Get Out Loudoun for December 2020

DEC. 2020

Holiday Happenings LoCo Style

Loudoun Now Your guide to Loudoun’s Entertainment Scene

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{reservations required} When the country calls, come to DoukĂŠnie Winery to drink in the fresh air and Estate wines. We proudly offer you safe, socially distanced personal space with CDC protocols in place. Cozy up around toasty outdoor firepits or reserve indoor seating. Food available to pair with your flight or bottle purchase.

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CheCk out our website www.doukeniewinery.com for updates on limited indoor seating.

Hours: Thursday 12 - 5 p.m.

Friday 12 - 5 p.m.

Saturday + Sunday 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Mon. - Wed. 12 - 5 p.m. Curbside Pick-up Food by Roots 657

For reservations go to: www.doukeniewinery.com Twenty-one + older Pets + outside food not allowed

www.doukeniewinery.com

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

Patrick Szabo/Loudoun Now

Loudoun celebrity chef and The Conche Owner Santosh Tiptur will serve up tapas and tacos at his new La Prensa restaurant in Sterling.

GET OUT LOUDOUN Get Out Loudoun is a 10,000 circulation monthly distributed 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.

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CONTRIBUTORS Renss Greene Jan Mercker Norman K. Styer Patrick Szabo ON THE COVER Revelers celebrate the lighting of the vines at Bluemont Vineyards, a party repeated nightly on weekends through Jan. 2 Photo by Renss Greene TO ADVERTISE Susan Styer at 703-770-9723 or sales@loudounnow.com

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ART SCENE

25 years ago, Susan Byrne quit her law firm job and moved to Middleburg. That decision set the foundation for the town’s booming art scene.

HAPPENINGS

Because of the pandemic, this is not going to be a typical holiday season but many traditions will continue in new formats.

HISTORY

The Loudoun Heritage Farm Museum is committed to telling the story of the county’s deep agricultural roots. The latest exhibit adds a new chapter in that tale.

TASTE

Chef Santosh Tiptur built a regional culinary destination when he opened chocolatethemed The Coche. Now he is expanding to provide a tasty new take on tacos.

BEST BETS

Get Out Loudoun’s top recommendations for December.

getoutloudoun.com DECEMBER 2020

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Virginia Tourism Corporation

The antique-filled Old Lucketts Store is decked out for the holidays all month long.

Don’t Miss Holiday Happenings Drive west on Rt. 7 toward Bluemont on select evenings this holiday season and a surreal sight greets you. To the left of the road, about a mile south, the slopes of the Blue Ridge are carpeted in a glorious golden glow. It looks like the landing pad for a spaceship in a Spielberg movie. It is in fact 15,000 holiday lights strung through 10,000 grape vines at Bluemont Vineyard.

Celebrate the season with this festive light show on display through Jan. 2. Each Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 5:30 p.m., Bluemont staff will lead a countdown to the illumination, followed by a rousing toast with Bluemont wines.

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While the lights can be seen from miles away, two locations on the property—The Stable event venue which is hosting a “Winter Wine-derland” holiday pop-up for kids and the Harvest Room & Kitchen restaurant up the hill—offer the best vantage points. “Guests looking to enjoy the evening illumination celebration should be sure to snag a 5 p.m. seating,” said General Manager Hailey Zurschmeide.

Bluemont is not the only Loudoun location glowing with holiday spirit this season.

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VISIT LOUDOUN

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DECEMBER 2020

Bluemont Vineyards

The lighted vines on the slopes of Bluemont Vineyard serve as a festive beacon in western Loudoun

VISIT LOUDOUN

While Middleburg’s famous Christmas parade will not take place, its downtown resembles a scene from A Christmas Carol.

Visitors can partake in a family-focused scavenger hunt, enjoy free hot cocoa at various stops, drop letters for Santa at the local post office and enjoy carriage rides down Washington Street where lampposts are hung with antique wooden Christmas ornaments and decorated with twinkling lights. Over in postcard-worthy Leesburg, a tree lights up the Town Square and the town’s historic streetlamps will be decorated with red ribbons and greenery.

