
People who appreciate the finer aspects of life – theater, dance, art, and music – will find much to entertain and enlighten them in the Fredericksburg Region.
Performances by the University of Mary Washington Community-Symphony Orchestra and the United States Marine Corps Band fill UMW’s 1,350-seat Dodd Auditorium. The Fredericksburg Singers and the Fredericksburg Big Band also perform at Dodd. The popular Fredericksburg Forum series features nationally known speakers and entertainers such as former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, NBC’s “Meet the Press” host Tim Russert and actor James Earl Jones.
The University of Mary Washington Galleries exhibit art from a permanent collection of more than 5,000 works as well as traveling exhibits and the art of faculty and students. Klein Theatre hosts productions by the university’s Department of Theatre and Dance.
The Riverside Center Dinner Theater, located in Stafford County, has earned wide acclaim for its presentations of Broadway-style musicals. The Gari Melchers Home and Studio holds the largest repository of the early 20th-century artist’s landscapes, portraits and domestic interiors. Visitors can also see fine antiques he collected during his world travels.
Throughout the community, small theater groups and performing arts studios entertain audiences year-round. The visions of talented artists and photographers are displayed in libraries, galleries and restaurants. The Fredericksburg Center for the Creative Arts also displays original works of regional artists.
Nationally recognized performers and musicians are featured guests at the Fredericksburg Music Festival, a week-long annual event. Local and regional musicians perform at many clubs and restaurants in the area, creating a nightlife of jazz, rhythm and blues, Motown, Top 40, acoustic rock, bluegrass and funk. The Bluemont Summer Concert series brings a variety of musicians to intimate venues. Area localities also put on outdoor concerts and film festivals the whole family can enjoy.