Around Clarke in July/August

July

 

18

On This Day

Cool Spring Anniversary Tour, 4pm. Join Jonathan Noyales and National Park Service Ranger Shannon Moeck for a tour of the Battle of Cool Spring. Meet at the gift shop at Our Lady of the Holy Cross Abbey. 901 Cool Spring Lane, Berryville, Virginia.

 

19

/20 2nd Battle of Kernstown

150th Commemoration of the Second Battle of Kernstown. Admission Free. Kernstown Battlefield, 610 Battle Park Drive, Winchester. Guided battlefield walking tours, guided tours of the antebellum Pritchard House, live period music, period fashion shows and featuring living history demonstrations with sharpshooters and cavalry units. Light refreshments will be available for purchase. Visitor Center and gift shop open daily. Other activities include a day-long motorcoach tour on July 19 with author/historian Scott Patchan Saturday and Sunday, July 19-20, 2014 9am–5pm. For information visit http://www.kernstownbattle.org.

 

19-26 Little Mermaid, Jr.

Winchester Little Theater, 315 W Boscawen St, Winchester. Based on the Hans Christian Anderson story and the Disney version. Call 540-662-3331 or visit www.wltonline.org for more information.

 

19

Exhibit Opening

“Brother James Sommers, Artifacts of Cool Springs,” 11am–4pm. Artifacts from the Battle of Cool Springs collected by Brother James Sommers of Holy Cross Abbey will be on display. Exhibit will be open by appointment throughout the summer. 1400 Parker Lane, Bluemont, Virginia. For more information or appointments call 540-955-2600.

 

20

Author, Marc Leepson

4pm Barns of Rose Hill, Berryville. Journalist, historian, and author, Marc Leepson will give a lively talk on his new book, “What So Proudly We Hailed: Francis Scott Key: A Life”, the first full-length biography of the author of “The Star-Spangled Banner” in more than seventy-five years. The event is free and open to the public. A book signing will follow the talk.

 

20

Sunday Buffet

11am–2pm.Blue Ridge Volunteer Fire Department. 131 Retreat Road, Bluemont.

 

20

VHSA Horse and Pony Hunter Show

Sandstone Farm, 3805 Millwood Road, Millwood, Virginia www.sandstonefarm.com. For information call 540-837-1261.

 

21

General Foolishness

Presented by Handley Library 10:30am Barns of Rose Hill, Paul Hadfield brings on a zany, fast-paced Clown Theater program combining a broad array of circus skills, music, and physical comedy. The General’s self-importance magnifies his foibles to hilarious proportions. The show includes juggling, slapstick comedy, and lots of audience participation.  Since 1985, General Foolishness has been performed at hundreds of schools, theaters, and festivals, including the National Theatre in Washington, D.C., the International Children’s Festival at Wolftrap, and the China Children’s Festival in Taiwan. www.thefunnyguy.com. Free.

 

23

Mary Poppins

Through August 3. Ohrstrom-Bryant Theatre 620 Millwood Avenue, Winchester,  For information call 540-665-4569 or visit www.shenandoahsummermusictheatre.com.

 

23

Winchester Royals

vs. Strasburg Express 7-10pm Jim Barnett Park, Winchester. Bring the family and come out to enjoy a good old fashioned night at the ball park. General Admission Ticket Prices: $5.00 Adults, $3.00 Senior Citizens (60 & Over), $2.00 Youth (6 To 12 Years), Free under 6 years of age .

 

25

Bluemont Concert Series

Solas, traditional Irish super group, 7:30 Loudoun Street Mall, Winchester. Admission: $5 per person, $4 Bluemont Friends & Seniors, $2 kids under 12. Solas is one of the most popular, influential, and exciting Celtic bands to emerge from the United States. The band is deeply rooted in Irish traditional music while incorporating new rhythms and syncopation, counterpoint melodies, and original arrangements. For information visit bluemont.org/Concerts/Winchester or call 540-955-8287.

