Shenandoah Valley artisan expert to speak at Augusta County Historical Society meeting
Jeff Evans, nationally known expert in 18th & 19th century furniture and domestic arts, will describe the role of early Shenandoah Valley craftsmen in building the area’s rich art and crafts culture in a presentation at the Augusta County Historical Society’s annual fall meeting 3 p.m. Sunday, November 6.
The program, which will follow a brief ACHS business meeting, is free and open to the public. The event will be held at the Augusta County Government Center. Refreshments will be offered after the program.
Evans is President, Principal Auctioneer and Specialist at Jeffrey S. Evans & Associates in Mt. Crawford, Virginia. He has served on the Harrisonburg-Rockingham Historical Society board for 15 years and has published numerous articles, and co-authored a book on Rockingham County pottery.
In his presentation, Evans will include new scholarship and research focusing on 19th century cabinetmakers and potters.
Evans is a nationally recognized expert in early American glass and 18th and 19th century Shenandoah Valley furniture and decorative arts. He has lectured at Colonial Williamsburg, the Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts, the Museum of the Shenandoah Valley, Winterthur Museum and Corning Museum of Glass. He has also provided curatorial guidance at many major institutions.
The ACHS was founded in 1964 to study, collect, preserve, publish, educate about, and promote the history of Augusta County and its communities. More information is available online at www.augustacountyhs.org.
Roanoke set to host first ever Virginia Craft Spirits Showcase
Sip and savor Virginia spirits at the first-ever 100% made-in-Virginia distilled spirits festival, which will be the largest consumer event for in-state distillers on the East Coast, all under one roof.
Patrons of the Virginia Craft Spirits Showcase will meet Master Distillers from more than 20 Virginia distilleries, sample unique cocktails, and get new recipes. All in a fun atmosphere with live music, a food truck from Martins Downtown Bar & Grill, additional food vendors, and a sampling of some of the best Virginia craft beers. Live music provided by My Radio Band. Plus, at the end of the Showcase there will be an interactive Battle of the Bartenders Competition to determine the best Virginia cocktail crafted by regional mixologists!
“We are thrilled to partner with the Virginia Distillers Association (VDA) to bring this exciting new event to Roanoke,” says LeisureMedia360 President Steve Beyer. So far 22 of Virginia’s 42 distilleries have already signed up to participate in this year’s Showcase, and it is expected that even more will come on board as the Showcase grows for years to come. Gareth Moore, VDA President and CEO of Virginia Distillery Company adds in, “With more than half of all Virginia distilleries gathered together in one location, the Virginia Craft Spirits Showcase will be the largest event of its kind on the East Coast!”
Ticket Options
The VIP Experience (Opens at 3PM) A VIP pass gets you 10 tasting tickets plus admission to a hands-on Whiskey OR Moonshine class and tasting taught by Virginia distillers from 3-4pm. Sit, sip, relax and learn from Virginia’s distilled spirit experts about the history of the drink. The VIP pass also includes VIP Lounge Access, which will be catered by Martin’s Downtown Bar & Grill for the entire event. In addition, the VIP pass will grant you early access to the grand tasting floor, before general admission! Be the first in line for drinks and tastes from 22 Virginia distilleries! Souvenir glass for drinks and tastings also included. PLUS – your VIP ticket enters you into a drawing for a chance to win a pair of Free Tickets to see Bob Dylan perform live next door immediately following the Virginia Craft Spirits Showcase!
VIP Experience Tickets: $59.75 / VIP Experience Designated Driver: $25
General Admission (Opens at 4PM) General Admission passes get you 10 tasting tickets for the grand tasting floor, allowing you to come and enjoy great drinks, great tastes, fantastic music and a Battle of the Bartenders Competition you won’t forget! See why Virginia’s distilleries have some of the best spirits in the country! Souvenir glass for drinks and tastings also included.
General Admission Tickets: $29.75 / General Admission Designated Driver: $15
Veterans Day at Fox Hill
Veteran’s Day Fox Hill B&B Suites is appreciative of our veterans for their service to our country and we are proud to be a participant in this year’s B&Bs for Vets program.
Several hundred innkeepers in the United States and Canada will open their doors over Veteran’s Day with complimentary stays to say “thank you” to those who are presently serving or served in the past to protect our nations through the B&Bs for Vets program.
Ruby’s Arcade hosts Bar Games for the ‘Burg
Ruby’s Arcade is rallying downtown businesses and the community for a night of friendly competition to support Harrisonburg Downtown Renaissance.
On November 1st, downtown businesses will compete against each other in four different tournaments at Ruby’s Arcade – duckpin bowling, ping pong, 9-Ball, and foosball – all in one night. Some of the teams participating include Capital Ale House, Matchbox Realty, Shenandoah Bicycle Company, Ruby’s Arcade, Clementine, and James Mchone Jewelry. Spectators will have the opportunity to watch as business owners and downtown entrepreneurs, along with their staff, play for a worthy cause.
