Blog Archives
National Park Soundscapes focus of Oct. 2 concert in Waynesboro
Composer Jill Haley and guitarist David Cullen will perform songs from the CD National Park Soundscapes at the Historic Wayne Theatre/Ross Performing Arts Center on Sunday, Oct. 2, at 3 p.m.
Admission is pay what you will.
National Park Soundscapes was inspired by a trip to Glacier National Park in Montana, which produced the first song on the CD, “Glacier Soundscapes.”
She wrote several more pieces while spending a month at Badlands National Park in South Dakota, then hit on the idea that became the CD.
Parks represented in National Park Soundscapes also include Acadia, Bryce Canyon, Cuyahoga Valley, Everglades, Grand Canyon, Mesa Verde, Shenandoah, Yosemite, Valley Forge and Zion.
The Oct. 2 concert at the Wayne Theatre will include selections that feature Shenandoah National Park, Mesa Verde National Park and Badlands National Park.
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 go online at WayneTheatre.org.
Busy Kickoff Weekend at Wayne Theatre
The opening of an art exhibit, the debut of LIVE @ the WAYNE and a concert with the Chairmen of the Board highlight the Kickoff Weekend at the Historic Wayne Theatre/Ross Performing Arts Center in September.
“This is the big opening weekend for the Wayne Theatre that we’ve been working toward for the past 15 years,” said Tracy Straight, the executive director of the Wayne Theatre, which re-opened in March after a lengthy, multimillion-dollar renovation.
The Kickoff Weekend begins on Thursday, Sept. 8, with the opening of an art exhibit celebrating the cultural legacy of the Wayne Theatre in the 21st century. The exhibit features the work of an array of well-regarded Virginia photographers, including Kevin Blackburn, Deb Booth, Mark Miller, Conrad Matiuk and Alison Thomas.
The Sept. 8 art opening will begin at 5 p.m. Admission is free.
On Friday, Sept. 9, at 7:30 p.m., the Wayne Theatre marks the debut of a new monthly variety show, LIVE @ the WAYNE, on Friday, Sept. 9.
The debut of LIVE @ the WAYNE will feature Americana music artist Bryan Elijah Smith, who will join host Tracy Straight and house band The Boogie Kings at the 7:30 p.m. show.
Admission to LIVE @ the WAYNE is $15.
The Kickoff Weekend finale is Saturday, Sept. 10, at 8 p.m., with Chairmen of the Board, one of soul music’s most consistent hit makers.
Tickets for the Chairmen of the Board show are $20/$25.
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 go online at WayneTheatre.org.
Lime Kiln Theater presents Furnace Mountain in concert
Lime Kiln Theater’s Summer 2016 concert series continues on Saturday, Aug. 13, as Furnace Mountain will perform with opener Jordan Tice and Horse County. Doors open at 6 p.m., and the show starts at 7:30.
Advance tickets are $15 and are on sale now at www.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. The Furnace Mountain show is presented by CornerStone Bank.
Though often overshadowed by Southwest Virginia and its famed Crooked Road, the Shenandoah Valley and Virginia’s northwestern counties have always been fertile ground for traditional music, and they continue to be home to many of its finest practitioners. Named for a mountain near where all of its members grew up, Furnace Mountain consists of some of the most innovative and gifted young musicians in Virginia. With Aimee Curl on bass and vocals, Danny Knicely on mandolin and fiddle, Dave Van Deventer on fiddle, and Morgan Morrison on guitar, bouzouki, and vocals, the band creates music that is at times lively and raucous, with spirited fiddle melodies weaving in and around the powerful rhythms of the bass and bouzouki, and other times poignant and poetic, with sublime vocal harmonies beautifully interpreting some of the oldest songs ever written.
Jordan Tice is an accomplished guitarist and prolific composer of instrumental acoustic music and songs. He is well-versed in bluegrass flat-picking, blues and ragtime finger-picking, classical composition, and jazz-inspired improvisation, and his original music reflects these diverse interests in a cohesive and musical way. He has released three records of original music to rave reviews and performed or recorded with The Dave Rawlings Machine, Tony Trischka, Mark Schatz and friends, Steve Martin, and the Duhks.
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 the Facebook page at www.facebook.com/LimeKilnTheater.
A Walk Through 100 Years of History at Steeles Tavern Manor Bed & Breakfast
Recently, M. Shannon Hernandez, travel writer and author, wrote a feature article about the history of our inn. This year we celebrate the 100th Anniversary of Steeles Tavern Manor Bed &Breakfast. This piece has been reposted with the writer’s permission.
There’s just something charming about visiting a historic building and being able to chat with the current owners who know the history of the place. On a recent trip to Steeles Tavern Manor Bed & Breakfast in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, I thought of a thousand questions I wanted to ask the innkeepers as I meandered along the path, past the spring-fed pond and babbling creek.
We started first by chatting about the the initial owners of the home, Walter and Irene Searson. The Seasons built the Manor House in 1916. Walter and Irene originally opened their home to accommodate tourists with “good home cooking and modern facilities.” They welcomed guests at the Manor House until the 1940s, when ownership was then turned over to George and Pearl Butler.
The Butler family consisted of nine children–six girls and three boys. As I looked around the property, I imagined the fun these children must have had on the 100 acres of land. I envisioned children darting from behind trees during games of hide-and-seek, and endless summer nights filled with catching fireflies and stargazing. Once the boys left home for military service, the Butlers ran the home as a Tourist Home until the late 1950s.
When George and Pearl Butler passed away in the mid-80s, one of their sons, Frank, purchased the property in 1986. He resided there with his own family, until he sold the place in 1994 to Bill and Eileen Hoernlien. This is when the property was officially named Steeles Tavern Bed and Breakfast.
The name comes from David Steele, who originally settled in the area in 1718. The town he founded, Steeles Tavern, was actually named Midway in its infancy, because it was midway between Baltimore, Maryland and Knoxville, Tennessee, as well as midway between Staunton, Virginia and Lexington, Virginia. The town was an important stagecoach stop for those passing through the area.
The Hoernliens envisioned creating a romantic getaway for couples to enjoy, so they focused first and foremost on privacy. The rooms had ample space between them, and the walls were heavily insulated to help with soundproofing. Other features included private bathrooms within each room and two-person whirlpool tubs in some of the rooms.
