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Culture

Every year, communities across America sponsor eagerly anticipated festivals and special events. The Fredericks-burg area is no exception.

One of the largest celebrations is the July 4th Heritage Festival, with a river raft race, chili cook-off and fireworks. Thousands go to the Fredericksburg Agricultural Fair, the oldest fair of its kind in America. Visitors can get a look inside privately owned historic homes during Historic Garden Week and the holiday Candlelight Tour. The evening Christmas parade and First Night on New Year’s Eve draw large crowds.

Spectators enjoy professional rodeos, Native American Indian pow-wows, reenactments of Civil War battles, artillery demonstrations and encampments. Visitors can witness 18th-Century life during special programs at Kenmore— the Georgian mansion owned by George Washington’s sister, which was featured in The 100 Most Beautiful Rooms in America.

Other historic attractions that offer tours or unique programs include Chatham, the Rising Sun Tavern, the Mary Washington House and the James Monroe Museum. The Fredericksburg Area Museum and Cultural Center presents permanent and changing exhibits that highlight the area from prehistoric times to the present. The museum is expanding and is expected to open to the public in the fall of 2008. The new building will house several new exhibits and educational space.

Clubs and professional organizations also host educational programs. The Central Rappahannock Regional Library is one of the busiest library systems in Virginia. Indeed, area library users – some of the most active in the country – check out more than six million items annually. The CRRL offers a variety of cultural programs for people of all ages that includes lectures, films and storytelling. Its research library, the Virginiana Room, is a resource for Virginia history and genealogy. The library CRRL has been ranked among America’s top five public libraries by American Library magazine.