Blog Archives
Lime Kiln Theater presents an Evening with Acoustic Syndicate
Lime Kiln Theater’s Summer 2016 concert series continues onSaturday, July 30, as Acoustic Syndicate will perform. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., and the show starts at 8.
Advance tickets are $15 and are on sale now atwww.limekilntheater.org. Tickets will be $20 at the door, with cash, Visa, MasterCard, and Discover all accepted.
Lime Kiln Theater’s summer concert series is sponsored by Devils Backbone Brewing Company and Charles W. Barger & Son Construction. Devils Backbone beer, Kind Roots Café food and Rockbridge Vineyard wine are available for purchase at all shows. An Evening with Acoustic Syndicate is presented by James Wm. Moore Real Estate Co. and Pure Eats.
Whether they’re tilling a field or digging deeper into their unique blend of rock and bluegrass, the members ofAcoustic Syndicate have a distinct way of reaching back in order to move forward. With their evocative new album Rooftop Garden, the quintet takes a giant leap into the next chapter of their 20-year history of making unforgettable music, working the family farm and advocating for the environment. If there was ever a band that could capture the universal truths of life from the roots up, it’s Acoustic Syndicate.
“It’s been eight years since we made our last record,” singer/guitarist Steve McMurry said. “With the passage of time, if we are paying any attention at all, we see just how fragile and tenuous human life really is. It gives you a strong sense of the incredible importance of community, family and love. These feelings come out in our writing.”
Lime Kiln Arts, Inc. is a non-profit (501c3), operating at Lime Kiln Theater in Lexington. It opened in 1984 and is rooted in and inspired by the magic of a natural, outdoor theater. After a brief hiatus that started in 2012, Lime Kiln Theater is thrilled to present its third straight summer season of live music and theater featuring local, regional and national acts.
For more information, visit Lime Kiln on the web at www.limekilntheater.org, or check out our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/LimeKilnTheater.
Staunton Folk Festival debuts July 30
Sunspots Studios will host the first Staunton Folk Festival on Sunspots Pavilion stage on Saturday, July 30, from noon to 10pm.
Admission is free. Bluegrass banjo legend, Alan Munde, will make an exclusive appearance in Staunton as part of the first annual Staunton Folk Festival, which will also include a lineup of area musicians, including singer-songwriter Nathan Moore, the Heifetz Institute ‘Hootenanny’ musicians, Tara Mills and Jimmy Stelling, the Keezletones, and more.
The Staunton Folk Festival is a new event for a new venue, the Sunspots Pavilion, in downtown Staunton. The Folk Festival will be devoted to music that has sprung from the American experience. The various traditions of the people that settled here from all over the world has created to a rich musical landscape that is still evolving.
“We plan to make this an annual event,” says event organizer, Doug Sheridan. “When I built this stage, I wanted it to be a place where locals could come and hear all the wonderful music that has its roots in our area. I also wanted local musicians to have a place they can showcase their talent. Virginia has a long and rich music-making heritage that continues to this day, whether it is a polished stage act or a gathering at a local hangout, like Marinos.”
For this year’s inaugural Festival, bluegrass banjo legend, Alan Munde, is coming to Staunton from Texas. Alan Munde has accompanied many bluegrass greats, including Jimmy Martin (as one of his Sunny Mountain Boys), the Flying Burrito Brothers, and the members of the New Grass Revival. His virtuosity on the 5-string banjo has been featured on 29 albums, and in a monthly column for Frets Magazine during the ‘80s. He and his musical partner, Joe Carr, received the International Bluegrass Music Association’s Distinguished Achievement Award in 2008.
Also appearing on the Sunspots Pavilion stage during the Festival are Nathan Moore, and the Heifetz Hootenanny performers, among others. Nathan Moore is a nationally recognized folk singer-songwriter who hails from Staunton. He has released a dozen solo albums and has written over 1,000 songs. He has toured the country extensively both as a solo artist and as part of two bands, ThaMuseMeant and Surprise Me Mr. Davis, sharing the stage at times with Blues Traveler, Dave Matthews, Chuck Berry, and others. He won the prestigious Troubadour Award at the Telluride Blue Grass Festival in 2009.
The Heifetz Institute is a highly competitive international summer program for young, talented string musicians. While typically focusing on classical music, the musicians are also challenged to try folk and other genres, and they offer performances of those styles at Saturday evening “Hootenanny” concerts in July and August at Mary Baldwin College. The Heifetz students will present a set of their hootenanny folk music at the Folk Festival.
Other acts include Charlottesville duo Tara Mills and Jimmy Stelling on guitar and banjo playing original ‘mountain Americana,’ the Keezletones of Harrisonburg playing old time music, and the Jig Is Up of Staunton playing Irish instrumental tunes.
The Staunton Folk Festival runs from 12 noon until 10pm, and admission is free, thanks to generous sponsorship by WQSV, Staunton Downtown Development Association, Union Bank, and The Depot Grille. Visit Sunspots’ website, sunspots.com/sunspotspavilion/, or the Sunspots Pavilion Facebook page for more information and updates. Bring a chair. Alcohol and glass containers are prohibited.
