Get Out Loudoun for May 2022

MAY 2022

Loudoun Now Your guide to Loudoun’s Entertainment Scene

peace

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quiet

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...savor the moment on Mother's Day.

{ReseRvations Recommended–always fRee} Savor the Mother's Day moments at Doukénie.

There's a quiet seat with a great view waiting for you and your honeys, large and small. Awardwinning wines complement the beauty of the winery. Nom noms from Roots 657, hand-made cheeses from Goot Essa, and charcuterie grazing boxes are available on Saturdays + Sundays.

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friday bistro from 6 to

9 pm. visit our online

calendar for details and for our full listing of may musical performances and events.

Scan to reserve your space on www.exploretock.com/doukeniewinery.

HouRs: Tuesday – Friday 12 - 5 p.m.

Saturday + Sunday 11 - 6 p.m.

Monday – Closed

foR ReseRvations go to: www.doukeniewineRy.com Exclusive seating for guests with children and/ or dogs at Adirondack chairs along pond, reservations recommended.

Outside food not allowed

14727 Mountain Road Purcellville, VA (540) 668-6464

www.doukeniewinery.com

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The Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band

GET OUT LOUDOUN Get Out Loudoun is distributed monthly to entertainment, tourism, and hospitality venues throughout Loudoun County. For the latest news on the music scene and other community events, go to getoutloudoun.com.

CONTRIBUTORS Renss Greene Jan Mercker Norman K. Styer ON THE COVER Artist Kim Pourciau Kim stands next to her painting of Nelson “Mutt” Lassiter, part of her mural on display on Leesburg’s Town Hall parking garage. Photo by Norman K. Styer TO ADVERTISe Susan Styer at 703-770-9723 or sales@loudounnow.com getoutloudoun.com

MAY 2022

Inside: 6

ART SCENE As a transplant from New Orleans, artist Kim Pourciau Kim is finding inspiration in exploring the history of her new Leesburg community.

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TASTE Acclaimed chef Shane O’Connor is bringing a world of flavor to his newest venture, Bia Kitchen in downtown Purcellville.

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HAPPENINGS Some of the area’s most popular performers are teaming up for this year’s Nova MusicFest and supporting fellow musicians battling cancer.

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TUNES Singer/Songwriter Cal Veatch explores postpandemic themes of hope and growth for his generation.

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BREWS One of Loudoun’s most popular breweries is growing through a merger with Maryland’s Silver Branch Brewing Company.

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BEST BETS Get Out Loudoun’s picks for May.

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Photo by Alex Mangione/Visit Loudoun

Enjoy three days of art, flowers and flavors during the May 28-30 grand opening of the National Botanic Garden in southeastern Loudoun.

May Day Memories

BY VISIT LOUDOUN

Spring has sprung, summer is around the corner and Memorial Day ushers it all in on May 30.

Instead of packing the car for a long weekend away, why not staycation in Loudoun? In fact, there are events galore to keep you entertained locally throughout the month as well as that weekend.

Nothing says summer like being active outdoors.

Get your heart rate up and wind in your hair on May 7 at the USE Gravel Grinder National Championship, a 100-mile cycle race on dirt roads through Loudoun, starting and finishing at B Chord Brewing. Separate to the pros in the main race is a 30-mile “Mini G” ride open to all ages. Hop on your bike—or grab a beer and watch the action.

Staying sporty, Fireman’s Field in Purcellville will host the 16th Annual Eastern Women’s Baseball Conference Diamond Classic Memorial Day weekend, the nation’s longest running women’s baseball tournament. Fun for the whole family, order hot dogs and soda and cheer on regional stars DC Thunder and the Baltimore Pirates from the bleachers.

The big weekend also sees the grand public opening of the much-anticipated National Botanic Garden in Chantilly, south Loudoun—250 gorgeous acres of landscaped 4

gardens that merge horticulture, architecture, topography and art. The garden celebrates the occasion with the Art, Flowers, and Flavors Festival: three days of painting exhibitions, outdoor sculptures, music, food, beer, and chocolate as well as wine tastings from some leading Virginia wineries.

Staying with wine, Loudoun wineries build up to Memorial Day with several fun events.

May 21 is ’80s DJ Dance Party at 868 Estate Vineyards, with hits from Madonna to Men at Work. Enjoy a glass of the 2019 Vidal Blanc Passito (a gold winner at the recent Governor’s Cup) in between showing off your dance moves.

Two Twisted Posts Winery hosts Kindness Day on May 21: wear a Mr. Rodgers red sweater and you get a complimentary tasting. We feel he would approve. Dog lovers, take the whole family to Maggie Malick Wines Caves in western Loudoun the weekend of May 21-22 for the wildly popular annual Puppypalooza—amazing leaping, jumping, swimming and catching tricks from the skilled canine competitors of Chesapeake Dock Dogs. Cheer them on while sipping Maggie’s own recent gold winner: the 2020 Albariño. Then, on May 28, the big one: the annual Tarara Summer Concert Series begins with a performance from ’80s cover band The Reflex, the first of live music Saturdays through September at this Lucketts-based winery.