The games will begin at 7pm. The team with the most points wins the title of “Master of the Bar Games” and a trophy that will be displayed in their business.
Bar Games for the ‘Burg is the brainchild of Chris Howdyshell, Arcade Manager at Ruby’s Arcade. “I wanted to think outside of the box and design an event that would allow downtown businesses to come together and have some fun while giving back,” says Howdyshell. “It’s an opportunity for us to say thanks to Harrisonburg Downtown Renaissance for all they do.”
Howdyshell created the event to support Harrisonburg Downtown Renaissance’s Back the Burg campaign, a three-month campaign dedicated to raising friends and funds for the ongoing revitalization of downtown Harrisonburg. HDR hopes to raise $15,000 by December 31st. Proceeds from the event will go towards meeting this goal.
There is still space for a few more teams to participate. The entry fee is $20 per team. Register a team of two by emailing Chris Howdyshell at chrishowdyshell@gmail.com.
For more information, please visit www.downtownharrisonburg.org or call 540-432-8922.
Experience Fly Fishing For Trout at Its Best Here in The Shenandoah Valley-
All of our inns at Bed and Breakfasts of the Historic Shenandoah Valley are located close to some of the best trout waters in the country. The fishing season is year round in Virginia.
These streams vary from smaller pristine mountain ones flowing out of the Alleghany Mountains to the West of the Shenandoah Valley and also including ones flowing out of the Blue Ridge Mountains to the East to larger rivers and spring creeks in the Valley.
Many of the colder mountain streams are home to Virginia’s state fish, the Eastern Brook trout, native to these waters. Native Brookies are at the top of the scale when measuring trout beauty. These cold water beauties can only survive in clean 70 degree water temps and below. The Shenandoah National Park in the mid to northern Valley East has many streams which hold them. The Allegheny mountain streams to West have good numbers of these Brookies in Bath, Allegheny, Augusta, Rockingham, Rockbridge, Shenandoah and Highland Counties.
The state of Virginia also has many hundreds of miles of Special Regulation. Delayed Harvest and other Wild Trout water that it manages throughout the Shenandoah Valley and surrounding mountains. Colorful and hard fighting Rainbow, Brown and Brook trout make up most of the trout populations in them. Some of the more famous ones are the Jackson River, Mossy Creek, Passage Creek South River Buffalo Creek, St. Mary’s River, North River, Cowpasture River, Bullpasture River, North Creek, Big Back Creek and Roaring Run to name a few.
Regulations, stream locations and licensing requirements may be reviewed on this website, which features a brand interactive trout stream map and app that be loaded from anywhere. Areas 1, 2 and 3 are where most of our trout streams are located.
There are several flyshops located in the Valley, all have daily or weekly fishing updates South River Flyshop in Waynesboro, Mossy Creek Flyshop in Harrisonburg and Murrays Flyshop in Edinburg. All of these offer guided trips and instruction. Vatrout.com is located in Lexington and offers both introductory fly fishing trips and other Trips for all skill levels.
A great way to experience these beautiful streams is to sample more than one and stay in one or several of our fine bed and breakfasts of the Historic Shenandoah Valley along the way. Finish off you day in comfort with us, all of our innkeepers will be happy to help you on finding a nice restaurant close by as well as giving you local advice on exploring some of the best small towns in America.
More on trout fishing in the Valley: www.vatrout.com.
Who’s Bad: World’s premier Michael Jackson tribute band to perform at Wayne Theatre
The Wayne Theatre/Ross Performing Arts Center pays tribute to the King of Pop, Michael Jackson, on Friday, Oct. 28, with an event featuring Who’s Bad: The Ultimate Michael Jackson Experience.
Tickets for the 8 p.m. concert are $30/$35.
“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. We can’t wait to welcome them to the Wayne Theatre stage,” said Tracy Straight, the executive director of the Wayne Theatre.
Who’s Bad is the longest-running Michael Jackson tribute band, and the only one to predate his untimely passing in 2009.
The band has packed The House of Blues franchise all across the United States and rocked DC’s famed 930 Club, playing to a dedicated fan base by paying studious attention to Michael Jackson’s every original groove and gravity-defying dance move.
The ensemble boasts more than 100 years of professional experience and a team of dancers with resumes that include Broadway productions such as Phantom of the Opera. Who’s Bad founder, composer, and saxophonist Vamsi Tadepalli assembled a cast of North Carolina’s premiere musicians and, from Who’s Bad’s inception, believed in the band’s boundless possibilities.