Ray and Melissa Alexander are the fifth owners of the property. In December of 2011, the couple left their corporate banking jobs and purchased the property. The Bed & Breakfast, as well as the newest addition of the Alpine Hideaway Cottages, are situated in Virginia Wine Country at the base of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Ray and Melissa are fortunate that they get to share the elegance and hospitality which began in the original house nearly 100 years ago.
Upon arrival, guests can expect freshly baked chocolate chip cookies as a welcome gift in their rooms. Guests will also be adorned with the best quality robes, soaps, sheets, and towels, ensuring a luxurious and comfortable stay. Each evening the innkeepers host a Social Hour, complete with local wines, microbrews, and cheeses. This gives the guests an opportunity to meet one another, and Ray and Melissa take this time to make recommendations for local attractions and restaurants, based on individual preferences.
Guests who long for a romantic, secluded, getaway are in store for a real treat! Alpine Hideaway Cottages are tucked away on the property and provide a private paradise. Each cottage is adorned with a cathedral ceiling, pine walls, a full kitchen, a gas fireplace, a private deck and hot tub, and a king-sized bed. It’s quite possible that guests won’t see another person during their entire stay, as Ray and Melissa intentionally placed only three cottages on 50 acres. Instead, guests may be charmed by the sounds of cows mooing in the open pasture, deer jumping in the distance, and wild turkeys strutting through the fields.
When dawn breaks, guests can expect a delicious breakfast sourced from local ingredients. Farm-fresh eggs are from Redbud Farms and bacon and sausage is purchased from Buffalo Creek Farms. All flour products come from Wades Mill and baked goods, made with chestnut flour, arrive from Pettijohn’s Orchard. The meal that starts the day will be both memorable and tasty–and guests will be supporting local businesses with each and every bite.
Steeles Tavern Manor Bed & Breakfast and Alpine Hideaway Cottages has received one of the highest levels of recognition in the Bed & Breakfast industry. For the past 3 years, this property has been awarded Diamond status through BedandBreakfast.com and is a member of Select Registry. To become a member of the prestigious Select Registry, the property passed an unannounced, rigorous, 200-point quality assurance inspection. Select Registry properties are known to provide travelers with not only exceptional quality and service, but also with an unforgettable experience.
Ray and Melissa Alexander have preserved the vision of the home and property as it was intended by the many owners who came before them. The couple continues to welcome travelers with comfortable accommodations, delicious morning meals, warm hospitality, and an experience to remember for a lifetime.
Visiting Harrisonburg for a JMU game? Stay At By the Side of the Road Inn & Cottages
Football season, volleyball season, soccer season – no matter the season that brings you to Harrisonburg, the best place to stay is By the Side of the Road Inn & Cottages.
Less than three miles away from James Madison University, our rooms are the perfect place to relax after the excitement of a Dukes game. Reserve one of our suites or cottages, and you’ll enjoy spacious accommodations, privacy, and great amenities. Queen-size beds, whirlpool tubs, fireplaces, WiFi, and more – a stay with us is a guaranteed win!
Download our free Shenandoah Valley vacation guide, and then contact us by calling (540) 801-0430 to book your stay with us today.
JMU Sports and What You Need to Know
A member of the CAA (Colonial Academic Alliance) conference, James Madison University offers exciting NCAA Division I competition across multiple sports. Tennis, football, field hockey, or volleyball: regardless of the sport, the JMU Dukes bring a high level of competition to the field, court, or track. Men’s programs include baseball, basketball, football, golf, soccer, and tennis. Women’s sports include basketball, cross country, field hockey, golf, lacrosse, soccer, softball, swimming and diving, tennis, track and field, and volleyball.
Dukes Domination
2016 has already brought a considerable amount of success to JMU sports. The women’s basketball team finished the 2015-16 season in first place in the CAA conference, and the softball team took first place in the CAA as well, finishing with an impressive 50-6 record overall. 2016 marked the second year in a row that the JMU softball team was crowned the National Club Softball Association National Champion!
In 2015, the Dukes football team finished second in the CAA, reaching the first round of the FCS playoffs. With the 2016 season quickly approaching, the Dukes plan to replicate and improve on 2015’s success. Former Dukes football stars have found success beyond the gridiron in Harrisonburg, too. Gary Clark, a wide receiver legend for the NFL’s Washington Redskins, played for the Dukes in the 1980s. Clark would later go on to win two Super Bowls with Washington.Arthur Moats, current linebacker for the Pittsburgh Steelers, was drafted out of JMU in 2010. According to the JMU sports website, there are five former Dukes on current NFL rosters!
On the pitch, James Madison alum C.J. Sapong represents the Dukes as a member of the Philadelphia Union, an MLS club. According to jmusports.com, Sapong has scored six goals and two assists so far this season, ranking third in scoring for the Union.
However, not every JMU sports success story spent time in a jersey. Lindsay Czarniak, the popular ESPN Sportscenter anchor, graduated from JMU in 2000.
JMU also features a roster of highly successful club sports teams. Since 1999, JMU club sports programs have been building an impressive resume of success. This includes multiple NIRSA Open National Championships for the both the men’s and women’s soccer teams, as well as national championships in field hockey, rugby lacrosse, and more. A full list of club sports championships can be found on the JMU website.
JMU Sports 2016
With a national championship already in the books, 2016 is gearing up to be another exciting season for the Dukes. Here are a few home games that you won’t want to miss:
Football: JMU vs. Rhode Island (Homecoming game). Oct. 29, 2016.
Women’s Basketball: JMU vs. Tennessee. Nov. 11, 2016.
Men’s Soccer: JMU vs. Lehigh (Season opener). Aug. 26, 2016.
Volleyball: JMU vs. North Carolina Central, Georgia State, Holy Cross, and Washington (JMU Invitational). Aug. 26-27, 2016.
For all things JMU sports, including rosters, schedules, standings, and tickets for all the school’s teams, visit the Dukes online.
Shenandoah National Park celebrates National Park Service history
Stephen T. Mather was a successful businessman, brilliant promoter, and a visionary who became the first director of the National Park Service (NPS) in 1916, setting the standard for all who followed.
