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Hey neighbor,
October kicks off bookish, artsy, and dog-friendly in the 540. The Fredericksburg Independent Book Festival takes over the newly renovated Riverfront Park with independent authors and food truks, Art Attack pulls painters and musicians out of the studio and onto Caroline Street, and Ferry Farm opens its riverside trails to your pup. Add First Friday downtown, a Fall Home Show at the Convention Center, a garden-party fundraiser at the Mary Washington House, acoustic sets and Latin jazz, and ASL-interpreted tours at George Washington's boyhood home, and it's a full first weekend of fall. Grab your calendar, we're pulling up.
— J Patrick
✨ Fairy Pick of the Weekend
Fredericksburg Independent Book Festival
Fredericksburg Independent Book Festival
Saturday, October 3 | 10:00 AM–4:00 PM 📍 Riverfront Park, 701 Sophia St, downtown Fredericksburg
The 9th annual festival brings 60+ independent authors to the waterfront, writing in every genre from horror, sci-fi, and fantasy to romance, memoir, and children's books. Expect speakers, readings, and panels, plus food truks on site. It's free to attend.
This is also a great excuse to see the newly redesigned Riverfront Park if you haven't yet. Bring a tote bag, meet the people who write the books, and make a morning of it downtown. Art Attack is a few blocks away on Caroline Street, and the farmers market at Hurkamp Park runs until 1.
📅 Weekend Rundown
Friday, October 2
🧶 FXBG First Friday: Spinners & Weavers Guild Open Studio — 5:00–9:00 PM, LibertyTown Arts Workshop, 916 Liberty St. 🔁 First Friday. Meet the guild in their studio (right of the lobby, across from the pottery room). The Non-Traditional Knitters Group also drops in at 6:30 PM.
🪕 Prabir Raag Show — 8:00–10:00 PM, Curitiba Art Café, 919 Caroline St. Ancient Indian raags on guitar with mridanga and tanpura accompaniment, plus a new album release.
🎤 First Fridays Karaoke — 8:00 PM, Reclaim Arcade, 2324 Plank Rd. 🔁 First Friday. Sing between rounds on the classic machines; 18+ after 8 PM.
🎧 First Friday DJ Takeover — 9:30 PM–12:30 AM, Durango Grill, 4256 Plank Rd. 🔁 First Friday. Live DJ and $5 appetizers.
🃏 Friday Night Pokémon TCG Tournament — 6:30 PM, Your Hobby Place, 4276 Plank Rd. 🔁 Weekly. $10 entry, 3 rounds.
⚔️ FNM – Weekly Draft (Current MTG Set) — 7:00–11:00 PM, Your Hobby Place, 4276 Plank Rd. 🔁 $30 entry ($36 for Universes Beyond sets), 3 rounds.
🃏 FNM – Standard Tournament — 7:15–10:15 PM, Your Hobby Place, 4276 Plank Rd. 🔁 $10 entry, 3–4 rounds.
📖 Breaking Lines Poetry Night and Spoken Word — 8:00–9:00 PM, Original Grinds Coffee Shop, 615 Caroline St. 🔁 Weekly, hosted by Sera.
🎤 Spirits Bar Karaoke — 9:00 PM, Spirits Bar & Restaurant, 816 Caroline St. 🔁 Weekly Friday.
🥓 Makin' Bacon — starting at noon, Dogtopia of Fredericksburg, 4272 Plank Rd. 🔁 Weekly Friday. $5 donation gets your pup two pieces of turkey bacon at naptime.
Saturday, October 3
📚 Fredericksburg Independent Book Festival — 10:00 AM–4:00 PM, Riverfront Park, 701 Sophia St. ⭐ Fairy Pick — see above.
🎨 Art Attack Fredericksburg 2026 — 10:00 AM–4:00 PM, Ponshop Studio & Gallery, 712 Caroline St. A grassroots day of making art in public — painters, sketchers, sculptors, musicians, anyone who can do their thing outside. Free to join, and free to wander and watch.
🐕 Dog Days at Ferry Farm — 10:00 AM–5:00 PM, George Washington's Ferry Farm, 268 George Washington Way. Leashed pups welcome on the trails along the fields and the Rappahannock. $5 adults, kids 17 and under free.
🥞 $5 Pancake Breakfast — 8:00–10:00 AM, Fredericksburg Masonic Lodge No. 4, 803 Princess Anne St (enter on the Hanover St side). 🔁 First Saturday. All-you-can-eat pancakes, eggs, bacon, and biscuits and gravy.
