150th Anniversary of Willa Cather’s Birth

150TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION of Willa Cather’s Birth

Thursday, Dec. 7, 2023
1 to 3 p.m.
Hollingsworth Mill
1340 S. Pleasant Valley Road
Winchester, Va 22601

Share a piece of cake with Willa Cather fans and family at the celebration. The Frederick County native was born Dec. 7, 1873 in the Gore area.
The 2023 Winchester-Frederick County Society’s journal, which chronicles the life and accomplishments of the author, will be available for purchase for $10.

Civil War Tour at Fort Collier

As part of the McCormick Civil War Institute’s ongoing partnership with the Fort Collier Civil War Center, MCWI’s director Jonathan Noyalas will conduct a special tour on Saturday, Sept. 16, “‘The Scene as I Remember It’: Reflections on Experiences at Fort Collier During the Civil War,” in observance of the 159th anniversary of the Third Battle of Winchester.

The tour, which will begin at 9:30 a.m., will explore various personalities, soldiers, and civilians, connected to Fort Collier. The tour will last approximately 75 minutes. The event is free and open to the public. No pre-registration is required.

Newtown Heritage Festival

This free family festival includes a parade, food vendors, kids activities, live entertainment, fireworks, and more. Walk into history and learn about the early days of Stephens City as you visit the Stone House Foundation Museums – the Transportation Exhibit at the Stephens City Schoolhouse, Newtown Tavern, Argenbright House & Shed, Stone House, and Steele & Brother Store (all on Main Street). The Museums will be open 10am-4pm Saturday.

The event takes place up and down Main Street from Newtown Commons to the Old School grounds. (5165 through 5516 Main Street)

Event Schedule: https://newtownheritagefestival.org/event-schedule/

“Hungry For History” Food History Event

Winchester – Frederick County – Clarke County

Join us for this brand new event that explores our area’s history, but also ties in something that EVERYONE loves – food!

Museums and historic sites in our community will offer a variety of programs and special events such as presentations, cooking demonstrations, hands-on activities, children’s activities, food tastings, special handouts and giveaways, displays of historic recipes, agriculture related programs and more.

Topics will span our area’s history from many eras!

Download the Event Program

Schedule of Events: (K=Kid-friendly, $=Admission fee applies)

ABRAM’S DELIGHT MUSEUM – Friday, Sept. 1, 11am-4pm

History from the Hearth
Hearth cooking demonstrations at the 1780’s log cabin. Visitors will learn about colonial food preparation. The recipes will reveal patterns of seasonal activity and daily life. 1340 S. Pleasant Valley Rd, Winchester.

BELLE GROVE PLANTATION – Saturday, Aug. 26, 11am-6pm
Belle Grove Wine Festival will feature area vineyards and cideries plus a featured brewery, meadery, and distillery! There will be chef demonstrations throughout the day that will highlight historic recipes and foodways. 336 Belle Grove Rd, Middletown. $

CEDAR CREEK AND BELLE GROVE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK – Sunday, Sept. 3, 2:30pm

Kneading in Silence: A Glimpse into the Life of the Enslaved Cook Judah
This 30 minute presentation discussing the life of Judah, the enslaved cook of Belle Grove. Purchased by the Hite’s with her two young boys, Judah remained their cook until her death in 1836. This program will take place in the winter kitchen of the Belle Grove Plantation Manor House. 336 Belle Grove Rd, Middletown.

CEDAR CREEK BATTLEFIELD FOUNDATION
Civil War Kids Camp (registration required) Saturday, Aug. 26
Attendees will explore multiple elements of life during the Civil War as a soldier or civilian, including cooking demonstrations and lessons by costumed interpreters! K

Free museum admission and special program – Saturday, Aug. 26-Sept. 3
Visit the FREE Cedar Creek Museum (closed Tues and Wed) to learn about rations and resources available to soldiers during the Civil War era, food preservation and preparation during the mid-19th century, and for hands-on activities, like learning how to make your own butter! 8437 Valley Pike, Middletown. K

CLARKE COUNTY HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION – Saturday, Aug. 26, 11am-2pm
The Burwell-Morgan Mill partners with Locke Store and the Loudoun Farm Heritage Museum to celebrate Hungry for History Food Week. Visitors will be able to observe apple butter being made in the hearth upstairs at the Mill. Tastings of this butter will be on bread baked at Locke Store using locally grown wheat ground at the Mill. 15 Tannery Ln, Millwood. K

HANDLEY LIBRARY – Thursday, Aug. 31, 5:30-7pm
An agent from the Virginia Cooperative Extension will host an introductory course on basic food preservation and canning in the auditorium of the Handley Library. 100 W. Piccadilly St, Winchester.