To honor Director Mather and celebrate the NPS Centennial, a special one-hour, costumed, living history interpretive program will be presented twice this season. “An Interview with Stephen Mather” features Shenandoah National Park Superintendent Jim Northup portraying Stephen Mather in 1929, near the end of his stellar career.
Interpretive Park Ranger Michael Punches will portray a newspaper reporter asking questions about the many challenging issues regarding the formation and development of the National Park Service.
The events are set for 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday, August 10th at the Skyland Amphitheater and at 8:30 p.m. on Founders Day, August 25th at the Big Meadows Amphitheater for this entertaining glimpse into the creation, development, and early history of the National Park Service.
American Craft Week returns to Crozet
The Crozet Fall Arts and Crafts Festival joins with retailers and art institutions nationwide in celebration of American Craft Week.
Open to the general public on Saturday and Sunday, October 8 & 9, at Claudius Crozet Park in Crozet VA, this American Craft Week event will feature over 100 juried fine art and craft Exhibitors showing and selling their handcrafted work. Craft demonstrations in blacksmithing, woodcarving, plein aire painting, and more will be ongoing throughout the weekend. The Festival also features live music in a variety of genres and styles, a special Children’s Area, great food, and Virginia wine and draft beer by the glass.
American Craft Week began as a small, grassroots effort to enhance the knowledge and appreciation of handmade craft. Now celebrating its seventh anniversary, American Craft Week is a well-established, national event celebrating the tradition of American craft in artists’ studios, galleries museums, schools, and festivals. This year’s official celebration will be held Oct. 1 – 16, and for the first time all 50 states are participating, including the District of Columbia, and three foreign countries (US Army bases in Germany, Japan and South Korea).
“American Craft Week has caught the imagination of so many supporters,” said Diane Sulg, founder and co-chair of the event. “With the growing appreciation of both artisan products and American-made goods, craft is highly regarded for its strong design, quality materials, expert workmanship and enduring value.”Since its inception in 2010, American Craft Week has grown from 240 to more than 1000 participating events, all inviting the general public to enjoy a wide variety of educational, commercial, charitable and festive ways to celebrate craft.
The Crozet Arts and Crafts Festival is a bi-annual juried fine art event supporting the community owned and operated, non-profit Claudius Crozet Park. For more information about the Festival and American Craft Week, visitwww.crozetfestival.com. For a complete list of American Craft Week public events taking place locally and nationwide, go to www.americancraftweek.com.
Quilts inspired by the National Parks arrive at Virginia Quilt Museum
To borrow from Trey Amos, “The Art of the Natural” finally arrived this week at the Virginia Quilt Museum in the form of 177 small quilts. These are not your grandmother’s quilts – they are art quilts, an art form born of the 1960s return to the earth and old ways, when people realized a new-found respect for a craftsman’s creative skills. These 177 art quilts are collectively known as “Inspired by the National Parks”.
“Inspired” here does not mean a decorated copy. Nor are art quilts created from a pattern. They are fiber art built upon an original experience, idea, or imagery, using quilting techniques. The collection developed from a 2014 challenge put out to quilters by Donna DeSoto, a member of the Fairfax, VA chapter of Quilters Unlimited. Since her previous “Inspired by the Beatles” challenge had been so successful, she asked participants to select a National Park and make a quilt to honor either its flora, fauna, or landscape. The response exceeded her hopes and dreams!
The resulting exhibit debuted at the Houston International Quilt Festival in Fall 2015 and has shown at a few venues since. The quilts traveled safely here from Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area at Coulee Dam, WA, where they had spent the July 4th weekend on display. Now they are expertly installed in their new space by Gloria Comstock, the Virginia Quilt Museum’s curator. She had carefully trained a crew of Museum volunteers in the care and handling of such a precious commodity. “On Thursday, the last few, in the bay window, were fitted together like pieces of a puzzle,” she explained, “but we got it!” The collection will now receive visitors in Harrisonburg through September 10.
Some of this exhibit’s quilters are internationally known, others are novice quilters, but they all share “a passion for American’s Best Idea: The National Parks,” according to its website. If you’ve been to that park, you can reminisce. If you haven’t, you can dream of going. Barbara Roadcap, the Museum’s events coordinator commented, “The Parks exhibit is fantastic – I wish the world could see this!” And, as they say, seeing is believing!
“Inspired by the National Parks” national tour schedule can be found at its websitewww.npscentennialquilts.com.
For information or details about the exhibit, visit www.vaquiltmuseum.org.
Virginia Quilt Museum was founded in 1995 and exists to celebrate quilting in Virginia. The Museum is a 501(c)3 non-profit funded solely through private donations, memberships, and revenue from admissions and museum shop sales. The Virginia Quilt Museum receives no federal or state funding.
Shenandoah Valley Art Center: August 2016 calendar of events
The Shenandoah Valley Art Center, during the month of August, is exhibiting in the Cabell/Arehart Gallery the artwork of Harrisonburg artist, Ashley Sauder Miller. Miller earned her undergraduate degrees from Hesston College (Kansas) and Eastern Mennonite University and her Master of Fine Arts in painting and drawing from James Madison University.
She actively exhibits her work and promotes the arts through her involvement as the Director of Spitzer Art Center where her studio is also located.
Miller states, “In my recent work, I am particularly aware of the demands of motherhood, preservation of memory, and repetitious patterns of thought and behavior. Consistent in my work throughout the past number of years are my children’s mark making, textile design, Biblical text and stories, and a deep rooted passion for painting, drawing, and making. My work often shifts between recognizable imagery and abstraction; between concrete ideas and references to intuitive ways of thinking and making. Predominant in my work over the past year are imagery of interior spaces and the reoccurring pod shape. Interior space imagery includes that of bowls, chairs, caned and woven chair seats, tables, rugs, and quilts. As much as I am simply attracted to the formal qualities of interior spaces, I am also interested in the complexities of the home: the illusion of the perfect space (both physical and psychological space).
In recent work, the pod shape continues to shift in form and meaning. Here the pods feel ambiguous, moving between chair forms and figure. They become like little players in a game, they move in and out of the space of the picture plane, change form, latch onto one shape or another, re-clothe themselves in different patterns.”
An opening will be held Saturday, August 6, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. and the public is encouraged to come and meet the artist.