OASIS events in busy month of August
On First Friday, August 5th, OASIS will host a reception for the exhibit “Jewel Yoder Hertzler: Recent Paintings.” The First Friday reception, from 5-8 p.m., will include light refreshments, live music by Simply Folk and is free.
“Jewel Yoder Hertzler: Recent Paintings” can be found at OASIS through August 31, 2016. The show includes note cards, with images of Jewel’s paintings, hand painted scarves, as well as Jewel’s recent encaustic paintings. Join us for this terrific show by this talented artist!
And, the Kids Summer Art Activities continue in August! This summer, the program is sponsored, in part, by the Arts Council of the Valley. The August activities are: August 2, Melted Beeswax Painting (contactjewelhertzler@gmail.com); August 9, Beading (contactMelanie@designsbymelanie.net); August 16, Chipboard Scrapbook (contactgmsleditor@gmail.com)
OASIS will be participating in the JMU Block Party on August 27 with a fun activity “Leave Your Mark”! Watch for the results on our Water Street window.
OASIS is a co-op gallery, which receives on-going sponsorship from WMRA/WEMC. At OASIS, over 35 local artists and artisans exhibit and sell their work. OASIS Fine Art & Craft is located at 103 S. Main Street, Harrisonburg. For more information, call 540-442-8188, and email askOASISart@gmail.com, website of www.oasisartgallery.org, and at Facebook as OASIS-Art-Gallery-Harrisonburg-VA.
For further information, please contact Barbara Camph at 517-219-7826.
Holy Ghost Tent Revival to headline Shelter Fest
Holy Ghost Tent Revival will headline Shelter Fest 2016 on Saturday, August 27. The American horn-driven rock and roll band with folk and blues leanings will perform a benefit concert to support the New River Valley’s homeless and others in need. Shelter Fest 2016 will take place in the Barn at Sinkland Farms on Riner Road in Christiansburg.
Special guests will be The Apple Butter Blues Band and Black Wax Rebellion. Gates will open at 5:30 pm and opening acts will kick off at 6 pm. Holy Ghost Tent Revival and its boot-stomping energy will take the stage at 8 p.m. Food will be available courtesy of Due South Barbeque and adult beverages will also be for sale.
Tickets are available for purchase online at unitedwaynrv.org or at Due South Barbeque for $16 or at the door for $20 (children under 12 get in for free.) The event will be held rain or shine.
Holy Ghost Tent Revival started as a few students at Greensboro College hanging out and making music together. Built around founding members Stephen Murray and Matt Martin (both on vocals and guitar,) the group grew beyond its dorm room song writers into a dynamic band with a unique sound, gradually adding in trombone, trumpet, drums, and piano, according to an interview Stephen Murray gave No Depression, a “journal of roots music.” In 2007, once most of the band’s members had graduated, the group truly dedicated themselves to touring.
Holy Ghost Tent Revival is a group of kids with a few instruments that grew up but never stopped having fun. The band is known for getting crowds up and dancing with what NPR describes as their unique blend of “New Orleans brass-band jazz,” with the classic rock of the 60s and 70s and a more contemporary indie-rock sound. They characterize themselves as “earthy jazz,” but perhaps Indyweek.com said it best when they characterized Holy Ghost Tent Revival’s unique sound not with a label but with as story: “With the mischievous air of a Mark Twain yarn, [the music]…conjures images of eras spent rambling from town to town, hopping between riverboats and trains, joshing with the locals, romancing with their daughters, and throwing back whiskey on the sly.” Holy Ghost Tent Revival will surely provide a night full of rollicking street jazz and hay-chewing banjo gaiety.
Proceeds from Shelter Fest 2016 will benefit To Our House, a program providing winter shelter for homeless men, and the United Way of Montgomery, Radford & Floyd.
To Our House, a New River Community Action (NRCA) program and a United Way agency, has provided temporary winter shelter to New River Valley homeless men for the past six years thanks to collaborations with faith- and community-based organizations and volunteers. To Our House was formed in 2008 after the death of a Blacksburg homeless man, Teddy O. Henderson; the organization (TOH) adopted his initials. This past winter, 48 New River Valley men were given a warm bed and hot meal through To Our House, and of those men, 12 guests received jobs and 25 received permanent housing as the result of TOH services. More information on To Our House can be found at www.ToOurHouse.org or on Facebook.
United Way of Montgomery, Radford & Floyd unites local people and resources to improve lives in the New River Valley. Local United Way programs include: prescription discount cards; federal emergency and food shelter programs; financial, technical, and administrative assistance to non-profits; food and clothing drives; information and referral services; Christmas assistance program; school supply drive; and a volunteer center. UWMRF provides financial support to 26 partner agencies, including To Our House. More information on UWMRF can be found at unitedwaynrv.org.
For more information about Shelter Fest 2016, please go to www.unitedwaynrv.org or contact info@unitedwaynrv.org or (540) 381-2066.
For more information on Holy Ghost Tent Revival, please go to www.holyghosttentrevival.com.
