Celebrate the season at Historic Christ Church with traditional songs, carols, and music. Join in this seasonal songfest in the beautifully “greened” church. Featuring members of The Chesapeake Chorale and the Christchurch School Cantorion. Dress warmly. Refreshments follow. Admission: two non-perishable items for Healthy Harvest Food Bank.

28th Annual Distinctive Bazaar of the Northern Neck

@Irvington Methodist Church
26 King Carter Drive

Annual Event- Irvington United Methodist Church will hold its annual Distinctive
Bazaar on Saturday October 4th . The bazaar coincides with the Irvington Farmers Market.
Doors open at 9:00 a.m. and close at 1:00 p.m.

The other dates are November 1 and December 6 . The bazaar is our one fund raiser for
the year. We support The Link, Kilmarnock Food Bank, and our Scholarship Fund.
There are several ways in which you can help us with this mission outreach. [1] a Monetary
Donation at the door; [2] a non-perishable food item for the food bank box; [3] purchase
some items from the bakery and/or the gift section.

Baked Goods – cakes, pies, cookies, brownies, pickles, strawberry jam, jelly, and
other baked items. All of the items are made from scratch.
Gift Shop--oyster shell art pieces, hostess gifts, gift baskets, lighted theme trees,
children’s books with an animal, holiday wreaths, nautical items, watch trees, jewelry
trees, cat tree, dog tree, two new sections have been added to the gift tables: a whimsical
section and a red bird section.
The gift shop items are crafted all year long by Mary Margaret and Audrey. Each tree and
wreath has a theme. The hostess items are extremely popular and sell out fast. Oyster
shell art pieces are a popular item. We have added a whimsical section with the addition
of our Wild Woman art piece. Come early to get the best selection.
Mary Margaret is showing some of her creations.

REEDVILLE – “A Tribute to Service and Sacrifice,” a veterans exhibit at the Reedville Fishermen’s Museum this month, is a stroll through the mementos of heroes -- some gone, some still walking unsung among us today.

The starting point for the exhibit is the museum lobby in the Covington Building. A few steps away, the Walker House is filled with additional photos, documents, uniforms, swords, helmets, dog tags, books and more.

As a token of appreciation, admission is free to veterans this month. Admission is always free for active-duty military.

“As a mother of an active duty Marine, I certainly appreciate the service of all men and women who have protected our liberty and freedom through the years,” said Shauna McCranie, executive director of the museum. “We are happy to honor them and thank them with this special exhibit.”

Veterans honored in the museum lobby include Tracy Friday (now Ciuffo), her husband Bryan Ciuffo, and the late Iona “Onie” Bliss Robertson.

T. Ciuffo served in the Army, active and inactive ready reserve, 1982-88. She was selected for the White House Communications Agency, which provided communications support for the president stateside and during overseas travel. She served President Ronald Reagan and Vice President George H.W. Bush.

Her collection includes uniforms, cocktail napkins from Air Force 1 and Air Force 2, a Camp David commemorative plate, and business cards from places she traveled with the president.

B. Ciuffo served in the Army, active and inactive ready reserve, 1985-89. He was a track vehicle mechanic with an additional qualifier as a track vehicle recovery specialist. Two jackets are on display.

Robertson was an Army nurse who served overseas in World War II. Her jacket and cape and a collection of photographs are on display. The collection is on loan from her niece, Dottie Robertson Longest.

Just a few of the 20-plus displays in the Walker House: Air Force Col. (ret.) Frank DiGiovanni’s Desert Storm flight suit, helmet, gloves and F-15 check list and a Coast Guard uniform with a “Dixie Cup” hat from Wray Dudley.

B-17 pilot Capt. George Bill’s World War II European Theater memorabilia is also on display. It includes a letter sent to his parents in St. Louis, Mo., with the news that he had returned to Italy safely after being missing in action for 28 days. His memorabilia is on loan from his daughter, Wylia Holbrooks.

Exhibit co-organizer Gayle Sterrett loaned photos of her father, the late Wendell G. Haynie, who was in the Army 1952-54 during the Korean War era, and her father-in-law, the late Clyde Sterrett Jr., who served in the Army 1943-45 in the European Theater.

“We would like to thank all of the community members that lent items for our veterans exhibit … We really appreciate their willingness to share their history with visitors to the museum,” said Sterrett.

A small oak desk holds a vignette of memorabilia from the late Jack Stem, father of exhibit co-organizer LeeAnn Scanlon.

In one photo, Stem, at an Army base in Florida during World War II, is writing a letter to his sweetie, Betty Brewen, at home in Pennsylvania. The photo shows a portrait of her on his desk as he writes. That same portrait of her is on the desk at the museum. (Scanlon said he later proposed to Brewen in a letter from overseas and sent money to her mother to buy an engagement ring. She said yes.)

Scanlon, whose daughter is an active Army JAG officer, also researched and decorated what is known in the military as a “missing man table,” retitled the “missing hero table” in this instance. Each item on the table represents a specific symbol of their sacrifices.

“This exhibit is dedicated to all veterans for their many sacrifices and commitments to serve our country,” said Scanlon. “Their service has protected our safety and freedoms. No thank you is big enough!”

The museum is at 504 Main St., Reedville. “Service and Sacrifice” will be on display through November during regular museum hours, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays, except closed Nov. 14, 15 and 27.

Admission this month, which includes entrance to all museum exhibits, is $10 for adults,
$5 for seniors 65 and above, and free for children 17 and under, active military members and veterans.

For information, call 804-453-6529 or e-mail office@rfmuseum.org.

Cost is $120 a person. Limiting to 10 passengers so contact to reserve your spot.

 GO TO RAPPAHANNOCKFOUNDATION.ORG OR CALL804-438-5555. TICKETS: PRESALE $45/AT THE DOOR $50.SHOWS ARE AT 7:30 PM AT THE LANCASTER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL,191 SCHOOL STREET, KILMARNOCK.

George Washington Birthplace National Monument invites you to experience the warmth and wonder of colonial life during the holiday season with “Welcoming Winter: Rekindling Colonial Traditions” on Saturday, December 20, the day before the winter solstice. This festive event offers a full day of demonstrations to mark the beginning of winter.
From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., the Memorial Area will be alive with activity. Blacksmiths from Black Horse Forge will fire up the blacksmith shop to demonstrate their craftmanship. In the Colonial Revival Kitchen, volunteers will prepare seasonal recipes over an open hearth, filling the air with comforting aromas of the past. Visitors can also enjoy the intricate quiltwork of the park’s Artist-in-Residence, Rita Verroca, along with demonstrations by other local textile artisans.
Adding a touch of holiday fun, the Annual Holiday Ornament Hunt invites guests to search the Memorial Area for hidden ornaments that reveal clues to a Christmas-themed riddle. Those who solve the riddle can return to the Visitor Center to receive a special seasonal gift. Please note that gifts are limited to one per group and are available only while supplies last.
In the event of inclement weather, programming may be altered or canceled.
George Washington Birthplace National Monument is located at 1732 Popes Creek Road, Colonial Beach VA. For more information about George Washington Birthplace National Monument, please visit the park’s website (nps.gov/gewa), Instagram page (GeorgeWashingtonBirthplaceNM) or Facebook page (GeorgeWashingtonBirthplaceNPS).