JOSEPHINE SCHOOL COMMUNITY MUSEUM – Saturday, Aug. 26, 11am-2pm
The Josephine Museum will celebrate culinary legend from Josephine Street, Mrs. Geneva Jackson. She will share her story, perhaps a favorite recipe and cooking tips, and samples to taste. The related exhibit will be on display for the week during normal hours or by appointment. 303 Josephine St, Berryville.

KERNSTOWN BATTLEFIELD – Saturday, Aug. 26 and Saturday, Sept. 2, 11am and 1pm
Learn about the importance of cornbread at this free lecture on two Saturdays at 11am and 1pm. Participants will receive recipe cards for both Yankee cornbread and Southern style cornbread.

MUSEUM OF THE SHENANDOAH VALLEY – Aug. 26 – Sept. 4
Drop by and grab one of our self-guided garden tour handouts highlighting native food cultivars with historical uses that are grown right here in the MSV gardens! 901 Amherst St, Winchester. $

NEWTOWN HISTORY CENTER – By reservation, Aug. 26-Sept. 4
The Newtown History Center will offer a program for homeschoolers to look for and discuss changes in food technology, as seen with artifacts in the Steele Bros. Store exhibit. 5408 Main St, Stephens City. Admission: $1 per student. $, K

OLD TOWN WINCHESTER WALKING TOUR – Friday, Sept. 1, 6pm
Take a historic walking tour of Old Town Winchester that showcases some important food-related business establishments, and includes food habits of Winchester residents from the past, including during the Civil War. $10 per person, call (540) 542-1326 or sign up online to make a reservation. 2 N. Cameron St, Winchester. $

PATSY CLINE HISTORIC HOUSE – Saturday, Sept. 2, 10am-4pm
Celebrate “Patsy’s Homegrown Roots” during the annual Patsy Cline Block Party! Learn how Patsy Cline’s family practiced small-scale subsistence farming while tasting two cakes from the family’s recipe book! “Patsy’s Homegrown Roots” is sponsored by Carter + Burton Architecture and Purcé – Market & Cafe. 608 S. Kent St, Winchester. K

SHENANDOAH VALLEY DISCOVERY MUSEUM – Aug. 26 -Sept. 4, Open Wed-Sat, 9:30am to 3:30pm, Sun 12:30-3:30pm
Museum admission will include an apple for all visitors, information about the history of apples in Winchester, plus apple activities and crafts. Guests can also spend time in the Longhouse to learn more about Native Americans! 19 W. Cork St, Winchester. $, K

STONEWALL JACKSON’S HEADQUARTERS – Sun, Aug. 27 at 1pm, Thurs, Aug. 31 at 11am and Mon, Sept. 4 at 11am
Special presentation from Brian Daly – “Jackson, the Man and the Foods he Ate” From his book of maxims: Be temperate. Eat too little rather than too much. 415 N. Braddock Street, Winchester. $

SANCTUARY ON THE TRAIL at the WINCHESTER-FREDERICK COUNTY VISITORS CENTER – Sunday, Aug.27, 1-4pm
Celebrate the enduring legacies of American Indian Indigenous traditional and contemporary food and art forms with presentations from Indigenous historical
interpreters, craftspeople with demonstrations, dancing by Rick Perry (Cree, Aaniiih),and a special food documentary short-film. 1400 S. Pleasant Valley Rd, Winchester. K
1:30pm: Wild Food Nutrition and Pottery – Kayce Heister (Pamunkey)
2pm: Wild Food Foraging – Clay Morris (Arapaho)
2:30pm: Plants, Seeds, Bees and More – Carrie Fox (Lenape)
3pm: Indigenous Food Literature and Storytelling – René Locklear White (Lumbee)

Restaurants & breweries offering limited time menu items
August 26 – September 4

Participating restaurants and brewery:

Broken Window Brewing Company
Broken Window has brewed a special Pre-prohibition American Porter, a beer popular in the United States in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The barley used in this recipe is an older six-row barley ground at the historic Burwell-Morgan Mill. This type of porter is an American adaptation of an English Porter and includes chocolate rye and molasses in the recipe. 14 W. Boscawen St, Winchester.