Of course, if the urge to go away Memorial Day weekend is simply too strong, we have you covered there too. Treat the family to a weekend in one of Loudoun’s gorgeous B&Bs, hotels, luxe resorts or park cabins. For a range of options go to visitloudoun.org/stay.

Book early—everyone wants to spend Memorial Day weekend in Loudoun!

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MAY 2022

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HILLSBORO’S 2022

GARDENS in THE GAP

Saturday, May 21 Farm & Garden Market FREE 9 a.m.-3 p.m. FREE

Garden & farm demonstrations, produce, artisans, crafts, music, food & more!

Eat, Drink & Be Literary!

Nora Pouillon

Organic farm-to-table pioneer Tickets: OldStoneSchool.org

Hillsboro’s Old Stone School

MAY 2022

Doors open at 6 p.m.

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ART SCENE

Kim P. Kim works in her studio at her home in Leesburg.

Photo by Renss Greene

Mended Hearts & Public Art LOUDOUN INSPIRES FOR ARTIST KIM POURCIAU KIM

parking garage along Lassiter Way.

BY JAN MERCKER

For Leesburg artist Kim Pourciau Kim, there’s beauty in brokenness and healing in community.

Kim’s locally famous “Kintsugi Heart” sculpture in the Raflo Park sculpture walk pays homage to the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with gold. The sculpture was inspired in part by conversations with her children about healing in the wake of their father’s death from cancer.

“Trauma doesn’t devalue you as a person,” Kim said. “It’s like the Japanese art of kintsugi.

Brokenness gives it more value and interest. … It helps you become who you’re meant to be.”

For Kim, a New Orleans native, a new marriage and a move to Leesburg with her two children in 2018 has brought fresh artistic inspiration. Her most recent work pays tribute to the Leesburg community that has embraced her. Kim’s mural portraits of three Loudoun legends were unveiled last month on the wall of the Town Hall 6

When Kim met her husband, Northern Virginia native Stan Kim, their initial plan was for Stan to move to New Orleans. But when Kim’s exhusband and co-parent died of cancer, she and her children decided it was time for a new start.

They left their lifelong home on New Orleans’ West Bank and moved to Loudoun. Kim was drawn to Leesburg, with its mix of historic charm and green space—and the community’s commitment to public art sealed the deal.

“Raflo Park sold me. I saw those sculptures and the bike mural on the parking garage. It instantly conveys to an artist that this is a place that supports art,” she said.

Not long after moving to Loudoun, Kim answered a call for submissions for the sculpture garden that helped inspire her family’s decision to move to Leesburg. “Kintsugi Heart” was installed at Raflo Park last July.

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PUBLIC ART

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MAY 2022

PUBLIC ART

The sculpture evokes the themes of brokenness and healing that run through her work and mark one of her breakthrough pieces as a New Orleans artist. “The Possibility in Broken Dreams” is a life-sized wedding dress made of broken pieces of Lenox china. As Kim was going through her divorce and packing to move out of her home, she broke a piece of her wedding china, an accident that sparked an artistic epiphany.

“I felt as broken as the china I was holding. I also felt an energy brewing beneath the pain. It was full of hope and opportunity. I knew that being broken sanctioned an opportunity to rebuild a life for myself and my kids,” Kim said in her artist statement for the piece, which debuted in 2014 at the Ogden Museum of Southern Art in New Orleans and was featured in shows across the country.

Kim is a self-taught artist and former art teacher who worked in New Orleans schools for two decades before moving to Leesburg and turning her focus to studio art. She also has a degree in kinesiology, and the beauty of human anatomy and its connection to the natural world run through her work. Kim’s paintings and sculptures often feature human hearts and lungs as plants and trees. She said the connection is inspired in part by her move to Virginia where she fell in love with the beauty of bare trees in winter after decades in semitropical New Orleans.

“I was really struck by how similar the structure is to the human lungs,” she said.

The famed Mexican artist Frida Kahlo, whose themes of nature, physical injury and healing have inspired women artists for decades, is another of Kim’s influences. Her sculpture “Finding Frida’’ uses a vintage cabinet, found at a local thrift store, to capture the nexus of the physical and the spiritual that mark both Kahlo’s work and her own. For Kim, incorporating found objects–from broken china to a vintage sewing machine–are another way to express the themes of healing and rebirth.

“I feel like I’m taking something that somebody cast off and giving it this whole new purpose,” she said.

Kim’s portfolio is full of portraits of women.

MAY 2022

Her Ruth Bader Ginsburg portrait, “She Breathed Justice,’’ portrays the iconic Supreme Court justice with a tree root heart and flowered lungs. Her 2020 sculpture “Sew Strong” envisions Loudoun County Chair Phyllis Randall as a World War II-era figure at a sewing machine working to mend the rifts in the community in the wake of the COVID pandemic. Kim sold prints of the portrait to benefit COVID relief efforts by the Community Foundation of Loudoun and Northern Fauquier Counties.

“The scale and depth of the COVID-19 impact on America has similarities to other difficult periods in history such as WWII. Images of front-line workers and volunteers sewing masks can draw side by side comparisons to iconic figures such as Rosie the Riveter,” Kim wrote in her artist statement. “That can-do spirit is clearly visible today, although women are no longer on the sidelines performing support roles. They are on the front lines of this battle.

