Events & Uniques

eventsanduniquesThirty artists will show off their work at the North Mountain Arts Festival, June 1 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 201 North Mary St. in Hedgesville, W.Va. The artists will be on hand to demonstrate their work including quilt making, 3D paintings, pottery, fused glass and glass jewelry. Musicians will also entertain throughout the day. For more information, contact Kristin Nelson at 304-754-5727.

A ghostly experience awaits you in Gettysburg, Pa. Hear the story of Jennie Wade in her home. Jennie was the only civilian killed during the Battle of Gettysburg. The event, called Midnight in the Jennie Wade House, runs on Saturdays at 10:45 p.m., 11:10 p.m. and 11:35 p.m. until November 2. Eventually, you will find yourself in the cellar where Jennie’s body lay for 36 hours on July of 1863. Your time in the cellar will include a surprise guest who will discuss the haunting of the house and bring along unique expertise and stories that will convince you that you are in a truly

haunted house. The house is at 777 Baltimore St. For more information call 717-334-6296 or evenings call 717-334-1156.

Enjoy a walk in the woods and see a wide variety of birds at the Birding Banshee Reeks Nature Preserve, the second Saturday of each month, beginning at 8 a.m. Join Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy and the Friends of Banshee Reeks for the bird walk. Because of its rich and varied habitat, this beautiful preserve is a birding hot spot. Please bring binoculars. The preserve is located at 21085 The Woods Road, Leesburg, Va. For details call 540-554-2542 or visit www.loudounwildlife.org online.

Eight houses will be featured as part of the Women’s Club of Hagerstown House and Garden Tour on June 1 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Hagerstown, Md. Four of the houses are on historic South Prospect Street. Lunch will be available at the Women’s Club on South Prospect Street for $7. For more information call 301-739-0870.

The 20th year of the Frederick Festival of the Arts in Frederick, Md. occurs June 1 and 2 at Carroll Creek Linear Park between Court Street and East Street. More than 105 fine artists and craftsmen from across the country will be present representing 12 different media, including: jewelry, photography, painting, glass, wood, metal, drawing, digital, sculpture, fiber, etc. The festival also includes two stages of musical performances, Shakespeare, children’s art activities, canoes, food, more. For more information, email info@frederickartscouncil.org.

On June 1 the first Shepherdstown Community Club (SCC) Handmade Market in Shepherdstown, W.Va. begins. The mission of the SCC is “to bring together the finest artists and crafters from the local region and provide a quality handmade market that will benefit both our customers and the community.” The SCC supports many civic events, cultural activities and social gatherings, as well as public facilities such as the War Memorial Building and Morgan Grove Park. The Market will be held at the War Memorial Building, 102 E. German St., from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. For details, call 304-876-8090 or visit www.facebook.com/SCCHandmadeMarket.

“Take me out to the ballgame!” The Loudoun Preservation Society hosts Vintage Baseball Day, June 2, at Oatlands Historic House and Gardens, 20850 Oatlands Plantation Lane in Leesburg, Va., from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Two teams from the Mid-Atlantic Vintage Baseball League will play a doubleheader, following the rules and customs of the 1860s. Gloves and helmets are not worn, catching gear is not used, and the uniforms and equipment are authentic replicas from the mid-1800s. There were no stadiums or bleachers back then; the game was played in an open area, usually a field. The Old Dominons and the Potomac Nines will play two matches with the Nines serving as the home team. There will be food vendors, merchants, re-enactors, informational booths, and other activities to interest attendees when not watching the game. Bring a blanket or a lawn chair for seating. No pets, alcohol or coolers allowed. For questions or to request more information, please email LPS@PreserveLoudoun.org or call 703-669-2506.

E&U_WendyAllenLincolnArtExhibitArtist Wendy Allen, who is known internationally for her paintings depicting the likeness of Abraham Lincoln, will have an exhibition at the Adams County Arts Council, 125 South Washington Street in Gettysburg, Pa. from June 7 through 30. Allen, who typically uses her hands to spread her paints on the canvas, has been painting images of Lincoln for close to 30 years and has completed nearly 200 paintings of the president. For more information, call 717-334-5006.

If you’re an herb enthusiast or just like a good time, try the Virginia Herb Festival on June 8 and 9, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Sunflower Cottage, 150 Ridgemont Road, Middletown, Va. Events will include programs and workshops such as “Herbal Folklore,” “Herbal Remedies,” “Essential Oil Distillation” and “Edible Flowers.”  Local chefs will demonstrate their recipes, tips and techniques for cooking with fresh herbs. The vendor booths will include herbal crafters and products, potters, garden art, fabrics, fashions and more.  Vendors are not limited to showing herbal products but will include a wide variety of handmade items and foods. There will also be live music. For further information, call 540-869-8482 or visit www.sunflowercottage.netand www.virginiaherbfestival.com.

