Summer travel is still popular, but high costs are increasing the appeal of local outings, day trips and staycations to Virginia families.
Travel trends nationwide suggest more people are staying close to home this year due to higher oil and gas prices. Some 71 percent of Americans plan road trips for summer vacations, according to Hilton’s 2026 Trends Report. Another study, by Bank of America, found consumers are responding to higher gas prices by taking fewer trips, reducing travel budgets, cutting back on accommodations, or choosing destinations closer to home.
We’ve rounded up 10 events that are worth staying home for in Virginia.
The Dinner Detective True Crime Murder Mystery Dinner Show - Alexandria: Saturday, June 20, 6 p.m., Sheraton Suites Old Town Alexandria, 801 North St Asaph St., Alexandria
Dads Day at Dominion Saturday Night NASCAR Racing: Saturday, June 20, 5 p.m., Dominion Raceway & Entertainment, 6501 Dominion Raceway Ave, Woodford
6th Annual Manassas Bee Festival: Saturday, June 20, 9 a.m., Liberia House Historic Site, 8601 Portner Ave., Manassas
Friends Gather Here: A Legacy of Two Communities at Woodlawn: Saturday, June 27, 10 a.m. Woodlawn & Frank Lloyd Wright’s Pope-Leighey House, 9000 Richmond Highway, Alexandria
Projecting History: 1776 at Ballston’s Regal Theater: Tuesday, June 30, 7 p.m., Regal Ballston Quarter, 671 North Glebe Road, Arlington
60th Annual Independence Day Fireworks Celebration: Saturday, July 4, 6:30 p.m., 3501 Lion Run in Fairfax City.
Purcellville Wine and Food Festival: Saturday, July 16, 2 p.m., Fireman's Field Complex, 250 South Nursery Ave., Purcellville, VA, 20132
Join the DMV Boat Owners Association Golden Hour Series: Harbor Heat: Saturday, July 25, 4 p.m., Belmont Bay Harbor Marina, 570 Harbor Side St., Woodbridge
KIDZ BOP LIVE Birthday Concert Event: Friday, July 31, 7 p.m., Filene Center at Wolf Trap, 1551 Trap Road, Vienna.
Brooke Point High Dance & Football Team's Back To School Bash & Craft Fair: Saturday, Aug. 22, 10 a.m., Brooke Point High School, 1700 Courthouse Road, Stafford
Are you planning an event this spring or summer? Feature it so nearby readers see it all across Patch — including in roundups like this!
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