Virginia's Top 5: Our Most Popular Facebook Stories This Week

From the arrest of Manassas a murder suspect to Kingstowne's high ranking on a list of the best places to live in Virginia, check out the stories Virginia Patch readers were sharing, reading and commenting on for the week of April 17.

Free Admission at National Parks This Weekend

America's national parks unlock the gates this weekend with free admission to some of the country's most unique natural treasures. This family-friendly freebie is in honor of National Park Week. If you want to stay close to the area, check out Prince William Forest Park or Great Falls Park. Billed as America's largest celebration of national heritage, families can enjoy any national park free of charge on April 22 and April 23.

Murder Suspect Arrested in Manassas

A man has been arrested in connection to a gun murder early Monday morning in the 9000 block of Centreville Road that killed Wilfredo Guardado-Huezo, 25, of Manassas, according to Prince William County Police. Denis Alexander Sanchez, 20, of Manassas, is being held without bond.

Kingstowne Ranks High on Best Places to Live in Virginia

According to a new set of rankings released by Niche.com, Kingstowne is the 28th best place to live in the state. The ranking looked at several factors, such as public schools, a good family environment, diversity and housing. Kingstowne received an A+ for family environment, A for diversity, B+ for public schools and B for housing. One resident describes Kingstowne as, overall, "a very nice place to live; the people are nice, and the schools are good, and there are a lot of options for going out to eat or going grocery shopping."

10 Reston Runners Finish Boston Marathon

Thousands of runners completed the Boston Marathon, which is the nation's largest running event. Ten of those runners are from Reston. Marathon entries Tuan Nguyen, Mark Langham, Emmett Delaney, Catherine Reen, Douglas Pepelko, Lisa Johnston, Jie Zheng, Rebecca Scott, William D'Agostino and Bob Reinhold all listed Reston as their hometown.

Block Party Planned for Pet Lovers in Alexandria

Mayor Allison Silberberg and the Alexandria City Council have named Sunday, April 23 as Alexandria Love Your Pet Day, and the dog-friendly town will be holding a block party to celebrate. The block party will be held 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Wholistic Hound Academy parking lot, located at 18 Roth St., and will stretch along Colvin St. to South Quaker Ln. Pets are welcome, but they should be leashed.

Photo credit: David Locke/Flickr, used under Creative Commons