Throughout the month of January, The Connection will be highlighting 101 ways residents can have fun in and around their community. Mike DiCicco, Justin Fanizzi, Jennifer Lesinski and Rich Sanders worked on this project. This is part three of four.
<ro>Learn to Farm
<lst>Loudoun Heritage Farm Museum
21668 Heritage Farm Lane
Sterling, VA 20164
571-258-3800
www.heritagefarmmuseum.org
<bt>Located in Sterling's Claude Moore Park, the Loudoun Heritage Farm Museum is dedicated to collecting and exhibiting objects, documents and photographs related to agricultural and rural life in historic Loudoun. Hours are Tuesdays-Saturdays, from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sundays, from noon-5 p.m. Admission is $5 for adults, $4 for seniors and $3 for children 2-12. The museum is also home to a variety of farm animals and has annual events, such as the Spring Farm Tour and Tractorpalooza.
<ro>Take to the Trail
<lst>Washington & Old Dominion Trail
21293 Smiths Switch Road
Ashburn, VA 20147
703-729-0596
www.wodfriends.org
<bt>Stretching from Purcellville in the west to Alexandria in the east, the W&OD Trail runs for 45 miles and takes its name from the railroad that ran in the area from 1859-1968. The recreational trail is well suited for walking, hiking, biking, jogging and inline skating, while equestrians may ride a parallel trail that stretches from Purcellville to Vienna. For a map, mileage chart and more information on the trail, go to the Friends of the Washington & Old Dominion Trail Web site.
<ro>Play Around
<lst>Sterling Playmakers
P.O. Box 1611
Sterling, VA 20167
703-437-6117
www.sterlingplaymakers.com
<bt>Spend an evening at the theater. From slapstick comedies to period pieces, the Sterling Playmakers offer something for everyone. Coming productions include "Puss in Boots," "Musical Comedy Murders of 1940," the 10-Minute 1-Act Festival, Disney’s "Aladdin Jr." and "Thoroughly Modern Millie" the musical. The Playmakers not only entertain, but also educate the Sterling community through workshops on acting, hair and makeup, directing and producing and sound and lighting.
<ro>Listen to the Classics
<lst>Loudoun Symphony
P.O. Box 4478
Leesburg, VA 20177
703-771-8287
www.loudounsymphony.org
<bt>No need to travel to Washington, D.C., to hear a symphony perform. The Loudoun Symphony holds a season every year between October and May. Ticket prices vary, but season tickets are $55, or $45 for seniors, if purchased before Oct. 1 and $60 after that date. Admission is free for those under 18. All performances are held at local high schools where audiences will be treated to music from Beethoven to Gershwin. In addition to the regular season, the symphony holds a fund-raising gala every June and a connoisseurs' concert in November, both of which are open to the public.
<ro>Eat Pancakes with the Fire Fighters
<lst>Ashburn Volunteer Fire Department
20688 Ashburn Road
Ashburn, VA 20147
703-729-0006
<bt>On the first Sunday of each month, the Ashburn Volunteer Fire Department hosts a breakfast of pancakes, eggs, bacon, sausage, biscuits and gravy, hash browns, coffee and juice. Breakfast is from 8 a.m.-noon and costs $4 for children ages 3-8, $6 for seniors and $5 for adults. Children under 3 are admitted for free. The apparatus bay is open for children to check out the fire and rescue equipment.
<ro>Take in a Show
<lst>Franklin Park Performing and Visual Arts Center
17501 Franklin Park Drive
Purcellville, VA 20132
540-338-7973
www.franklinparkartscenter.org
<bt>This center is a second home to many Loudoun musicians, actors, dancers, artists and art enthusiasts. Shows, presented on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, include movies, music, dance and professional, youth and community theater. Ticket prices vary. Performance dates and directions can be found on the Web site.
<ro>Savor the Sweet Sounds
<lst>Tarara Winery's Toast to the Tunes
13648 Tarara Lane
Leesburg, VA 20176
703-771-7100
www.tarara.com
<bt>This summer concert series, hosted by Tarara Winery, runs from early July to mid-September. Concerts are held Saturday evenings, from 6-9:30 p.m., rain or shine. Picnics, prizes and vacation give aways are also part of the fun. The price for adults is $15, while children under 6 get in free. Tickets are available at the winery or online. Complimentary shuttle service is also available.