They are in positions of leadership and hold elected offices. ‘Sew Strong’ is my way of honoring these women and giving back.”

When the call for submissions for the Lassiter Way murals came out in April 2021, the town’s Commission on Public Art suggested streetscapes and landmark buildings in line with an existing mural on the parking garage’s facade. But Kim instead proposed to focus on iconic people with ties to downtown Leesburg. After extensive research, she chose Nelson “Mutt” Lassiter, the longtime owner of Robinson’s Barbershop on Loudoun Street; noted Loudoun artist Vinton Liddell Pickens, and Marie Medley-Howard, a downtown Leesburg beauty shop owner and education advocate who helped launch Douglass School, Loudoun’s first high school for African American students in 1941.

“I wanted to highlight people who didn’t have a school named after them or a park,” Kim said.

“There are so many stories that are incredible.”

Check out Kim Pourciau Kim’s Lassiter Way murals, “Kintsugi Heart” sculpture and other work at facebook.com/kimpourciauart and instagram.com/artbykimpkim.

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TASTE

Photo by Norman K. Styer

Following years of planning, Shane O’Connor, left, and his co-executive chef Nick Forlano are welcoming diners at Bia Kitchen in Purcellville.

With Plenty of Buzz, Bia Kitchen Opens in Purcellville

BY JAN MERCKER

When longtime Loudoun and Fauquier-based chef Shane O’Connor sold the beloved Blackthorne Inn in 2016, he wasn’t sure what he wanted to do next. O’Connor took a whirlwind Bourdain-esque food tour that covered four continents and found his new passion project: a European-inspired restaurant in downtown Purcellville.

“The inspiration of food and seeing what people were doing was absolutely phenomenal. … I came back with 100 percent respect,” O’Connor said.

O’Connor and business partners Eric Major and John Wolff have spent the past two years building Bia Kitchen, which opened last month in Purcellville’s hopping 21st Street shopping and dining district.

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O’Connor grew up in Ireland, the son of a lighthouse keeper, with a childhood spent moving from place to place along the Irish coast. His family moved to Virginia in the 1980s, following an aunt and uncle who were working in the equestrian industry at the famed Llangollen Farm near Upperville.

At 16, O’Connor knew he wanted to work in the culinary world and hit the ground running in the Middleburg restaurant scene.

“It was always food for me,” O’Connor said.

O’Connor got his start as a sous chef at Windsor House in downtown Middleburg, working under his mentor, the French-trained chef Robert Mayer. O’Connor also met his

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BIA KITCHEN

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APRIL 2022

3-Day Music Extravaganza in Middleburg & Upperville

MAY 20 - MAY 22 Tickets at eventbrite.com huntcountrymusicfestival.org

QuinTango

An Evening of Concertos

Illinois Arts Duo

An Afternoon of Song

Washington Saxophone Presented by Middleburg Concert Series

Thank you to our sponsors and contributors: Jack Ferguson of Berkshire Hathaway Penfed Realty; Tom Gatewood and Trident Corporation; Salamander Resort & Spa; BCT Bank of Charles Town; Chris Malone Real Estate; Savoir Fare; Slater Run Vineyards; Bluewater Kitchen

MAY 2022

Quartet

High Tea with Brahms

Swing Shift

Free Events include: Youth Music Competition Finals Brass on the Grass Street Performers • Walking Tours

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BIA KITCHEN

wife Elizabeth, now a teacher with Loudoun County Public Schools, at Windsor House.

After a brief stint in Colorado in the mid-90s, the couple returned to the Middleburg area when O’Connor was recruited to launch the restaurant at the Middleburg Tennis Club.

O’Connor helped build the lunch and dinner menus at the exclusive club where he was the chef from 1995 to 2005. During his decade at the club, O’Connor started a catering business on the side and decided it was time to launch his own restaurant. He bought the Blackthorne Inn near Upperville and created a small bed and breakfast-style hotel with a highly rated 50-seat restaurant. But O’Connor admits he didn’t love the hotel side of the business. After a decade of running the Blackthorne, he was ready for a change and sold the inn in 2016. The hunt country celebrity chef was ready for a new challenge.

“I looked at Liz and said, ‘I want to get inspired again,’” O’Connor said.

O’Connor and a friend embarked on a European tour that started as an expedition to Svalbard, Norway, one of the world’s northernmost communities and turned into an epic culinary adventure.

After a meticulous renovation, Bia Kitchen’s atmosphere is enhanced by its exposed brick walls and tin ceiling tiles.

“Six weeks turned into three and a half months with no agenda going from country to country,” O’Connor said. “I wanted to see what makes a great restaurant.”

vision and oversaw the design details from custom-designed furniture to glowing fauxfinishing work from local artist Patricia Taylor Holz to create a warm European flair.

After eating his way through 27 countries and covering 11,000 miles and four continents, O’Connor returned to Loudoun inspired and ready for a new project. Working with his like-minded local friends, Major and Wolff, O’Connor embarked on a mission to create a European-inspired restaurant with a focus on local ingredients in downtown Purcellville.

