Community Corner
🌱 Patch AM: How will $4.2 million in new housing funds reshape Winchester neighborhoods?
And on the Winchester Patch calendar - Slamdance Kooperatieve with winemaker Daniel Callen
Hello Winchester! Here's our latest buzz. Let's get into it. ☕️️
In today's newsletter:
- How will $4.2 million in new housing funds reshape Winchester neighborhoods?
- How will Winchester’s new residency program change your local healthcare options?
- Ready to skip parking and ride Winchester’s festive trolley instead?
Also on today's calendar: Serenity Service and 7 more events.
Find out what's happening in Winchesterfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
And lastly, we have a post from a neighbor, LYNN H.!
Today's riddle: What did one astronaut stranded on the moon say to another? 🤔 (Answer below!)
Find out what's happening in Winchesterfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
- Friday: Windy with sunny intervals, with a high of 54 and low of 23 degrees.
- Saturday: Turning cloudy, temps: high: 44, low: 34.
- Sunday: Mostly sunny and windy, with a high of 47 and low of 20 degrees.
📰 News we're reading
1. State Housing Program Awards $4.2M for Local Projects (thewinchestergazette.com) — Winchester and Frederick County will receive nearly $4.2 million from Virginia’s Affordable and Special Needs Housing Program to expand housing options for low-income residents. The money will help fund Blue Ridge Habitat’s Norris Village Phase III in Winchester and the Cline Manor project in Frederick County, part of a record statewide investment in affordable housing. 
2. New Medicine Residency Set for Winchester Medical Center (thewinchestergazette.com) — A new Internal Medicine Residency Program at Winchester Medical Center will begin training its first class in July 2026, aiming to boost access to care for local residents. Valley Health expects the program to help retain more doctors in the Shenandoah Valley, building on its successful family medicine residency in Front Royal and strengthening long-term healthcare options close to home.
3. Trolley Ride to Walking in a Winter Wonderland Dec. 19-23 (thewinchestergazette.com) — Winchester families can hop on the historic Winchester Trolley Dec. 19–23 for a round-trip ride from North Kent Street straight to Walking in a Winter Wonderland. Tickets bundle trolley transport and park admission, easing parking and traffic worries while you enjoy lights, photos, and holiday fun hosted by Frederick County Parks & Recreation and Discover Winchester.
4. Marshall Scholar examines the intersection of books, literature and politics (virginia.edu) — A University of Virginia student from Winchester, Jack Wallace, has been named the school’s 18th Marshall Scholar and will head to the United Kingdom to study book history and English. His work explores how books, archives, and even artificial intelligence shape politics, literacy, and the future of liberal education, with an eye toward balancing technology and critical thinking.
5. AI and Small Business (theriver953.com) — A new Valley Today episode recorded at a downtown Winchester espresso bar digs into how small businesses here can use AI for forecasting, customer service, and smarter decisions. Host Janet Michael and SBA Virginia director Carl Knoblock explain AI in plain language, stress the need for human oversight and empathy, and offer practical starting points for local entrepreneurs curious about the technology.
📸 Around Winchester
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🗓 Upcoming Events in Winchester
Add your event to our calendar and newsletter!
★ Featured events ★
- Slamdance Kooperatieve with winemaker Daniel Callen
Patti's Place, 3178 Laurel Grove Rd, Winchester
3:00 pm
Saturday December 20
Want to see your event featured? Click here!
Other local events
- Serenity Service
2161 Brucetown Rd, Clear Brook, VA, 22624
7:00 pm - Gift Ideas at Eugene B. Smith Gallery
Eugene B. Smith Gallery
10:00 am - Bitcoin Brunch
Water Street Kitchen , 2 S Loudoun St , Winchester
10:00 am - Author Event: Cassandra Medcalf
The Winchester Book Gallery , 7 N Loudoun Street , Winchester
11:00 am - Author Event: Beka Wueste - My Side of the World and Other Tales of Death
The Winchester Book Gallery , 7 N Loudoun Street , Winchester
2:00 pm - Author Event: LaNae Riviere - A Dark Most Fair
The Winchester Book Gallery , 7 N Loudoun Street , Winchester
12:00 pm - "Silent Was The Night" A Christmas Cantata
Emmanuel United Methodist Church, 2732 Martinsburg Pike, Stephenson, VA, 22656
3:00 pm - Christmas Eve Service
2732 Martinsburg Pike , Stephenson
7:00 pm - Northern Shenandoah Valley (NSV) Community Veterans Engagement Board (CVEB)
Top of Virginia Regional Chamber , 407 S Loudoun St , Winchester
9:00 am
Thursday December 18
Friday December 19
Saturday December 20
Sunday December 21
Wednesday December 24
Thursday December 25
🗓 Events Nearby
- Dance Party
Handley Regional Library , 100 W Piccadilly St , Winchester
10:30 am - Baby Playtime at Bowman
Bowman Library , 871 Tasker Rd , Stephens City
11:00 am - 🎁 2nd Annual Kids Shopping Free Event at SPCA Thrift! 🎄
WASPCA Thrift Shop , 1944 Abrams Creek Dr , Winchester
12:00 pm - Teen Game Night
Bowman Library , 871 Tasker Rd , Stephens City
5:30 pm
Friday December 19
Have we missed something on our calendar? Add an event yourself! As always, before attending confirm event details to ensure accuracy.
Thank you 👏👏👏 to the local businesses for making Winchester PatchAM possible:
- Sparkling Squad — (550) 327-8233
Cleaning services - Plumbing Services | No Dispatch Fees | AllTech Services — (703) 495-3466
No Dispatch Fees for Plumbing Services! - Sparkling squad — (154) 032-7823
Cleaning services - FREE Water Testing - JR Snider Water Care & Plumbing — (703) 454-8921
JR Snider – Your Local Water Care & Plumbing Experts - Light of Lotus Massage Therapy — (540) 335-5258
Mobile massage therapy
Click here to show your appreciation! 💚
Want to see your business here? Click here to connect with local customers.
💬 Chatter
What your neighbors are talking about on social media
- Found dog on Wayfaring Drive in Sovereign Village neighborhood.
Very friendly, red collar, and appears to be freshly groomed. Please call 540-532-8339 (Nextdoor Sovereign Village) - Short-haired Orange Tabby Cat 🐈, with VERY OBVIOUS WHITE MOUSTACHE MARKING beside nose, and I think a white chin...
It was friendly enough to come running when I yelled PSSS PSSS PSSS and said HERE KITTY KITTY, as it had left our driveway and ran across the street… (Nextdoor West Winchester)
- Wal-Mart posted a job opening for Stocking Team Associate in Winchester. Apply here.
- Owens Corning, Inc. posted a job opening for Assembler/Builder in Winchester. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Winchester here.
Ok Winchester! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!
-- The Patch AM Team
P.S. The answer to today's riddle: I don’t think you know the gravity of this situation.
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Send it to us!
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