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The City of Manassas Farmer’s Market is back for its 26th peak season. Running from April through early November, the market is open on both Thursdays and Saturdays from 7:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.
The Thursday market will be housed at the Harris Pavilion beginning April 6, while Saturday shoppers can find all their market necessities in a new location in the Prince William Lot across from the new Baldwin Elementary beginning April 8.
Year after year, the market continues to grow with 24 vendors signed up for the Thursday market and just shy of 50 vendors on Saturday. Vendors this year include delicious fruits and vegetables, fresh grass-fed meats, flowers and herbs, pastries and new goods such as almond milk, crepes, nut butter and more.
A complete list of vendors for the City of Manassas Farmer’s Market can be found here.
First Friday street closures are back downtown starting this month. On Friday, April 7, from 6 p.m. – 9 pm., Center Street, Battle Street, and Main Street will be closed. This month’s activity is a Poker Run. Attendees can sign up to participate for $10 at CenterFuse, the new co-working space opening soon, on the corner of Center and Main.
Once signed up, participants will receive a list of participating merchants where they will need to visit at least 5 but no more than 7 locations to get their poker hand. Once completed, they will turn their tally sheet back in at CenterFuse and the player with the best five-card hand will receive a cash prize while the player with the worst hand will receive a one-year membership to Historic Manassas, so everybody wins.
It’s also the time of year for the annual Hop Around Downtown promotion. During the week of April 9-15, each purchase made at participating locations will earn you a chance to pick an egg out of the basket.
The eggs will contain either jellybeans, a small gift from another store, or one of three grand prizes. Visit The Things I Love, Prospero’s Books, Manassas Clay, Totally Vintage Design, Creative Brush, Scatter Seeds, Manassas Olive Oil, Grounds Central Station, Calico Jack’s, Ashby Jewelers, Shining Sol, and Love, Charley for your chance to win!
Lastly, during the month of April be on the lookout for brand new art banners to be hung downtown. This is the third year of the Banner Art Project and this year, after receiving 100 submissions, 60 have been selected to be transformed into banners to hang throughout downtown until November. Stop by the Visitor’s Center in mid-May to pick up a walking brochure of all of the art banners.
There is always something going on in historic downtown Manassas! Stay updated with new and returning events at visitmanassas.org/events.
Recent Stories
ARTfactory and Birmingham Green made headlines in Manassas this week. ARTfactory’s Rooftop Productions, now Actors Theatre, won seven awards at the 2024 DC Broadway World Awards, including Best Musical for Kinky Boots and Best Choreography for The Rocky Horror Show. ARTfactory’s Pied Piper Theatre also earned recognition, winning Best Theatre for Young Audiences for its production of The Wizard of Oz.
Meanwhile, Birmingham Green, ranked as Northern Virginia’s top nursing home by Newsweek Magazine, announced Duane Smith as its new Nursing Home Administrator, effective December 30, 2024. Smith brings extensive experience from senior living leadership roles across multiple states and holds several professional qualifications. Birmingham Green continues its 90-year mission of providing quality long-term care to Northern Virginians in need.
Looking for a new best friend? Meet Echo, a 3-4-month-old pup full of love, energy, and curiosity. This little guy, possibly a Boxer mix, is still finding his voice, but…
Should Virginia ditch the longstanding practice of electing the General Assembly and the governor in odd year elections?
The first odd year election in Virginia was in 1851, after a new state Constitution was approved and members of the House were elected to a two-year term. Before that, members of the House had one-year terms, and voters selected members every single year.
Now, Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell says modern day voters are sick and tired of voting every year.
A Manassas man was sentenced today to 18 years in prison for providing drugs and alcohol to a child in exchange for sex acts and possession of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) depicting the same victim as well as other children.
According to court documents, Olajide Benjamin Ayilaran, 24, met a 14-year-old girl during the summer of 2023 and began communicating with the victim via iMessage. In the messages, Ayilaran offered to provide the victim drugs, alcohol, and nicotine products in exchange for sex acts. Between at least Nov. 21, 2023, and Feb. 29, 2024, Ayilaran met the victim nine times, usually in the morning before the victim went to school, to exchange the products for sexual acts. Ayilaran would wait for the victim in his car in a nearby park. When the victim arrived, he gave her the drugs and alcohol and then had the victim perform sex acts on him in the car.
Travel to French soil and join us for a night filled with two of the most beloved French traditions—no plane ticket required! ?
On January 25th, we invite you to experience the magic of Galette des Rois, a 700-year-old tradition celebrated across France throughout the entire month of January (and even beyond!). This sweet, almond-filled puff pastry topped with a golden crown isn’t just a treat—it’s a celebration! The lucky person who finds the fève (a porcelain charm hidden in one of the slices) becomes the King or Queen for the Day, and don’t worry—there will be plenty of royalty to go around! ??
But that’s not all! In France, Les Voeux (New Year’s wishes) continue throughout January, often accompanied by Champagne and good cheer. We’re bringing that festive spirit to you, with a lively evening packed with French food, wine, and music.
What’s in store:
Experience the passion and drama of Puccini’s “The Girl from the Golden West”.
Featuring special guest musicians from The Chesapeake Youth Orchestra,
this performance brings Puccini’s masterpiece to life with an extraordinary cast.
