Things to Do in Fredericksburg

Discover Virginia hosts a variety of outdoor events that celebrate local wines, foods, and retailers in a family-friendly environment. During the annual food and wine festival, local vendors flock to Greene County to pour samples of Virginia-made wines and fresh bites as families enjoy activities such as live music and face painting. Especially popular is the yearly chili cook-off, which sets chefs against each other as they compete to see which recipes can set off the most fire sprinklers.

Amid the tree-canopied foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, clusters of tubers and kayakers drift idly down the James River for a day of relaxation or recreation on these local waters. For more than 20 years, outfitters Kevin and Geneva Denby have facilitated just such excursions, providing not only the watercrafts, but guided instruction on paddling or floating technique and transportation to their launch site. Among the day trips offered, river adventures come by way of self-guided trips in the Denbys’ kayaks, rafts, or canoes, as well as several overnight trip options that ensconce visitors in the local scenery for up to two days at a time. The pair also furnishes expeditioners with supplies such as live bait, tackle, cameras, and sunscreen for their adventures. Upon return, Kevin and Geneva invite guests to wash off the day’s sweat, sunscreen, and kisses from passing boat captains in their hot showers.

Jimmy Crews, Roger Nelson, and Stephanie Tyson grew up on the James River, paddling along its tree-lined banks to find the most scenic spots and best fishing holes. Now the masterminds behind Howardsville Canoe Livery, the trio outfits outdoorsmen for their own explorations by renting tubes, 10’ Perception Pescador kayaks, and 16’ Old Town Camper canoes. Most trips go down the James River, though adventurers can also explore the Rockfish and Tye Rivers when water levels permit. Abundant wildlife roams the banks, including the occasional bald eagle. Though trips are self-guided, one of the livery’s team members can join groups for a guided tour, narrating in the group’s choice of accent about the rivers’ rich history, geography, geology, and fishing spots. Though all trips include shuttle service, staff can also give a lift to those who already own a tube, kayak, or canoe.

Teams of recreational combatants assemble in tactical formations across the fields at Southern Maryland Paintball, using obstacles and fortifications to their advantage as they engage enemies in fast-paced matches. Six fields with three distinct styles present diverse battlegrounds—from the wooden partitions that dot the open space at the Castle field to the menagerie of inflated obstacles and out-of-work parade floats that populate the Airball field. Players that excel in stealthy maneuvers will thrive at the Village field, where tiny huts obscure ambushers approaching from multiple angles. Each match is regulated by an experienced referee who shouts down those who shirk the rules. Southern Maryland Paintball keeps its fields mired in a barrage of colorful ballistics year-round, and also offers nighttime play on lighted fields on the weekends.

Away from the frenetic pace of organized matches, guests can soothe itchy trigger fingers and practice their marksmanship at the paintball-shooting range. Southern Maryland Paintball also encompasses a mini-golf course for those who prefer to compete in a game where their only enemies are subtle slopes and territorial windmills.