O’Connor has put together an international team, with staff from around the world and co-executive chef Nick Forlano, who ran a successful restaurant in The Plains. O’Connor has his sister Sharon O’Connor, general manager at the Blackthorne Inn, back at his side running Bia Kitchen. No wonder western Loudoun–and O’Connor’s longtime hunt country following– have been buzzing about the opening for months.

The partners bought the historic building in November 2019 and kicked off the renovation in February 2020 after four months of design and architectural work. With pandemicrelated delays, a planned eight-month rebuild stretched into two years. The new owners redesigned and gutted the building from plumbing to wiring but kept the charming exposed brick walls As he did with Blackthorne, O’Connor had a 10

“The expectations have really grown over the last two years with the building–and the anticipation,” O’Connor said.

BIA KITCHEN IS LOCATED AT 108 N. 21ST STREET IN PURCELLVILLE. FOR MORE INFORMATION, GO TO BIAKITCHEN.CO.

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MAY 2022

Check out

Loudoun’s Dining 

FORDS FISH SHACK Consistently voted Loudoun residents’ favorite place for seafood, Ford’s offers fresh seafood in a family-dining atmosphere at three locations, as well as a catering arm and a food truck operation.

Ashburn-44260 Ice Rink Plaza, Ashburn, VA 20147 (571) 918-4092 • fordsfishshack.com Lansdowne-19308 Promenade Dr., Leesburg, VA 20176 (571) 333-1301 • fordsfishshack.com South Riding 25031 Riding Plaza, Chantilly, VA 20152 (703) 542-7520 • fordsfishshack.com

SPANKY’S SHENANIGANS Known as one of the Loudoun’s favorite bars, Spanky’s Shenanigans is a popular destination from its morning breakfast menu to its ample roster of live music performers.

538 E Market St, Leesburg, VA 20176 (703) 777-2454 • spankyspub.com

LIGHTFOOT RESTAURANT Inside an historic bank building in downtown Leesburg, the Zagat-rated Lightfoot provides both a fine-dining experience and a gathering place for locals. Executive Chef Ingrid Gustavson serves up American cuisine with southern and ethnic accents.

11 North King Street Leesburg, VA 20176 703-771-2233 • lightfootrestaurant.com

TUSCARORA MILL Known by locals as Tuskies, the restaurant is located inside a restored 19th century grain mill in Leesburg’s historic district. Offering everything from locally sourced fine dining to a casual bar experience, it’s been a dining destination for more than three decades.

203 Harrison St SE, Leesburg, VA 20175 (703) 771-9300 • tuskies.com

MAY 2022

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50 West Vineyards 39060 John Mosby Highway, Middleburg 50westvineyards.com 8 Chains North Winery 38593 Daymont Ln., Waterford, VA 8chainsnorth.com 868 Estate Vineyards 14001 Harpers Ferry Rd., Purcellville 868estatevineyards.com The Barns at Hamilton Station 16804 Hamilton Station Rd., Hamilton thebarnsathamiltonstation.com Bleu Frog Vineyards 16413 James Monroe Hwy, Leesburg bleufrogvineyards.com Bluemont Vineyard 18755 Foggy Bottom Rd., Bluemont bluemontvineyard.com Bogati Winery 35246 Harry Byrd Hwy., Round Hill bogatiwinery.com Boxwood Estate Winery 2042 Burrland Rd., Middleburg boxwoodwinery.com Breaux Vineyards 36888 Breaux Vineyards Ln., Hillsboro breauxvineyards.com

10 Bozzo Family Vineyards

19 Dry Mill Vineyards & Winery

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35226 Charles Town Pike, Hillsboro bozwines.com Cana Vineyards of Middleburg 38600 John Mosby Hwy., Middleburg canavineyards.com Carriage House Wineworks 40817 Brown Lane, Waterford chwwinery.com Casanel Vineyards 17952 Canby Rd., Leesburg casanelvineyards.com Chrysalis Vineyards 39025 John Mosby Hwy., Aldie chrysaliswine.com Corcoran Vineyards & Cider 14635 Corkys Farm Ln., Waterford corcoranvineyards.com Creek’s Edge Winery 41255 Annas Ln., Lovettsville creeksedgewinery.com Crushed Cellars 37938 Charles Town Pike, Purcellville crushedcellars.com Doukenie Winery 14727 Mountain Rd., Hillsboro doukeniewinery.com

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18195 Dry Mill Rd., Leesburg drymillwine.com Eagletree Farm & Vineyards 15100 Harrison Hill Lane, Leesburg eagletreevineyards.com Endhardt Vineyards 19600 Lincoln Road, Purcellville endhardtvineyards.com Fabbioli Cellars 15669 Limestone School Rd., Leesburg fabbioliwines.com Firefly Cellars 40325 Charles Town Pike, Hamilton fireflycellars.com Fleetwood Farm Winery 23075 Evergreen Mills Rd., Leesburg fleetwoodfarmwinery.com Forever Farm & Vineyards 15779 Woodgrove Road, Purcellville foreverfarmandvineyard.com Greenhill Winery & Vineyards 23595 Winery Ln., Middleburg greenhillvineyards.com Hidden Brook Winery 43301 Spinks Ferry Rd., Leesburg hiddenbrookwinery.com

