A bright gold and purple building on Princess Anne street offers creative twists on a beloved classic - Sprelly specializes in gourmet nut butter spreads and jellies that redefine the traditional PB&J with nearly two dozen exotic flavors. 

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A family of handmade snowmen, a tree luminary, and hand-sculpted ornaments: Corgi Clay Art Center’s classes this month are focusing on the holidays. Corgi Clay has classes available for a wide range of ages and abilities, from teens learning to spin clay for the first time to advanced sculptors learning detailed techniques. Owner Deb Balestreri said the center is “Stafford County’s first vibrant, creative community that offers ceramics and other art classes, firing services, artist residencies, teaching and exhibition opportunities, and memberships for potters.”

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No sound, no touch, no light: Elysian Float Spa offers a sensory deprivation spa experience to take away the stress of the holidays. Located in Fredericksburg, Elysian offers 60 minute or 90 minute float therapy sessions. Owner Debbie Elkins said float therapy has three main targets: athletic recovery, chronic pain,, and mental wellness (anxiety, depression, PTSD).

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Santa will visit the Fredericksburg Visitor Center on select dates for Pictures With Santa 2024, offering families a chance to meet him and take photos. Tickets are $5 per family, with each visit lasting 5 minutes.

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.

We'll be featuring local businesses in our holiday gift-giving series. We've asked local businesses to tell us about their holidays, and to suggest gift ideas for a wide range of people.

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Virginia State Parks offer a variety of holiday events, including light displays, educational programs, crafts, and guided hikes, at locations across the state. Many activities are free or included with park admission, with details and reservations available online.

Press release:

Virginia State Parks invites visitors of all ages to experience the magic of the holidays with various festive events across the state. From historic educational programs to enchanting light displays, many parks offer unique ways to create memories and celebrate the holidays amidst Virginia’s breathtaking natural landscapes.

Here’s a glimpse of what guests can look forward to this holiday season:

Holiday lights

• Southwest Virginia Museum: Festival of Trees, Nov. 10-Dec. 31
• Natural Bridge: Festival of Trees, Nov. 22-Dec. 31, and Luminary Nights, Dec. 13-15 and Dec. 20-22
• Wilderness Road: Karlan Christmas: Parade of Trees, Nov. 29-Dec. 1, Dec. 6-8, Dec. 13-15 and Dec. 20-22
• Bear Creek: Lights at the Lake, Dec. 6-8 and Dec. 13-14
• Staunton River Battlefield: Lighting of the Bridge, Dec. 6-8 and Dec. 13-15
• Natural Tunnel: Christmas Lighting of the Tunnel, Nov. 29-30, Dec. 6-7, Dec. 13-14 and Dec. 20-21
• Caledon: Night Before Christmas Wagon Ride: Dec. 6, Dec. 8, Dec. 13-15, Dec. 20-22

Educational programs

• Mason Neck: Ranger at the Refuge: Tundra Swans, Dec. 7, Dec. 8, Dec. 21 and Dec. 22
• Machicomoco: Christmas at Timberneck, Dec. 14
• Powhatan: Winter Birding, Dec. 14
• Southwest Virginia Museum: Birding in the Gap, Dec. 14
• Wilderness Road: A Frontier Christmas, Dec. 14
• Sweet Run: Christmas Bird Count, Dec. 15
• High Bridge: Christmas in the Camps, Dec. 21
• Sailor’s Creek Battlefield: The Science Behind the Star of Bethlehem, Nov. 30 and Dec. 21

Crafts

• Pocahontas: Winter Wreath Workshop, Nov. 30, Dec. 1 and Dec. 7, and Handmade Holidays, Dec. 1, Dec. 8, Dec. 15, Dec. 22 and Dec. 29
• Widewater: Deck the Halls, Dec. 1, Dec. 8, Dec. 15, Dec. 22 and Dec. 29
  Claytor Lake: Holiday Cheer Celebration, Dec. 7
• False Cape: Tree Cookies and Cocoa Ornament Workshop, Dec. 7

Guided walks/hikes

• First Landing: Season’s Greetings Nature Walk, Nov. 23
• Sky Meadows: A Winter Tree-mendous Hike, Dec. 7
• Belle Isle: A Walk on the Wild Side: Nature in Winter, Dec. 12
• Pocahontas: Winter Solstice Rambles, Dec. 21

Some events are free with standard park admission, while others may require pre-registration or additional fees. Learn more and find other upcoming events at virginiastateparks.gov/events.

