Ready to make history one mile at a time? Walk or Run 250 Miles to Celebrate America’s 250th!

Lace up your sneakers and get moving in the free Run America 250 Challenge: a country-wide virtual walk/run event celebrating 250 years of American history!

Between July 4, 2025 and July 5, 2026 we’re challenging you to walk or run 250 miles—anytime, anywhere. Whether you’re hitting the trails, the treadmill, or your neighborhood sidewalk, every mile brings us closer to honoring America’s incredible journey since 1776.

How you hit 250 miles is totally up to you! From grocery runs to evening dog walks, teeing off on the golf course to exploring scenic trails, every step counts.

Registration for the Run America 250 Challenge opens July 4, 2025, and it’s completely free to join! Sign up by April 30, 2026, to start working toward your 250-mile goal and a commemorative medal.

To log your miles, make sure you’ve downloaded the RaceJoy app. This is how we’ll track your progress so that you can get your well-earned medal! Use the app’s GPS feature to log your miles in real-time, or enter your miles manually into the RaceJoy app. This will help make it easy for you to track your progress and help you reach your goal!

Register Here!

The Central Rappahannock Regional Library is hosting four book discussions in celebration of America’s semiquincentennial. The first will be held at the historic Rising Sun Tavern in Fredericksburg and will discuss From Trenton to Yorktown: Turning Points in the Revolutionary War, by John R. Maas. This work, published to coincide with the 250th anniversary, provides a sweeping narrative of five critical military events that changed the outcome of the Revolutionary War, including the Yorktown Campaign of 1781.

This book discussion, led by both librarians and historians, will provide an opportunity for attendees to discuss the key moments of the Revolutionary War in a home built by George Washington’s youngest brother, Charles, in 1760.

Contact the Porter Adult Services Desk at 540-372–1144 x7339 for a copy to be held for you or sent to another branch for your convenience. A library card is not required to reserve this book. Limited copies are available.

Future VA250 Book Club Dates:

September 9th, 2025 – From Trenton to Yorktown: Turning Points in the Revolutionary War by John R. Maas
Meets at The Rising Sun Tavern, 1304 Caroline St, Fredericksburg, VA 22401
Time: 6 pm to 7:30 pm

January 26th, 2025 – The Fate of the Day by Rick Atkinson
Meets at the Fredericksburg Branch of Central Rappahannock Regional Library, 1201 Caroline St, Fredericksburg, VA 22401
Time: 6 pm to 7:30 pm

April 27th, 2026 – A Girl Called Samson by Amy Harmon
Meets at Porter Branch of Central Rappahannock Regional Library, 2001 Parkway Boulevard, Stafford, VA 22554
Time: 6 pm to 7:30 pm

July 27th, 2026 – This Fierce People: The Untold Story of America’s Revolutionary War in the South by Alan Pell Crawford
Meets at The Mary Washington House, 1200 Charles St, Fredericksburg, VA 22401
Time: 6 pm to 7:30 pm

In honor of National Native Plant Month, we’re hosting a special screening of The Extraordinary Caterpillar, a beautifully shot 60-minute documentary that reveals the vital—and often overlooked—role caterpillars play in our ecosystems.

From blooming meadows to city parks and backyard gardens, this inspiring film celebrates the magic of nature while showing families practical ways to make a difference.

Along the way, you’ll see the groundbreaking work of The Caterpillar Lab, entomologist David Wagner, and Doug Tallamy, co-founder of Homegrown National Park.

Join Us for the 50th Annual Stafford Schools Arts Festival!

Come celebrate creativity at the 50th Annual Stafford Schools Arts Festival, a joyful, divisionwide event showcasing the incredible talents of our students. Families and community members are invited to explore colorful art displays, enjoy live student performances, and take part in fun, interactive arts experiences for all ages.

From our youngest learners to our high school artists, this festival highlights the many ways the arts inspire expression, learning, and connection across Stafford Schools. Don’t miss this special celebration of student talent and 50 years of artistic excellence in our community!

Drums Along the Rappahannock: Echoes of Revolution at Ferry Farm

Mark America 250 at Ferry Farm, the childhood home of George Washington. Featuring the Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps, Revolutionary War–era reenactors, and family-friendly activities, this immersive event connects visitors to the people, sounds, and ideas that shaped the nation’s founding.