Scott Miller announced for fall Wayne Theatre lineup
Scott Miller comes to the Wayne Theatre/Ross Performing Arts Center on Friday, October 14, at 8 p.m.
Tickets are $25 and go on sale to the public on Tuesday, July 26, at 10 a.m.
A Staunton native, Miller recently collaborated with filmmaker James Weems (Jason Isbell) and photographer Glen Rose to produce the mini-documentary “Goin’ Home” which explores Miller’s personal and musical journey since returning to the family farm.
Miller came into the national spotlight in the mid-90s as leader of the Knoxville-based band The V-Roys; signed and produced by Steve Earle for his E-Squared label. After releasing two critically acclaimed albums, The V-Roys disbanded. Miller then signed to Sugar Hill Records and released several highly praised recording with his new backing band, The Commonwealth. Most recently he has recorded and released music through his own F.A.Y. Records label.
The last few years have seen big changes for Miller. He left his long-time adopted home city of Knoxville, Tenn., to return to the family farm to tend a herd of beef cattle, look after his elderly parents and set up a new touring base from his hometown of Staunton. During this time of transition and scaled down touring, Miller teamed up with old-time fiddle maven Rayna Gellert adding another sonic layer to his repertoire. The two released a mini-ablum titled “Co-Dependents” and continue to tour together and collaborate often.
For his newest cd, “Big Big World,” Miller tapped Nashville guitarist and producer Doug Lancio (Patty Griffin, John Hiatt). Miller’s avid fans will realize the title phrase points to the artist’s new musical horizons, stretching beyond any of his previous works and reflecting his significant growth as a songwriter.
By the Side of the Road: Why You Need to Visit Old Hill Hard Cider
Just 20 miles away from By The Side of the Road Inn & Cottages is Showalter’s Orchard and Greenhouse, the home of Old Hill Cider and a little slice of heaven. Whether you’re a hard cider fan or not, it’s worth the trip out to see this unique orchard, cidery, and greenhouse!
A Bit of Backstory – Old Hill Cider
The orchard has been harvesting apples since the early 1900s, and the first owner just sold apples for processing. According to Old Hill’s website, the orchard was bought in 1965 by the current owner’s father, and he began to expand the orchard’s potential, first by selling apples directly to the consumer, and later by buying a hydraulic press to make apple juice. Over time, greenhouses were built and other produce was sold. When Shannon and Sarah Showalter bought the farm from his father in 2002, they knew they wanted to grow the business into something sustainable for future generations. So, they initially considered opening a winery, but then were introduced to something they’d never thought of: a hard cidery. Sales of hard cider began in May 2012, and Old Hill Hard Cider was born!
Old Hill Hard Cider – How It’s Different
If your only hard cider experience has been the sweet, syrupy ciders that taste like soda, you’re going to be pleasantly surprised when you try Old Hill Cider. These ciders are distinct, delicious, and food-friendly, very much like a good wine. The hard cider brewing process at Showalter’s Orchard uses modern innovation as well as some of the finest apple varieties available. Their website has a full list of the ciders they have available, like the Old Hill Betwixt Cider, Yesteryear, and Heritage. However, we think you should stop by their tasting room and try them all for yourself!
It’s Not All About the Cider
If you aren’t interested in the alcoholic beverages available (or you have underage guests with you), Showalter’s Orchard and Greenhouse is still be a great stop for your family! Not only do they also have delicious apple juice and apple cider, you can also take a tour of the orchard and let the kids stretch their legs, or have a picnic in a beautiful, scenic location. The greenhouse is fascinating as well, with a wide variety of annuals, perennials, and vegetables. And the gift shop offers an array of unique gifts, like traditional apple cider, apple butter, and candles. If the season is right, you can even pick your own apples!
Stay at By the Side of the Road Inn & Cottages
When you’ve indulged in delicious cider, enjoyed a picnic, and perused the greenhouse, head back to Harrisonburg’s top-rated, luxurious bed and breakfast, By the Side of the Road Inn & Cottages. Our accommodations are second to none, and we have the perfect cottage or suite for you! Our delicious, gourmet breakfasts are delivered right to your door each morning, and our central location is perfect for exploring all that the Shenandoah Valley has to offer. Be sure to download our free Shenandoah Valley vacation guide for some great tips and destinations. Contact us today,online or by calling (540) 801-0430.
The Ultimate Michael Jackson Experience comes to the Wayne Theatre
Who’s Bad: The Ultimate Michael Jackson Experience is an unrivaled celebration of pop music’s one true King. Join us as we pay tribute to the music legend on Friday, October 28, at 8 p.m. at the Wayne Theatre/Ross Performing Arts Center.
Tickets are $30/$35 and go on sale for the public on Tuesday, July 26, 2016 at 10 a.m.
Who’s Bad’s live power-packed performance of Michael Jackson’s expansive catalog has ignited crowds on every continent and can only be described as a jaw-dropping, musical must-see.
