Making friends as an adult is hard. Finding time to meet new people over a great meal shouldn't be. FXBG Neighbors is launching a dinner club that brings together local neighbors who don't know each other yet for a shared meal at a local restaurant. No awkward networking, no agenda, just good food and real conversation with people who live right here in the Fredericksburg area. The first dinner kicks off on Wednesday, March 11th at 6:30 PM. Whether you're new to town, looking to expand your circle, or just love a good excuse to try a new restaurant, this is your invitation to pull up a chair. Sign up at fxbgneighbors.dnnr.io.

Your dog already rules your household. Now it's time they compete for the crown. Bon-Ami Photography is launching Pooch Playoffs 2026, a bracket-style portrait competition where 16 of Stafford and Fredericksburg's most adorable dogs go head to head for the title of Ulti-Mutt Cutie. Each pup gets a custom portrait session, the community votes over four days in March, and the winner advances to the national round. But the real win goes beyond the bracket. With every entry, $100 is donated to Leashes of Valor, a nonprofit providing life-changing service dogs to post-9/11 veterans. Only 16 spots are available and registration is open now at bon-amiphotography.com/pooch.

Gwyneth's Gift Foundation, a local nonprofit dedicated to hands-only CPR and AED education, has received a $21,000 grant from the Joe and Mary Wilson Community Benefit Fund of the Mary Washington Hospital Foundation. Announced during Heart Month, the funding will train at least 1,000 residents in hands-only CPR and AED use, place up to 12 defibrillators in public locations with priority given to rural and high-need communities, and expand outreach in both English and Spanish. The program serves Fredericksburg City and the counties of Caroline, King George, Spotsylvania, and Stafford. With more than 350,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests occurring in the U.S. each year, every person trained and every AED placed increases the chance that a neighbor survives. Learn more at gwynethsgift.org.

Your next best friend might be waiting for you over a cold one. Laudenbach Brewing is teaming up with Old Dominion Humane Society this Saturday from 1:00 to 4:30 PM for Pups and Pints, an adoption day where you can meet adorable puppies and dogs looking for their forever homes. Even if you're not ready to adopt, come hang out, grab a beer, and enjoy BBQ from Whitley and Co, because 10% of the brewery's net proceeds for the entire day will be donated to the society. Good beer, great food, and a chance to change a life. Find them at 45 Centreport Pkwy in Fredericksburg.

Located at 909 Caroline Street, Cork & Table is a chef-driven refined dining experience rooted in great wine, innovative menus, and giving back. Chef and owner James Fallon, a Culinary Institute of America graduate certified by the Washington Sommelier Society, crafts fixed-price three and four-course dinners and a signature six-course tasting menu, each paired with wines from some of the world's most dynamic regions. The intimate, unpretentious setting accommodates dietary needs including gluten-free, vegan, and vegetarian options. Cork & Table also gives back with every retail wine purchase, donating 10% to the Fredericksburg Regional Food Bank to help fight food insecurity in our community. Learn more and make a reservation at www.corkandtable.com.