After serving in the Navy for 10 years and working in corporate America building data centers, Dan Umpa has launched USA Ninja Challenge Stafford, an indoor obstacle course training program that combines basic skill sets from gymnastics, climbing, cross training, and track and field.
Umpa, who graduated from the Naval Academy, originally planned to open a gym. He had spent ten years working in the corporate world, building data centers, and knew this type of career didn't fit his needs for more time with his family or his active lifestyle.
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Past, present, and future bumped into each other. It was a tense moment.
Gingerbread House Contest Theme is Holidays: Past, Present, and Future
Along those (time)lines, Ferry Farm’s 38th Annual Gingerbread House Contest Exhibitors met the theme challenge with entries that were out of this world, so to speak.
Three intrepid judges had the time of their lives as they took a few moments from busy schedules to choose first, second, and third place winners each, from among six categories. They did hard time, as the clock was ticking, but in the end, they came out ahead of their time with some deserving winners.
This year’s judges were B101.5’s Ted Schubel, three-time Olympic gold medalist Jeff Rouse, and Cessie Howell, a leader in the effort to save Ferry Farm from development. Entries had to be completely edible, on a firm base, and on-theme. With intriguing titles like “Christmas Planet Party,” “Peppermint Dragon Kingdom,” and “Nuclear Winter Wonderland” (Complete with its own radiation-detecting blacklight!), judges analyzed the angles of each entry, remarking on creativity, engineering, and ingenuity.
In the end times, 16 winners were selected – with more to come – as exhibit visitors can vote for “People’s Choice” while playing a compelling game of Gingerbread House iSpy. It will be nothing but a good time.
2024 Winners:
Age 2-5
- Entry #14 Old Time Candy & Futuristic Christmas by Lauren
- #3 Tiny Hands Make Big Plans by FXBG Preschool
- #30 Christmas Trees Past, Present, & Future by Noah
Age 5-10
- #24 Viking Christmas by Teague
- #15Snow Bowl by Dana
- #23 Dinosaur Christmas by Lilah
Age 11-14
- #22 White House by Sophia
- #4 Little House on the Prairie Christmas by Harper
- #26 Peppermint Dragon Kingdom by Eva
Age 18+
- #13 Nuclear Winter Wonderland by Sam
- #20 Santa’s Garage by Nicholas
- #2 Vintage Christmas Tree by Missy
Family
- #16 Freddy Bear Fotos by the Ridout Family
- #27 Celebrating Christmas Through Time by Kalvin & Drama
- #17 Past, Present, Future by Lauren & Family
Special Needs
- #6 Gingerbread Paradise by PEOPLE LLC
Exhibit runs through December 30, during museum hours: Monday – Saturday 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.; Sundays 12 -4 p.m. Visitors may purchase exhibit tickets on-site: $6 for adults, $3 for students (ages 6-17), children 5 & under free. The George Washington Foundation holiday events, including Historic Kenmore’s Wee Christmas Dollhouses and Miniatures Show, are sponsored by Burke & Herbert Bank.
Gingerbread House Exhibit Event Address:
Ferry Farm’s 38th Annual Gingerbread House Contest & Exhibit
268 George Washington Way (Formerly 268 Kings Highway)
Fredericksburg, VA 22405
Historic Kenmore’s 10th Annual Wee Christmas and Dollhouses Show
1201 Washington Ave.
Fredericksburg, VA 22401
Event Questions:
Contact Allison Ellis, [email protected], 540-370-0732 x11
Contact Lori Pikkaart for event photos, [email protected]
Press Release from the City of Fredericksburg:
Guess who is coming to the Fredericksburg Visitor Center?
If you guessed our favorite holly jolly, red-suited fellow, you would be correct! Over the next month and a half, Santa will be making his yearly rounds to visit all of the children of Fredericksburg during Pictures With Santa 2024! If your family would like a chance to meet Santa, tell him your Christmas wishes, and snap a few photos, book your tickets to visit Santa at the new Fredericksburg Visitor Center at 601 Caroline Street on any of the following four dates:
- Saturday, November 9 – 12pm to 4pm (Get Tickets Here)
- Saturday, November 30 – 10am to 4pm (Get Tickets Here)
- Friday, December 6 – 3pm to 7:30pm (Get Tickets Here)
- Sunday, December 15 – 10am to 3pm (Get Tickets Here)
Tickets: $5 per family
Each family will have 5 minutes with Santa during their reserved time.Make sure to reserve your spot early—we sell out every year!
