<cal1>January
<cal2>Martin Luther King Holiday. Jan. 17, "I Have a Dream" march and rally at the Douglass Community Center, 407 E. Market St., Leesburg. Call 703-779-2990 or visit www.bluemont.org.
Loudoun Chamber Meeting. Annual meeting for members at Belmont Country Club. Call 703-777-2176.
<cal1>February
<cal2>Winter Carnival. Ida Lee Recreation Center, 60 Ida Lee Drive, Leesburg. Coincides with President's Day, Feb. 21, from 1-4 p.m. Games, inflatable rides, food vendors, crafts and entertainment. Call 703-777-1368 or visit www.idalee.org.
Loudoun Symphony. Feb. 12, Stone Bridge High School, 43100 Hay Road, Leesburg. Performance begins at 2 p.m. Features Loudoun Symphony Youth Orchestra. Free admission. For more information call 703-771-8287.
<cal1>March
<cal2>'Chocolates Galore and More.' Gala at the Lansdowne Resort in Lansdowne, 44050 Woodridge Parkway, Feb. 18 from 7-11 p.m. Chocolate sampling, dessert contest, free champagne, live auction and music. Admission fee. Call 703-777-9622.
Spring Silent Auction. Faith Christian School, 21939 Potomac View Road, Sterling. Refreshments. Call 703-430-0499 or visit www.fbcsterling.com.
College Forum. Annual event at Potomac Falls High School, 46400 Algonkian Parkway, Potomac Falls. Come visit with college administrators. Call 703-444-7555.
Master Singers of Virginia. Winter concert. March 4, at St. Francis Episcopal Church, 9220 Georgetown Pike, Great Falls, March 5, at St. Peter's Episcopal Church, 37018 Glendale St., Purcellville, March 11, at Our Savior's Way Lutheran Church, 43115 Waxpool Road, Ashburn, and March 12, at St. James Episcopal Church, 14 Cornwall St., Leesburg. All performances begin at 8 p.m., with warm-up starting at 7:15 p.m. Tickets are $12 for adults and $ 9 for children and seniors. For more information call 703-327-6628 or visit www.msva.org.
Loudoun Symphony. Mar. 19-20. Saturday performance begins at 8 p.m., at Stone Bridge High School, 43100 Hay Road, Ashburn. Sunday performance begins art 3 p.m. at Loudoun Valley High School, 340 Maple Ave., Purcellville. Loudoun Symphony's premiere of award-winning performances. For more information call 703-771-8287.
<cal1>April
Aldie Mill. 39401 John Mosby Highway, Aldie. Tours of renovated five-story brick mill, circa 1807. Includes corn grinding. Cost is $4 for adults and $2 for seniors and children. Open at the end of April through the end of October, Saturday noon-5 p.m. and Sunday 1-5 p.m. Call 703-327-9777 for more information.
Historic Garden Week. Last week in April. Virginia's open house for springtime color includes homes in Loudoun County. Lectures and garden events scheduled. Call the Loudoun Convention & Visitors Association at 1-800-752-6118 or visit www.virginiagardenweek.com.
Teen Poet Tree. Throughout the month of April. Annual event at Eastern Loudoun Regional Library, 21030 Whitfield Place, Sterling, celebrating National Poetry Month. Bring copies of poems and add them to the tree. Call 703-444-3228. Visit www.lcpl.lib.va.us.
Leesburg Flower and Garden Festival. Mid-April from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. on Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on Sunday. Annual event in the historic district of Leesburg. More than 100 vendors, landscape vendors, entertainment, hands-on art and education area and food. Offers information on how to create beautiful gardens and landscapes. Admission is $3. Call 703-777-1368. Visit www.idalee.org.
Fairfax Hunt Point-to-Point. Mid-April at the Belmont Country Club, Leesburg. Old-fashioned steeplechase races in the Virginia countryside. Host a spot along the rail and enjoy a day of outdoor fun and festivities. For more information visit www.fairfaxhuntraces.org.
Oatlands Fine American Craft Fair. Mid-April at the Oatlands Plantation, 20850 Oatlands Plantation Lane, Leesburg. More than one hundred of America's finest artists and artisans show and sell traditional crafts, folk art, and fine furniture. For more information visit www.oatlands.org.
Hunt Country Spring Antiques Fair. Mid-April at the Morven Park International Equestrian Center, Tutt Lane and Route 15, Leesburg. Two hundred antique dealers from across the nation offer an exceptional selection of antiques from classic to country. For more information visit www.dfshows.com.
<cal1>May
<cal2>Morven Park. Historic home in Leesburg, Tutt Lane and Route 15 North, holds a Spring Dressage Show. Watch the horses work through their paces. Open from 12-6 p.m. Friday-Monday. First tour begins at 12 p.m., last tour departs at 4 p.m. Tickets are $7 for adults, $ 6 for seniors and students, and $1 for children. Call 703-777-2890 or visit www.morvenpark.org.