As the longest-running Michael Jackson tribute band, and the only one to predate his untimely passing, Who’s Bad has packed The House of Blues franchise all across the United States; rocked DC’s 930 Club and returned to their native Chapel Hill, NC boasting larger, more eagerly-awaited performances with every romp around the globe. Sold-out shows from Colorado’s Bluebird Theatre and LA’s Gibson Amphitheatre and Romania’s Sala Palatalui to Teatro do Bourbon Country (Porto Alegre, Brazil) tell the story: no corner of the earth is safe from this infectious party production.
Who’s Bad has earned its name by paying studious attention to Michael Jackson’s every original groove and gravity-defying dance move, boasting over 100 years of professional experience. They’ve shared stages with the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin, The Backstreet Boys, The Four Tops, Boys II Men, and hip hop superstar, Pitbull.
Whether you idolized the Jackson 5, fell in love to Human Nature, or learned to moonwalk to Billie Jean, Who’s Bad is THE ULTIMATE music-and-dance driven Michael Jackson homage. This band of professionals relentlessly elevate the legacy of pop music’s King, always pushing themselves to be more precise, to raise the level of excitement and awe, while embodying Michael Jackson’s mission to bring people together of all races, genders, and cultures through music.
As the curtain opens on a Who’s Bad performance, every MJ fan feels the adrenaline, screams at the sight of that unmistakable silhouette, and succumbs to a surefire Michael Jackson sing-along. The energy is purely magnetic, the musicianship is first-rate, the dance moves deftly inspired. Who’s Bad is a tribute befitting a King and their high- octane execution of MJ’s music and dance has catapulted them to the exclusive rank of Ultimate!
A scenic drive from A B&B at Llewellyn Lodge
Scenic drives are always special using A B&B at Llewellyn Lodge as your home base. We have several detailed on our Activities book.
Two of our guests recently toured Monticello about an hour away and then sampled a section of the Shenandoah National Park which is 45 minutes away from its most southern point. They were entertained by a Black bear and her two cubs along the way in the Park. Va. game biologists estimate we have 17,000 black bears in the state.
Hardesty-Higgins House announces Pokémon Go Instagram contest
The Hardesty-Higgins House Visitor Center (a Pokémon stop) is launching an Instagram contest for participants of the new popular Pokémon Go game.
Here’s how you can participate and win a Harrisonburg swag bag from Rocktown Gift Shoppe. Prior to capturing the Pokémon, turn on the camera feature, putting the wild Pokémon into the live scene where your camera is facing. Then capture the moment with the in-game camera. Line up your shot and hit the shutter button to take the photo, but be creative with your photos.
Whoever has the most creative picture with the Pokémon character and uses our hashtags (#hburgrocks and #pokemongo) by Monday, August 15th will be entered to win! Please make sure you remember to be safe & respectful while playing the game. Happy hunting!
Join us by discovering Pokémon in our own city. Pokémon GO allows you to find and catch more than a hundred species of Pokémon as you explore your surroundings. Get on your feet and step outside to find and catch wild Pokémon. Explore Harrisonburg to capture as many Pokémon as you can.
As you move around, your smartphone will vibrate to let you know you’re near a Pokémon. Once you’ve encountered a Pokémon, take aim on your smartphone’s touch screen and throw a Poké Ball to catch it. Be careful when you try to catch it, or it might run away!
Mountain Dulcimer Players to appear at Blue Ridge Parkway Picnic
The Blue Ridge Mountain Dulcimer Players will offer demonstrations, styles of playing and hands on participation with the mountain dulcimer on Aug. 20 at the Humpback Rocks Farm, Milepost 5.8 of the Blue Ridge Parkway.
Also on Aug. 20, at noon at the Humpback Rocks Picnic Area, milepost 8.5, “Dulcimer Dinah” Ansley will preview dulcimer playing styles. This Picnic with Friends celebration is sponsored by the Humpback Rocks Chapter of the Friends of the Blue Ridge Parkway as a part of the celebrations for the 100th year of the National Park Service. Events are free and open to the public.
The Blue Ridge Mountain Dulcimer Players Club, which evolved out of a 2011 Music in the Mountains Festival held in Waynesboro and spear-headed by Dulcimer Dinah and about a dozen of her students, now offers two monthly jams, occasional workshops, demonstrations and performances by nationally noted folk musicians. The Appalachian dulcimer or mountain dulcimer is the only instrument indigenous to our Blue Ridge and Appalachian mountains. For more than 100 years, this simple instrument was known mainly to early settlers in isolated hollers and ridges of Appalachia.
In the late 1940’s and early 1950’s, Jean Ritchie of Viper, Kentucky ( known later as the “Mother of Folk”) brought the dulcimer out to the mountains into New York City, where she taught music to children at the Henry Street Settlement. Befriended by Alan Lomax, folklorist with the Library of Congress, Jean Ritchie quickly entered the folk scene in Greenwich Village. There she caught the attention of musicians such as Lead Belly, Pete Seeger, Woody Guthrie and Joan Baez. Today the revival of this once little known instrument has players and clubs in every state of the Union and some players in both the British Isles and areas of Europe.
Besides the dulcimer players the Picnic with Friends event, which runs from 11:00 to 4:00, will feature other old time music, Irish dancing, hikes and old-fashioned games and races. Visitors should bring their own food and a chair to listen to music.
