Hey, y’all. It’s Amie.

It was easily one of the most magical nights of my whole life. Last weekend, my husband, son, and I rode the Polar Express for the very first time. We chose the stay-and-play package through the North Carolina Transportation Museum (which, coincidentally, houses a steam locomotive that my husband’s great-grandfather operated) and thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

From boarding the Christmas-themed train to drinking hot chocolate and exploring the North Pole, I can’t even think about how wonderful it was from start to finish without absolutely tearing up. We all decided that very night that we’d make this a brand new tradition—and we can’t wait to go back next year. If you’re seeking some family fun, this edition is especially for you. I’m so glad you’re here.

Horses pulling a carriage down the street at Winchester Winter Village. (Winchester-Frederick County Convention & Visitors Bureau)

By Britteny Dee

Here’s what you need to know: From dazzling light displays and festive parades to horse-drawn carriage rides and holiday treats, there is seasonal fun for the whole family at Virginia’s best winter festivals. 

Our top picks:

• Meadowlark Botanical Gardens gets a holiday glow-up for Winter Walk of Lights, which runs from early November through early January. Stroll along a half-mile trail through the gardens to see trees covered with festive lights and other illuminated displays depicting wintery and holiday themes.

• The Winter Lantern Festival in Williamsburg combines art, tradition, and technology for a truly magical holiday event. The festival features handcrafted Chinese lanterns illuminated with glowing lights. Some designs depict Chinese legends and figures, while others celebrate nature or winter characters like snowmen and yetis.

• Christmas Town returns to Busch Gardens for another merry and bright holiday season. For the festival, the theme park is decorated with more than 10 million lights, making it one of the biggest light displays in North America.

Pack your bags! It’s time to explore Virginia during the state’s most festive season.

The project could have long-term benefits for Virginia residents by eventually making clean energy technologies cheaper and easier to produce domestically. (MNBB Studio/Shutterstock)

By Jessica F. Simmons

In a rural corner of Sussex County, the Stony Creek community may soon play a larger role in America’s clean energy future, which state officials said could bring new job growth and investment.

The Virginia Clean Energy Innovation Bank (VCEIB) recently announced that it will invest $481,000 to support planning for a potential rare-earth mineral processing facility in Stony Creek. The funding will support a feasibility study and engineering plans for a proposed monazite processing plant. Monazite contains rare-earth elements that are used in electric vehicle (EV) motors, wind turbines, electronics, and defense technology.

VCEIB officials said the funds have already been approved for Atlantic Strategic Minerals (ASM), the company leading the project, to use. In a statement to Dogwood, ASM Executive Director Craig Hairfield said the feasibility study is “now underway and is scheduled to be completed in the first half of 2026.”

State officials said the project could help reduce the country’s dependence on China, which currently processes about 90% of the world’s rare-earth elements. The project could have long-term benefits for Virginia residents by eventually making clean energy technologies—including EV motors and wind turbine components—cheaper and easier to produce domestically, and may lower costs for consumers, according to Virginia Department of Energy Director Glenn Davis.

Rapper 2 Chainz briefly attended college in Virginia before transferring elsewhere to finish his degree. (Jordan Strauss/AP)

By Dorothy Scott

Whether you know 2 Chainz for his original songs or his masterful features, you undoubtedly know the “It’s a Vibe” rapper. And if you went to Virginia State University, you can proudly say that you went to the same school as him. 

That said, he didn’t actually graduate from VSU. Rather, he was initially enrolled at Alabama State University, but later found himself at VSU before returning to ASU to round out his program. 

“I got into some trouble, went somewhere else, and came back,” he explained to The Daily Beast in March 2016, though he didn’t elaborate on what said “trouble” entailed. Still, he did add, “But I graduated, and that’s that. That was then.”

One thing that folks who only know his music might be shocked to hear is that 2 Chainz, then known by his birth name, Tauheed Epps, actually played sports in college. The “No Lie” performer was a great basketball player, with folks who worked with him in his youth likening him to Lamar Odom (via ESPN).

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