The Pennsylvania Lavender Festival at Willow Pond Farm in Fairfield, Pa., takes place June 8 and June 15 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The festival offers tours of the farm’s lavender fields and demonstration gardens, lectures and workshops by nationally known experts, and cut-your-own lavender from the farm’s 2.5 acres of plantings. Visit with vendors, find practically everything lavender under the  “Lavender Tent,” or start your own lavender garden with some of the nearly 100 varieties available at our certified organic greenhouses. Visitwww.palavendarfestival.com online for details.

The 42nd annual Mountain Heritage Arts and Crafts Festival happens June 14 to 16. Meet approximately 200 artisans and craftspersons who will demonstrate and showcase their work. Live bluegrass, wine tasting and many varieties of food are available. The festival runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Sam Michael’s Park, 1330 Job Corps Rd., Shenandoah Junction, W.Va. For details, visit jeffersoncountywvchamber.org/festival.

You can taste the offerings of four fabulous restaurants in downtown Frederick, Md. at the Progressive Dinner on June 18. Seating times are 5:45 p.m. to 6:15 p.m. and 6:45 p.m. to 7:15 p.m. For tickets, check outwww.DowntownFrederick.org.

Shepherdstown, W.Va. will hold a Street Fest on German Street on June 29 from 10 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. The event is described as celebrating all that is unique, artistic and welcoming in Shepherdstown. The festival is held on the two blocks of German Street on either side of the town’s main intersection at King Street. In addition to the artists and vendors who will be in town specifically to display their wares at Street Fest, shops along German and Princess Streets will be open. Visitwww.shepherdstownstreetfest.org. for more details.

You’ll have the opportunity to select your own daylily and also learn how to take care of it at the fifth annual Bloomin’ Bash, July 13 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Hillbilly Daylilies, 1105 Giles Mill Road in Bunker Hill, W.Va. The day will include garden-related workshops, exhibits, which feature antique tractors and steam engines, plenty of farm animals and face painting for children. All of the money goes to the Berkeley County Humane Society. For details visitwww.hillybillydaylilies.com or call 304-229-6698.

A Rockin’ Independence Eve is planned July 3 from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Old Town Mall, 811 South Loudoun St. in Winchester, Va. There’ll be music, family activities, a beer and wine garden and fireworks at 9:20 p.m. For further information call 540-662-4946 or visitwww.winchesterva.gov/parks.

The 150th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg will be re-created from July 4 to July 7 in Gettysburg, Pa. Over these four days, soldier and civilian re-enactors will re-create the 1860s through battles, encampments and demonstrations. Visitors can get an up-close look at cavalry, artillery and the lives that soldiers led during the Civil War. Re-enactment organizers are expecting 15,000 re-enactors, thousands more civilian interpreters, 400 horses and 100 cannons. Tickets are on sale. For more information, visitwww.gettysburgreenactment.com.

On July 5, the Contemporary American Theater Festival (CATF) will begin at Shepherd University in Shepherdstown, W.Va. and continue until July 28. CATF celebrates its 23rd season of producing and developing new American theater, featuring five new plays in rotating repertory, readings, workshops, lectures and special events. Performances are Wednesday to Sunday. For details call 304-876-3473 or visit www.catf.org.

The National Museum of Civil War Medicine in Frederick, Md. will offer “The Blues House Festival,” July 13 from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. Mavis Slawson, collector and textile historian, quilter and lecturer, shares examples and the history of American inscribed quilts. The first inscribed album, potholder and friendship quilts surfaced about 1830. Signatures, patriotic slogans and notes of endearment are among the words written in ink or embroidered on these quilts. Inscribed quilts were created to raise money for soldiers’ needs by both the North and South directly after the Civil War.  Women continued to create inscribed quilts through the last quarter of the nineteenth century to fund community and church projects, as fundraisers in the early days of the American Red Cross, and through WWI to purchase personal items for convalescing soldiers.  Quilters are still creating inscribed quilts today for a variety of reasons, including the support of our wounded warriors. The museum is located at 48 E. Patrick St. For details, visitwww.civilwarmed.org.

The Blues House Festival, the largest Blues music festival in the Northern Shenandoah Valley and Northern Virginia area, takes place July 13 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Winchester Eagles Club in Winchester, Va. Five bands will be featured. The event will happen in the Club’s Aerie 824 Outdoor Pavilion behind the Eagles Club at 700 Baker Lane. Food will be available. For details visitwww.winchesterbluehouse.com.

Take your taste buds on an unforgettable journey as you enjoy the flavor of local award-winning restaurants and wineries in Purcellville, Va., at the Purcellville Wine and Food Festival on July 20 from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. at 200 North 21st St. Visit www.purcellvillewineandfood.com or call 540-751-2350 for details.

You can be an “Eyewitness to War” by participating in the Civil War living history program at the Mt. Zion Old School Baptist Church in Aldie, Va. The event takes place July 28 from 1 to 5 p.m. The program features guided tours of the church and cemetery and Civil War graffiti on display. The church is located at 40309 John Mosby Highway. For details visit www.nvrpa.org or call 703-327-9777.

Author: Brian

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