Some fields grow crops. This one grows core memories. Starting July 12th, Burnside Farms in Nokesville transforms into a sea of gold with 78 acres of sunflowers and more than 30 varieties you can snip into your own bouquet. The farm staggers its plantings so the fields stay show-stopping for four straight weeks. Morning people, come at sunrise for cool, quiet picking. Golden hour chasers, stay for Sunflower Sunsets, where Friday through Sunday evenings mean food trucks, cold drinks, live music, and the gloriously chaotic return of Foamy Fridays.

The details 🌻
July 12 through August 9
Open 8 AM to noon and 4 PM to dusk daily
Closed midday for the heat
Sunset events Friday through Sunday
11008 Kettle Run Rd, Nokesville, about an hour from Fredericksburg

Tap here for tickets and plan your sunflower day before the blooms are gone.

Before there was a United States, there was the Fredericksburg Fair. Founded in 1738, the oldest fair in the country returns July 24th for ten days of demolition derbies, camel rides, chainsaw art, pageants, and a comedy hypnotist. Every night has its own personality, from line dancing and family karaoke to a tractor pull on the final Saturday and Elvis closing things out on August 2nd. Watch for the appreciation nights too, with free admission for college students, educators, military, law enforcement, and first responders, plus $7 tickets on Lucky 7's Thursday.

Virginia has an official native grape, and it's throwing a party. On Saturday, July 18th, Potomac Point Winery teams up with the Virginia Norton Network for its Norton Minifest, a celebration of the bold, deeply historical Norton grape held right out in the vineyards. Your ticket gets you onto the grounds with tastings from three wineries, including Potomac Point's signature estate Norton and its rich Norton Port, plus pours from guest wineries DuCard Vineyards and Nokesville Winery. Then comes the main event: for $5 more, you can kick off your shoes, climb into the barrel, and stomp grapes with your own two feet, the ultimate vineyard photo op. Round it out with picnic food on the lawn, cornhole, and giant Jenga, or book a Bistro reservation for a proper sit-down meal.

The details 🍇
Saturday, July 18, 12 to 5 PM
Potomac Point Winery & Bistro, 275 Decatur Road, Stafford
$11 per ticket, includes three Norton tastings plus surprises
Grape stomp add-on, $5
Tickets are limited

Grab your tickets, then start practicing your Lucy face.

Downtown's favorite stationery shop has been up to something. Duly Noted spent this week closed for a top-to-bottom refresh, rearranging the space and adding special touches, and the big reveal happens this Friday, July 10th. If you haven't been, here's your perfect excuse. The shop began as a New Year's resolution in 2021 and found its forever home at 714 Caroline Street, where you'll find letterpress greeting cards, journals worth writing in, and the crown jewel, The Pen Bar, stocked with pens from all over the world ready to test drive. It's also a sneaky-good gift stop, with candles, puzzles, cocktail mixers, and candy tucked among the paper goods.