In the members’ gallery, SVAC member artists will present works in a variety of media interpreting the theme of “BLUE.” Featured in the upstairs hallway gallery will be the Valley Painters who work in oils and acrylics. This informal group of artists meets weekly to paint, exchange ideas, and encourage each other’s creative endeavors. Don’t miss the small oil paintings by Charlottesville artist, Anne DeLaTour Hopper on display in the docent room.
Back by popular demand! Y-ART Sale! SVAC will hold a fundraiser to benefit renovations for the new building at 416 West Main Street. Come purchase from member artists’ donated art and craft related supplies or pieces of furniture. Find the best deals in town on canvases, easels, tools, and a multitude of art materials that were not being used by their previous owners! We are a 501(c)(3) non-profit supported by memberships, local and statewide grants, and generous donations. Please consider joining us on our journey to promote high-quality artistic programming and creative opportunities for the community by purchasing at the Y-ART Sale!(August 12, 8:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.)
Ready to expand your creative experiences! For the two dimensional artist, try your hand at no fail watercolor taught by Joe Philips. Experience the “no secrets,” “easy to master” approach to watercolor painting! The class will meet 6:00 – 9:00 p.m. on August 2 at a cost of $55. Mats and paper are provided, but the artist must bring a palette, paints and brushes. On VACATION!!!! The ever popular Saturday Art for Kids, will not be meeting during the month of August, but will begin classes again on September 10th. Give a gift that lasts a life time and pre-register your young artist for a creative art experience. (10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m., $50 per 4 classes or $15 per class). Contact the art center for specific information for each class. Open studio opportunities in theVirginia Ross Education Studio are available to printmakers and ceramic artists. Apply on line atwww.SVACart.com.
Save the date! The SVAC 2nd Annual Studio Tour will be held September 17 and 18. Visit the studios of professional arts and artisans in Augusta and Nelson Counties. We are encouraging partnerships between artists so that a variety of media will be presented at each studio location. This will maximize the number of artists to be visited and diminish the travel time for the art collector.
The Fall Foliage Festival Art Show application for the show to be held on October 8 and 9 is online and available to professional artists. Recently the show was voted one of the top three art events in Virginia by“Virginia Living” magazine.
The art center is a retail alliance partner with the Artisan Center of Virginia. In the SVAC Gift Shop you can find the perfect creative gift in fiber, jewelry, wood, glass, pottery, and more by juried artisans from Virginia and SVAC member artists.
The Shenandoah Valley Art Center is located in downtown Waynesboro at 122 S. Wayne Avenue. Galleries are open to the public 10:00a.m. – 4:00p.m., Tuesday through Saturday. For more information, call (540) 949-7662 or visit www.svacart.com.
Celebrate Staunton Restaurant Week with Steeles Tavern Bed & Breakfast
Restaurant Weeks have become very popular events all across the country. New York City, Washington DC, Philadelphia, Charleston, SC, Chicago, Pittsburgh, and now Staunton VA put a spot light on restaurants with special menus and fresh deals at participating restaurants.
Virginia Living, Travel + Leisure and USA Today have named Staunton, VA as one of the best small town in the America. Staunton’s Restaurant Week offers one example of why this designation is obvious! This year, more than thirty restaurants and specialty stores have listed special offers and fantastic menus for the week.
Since you will have a fabulous breakfast served at the B&B, let’s start by mentioning a few of the lunch specials. The American Café is open Monday through Friday from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm and serves wonderful homemade soups, sandwiches, and daily specials. During Restaurant Week, get 10% off your entire check at this popular spot on South Augusta Street.
Another interesting participating eatery is Cranberry’s Grocery & Eatery. The store specializes in organic and natural foodstuffs & remedies. Their Espresso and juice bar can give you a lift in the afternoon while you’re touring around downtown Staunton. Gluten-free sandwich selections are also available. The beet, goat cheese, and walnut salad is just $8.99 during Restaurant Week. Find Cranberry’s on South New Street.
Lewis Creek Market, on Church Street adjacent to Landes Park, focuses on locally sourced foods. One of their hot plates is Asparagus and Smoked Cheddar with a Cauliflower crust Quiche-style Tart. Doesn’t that sound yummy! For Restaurant Week, they will offer small plates for $4.
Clocktower Restaurant & Bar will be offering 15% off your entire check (excluding alcohol) between 2pm and 4pm. Clocktower is located on West Beverly not far from the American Shakespeare Center’s Blackfriers Playhouse. The owners of Clocktower Restaurant “believe that quality is our most important ingredient.” Be sure to try their Fired Green Tomatoes or the Pork & Fried Green Tomato salad!
The special offers for dinner are a great reason to stay in downtown Staunton.
Byers Street Bistro will be offering a 3-course prix fixe menu for $30 per person. You can choose between three appetizers, three entrees, and two desserts. Try the Fried Dill Pickles or Smoked Bacon & Corn Hushpuppies.
If you have a desire for some Mexican cuisine, go to Baja Bean Co. for dinner. During Restaurant Week, you can choose from some $5 blue plate specials and $10 local food specials. The Resh Mexi-Greek Salad with grilled artichoke hearts, smoked tomatoes, crumbled cotija, red onion, and pickled jalapenos, is just one of the unique special dishes found at Baja Bean Co.
Travel from Mexican cuisine to Italian cuisine by visiting Emilio’s Italian Restaurant on Beverly Street. Emilio’s has a 4-course special for Restaurant Week riced at just $25. To top off your 4-course dinner, choose a “dolci” from Cannoli, Tartifo Classico, or Exotic Bomba. The Bomba uses mango, passion fruit, and raspberry sorbetto and then covers it with white chocolate and drizzled with dark chocolate.
Other downtown businesses will be participating in Restaurant Week too! Staunton Olive Oil Company specializes in oil and vinegar; Ox-Eye Vineyards will offer a special on a pre-dinner glass of wine; The Pampered Palate Café will give 25% off all Virginia Wines; Redbeard Brewing Company will offer specials on after dinner drinks. After-dinner specials are included at Beverley Cigar Store, Cocoa Mill Chocolate Company, and The By and By Café.
Stay at Steeles Tavern Manor Bed & Breakfast and Alpine Hideaway Cabins during Restaurant Week in Staunton, VA. Enjoy breakfast here and visit downtown Staunton, VA for fun and food.