High Point Restaurant
The restaurant will offer on their menu three dishes from Stephens City Food & Fables, a cookbook published for the Newtown Heritage Festival, including: Grandma’s Biscuits by Jaquetta Owen, Pork Chops with Butter Beans by Noel Anne Nuri Sciegaj, and Jesse’s Apple Cake by Jesse L. Curry.
5106 Main St, Stephens City.

Vault & Cellar
Specials will include Bourbon molasses glazed pork belly topped with pickled watermelon rind served with soup beans and cornbread, Rabbit dumplings, and Apple stack cake, in addition to flitch – a traditional potato candy from Appalachia.
Numerous drink specials will also be offered, including a bourbon flight with historic Virginia ties and Grandpa’s Gatorade cocktail – a recipe featuring switchel, historically created to replenish electrolytes after a hot day laboring outside, with apple cider vinegar, ginger, honey, salt balanced strawberry rhubarb shrub and Bowman Brothers Virginia made whiskey.
7843 Main St, Middletown.

Interactive experiences at Vault & Cellar:
August 30th at 6pm (Reservation: 540-508-0640)
“Create your own pickle” class – Chose your own spice mix and use local produce to create your own pickle!

September 1st at 6pm (Reservation: 540-508-0640)
Whiskey tasting class (Also available all week for independent tasting)

Locke Store
The Locke Store will be partnering with the Burwell-Morgan Mill to bake bread from wheat ground at the historic mill, where you can taste it paired with apple butter made fresh on the mill’s upstairs hearth. 2049 Millwood Rd, Millwood.

Bonnie Blue Southern Market & Bakery
Bonnie uses an abundance of local meats and fresh produce from the Shenandoah Valley. Specials include Bonnie’s Hoecakes, one of George Washingtons favorite meals. They will also be offering homemade Apple Turnover Hand Pie, Bonnie Bar Dessert made fresh by Gabby, Bonnie’s baker.
334 W. Boscawen St, Winchester.

George Washington Hotel Brunch and Bridal Boutique

Designed to be intimate and informative “The George Washington Brunch and Bridal Boutique’’ has everything you need to turn your dream wedding into a reality! On November 20th, 2022, join us at the Shenandoah Valley’s most exciting fall bridal expo, hosted by Magnolia Wedding Collective.

Planning your wedding can quickly go from fun and exciting to challenging and overwhelming! With so many bridal sites, magazines, and Pinterest boards… how will you choose what will be part of your wedding day? In the whirlwind of wedding planning, how will you guarantee that everything you see online or in magazines is really as amazing as it looks?

Whether you are just starting your planning, finishing up the last details, or somewhere in between, you will find exactly what you are looking to make your wedding planning experience less time-consuming, less stressful, and within your budget. Our carefully selected experts are ready to offer advice on creating timeless memories for your perfect wedding.

Day of highlights:
Bring your friends and family and meet the areas leading wedding professionals on display to plan your perfect wedding day!
Meet the best wedding vendors and learn about their services while seeing their work in person!
Sample desserts, cakes, and catering samples!
Get special offers only available to boutique expo guests!
Enjoy one of a kind runway show featuring gowns from The Valley Bride and styled sets.
Couples in attendance will have a chance to win thousands of dollars in prizes by participating wedding vendors

Grand Prize giveaway

Receive our boutique booklet with special offers from our vendors

Treat yourself to a signature mimosa, capture the beauty of your engagement ring in our Ring Selfie Station, Let us surprise you with what you can accomplish in just one day.

More information and tickets

Live in Concert: Ranky Tanky

Ranky Tanky kicks off the season with an unforgettable opening concert featuring playful songs, soulful vocals and funky beats that celebrate the enduring spirit of the Gullah, while forging a new path for American music.