Oatlands Plantation. Historic home in Leesburg, 20850 Oatlands Plantation Lane, open Apr. 1-Dec. 30 from 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Sheep Dog Trials: Admission is $10 for adults; $9 for seniors; $7 for students; children 5 and under are free. First tour begins at 10 a.m., last tour leaves at 4 p.m. Call for more information at 703-777-3174.
Loudoun Symphony. May 14 at Stone Bridge High School, 43100 Hay Road, Ashburn, performance begins at 8 p.m. Performance features guest pianist Reynaldo Reyes. For more information call 703-771-8287.
Master Singers of Virginia. Spring Concert. May 14, at St. James Episcopal Church, 14 Cornwall St., Leesburg, May 20, , at St. Francis Episcopal Church, 9220 Georgetown Pike, Great Falls, and May 21, at St. Peter's Episcopal Church, 37018 Glendale St., Purcellville. All performances begin at 8 p.m., with warm-up beginning at 7:15 p.m. Tickets are $12 for adults and $9 for seniors and children. For more information visit www.msva.org.
Antiques at Oatlands. Early May at Oatlands Plantation, 20850 Oatlands Plantation Lane, Leesburg. Enjoy an afternoon of antiques. More than 100 vendors join together to sell premium antiques and books. For more information visit www.papabello.com.
Hunt County Stable Tour. Saturday and Sunday of Memorial Day weekend, the end of May, in Upperville/Middleburg. Owners of the country's premier Thoroughbred-breeding horses, show hunter barns, and country estates open the gates to visitors to view their grounds, stables, and training facilities. Self-driven tour. For more information visit www.middleburgonline.com/stabletour.
Spring Farm Tour. Third weekend in May throughout Loudoun County. Be introduced to Loudoun's agriculture and farming activities at the beginning of the growing season. County wineries are also included in this tour. For more information visit www.rural-loudoun.state.va.us.
<cal1>June
<cal2>Potomac Celtic Festival. Mid-June, on the grounds at Morven Park, Tutt Lane and Route 15 North, Leesburg. Continuous live music, crafts, food, Celtic history reenactments, pipers, clan tents, storytellers and demonstrations. For information, call the Loudoun Convention and Visitors Association at 1-800-752-6118 or visit www.potomaccelticfest.org.
Loudoun County Heritage Day. Oatlands plantation, 20850 Oatlands Plantation Lane, Leesburg. Tours of the 1804 mansion and gardens, living history demonstrations, Civil War Tour, music and sandbox archeology. Free admission to all Loudoun County residents. Reduced rate of $5 for all non-Loudoun residents. Call 703-777-3174 for more information.
Old Dominion Beer Festival. Beaumeade Corporate Center, Ashburn. Children's activities include pony rides, moon bounce, face painting and carnival rides. Designated driver program available. Six-ounce samples of beer are $1. Children under 16 are free. Call 1-800-752-6118 or visit www.olddominion.com
L.A.U.G.H.S. Festival. Late June at Claude Moore Park, Sterling. Loudoun's Annual Unforgettable Gigantic Hilarious Storyfest. The storytelling traditions of yesteryear come alive during this festival. Master storytellers share wisdom, personal hijinks, and adaptations from literature. For more information visit www.laughsfestival.org.
<cal1>July
<cal2>Bluemont Summer Concert Series. Leesburg concerts take place on Sunday evenings at 7 p.m., starting the end of June and continuing through October at the Old Courthouse Green in downtown historic Leesburg. Middleburg concerts are held on Saturday evenings at 7:30 p.m., throughout July, on South Madison St., Middleburg. Call 703-777-6306 or visit www.bluemont.org for more information.
Blackberry Days. Tarara Winery, 13648 Tarara Lane, Leesburg. You-pick thornless blackberries, sample complimentary blackberry fare, and enjoy hay rides and secret recipes. For more information call 703-771-7100 or visit www.tarara.com.
Loudoun County Fair. Late July at Loudoun County Fairgrounds in Leesburg. Agricultural exhibits, horse and livestock shows, family entertainment and food. For more information call 1-800-752-6118 or visit www.rural-loudoun.state.va.us.
July 4th Celebrations. Ida Lee Park, 60 Ida Lee Drive, Leesburg, 5-10 p.m. Food and entertainment. Admission is $2/ person, children 6 and under, free. Call 703-777-1368. Visit www.idalee.org. Claude Moore Park, Sterling. Music, games, rides and food in an old-fashioned holiday setting. No registration. Call 703-444-1275 or visit www.loudoun.gov/pres/parks/claude.htm. Franklin Park, Purcellville. Parade, music, food and games. Call Mike Horner at 540-338-7603 or e-mail at mhorner@loudoun.gov.