28 Hiddencroft Vineyards

34 Stonehouse Meadery

40 Village Winery

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12202 Axline Rd., Lovettsville hiddencroftvineyards.com Lost Creek Winery 43285 Spinks Ferry Rd., Leesburg lostcreekwinery.com Maggie Malick Wine Caves 12138 Harpers Ferry Rd., Hillsboro maggiemalickwinecaves.com Old Farm Winery 23583 Fleetwood Road, Aldie oldfarmwineryhartland.com Otium Cellars 18050 Tranquility Rd., Purcellville otiumcellars.com Stone Tower Winery 19925 Hogback Mountain Rd., L’burg stonetowerwinery.com

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36580 Shoemaker School Rd., Purcellville stonehousemeadery.com Sunset Hills Vineyard 38295 Fremont Overlook Ln, Purcellville sunsethillsvineyard.com Tarara Winery 13648 Tarara Ln, Leesburg tarara.com Terra Nebulo 39892 Old Wheatland Rd., Waterford terranebulo.com Three Creeks Winery 18548 Harmony Church Road, Hamilton 3creekswinery.com Two Twisted Posts Winery 12944 Harpers Ferry Rd., Hillsboro twotwistedposts.com

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40405 Browns Lane, Waterford villagewineryandvineyards.com Willowcroft Farm Vineyards 38906 Mount Gilead Rd., Leesburg willowcroftwine.com The Wine Reserve at Waterford 38516 Charles Town Pike, Waterford waterfordwinereserve.com Walsh Family Wine 16031 Hillsboro Rd., Purcellville northgatevineyard.com Williams Gap Vineyards 35785 Sexton Farm Lane, Round Hill williamsgavineyard.com Zephaniah Farm Vineyard 19381 Dunlop Mill Rd., Leesburg zephwine.com

BREWERIES 1 Adroit Theory Brewing 404 Browning Ct., Purcellville adroit-theory.com

2 B Chord Brewing Company 34266 Williams Gap Rd., Round Hill bchordbrewing.com

3 Barnhouse Brewery 43271 Spinks Ferry Rd., Leesburg barnhousebrewery.com

4 Bear Chase Brewing 33665 Bear Chase Ln., Bluemont bearchasebrew.com

5 Belly Love Brewing Company 725 E. Main St., Purcellville bellylovebrewing.com

6 Beltway Brewing Company 22620 Davis Dr. Ste 110, Sterling beltwaybrewco.com

7 Black Hoof Brewing Company 11 South King St., Leesburg blackhoofbrewing.com

8 Black Walnut Brewery 210 S. King St., Leesburg blackwalnutbrewery.com

9 Crooked Run Brewing Central 22455 Davis Dr., Sterling crookedrunbrewing.com

10 Crooked Run Brewing Market Station, Leesburg crookedrunbrewing.com

11 Dirt Farm Brewing 18701 Foggy Bottom Rd., Bluemont dirtfarmbrewing.com

12 Dynasty Brewing Company 21140 Ashburn Crossing Drive, Ashburn 101 Loudoun St, SE, Leesburg dynastybrewing.com

13 Flying Ace Farm 40950 Flying Ace Ln, Lovettsville flyingacefarm.com

14 Harper’s Ferry Brewing 37412 Adventure Ctr. Lane, Hillsboro harpersferrybrewing.com 15 Harvest Gap Brewery 15485 Purcellville Road, Hillsboro facebook.com/HarvestGap

16 House 6 Brewing 4427 Atwater Dr., Ashburn house6brewing.com

17 Lost Barrel Brewing 36138 John Mosby Highway, Middleburg lostbarrel.com

18 Lost Rhino Brewing Company 21730 Red Rum Rd. #142, Ashburn lostrhino.com

19 Loudoun Brewing Company 310 E. Market St., Leesburg loudounbrewing.com

20 Ocelot Brewing Company

21 Old 690 Brewing Company 15670 Ashbury Church Rd., Hillsboro old690.com

22 Old Ox Brewery 44652 Guilford Dr., Ste 114, Ashburn oldoxbrewery.com

23 Old Ox Brewery Middleburg 14 S Madison St, Middleburg, VA

24 Phase 2 Brewing 19382 Diamond Lake Dr, Lansdowne Phase2Brewing.com

25 Rocket Frog Brewing Company 22560 Glenn Dr. #103, Sterling rocketfrogbeer.com

26 Solace Brewing Company 42615 Trade West Dr., Sterling solacebrewing.com

27 Sweetwater Tavern 45980 Waterview Plaza, Sterling greatamericanrestaurants.com

28 The Craft of Brewing 21140 Ashburn Crossing Dr., Ashburn thecraftob.com

29 Vanish Farmwoods Brewery 42245 Black Hops Ln., Lucketts vanishbeer.com

30 Wheatland Springs Farm 38454 John Wolford Rd., Waterford

23600 Overland Dr., #180, Dulles ocelotbrewing.com

BREWERIES & WINERIES 1 Hillsborough Brewery & Vineyards 36716 Charles Town Pike, Hillsboro hillsboroughwine.com

2 Notaviva Brewery and Winery 13274 Sagle Rd., Hillsboro notavivavineyards.com

3 Quattro Goomba’s Brewery & Winery 22860 James Monroe Hwy., Aldie goombawine.com

Happenings

Novamusic fest NOVA MUSICFEST RETURNS MAY 15

Nova MusicFest is bigger this year than ever before, featuring seven hours of music from local, regional, and international musicians who are committed to raising money for the Cancer Can Rock foundation.