 

25

Fly-by-Night Creatures

7-9 pm Blandy Experimental Farm, Boyce. Up Close and Personal with Bats, Owls & Swifts with Dr. Belinda Burwell, from the Blue Ridge Wildlife Center. They will have live bats and owls to see, and with luck the swifts will entertain everyone overhead. End with a night walk in search of these creatures and more. FOSA Members $10, nonmembers $12, family $20 Presented by Blandy Experimental Farm and the Blue Ridge Wildlife Center www.blandy.virginia.edu or 837-1758 Ext. 224

 

26

Jazz and Jambalaya

The Josephine School Museum presents A New Orleans Inspired Evening. 7-10pm Millwood Country Club, 340 Country Club Ln, Boyce, VA The theme is New Orleans complete with music and the food of New Orleans. The dress is business casual. Tickets are $50 per person or 2 for $80 Call the Museum at 540-955-5512 to purchase tickets. for more on The Josephine School Museum visit www.jschoolmuseum.org.

 

26

Furnace Mountain

8pm Barns of Rose Hill, Berryville. The music of Furnace Mountain is at times lively and raucous, with spirited fiddle melodies weaving in and around the powerful rhythms of the bass and bouzouki. It is at other times poignant and poetic, with sublime vocal harmonies beautifully interpreting some of the oldest songs ever written. For tickets call 540-955-2004, or stop by. $15.00 in advance, $20.00 at the door, 12 and under free.

 

26

ET

Outdoor Movie Screening of ET. Historic Long Branch, Boyce. Gates Open at 6:30 pm. Movie begins at 8pm. This is the first of four quintessential ’80s films that will be shown this summer in the Natural Outdoor Amphitheater at Long Branch. Bring blankets or chairs, and snacks. Movie concessions will be available for purchase. Rain or Shine (Movies held indoors if it rains). $5.00 per person. Ages 10 & under free. For more information contact Cassie Ward at cward@visitlongbranch.org or 540-837-1856 or visit www.visitlongbranch.org/events

 

28

Great Big Faces

Presented by Handley Library, 10:30am, Barns of Rose Hill. Paul Merklein uses cartooning to draw audiences into the world of storybook characters, entertaining everyone in the process. In a one hour program, Paul can draw 10–12 giant faces and interact with the crowd while doing so. He has entertained at Chicago Bulls games, Milwaukee Irish Fest, Harvard University, colleges and special events around the country. Free.

 

29

A Cook’s Herb Garden

Blandy Experimental Farm, Boyce 2-3:30 p.m. with Billie Clifton, from Sunflower Cottage Farm. Herbs add tremendously to gardens, landscapes, and meals. Learn how to grow and use herbs from a full-time herb grower and nursery operator. FOSA members $10, nonmembers $12 www.blandy.virginia.edu or 837-1758 Ext. 224.

 

30

Robbie Limon

6– 9pm Chet Hobert Park, sponsored by: Bank of Clarke County & Berryville and True Value Hardware. In inclement weather, the concert will move inside. See http://www.clarkecounty.gov/parks 540-955-5140.

 

31

Introduction to Mindfulness

7-9 pm. Blandy Experimental Farm, Boyce. Shell Fischer, Insight Meditation Instructor. Mindfulness meditation can help reduce pain and stress, and increase well-being. Learn mindfulness meditation through discussion, guided meditation, and other exercises. FOSA members $10, nonmembers $12 For those 16 and older www.blandy.virginia.edu or 540-837-1758 Ext. 224.

 

August

 

1

Bluemont Concert Series

Jimmy Gaudreau & Moondi Klein’s acoustic country. 7:30pm Loudoun Street Mall, Winchester. Admission: $5 per person, $4 Bluemont Friends & Seniors, $2 kids under 12. For more information visit bluemont.org/Concerts/Winchester or call 540-955-8287.