🏡 Fredericksburg Fall Home Show — 9:00 AM–5:00 PM (also Sunday 10:00 AM–4:00 PM), Fredericksburg Convention Center, 2371 Carl D. Silver Pkwy. Contractors, remodelers, landscapers, and designers, plus show-only deals. Free with an online ticket.
🚗 Cars & Coffee — 9:00–11:00 AM, 514 Lansdowne Rd, Suite F. 🔁 First Saturday. Parking is first come, first served, so get there on time.
🦫 Weaving with a Capybara — 10:00 AM–12:00 PM, Possum-bilities in the Burg, 211 William St. Make an Eastern Woodlands pine needle weaving while hanging out with Yukon Goldie the capybara. $35, ages 10+, space is limited.
🧺 KGPR Flea Market — 7:00 AM–12:00 PM, King George Citizens Center, 8076 Kings Hwy, King George. Free for shoppers; vendor tables from $10.
🐱 Cause 4 Paws Adoption Event — 11:00 AM–4:30 PM, PetSmart Central Park, 1421 Carl D. Silver Pkwy. 🔁 1st & 3rd Saturdays. Cats and kittens ready for their forever homes.
🛍️ 2nd Annual Gratitude Market — 12:00–5:00 PM, Fredericksburg Field House, 3411 Shannon Park Dr. An indoor local makers market.
🦀 Seafood Day at the Elks — 12:00–3:00 PM, Fredericksburg Elks #875, 11309 Tidewater Trail. Big steaming pots, plenty of seasoning, and a mystery host. Tickets required.
🚘 610 Cruisers Cruise-In — 4:00–8:00 PM, 269 Garrisonville Rd, Stafford. 🔁 Weekly Saturday.
🎶 Market Street Live — 5:30–7:30 PM, Billiken's Smokehouse, 623 Caroline St. Live music, drinks, and barbecue.
🥃 Bourbon and Boxwood — 6:00–8:00 PM, Mary Washington House, 1200 Charles St. A spirited garden party with live music, food, drink, and an auction, supporting Washington Heritage Museums' five historic properties. Tickets required.
🎸 Abel Acoustic at City Vino — doors 7:00 PM, show 7:30 PM, City Vino, 100 Hanover St. A Virginia brother-and-sister duo covering pop, classic rock, and folk. $30 includes a glass of wine and a light snack.
🪩 DJ Saturday Nights — 9:00 PM, Spirits Bar & Restaurant, 816 Caroline St. 🔁 Weekly Saturday, 21+.
Sunday, October 4
🏡 Fredericksburg Fall Home Show — 10:00 AM–4:00 PM, Fredericksburg Convention Center, 2371 Carl D. Silver Pkwy. Day two.
🤟 Deaf and Hard of Hearing Community Day at Ferry Farm — tours at 1:00 and 2:30 PM, George Washington's Ferry Farm, 268 George Washington Way. Washington House tours interpreted in American Sign Language. Regular admission applies; register ahead, space is limited.
🎺 Latin Jazz with UMW Jazz Trio — 4:00–5:00 PM, Seacobeck Hall (Weatherly Wing, Room 145), 1301 College Ave. Free and open to the public.
🎭 Rappahannock Choral Society Variety Benefit — 6:00–9:00 PM, Reign the Venue, 1409 Princess Anne St. Cabaret performances, a silent auction, karaoke, live music, food, and a cash bar. $35.
🃏 Funday Sunday Pokémon TCG — afternoon, Your Hobby Place, 4276 Plank Rd. 🔁 Weekly. $12 entry, 4 rounds, great for newer players.
🗡️ Flesh & Blood TCG Weekly Sunday Armory — 2:00–5:00 PM, Your Hobby Place, 4276 Plank Rd. 🔁 $3 entry + 1 pack.
🎯 Cornhole Tournament — sign-up 7:30 PM / tournament 8:30 PM, Spirits Bar & Restaurant, 816 Caroline St. 🔁 Weekly, 21+, valid ID required.
🥬 Farmers Markets
Fredericksburg Farmer's Market — Hurkamp Park, 500 William St. Saturdays, 7:00 AM–1:00 PM, through December 5 — fresh produce, baked goods, meats, flowers, and honey from local growers.