The Grammy Award-winning, Charleston, South Carolina-based quintet Ranky Tanky draws inspiration from the rich and resilient culture of the Gullah, who have lived in the Sea Islands and coastal plains of the Southeastern United States for centuries, preserving many of their Central and West African roots.

Ranky Tanky, a Gullah phrase for “get funky,” combines the stories, rhythms, shouts and beats of the Gullah with jazz and gospel traditions to create a wholly unique style of American music that has been described as “soulful honey to the ears” (NPR) and earned the ensemble several #1 spots on Billboard and Jazz charts. The band kicks off Shenandoah Conservatory’s 2022/23 season with an unforgettable opening concert featuring playful songs, soulful vocals and funky beats that celebrate the enduring spirit of the Gullah, while forging a new path for American music.

Join us after the show for cocktails and refreshments in the Armstrong Hall Courtyard (ticket includes access to the Season Kick-off Party)!

Tickets may be purchased at the box office or via the link provided: https://tickets.su.edu/22-09-ranky-tanky

Box Office at Shenandoah University:
1460 University Dr
Winchester, VA 22601

Harvest Wine Dinner

Harvest season is the season for gathering to signify the beginning of Autumn.

This harvest season, we are joining together for a unique Harvest Wine Dinner! Join us in the newly renovated Salon Lounge at James Charles on Saturday, September 24th at 6:30 PM for an elegant, four course meal! Experience a delectable and locally sourced meal prepared by Chef Michael Oehisen. Each Farm to Table course will be perfectly paired with a James Charles wine.

The evening will begin at 6:30 PM with a complimentary specialty drink and hors d’oeuvres.
The Second Course of the evening will be served at 7 pm and will be an Arugula & Mesclun Salad with goat cheese, roasted garlic spiced walnuts and pickled red onion, tossed in a white wine lemon spritz.

The Third Course will be an option of either: (choices will be picked at checkout)
Orr’s Apple Cider braised/cherry wood smoked center cut pork tenderloin topped with a roasted plum chutney.
OR
Orecchiette with pan seared Tiger Shrimp, roasted corn & chilis topped with a Crème Fraiche and fresh cilantro.

Each option will be accompanied with roasted Acorn Squash with caramelized walnuts and port hydrated cranberries, and fire roasted brussels sprouts & cherry tomatoes with grated aged parmesan.

The Fourth Course will be a Pumpkin Cheesecake Trifle with salted caramel & Bailey’s Pumpkin Liquor Cream.
Reservations for this four course wine paired meal are available for $90.00 per guest. Service fee includes meal tax and a 20% gratuity. Seating is limited, so reserve a space now!
https://jamescharleswine.xudle.com/res-511341/Harvest-Wine-Dinner.html

Guided History Walking Tour of Old Town Winchester

Experience 275 years of history on this guided walking tour! Learn about the citizens that lived here and the pivotal events that made Winchester the place it is today. These tours are given by experienced and knowledgeable guides that enjoy sharing their love of local history.

Make your reservation by calling 540-542-1326.

Cost: $10, payable to the guide.

Meet at 2 N. Cameron Street (the corner of Cameron and Boscawen Street, Winchester, Virginia)

Tours are offered May – October
1st and 3rd Fridays at 6pm
2nd and 4th Sundays at 4pm

More tours are available. See: https://visitwinchesterva.com/guided-tours/

Living History: Election of George Washington

Relive the 1758 election of Col. George Washington of the Virginia Regiment to the Virginia House of Burgesses from Frederick County!

This election was Washington’s first election to public office.

Visitors are encouraged to participate in the re-enactment as voters in the election at the very site where the election was held in 1758. Be a part of history, Vote for George.

Master brewer Tim Arndt has re-created a beer from an original recipe of Washington’s to be served at the event.
The event will be held July 24 from 5 pm to 9 pm on the grounds of the Old Court House on the Loudoun Street Mall in Winchester, VA. The event is free to the public.

The event is being co-sponsored by the French & Indian War Foundation of Winchester, VA, and the Virginia Beer Museum of Front Royal, VA.