National Park Soundscapes focus of Oct. 2 concert in Waynesboro
Composer Jill Haley and guitarist David Cullen will perform songs from the CD National Park Soundscapes at the Historic Wayne Theatre/Ross Performing Arts Center on Sunday, Oct. 2, at 3 p.m.
Admission is pay what you will.
National Park Soundscapes was inspired by a trip to Glacier National Park in Montana, which produced the first song on the CD, “Glacier Soundscapes.”
She wrote several more pieces while spending a month at Badlands National Park in South Dakota, then hit on the idea that became the CD.
Parks represented in National Park Soundscapes also include Acadia, Bryce Canyon, Cuyahoga Valley, Everglades, Grand Canyon, Mesa Verde, Shenandoah, Yosemite, Valley Forge and Zion.
The Oct. 2 concert at the Wayne Theatre will include selections that feature Shenandoah National Park, Mesa Verde National Park and Badlands National Park.
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 go online at WayneTheatre.org.
Busy Kickoff Weekend at Wayne Theatre
The opening of an art exhibit, the debut of LIVE @ the WAYNE and a concert with the Chairmen of the Board highlight the Kickoff Weekend at the Historic Wayne Theatre/Ross Performing Arts Center in September.
“This is the big opening weekend for the Wayne Theatre that we’ve been working toward for the past 15 years,” said Tracy Straight, the executive director of the Wayne Theatre, which re-opened in March after a lengthy, multimillion-dollar renovation.
The Kickoff Weekend begins on Thursday, Sept. 8, with the opening of an art exhibit celebrating the cultural legacy of the Wayne Theatre in the 21st century. The exhibit features the work of an array of well-regarded Virginia photographers, including Kevin Blackburn, Deb Booth, Mark Miller, Conrad Matiuk and Alison Thomas.
The Sept. 8 art opening will begin at 5 p.m. Admission is free.
On Friday, Sept. 9, at 7:30 p.m., the Wayne Theatre marks the debut of a new monthly variety show, LIVE @ the WAYNE, on Friday, Sept. 9.
The debut of LIVE @ the WAYNE will feature Americana music artist Bryan Elijah Smith, who will join host Tracy Straight and house band The Boogie Kings at the 7:30 p.m. show.
Admission to LIVE @ the WAYNE is $15.
The Kickoff Weekend finale is Saturday, Sept. 10, at 8 p.m., with Chairmen of the Board, one of soul music’s most consistent hit makers.
Tickets for the Chairmen of the Board show are $20/$25.
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 go online at WayneTheatre.org.
Lime Kiln Theater presents Furnace Mountain in concert
Lime Kiln Theater’s Summer 2016 concert series continues on Saturday, Aug. 13, as Furnace Mountain will perform with opener Jordan Tice and Horse County. Doors open at 6 p.m., and the show starts at 7:30.
Advance tickets are $15 and are on sale now at www.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. The Furnace Mountain show is presented by CornerStone Bank.
Though often overshadowed by Southwest Virginia and its famed Crooked Road, the Shenandoah Valley and Virginia’s northwestern counties have always been fertile ground for traditional music, and they continue to be home to many of its finest practitioners. Named for a mountain near where all of its members grew up, Furnace Mountain consists of some of the most innovative and gifted young musicians in Virginia. With Aimee Curl on bass and vocals, Danny Knicely on mandolin and fiddle, Dave Van Deventer on fiddle, and Morgan Morrison on guitar, bouzouki, and vocals, the band creates music that is at times lively and raucous, with spirited fiddle melodies weaving in and around the powerful rhythms of the bass and bouzouki, and other times poignant and poetic, with sublime vocal harmonies beautifully interpreting some of the oldest songs ever written.
Jordan Tice is an accomplished guitarist and prolific composer of instrumental acoustic music and songs. He is well-versed in bluegrass flat-picking, blues and ragtime finger-picking, classical composition, and jazz-inspired improvisation, and his original music reflects these diverse interests in a cohesive and musical way. He has released three records of original music to rave reviews and performed or recorded with The Dave Rawlings Machine, Tony Trischka, Mark Schatz and friends, Steve Martin, and the Duhks.
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 the Facebook page at www.facebook.com/LimeKilnTheater.
A Walk Through 100 Years of History at Steeles Tavern Manor Bed & Breakfast
Recently, M. Shannon Hernandez, travel writer and author, wrote a feature article about the history of our inn. This year we celebrate the 100th Anniversary of Steeles Tavern Manor Bed &Breakfast. This piece has been reposted with the writer’s permission.
There’s just something charming about visiting a historic building and being able to chat with the current owners who know the history of the place. On a recent trip to Steeles Tavern Manor Bed & Breakfast in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, I thought of a thousand questions I wanted to ask the innkeepers as I meandered along the path, past the spring-fed pond and babbling creek.
We started first by chatting about the the initial owners of the home, Walter and Irene Searson. The Seasons built the Manor House in 1916. Walter and Irene originally opened their home to accommodate tourists with “good home cooking and modern facilities.” They welcomed guests at the Manor House until the 1940s, when ownership was then turned over to George and Pearl Butler.
The Butler family consisted of nine children–six girls and three boys. As I looked around the property, I imagined the fun these children must have had on the 100 acres of land. I envisioned children darting from behind trees during games of hide-and-seek, and endless summer nights filled with catching fireflies and stargazing. Once the boys left home for military service, the Butlers ran the home as a Tourist Home until the late 1950s.
When George and Pearl Butler passed away in the mid-80s, one of their sons, Frank, purchased the property in 1986. He resided there with his own family, until he sold the place in 1994 to Bill and Eileen Hoernlien. This is when the property was officially named Steeles Tavern Bed and Breakfast.
The name comes from David Steele, who originally settled in the area in 1718. The town he founded, Steeles Tavern, was actually named Midway in its infancy, because it was midway between Baltimore, Maryland and Knoxville, Tennessee, as well as midway between Staunton, Virginia and Lexington, Virginia. The town was an important stagecoach stop for those passing through the area.
The Hoernliens envisioned creating a romantic getaway for couples to enjoy, so they focused first and foremost on privacy. The rooms had ample space between them, and the walls were heavily insulated to help with soundproofing. Other features included private bathrooms within each room and two-person whirlpool tubs in some of the rooms.
