Basic Gardening
The Northern Neck Master Gardeners will present a Basic Gardening course September 16, 23 and 30, at the Lancaster Community Library, 16 Town Centre Drive, Kilmarnock. Session 1 will be held from 10-11:30 a.m., Saturday, September 16, register by September 14, Getting Started: Know your Land; Know your Soil; Know your Equipment.
The gardening course is free. Registration is required, call the Northumberland County Office of Virginia Cooperative Extension, 580-5694.
Crab feast
The Chesapeake Bay Croquet Club, 1860 Twiggs Ferry Road, Hartfield, will sponsor an all-you-can-eat crab feast at 6 p.m. Saturday, September 16. The menu will include steamed blue crabs, country fried chicken, low country slow cooked pulled pork, baked beans, coleslaw, tossed salad and non-alcoholic beverages.
Tickets are $40 per person in advance and $50 at the door. Contact White for tickets, maceywhite@gmail.com.
Crab festival
The Steamboat Era Museum will host the 12th annual Irvington Crab Festival from 4-8 p.m. Saturday, September 16, at the Irvington Town Commons, 98 King Carter Drive, Irvington. The $75 admission includes all-you-can-eat steamed crabs, barbecue, hot dogs and soft drinks. Crabs will be served starting at 5 p.m. All other food and beverages will be available at 4 p.m. Beer and wine will be available for purchase for $5.
Tickets are nonrefundable and will not be sold at the door. Tickets may be purchased at SteamboatEraMuseum.org; at the museum, 156 King Carter Drive, Irvington; or 438-6888.
Wine & oysters
Stratford Hall, 483 Great House Road, Stratford, will host the annual Wine & Oyster Festival September 16 and 17. The festival will feature Virginia wineries, distilleries, oysters, food trucks, beer, artisan booths, music and car shows.
Early bird tasting tickets are $30 through September 14. Day of tickets will be $40. A non-tasting ticket is $20; ages 6-13, $10; and children younger than age 5, free. A two-day combo ticket is $50. Purchase early bird tickets at stratfordhall.org.
Potluck dinner
The Bluff Point Community League, 2595 Bluff Point Road, Kilmarnock, will hold a potluck dinner on Monday, September 18. Social time will begin at 6 p.m.; dinner will follow at 6:30 p.m. Bring a dish to share. All are welcome.
Tommy Tomlin will be the after-dinner speaker. He will talk about recognizing signs of stroke.
Native plants
The Northern Neck Chapter of the Virginia Native Plant Society (NNVNPS) will hold a Native Plant Sale September 16-23 at Dug In Farms, 155 Fleets Bay Road, White Stone.
From 9 a.m.-noon on both Saturdays, chapter members will answer questions and assist with picking the right plant for the right place. The chapter also will have the free 2022 third edition of “Native Plants of the Northern Neck” and other educational materials available for the public.
Garden club
The Kilmarnock Garden Club will meet at 1 p.m. Tuesday, September 19, at Kilmarnock Baptist Church, 65 East Church Street, Kilmarnock. Virginia Master Naturalist and Master Gardener Karen Williams will present “Creating Gardens for Monarchs.”
Williams maintains a Monarch Waystation Habitat at her home. She has been a lifelong outdoor enthusiast. Using the knowledge and tools from her classes, she created the habitat and raises monarchs for educational purposes.
Dolley Madison
The Historic Christ Church & Museum Readers group will continue its study and discussion of America’s First Ladies at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, September 19, in the Bayne Conference Room, Historic Christ Church, 420 Christ Church Road, Weems, and by Zoom. The discussion book will be A Perfect Union: Dolley Madison and the Creation of the American Nation, by Catherine Allgor.
To join the Readers discussion, register by e-mailing Debbie Byram at dbyram@christchurch1735.org. Put Readers in the subject line and include a phone number and preferred e-mail address. At this time, they plan to host this meeting in person in the Bayne conference room as well as via Zoom.
NPL trustees
The Northumberland Public Library board of trustees will hold their annual meeting at 5 p.m. Wednesday, September 20, at Northumberland Public Library, 7204 Northumberland Highway, Heathsville. Anyone interested in learning more about this organization is welcome.
Music on the Half Shell Stage
The Music on the Half Shell Stage concert series will continue from 7-9:30 p.m. September 22, at Town Centre Park, 150 North Main Street, Kilmarnock. Black Cat Murphy will cover rock and country hits.
Admission is by season pass or individual show tickets, $10 each. Tickets will be sold at kilmarnockva.ticketleap.com and at the door.