This event is bring your own camera! Volunteers will be on hand to assist with photos, and kids can enjoy a special chat with Santa.
Check out our events page for more family fun for this holiday season!
Stafford County Parks, Recreation and Tourism is hosting its annual Candy Cane Hunt on Government Island on December 14. The family-friendly event runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and registration is required in order to receive the activities bag, which contains the scavenger hunt information.
Giant candy canes will be hidden in the woods throughout the island. Participants can use a scavenger hunt map provided by Stafford Tourism to mark off their finds.
Stafford’s Community Engagement Program Manager Shannon Eubanks said the event began in 2018, when staff created the event as a way to promote health and wellness in one of Stafford’s parks in a fun hiking activity. There are seven sessions throughout the day, and each one lasts one hour. Stafford County employees will be on-site to assist the activities.
Registration is available online at the Stafford County Parks and Recreation website. The hunt is $11 per person, ages 3 to 15. As of December 6, several sessions have sold out.
Government Island is located at 191 Coal Landing Road. The 17-acre park is a historic 18th and 19th-century quarry site provided Aquia sandstone for the construction of the U.S. Capitol and the White House and other historic buildings in Washington, D.C.
The George Washington Foundation’s (GWF) 38th annual Gingerbread House Contest & Exhibit returns to the Visitor Center at Ferry Farm this December, inviting creative confections with the theme “Holidays: Past, Present, & Future”.Â
GWF Public Programs Manager Allison Ellis said the event began at Historic Kenmore, the foundation’s first historic property, in the 1930s after the Kenmore Association and the Washington-Lewis Chapter of Daughters of the American Revolution found Mary Washington’s gingerbread recipe. The pair collaborated with the Dromedary Cake Mix Company to produce mixes based on the original recipe, with a portion of the proceeds returning to the Kenmore Association and its efforts to preserve Historic Kenmore.Â
When Historic Kenmore acquired Ferry Farm in the 1990s and became the GWF, the contest moved to Ferry Farm’s Visitor Center to allow for more space.
Ellis said, “The idea is that the creators of the houses should use their imagination to dream up whatever they would like. I found inspiration in the Classic Charles Dickens A Christmas Carol in conjunction with the idea of our museums combining themes from the past, present, and future to tell the story of George Washington, the Washington and Lewis Families, and American History.”Â
In years past, the event has featured between 20 and 60 gingerbread structures. Ellis said she anticipates a strong turnout this year based on the number of entries already submitted.Â
Entries may be submitted until November 30 at 4 p.m. Entry forms, and a full list of the age categories are available online.
Judging will take place on December 2, with GWF’s Cessie Howell joining a judging panel with B101.5’s Ted Schubel and Jeff Rouse of Burke & Herbert Bank, which is sponsoring the event. Winning entries will have ribbons displayed on their houses. Visitors will also have the opportunity to vote for their favorite entry, with the People’s Choice award announced on December 30.
Proceeds from the event support the George Washington Foundation’s efforts to preserve Historic Kenmore and Ferry Farm, while introducing new audiences to the museum spaces.
The exhibit is open from December 1 to December 30, but closed on Dec. 24 and 25. Admission is $6 for adults, $3 for students, and free for children under 6.
Ferry Farm is located at 268 Kings Highway in Stafford County.
Press release:
SHOP, DINE, & WIN CONTEST
November 23 – December 15
Historic DistrictShop and dine at your favorite Occoquan businesses for a chance to win $1,600+ in Occoquan business gift cards! Occoquan merchants have unique offerings of home decor, clothing, gourmet food, fine art, beauty, chocolates, jewelry, stationery, and gifts for all ages. See a list of participating businesses and rules for play at visitoccoquanva.com/holiday.