Ray and Melissa Alexander are the fifth owners of the property. In December of 2011, the couple left their corporate banking jobs and purchased the property. The Bed & Breakfast, as well as the newest addition of the Alpine Hideaway Cottages, are situated in Virginia Wine Country at the base of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Ray and Melissa are fortunate that they get to share the elegance and hospitality which began in the original house nearly 100 years ago.
Upon arrival, guests can expect freshly baked chocolate chip cookies as a welcome gift in their rooms. Guests will also be adorned with the best quality robes, soaps, sheets, and towels, ensuring a luxurious and comfortable stay. Each evening the innkeepers host a Social Hour, complete with local wines, microbrews, and cheeses. This gives the guests an opportunity to meet one another, and Ray and Melissa take this time to make recommendations for local attractions and restaurants, based on individual preferences.
Guests who long for a romantic, secluded, getaway are in store for a real treat! Alpine Hideaway Cottages are tucked away on the property and provide a private paradise. Each cottage is adorned with a cathedral ceiling, pine walls, a full kitchen, a gas fireplace, a private deck and hot tub, and a king-sized bed. It’s quite possible that guests won’t see another person during their entire stay, as Ray and Melissa intentionally placed only three cottages on 50 acres. Instead, guests may be charmed by the sounds of cows mooing in the open pasture, deer jumping in the distance, and wild turkeys strutting through the fields.
When dawn breaks, guests can expect a delicious breakfast sourced from local ingredients. Farm-fresh eggs are from Redbud Farms and bacon and sausage is purchased from Buffalo Creek Farms. All flour products come from Wades Mill and baked goods, made with chestnut flour, arrive from Pettijohn’s Orchard. The meal that starts the day will be both memorable and tasty–and guests will be supporting local businesses with each and every bite.
Steeles Tavern Manor Bed & Breakfast and Alpine Hideaway Cottages has received one of the highest levels of recognition in the Bed & Breakfast industry. For the past 3 years, this property has been awarded Diamond status through BedandBreakfast.com and is a member of Select Registry. To become a member of the prestigious Select Registry, the property passed an unannounced, rigorous, 200-point quality assurance inspection. Select Registry properties are known to provide travelers with not only exceptional quality and service, but also with an unforgettable experience.
Ray and Melissa Alexander have preserved the vision of the home and property as it was intended by the many owners who came before them. The couple continues to welcome travelers with comfortable accommodations, delicious morning meals, warm hospitality, and an experience to remember for a lifetime.
Visiting Harrisonburg for a JMU game? Stay At By the Side of the Road Inn & Cottages
Football season, volleyball season, soccer season – no matter the season that brings you to Harrisonburg, the best place to stay is By the Side of the Road Inn & Cottages.
Less than three miles away from James Madison University, our rooms are the perfect place to relax after the excitement of a Dukes game. Reserve one of our suites or cottages, and you’ll enjoy spacious accommodations, privacy, and great amenities. Queen-size beds, whirlpool tubs, fireplaces, WiFi, and more – a stay with us is a guaranteed win!
Download our free Shenandoah Valley vacation guide, and then contact us by calling (540) 801-0430 to book your stay with us today.
JMU Sports and What You Need to Know
A member of the CAA (Colonial Academic Alliance) conference, James Madison University offers exciting NCAA Division I competition across multiple sports. Tennis, football, field hockey, or volleyball: regardless of the sport, the JMU Dukes bring a high level of competition to the field, court, or track. Men’s programs include baseball, basketball, football, golf, soccer, and tennis. Women’s sports include basketball, cross country, field hockey, golf, lacrosse, soccer, softball, swimming and diving, tennis, track and field, and volleyball.
Dukes Domination
2016 has already brought a considerable amount of success to JMU sports. The women’s basketball team finished the 2015-16 season in first place in the CAA conference, and the softball team took first place in the CAA as well, finishing with an impressive 50-6 record overall. 2016 marked the second year in a row that the JMU softball team was crowned the National Club Softball Association National Champion!
In 2015, the Dukes football team finished second in the CAA, reaching the first round of the FCS playoffs. With the 2016 season quickly approaching, the Dukes plan to replicate and improve on 2015’s success. Former Dukes football stars have found success beyond the gridiron in Harrisonburg, too. Gary Clark, a wide receiver legend for the NFL’s Washington Redskins, played for the Dukes in the 1980s. Clark would later go on to win two Super Bowls with Washington.Arthur Moats, current linebacker for the Pittsburgh Steelers, was drafted out of JMU in 2010. According to the JMU sports website, there are five former Dukes on current NFL rosters!
On the pitch, James Madison alum C.J. Sapong represents the Dukes as a member of the Philadelphia Union, an MLS club. According to jmusports.com, Sapong has scored six goals and two assists so far this season, ranking third in scoring for the Union.
However, not every JMU sports success story spent time in a jersey. Lindsay Czarniak, the popular ESPN Sportscenter anchor, graduated from JMU in 2000.
JMU also features a roster of highly successful club sports teams. Since 1999, JMU club sports programs have been building an impressive resume of success. This includes multiple NIRSA Open National Championships for the both the men’s and women’s soccer teams, as well as national championships in field hockey, rugby lacrosse, and more. A full list of club sports championships can be found on the JMU website.
JMU Sports 2016
With a national championship already in the books, 2016 is gearing up to be another exciting season for the Dukes. Here are a few home games that you won’t want to miss:
Football: JMU vs. Rhode Island (Homecoming game). Oct. 29, 2016.
Women’s Basketball: JMU vs. Tennessee. Nov. 11, 2016.
Men’s Soccer: JMU vs. Lehigh (Season opener). Aug. 26, 2016.
Volleyball: JMU vs. North Carolina Central, Georgia State, Holy Cross, and Washington (JMU Invitational). Aug. 26-27, 2016.
For all things JMU sports, including rosters, schedules, standings, and tickets for all the school’s teams, visit the Dukes online.
Shenandoah National Park celebrates National Park Service history
Stephen T. Mather was a successful businessman, brilliant promoter, and a visionary who became the first director of the National Park Service (NPS) in 1916, setting the standard for all who followed.