The Greek and the Freak, Juliet Lloyd, Gary Smallwood, the Eric Scott Trio, the 19th Street Band, the Chris Timbers Band, Tommy Gann and Kim Pittinger, and the Jason Masi Band will take the stage at 868 Estate Vineyards near Hillsboro on May 15.

Cancer Can Rock uses the money raised to invite musicians facing aggressive cancer into a studio with professionals to produce a song that serves as a tangible reminder of their recording experience. These songs have provided both pride for those who have survived and solace for those who survive them. Jim Ebert, a multi-platinum record

producer, founded Cancer Can Rock following his cancer diagnosis in 2001. Over the past two decades, he has worked to create recordings that provide pride for those who have survived cancer and solace for those who lost loved ones Tickets are $15 in advance and $20 at the gate. Children 12 and under are free. This event is dog-friendly, family friendly. Pop up tents are welcome. Outside alcohol is prohibited.

For tickets or to learn more about the foundation’s work, go to cancercanrock.org.

Hunt Country Music Festival The inaugural Hunt Country Music Festival will take place at venues throughout Middleburg and Upperville, May 20-22.

The event offers three days of musical performances, ranging from Argentinian tango, classical piano, saxophone, and orchestra performances to lively swing dance music performed by a big band ensemble.

Festival attendees also will enjoy live street entertainment and walking tours of Middleburg’s historic sites.

The event is produced by the Middleburg Concert Series.

The performance lineup includes QuinTango, 14

the Loudoun Symphony Orchestra, virtuoso trumpeter Doug Wilson, Canadian soprano Millicent Scarlett and lyric-dramatic baritone Thomas Beard, the Washington Saxophone Quartet, the Illinois Arts Duo, and the Swing Shift Big Band. Performances will be held at Trinity Episcopal Church in Upperville, Middleburg United Methodist Church, Emmanuel Episcopal Church, and the Middleburg Community Center.

The cost for ticketed performances is $30 or $40, with advance purchases advised.

Learn more and reserve your seats at huntcountrymusicfestival.org.

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MAY 2022

Tickets Available at:

WWW.TALLYHOTHEATER.COM 19 W Market St, Leesburg, VA (703) 777-1665

Coming to Town this May~

YNGWIE MALMSTEEN

BUCKCHERRY

5/4 - 7:00PM

5/14 - 7:00PM

BALLYHOO

JACKYL 5/20 - 7:00PM

5/19 - 7:00PM

MAY 2022

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TUNES

Hitting Walls and Bouncing Back CAL VEATCH’S MILLENNIAL POP

anger and empowerment. He knew he could make it his own, infusing Allen’s moving lyrics with his “baroque pop” style.

BY JAN MERCKER

For Loudoun singer/songwriter Cal Veatch, coming of age during the weirdest of times is painful–but also artistically inspiring.

For the past two years, the 26-year-old Veatch has been cranking out original material and developing his moody, pop-infused sound.

He recently recorded a version of acclaimed songwriter Amy Allen’s environmental cri de coeur “One,” which he released as a fundraiser for World Central Kitchen. For Veatch, the song is an expression of the uncertainty and helplessness of the pandemic era– but also a reminder that people can take small steps to help.

“When I heard the original, it immediately resonated with me,” Veatch said. “Feeling helpless on an individual level and saying I wish there was something I could do when I’m seeing what’s going on out there.”

When Allen, a celebrated songwriter who has penned hits for Harry Styles, Shawn Mendes and other stars, released her single “One” in 2021, Veatch fell in love with the song’s mix of 16

Veatch timed his release with Earth Day last month. All proceeds from downloads of the cover go to World Central Kitchen, the nonprofit launched by celebrity chef José Andrés after the 2010 earthquake in Haiti to provide meals in communities impacted by climate and humanitarian crises. World Central Kitchen is on the ground in Ukraine and Eastern Europe.

“I thought maybe we can start using our art to benefit what’s going on in the world,” Veatch said. “I think what [World Central Kitchen is] doing is beautiful–providing meals for people who are constantly under attack—fuel the body, fuel the soul.”

Veatch has been writing and producing songs for the past five years, and experiencing young adulthood in unprecedented times is a running theme in his work. As a child of the late ’90s, Veatch sits at the cusp of the Millennial and Gen Z generations (he considers himself a

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CAL VEATCH

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MAY 2022

CAL VEATCH

young millennial). There’s a sense of fear, anger and frustration running through his work but also expressions of hope and an intense desire for growth.

“Our earliest memories were 9/11, and you can figure out the rest from there,” he said with a laugh.

The pandemic has been especially challenging for teens and young adults as they struggle to make connections in a time of isolation. But the past two years have also been particularly fruitful for Veatch as an artist. He released his dark EP “Midnight In Quarantine” early in the pandemic and followed up with his angsty fivesong EP “Love Me Like I’m Dying” last year.