The vocals and pinpoint choreography of frontmen Joseph Bell and Taalib York’s combined with the six-piece band’s synchronized dance routines, blaring horns and down-deep rhythms, results in a performance delivered with soul and precision superseded by no one but the King himself.
Who’s Bad has shared stages with the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin, The Backstreet Boys, The Four Tops, Boys II Men, and hip hop superstar Pitbull.
The Wayne Theatre/Ross Performing Arts Center is located at 521 West Main Street in downtown Waynesboro.
For more information, call (540) 943-9999 or visit www.waynetheatre.org.
Comedian Emma Willmann coming to Court Square Theater
The United Nations of Comedy Series returns on Friday, November 11th to the Court Square Theater in the heart of downtown Harrisonburg.
The show will be headlined by the hilarious Emma Willmann. Emma was ranked as one of New York’s Top 10 comedians and have appeared on Comedy Central, Live at Gotham, AfterEllen.com, Sirius Radio and a long list of other national credits. Representing the LGBTQ community but also often referred to as your favorite comedian’s favorite comedian. She has what is called in the world as comedy, “crushed” all of the top comedy clubs in the nation and abroad. Now, this hard hitting comic is coming Harrisonburg for one night only.
The United Nations of Comedy (UNOC) Series has brought to the market some of the funniest national comedians as seen in movies, television programs and on syndicated radio broadcasts. The series is a spinoff of the successful UNOC Tour. The project’s mission is to promote diversity through laughter by presenting a multicultural lineup on stage, which represents and serves as a reflection of the local community. If you need to laugh, love to laugh and/or want to laugh, then you must come out to see Emma Willmann on stage.
The Court Square Theater was chosen as the host venue due to its accessible and convenient location, comfortable seating and its diversification of the arts. The ample downtown parking adds to the theater’s attributes. Every ticket purchaser will receive a 10% discount card to be used on every future show of the comedy series. Emma will be accompanied by guest comedian, TJ Ferguson, so prepare for an exciting evening.
Tickets are on sale now for only $15 in advance and $18 at the door so get them early and save. Buy yours now by phone: 540.433.9189 or safely online at UnitedNationsofComedy.com or ValleyArts.org
Doors of the Court Square Theater opens at 7:30pm and showtime starts at 8:00pm. The Theater is located at 41-F Court Square, Harrisonburg, VA 22801. Free ample parking is available and seating is handicap accessible.
To sponsor this event, call 434.825.0650 or email: asureshot1@gmail.com.
How You Should Celebrate Christmas in Harrisonburg
As the holidays draw near and the air gets chilly, the thought of Christmas brings whimsical events and warm memories. Christmas in Harrisonburg offers just that! Picture snow gently falling as you sit by the fireplace with a warm cup of hot chocolate. Doesn’t that sound ideal? Take some time to celebrate the season in Harrisonburg, VA, this winter.
Find out more about all of the fun things to do near By the Side of the Road Inn & Cottages when you download our free Vacation Guide. It’s full of the best recommendations for things to see and do like spending Christmas in Harrisonburg, VA.
Make Memories When You Celebrate Christmas in Harrisonburg
The first weekend in December is full of great Christmas events for the whole family. The delightful Harrisonburg Christmas Parade and Tree Lighting Ceremony will be hosted by the Harrisonburg Parks and Recreation Department. Be sure to wear lots of layers and bundle up, because it will be cold during this winter event. The Christmas parade makes its way from the Rockingham County Office Building on Gay Street and marches down to the corner of Grattan and Main Street. The theme for this year’s Christmas parade is Lights on Parade, so be prepared for exciting floats full of holiday lights. The excitement doesn’t end at the end of the parade, though. Once the parade has finished, the mayor will host a holiday tree lighting ceremony in Court Square. It’s a fun way to ring in the holiday season and kick off Christmas. After the tree lighting, be sure to stick around for a holiday concert performed by the James Madison University Marching Royal Dukes. You’ll be humming the tunes all the way back to your room!
It Wouldn’t Be the Holiday Season Without Holiday Craft Shows
Get your holiday craft fix at the Christmas Arts and Crafts Show at the Rockingham County Fair. Offered on the same weekend of the Christmas parade, you can check out the Christmas Arts and Crafts Show beginning at 9 a.m. both Saturday and Sunday. Located at Exhibit Hall, you can peruse the cornucopia of holiday crafts, gift items, ornaments, wreaths, and more! Be sure to check out the jewelry and candles, too. Help these vendors celebrate the holiday season by purchasing their handmade crafts. You will find one-of-a-kind items that are sure to make your Christmas traditions more special. Admission is free for this event, so spend the morning of parade day shopping!
