Belle Grove Plantation to resume offering Manor House tours daily, summer and fall events planned

Starting Tuesday, June 1, Belle Grove Plantation will resume offering Manor House tours daily. The property, including the Beverley B. Shoemaker Welcome Center (containing the Museum Shop and exhibits) is open Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., and Sunday, 1-5 p.m. Manor Hour tours are offered hourly and begin at :15 past the hour. Each tour is limited to ten guests and admission is sold on a first-come, first-served basis. Guests who are not fully vaccinated are required to wear a mask on the property.

This summer, Belle Grove is participating in the Blue Star Museum program, an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts, Blue Star Families, and the Department of Defense. The program provides free admission to currently serving U.S. military personnel and their families from May 15-September 6, 2021. Belle Grove is partnering with the Museum of the Shenandoah Valley (also a Blue Star Museum) to honor U.S. Navy master diver Carl Brashear in a free online program on Tuesday, June 22 at 7 p.m. The guest speaker will be Chief Warrant Officer 5 Phillip Brashear, who will discuss his father’s journey to become the first African American to graduate from the Diving & Salvage School and to become a master diver. The major motion picture Men of Honor was based on Carl Brashear’s life. Registration is at bellegrove.org/calendar/brashear.

Belle Grove will host many of its popular events this summer and fall. On Saturday, June 5, 8 a.m.-3 p.m. is GardenFest. Organized by the Northern Shenandoah Valley Master Gardeners Association, it will feature a plant sale, garden related vendors, rummage sale, expert gardening information, and activities for children. This is a free event and Belle Grove Manor House tours will be discounted to $5 for those 12-years and older that day.

Bluegrass in the Barn with Five of a Kind Bluegrass Band will be held at Belle Grove on Saturday, July 10, 5-8 p.m. Tickets are $30 and are on sale now at www.bellegrove.org and in the Museum Shop. It includes complimentary beer, wine, and non-alcoholic beverages and snacks. Shaffer’s BBQ food truck will have food for sale.

The Belle Grove Wine Fest (plus!) is scheduled for Saturday, August 28, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. The “plus!” refers to an expanded number of area wineries, cideries, meaderies, distilleries, and breweries that will be included this year. Gingerfunk Allstars and the Elizabeth Lawrence Band will provide live music all day. Belle Grove is actively seeking vendors for this event and for more information contact info@bellegrove.org.

Belle Grove will again be the site of the U.S. Border Collie Handlers National Sheepdog Finals Tuesday, October 5-Sunday, October 10, 2021. The top-ranking sheep dogs and their handlers will qualify for this event that will crown the North American champion. Tickets are on sale now at www.bellegrove.org and in the Museum Shop.

Executive Director Kristen Laise said, “We are grateful for the support Belle Grove has received during the pandemic, which allows us to safely and seamlessly resume our daily operations and special events. As our community reopens, we look forward to welcoming back our neighbors from near and far for great educational and social activities.”

About Belle Grove—Belle Grove Plantation is located off Route 11 at 336 Belle Grove Road just south of Middletown, Virginia 22645 and is conveniently located to I-81 (use exit 302) and I-66. Belle Grove Plantation is a non-profit historic house museum that is a National Trust for Historic Preservation historic site (www.savingplaces.org). Belle Grove is also one of the partners in Cedar Creek and Belle Grove National Historical Park (www.nps.gov/cebe). Guests are encouraged to check www.bellegrove.org or call 540-869-2028 for updates before planning a visit.