Lime Kiln Theater presents an Evening with Acoustic Syndicate
Lime Kiln Theater’s Summer 2016 concert series continues onSaturday, July 30, as Acoustic Syndicate will perform. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., and the show starts at 8.
Advance tickets are $15 and are on sale now atwww.limekilntheater.org. Tickets will be $20 at the door, with cash, Visa, MasterCard, and Discover all accepted.
Lime Kiln Theater’s summer concert series is sponsored by Devils Backbone Brewing Company and Charles W. Barger & Son Construction. Devils Backbone beer, Kind Roots Café food and Rockbridge Vineyard wine are available for purchase at all shows. An Evening with Acoustic Syndicate is presented by James Wm. Moore Real Estate Co. and Pure Eats.
Whether they’re tilling a field or digging deeper into their unique blend of rock and bluegrass, the members ofAcoustic Syndicate have a distinct way of reaching back in order to move forward. With their evocative new album Rooftop Garden, the quintet takes a giant leap into the next chapter of their 20-year history of making unforgettable music, working the family farm and advocating for the environment. If there was ever a band that could capture the universal truths of life from the roots up, it’s Acoustic Syndicate.
“It’s been eight years since we made our last record,” singer/guitarist Steve McMurry said. “With the passage of time, if we are paying any attention at all, we see just how fragile and tenuous human life really is. It gives you a strong sense of the incredible importance of community, family and love. These feelings come out in our writing.”
Lime Kiln Arts, Inc. is a non-profit (501c3), operating at Lime Kiln Theater in Lexington. It opened in 1984 and is rooted in and inspired by the magic of a natural, outdoor theater. After a brief hiatus that started in 2012, Lime Kiln Theater is thrilled to present its third straight summer season of live music and theater featuring local, regional and national acts.
For more information, visit Lime Kiln on the web at www.limekilntheater.org, or check out our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/LimeKilnTheater.
Staunton Folk Festival debuts July 30
Sunspots Studios will host the first Staunton Folk Festival on Sunspots Pavilion stage on Saturday, July 30, from noon to 10pm.
Admission is free. Bluegrass banjo legend, Alan Munde, will make an exclusive appearance in Staunton as part of the first annual Staunton Folk Festival, which will also include a lineup of area musicians, including singer-songwriter Nathan Moore, the Heifetz Institute ‘Hootenanny’ musicians, Tara Mills and Jimmy Stelling, the Keezletones, and more.
The Staunton Folk Festival is a new event for a new venue, the Sunspots Pavilion, in downtown Staunton. The Folk Festival will be devoted to music that has sprung from the American experience. The various traditions of the people that settled here from all over the world has created to a rich musical landscape that is still evolving.
“We plan to make this an annual event,” says event organizer, Doug Sheridan. “When I built this stage, I wanted it to be a place where locals could come and hear all the wonderful music that has its roots in our area. I also wanted local musicians to have a place they can showcase their talent. Virginia has a long and rich music-making heritage that continues to this day, whether it is a polished stage act or a gathering at a local hangout, like Marinos.”
For this year’s inaugural Festival, bluegrass banjo legend, Alan Munde, is coming to Staunton from Texas. Alan Munde has accompanied many bluegrass greats, including Jimmy Martin (as one of his Sunny Mountain Boys), the Flying Burrito Brothers, and the members of the New Grass Revival. His virtuosity on the 5-string banjo has been featured on 29 albums, and in a monthly column for Frets Magazine during the ‘80s. He and his musical partner, Joe Carr, received the International Bluegrass Music Association’s Distinguished Achievement Award in 2008.
Also appearing on the Sunspots Pavilion stage during the Festival are Nathan Moore, and the Heifetz Hootenanny performers, among others. Nathan Moore is a nationally recognized folk singer-songwriter who hails from Staunton. He has released a dozen solo albums and has written over 1,000 songs. He has toured the country extensively both as a solo artist and as part of two bands, ThaMuseMeant and Surprise Me Mr. Davis, sharing the stage at times with Blues Traveler, Dave Matthews, Chuck Berry, and others. He won the prestigious Troubadour Award at the Telluride Blue Grass Festival in 2009.
The Heifetz Institute is a highly competitive international summer program for young, talented string musicians. While typically focusing on classical music, the musicians are also challenged to try folk and other genres, and they offer performances of those styles at Saturday evening “Hootenanny” concerts in July and August at Mary Baldwin College. The Heifetz students will present a set of their hootenanny folk music at the Folk Festival.
Other acts include Charlottesville duo Tara Mills and Jimmy Stelling on guitar and banjo playing original ‘mountain Americana,’ the Keezletones of Harrisonburg playing old time music, and the Jig Is Up of Staunton playing Irish instrumental tunes.
The Staunton Folk Festival runs from 12 noon until 10pm, and admission is free, thanks to generous sponsorship by WQSV, Staunton Downtown Development Association, Union Bank, and The Depot Grille. Visit Sunspots’ website, sunspots.com/sunspotspavilion/, or the Sunspots Pavilion Facebook page for more information and updates. Bring a chair. Alcohol and glass containers are prohibited.