Stay in a Whimsical Cottage as the Snow Falls
Why not make this Christmas as magical as possible? When you stay at By the Side of the Road Inn & Cottages in Harrisonburg, VA, you’ll do just that. Our luxurious cottages and rooms make for the perfect family holiday getaway. Our delicious breakfast will make you think you woke up at home on Christmas morning! So, what are you waiting for? Contact us today to book your new favorite holiday tradition! If you need more ideas for things to do during your stay, then download our free Vacation Guide!
Everything You Need to Know About The Harrisonburg, VA Turkey Trot
With the holidays comes food – a lot of it – and if there’s one day that’s synonymous with expanding waistlines, it’s Thanksgiving. Around here, the best way to offset the impending feast is at the Harrisonburg, VA turkey trot! Start Thanksgiving with an exciting dash through Downtown Harrisonburg at the Rocktown Turkey Trot. A yearly tradition that the whole family can enjoy, the Turkey Trot is a fun way to break a sweat for a good cause!
The Harrisonburg, VA turkey trot is just one of many reasons why you’ll love visiting our city. For a full list of the best restaurants and attractions in the Shenandoah Valley, download our free Vacation Guide!
Fun With A Cause at the Harrisonburg, VA Turkey Trot
Before the turkey dinner is served and the football games start, runners will hit the pavement in Harrisonburg on Thanksgiving morning. But they won’t be running just to burn calories and compete. Presented by VA Momentum, the 2016 Rocktown Turkey Trot helps those in need by contributing to the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank. Runners are required to bring a canned food item with them, and in addition to the food, a portion of the cash proceeds from the race will be donated to the food bank.
The Race
Regular racers and casual joggers alike will have a blast at the Rocktown Turkey Trot! The race is four miles long, consisting of two laps and a scenic tour of Downtown Harrisonburg. Runners ages 3-12 will love the Gobble Gobble Kids Dash, kid-friendly .35-mile run held at 8 a.m., shortly before the main race.
Before the race begins, a turkey will be pardoned, in keeping with both the tradition of the race, as well as the POTUS (read this article for more information about the funky tradition). The Turkey Trot will start at 8:30 a.m., followed by an awards ceremony at 9:30 a.m. Sprint to the finish line and compete for a prize in your age category (given to the top male and female runners in each age group), or take your time and enjoy beautiful Harrisonburg. If you aren’t in a rush, make sure you grab a cup of pumpkin pie along the way! Full race details and maps can be found on theTurkey Trot website.
Ready to Run?
The Harrisonburg, VA turkey trot will take place this Thanksgiving, Thursday, Nov. 24, 2016. Everyone who registers will receive a long sleeve race shirt, a drawstring bag, and more, according to the race website. Make sure you pick up your race packet the day before – no race day pickups are allowed!
To register and learn more about the race, visit the Rocktown Turkey Trot online or contact VA Momentum.
Experience the Best of Harrisonburg with By the Side of the Road Inn & Cottages
The Shenandoah Valley draws people from all around the country, and with good reason. The scenery is breathtaking and the atmosphere is warm and welcoming. Harrisonburg features everything there is to love about the area, and the best place to stay in town in is By the Side of the Road Inn & Cottages. Visit us online to learn more about our inviting, romantic accommodations and our delicious gourmet breakfast options. Make sure you download our free Shenandoah Valley vacation guide, too! Then contact us today to plan your next escape.
Virginia Tech to host major conference with nation’s senior military colleges
The Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets will host senior leaders and cadets from the country’s six senior military colleges Oct. 23-25 in Blacksburg.
This Association of Military Colleges and Schools of the United States’ conference, which moves its venue among the participating schools annually, gives senior leaders a chance to talk about topics that affect all the military colleges, said Maj. Gen. Randal Fullhart, commandant of cadets.
Topics to be discussed include curriculum, leader professional development standards, military commissioning programs, Title IX issues, and Department of Defense and military service initiatives. Representatives from all the military services and the Office of the Secretary of Defense also will attend.
Fullhart serves as this year’s president of the association, which was founded in 1914 and today represents more than 40 accredited military colleges and college preparatory schools around the country.
“Being a senior military college, established in law, means the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets and our experienced staff, along with top-tier ROTC programs, help differentiate Virginia Tech from other universities and certainly puts us in a position to be of value to every single Destination Area being developed, most particularly integrated security,” Fullhart said.
Destination Areas are pockets of disciplinary and interdisciplinary strength that set Virginia Tech above other universities. The Integrated Security Destination Area seeks to identify, understand, and mitigate vulnerabilities to increase global security and to address the critical workforce and technology needs of state and federal and defense sectors.
Cadet David Robison, of Christiansburg, Virginia, a senior majoring in history in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences, was one of two cadets who participated in discussions at last year’s conference, hosted by the University of North Georgia.
“Attending the conference allowed me to gain a better insight into the workings of other senior military colleges, as well as gain a few more leadership tools to bring back to the corps,” Robinson said.