This Week at a Glance
Federal money is finally headed toward the platform cracks and missing handrails that have made Staunton’s Amtrak station feel more like a relic than a gateway. Downtown gets its own kind of makeover this Saturday, when SummerFest ‘26 turns East Beverley Street into a twelve-hour party built around kids, pets, and a block-party finale. Out in the Valley, wildlife officials want residents to stop treating bear sightings as alarming and start treating them as routine, and the spotted lanternfly has officially outrun every effort to contain it.
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Lead Stories
Staunton’s Amtrak Station Is Getting a $15.6 Million Overhaul
The platform at Staunton’s Amtrak station is about to get considerably safer for the people who use it. WVIR reported this week that nearly $15.6 million in federal funding will flow toward accessibility and repair work at the station, including a smoothed platform surface and tactile edge strips designed to help visually impaired travelers find the boundary of the platform safely. Karina Romero, a spokesperson for the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority, told the station the changes address details that carry outsized weight for the people who depend on them: travelers using wheelchairs or walkers need a flat, even surface, and edge detection matters for anyone who can’t see where the platform stops.
The money comes through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal-State Partnership for Intercity Passenger Rail Grant Program, part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Senators Tim Kaine and Mark Warner announced the award alongside a separate $2 million grant for railroad crossing improvements in Chesterfield County, framing both as investments in keeping Virginians connected to jobs and family. The Staunton funding specifically covers platform and canopy repairs along with new accessible routes, handrails, and curb ramps.
Not everyone is convinced the math adds up cleanly against other local priorities. Augusta Free Press editor Chris Graham noted that the city is spending less than a third of the federal Amtrak allocation on its own long-troubled Wharf area storm sewer. The two funding streams have nothing to do with each other, but the gap still stands out. Construction timelines for the Amtrak work haven’t been finalized yet.
SummerFest ‘26 Turns Downtown Into One Long Saturday
Downtown Staunton hands over East Beverley Street for a full twelve hours on August 22, when SummerFest ‘26 unofficially rebrands the block “Showoff Staunton” and dares the whole city to show up.
The day opens at 10 a.m. with Staunton City Schools’ Kindness Matters Kickoff Carnival, a back-to-school event built around the district’s character education program rather than a typical vendor fair. From there the schedule loosens into something closer to a block party than a festival with a fixed program. Downtown Staunton Development Association is running a pet contest with an unusually specific prize on the line: the winning animal becomes the first-ever Pet Grand Marshal of the city’s Christmas Parade, a title that did not exist until this year and now apparently does.
Afternoon belongs to live music, with sets organized through Queen City Music Studios and a performance from the Mary Baldwin University Marching Band, a rare midsummer appearance for a group that mostly saves its energy for football season. Evening shifts the whole event over to Barrister’s Row, where the Downtown Staunton Development Association is running a block party from 6 to 10 p.m. with Heard & Friends and the Staunton Augusta Art Center. DJs Melody Mundaca, Transgender Basketball Player, and Soul Conductor split time on the decks, with dancing, art projections, and a style photographer on hand for anyone looking for a fashion moment. Local beer, wine, and cider round it out. The evening portion is free and open to the public.
Nothing about SummerFest ‘26 requires a ticket or a plan. Bring the dog if you want a shot at Christmas Parade royalty. Bring dancing shoes for the second half.
The Bears Are Coming Down Off the Mountain, and Wildlife Officials Want Everyone Calm About It
A bear in the yard used to be a story that lasted years. Now it barely survives one group chat. Virginia’s black bear population sits somewhere between 17,000 and 20,000, and state wildlife officials say the animals now turn up in 92 of Virginia’s 98 counties and cities. Young males do most of the wandering, especially in late spring, when they strike out looking for territory of their own. There’s also mange; a mite-driven skin disease confirmed in 37 counties statewide. Most bears fight it off on their own. The rest of the story covers what to do if one shows up, and what not to do.
The Spotted Lanternfly Quarantine Is Gone, and the Bug Won
Virginia gave up on its spotted lanternfly quarantine in March 2025. Seven years of inspection mandates and squash-on-sight campaigns weren’t enough to stop an insect that reached Winchester in 2018 and now covers the entire Shenandoah Valley. The bug drains sap straight from tree bark, and grapes rank second on its list of favorite meals, a genuine problem as Valley vineyard acreage keeps growing. VDACS still wants egg masses scraped off and destroyed, nymphs squashed, vehicles checked before any drive out of the region.
Quick Hits
Byers Street may reopen early. The first phase of Staunton’s downtown tunnel repair project has run ahead of schedule most of the summer, and city engineer Lyle Hartt told WHSV that the original early-September reopening target for Byers Street had shifted to mid-August. Work on the New Street tunnel section is running concurrently. West Johnson Street remains the last phase, not expected until 2027.
