October 27, 2008
We have been trying to save gas and money by avoiding all the wonderful fall festivals, but we slipped up when we saw that The Seldom Scene would be playing at the West Virginia Mountain Heritage Arts and Crafts Festival. The slip up reminded us that attending these festivals is worth all the time, money, and energy expended. Watching my kids frolic to bluegrass music on a beautiful day was priceless.
The drive out there was beautiful (even though we fell off our Google map and landed in a run down neighborhood of mobile homes somewhere north of Ranson, WV) as is any drive into northwestern Loudoun and beyond this time of year. We arrived to plenty of parking, well shaded tents (they were ready for rain), and a steady stream of music wafting over the fair. The vendors were friendly and patient with our kids.
This Festival happens every spring and fall, so even though the most recent round is over you will have a chance to visit next time. Watch their website for 2009 dates.
Logistic info for you
- If you want to bring a stroller I’d recommend a jogging or off road stroller, since you’ll likely have mud to deal with.
- There are potties all over the fair and they were still pretty clean at closing on day 2 of this 3 day event. There was a hand wash station near the peanut roasting tent not far from the stage.
- There is an old-school playground on site, behind the sheriff area. They have swings, a slide, a spider web climbing thing, and a roundabout.
- $6 for adults, FREE for kids under 6. You can print a coupon from their website and save $1. We dropped $26 ($12 entry, $5 ice cream plus tip for a good cause, $5 custom painted wooden top that my husband felt obligated to buy after the artist let my daughter help make one, $4 half-peck of apples). Lots of the vendors take credit cards and there is an ATM on site.
June 29, 2008
Campaign for Loudoun’s Future recently sponsored a local foods and farms celebration. American Flatbread, a new restaurant in Ashburn which uses some local ingredients for their pizzas, helped to host the event — which made it into The Post and Leesburg Today.
The kids and I stopped by the event, but I was too wiped out by the heat to write it up when I got home that night. Kudos to the many volunteers, local farmers, and animals who spent the day in the heat to expose the rest of us to some of our local food options. I’d like to say that we learned a lot, but the reality of visiting an event like that solo with two preschoolers is that we spent most of our time at the moonbounce and in the bathroom at American Flatbread. Regardless, fun was had, sheepskins were touched, and we found a new place to eat out. American Flatbread’s service was friendly and quick. You can see the flames in the pizza oven from many of the seats. My children kind of zone out while watching fires, so it makes them more managable in restaurants.
June 28, 2008
Eagletree Farm & Vineyard
15126 Harrison Hill Lane
Leesburg VA 20176 (map it)
(703) 777-5954
Loudoun Valleys Office of Rural Economic Development says:
Eagletree is a private setting with a personal touch.
These folks are right. Located off Rt. 15 north of Leesburg — you turn off 15 like you are going to Temple Hall Farm and then follow the U-PICK signs — the setting is so private that I at first felt like I was trespassing in someone’s back yard, but that is exactly what makes the picking experience so wonderful.
Eagle Tree’s pick your own blueberries are $4 per pound this year and worth every cent. They are tasty and the experience of picking is perfect. I have been twice and both times it was a serene experience. No chaos, no crowds, no shortage of blueberries… just a nice little family experience and some yummy blueberries to boot.
If you are looking to round out your blueberry picking experience with some literature for little people, check out Robert McCloskey’s Blueberries for Sal
. It’s been a favorite since my childhood… so much so that I feel I am shortchanging my children if I don’t manage to hunt down their little metal buckets so that they can hear their blueberries go “Kerplunk!”
April 27, 2008
Active Family Services, LLC is proud to announce our new Loudoun Family Calendar. This is the resource I dreamed of when I new to the area, new to staying at home with my children, and new to mothering two children. I hope it will help other parents and childcare providers to easily find places & events to share with their favorite little ones on days when they feel the need to get out of the house and connect with others.
We make every effort to ensure that the information on our calendar is up to date and easy to use; however, we recommend that you double-check event details with the location. If you would like to suggest an addition to the calendar or notice an error, please contact us. As with our other informational services this calendar is made possible by our local sponsors. Thank you for your support!
April 1, 2008
The 42nd Annual Smithsonian Kite Festival
We had a wonderful time at last year’s kite festival, and hope to attend this year as well. The people watching was great, the kite watching was even better, and the weather was just right.
After over-thinking the day’s logistics we settled on:
- Metro: The logistics of getting little kids into DC from the ‘burbs can be daunting, but every time I make the effort to drive to the Metro and buzz into the city I find it was worth the effort, and far easier than finding parking or navigating unknown one-way streets.
- Single jogger: For either the one or three year old depending on the moment.
- Ergo carrier: For the little one.
- Picnic lunch: Worth the trouble of carrying.
Beware the challenges:
- There was a long line for the port-o-potties and some left much to be desired in the cleanliness department. It is the type of environment that baby wipes and hand sanitizer were made for.
- The Metro was packed afterwards. Forget the elevators — remember that jogging stroller we brought? — and plan to feel a bit like a teenager in a mosh pit. Our party had a 4 adult to 2 kid ratio so it was manageable, but if you have kids that detest crowds or someone just potty-training you might want to plan a work around.
- Don’t forget to bring your own kite, sun protection, and plenty of water
February 19, 2008
Woodend Sanctuary
8940 Jones Mill Road
Chevy Chase, MD 20815
301-652-9188
We love the Audubon Nature Fair, and look forward to attending each year. We picnic with friends, shop for gifts for upcoming events, meet bee keepers, learn about invasive species, find little creatures in the pond, make cardboard binoculars, enjoy performances geared at both kids and all ages and bask in being surrounded by such a wonderful crowd of folks.
This year’s fair will be held on Sunday, May 4, 2008 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and the details are all online.
Some pictures from past fairs:
(oops! we’ll get some pics up sooner or later)
