Author: operations@endocollab.com

Williamsburg Planning Commission approved a special use permit Wednesday for Slick City Action Park to open an indoor slide park at the former Yankee Candle Village building on Richmond Road. The building owner, Uptown Alley, changed plans from a bowling and entertainment venue due to high modification costs. The indoor slide park concept fits the building’s high ceilings and is expected to attract tourists and fill the 64,000-square-foot vacant property. The permit approval is conditional on Architectural Review Board approval before the City Council makes a final decision.

THE ABBA TRIBUTE SHOW OPENS IN WILLIAMSBURG

The Concert: A Tribute to ABBA opens tonight at Williamsburg Live.
The show takes place on the lawn of the Colonial Williamsburg Art Museum.
Lead singer Matilda Lindell shared insights about the long-running tribute group.
The tribute started over 25 years ago with the aim of bringing ABBA’s music and original members to America.
Original ABBA bassist Mike Watson still performs with the group on U.S. concerts.
The Swedish performers take pride in honoring ABBA’s culture and music.
The show features iconic hits and sequin costumes.
Performers strive for accuracy while adding their own personality and flare.
Matilda Lindell’s favorite songs to perform include “The Winner Takes it All” and “Dancing Queen”.
The show aims to bring joy and connect audiences across generations through ABBA’s music and style.
The concert begins tonight at 7:30 p.m.
Tickets are available through the Virginia Arts Festival website.

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The Concert: A Tribute to ABBA Opens Williamsburg Live Tonight

WILLIAMSBURG WHISKEY AND WINE WEEKEND SET FOR JUNE

The Williamsburg Whiskey and Wine Weekend is scheduled for June 27-29.
The event features whiskey and wine-themed programming across the City of Williamsburg.
It aims to highlight local restaurants and businesses.
Activities include tastings, cocktail classes, distillery celebrations, comedy, and film screenings.
Events are hosted at a dozen different locations.
Some events are ticketed or require reservations, while others are free.
A digital pass allows guests to earn a commemorative glass by checking in to participating spots.
The weekend is sponsored by the City of Williamsburg and produced by AVAdventure Productions.

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Williamsburg Whiskey and Wine Weekend to Take Place June 27-29

An online survey for the travel blog Frugal Flyer ranked York River State Park’s Fossil Beach No. 24 and Virginia Beach’s Sandbridge Beach No. 17 among the nation’s top secret beaches. Travelers responding to the survey sought under-the-radar coastal escapes with easy parking and good views. Fossil Beach in York County is noted for fossils found after a hike through the state park. Sandbridge Beach in Virginia Beach is a relaxed, residential area bordering the Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge. Outer Banks’ Carova Beach ranked No. 14 and Assateague Island ranked No. 38 on the list of 95 beaches.

Grove Christian Outreach Center needs 8 to 12 daily volunteers for its Summer Lunch Program providing meals to over 120 school children in the Grove community from June 23 through August 11. Volunteers are needed soon to help prepare, organize, hand out, and deliver meals. Families have until Friday to sign up for the lunch program. The center will hold a drive-thru food drive on July 24 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 1303 Jamestown Road in coordination with Williamsburg Habitat for Humanity ReStore. For more information, to volunteer, or to sign up, visit groveoutreach.com or call 757-877-1100.

A historic site in western James City County, Doncastle’s Ordinary, is returning to prominence ahead of the 250th anniversary of a 1775 Revolutionary event. Only underground foundations remain of the ordinary, a tavern that played a key role after British Governor Dunmore stole gunpowder from Williamsburg in April 1775. Located near Route 30, the ordinary was a rendezvous point for Patrick Henry’s militia in May 1775 who sought the powder’s return or compensation. Henry accepted payment for the gunpowder and signed a receipt at Doncastle’s Ordinary on May 4, 1775. Historian Martha W. McCartney advocates for the site’s preservation and National Register listing, citing its Revolutionary War activities and intact archaeological features. McCartney expressed concern that the property, which includes the ordinary site, has been for sale and could face development. Later known as Byrd’s Tavern, the location was mentioned in accounts of armies marching during the 1781 Yorktown campaign. The tavern building burned before 1863, and its foundations were located in 1938.

The Williamsburg Live festival takes place this weekend at the Lawn of the Art Museums of Colonial Williamsburg. The lineup includes The Concert: A Tribute to ABBA on Friday, The Band Perry with Celeste Kellogg on Saturday, and The Beach Boys on Sunday. The Beach Boys are returning after requesting to perform again due to a positive past experience. The festival features diverse musicians annually presented by the Virginia Arts Festival.

CELESTE KELLOGG, HAMPTON ROADS MUSICIAN

Hampton Roads musician Celeste Kellogg is featured in the “Tunes in Town” series.
She began singing in her church choir at a young age.
At 12, she was chosen to open for Radio Disney acts like Raven-Symoné.
She started writing her own songs after attending sessions in Nashville.
Her 2016 song “Country Swagger” reflects her Hampton Roads upbringing.
The music video for “Country Swagger” was filmed on the Battleship Wisconsin.
Kellogg will open for The Band Perry at Williamsburg Live on June 21.
She admires The Band Perry and feels their musical styles align.
She is excited to perform in Williamsburg and see local fans.
A full album from Kellogg is planned for release in early 2026.

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Tunes in Town: Celeste Kellogg

ARCHAEOLOGISTS DISCOVER NEAR-COMPLETE BRAY SCHOOL FOUNDATION

Archaeologists uncovered the near-complete 18th-century foundation of the Williamsburg Bray School beneath William & Mary’s Robert M. Gates Hall.
The Bray School was an early institution for educating enslaved and free Black children, operating on the site from 1760 to 1765.
Researchers also discovered a previously unknown cellar containing centuries of artifacts.
Discoveries include pottery, jewelry, slate pencil fragments, and other items from various time periods.
The findings provide new insights into the school, its students, and the site’s history.
Artifacts will be studied further and incorporated into future exhibits at Gates Hall and Colonial Williamsburg.
The discovery is seen as crucial for understanding the history of Black education and the early republic.

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Near-Complete 18th-Century Foundation of Williamsburg Bray School Discovered at William & Mary

FOURTH ANNUAL JOURNEY TO RACIAL HEALING EVENT

Williamsburg will host its 4th annual Journey to Racial Healing event on June 21.
The event features two speakers, one Black and one white, discussing their ties to slavery.
Speaker Charles Holman, a lawyer and genealogist, discovered his ancestors were enslaved by the ancestors of former Presidents Bush.
Holman has a distinguished legal career, including civil rights work.
Speaker Bill Sizemore, a retired journalist, found his ancestors enslaved people and has connected with descendants.
The event, sponsored by the Virginia Racial Healing Institute and others, is free but requires registration.
It includes refreshments and a Juneteenth art exhibit.

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Journey to Racial Healing: Speaker’s Ancestors Were Enslaved by Those of Two Ex-Presidents