Advance Tuesday Morning News
It's April 14, 2026. Today, demand up at food bank, I95 backups this week, a Safari Migration, Spotsylvania BOS preview, and Hailey Zeller on the UMW Multicultural Fair.
Inflation, Federal Program Cuts Driving Demand at Local Food Banks and Pantries
By Adele Uphaus
A budget amendment being considered in the Virginia General Assembly would help get more fresh produce from local farms into the network.
Read the full article
Big I-95 Project Moving Along
By Hank Silverberg
Expect major delays overnight on I95 near Exit 126.
Read the Full Article
MEETING PREVIEW: Spotsylvania County Board of Supervisors
By Martin Davis
Read the preview
Essay: UMW Multicultural Fair Brings Community Together in Annual Celebration
By Hailey Zeller
Fair is a place where all cultures are recognized as part of the community.
Read the full story
This article is published under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND. It can be distributed for noncommercial purposes and must include the following: “Published with permission by FXBG Advance.”
I want to thank the University of Mary Washington, the James Farmer Multicultural Center, and the many student groups and community partners who make the Multicultural Fair happen year after year. It is one of the few events in our region that truly brings together so many different cultures, families, and neighbors in one welcoming space.
Fredericksburg and the surrounding counties have been shaped by immigrants and their descendants from the city’s colonial beginnings right up to today. We are, in reality, a nation of immigrants, including Native peoples who migrated to this continent long before anyone else arrived. A fair like this helps us see that long story more clearly and recognize how many communities have contributed—and are still contributing—to the life of our region.
Looking ahead, I hope the City of Fredericksburg will look to UMW’s Multicultural Fair as a model to build on. One exciting possibility would be a joint effort in which the fair continues on campus during the day, then extends into downtown in the evening. That kind of partnership would allow the university to keep its strong campus program, while also creating a downtown celebration that increases foot traffic and business for local shops and restaurants, and showcases the diversity of the people who call this region home.