 

2

The Princess Bride

Outdoor Movie Screening at Historic Long Branch. Gates Open at 6:30pm. Movie Begins at 8pm. Second in a series of 80s films that will be shown this summer in the Natural Outdoor Amphitheater at Long Branch. Bring blankets or chairs, and snacks. Movie concessions will be available for purchase. Rain or shine (movies held indoors if it rains). $5 per person. Ages 10 & under free. For information contact Cassie Ward at cward@visitlongbranch.org or 540-837-1856 or visit www.visitlongbranch.org/events.

 

6

Bitter Liberals CD Release

8pm Barns of Rose Hill, Berryville. The Bitter Liberals is a band of focused concentration and joyful collaboration, encompassing many years of musical experience. They play all original music of texture and maturity, featuring rich story-telling, fine vocals, and the seasoned musicianship of Allen Kitselman, Mike Jewell, Clark Hansbarger, and Gary McGraw. Join us for one of our favorite local bands as they release their second recording! For tickets call us at 540-955-2004, or stop by. $15.00 in advance, $20.00 at the door, 12 and under free.

 

8

Bluemont Concert Series

Martinsburg Jazz Orchestra – jazz and swing . 7:30 Loudoun Street Mall, Winchester. Admission: $5 per person, $4 Bluemont Friends & Seniors, $2 kids under 12. A 16-piece big band ensemble, which has been performing at a variety of venues in the Shenandoah Valley region for more than 20 years. For more information visit bluemont.org/Concerts/Winchester or call 540-955-8287.

9

Duvall Gallery

Art Opening: Kathy Dansie, 5-7pm 2053 Millwood Road, Millwood, VA. The gallery is located across from historic Burwell Morgan Mill & next to Locke Store. Dansie is a respected mixed media artist and painter currently living in Winchester whose process is active and ever exploring the color, texture and layers in her vision. Her work is abstract yet engaging with a recognizable presence that divulges further over time. http://www.duvalldesignsgallery.com/#!kathy-dansie/c1b46.

 

9

Red Dawn

Outdoor Movie Screening at Historic Long Branch. Gates Open at 6:30 pm. Movie Begins at 8:00 pm. Third in a series of 80s films that will be shown this summer in the Natural Outdoor Amphitheater at Long Branch. Bring blankets or chairs, and snacks. Movie concessions will be available for purchase. Rain or shine (movies held indoors if it rains). $5.00 per person. Ages 10 & under free. For information contact Cassie Ward at cward@visitlongbranch.org or 540-837-1856 or visit www.visitlongbranch.org/events.

 

10

The Poetry of Earth

7-8:30 pm Blandy Experimental Farm, Boyce. Revel in the beauty and transforming power of nature through the written and spoken word. Three performers—Kristin Zimet, Jerry Tracy, and Nancy Ticknor—bring to life poems that celebrate, respond to, and advocate for the natural world. FOSA members $10, non members $12, family $20. www.blandy.virginia.edu or 837-1758 Ext. 224.

 

10

VHSA Horse and Pony Hunter Show

Sandstone Farm, 3805 Millwood Road, Millwood; www.sandstonefarm.com For information call 540-837-1261.

 

10

/16 Clarke County Fair

60th Annual. Ruritan Fairgrounds, Berryville. A collection of livestock exhibits, carnival rides, farm, garden and other exhibits. These events convey the county’s love of agricultural and home interests and define and unite us as a community. Carnival Rides provided by Cole Shows Amusement Company, Inc. For admission rates and schedules visit http://www.clarkecountyfair.org.

 

12

Reading Trees

An Introduction to Tree Identification 9-11:30 am Blandy Experimental Farm, Boyce. Carrie Blair, Virginia Native Plant Society will teach you how to identify trees using simple keys, books, and memory tools she has developed. Wear comfortable shoes, and bring cameras, notebooks, field guides, hand lenses, and a mystery branch or leaf. FOSA members $10, non members $12 www.blandy.virginia.edu or 540-837-1758 Ext. 224

 

15

Bluemont Concert Series

Hard Swimmin’ Fish- blues. 7:30 Loudoun Street Mall, Winchester. Admission: $5 per person, $4 Bluemont Friends & seniors, $2 kids under 12. The band plays a range of styles covering the country blues of Mississippi and The Piedmont, the urban blues of Chicago, and funk infused varieties with roots in New Orleans’ second line. For information visit bluemont.org/Concerts/Winchester or call 540-955-8287.

