ICONic Talk

Mark and Rachel learn all about a young entrepreneur who has kick-started her nail salon in just her teenage years - listen to how Scarleth Guerrero has taken “Scarleth’s Beauty Bar” to our town of Winchester!https://www.instagram.com/scarlethsbeautybar?igsh=bzFoODg1aGxkeWZu

Mark and Rachel celebrate the arrival of spring, swapping stories about their favorite outdoor activities at home and around the Winchester area.Upcoming Events:Celtic Fest - Saturday, March 14, 12 PM – 5 PMhttps://friendsofoldtown.org/event/celtic-fest-2/First Battle of Kernstown Tour - Saturday, March 21, 9 AM – 4 PMhttps://visitwinchesterva.com/event/first-battle-of-kernstown-161st-anniversary-tour/

Mark sits down with BrandFest panelist Ross Lehman to recap and highlight key takeaways from the recent community marketing seminar, while special guest Danielle Spriggs joins the conversation to share insights about Winchester’s Restaurant Week, which is happening right now.https://www.mortgagebyross.comhttps://markfrancisrealtor.comhttps://iconmedia.ccUpcoming Events :Winchester Restaurant Weekhttps://www.winchesterrestaurantweek.comShenandoah University - “Catch Me if You Can”https://www.su.edu/performs/event/26-02-catch-me-if-you-can/

Mark sits down with the CEO of the Winchester Rescue Mission to learn more about what this local non-profit organization is doing to improve the lives of men and women in the community who need not just shelter, food, and clothing, but more importantly the skills and tools for life success.https://www.winrescue.org/Upcoming Events:February 14 - “Love Letters” at James Charles Wineryhttps://visitwinchesterva.com/event/love-letters-event/February 22 - VA250: George Washington Birthday Wreath Layinghttps://visitwinchesterva.com/event/va250-george-washingtons-birthday-wreath-laying-2/

Learn about a quaint wedding venue in Capon Bridge, as Mark and Rachel chat with John Berry of “Appalachian Wedding Chapel and Boutique” who shares the tales of what life is like to officiate hundreds of wedding ceremonies over the years!https://www.theappalachianweddingchapel.com/Upcoming Events:January 31 - Groundhog Day Celebration, Bowman Libraryhttps://www.handleyregional.org/event/groundhog-day-celebration-bowman-library-41949February 6 - BrandFest, The HIVE @ Shenandoah Universityhttps://iconmedia.cc/

Mark, Rachel, and Caleb enter in the new year of 2026 by unpacking the article from the Winchester Star about the local EDA proposal to bring a casino and event center to town.Winchester Star article - https://www.winchesterstar.com/winchester_star/edas-website-details-pros-cons-of-a-winchester-casino/article_2df7cb72-5a5e-5268-afb5-c4cef0ff3dec.htmlWinchester EDA site - https://www.developwinchesterva.com/Convention-Center-Casino-InfoUpcoming Events:Old Town on the Rocks - https://friendsofoldtown.org/event/old-town-on-the-rocks/FredCo Eats Restaurant Week - https://www.yesfrederickva.com/living-here/restaurant-week

Mark and Rachel share their highlights and special moments of 2025 as they discuss topics ranging from pop culture to local insights to special moments from ICONic Talk over the last year.

Mark sits down with Dr. Faith Power, Executive Director of the Laurel Center, to discuss the needs of abuse survivors and the organization’s mission to break the cycle of domestic violence within the community.Notes for This Episode:Abuse Hotline - 540.667.6466https://thelaurelcenter.org/Upcoming Events:Winchester Winter Village - December 5-7https://winchesterwintervillage.com/Follow the Star - December 6-7https://fbcva.org/followthestarWinchester Musica Viva concert - December 14https://www.winchestermusicaviva.org/

Listen to amazing stories from newly appointment director of the Youth Development Center, Sarah Fishel, as she shares what has led her into this position of serving the youth of our local community.Links for this episode:https://www.myydc.org/Events:Plaid Friday, November 28:https://friendsofoldtown.org/event/plaid-friday-2025/Youth Development Center events:https://www.myydc.org/upcoming-events

Mark and Rachel sit down with Executive Director of the Friends of Old Town organization, Brady Cloven, as they chat about the stories and events of the happenings in Winchester over this past year as well as revealing some news and vision for the months and year ahead.https://friendsofoldtown.orgUpcoming Events :https://friendsofoldtown.org/events-in-old-town/

Mark and Rachel chat with co-founder of the Ravenwood Faire, Stacey Rowe, who shares the background of this local annual event that brings thousands to town every year for a true “medieval” experience. Links for This Episode:https://ravenwoodfaire.usUpcoming Events :Ravenwood Faire, October 24th-26thhttps://ravenwoodfaire.ticketspice.com/ravenwood-faire-2025High Hill “Haunted Nightmares”, October 23-26 and October 30-November 1https://visitwinchesterva.com/event/haunted-nightmares-3/

Mark learns more about his co-host, Rachel, as she shares all about her passion for horticulture and how her local floral arrangement business, “Rachel’s Bloomers”, was developed and has grown over the years.https://www.rachelsbloomers.comUpcoming Events :Savor the World, international food, event - October 9, 5:30pmhttps://godfreymillercenter.org/savor-the-world/Dino-Con - October 12, 10am-5pmhttps://www.themsv.org/events/dino-con/Ravenwood Faire - October 18-19, 24-26https://ravenwoodfaire.us/tickets/

Mark and Rachel dive into the latest happenings around Winchester and also sit down with Stephanie Ryall from the city’s Board of Architectural Review, who shares how the committee plays a key role in maintaining the historic character of downtown properties.Links for This Episode:https://www.winchesterva.gov/Services-Payments/Building-Development/Historic-Winchester-District#section-1Upcoming Events :Bluegrass and Bites - Sept 28, 1pm-5pmhttps://visitwinchesterva.com/event/bluegrass-bites/Frederick County Farm Crawl - October 4, 8am-5pmhttps://visitwinchesterva.com/event/frederick-county-farm-crawl/Apple Festival at West Oaks - October 5, 11am-5pmhttps://www.westoaksfarm-market.com/events/apple-festival-2025

Mark chats once again with local sports podcaster, Josh Kirby, from the “Kirby on Sports” podcast as they swap stories and insights about the local high school and professional football teams with predictions of the current season.Links for this Episode:https://kirbyonsports.com/Upcoming Events:Fiddles and Fifths Bluegrass and Bourbon Festival - Saturday, September 13https://visitwinchesterva.com/event/fiddles-and-fifths/Shenandoah Valley Apple Harvest Festival - Saturday, September 20https://visitwinchesterva.com/event/shenandoah-valley-apple-harvest-festival/Celebracion of Winchester Festival - Saturday, September 20https://visitwinchesterva.com/event/celebracion-of-winchester-festival/