OASIS events in busy month of August
On First Friday, August 5th, OASIS will host a reception for the exhibit “Jewel Yoder Hertzler: Recent Paintings.” The First Friday reception, from 5-8 p.m., will include light refreshments, live music by Simply Folk and is free.
“Jewel Yoder Hertzler: Recent Paintings” can be found at OASIS through August 31, 2016. The show includes note cards, with images of Jewel’s paintings, hand painted scarves, as well as Jewel’s recent encaustic paintings. Join us for this terrific show by this talented artist!
And, the Kids Summer Art Activities continue in August! This summer, the program is sponsored, in part, by the Arts Council of the Valley. The August activities are: August 2, Melted Beeswax Painting (contactjewelhertzler@gmail.com); August 9, Beading (contactMelanie@designsbymelanie.net); August 16, Chipboard Scrapbook (contactgmsleditor@gmail.com)
OASIS will be participating in the JMU Block Party on August 27 with a fun activity “Leave Your Mark”! Watch for the results on our Water Street window.
OASIS is a co-op gallery, which receives on-going sponsorship from WMRA/WEMC. At OASIS, over 35 local artists and artisans exhibit and sell their work. OASIS Fine Art & Craft is located at 103 S. Main Street, Harrisonburg. For more information, call 540-442-8188, and email askOASISart@gmail.com, website of www.oasisartgallery.org, and at Facebook as OASIS-Art-Gallery-Harrisonburg-VA.
For further information, please contact Barbara Camph at 517-219-7826.
Holy Ghost Tent Revival to headline Shelter Fest
Holy Ghost Tent Revival will headline Shelter Fest 2016 on Saturday, August 27. The American horn-driven rock and roll band with folk and blues leanings will perform a benefit concert to support the New River Valley’s homeless and others in need. Shelter Fest 2016 will take place in the Barn at Sinkland Farms on Riner Road in Christiansburg.
Special guests will be The Apple Butter Blues Band and Black Wax Rebellion. Gates will open at 5:30 pm and opening acts will kick off at 6 pm. Holy Ghost Tent Revival and its boot-stomping energy will take the stage at 8 p.m. Food will be available courtesy of Due South Barbeque and adult beverages will also be for sale.
Tickets are available for purchase online at unitedwaynrv.org or at Due South Barbeque for $16 or at the door for $20 (children under 12 get in for free.) The event will be held rain or shine.
Holy Ghost Tent Revival started as a few students at Greensboro College hanging out and making music together. Built around founding members Stephen Murray and Matt Martin (both on vocals and guitar,) the group grew beyond its dorm room song writers into a dynamic band with a unique sound, gradually adding in trombone, trumpet, drums, and piano, according to an interview Stephen Murray gave No Depression, a “journal of roots music.” In 2007, once most of the band’s members had graduated, the group truly dedicated themselves to touring.
Holy Ghost Tent Revival is a group of kids with a few instruments that grew up but never stopped having fun. The band is known for getting crowds up and dancing with what NPR describes as their unique blend of “New Orleans brass-band jazz,” with the classic rock of the 60s and 70s and a more contemporary indie-rock sound. They characterize themselves as “earthy jazz,” but perhaps Indyweek.com said it best when they characterized Holy Ghost Tent Revival’s unique sound not with a label but with as story: “With the mischievous air of a Mark Twain yarn, [the music]…conjures images of eras spent rambling from town to town, hopping between riverboats and trains, joshing with the locals, romancing with their daughters, and throwing back whiskey on the sly.” Holy Ghost Tent Revival will surely provide a night full of rollicking street jazz and hay-chewing banjo gaiety.
Proceeds from Shelter Fest 2016 will benefit To Our House, a program providing winter shelter for homeless men, and the United Way of Montgomery, Radford & Floyd.
To Our House, a New River Community Action (NRCA) program and a United Way agency, has provided temporary winter shelter to New River Valley homeless men for the past six years thanks to collaborations with faith- and community-based organizations and volunteers. To Our House was formed in 2008 after the death of a Blacksburg homeless man, Teddy O. Henderson; the organization (TOH) adopted his initials. This past winter, 48 New River Valley men were given a warm bed and hot meal through To Our House, and of those men, 12 guests received jobs and 25 received permanent housing as the result of TOH services. More information on To Our House can be found at www.ToOurHouse.org or on Facebook.
United Way of Montgomery, Radford & Floyd unites local people and resources to improve lives in the New River Valley. Local United Way programs include: prescription discount cards; federal emergency and food shelter programs; financial, technical, and administrative assistance to non-profits; food and clothing drives; information and referral services; Christmas assistance program; school supply drive; and a volunteer center. UWMRF provides financial support to 26 partner agencies, including To Our House. More information on UWMRF can be found at unitedwaynrv.org.
For more information about Shelter Fest 2016, please go to www.unitedwaynrv.org or contact info@unitedwaynrv.org or (540) 381-2066.
For more information on Holy Ghost Tent Revival, please go to www.holyghosttentrevival.com.