<ro>Go Unplugged
<lst>Acoustic on the Green
25 W. Market St.
Leesburg, VA 20178
703-737-7084
www.leesburgva.com
<bt>This annual summer concert series offers residents the chance to listen to a variety of acoustic music every Saturday between early June and late August. Held from 7-9 p.m. on the green of Leesburg's Town Hall, each of these free concerts features acoustic performers in classic rock, blues, pop and bluegrass. Series creators Stilson Greene and Pat McKinney raise money each year to present the series to the public. So come out, bring your family and a blanket and enjoy the show. For more information and the concert schedule, visit the Web site.
<ro>Go Milling Around
<lst>Aldie Mill
39401 John Mosby Highway
P.O. Box 322
Aldie, VA 20105
703-327-9777
www.aldiemill.org
<bt>At Aldie Mill — a working mill built in the early 1800s and now owned by the Virginia Outdoors Foundation — the heritage of water-powered mills is preserved. Demonstration grinding and tours of the site take place on weekend afternoons. Forming the core of the mill's mission is historic research, archaeological investigations, preservation and restoration work and educational programs. An annual art show and sale is held every June and the mill also participates in the Aldie Harvest Festival, held annually in October. The mill is open from late April to late November, weekends, from 12-5 p.m. Milling demonstrations are at 1, 2 and 3 p.m.
<ro>Experience Early Living
<lst>Waterford Homes Tour/Crafts Exhibit
The Waterford Foundation
P.O. Box 142
Waterford, VA 20197
540-882-3018
www.waterfordva-wca.org
<bt>Since 1943, the Waterford Foundation has held this annual autumn fair, which draws artisans and craftsmen from around the country. Along with exhibits, there is also music and dancing, Civil War re-enactments, citizens in historical dress and food — from apple cider to Loudoun sausage. Visitors will discover how early furniture, tools and house wares were made and see historic homes and American life 200 years ago. This year, the fair will be held Oct. 2-4, from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and 155 artisans will be featured. Tickets in advance are $13 per person, per day and $15 at the gate. Children under 12 are free.
<ro>Tour a Preserve
<lst>Banshee Reeks Nature Preserve
21085 The Woods Road
Leesburg, VA 20175
703-669-0316
<bt>The 700-acre Banshee Reeks Nature Preserve protects plants, animals and various habitats along the rolling hills near Goose Creek. Wetlands, fields, forests, trails and wildlife make a visit to Banshee Reeks well worth the trip. The preserve is open from 8 a.m.-4 p.m., every Saturday and Sunday. After-hours activities may be approved and scheduled by calling the park for a permit.
<ro>Get Crafty
<lst>Annual Autumn Arts and Crafts Festival
21544 Old Vestals Gap Road
Sterling, VA 20164
703-444-1275
www.loudoun.gov/prcs/parks/claude.htm
<bt>The Arts and Crafts Festival is held in September at Claude Moore Park and the Lanesville Heritage area in Sterling. It features 100 or so crafters selling handmade jewelry, baskets, wood items, candles and more. There is also a children's craft area, entertainment, historic house tours, craft demonstrations, a bake sale and food service. Admission is free.
<ro>Show Off your Muscles
<lst>Dulles Day Family Festival and Plane Pull
Dulles International Airport Fed-Ex Terminal, behind buildings 5 and 6
Dulles, VA
703-359-4301
www.planepull.com
<bt>Each year, the Metropolitan Washington Airport Authority Police Department challenges teams of family and friends to pull 150,000 pounds of machinery at the Dulles Day Family Festival and Plane Pull at Dulles International Airport. Each team donates $1,000 to the Special Olympics of Virginia to get the chance to pull an airplane. The team that pulls the plane the farthest wins. The day also includes face painting, food, a car show, aircraft displays, exhibits, games, rides, a Kids’ Corner, live music, concessions and a School Bus Pull for the kids.