Depending on the park, overnight accommodations, including cabins, family lodges or campsites may still be available. Go to reservevaparks.com for more information.

Local choirs and performers from Prince William County will gather for a Community Interfaith Christmas Concert on Sunday, December 15, 2024, at 7:00 p.m. in 14015 Glenkirk Road, Gainesville.

The program will feature music from the Little Zion Baptist Church, Mount Pleasant Baptist Church, Gainesville High School Ensemble, and the Gainesville Virginia Stake of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, among others. Traditional carols and seasonal favorites will be performed.

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Prince William County Parks and Recreation is hosting the 3rd annual Holiday Walk of Lights at Neabsco Regional Park, featuring hand-crafted light displays, holiday characters, carolers, and a holiday market on select nights. The event runs from December 6–27 with a special sensory-friendly evening on December 10, and shuttle services are provided from designated parking areas.

Press release:

Prince William County Parks and Recreation is hosting its 3rd annual Holiday Walk of Lights at Neabsco Regional Park. The FREE lights display begins Friday, December 6. New this year: in addition to the dazzling light display, visitors can experience the magic of the holiday season with visits from holiday characters, joyful holiday music sung by carolers and an unforgettable holiday shopping experience on select nights. A special sensory-friendly night will be held on Tuesday, December 10. All dates/times and important parking information can be found at pwcva.gov.

Admission is free for this family-friendly event. All are invited to enjoy the beautiful hand-crafted light displays that will light up the park!

Visitors are encouraged to sign up for text alerts by texting the word “lights” to 703-382-6716 to stay connected with latest event information.

 

2024 Hours of Operation

Friday, Dec 6, 5:30-9:00 pm – Holiday Characters, Carolers

Saturday, Dec 7, 5:30-9:00 pm – Holiday Market

Sunday, Dec 8, 5:30-9:00 pm

Tuesday, Dec 10, (Sensory Friendly Event only*), 5:30-8:00 pm – Holiday Characters, Carolers

Friday, Dec 13, 5:30-9:00 pm – Holiday Characters

Saturday, Dec 14, 5:30-9:00 pm – Holiday Market

Sunday, Dec 15, 5:30-9:00 pm

Wednesday, Dec 18, 5:30-9:00 pm – Holiday Characters

Thursday, Dec 19, 5:30-9:00 pm – Holiday Market

Friday, Dec 20, 5:30-9:00 pm – Holiday Characters

Saturday, Dec 21, 5:30-9:00 pm – Holiday Market

Sunday, Dec 22, 5:30-9:00 pm

Friday, Dec 27, 5:30 pm-9:00 pm – Holiday Market & Characters

 

Location

Neabsco Regional Park

15125 Blackburn Road

Woodbridge, VA 22191

 

Free Parking Information

Shuttle buses will pick up and drop off at Neabsco Regional Park from the following lots:

Rippon Middle School

15101 Blackburn Rd.

Woodbridge, VA 22191

 

Porter Traditional School (Unavailable December 6th)

15311 Forest Grove Dr.

Woodbridge, VA 22191

 

Featherstone Elementary School 

14805 Blackburn Rd.

Woodbridge, VA 22191

 

Important Parking Information

Parking at Neabsco Regional Park is reserved for those with a disabled placard or license plate ONLY. All others should park at the designated free parking locations.

No Parking at Rippon Lodge Historic Site

 

Free Shuttle Bus Available (No Animals Allowed)

A shuttle bus will be running continuously every 7 minutes to pick up and bring visitors to and from from the designated parking lots. The last shuttle picks up at 8:35 p.m., the lights turn off at 9 p.m. Each shuttle ride is approximately 2-3 minutes long.

 

Where to Park When Bringing Pets

For visitors who would like to bring their dog(s) to Holiday Walk of Lights, there are two options for parking:

1. Park & Walk: Park at Porter Traditional School and walk to the Neabsco Creek Boardwalk using the sidewalk/crosswalk at Rippon Blvd & Blackburn Rd. (see map) (Unavailable on 12/6)
2. Park & Ride the Cool Bus: Park at the small parking lot at Rippon Middle School adjacent to the ball field and ride the “Cool Bus”. Make sure to ride the “Cool Bus” back with your pet.

Pet Rules

• All pets must be on a leash.
• Please pickup after your pet (please bring your own waste disposal bags)

 

Food & Beverage

Concessions will be available onsite.

Restrooms

Portable restrooms will be available onsite.