Community Events
Golf fundraiser for kids May 8 celebrates 25th year, raises over $500,000
One of the year’s leading local golf tournaments celebrates its 25th anniversary in May, and has topped the half-million dollar mark it has earned for the Warren County Educational Endowment (WCEE) over the past quarter-century.
WCEE president Douglas Stanley and his 14-member board, including Melanie Barber, vice president; Carol Dodson, treasurer; and Joseph Silek, secretary; has called out for sponsors for this year’s May 8 golf extravaganza at Shenandoah Valley Golf Club (SGVC)) that constitutes the endowment’s main annual fundraiser.
Last year, $46,450 went to 11 recipients of WCEE grants, bringing the total awarded to $500,877 “to support innovation in our local school system,” said Stanley, who is also the 2019 tournament chair.
Various ways to support the tournament by players and non-participants are described in WCEE’s announcement of the May 8 date including hole sponsorship ($100); single golfer registration ($75); team registration ($300); SVGC team member registration ($180); and SVGC single member golfer ($45). Donations on line are possible at www.WCEducationalEndowment.org. For further information, Stanley may be reached at (540) 636-4600 or email info@WCEducationalEndowment.org.
Sponsorships range from $1,000 (gold); $750 (silver); $500 (bronze); plus supporter ($250); and hole sponsor ($100).
“We are blessed to be a community that is willing to step up to the plate and work together … to help make this (tournament) happen,” Stanley said. “Please plan to join us for a great day of fun to benefit the youth of Warren County.”
Other board members are: Mary Anne Biggs, Mark Bower, Jeanian Clark, Joanne Cherefko, Sue Anne Fox, Charles Huber, George Karnes, R. Mark Jordan, John Marlow, Thomas Patterson and Charlie Sackett.
Community Events
36th Annual Virginia Wine & Craft Festival: A Day of Delight in Front Royal
On Saturday, May 18th, 2024, the streets of Front Royal will come alive with the vibrant and festive spirit of the 36th Annual Virginia Wine & Craft Festival. From 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Main and Chester Streets will transform into a bustling marketplace filled with the best Virginia offers in wine, crafts, and culinary delights.
The festival is a beloved tradition that showcases an array of Virginia’s finest wines, meads, and ciders. Attendees will have the opportunity to indulge in tastings that promise an unforgettable journey through the region’s renowned libations. This year’s event will also feature a new Kids Zone, ensuring that families enjoy a day filled with fun and engaging activities for all ages.
Artists and crafters from along the East Coast and local artisans and merchants will display their unique creations, ranging from handcrafted jewelry to bespoke ceramics. The array of goods will give festival-goers a perfect opportunity to find that special something, whether for themselves or as gifts.
No festival is complete without tantalizing food options; this year is no exception. From savory crab cake sandwiches to delicious shish kabobs, the food offerings will cater to every palate, ensuring no one goes hungry.
Live music will enhance the festival atmosphere, with performances by bands like A Thousand Faces, Bearded Harmony, and Back To Zero. Attendees should also stay alert for surprise performances and activities sprinkled throughout the event.
Tickets for the wine tasting are available for $30 in advance or $35 at the gate, with free general admission. They can be purchased online or at the Front Royal-Warren County Chamber of Commerce office. The festival is a chance to enjoy the day and explore the broader attractions of Front Royal and Warren County, appealing to both leisure seekers and outdoor enthusiasts.
The festival, presented by Discover Front Royal and Experience Warren County, is made possible thanks to local sponsors like Jennerations Hair Studio & Spa, Glo Fiber, Christine Binnix – McEnearney Associates, and Shotton Design.
For more information about the festival or to purchase tickets, visit the official website at www.wineandcraftfestival.com or contact the Front Royal-Warren County Chamber of Commerce at 540-635-3185.
Community Events
Valley Chorale Announces Upcoming Spring Concerts in Middletown and Front Royal
The Valley Chorale presents “Wishing On a Song – Music in the Key of Hope”, a spring concert exploring aspirations of love, home, spirituality and compassion that unite and uplift us all. With styles ranging from light classical and sacred to vocal jazz, spirituals and pop, The Valley Chorale strives to capture the hopes that unite us.
The Valley Chorale is known throughout the Shenandoah Valley for innovation and excellence, with piano, cello and percussion accompaniment, and their concerts are often a heart-warming experience for all. They welcome babies and tots, so no need to hire a babysitter.
Tickets can be purchased on their website TheValleyChorale.org — $15 for age 21+ (free under age 21) or at the door for $17.