The Beverley Street debate isn’t finished. Survey results from June’s downtown lane-reduction demonstration project drew more pushback than city staff expected. An update is anticipated at the August 27 city council meeting, ahead of permanent intersection upgrades funded through a $2.18 million VDOT safety grant.
Three Staunton bartenders, one statewide bragging right. Breannah Carr of Maude & the Bear has already secured a spot in the Virginia Cocktail Games live finals on September 12 in Richmond. Meghan Kramer and Karen Baxter of Blu Point Seafood Co. competed for the sixth and final finalist slot through public voting, which closed August 11. A winner should be announced soon.
Staunton Music Festival hits its final stretch. The 28th season of the Staunton Music Festival continues through August 23, with venues rotating between Blackfriars Playhouse, Trinity Episcopal, and Silver Line Theatre. The festival closes with a concert performance of Mozart’s Don Giovanni.
I-81 construction keeps clocking overnight closures. Northbound I-81 near Staunton has seen a string of overnight shutdowns tied to the $101 million widening project between exits 221 and 225, with all three northbound lanes still expected open by late fall and full completion in summer 2027.
Out & About
Friday, August 21 through Sunday, August 23 Staunton Music Festival closes out its 28th season with concerts rotating between Blackfriars Playhouse, Trinity Episcopal, and Silver Line Theatre. Full schedule at stauntonmusicfestival.org.
Saturday, August 22 SummerFest ‘26: Showoff Staunton takes over East Beverley Street, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Kindness Matters Kickoff Carnival opens the morning, live music fills the afternoon, and a free Barrister’s Row Block Party with DJs, art, and local drink closes the night from 6 to 10 p.m.
Sunday, August 23 Staunton Music Festival concludes with a concert performance of Mozart’s Don Giovanni.
River Watch
Recent flow has been unremarkable for late August, but conditions can shift quickly after a thunderstorm pushes through the Valley. Check the live USGS dashboard before planning anything on or near the water this weekend.
The Sneeze Index
Pollen counts are running moderate for late August, dominated by ragweed and mold spores as the growing season turns toward fall allergens. Air quality has held in the good-to-moderate range across the Valley recently, though wildfire smoke drifting in from other regions has occasionally nudged readings higher on short notice. Check IQAir’s live Staunton monitor the morning you head out, especially if you’re sensitive to particulates.
The Weekly Pump
Gas prices have been sliding for over a week. The statewide average for regular sat at $3.79 a gallon as of Wednesday, August 12, according to AAA data reported by WSLS, down from $3.94 at the start of the month. Premium averaged $4.68, diesel $5.38. Prices have eased as oil settles into the $70-per-barrel range and typical late-summer demand tapers off. Check GasBuddy the morning you fill up, since the figures above are a snapshot from over a week ago, not necessarily today’s price.
Real Estate Watch
The read on Staunton’s housing market depends heavily on which source and which month you check, and the picture right now is genuinely mixed. Zillow’s most recent data has the average Staunton home value up 4.5% year-over-year with homes going pending in around six days, which points toward a tight, seller-favorable market. Redfin’s city-level data from late last year told a different story: median sale price down compared to the year before, with homes sitting on the market roughly three times longer than the previous year.
None of that adds up to a single clean verdict, and a citywide snapshot from any one source won’t tell you what’s happening on your particular block. Virginia REALTORS’ statewide monthly report typically publishes between the 18th and 23rd of the month, so a fresh statewide read should be available soon. For current local listings, Redfin’s Staunton market page updates continuously.
As always, these figures are directional and sometimes contradictory between sources. If you’re buying or selling in Staunton specifically, talk to a local agent with MLS access. The market moves block by block in a city this size, and no citywide number will tell you much about your street.
If you are a realtor and would like to help contribute information to this section, please send me a note. I’d love to hear your ideas on how to make this more useful to our readers.
Who’s Hiring
Sales & Marketing Manager, City of Staunton. The city is looking for someone to help tell Staunton’s story to the world, developing and leading marketing and sales strategy for the city’s tourism and economic development efforts. Listed on Indeed.
Economic Mobility & Opportunity Special Assistant, City of Staunton. A role focused on weaving economic mobility goals into city planning and budgeting. Criminal background check required. Also listed on Indeed under City of Staunton postings.
Group Leader, Assembly, Wieland (Verona). First shift manufacturing leadership role requiring 2 to 5 years of industrial experience, with a profit-sharing bonus program attached.
Salaries listed only when stated directly by the employer. For the full local job board, check Indeed’s Staunton listings, ZipRecruiter, or jobs.virginia.gov.
Closing Note from the Editor
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