Spotsylvania Farmers Market — Saturday, 8:00 AM–1:00 PM, VDOT Commuter Lot, 12150 Gordon Rd. 🔁 Also Sunday, 8:00 AM–2:00 PM, Spotsylvania High School, 6975 Courthouse Rd.
🚛 The Flavor Route Sponsored by Trukfoo!
If you're here → go eat here. No truks have logged confirmed stops for Oct 2–4 yet, so here's the confirmed event food plus the regular weekend pattern. Give it a quick check before you head out.
Friday, October 2
🌮 El Fogon En Goma @ Adventure Brewing North, 33 Perchwood Dr — unconfirmed, based on the weekly Friday pattern
Saturday, October 3
📚 Food truks @ Fredericksburg Independent Book Festival, Riverfront Park, 701 Sophia St, 10 AM–4 PM — confirmed by organizers, lineup TBA
🦀 Seafood Day @ Fredericksburg Elks #875, 11309 Tidewater Trail, 12–3 PM — confirmed, tickets required
🌮 Chapo's Tacos @ Adventure Brewing North, 33 Perchwood Dr — unconfirmed, based on the weekly Saturday pattern
🌮 Juan More Taco @ Highmark Brewery, 390 Kings Hwy — unconfirmed, based on the recent Saturday pattern
Sunday, October 4
🥔 Pit & Potato @ Creekside Farm Brewery, 15492 Creekside Ln, King George — unconfirmed, based on the recent Sunday pattern
🍕 Rosie's Pizza @ Adventure Brewing North, 33 Perchwood Dr — unconfirmed, based on the Seltzer Sunday pattern
👉 Want the full, always-updated schedule? Head to trukfoo.com to see every truk's stops in real time.
Here’s Why Experts Say to Ditch Your Old Cutting Boards
Before you prep another meal, here’s what you need to know:
Plastic boards shed microplastic particles into your food with every cut.
Wooden boards trap moisture and food residue, the perfect breeding ground for hidden bacteria and toxic mold that transfers to your food.
Around Virginia
Central Virginia / Richmond
Saturday, October 3 | 11:30 AM–7:00 PM & Sunday, October 4 | 12:00–6:00 PM 📍 N. 2nd St between E. Broad & E. Jackson Sts, Jackson Ward, Richmond
A free two-day homecoming for the neighborhood once called the "Harlem of the South" — three stages of live music, a Kidz Zone, food vendors, Artists Row, the antique car club, and free historic Jackson Ward walking tours.
Charlottesville
Sunday, October 4 | Gates 9:30 AM, first race 12:00 PM 📍 Foxfield Racecourse, 2215 Foxfield Track, Charlottesville
The laid-back, family-friendly edition of Charlottesville's steeplechase: seven races, a Children's Tent, truck touch, parades of beagles and hounds, and stick pony races on the track. Tickets required.
Northern Virginia
Saturday, October 3 | 11:00 AM–7:00 PM 📍 Historic Church Street & Town Green, Vienna
One of NoVA's biggest fall festivals — craft beer and wine, live music, global food, and a Kids Zone across Church Street and the Town Green. Free admission, rain or shine.
Hampton Roads / Virginia Beach
Saturday, October 3 | 10:00 AM–3:00 PM 📍 Town Point Park, Downtown Norfolk Waterfront
More than 100 hands-on activities built for kids 10 and under — workshops, costumed characters, storytelling, military demonstrations, music, and dance lessons. Low-cost admission; little ones 1 and under are free.
Shenandoah Valley
Saturday, October 3 | 11:00 AM–5:00 PM 📍 Shenandoah County Fairgrounds, Woodstock
Traditional Virginia whole-hog barbecue cooked over hardwood coals, tastings from Valley breweries, wineries, cideries, and distilleries, live music, and Shenandoah Downs harness racing from 1 PM. Recommended for 21+; kids 14 and under get in free.
That's the lineup, FXBG. Whether you're browsing indie authors at Riverfront Park, painting on Caroline Street with Art Attack, or walking the pup along the river at Ferry Farm — get out there and live it. The 540 doesn't slow down, and neither should you.
See you next weekend.
Pull up soon,
J. Patrick
🚀 Before You Go
If you like what you see here pull-up by connecting with us at the following platforms.
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The Pull-Up is your weekly local events guide for the 540 — Fredericksburg, Spotsylvania, Stafford, and beyond. Published by FestiveFly. Written by J. Patrick.