SATURDAY, MAY 4, 3:00 – 4:15 PM
Belle Grove Plantation (Bank Barn), 336 Belle Grove Road, Middletown, VA
SUNDAY, MAY 5, 3:00 – 4:15 PM
First Baptist Church, 14 W. 1st Street, Front Royal, VA (Community Reception to follow)
For further information, visit the website: TheValleyChorale.org: follow them on Facebook; email them at TheValleyChorale@gmail.com or call at 540-635-4842.
(From a Release by The Valley Chorale)
Community Events
Humane Society’s Popular ‘Barks & Bags’ Breaks All Records With its Spring Fling, Grossing $59,665
It was a bitter-sweet evening for me at the Humane Society of Warren County (HSWC) annual “Barks and Bags” fundraiser that drew some 265 of Warren County’s womenfolk and a few gentlemen, including me, to what started as a luncheon group of several Rockland women a decade or more ago and grew to what it has become a sold-out dinner/live auction event featuring name brand (think Gucci) handbags and purses that sold for between $800 and $1,800 in lively bidding.
I was there, representing my late wife, Carol, along with her good friend Susan O’Kelly, thinking back to the days of the hats and relatively small luncheon gatherings with a feeling of pride over what Carol and Susan and many of their women’s group of friends helped launch. They wore fancy hats (I still have a closet full of them, any takers?!) at my suggestion to attract press photographers’ attention and the resulting publicity. With the principal help of Jean Plauger and former longtime HSWC president Ellen Aders, it worked!
The County Humane Society’s new, as of this year, Executive Director Kayla Wines supervised the introductions, the raffles, auctioneer Clint Pierpoint, and so on at the Shenandoah Valley Golf Club in Rockland, giving a shout-out to event sponsors Aders, Plauger, Blake Pierpoint, HSWC Board President Amanda Kindall, and retiring Treasurer Katrina Meade.
Some 40 of those present were named as live and silent auction donors, and 30 “table captains” were recognized by Wines, who described the event in six words: “It was our best year yet!” she proclaimed.
(The writer, former journalist Malcolm Barr Sr. of Rockland, is a past president of HSWC and a current supporter of the Julia Wagner Animal Shelter in Front Royal)
Community Events
Updated: ‘Phony Ponies’ Give a Competitive Edge to FR Rotary Downtown Pub Crawl Fundraiser
On Friday, April 26, the Front Royal Rotary sponsored a downtown Front Royal “Pub Crawl” featuring a Phony Ponies “horse race” ticket holders could bet on to add to the Rotary fundraiser, and a little reward for their knowledge of the relative prowess and breeding of the involved Phony Ponies. Or as one pre-race announcer informed the crowd, “We’ve got three stallions and two old mares in this race,” which was met by some boos from the filly-supporting contingent.
And it was one of those two filly mares that led the five-horse field across the finish line after three laps around the Gazebo in the in the Main Street Downs Raceway shortly after 7:30 p.m. — that was “Blazin’ Botox” (Warren County Sheriff Crystal Cline), followed in order by “Money for Nothing” (Front Royal Rotary President Ken Evans), “Closing Real Fast” (Front Royal Police Chief Kahle Magalis), “Bullseye” (Warren County Rotary President Michael Williams), and “The Old Gray Mare” or was that “Mayor” (Front Royal Mayor Lori Cockrell).
It was a highly competitive race with some post finish line challenges offered by runner up Money for Nothing, whose jockey Evans noted an unapproved by the Racing Commission pre-race change into borrowed running shoes by the winner, as well as some out-of-my-lane territorial elbow-bumping by Blazin’ Botox to keep him in his 2nd place position. WAIT, do horses have elbows? I guess phony ones do.
Jockey Cockrell explained her disappointing 5th place finish, noting she had locked in behind Bullseye/Williams early in the running. However, it ended up being a bad spot to draft, as Bullseye appeared to be having an equipment break-down in front of her, as in a drooping “saddle” threatening that stallions stability and which she had to pull back from for caution’s sake.
On the more serious side, the second annual Talk Derby To Me Pub Crawl fundraiser was in support of Rotary International’s eradicate polio worldwide effort. More information about Rotary’s efforts to end polio can be found at this website: https://www.rotary.org/en/our-causes/ending-polio
Involved and supporting downtown businesses included Vibrissa, the On Cue Sports Bar & Grill, Buckle & Belle Boutique, sponsor of the “Phony Ponies” race, C&C Frozen Treats, Pavemint Smoking Taphouse, Honey & Hops, Catamount Lounge, and Garcia & Gavino. Hope we didn’t miss anyone, and we’ll update as necessary if we did.