Scott Miller announced for fall Wayne Theatre lineup
Scott Miller comes to the Wayne Theatre/Ross Performing Arts Center on Friday, October 14, at 8 p.m.
Tickets are $25 and go on sale to the public on Tuesday, July 26, at 10 a.m.
A Staunton native, Miller recently collaborated with filmmaker James Weems (Jason Isbell) and photographer Glen Rose to produce the mini-documentary “Goin’ Home” which explores Miller’s personal and musical journey since returning to the family farm.
Miller came into the national spotlight in the mid-90s as leader of the Knoxville-based band The V-Roys; signed and produced by Steve Earle for his E-Squared label. After releasing two critically acclaimed albums, The V-Roys disbanded. Miller then signed to Sugar Hill Records and released several highly praised recording with his new backing band, The Commonwealth. Most recently he has recorded and released music through his own F.A.Y. Records label.
The last few years have seen big changes for Miller. He left his long-time adopted home city of Knoxville, Tenn., to return to the family farm to tend a herd of beef cattle, look after his elderly parents and set up a new touring base from his hometown of Staunton. During this time of transition and scaled down touring, Miller teamed up with old-time fiddle maven Rayna Gellert adding another sonic layer to his repertoire. The two released a mini-ablum titled “Co-Dependents” and continue to tour together and collaborate often.
For his newest cd, “Big Big World,” Miller tapped Nashville guitarist and producer Doug Lancio (Patty Griffin, John Hiatt). Miller’s avid fans will realize the title phrase points to the artist’s new musical horizons, stretching beyond any of his previous works and reflecting his significant growth as a songwriter.
By the Side of the Road: Why You Need to Visit Old Hill Hard Cider
Just 20 miles away from By The Side of the Road Inn & Cottages is Showalter’s Orchard and Greenhouse, the home of Old Hill Cider and a little slice of heaven. Whether you’re a hard cider fan or not, it’s worth the trip out to see this unique orchard, cidery, and greenhouse!
A Bit of Backstory – Old Hill Cider
The orchard has been harvesting apples since the early 1900s, and the first owner just sold apples for processing. According to Old Hill’s website, the orchard was bought in 1965 by the current owner’s father, and he began to expand the orchard’s potential, first by selling apples directly to the consumer, and later by buying a hydraulic press to make apple juice. Over time, greenhouses were built and other produce was sold. When Shannon and Sarah Showalter bought the farm from his father in 2002, they knew they wanted to grow the business into something sustainable for future generations. So, they initially considered opening a winery, but then were introduced to something they’d never thought of: a hard cidery. Sales of hard cider began in May 2012, and Old Hill Hard Cider was born!
Old Hill Hard Cider – How It’s Different
If your only hard cider experience has been the sweet, syrupy ciders that taste like soda, you’re going to be pleasantly surprised when you try Old Hill Cider. These ciders are distinct, delicious, and food-friendly, very much like a good wine. The hard cider brewing process at Showalter’s Orchard uses modern innovation as well as some of the finest apple varieties available. Their website has a full list of the ciders they have available, like the Old Hill Betwixt Cider, Yesteryear, and Heritage. However, we think you should stop by their tasting room and try them all for yourself!
It’s Not All About the Cider
If you aren’t interested in the alcoholic beverages available (or you have underage guests with you), Showalter’s Orchard and Greenhouse is still be a great stop for your family! Not only do they also have delicious apple juice and apple cider, you can also take a tour of the orchard and let the kids stretch their legs, or have a picnic in a beautiful, scenic location. The greenhouse is fascinating as well, with a wide variety of annuals, perennials, and vegetables. And the gift shop offers an array of unique gifts, like traditional apple cider, apple butter, and candles. If the season is right, you can even pick your own apples!
Stay at By the Side of the Road Inn & Cottages
When you’ve indulged in delicious cider, enjoyed a picnic, and perused the greenhouse, head back to Harrisonburg’s top-rated, luxurious bed and breakfast, By the Side of the Road Inn & Cottages. Our accommodations are second to none, and we have the perfect cottage or suite for you! Our delicious, gourmet breakfasts are delivered right to your door each morning, and our central location is perfect for exploring all that the Shenandoah Valley has to offer. Be sure to download our free Shenandoah Valley vacation guide for some great tips and destinations. Contact us today,online or by calling (540) 801-0430.
The Ultimate Michael Jackson Experience comes to the Wayne Theatre
Who’s Bad: The Ultimate Michael Jackson Experience is an unrivaled celebration of pop music’s one true King. Join us as we pay tribute to the music legend on Friday, October 28, at 8 p.m. at the Wayne Theatre/Ross Performing Arts Center.
Tickets are $30/$35 and go on sale for the public on Tuesday, July 26, 2016 at 10 a.m.
Who’s Bad’s live power-packed performance of Michael Jackson’s expansive catalog has ignited crowds on every continent and can only be described as a jaw-dropping, musical must-see.