<ro>Horse Around
<lst>Morven Park
The Westmoreland Davis Memorial Foundation Inc.
41793 Tutt Lane
Leesburg, VA 21078
703-777-2414
www.morvenpark.org
<bt>This 1,200-acre, historic landmark estate of former Virginia Gov. Westmoreland Davis (1918-1922) features tours, gardens, museums, a mansion first built in 1781, an equestrian center and steeplechase racing. The Museum of Hounds and Hunting is particularly interesting, as it serves as the repository of art, artifacts and literature on the sport of fox hunting, as well as other paintings, photographs, music and books portraying famous hounds. The park is open daily from 7 a.m.-dusk. Guided tours are offered Fridays-Mondays, between 11 a.m.-4 p.m., April through mid-November. The grounds are closed to the public in January and February. Special programs are held Saturdays and Sundays by reservation. Events include the Celtic Festival, Loudoun Fun Day, the Classic Car Show and the Caroline Muldoon Pas de Deux Challenge Cup. This year will also feature events commemorating the opening of the Morven Park Historic Mansion and a celebration in honor of Davis’ birthday. More information on Morven Park can be found online.
<ro>Take in a Movie – For Free
<lst>Brambleton Regal Fox Cinemas
22875 Brambleton Plaza
Ashburn, VA 20148
703-957-1035
<bt>For nine weeks during the summer, the Brambleton movie theater hosts a free family film festival. Selected G- and PG-rated movies start at 10 a.m. each Tuesday and Wednesday during the festival. First-come, first-served seating is limited to theater capacity.
<ro>See How Marshall Lived
<lst>Dodona Manor
217 Edwards Ferry Road
Leesburg, VA 20176
703-777-1880
www.georgecmarshall.org
<bt>Dodona Manor is the restored summer home of Gen. George C. Marshall, father of the Marshall Plan and highly accomplished statesman and military man. The house contains approximately 90 percent of the original belongings of Marshall and his wife, Elizabeth, including items such furniture, art, books, clothes, maps, Chinese furniture and artwork, trunks and personal items. The Marshalls were avid gardeners, and most of their landscaping, including the vegetable and rose gardens, has been recreated. The house is open to the public year-round on Saturdays, from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sundays, from 1-5 p.m., and between June and August, the house is also open Mondays, from 1-5 p.m. Tours are on the hour, with the last tour at 4 p.m. Weekday tours are available by appointment with two-weeks notice. Call 703-777-1301 for reservations. Admission costs $10 for adults, $8 for seniors and group tours, and $5 for students and children ages 9-17.
<ro>Shoot the Rapids
<lst>BTI Whitewater
10985 Harpers Ferry Road
Purcellville, VA 20132
1-877-RAFT-BTI (723-8284)
www.buttstubes.com
<bt>Join BTI Whitewater for tubing, whitewater rafting, canoeing and duckies (inflatable kayak rentals) on the Shenandoah and Potomac rivers. Spring through fall, the company offers trips for the family, summer campers or commercial groups interested in team building. Trips cost between $21 and $80.
<ro>Learn the Magic of Basketball
<lst>Hoop Magic Sports Academy
14810 Murdock St.
Chantilly, VA 20151
703-268-5780
www.hoopmagicsa.com
<bt>Hoop Magic has a basketball league for kindergartners and first-graders, seniors social activities and everything in between. In addition to leagues and tournaments, this sports academy offers camps, clinics, birthday parties, high-school events, after-school gym, shooting machines, a workout gym and more. The facility is open late, closing at either 11 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays; at midnight Tuesdays and Thursdays; and at 9 p.m. on Sundays.
<ro>Take a Hike
<lst>Red Rock Wilderness Overlook Regional Park
43098 Edwards Ferry Road
Leesburg, VA 20176
703-737-7800
www.nvrpa.org/parks/redrock
<bt>Hike over hills and through the woods to panoramic views of the Potomac and the distant blue foothills across the river on this out-of-the-way, 67-acre property. The park is open all year from dawn until dusk.