This is a free event.

This event is hosted in collaboration with The George Washington Foundation and the Stafford County Historical Society.

DATE & TIME
Saturday, April 25, 2026
10:00am to 2:00pm
Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps performance at 1:00pm

LOCATION
George Washington’s Ferry Farm
268 George Washington Way
Fredericksburg, VA 22405

If you have questions, please call (540) 370-0732 or email [email protected].

Celebrate creativity and community at the Rappahannock Art Festival, hosted by the League of Women Voters of the Fredericksburg Area at John Lee Pratt Memorial Park. This vibrant outdoor event features immersive art installations, live stage performances, local artists, food vendors, and interactive exhibits from community organizations. Enjoy a day of inspiring art, engaging performances, and community connection along the Rappahannock.

Unleash your inner artist and light up your creativity! Join us for a hands-on mosaic art class where you’ll craft your very own dazzling mosaic lamp or candle holder.

Choose from a variety of enchanting lamp styles:

• Mini Table Lamp
• Swan Lamp
• Moon Lamp
• Aladdin Lamp

No experience? No problem! Our friendly instructors will guide you step by step, making it easy, and fun, to create a piece that shines. Perfect for a unique gift or a colorful addition to your home.

Spaces are limited, so reserve your spot and get ready to make your masterpiece glow!

Presented by Gail S. Watson of the Daughters of the American Revolution, Falls Church Chapter. Researching genealogy can prove difficult across all mediums, but many individuals experience setbacks when examining their ancestral history in the years prior to the founding of America as a country. Gail will demonstrate that, while it may appear daunting, it is far easier when one has the right resources, records, and knowledge at hand. Focusing on Virginian records during and before the American Revolution, there are also many clues in modern records that point hundreds of years to the past, many of which are found in Ancestry, FamilySearch, and the Library of Virginia, all of which, and more, will be demonstrated in this presentation.

Gail S. Watson is a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution with a membership in the Falls Church Chapter. She is a genealogist on the state level who has assisted with numerous research challenges and at the national level indexing documents. A periodic speaker in the Virginia House Chapter’s Public Genealogy Workshop, Gail has also spoken at various conferences across the Commonwealth of Virginia and volunteers at the Warrenton Family Search Center.

Watercolors & Wine Event with Eden Try Winery

Wine Sales: 11a-5p

Spend a relaxing spring day at Tater’s Corner with friends and family. Unplug and get creative with an all-in-one watercolor kit and a glass or two of wine! Your $30 ticket includes your choice of a watercolor kit and one non-alcoholic beverage (soda, sparkling water, or water). Eden Try Winery will be on-site selling glasses and bottles of wine from 11a-5p.

Reservations are required for this event. Please select your time at checkout. In the comment box, please let us know who you are attending with so we can seat you together.

Your $30 ticket includes:

-(1) Watercolor kit with an 8″x10″ sketch, paint brush, and paint

-(1) Non-alcoholic beverage (soda, sparkling water, or water)

Time Slot Options:

10:30a-1p

1p-3:30p

3:30p-6p

Join us at Historic Kenmore on Friday, May 8, 2026, for an engaging day for homeschoolers and their caregivers that connects the past and present while building skills in historic inquiry. Participants will discover what life was like in 18th-century Virginia during its turbulent transformation from British colony to American state, 250 years ago in this momentous year. Students will gain a deeper understanding of the diverse individuals in Fredericksburg who helped forge American Independence.

Attendees are welcome to enjoy a picnic lunch on our grounds, play colonial games, explore the Historic Kenmore Visitor Center, and complete a variety of self-guided, take-home activities.

Students must be accompanied by a participating adult.

DATE & TIMES
Friday, May 8, 2026, 10 am – 2 pm

ADMISSION
Students (ages 6-17) – $6
Adults -$4
Children under 6 – free

LOCATION
Historic Kenmore
1201 Washington Ave
Fredericksburg, VA 22401

If you have questions, please call 540-370-0732 or email [email protected].