 

16

The Rolling Coyotes

7:30pm Barns of Rose Hill, Berryville (Doors open at 6:30) Thirteen-year-old Evan Frank of Harpers Ferry wants to raise money to have 100 clean water wells drilled in South Africa. Steve Warner and The Rolling Coyotes want to help him with this mission by performing a concert in which 100 percent of their proceeds go to Evan’s cause. Their style is Americana acoustic-based music that touches on many genres—folk, country, string band, swing, jazz and rock. The event will also feature local magician, Ernie Benner, performing parlor magic for everyone. Ernie is also donating his talent to the cause. $12.00 in advance, $15.00 at the door, 12 and under free.

 

16

National Lampoon’s Vacation

Outdoor Movie Screening at Historic Long Branch. Gates Open at 6:30pm. Movie Begins at 8pm. Last in a series of 80s films that will be shown this summer in the Natural Outdoor Amphitheater at Long Branch. Bring blankets or chairs, and snacks. Movie concessions will be available for purchase. Rain or Shine (Movies held indoors if it rains). $5 per person. Ages 10 & under free. For more information contact Cassie Ward at cward@visitlongbranch.org or 540-837-1856 or visit www.visitlongbranch.org/events

 

18  First Day of School

 

 

Current & Ongoing

 

BINGO at the Boyce Fire Department Community Hall. 1 South Greenway Avenue, Boyce, VA Every Thursday at 7pm and Every Sunday at 1:30pm.

Clarke County Board of Supervisors meetings are held at 101 Chalmers Court in Berryville on the 2nd floor in the main meeting room from 1-5pm on the third Tuesday each month.

Clarke County School Board meetings are held at D.G. Cooley Elementary School, 34 Westwood Road, Berryville, at 6:30pm and are open to the public.

 

A wide variety of classes and activities is offered through Clarke County Parks and Recreation. See complete schedule at www.clarkecounty.gov/parks.

 

Opus Oaks offers several upcoming classes, workshops, and specialty summer camps for all ages in painting, drawing, stained glass, jewelry design, photography, sculpture, and more. See complete schedule at www.opusoaks.org.

 

Clarke County Farmers’ Market 8am–noon every Saturday, May through October.

The Blandy Photo Club, first Tuesday of the month, 7pm in the library at Blandy Experimental Farm, the State  Arboretum of Virginia, on Route 50 in Clarke County. The club is open to anyone with an interest in photography, and photographers of all ages and abilities are welcome. Meetings are open to the public at no charge. For more information call Tim Farmer at 540-837-1758 Ext. 226 or email timfarmer@virginia.edu.

 

The Middle Potomac History Researchers, every third Tuesday of the month, focuses on local  history and genealogy research on the North Central Potomac River watershed. Meets at Josephine School Community Museum, 4–6pm. The region includes the Virginia counties of Fairfax, Loudoun, Prince William, Fauquier, Clarke and Frederick; the West Virginia counties of Jefferson, Berkeley, Morgan, Hampshire, and Hardy; and the Maryland counties of Carroll, Frederick, Washington, and Allegany. We have particular interest in African American history. The purpose of the group is to share our knowledge and enthusiasm and to learn more from one another. The group is modeled after the central Virginia History Researchers, which meets monthly in Charlottesville. For information contact JSCM at 540-955-5512.

 

The Apple Valley Needle Threaders meet every second Thursday at 9:30am at the Clarke County Parks & Recreation Center. $1 is collected from each attendee. Everyone is welcome . . . beginners and advanced quilters. For information, call (540) 955-5140.

 

Clarke County Calendar information. For additional Clarke County happenings visit clarkecountyvacalendar.weebly.com. Thanks, Susi Bailey!