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Hey neighbor,
Fall is officially knocking, and the 540 is answering the door with a full plate. Saturday alone gives you a free VegFest on the riverfront, $1 pizza slices in Market Square, sea shanties and punch inside a 1790s tavern, and the Fredericksburg Symphony kicking off its season with the 1812 Overture — cannons and all. Friday warms up with country and classic rock downtown, and Sunday cools down with free jazz at St. George's. Grab your calendar, we're pulling up.
— J Patrick
✨ Fairy Pick of the Weekend
Third Annual FXBG VegFest
FXBG VEGFEST
Third Annual FXBG VegFest
Saturday, September 19 | 11:00 AM–6:00 PM 📍 Riverfront Park, 600 Sophia St (also accessible via 108 Hanover St)
Free admission, all day on the river. USA Grubbing brings back the plant-based party with vegan vendors, vegan food truks, a mocktail-and-cocktail bar, inspiring speakers, 1781 Brewing vegan beer, and Wilderness Run Vineyards vegan wine and cider. You don't have to be vegan to eat well here — bring an appetite and a lawn chair. Want to go all in? The $30 VIP package gets you unlimited samples of the wine, beer, and cider plus vegan bites throughout the event.
📅 Weekend Rundown
Friday, September 18
🎸 Downtown Sounds: Cactus Jack [Country / Classic Rock] — 6:30–8:30 PM, Historic Market Square, 907 Princess Anne St. FAM's free Friday concert series is down to its last two shows of the season — pack a blanket or a chair.
🍷 Friday Night Music at Potomac Point Winery — 6:30–9:30 PM, 275 Decatur Rd, Stafford. Live music on the patio, bistro open till 8:30.
🎶 John Burton Live — 7:00–9:00 PM, Adventure Brewing North, 33 Perchwood Dr. Acoustic, heartfelt originals with folk-inspired guitar — El Fogon En Goma truk is out front.
📸 2026 Annual Fredericksburg Photography Show — runs Thursday–Sunday, Sept 17–20. Check the listing for gallery hours.
🎉 Always Flavored is turning 6! — anniversary celebration runs Friday–Sunday, Sept 18–20. Details and hours on the listing.
📖 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.
🃏 Pokémon TCG Weekly Tournament — evening (confirm time with the shop), Your Hobby Place, 4276 Plank Rd. 🔁 $10 entry, 3 rounds.
⚔️ Friday Night Magic — evening (confirm time with the shop), Your Hobby Place, 4276 Plank Rd. 🔁 $30 entry, 3 rounds.
🥓 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, September 19
🌱 Third Annual FXBG VegFest — 11:00 AM–6:00 PM, Riverfront Park, 600 Sophia St. ⭐ Fairy Pick — see above.
🍕 Pizza Palooza 2026 — 5:00–9:00 PM, Historic Market Square, 907 Princess Anne St. The Fredericksburg–Este Association's pizza-beer-and-rock-'n'-roll fundraiser: $2 cash admission, $1 slices from local pizzerias, $5 beer and Italian wine, gelato, and a People's Choice vote for best pie.
🏴☠️ Pirates and Punch at the Rising Sun Tavern — two sessions, 5:00–6:30 PM and 7:00–8:30 PM, 1304 Caroline St. Pirate lore, historically inspired punches, light fare, and raucous sea shanties from The Rappahannock Whalers. 21+, $40 ($35 for WHM members).
🎻 Fredericksburg Symphony Season Opener: A Symphonic Flashbang! — 7:30 PM, Monroe Auditorium at James Monroe High School, 2300 Washington Ave. Tchaikovsky's 4th, Copland's "Rodeo," and the 1812 Overture in one program. From $35 — the FSO sells out, so don't sleep on tickets.
🦀 36th Annual Rappahannock Riverfest — 3:00–8:00 PM, McDaniel Property next to City Dock, 130 Sophia St. Friends of the Rappahannock's biggest fundraiser: local crab feast, fried catfish, Billiken's BBQ, open bar, live music, raffle and live auction. $175.
🍂 Free Fall Family Festival — 11:00 AM–4:00 PM, Fredericksburg Fairgrounds, 2400 Airport Ave. The disAbility Resource Center's inclusive community day — live music, food truks, family activities, local vendors. Free; 2,700 people came last year.
🕊️ Heiwa Matsuri Peace Festival — 10:30 AM–1:00 PM, Aikido in Fredericksburg, 6155 Hickory Ridge Rd. Free family festival for the International Day of Peace: mini aikido classes (ages 7+), yoga, and a world peace prayer flag ceremony.
🏃 Downtown Mile for CASA 1 Miler — 5:45 PM Superhero Run wave (all ages), downtown Fredericksburg. Benefits Rappahannock Area CASA; 9th race in the Coldwell Banker Elite Grand Prix Series. Race-day registration 3:30–4:45 PM; packet pickup Friday 4–6 PM at River Rock Outfitters, 1382 Carl D. Silver Pkwy.
🎸 Jack Taylor Trio — 5:00–8:00 PM, Creekside Farm Brewery, 15492 Creekside Ln, King George. Farm brewery, live music, and goats.
🪴 Drag Plant Bingo Night — evening, downtown (see listing for venue and time). Bingo, drag, and plants as prizes.
🕯️ Practical Magic Candle Pouring Party at POUR — see listing for time.
🧵 Teach the World to Sew Day — see listing for time and location.
🐱 Cause 4 Paws Feline Rescue Event — 11:00 AM, PetSmart Central Park, 1421 Carl D Silver Pkwy. 🔁 1st & 3rd Saturday.