As the longest-running Michael Jackson tribute band, and the only one to predate his untimely passing, Who’s Bad has packed The House of Blues franchise all across the United States; rocked DC’s 930 Club and returned to their native Chapel Hill, NC boasting larger, more eagerly-awaited performances with every romp around the globe. Sold-out shows from Colorado’s Bluebird Theatre and LA’s Gibson Amphitheatre and Romania’s Sala Palatalui to Teatro do Bourbon Country (Porto Alegre, Brazil) tell the story: no corner of the earth is safe from this infectious party production.
Who’s Bad has earned its name by paying studious attention to Michael Jackson’s every original groove and gravity-defying dance move, boasting over 100 years of professional experience. They’ve shared stages with the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin, The Backstreet Boys, The Four Tops, Boys II Men, and hip hop superstar, Pitbull.
Whether you idolized the Jackson 5, fell in love to Human Nature, or learned to moonwalk to Billie Jean, Who’s Bad is THE ULTIMATE music-and-dance driven Michael Jackson homage. This band of professionals relentlessly elevate the legacy of pop music’s King, always pushing themselves to be more precise, to raise the level of excitement and awe, while embodying Michael Jackson’s mission to bring people together of all races, genders, and cultures through music.
As the curtain opens on a Who’s Bad performance, every MJ fan feels the adrenaline, screams at the sight of that unmistakable silhouette, and succumbs to a surefire Michael Jackson sing-along. The energy is purely magnetic, the musicianship is first-rate, the dance moves deftly inspired. Who’s Bad is a tribute befitting a King and their high- octane execution of MJ’s music and dance has catapulted them to the exclusive rank of Ultimate!
A scenic drive from A B&B at Llewellyn Lodge
Scenic drives are always special using A B&B at Llewellyn Lodge as your home base. We have several detailed on our Activities book.
Two of our guests recently toured Monticello about an hour away and then sampled a section of the Shenandoah National Park which is 45 minutes away from its most southern point. They were entertained by a Black bear and her two cubs along the way in the Park. Va. game biologists estimate we have 17,000 black bears in the state.
Hardesty-Higgins House announces Pokémon Go Instagram contest
The Hardesty-Higgins House Visitor Center (a Pokémon stop) is launching an Instagram contest for participants of the new popular Pokémon Go game.
Here’s how you can participate and win a Harrisonburg swag bag from Rocktown Gift Shoppe. Prior to capturing the Pokémon, turn on the camera feature, putting the wild Pokémon into the live scene where your camera is facing. Then capture the moment with the in-game camera. Line up your shot and hit the shutter button to take the photo, but be creative with your photos.
Whoever has the most creative picture with the Pokémon character and uses our hashtags (#hburgrocks and #pokemongo) by Monday, August 15th will be entered to win! Please make sure you remember to be safe & respectful while playing the game. Happy hunting!
Join us by discovering Pokémon in our own city. Pokémon GO allows you to find and catch more than a hundred species of Pokémon as you explore your surroundings. Get on your feet and step outside to find and catch wild Pokémon. Explore Harrisonburg to capture as many Pokémon as you can.
As you move around, your smartphone will vibrate to let you know you’re near a Pokémon. Once you’ve encountered a Pokémon, take aim on your smartphone’s touch screen and throw a Poké Ball to catch it. Be careful when you try to catch it, or it might run away!
Mountain Dulcimer Players to appear at Blue Ridge Parkway Picnic
The Blue Ridge Mountain Dulcimer Players will offer demonstrations, styles of playing and hands on participation with the mountain dulcimer on Aug. 20 at the Humpback Rocks Farm, Milepost 5.8 of the Blue Ridge Parkway.
Also on Aug. 20, at noon at the Humpback Rocks Picnic Area, milepost 8.5, “Dulcimer Dinah” Ansley will preview dulcimer playing styles. This Picnic with Friends celebration is sponsored by the Humpback Rocks Chapter of the Friends of the Blue Ridge Parkway as a part of the celebrations for the 100th year of the National Park Service. Events are free and open to the public.
The Blue Ridge Mountain Dulcimer Players Club, which evolved out of a 2011 Music in the Mountains Festival held in Waynesboro and spear-headed by Dulcimer Dinah and about a dozen of her students, now offers two monthly jams, occasional workshops, demonstrations and performances by nationally noted folk musicians. The Appalachian dulcimer or mountain dulcimer is the only instrument indigenous to our Blue Ridge and Appalachian mountains. For more than 100 years, this simple instrument was known mainly to early settlers in isolated hollers and ridges of Appalachia.
In the late 1940’s and early 1950’s, Jean Ritchie of Viper, Kentucky ( known later as the “Mother of Folk”) brought the dulcimer out to the mountains into New York City, where she taught music to children at the Henry Street Settlement. Befriended by Alan Lomax, folklorist with the Library of Congress, Jean Ritchie quickly entered the folk scene in Greenwich Village. There she caught the attention of musicians such as Lead Belly, Pete Seeger, Woody Guthrie and Joan Baez. Today the revival of this once little known instrument has players and clubs in every state of the Union and some players in both the British Isles and areas of Europe.
Besides the dulcimer players the Picnic with Friends event, which runs from 11:00 to 4:00, will feature other old time music, Irish dancing, hikes and old-fashioned games and races. Visitors should bring their own food and a chair to listen to music.