Jazz trio
Rappahannock Foundation for the Arts and The Lancaster Players will host the Jae Sinnett Trio at The Playhouse, 361 Chesapeake Drive, White Stone, on September 23.
Doors will open at 7 p.m., showtime is 7:30 p.m. The Playhouse offers bistro-style seating, with tables for four, six or eight. Tickets are $30 and there will be a cash bar. For tickets, call 438-5555.
RCA show
The Rappahannock Concert Association will present the Peter and Will Anderson Trio at 7:30 p.m. September 23 at the Northumberland County School Complex, 201 Academic Lane, Claraville. The program will feature Irving Berlin compositions.
Tickets are $25. To purchase tickets for this show or the six-concert season, go to rappahannockconcerts.org, or pay at the door. Students are free.
VWA crab feast
The Virginia Waterman’s Association (VWA) will hold an all-you-can-eat Crab Feast fundraiser from 3-6 p.m. September 23, at Buzzards Point Marina, 468 Buzzards Point Road, Reedville.
Tickets are $40. For tickets, call 540-907-9036 or 337-251-5821. Proceeds go to the VWA.
Master Gardeners
The Northern Neck Master Gardeners 2024 Extension Master Gardener training will be held Tuesday and Thursday mornings, February 13-April 11 at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Heathsville.
If interested in the training class, contact the Virginia Cooperative Extension Northumberland County Office, 580-5694. The fee is $180. Registration and payment are due by September 29.
Fall lecture
The Middlesex County Museum will host a fall fundraising event from 2-4 p.m. October 8 at Rosegill, 1824 Urbanna Road, Urbanna. The speaker will be Theodore McCord. He will address a December 29, 1741, wedding that brought together the Grymes and Page families.
Appetizers and a cash bar will be available. Tickets are $30 for members and $35 for nonmembers or at the door. Tickets may be purchased at middlesexmuseum.com, or the museum, 777 General Puller Highway, Saluda.
Corn maze
The Northern Neck Farm Museum, 12705 Northumberland Highway, Heathsville, will host a corn maze from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturdays and 1-4 p.m. Sundays through October 29, weather permitting.
The fee is $5 per person, $20 maximum per family; ages 3 and younger enter free. Closed-toe shoes are required.
Chicken dinners
Chicken dinners will be available from 5-6:30 p.m. on first Mondays at American Legion Post #117, 39 School Street, Reedville.
Meals include fried chicken, mashed potatoes, choice of vegetables, salad, roll, dessert and drink. Dinners are $12 for adults and $6 for children ages 12 and younger, at the door.
Fun & Games BBQ
Rice’s Hotel/Hughlett’s Tavern, 73 Monument Place, Heathsville will hold a “Fun & Games” BBQ fundraiser from 3-6 p.m. September 30. The menu will include pulled pork, chicken and sausage, potato salad, coleslaw, baked beans, appetizers, desserts and soft drinks. Beer and wine will be sold separately.
Games will include cornhole and badminton; Hard to Tell will provide the music. The fee is $35. Tickets are available at the Tavern Gift Shoppe from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays, or www.rhhtfoundationinc.org.
Rotary Club
The Northern Neck Rotary Club will meet at 7:30 a.m. September 27 at River Counties Community Foundation, 834 Rappahannock Drive, White Stone. The speaker will be Kathy Pittman of The Bookworms Inc.
Anyone is welcome to join them for breakfast and see what Rotary is all about. Respond by email, nnrotary@gmail.com.
State Fair
The 2023 State Fair of Virginia will be held September 22 through October 1 at The Meadow Event Park in Doswell. For a calendar of events, fees and tickets, visit StateFairVa.org.
Family reunion
Looking for relatives of the Rogers and Neal families from the Hacks Neck/Ophelia area, specifically related to Freddie Ray Rogers Sr. and Dorothy Neal Rogers.
A family reunion will be held from 1-5 p.m. September 30 in Ophelia. Contact Dottie Robertson Longest, 370-0603.
Fall festival
The Friends of Belle Isle State Park, in partnership with the Northern Neck Master Naturalists, will host a Fall Festival from 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. October 7 at Belle Isle State Park, 1632 Belle Isle Road, Lancaster.
There will be wagon rides, pumpkin carving ($3), games, prizes and s’mores.
Chorale season
Chesapeake Chorale rehearsals for 2023 Christmas concerts will be held from 7-9 p.m. on Mondays through mid-November at Grace Episcopal Church, 303 South Main Street, Kilmarnock.