To honor Director Mather and celebrate the NPS Centennial, a special one-hour, costumed, living history interpretive program will be presented twice this season. “An Interview with Stephen Mather” features Shenandoah National Park Superintendent Jim Northup portraying Stephen Mather in 1929, near the end of his stellar career.
Interpretive Park Ranger Michael Punches will portray a newspaper reporter asking questions about the many challenging issues regarding the formation and development of the National Park Service.
The events are set for 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday, August 10th at the Skyland Amphitheater and at 8:30 p.m. on Founders Day, August 25th at the Big Meadows Amphitheater for this entertaining glimpse into the creation, development, and early history of the National Park Service.
American Craft Week returns to Crozet
The Crozet Fall Arts and Crafts Festival joins with retailers and art institutions nationwide in celebration of American Craft Week.
Open to the general public on Saturday and Sunday, October 8 & 9, at Claudius Crozet Park in Crozet VA, this American Craft Week event will feature over 100 juried fine art and craft Exhibitors showing and selling their handcrafted work. Craft demonstrations in blacksmithing, woodcarving, plein aire painting, and more will be ongoing throughout the weekend. The Festival also features live music in a variety of genres and styles, a special Children’s Area, great food, and Virginia wine and draft beer by the glass.
American Craft Week began as a small, grassroots effort to enhance the knowledge and appreciation of handmade craft. Now celebrating its seventh anniversary, American Craft Week is a well-established, national event celebrating the tradition of American craft in artists’ studios, galleries museums, schools, and festivals. This year’s official celebration will be held Oct. 1 – 16, and for the first time all 50 states are participating, including the District of Columbia, and three foreign countries (US Army bases in Germany, Japan and South Korea).
“American Craft Week has caught the imagination of so many supporters,” said Diane Sulg, founder and co-chair of the event. “With the growing appreciation of both artisan products and American-made goods, craft is highly regarded for its strong design, quality materials, expert workmanship and enduring value.”Since its inception in 2010, American Craft Week has grown from 240 to more than 1000 participating events, all inviting the general public to enjoy a wide variety of educational, commercial, charitable and festive ways to celebrate craft.
The Crozet Arts and Crafts Festival is a bi-annual juried fine art event supporting the community owned and operated, non-profit Claudius Crozet Park. For more information about the Festival and American Craft Week, visitwww.crozetfestival.com. For a complete list of American Craft Week public events taking place locally and nationwide, go to www.americancraftweek.com.
Quilts inspired by the National Parks arrive at Virginia Quilt Museum
To borrow from Trey Amos, “The Art of the Natural” finally arrived this week at the Virginia Quilt Museum in the form of 177 small quilts. These are not your grandmother’s quilts – they are art quilts, an art form born of the 1960s return to the earth and old ways, when people realized a new-found respect for a craftsman’s creative skills. These 177 art quilts are collectively known as “Inspired by the National Parks”.
“Inspired” here does not mean a decorated copy. Nor are art quilts created from a pattern. They are fiber art built upon an original experience, idea, or imagery, using quilting techniques. The collection developed from a 2014 challenge put out to quilters by Donna DeSoto, a member of the Fairfax, VA chapter of Quilters Unlimited. Since her previous “Inspired by the Beatles” challenge had been so successful, she asked participants to select a National Park and make a quilt to honor either its flora, fauna, or landscape. The response exceeded her hopes and dreams!
The resulting exhibit debuted at the Houston International Quilt Festival in Fall 2015 and has shown at a few venues since. The quilts traveled safely here from Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area at Coulee Dam, WA, where they had spent the July 4th weekend on display. Now they are expertly installed in their new space by Gloria Comstock, the Virginia Quilt Museum’s curator. She had carefully trained a crew of Museum volunteers in the care and handling of such a precious commodity. “On Thursday, the last few, in the bay window, were fitted together like pieces of a puzzle,” she explained, “but we got it!” The collection will now receive visitors in Harrisonburg through September 10.
Some of this exhibit’s quilters are internationally known, others are novice quilters, but they all share “a passion for American’s Best Idea: The National Parks,” according to its website. If you’ve been to that park, you can reminisce. If you haven’t, you can dream of going. Barbara Roadcap, the Museum’s events coordinator commented, “The Parks exhibit is fantastic – I wish the world could see this!” And, as they say, seeing is believing!
“Inspired by the National Parks” national tour schedule can be found at its websitewww.npscentennialquilts.com.
For information or details about the exhibit, visit www.vaquiltmuseum.org.
Virginia Quilt Museum was founded in 1995 and exists to celebrate quilting in Virginia. The Museum is a 501(c)3 non-profit funded solely through private donations, memberships, and revenue from admissions and museum shop sales. The Virginia Quilt Museum receives no federal or state funding.
Shenandoah Valley Art Center: August 2016 calendar of events
The Shenandoah Valley Art Center, during the month of August, is exhibiting in the Cabell/Arehart Gallery the artwork of Harrisonburg artist, Ashley Sauder Miller. Miller earned her undergraduate degrees from Hesston College (Kansas) and Eastern Mennonite University and her Master of Fine Arts in painting and drawing from James Madison University.
She actively exhibits her work and promotes the arts through her involvement as the Director of Spitzer Art Center where her studio is also located.
Miller states, “In my recent work, I am particularly aware of the demands of motherhood, preservation of memory, and repetitious patterns of thought and behavior. Consistent in my work throughout the past number of years are my children’s mark making, textile design, Biblical text and stories, and a deep rooted passion for painting, drawing, and making. My work often shifts between recognizable imagery and abstraction; between concrete ideas and references to intuitive ways of thinking and making. Predominant in my work over the past year are imagery of interior spaces and the reoccurring pod shape. Interior space imagery includes that of bowls, chairs, caned and woven chair seats, tables, rugs, and quilts. As much as I am simply attracted to the formal qualities of interior spaces, I am also interested in the complexities of the home: the illusion of the perfect space (both physical and psychological space).
In recent work, the pod shape continues to shift in form and meaning. Here the pods feel ambiguous, moving between chair forms and figure. They become like little players in a game, they move in and out of the space of the picture plane, change form, latch onto one shape or another, re-clothe themselves in different patterns.”
An opening will be held Saturday, August 6, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. and the public is encouraged to come and meet the artist.