“Somebody my age shouldn’t have this many flaws/Shouldn’t be this far behind, shouldn’t hit this many walls,” Veatch wrote in the single “Army” from the 2021 EP. Relationships, both positive and negative, are an ongoing source of material for Veatch, and he captures the disaffected but hopeful vibe of his generation.

“One of my favorite pieces of advice when it comes to songwriting is, go out and observe and write what you know. Writer’s block is more of a myth than we think it is,” he said.

For Veatch, turning 26 was a milestone, a passage into adulthood and a time for reflection that inspired his latest release, “Blame It On The Timing (26).” That single has Veatch reflecting on a painful relationship in his early 20s and the idea that being an adult is a mindset–not just a number.

“I think with age, people expect maturity, but that’s something you have to work on,” he said.

Loneliness and breaking down barriers during a time of social isolation are themes in his single “I Don’t Want To Die Alone,” which features a music video shot at Banshee Reeks Nature Preserve near Leesburg. Veatch said the song was inspired by seeing older adults in his life who hadn’t found a partner or were ending long-term relationships.

“There’s always that fear creeping into your mind: is that going to be me?” he said. But the song underscores the idea that it’s OK to crave connection.

“People make your life happier whether you want to admit it or not,” Veatch said.

Veatch grew up in Ashburn, graduated from Briar Woods High School and attended Northern Virginia Community College. For the past year and a half, he’s been a well-known barista at King Street Coffee in downtown Leesburg and is thriving in the downtown Leesburg community. Several colleagues and customers are also musicians, and the job offers a chance to make connections while working on his craft. Veatch says many high school classmates wanted to leave suburban Loudoun right away. But he felt a pull to stay and feels that Leesburg, with its burgeoning arts scene, is the place for him.

“I love the diversity,” he said. “I’m always finding something new about this place to explore.”

These days Veatch is spending most of his spare time in the studio developing his sound, which he describes as “a hybrid between synthdriven pop and mainstream pop with an edgy, rocky side.” As a kid of the 2000s, Veatch is a diehard fan of ’80s pop, from Rick Springfield to Whitney Houston.

“I love the ones that people consider cheesy,” he said.

Veatch has plans for a new EP this summer, with a return to his lighter pre-pandemic sound, and hopes to start hitting Loudoun’s live music venues soon.

“Right now, I’m very much in a creative phase, and I’m trying to milk it,” he said. “Performing live is great but I find that it can be distracting from what’s at hand. … I want to take some time to think about what I really bring to the table.”

To check out Cal Veatch’s latest work and download his new cover of Amy Allen’s “One” to benefit World Central Kitchen, go to fanlink.to/calveatch. Fans can also catch the new video for “I Don’t Want To Die Alone” on Veatch’s YouTube channel. @calveatch

BREWS Old Ox Brewery founders Graham and Chris Burns

File photo

Old Ox Brewery to Merge with Silver Branch Brewing

BY RENSS GREENE

Old Ox Brewery, one of Loudoun’s largest and most popular craft beverage producers, is branching out—reaching across state lines to merge with Silver Branch Brewing Company of Silver Spring, MD. Each brewery, they promise, will maintain their own well-loved identities while also gaining complementary know-how from the other.

It also is a chance for two well-known faces in the Loudoun brewing scene, Graham and Mary Ann Burns, to step back for a well-earned retirement. They opened Old Ox in 2014 with their son, Chris Burns, who said their retirement always has been in the plan for Old Ox. “We’ve always known that we had to make a really great exit strategy into our planning, and this merger affords us that opportunity to start moving them towards that retirement phase, but at the same time be able to absorb the skillsets that we’re going to be trying to replace,” Chris Burns said.

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But Silver Branch will also bring in new expertise that could benefit visitors to the Old Ox tasting rooms in Ashburn and Middleburg, as well as some new limited releases from Old Ox. “As we started going through this process, we were looking for a partner that was both complimentary and distinct,” Burns said. “So what I meant by that is, Old Ox Brewery is a production-focused brewery, a distributionfocused brewery, and Silver Branch is a tasting room-focused brewery. And while Old Ox is known for more American-style beers, Silver Branch is known for more continental European-style beers, and we think it’s really important that while we have similar philosophies on the brewing world, we execute kind of distinctly.”

The merger combines Old Ox’s brand recognition, distribution expertise, and brewing capacity with Silver Branch’s hospitality background, marketing experience, and quickly

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growing portfolio of beers.

“While our brewing styles are distinct, our philosophies are extremely well aligned,” stated Silver Branch Brewing co-founder Christian Layke. “We both see beer as being as much about culture and the experience as it is about the liquid itself.”

“This strategic partnership will enable the combined company to achieve efficiencies, continue growing at an accelerated rate, and leverage diversified expertise,” stated Silver Branch Brewing co-founder Brett Robison. “The merger will allow both breweries to continue producing their well-known beers in addition to many new innovative beers. Beer fans in Maryland, Virginia, and DC will also have more opportunities to participate in cultural celebrations and beer release parties in Silver Spring and Ashburn. This year we get to throw two Oktoberfest parties, we’re really excited about that.”