<ro>Go to the Birds
<lst>Virginia Birding and Wildlife Trail
703-771-2170
www.dgif.virginia.gov/vbwt
<bt>The "Foothills to Falls Loop" is part of the Piedmont Region of the Virginia Birding and Wildlife Trail, a statewide system of 13 loops that allow visitors to experience wildlife in its most beautiful and natural habitats and the opportunity of seeing resident, breeding and winter birds. Some of birds that may be spotted in the fall and winter include bald and golden eagles, common mergansers, redpolls, green warblers, magnolia warblers, red-tailed hawks, mallard ducks, great blue herons, common ravens, Canadian geese and an assortment of woodpeckers, as well as the usual year-round residents such as blue jays, cardinals, sparrows, juncos and chickadees. The trail also highlights the red fox and more than 250 species of fish. It runs through the Rust Sanctuary, Banshee Reeks Nature Preserve and Red Rock Wilderness Overlook Regional Park. The free, self-guided driving tour guide can be obtained at the Loudoun Visitors Center, 222 Catoctin Circle S.E., Suite 100, Leesburg.
<ro>Get Artsy
<lst>Round Hill Arts Center
540-338-5050
6 West Loudoun St.,
Round Hill, VA 20141
www.roundhillartscenter.org
<bt>The Old Furniture Factory, once a prohibition-era speakeasy, among its several former identities, now houses an art gallery and art and music studios. The Round Hill Arts Center offers classes for all ages in pottery, painting, illustration, photography, tile art, knitting, classical guitar, mandolin and more. Occasional figure model sessions are also offered.
<ro>Explore the Past
<lst>African American Heritage Trail
Thomas Balch Library
208 West Market St.,
Leesburg, VA 20176
703-737-7019 (Marantha Edwards)
<bt>Tour the history of African-Americans in Leesburg. The Black History Committee of the Friends of the Thomas Balch Library developed a publication to guide users to noteworthy sites of black history in town and explain their significance. Pick up the publication at the Thomas Balch Library or the Loudoun Museum.
<ro>Jazz It Up
<lst>Loudoun Jazz Ensemble
703-725-5732 (Jerry Bresee, manager)
www.lcbandinc.org/ljehome.htm
<bt>The Loudoun Jazz Ensemble is a performing organization of the Loudoun Community Band Inc. with a twofold purpose: to provide a group in which area musicians with a strong interest in "big band" jazz can rehearse on a regular basis and to bring the results of their efforts to the people of Loudoun and the surrounding areas. The band is committed to performing a wide variety of the big band music from the '40s through today with style and excellence. This is an all-volunteer ensemble of 17 members ranging in experience from high school students to professional musicians. Upcoming shows are yet to be announced.
<ro>Hear the Fat Lady Sing
<lst>Loudoun Lyric Opera
703-771-0996
www.loudounlyricopera.com/index.html.
<bt>Founded in 2007, Loudoun Lyric Opera provides an intimate stage for tomorrow’s leading singers to launch their careers as well as a venue for local performers to showcase their talents, all while enriching the cultural climate of the community. The group’s next performance will be "L'Elisir d'Amore" ("The Elixir of Love"), performed with the Loudoun Symphony Orchestra. The show will be Saturday, March 14, at 8 p.m. and Sunday, March 15, at 3 p.m., in the Heritage High School auditorium, 520 Evergreen Mill Road S.E., Leesburg. General admission tickets will cost $25 at the door. Advance sales cost $20, and senior citizens pay $20 at the door, $15 in advance. Admission is free for youth 18 and under.
<ro>Be a Good Sport
<lst>Dulles SportsPlex
21610 Atlantic Blvd.,
Sterling, VA 20166
703-430-9966
www.dullessportsplex.com
<bt>Dulles SportsPlex boasts 79,000 square feet of sporting activity for ages 18 months to senior citizens. Leagues for all ages include soccer, football, basketball, lacrosse, volleyball, field hockey, dodgeball, table tennis, roller hockey, inline hockey and futsal. The facility also hosts parties, field trips, corporate events and youth camps, as well as home-school, school day off and child development programs.