In the members’ gallery, SVAC member artists will present works in a variety of media interpreting the theme of “BLUE.” Featured in the upstairs hallway gallery will be the Valley Painters who work in oils and acrylics. This informal group of artists meets weekly to paint, exchange ideas, and encourage each other’s creative endeavors. Don’t miss the small oil paintings by Charlottesville artist, Anne DeLaTour Hopper on display in the docent room.
Back by popular demand! Y-ART Sale! SVAC will hold a fundraiser to benefit renovations for the new building at 416 West Main Street. Come purchase from member artists’ donated art and craft related supplies or pieces of furniture. Find the best deals in town on canvases, easels, tools, and a multitude of art materials that were not being used by their previous owners! We are a 501(c)(3) non-profit supported by memberships, local and statewide grants, and generous donations. Please consider joining us on our journey to promote high-quality artistic programming and creative opportunities for the community by purchasing at the Y-ART Sale!(August 12, 8:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.)
Ready to expand your creative experiences! For the two dimensional artist, try your hand at no fail watercolor taught by Joe Philips. Experience the “no secrets,” “easy to master” approach to watercolor painting! The class will meet 6:00 – 9:00 p.m. on August 2 at a cost of $55. Mats and paper are provided, but the artist must bring a palette, paints and brushes. On VACATION!!!! The ever popular Saturday Art for Kids, will not be meeting during the month of August, but will begin classes again on September 10th. Give a gift that lasts a life time and pre-register your young artist for a creative art experience. (10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m., $50 per 4 classes or $15 per class). Contact the art center for specific information for each class. Open studio opportunities in theVirginia Ross Education Studio are available to printmakers and ceramic artists. Apply on line atwww.SVACart.com.
Save the date! The SVAC 2nd Annual Studio Tour will be held September 17 and 18. Visit the studios of professional arts and artisans in Augusta and Nelson Counties. We are encouraging partnerships between artists so that a variety of media will be presented at each studio location. This will maximize the number of artists to be visited and diminish the travel time for the art collector.
The Fall Foliage Festival Art Show application for the show to be held on October 8 and 9 is online and available to professional artists. Recently the show was voted one of the top three art events in Virginia by“Virginia Living” magazine.
The art center is a retail alliance partner with the Artisan Center of Virginia. In the SVAC Gift Shop you can find the perfect creative gift in fiber, jewelry, wood, glass, pottery, and more by juried artisans from Virginia and SVAC member artists.
The Shenandoah Valley Art Center is located in downtown Waynesboro at 122 S. Wayne Avenue. Galleries are open to the public 10:00a.m. – 4:00p.m., Tuesday through Saturday. For more information, call (540) 949-7662 or visit www.svacart.com.
Celebrate Staunton Restaurant Week with Steeles Tavern Bed & Breakfast
Restaurant Weeks have become very popular events all across the country. New York City, Washington DC, Philadelphia, Charleston, SC, Chicago, Pittsburgh, and now Staunton VA put a spot light on restaurants with special menus and fresh deals at participating restaurants.
Virginia Living, Travel + Leisure and USA Today have named Staunton, VA as one of the best small town in the America. Staunton’s Restaurant Week offers one example of why this designation is obvious! This year, more than thirty restaurants and specialty stores have listed special offers and fantastic menus for the week.
Since you will have a fabulous breakfast served at the B&B, let’s start by mentioning a few of the lunch specials. The American Café is open Monday through Friday from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm and serves wonderful homemade soups, sandwiches, and daily specials. During Restaurant Week, get 10% off your entire check at this popular spot on South Augusta Street.
Another interesting participating eatery is Cranberry’s Grocery & Eatery. The store specializes in organic and natural foodstuffs & remedies. Their Espresso and juice bar can give you a lift in the afternoon while you’re touring around downtown Staunton. Gluten-free sandwich selections are also available. The beet, goat cheese, and walnut salad is just $8.99 during Restaurant Week. Find Cranberry’s on South New Street.
Lewis Creek Market, on Church Street adjacent to Landes Park, focuses on locally sourced foods. One of their hot plates is Asparagus and Smoked Cheddar with a Cauliflower crust Quiche-style Tart. Doesn’t that sound yummy! For Restaurant Week, they will offer small plates for $4.
Clocktower Restaurant & Bar will be offering 15% off your entire check (excluding alcohol) between 2pm and 4pm. Clocktower is located on West Beverly not far from the American Shakespeare Center’s Blackfriers Playhouse. The owners of Clocktower Restaurant “believe that quality is our most important ingredient.” Be sure to try their Fired Green Tomatoes or the Pork & Fried Green Tomato salad!
The special offers for dinner are a great reason to stay in downtown Staunton.
Byers Street Bistro will be offering a 3-course prix fixe menu for $30 per person. You can choose between three appetizers, three entrees, and two desserts. Try the Fried Dill Pickles or Smoked Bacon & Corn Hushpuppies.
If you have a desire for some Mexican cuisine, go to Baja Bean Co. for dinner. During Restaurant Week, you can choose from some $5 blue plate specials and $10 local food specials. The Resh Mexi-Greek Salad with grilled artichoke hearts, smoked tomatoes, crumbled cotija, red onion, and pickled jalapenos, is just one of the unique special dishes found at Baja Bean Co.
Travel from Mexican cuisine to Italian cuisine by visiting Emilio’s Italian Restaurant on Beverly Street. Emilio’s has a 4-course special for Restaurant Week riced at just $25. To top off your 4-course dinner, choose a “dolci” from Cannoli, Tartifo Classico, or Exotic Bomba. The Bomba uses mango, passion fruit, and raspberry sorbetto and then covers it with white chocolate and drizzled with dark chocolate.
Other downtown businesses will be participating in Restaurant Week too! Staunton Olive Oil Company specializes in oil and vinegar; Ox-Eye Vineyards will offer a special on a pre-dinner glass of wine; The Pampered Palate Café will give 25% off all Virginia Wines; Redbeard Brewing Company will offer specials on after dinner drinks. After-dinner specials are included at Beverley Cigar Store, Cocoa Mill Chocolate Company, and The By and By Café.
Stay at Steeles Tavern Manor Bed & Breakfast and Alpine Hideaway Cabins during Restaurant Week in Staunton, VA. Enjoy breakfast here and visit downtown Staunton, VA for fun and food.