the Local Gift Guide Yet?
Our Fredericksburg Area Local Gift Guide features more than 100 locally owned businesses, sorted by town and by what they sell, so you can knock out your list and keep your dollars close to home. Look for the 🎁 Holiday Deal badge for special offers this season. Browse the guide: fxbgneighborsconnect.com/p/local-gift-guide
Own a local business? Listings are free for locally owned businesses that sell gifts, and we’re adding new ones all season. Get listed here.
Worth the Drive
🏛️ Worth the Drive: DC Days Out for Thanksgiving Weekend and Beyond
Got family in town, or need a break from the leftovers? These are all an easy drive (or VRE ride) up I-95, and most of them are free.
Free museum picks:
🎨 Hirshhorn Sculpture Garden: Freshly reopened after a four-year renovation, with nearly 60 sculptures, thousands of new trees and plants, and a restored underground passageway to the museum plaza. Free. Details
✈️ Modern Military Aviation at the National Air and Space Museum: This brand-new gallery opened Nov 11 and covers military aviation from the Cold War to today, including an F-86 Sabre, a “Huey” helicopter and a Predator drone. Free, but you need timed passes. Details
📸 Photographic Memory at the National Portrait Gallery: Opens today! More than 100 portraits from the 1800s to now, including Alexander Gardner’s original portrait of Abraham Lincoln and Annie Leibovitz’s portrait of Venus and Serena Williams. Free. Details
🚂 Season’s Greenings at the U.S. Botanic Garden: Starting Thanksgiving Day (Nov 26), the conservatory fills with poinsettias, evergreens and a model train show winding past plant-made landmarks, including our own George Washington’s Mount Vernon. Free. Details
Date night ideas:
🙈 Dining in the Dark: Put on a blindfold and enjoy a secret three-course menu where taste and smell do all the work. It’s held at spots around the DC area, including Ambar in Clarendon. Dates and tickets
💃 Dancing with the Stars: Live!: The DWTS pros bring the ballroom to Capital One Arena on Sunday, Feb 7, 2027, at 7:30 PM. Tickets would make a great holiday gift for the DWTS fan in your life. Tour info
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 11/14
Holiday Open House - Enjoy holiday shopping and downtown festivities at Downtown Fredericksburg during this two-day event running November 14–15.
ImagineHer - Girls ages 10–16 can take part in this limited-space community event at 8740 Courthouse Rd.
Wee Christmas Miniature Making Workshop - Create a holiday-themed miniature room box with expert guidance at Historic Kenmore.
2nd Annual Fredericksburg Kids Community Market - Shop youth entrepreneurs, meet Star Wars characters, and support local families at Walker-Grant Middle School.
Swing Dance - Learn swing dancing and enjoy an evening on the dance floor at DanceFXBG.
Sunday 11/15
Sunday Hike 8:45 AM at ODHS - Meet fellow dog lovers and hike local trails with an adoptable canine companion from Old Dominion Humane Society.
Purr-Lates - Enjoy a mat Pilates class followed by kitten cuddles and photos at Pilates My Way.
Emily Woodhull - Catch a Sunday Funday live music performance at Billikens Smokehouse.
Friendsgiving Themed Cookie Decorating Workshop - Decorate a Friendsgiving cookie set with expert instruction at Wine & Design.
Cornhole Tournaments EVERY Sunday Night - Compete for prizes while enjoying food and drink specials at Spirits American Bar & Grill.
Monday 11/16
Sip & Stick with Fire Escape Food Truck -FXBG - Bring your knitting, crochet, embroidery, or other project for a relaxed creative night at Strangeways Brewing Fredericksburg.
Birthday Open Mic to honor Thom Schiff - Celebrate and remember Thom Schiff with music, an open mic, and cake at Colonial Tavern.
Autumn Simmer Pot Workshop - Create and decorate a seasonal simmer pot jar while enjoying food and refreshments at Curated FXBG.
Know someone who’d love this? Forward it to a neighbor, or send them to fxbgneighborsconnect.com to subscribe.
Want your business in front of 54,000+ Fredericksburg-area neighbors? Become a sponsor. [email protected]
