Apartment Showcase Blog

Wooden it be nice: The Chainsaw Chix, an international group of skilled carvers, will be on hand to create some buzz at the Manassas Jubilee. (OCVA via Flickr)

Wanna sing, wanna dance, wanna revel? What about jubilee?

Not sure if one can jubilee, exactly, but if one can, you can bet one will at the 29th Annual Manassas Fall Jubilee. This year’s jubilee will take place October 1 from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and will feature a bunch of fun stuff for the whole family.

This is a free event held rain or shine. The main attraction of the Manassas Fall Jubilee is the collection of artisans and crafters who will be hawking their wares. More than 100 vendors will be on hand to exhibit the fruits of their labor: jewelry, photography, woodcrafts, children’s clothing and other goodies. Here is a full list of participants and a map of the shindig.

[ Related: Celebrate the Good Olde Days at the Maryland Renaissance Festival ]

Some community exhibits will be raffling off prizes. Win one of those, and we’ll see who’ll be singing and dancing! There will be food at the jubilee, as well.

The tots will have a ball in the Kid’s Neighborhood, sponsored by Northwest Federal Credit Union. There they’ll be entertained with music, face-painting, games and prizes. Among those performing on the Kid Stage will be the Happy Feet Cloggers, Showcase Dance Studio and the Ronin Fencing Foundation, which will put on a fencing demonstration.

Best of all, kids get to decorate their own pumpkin at the Wegmans Pumpkin Patch.

Not to be outdone, the grownups will be entertained on the Main Stage by the likes of Southern rock/country-tinged Everwilde, the acoustic stylings of No Charge and the male/female-fronted cover band The Rockersons. Check out their cover of Fountains of Wayne’s “Stacey’s Mom.” There will also be a Dance Area where troupes will perform.

[ Related: Manassas Gives Residents a Home Rich in History ]

In what may be the most unique attraction at the jubilee, the Chainsaw Chix will be on hand to sculpt a masterpiece. The women’s division of the Masters of the Chainsaw, these girls really can create a work of art.

Come on down to historic Old Town Manassas, where you can dance, sing and – dare I say it – jubilee all you want. A great place to rent an apartment, Manassas gives you that small-town feel only 30 miles southwest of the nation’s capital.

Blast from the past: Three Civil War cannons line the battlefield at Bull Run in Manassas, Va.

While Manassas is known for Manassas National Battlefield Park, where two Civil War battles took place, many might be surprised to know that the city has quite an elaborate museum system. And, it’s actually called that: the Manassas Museum System.

At the system’s heart is The Manassas Museum, a 7,000 square-foot building sitting on eight acres of land. Since its opening in 1991, the museum has housed permanent and temporary historical exhibits that include artifacts, documents, videos and images.

The newest exhibit at the museum running until Jan. 31, 2011, is the Civil War Espionage Exhibit. While there, you may want to visit Echoes, the Manassas Museum Store, where you can pick up books, jewelry, Civil War collectibles, children’s toys and T-shirts. The museum is open Tuesday through Sunday, from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Admission is as follows: adults $5, seniors and children $4, kids under six free.

In all, the Manassas Museum System is a collection of eight buildings/structures, some of which date to the beginning of the Civil War. The renter who’s interested can also take a walking and driving tour of the city’s Civil War sites.

On the run: Visit the Freedom Center's cardio studio for a solo workout, or reserve a spot in one of 160 weekly group fitness classes.

Something lean, mean, firm and sweaty is metamorphosing in Manassas, Va. And, no, get your mind off my behind! I’m talking about you.

If you rent an apartment in Manassas, you’re just gonna have to take advantage of the new Freedom Aquatic & Fitness Center. ‘Cause if you don’t, I’m sending you after you. Or, at least the new, buff you after you’ve gone a few rounds with the Freedom Center.

“OK, enough with the smack talk,” I hear you saying. “Just gimme the goods.”

Located on the Prince William campus of George Mason University, the Freedom Aquatic & Fitness Center is the result of a joint partnership between the school, Prince William County and the City of Manassas. It’s 110,000 square-feet of athletic fun, featuring two pools, a whirlpool, a full gymnasium, racquetball courts, cardio, aerobic and strength studios (Fancy schmancy: “Hey honey, I’m going down to the strength studio at the Freedom Center tonight for a brisk workout after dinner. You wanna come along?”), plus a full range of adult and youth programming.

And, yes, New Agers and the trendy chic will be pleased to know that yoga and Pilates classes are offered, as well. And, for what it’s worth, trendy (yet, decidedly non-spiritual) spin classes will be offered here, too. The fees appear to be darn low, as well.

Those with a hankering for the arts aren’t left out either, as the center offers dance, cooking, language, art and other educational programs. They even have masseuses on staff.

The point is, if you move to Manassas, the Freedom Aquatic & Fitness Center should be high on your list of things to do.

Still standing: The Civil War-era Henry House and adjacent cemetery can still be found at Manassas National Battlefield Park, where some 900,000 history buffs visited last year.

My introduction to Prince William County’s Manassas happened under odd circumstances.

I was interviewing Paul Ebert, Commonwealth’s Attorney for Prince William County, who had presided over the trials for both D.C. sniper John Allen Muhammad and Lorena Bobbitt. The man was somber, serious; a big, grandfatherly Southern gentleman with hands like Virginia hams and who made you feel like a little kid. Driving – and walking – in the city, this place had a small-town feeling (well, it did back in 2003). And if raw numbers tell the story, it still does.

While the county around it has seen its population soar in the past decade, the number of residents in the City of Manassas has stayed about the same. As of July 1, 2009, Manassas’ population was 36,514. And if you’re looking for an apartment in Manassas, you’ll find this independent city has a lot to offer.

Located 30 miles southwest of the nation’s capital, Manassas has its own stop on the Virginia Railway Express. In fact, a whole line is named after it. So while commuting by car to nearby Fairfax County or Washington, D.C., is an option, rail is your smartest bet.

The Old Town Manassas district offers many attractions, including the Manassas Museum and a Confederate Cemetery that dates back to 1867. Civil War buffs will want to visit Manassas National Battlefield Park, the site of not one but two battles between the North and the South. The second battle, a victory for the South, was a high point of the war for the Confederacy.

These days, Manassas boasts fewer musket battles and much more fun. And for a small city, there are a plethora of things to do. There’s the Hylton Performing Arts Center, an 85,000-square-foot facility where you can catch a variety of performing and visual artists. The Center also hosts the George Mason University Potomac Arts Academy, an arts instruction program for all ages. There are a number of small, quaint shops in Old Town, but if you’ve got bigger fish to fry, try hitting the Manassas Mall, which features Macy’s, Target and Sears. And for some real fish, head to Giant Food, Super Q Mart or Shoppers Food & Pharmacy – all of which are local.

Manassas hosts a number of community events including movies, music and dances at The Harris Pavilion. The city has 11 parks (including a free-to-use skate park) and a farmers’ market that occurs every Thursday from 7 a.m.-1 p.m., from April 29 to Nov. 4. If you’re searching for a city with a small-town feel and lots to do, Manassas is among the best choices in the metro region.