And in a late update, individual sponsoring of the Phony Ponies was provided by: Ken Evans, ReMax Reality sponsoring Evans on “Money For Nothing”; CSM Aesthetics sponsored “Blazin’ Botox” and jockey Cline; Clint Pierpoint, Next Home Reality Select sponsored “Closing Real Fast” with Chief Magalis on the saddle; Lori Cockrell for Mayor sponsored “The Old Grey Mare” with the mayor riding; and Shenandoah Valley Axe Throwing Co. sponsored the saddle-failing “Bullseye” with Williams keeping his stallion upright.
And if you missed the fun and excitement, here are a few more shots.
Community Events
Parade Broadcast Schedule and Important Festival Information
The Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival® is pleased to announce that festival fans can watch the Hang 10 Car Wash Firefighters’ Parade and the Glofiber Grand Feature Parade on several local television channels and stream it on the festival’s website at www.thebloom.com.
The Hang 10 Car Wash Firefighters’ Parade will air starting at 5:30 pm on Friday, May 3, 2024, on the following:
Live streaming at www.thebloom.com
VA- Comcast – Channel 6
VA- Glofiber – Channel 7
WV- Comcast – Channel TV 10, Talk Radio WRNR
The Glofiber Grand Feature Parade will air starting at 2:00 pm on the following:
Live streaming at www.thebloom.com
DC NEWS NOW – WDVM
VA- Comcast – Channel 6
VA-Glofiber – Channel 7
WV- Comcast – Channel TV 10, Talk Radio WRNR
Parade goers can reserve seats from the Festival by visiting www.thebloom.com/events. Reserved seat locations and prices are listed below:
Hang 10 Car Wash Firefighters’ Parade steps off at 5:30 pm on Friday, May 3, 2024
$10.00 Cork St
$10.00 Handley Library
$10.00 Handley Blvd
$15.00 Handley Blvd Queen’s Garden
Glofiber Grand Feature Parade steps off at 1:30 pm on Saturday, May 4, 2024
$15.00 Cork St.
$15.00 Handley Library
$15.00 Handley Blvd (North and South)
$25.00 Handley Blvd Queen’s Garden
In addition to the Festival seating options listed above, local youth non-profits will sell seating along the parade route at various prices. Seat sales by these organizations are great fundraisers for them, and we encourage you to consider supporting these groups.
Festival goers can learn about important information on the City of Winchester website at www.winchesterva.gov/news-happenings/events/apple-blossom. Information includes road closures and detours, safety tips, parking, medical aid station locations, bag checks, and prohibited items.
Designated accessible parking is available at the John Handley High School parking lot along Handley Blvd. Only those with a handicap license plate or placard will gain access to this area. The parking lot can be accessed by traveling on South Stewart Street to West Cecil Street and Handley Avenue. A map of the designated accessible parking lot can be downloaded by visiting www.winchesterva.gov/news-happenings/events/apple-blossom.
For more information about the Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival®, please visit www.thebloom.com, call (540) 662-3863, or contact us at info@thebloom.com.
Community Events
Explore the Life of Judah: Free Presentation at Belle Grove
Dive deep into the poignant story of Judah, an enslaved cook at Belle Grove, in a special 30-minute presentation in the historic winter kitchen of the Belle Grove Manor House. This insightful program draws on rare primary sources from the Hite family archives, offering a unique glimpse into Judah’s life and her significant role within the manor until she died in 1836.
Program Details:
- Location: Winter Kitchen, Belle Grove Manor House (entry under the front porch)
- Schedule for 2024:
- May 31, June 28, July 26, August 30, September 27, October 25
- Time: 2:30 PM to 3:00 PM
Admission to this program is free; however, donations are greatly appreciated. For those interested in exploring more of Belle Grove, regular admission rates apply for tours of the Manor House either before the presentation at 1:15 PM or afterward at 3:15 PM. Tickets can be purchased at the Welcome Center upon arrival.
This presentation, a recurring event since 2016, also inspired Dr. Brian C. Johnson to write “Send Judah First: The Erased Life of an Enslaved Soul,” a historical novel that breathes life into Judah’s story. Published in August 2019 by Hidden Shelf Publishing House, the book is available in the Museum Shop or on Amazon.
Don’t miss this chance to connect with history in the very space where Judah once lived and worked. Whether you’re a history enthusiast, a local explorer, or a visitor looking to understand the deeper stories of the past, this presentation at Belle Grove offers a profound and educational experience.