Presented by Jerrilynn Eby MacGregor of the Stafford County Historical Society. Aquia Creek was at one point a major commercial waterway from the mid-1600s up until the early 1900s, in contrast to its modern geography. Three deep-water landings received international sailing vessels along the waterway, and industry flowed through the heart of the freestone quarrying area, much of which was used in the construction of various buildings in Washington D.C. and in the surrounding areas in Virginia. Moreover, several large fisheries operated along the creek, and thousands of cords of wood, along with hundreds of thousands of railroad ties, were shipped down Aquia Creek to many destinations across the United States. Learn of this area’s rich history, including the location of Stafford County’s only known military entanglement of the Revolutionary War: the Burning of Richland. In July of 1776, British warships sailed up the Potomac and met the Stafford Militia, who were stationed at the Richland Plantation, which was owned by William Brent.

Jerrilynn Eby MacGregor is the author of They Called Stafford Home, among other works related to the rich history of Stafford County. A life-long Staffordian, Jerrilynn continues to heavily contribute to historical and genealogical studies of the people and places of this County. She is a secretary of the historical society and a frequent lecturer on various historical topics to numerous regional historical organizations.

Presented by Dr. Jason Sellers, University of Mary Washington. The colonial unrest that led to the American Revolution offered opportunities for diverse Americans to pursue freedom. This program will discuss the roles Native nations on Virginia’s frontiers played in shaping its support for an independent United States. It will also consider how and why Virginia Indians participated in that struggle for independence.

Dr. Jason Sellers is an Associate Professor of History at the University of Mary Washington specializing in the cultural and environmental history of 17th-and 18th-century North American landscapes and bodies.

Families and individuals with special needs are invited to visit Ferry Farm, George Washington’s Boyhood Home, for a sensory-friendly experience. Join us from 10 am to 12 pm on Sunday, May 17—when we will be closed to the general public—to explore the replica Washington House; walk along the Rappahannock River; and learn about the lives of George, his mother Mary, other Washington family members, and the enslaved community who lived here in the eighteenth century.

Twenty-minute guided tours of the Washington House will be offered at 10:10 am, 10:20 am, and 10:30 am. From 11 am to 12 pm, the House will be open for self-paced walkthrough tours, with historic interpreters available to answer questions. Pre-registration is required for guided and walkthrough tours. The guided tours will be capped at 15 tours. Forty-five walkthrough tour tickets will be available.

Touch and smell boxes will be available in the visitor center, which also features the introductory exhibit The Science of History at Ferry Farm, showcasing colonial and Civil War artifacts excavated at Ferry Farm. Visitors can peek into the Archaeology Lab, home to some of the thousands of artifacts found at Ferry Farm.

Need to take a break? A sensory room will be available.

The first 25 people to register will receive a complimentary sensory bag.

Visitors are welcome to bring a picnic lunch to eat while on-site.

Admission
Adults: $13.00
Students: $6.00
Children under 5: free

*Preregistration only (guided tours capped at 15 people each, walkthrough tour capped at 45 total)

Date and Time
Sunday, May 17, 2026
10 AM to 12 noon

Address
George Washington’s Ferry Farm
268 George Washington Way
Fredericksburg, VA 22405

If you have questions about this program, email [email protected] or call 540-370-0732.

Step Inside History with the RISE ABOVE Mobile Movie Theater.

The fully functional RISE ABOVE Mobile Movie Theater features two compelling original short films, RISE ABOVE: The Tuskegee Airmen and RISE ABOVE: The WASP, sharing the stories of the extraordinary obstacles these heroes overcame to serve during World War II.

Housed in a climate-controlled 53-foot semi-trailer with expandable sides, the theater is equipped with a ramp and hydraulic lift to ensure accessibility for all, comfortably accommodating up to 30 visitors per showing. Its dynamic 160-degree panoramic screen creates the thrilling sensation of soaring in the cockpit above the clouds alongside these historic figures.

The Tuskegee Airmen and Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) were trailblazers who broke barriers in a time of segregation and discrimination. The Tuskegee Airmen were the first Black military pilots in U.S. history, proving courage and skill could overcome systemic prejudice. The WASP were the first women to fly military aircraft for the U.S., paving the way for future generations of female aviators. Both groups not only contributed critically to the Allied war effort during WWII but also challenged societal norms, inspiring lasting change in military service and civil rights.

Admission to the exhibit is FREE for all event attendees. The theater will be located at Stafford Airport (95 Aviation Way, Fredericksburg, VA 22406) as part of the Stafford County VA250 Memorial Day Commemoration.