Other public displays: Waterford Citizens Association, Hillsboro Community Association, Middleburg Community Center, Lovettsville Community Center and Ashburn Village Sports Pavilion.
August
<cal2>August Court Days. Downtown Leesburg, late August, from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Annual street fair relives the August court session of colonial days when Loudoun County’s court system held monthly trials. The August session was a time when Loudoun’s residents gathered to socialize, gossip, hear the latest news, observe who was on trial on for what and learn about the changing political and economic events happening in Philadelphia, Boston, New York and Williamsburg. The event features more than 200 Colonial re-enactments, mock trials (based on historical trials of record), Colonial militia, the king's Scottish troops and frontiersmen. Also, handmade crafts, country/folk music, food and a children’s fair and activities. For more information call 1-800-752-6118.
Lucketts Fair. August 28-29 from 10 a.m.-5 p.m., at Lucketts Community Center, 42361 Lucketts Road. Continuous bluegrass music, children's activities, crafts, antiques, food, farmyard zoo, pony and hay rides. Admission is $5 per person; children 5 and under are free. Free parking. Call 703-771-5281.
Virginia Wine Festival. Great Meadow, 5089 Old Tavern Road, The Plains, mid-August, from 11 a.m.-6 p.m., rain or shine. Wine, music, arts and crafts. Call 1-800-520-9670 for more information.
Tarara’s Blackberry Days Wine Festival. Early August, 11 a.m.–6 p.m. Tarara will celebrate blackberry picking with live entertainment, food and craft vendors, wine tasting, children’s’ activities, hay rides and you-pick thornless blackberries. Rain or shine. Visit www.tarara.com or call Heather Akers 703-771-7100.
Civil War Tour. John Mosby’s Loudoun, early August. Visit Loudoun Civil War sites with historian Steve Meserve. Trip departs from and returns to the Visitor’s Center at Claude Moore Park in Sterling. Call 703-421-5322.
Loudoun Used Book Sale. Mid-August, from 10 a.m.-8 p.m. and 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Thousands of books, compact discs, records, tapes, videos and computer software will be on sale. Cash and checks only; no credit cards. Free admission. Douglass Community Center, 407 E. Market St., Leesburg. Call 703-779-2252.
<cal1>Ongoing Events
<cal2>Farmers' Markets:
Cascades. Sundays, 9 a.m.-1 p.m., May-October. Near the Eastern Regional Library next to the Senior Center.
Sterling. Wednesdays, 4-7 p.m., June-October. In Briar Patch Park off Sterling Boulevard.
Leesburg. Saturdays, 9 a.m.-1 p.m., May-October. In parking lot of Virginia Village Shopping Center on Catoctin Circle.
Middleburg. Saturdays, 9 a.m.-1 p.m., May-October. Behind Middleburg Community Center on Marshall Street.
Round Hill. Saturdays, 2-5 p.m., May-October. Located on Business Route 7 and Main Street.
Flea Markets. Sterling Annex, 1115 W. Church Road, holds outdoor Flea Markets monthly, upcoming dates include Sept. 4, Oct. 2, Nov. 6, Dec. 4, Jan. 15, Feb. 12, and Mar. 5, open from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Spaces are $12 each. Crafters and home businesses are welcome. Call 703-430-6673.
Leesburg First Friday. The first Friday of each month, excluding January, from 6-9 p.m., historic district of Leesburg. Leesburg's art galleries, antique and specialty shops, restaurants, and theaters extend their hours to create a festive atmosphere. Free. Call 1-800-752-6118. Visit www.leesburgfirstfriday.com.
Loudoun County Surplus Store. Open the first and third Wednesday and Friday, and the last Saturday of each month from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. at 14 Cardinal Park Drive, Suite 106 in Leesburg. Directions to the store and photographs of the merchandise can be found on the Loudoun County Government Web site at www.loudoun.gov/maps/direct/sstore.htm.
Gardening Workshops. Ida Lee Park, 60 Ida Lee Dr., Leesburg, throughout the spring and summer. Call 703-771-5838.
Audubon Naturalist Society Rust Sanctuary. 802 Children's Center Road, Leesburg. A 62-acre preserve donated to the Audubon Naturalist Society by the estate of Margaret Dole Rust, just west of Leesburg. Upland forest, meadows, pond, as well as a manor house used for classes, offices and a nature center. Open Monday-Friday 9 a.m.-5 p.m., with various weekend events. Call 703-669-0000. Visit www.audubonnaturalist.org/rustsanct.htm.
Loudoun Museum. 16 Loudoun St., S.W., Leesburg. Orientation video, walking tours and exhibits covering all aspects of Loudoun history. Museum is open Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sunday, 1 p.m.-5 p.m. Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve & Day and New Year's Day. Gift Shop open same hours as museum. Call 703-777-7427 or visit www.loudounmuseum.org.