🐕 Life Skills Dog Training — 9:00 AM, rotating parks in 22407. 🔁 Weekly Saturday through Nov 14; $35 drop-in for current students.
🚗 610 Cruisers Cruise-In — 4:00–8:00 PM, 269 Garrisonville Rd, Stafford. 🔁 Weekly Saturday.
🪩 DJ Saturday Nights — 9:00 PM, Spirits Bar & Restaurant, 816 Caroline St. 🔁 Weekly Saturday, 21+.
Sunday, September 20
🎷 Free Concert at St. George's: Peter and Will Anderson — 3:00 PM, St. George's Episcopal Church, 905 Princess Anne St. Grammy-winning twin brothers on clarinet and sax, with guitarist Adam Moezinia, play the life and music of Irving Berlin — "Cheek to Cheek," "Blue Skies," "Puttin' on the Ritz." Free, donations welcome.
🍻 Oktoberfest Beer Pairing Dinner — 6:00–8:00 PM, Creekside Farm Brewery, 15492 Creekside Ln, King George. Four-course meal catered by Denson's, curated beer pairings, servers in dirndls and lederhosen. $80, ticketed.
🀄 Mahjongg with Dragon 152 Club at City Vino — see listing for time.
🗡️ 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.
The Photography Show and Always Flavored's birthday weekend both wrap up today if you missed them Friday.
🥬 Farmers Markets
Fredericksburg Farmer's Market — Hurkamp Park, 500 William St. Saturday morning — 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.
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🚛 The Flavor Route Sponsored by Trukfoo!
Lois of Festivefly and Tuko of Trukfoo
If you're here → go eat here. Here's the confirmed lineup where we could pull it straight from the venue's own calendar — the rest is the regular pattern from recent weeks and worth a quick check before you head out.
Friday, September 18
🌮 El Fogon En Goma @ Adventure Brewing North, 33 Perchwood Dr — confirmed
Saturday, September 19
🌱 Vegan food truks @ FXBG VegFest, Riverfront Park, 600 Sophia St, 11 AM–6 PM — confirmed (lineup TBA)
🚚 Food truks @ Free Fall Family Festival, Fredericksburg Fairgrounds, 2400 Airport Ave, 11 AM–4 PM — confirmed (lineup TBA)
🌮 Chapo's Tacos @ Adventure Brewing North, 33 Perchwood Dr — unconfirmed, based on the weekly Saturday pattern (calendar not posted past Sept 18 yet)
🌮 Juan More Taco @ Highmark Brewery, 390 Kings Hwy — unconfirmed, based on recent weeks' pattern (Highmark has no public events calendar to check against)
Sunday, September 20
🥔 Pit & Potato @ Creekside Farm Brewery, 15492 Creekside Ln, King George, 12–6 PM — confirmed
🍕 Rosie's Pizza @ Adventure Brewing North, 33 Perchwood Dr — unconfirmed, based on the Seltzer Sunday pattern
🌮 Juan More Taco @ Highmark Brewery, 390 Kings Hwy — unconfirmed, based on recent weeks' pattern
👉 Want the full, always-updated schedule? Head to trukfoo.com to see every truk's stops in real time.
Around Virginia
Central Virginia / Richmond
Iron Blossom Festival
Saturday–Sunday, September 19–20 📍 Midtown Green, Richmond
Two days of live music with Jack White, Portugal. The Man, Geese, and more, plus a full spread of Richmond food and drink flanking the two main stages. Hardywood hosts a free kickoff pre-party Friday if you want to make a weekend of it.
Charlottesville
Cville Sabroso Festival
Saturday, September 19 | 2:00–9:00 PM 📍 Ting Pavilion, 700 E Main St, Charlottesville
Charlottesville's largest Latin American cultural celebration — nine hours of live music and dance, food, artisan crafts, and a kids' Parade of Flags under the big tent, rain or shine. $15 at the door, kids 12 and under free.
Northern Virginia
Alexandria Octoberfest
Saturday, September 19 | 11:00 AM–6:00 PM 📍 John Carlyle Square, 300 John Carlyle St, Alexandria
Free, pet-friendly, rain or shine: bratwurst, pretzels, strudel, a beer garden, live German music, an artisan market, and a Mr. & Mrs. Oktoberfest costume contest.
Hampton Roads / Virginia Beach
Saturday–Sunday, September 19–20 📍 Naval Air Station Oceana, Virginia Beach
Part of the America 250 lineup at the beach — a full weekend of military and civilian flight demonstrations. (Neptune Festival Boardwalk Weekend is the following weekend, Sept 25–27, if you're planning ahead.)
Shenandoah Valley
Shenadoah Valley Apple Harvest Festival
Saturday–Sunday, September 19–20 📍 Winchester, VA
A Valley tradition built around all things apple — pie-eating contests, pie-baking competitions, live music, and craft vendors. Pair it with a drive through the orchards as the leaves start to turn.
That's the lineup, FXBG. Whether you're catching country in Market Square Friday, eating your way from VegFest to Pizza Palooza Saturday, or letting the Andersons play you into Sunday afternoon — 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.
📧 Subscribe to The Pull-Up Newsletter — weekly local events, every Thursday.
🍽 Join Trukfoo — discover food truks near you.
The Pull-Up is your weekly local events guide for the 540 — Fredericksburg, Spotsylvania, Stafford, and beyond. Published by FestiveFly. Written by J. Patrick.