The proposed merger is subject to final negotiations, with the intention to be a fully

combined and integrated company by Q3 2022.

Layke will be director of brewing, Robison will be director of operations, and Chris Burns will serve as director of sales.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, ABOUT SILVER BRANCH BREWING, GO TO SILVERBRANCHBREWING.COM. FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT OLD OX BREWERY, GO TO OLDOXBREWERY.COM.

Now Showing Painting Churches - Staged Comedic Drama May 6 - 21 at StageCoach Theatre in Ashburn

Dearly Beloved and Departed - Murder Mystery Dinner June 4, 18, 25, July 2, 23 at Oatlands in Leesburg July 22 at Creek’s Edge Winery in Lovettsville August 13 at Casanel Winery in Leesburg

Into the Woods - Summer Camp Production July 8-10, 15-17 at StageCoach Theatre in Ashburn Legally Blonde the Musical - Summer Camp Production August 5-7, 12-14 at StageCoach Theatre in Ashburn

PLUS monthly Magic and Improv Shows Check out more upcoming shows on our website!

20937 Ashburn Road Suites 115 and 120 Ashburn, VA 20147

www.StageCoachTC.com MAY 2022

571-477-9444

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5.6.22

Band, the Chris Timbers Band, Tommy Gann and Kim Pittinger, and the Jason Masi Band perform.

THE REVEREND PEYTON’S BIG DAMN BAND Friday, May 6, 7 p.m. (doors) Tally Ho Theater tallyhotheater.com The country blues band from Indiana returns to the Leesburg stage after its 10th album, Dance Songs for Hard Times, reached number one on Billboard’s Blues albums chart.

5.20.22 THE INFAMOUS STRINGDUSTERS

5.15.22 NOVA MUSICFEST Saturday, May 15, noon-7 p.m.

868 Estate Vineyards cancercanrock.org The Greek and the Freak, Juliet Lloyd, Gary Smallwood, the Eric Scott Trio, the 19th Street

Friday, May 20, 3-8 p.m.

B Chord Brewing Company bchordbrewing.com The Grammy-winning progressive acoustic/ bluegrass band take B Chord’s outdoor stage as part of a tour promoting their latest album, Toward the Fray.

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Check out

Loudoun’s Attractions 

LOUDOUN HERITAGE FARM MUSEUM Travel through time to meet the 10 generations of Loudoun County residents who built this county and left their mark on the land. Exhibits include a schoolhouse, general store, Native American artifact display and the American Workhorse Museum Collection.

21668 Heritage Farm Lane, Sterling, VA 20164 (571) 258-3800 • heritagefarmmuseum.org

LOUDOUN MUSEUM With a collection of more than 8,000 artifacts, the museum tells Loudoun’s story over its 260-year history, with an ever-changing selection of special exhibits on Native American settlements, World War II memorabilia, the county’s role in the Civil Wars, along with displays of antique clothing and furniture.

16 Loudoun Street SW Leesburg, Virginia 20175 (703) 777-7427 • loudounmuseum.org

MORVEN PARK Morven Park is a 1,000-acre historic estate on the edge of Leesburg that was home to Virginia governor and agricultural pioneer Westmoreland Davis. Tours of the Greek Revival mansion include 16th century Belgian tapestries, Spanish cassones, hundreds of silver pieces, Hudson River Valley paintings, and Asian treasures. The estate also features the Winmill Carriage Museum, the Museum of Hounds and Hunting of North America, formal boxwood gardens, miles of hiking and riding trails, and athletic fields.

17195 Southern Planter Lane Leesburg, VA 20176 703-777-2414 • morvenpark.org

OATLANDS HISTORIC HOUSE & GARDENS The 415-acre Oatlands estate, owned by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, offers tours of the historic mansion, extensive gardens and outbuildings that include the oldest standing greenhouse in the South. Exhibits focus on the lives of the Carter and Eustis families who building the estate, as well as the lives of enslaved people who lived and worked there.

20850 Oatlands Plantation Lane, Leesburg, VA 20175 703.777.3174 • oatlands.org

* During the COVID-19 pandemic, many venues have limited hours of operations and special requirements such as advance reservations. It is best to call ahead before making your visit.

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BEST BETS

5.21.22 KELLY BELL BAND Saturday, May 21, 7 p.m. (doors) Tally Ho Theater tallyhotheater.com It’s going to be a party as The Bluesman performs a blend of hip-hop, funk and blues.

5.29.22 JASON MASI Sunday, May 29, 2-5 p.m.

Doukénie Winery doukeniewinery.com Join a favorite Loudoun performer for an afternoon of live music at one of the county’s oldest wineries.

Find more best bets online at getoutloudoun.com

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Bluemont Vineyard

Clyde’s Willow Creek Farm

Summit Ropes Indoor Adventure

Catoctin Creek Distilling Company

In celebration of National Travel and Tourism Week, we invite you to become a tourist in your own community now and throughout the year!

Experience craft beverage destinations.

Taste farm-to-table flavors.

Shop local boutiques.

Explore historical sites.

The possibilities are endless!

#DCsWineCountry | #LoveLoudoun | #LoCoAleTrail