SHOP SMALL WEEKEND
November 29 – December 1
Historic DistrictOccoquan is home to 80+ brick and mortar small businesses, open all year long! When you #shopsmall and #shoplocal, you’re supporting your neighborhood artists, independent shopkeepers, restaurant owners, and their hardworking staff. Businesses are busy curating unique holiday selections just for you and many will have Black Friday and Shop Small Saturday sales!
SANTA SING-A-LONG
December 7 at 11:00am
River Mill ParkVisit with Santa while you are in town! The big guy will arrive by boat at the town dock at Mamie Davis Park (202 Mill Street) around 10:30am. Kids of all ages are then invited to parade with Santa down Mill Street to River Mill Park, where he will have a sing-a-long with kids. This event is free, no tickets required. Sponsored in part by VFW Post 7916.
HOLIDAY SHOP LATE NIGHTS
December 6, 13, and 20Historic District
Need a little extra time to get all that #shopsmall holiday shopping done? Select businesses will be open until 8 p.m. or later on Friday nights in December, giving you more time to get the good stuff. See a list of participating businesses at visitoccoquanva.com/shoplate.
LETTERS TO SANTA
November 23 – December 15Occoquan Town Hall
Drop your letter to Santa in our special North Pole mailboxes at Town Hall (314 Mill Street) or Tiny Supply Co. (125 Mill Street) from November 23 to December 15. Free coloring and fill-in Santa letters with envelopes will be available to kids of all ages at Tiny Supply Co. If you include a return address, Santa will send a personalized letter back!
For updates or to learn more about holiday events in Occoquan, go to visitoccoquanva.com/holiday.
From glistening trees and jolly Saint Nicholas to a mischievous Grinch and festive Pokemon, downtown Fredericksburg’s storefronts have transformed their windows into a wonderland.
The city’s annual Window Wonderland event started November 9 and will continue through December 31, 2024. Participating businesses have transformed their storefronts into festive works of art, each accompanied by a nearby riddle for visitors to solve.
Guests can vote for their favorite window display, and those who solve the riddles can submit their completed riddle forms at the Visitor Center, located at 601 Caroline Street, or send them by mail.
Prizes include $1,000 in downtown gift cards and 50 additional prizes provided by the Fredericksburg Economic Development Authority and participating businesses. Winners will be notified by phone by January 6, 2025.
Press Release:
On Nov. 15, Prince William County will join communities nationwide to celebrate America Recycles Day (ARD). ARD, an initiative of Keep America Beautiful, has been an annual awareness campaign dedicated to promoting and celebrating recycling in the United States since 1997.
To celebrate America Recycles Day, County staff and Keep Prince William Beautiful volunteers will be available from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. to talk with residents about recycling in Prince William County and the “I Recycle” pledge contest at Chinn Park Regional Library on Nov. 13, and Central Library on Nov. 15.
Prince William County will also join other Metropolitan Washington Council of Government (MWCOG) jurisdictions to allow residents to acknowledge their commitment to recycling and win prizes! Residents may take the 2024 “I Recycle” pledge online at www.mwcog.org/recyclesday through November 20.
The contest, hosted by MWCOG for the Washington, D.C. area, is designed to promote recycling and purchasing of items made from recycled materials. One lucky recycling supporter will win a $300 REI gift certificate and one lucky K-12 student will win a $300 REI gift certificate, plus a $500 grant for a recycling or environmental program at their school. For 10 of the past 11 years, a Prince William entrant has won a MWCOG regional prize.
For more information about recycling in Prince William County, visit www.pwcva.gov/recycling. For more information about Keep America Beautiful and America Recycles Day visit https://kab.org/programs/ard/.
Fredericksburg will host its annual Veteran’s Day procession on Monday, November 11 at 10 a.m. The walk will begin at Memorial Park (also known as Kenmore Park) on Kenmore Avenue and end at the Fredericksburg Area War Memorial on George Street.
The procession will travel down Washington Avenue from Mary Ball Street to George Street, ending around 10:30. The Veteran’s Day Commemoration will begin at 10:45 at the War Memorial. Streets will not be closed for the procession, but a rolling police escort will accompany the walkers.
Groups are encouraged to register online to participate. Veterans who are unable to complete the walk may travel on a VIP bus provided by Trolley of Fredericksburg. The VIP bus is for veterans only, and seats are available on a first-come, first-serve basis.