Don’t miss the annual Holiday Fine Arts & Crafts Show, which will take place outdoors on December 5 at Freedom Park.

There are more intimate events to get into the spirit, too.

Over in Lucketts, the Old Lucketts Store is hosting its annual Holiday Open House four days a week through Dec. 20. Purchase a ticket online in advance to get access to the Holiday Design House-a festively decorated 19th century farmhouse on the property in which all décor and items in the home, from homeware to ornaments to furniture, can be purchased.

is being staged in the Carriage House at Oatlands Historic House and Gardens.

Intermission will be a three-course, socially distanced dinner catered by Pure Perfection.

“Audience members will be given roles and Detective S. Claus will try to solve the mystery of the murder of Frosty the Snowman,” said Producer and Stagecoach Founder Jerri Wiseman. “There’s no more fun way to enjoy your Christmas tradition!”

We concur.

Happy Holidays!

For more information, visit visitloudoun.org/getout

For an even more festive experience, nothing beats the Stagecoach Theatre Company’s upcoming dinner theater production of comedy murder-mystery, “Up On The Rooftop, Click, Click Bang.”

To accommodate diners, the production DECEMBER 2020

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Patrick Szabo

Bill and Susan Byrne are celebrating the 25th anniversary of their art gallery in downtown Middleburg.

ART SCENE

How a Life Change Help Build Middleburg’s Art Community

BY PATRICK SZABO

In 1995, a Washington, DC-based legal administrator quit her job and sold her house to open Middleburg’s Byrne Gallery.

Hundreds of exhibits and featured artists later, she and her brother continue to push ahead with more events and exhibits by renowned artists.

Since Susan Byrne opened the gallery, she and her brother, Bill, have hosted close to 300 exhibits and has featured the artwork of more than 500 artists from around the world.

This month, the gallery features the 17th annual exhibit of the work of Yuri Gorbachev, an internationally acclaimed Russian artist.

Susan hatched the idea to open the gallery shortly after taking a new job with a law firm in Washington, DC. 6

“Although it was a very good job and a very good firm and I was making a lot more money, I realized it wasn’t about the money,” she said.

Nine months later, she quit, sold her Georgetown house and headed to Middleburg.

Three elements factored into her decision to open the art gallery here: she enjoyed visiting the town, she had always wanted to open her own business, and her mother was an artist who had instilled within her a passion for the arts.

In the past 25 years, the gallery has hosted hundreds of exhibits, including a dozen featuring the work of Notre Dame Academy students. With the help of her brother, the operation expanded to offer art acquisition, framing, restoration,

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BYRNE GALLERY

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DECEMBER 2020

Patrick Szabo

The Byrne Gallery owners Bill and Susan Byrne page through books of paintings by their newest featured artists, internationally acclaimed Russian artist Yuri Gorbachev.

BYRNE GALLERY

relocation and installation services for corporate and private clients, including Northrop Grumman, Apple, Kraft Foods, SONA Bank and the Salamander Resort & Spa. When Salamander opened in 2013, Susan and Bill were in charge of installing artwork in each of the resort’s 168 guestrooms.

And in 2009, Susan helped launch the Middleburg Arts Council—an advisory committee to the Town Council that coordinates the town’s cultural and art events.

Today, the gallery is among five in town.

Those include Red Fox Fine Art, which opened in 1979, the National Sporting Library & Museum, which opened its art museum in 2010, Artists in Middleburg, which opened in 2015, and Journeymen's Treasures, which former Middleburg Arts Council Chairwoman Debbie Cadenas opened this fall.

When asked why Middleburg is such a hotspot for art and artists, Susan said visitors see the countryside surrounding the town and “it inspires you.”

DECEMBER 2020

“I think that that’s a big draw for artists,” she said.

The Byrne Gallery’s current exhibit showcasing Gorbachev’s newest paintings, which are inspired by Byzantine art and feature colorful canvases in oil and gold leaf, continues through Jan. 3.

Gorbachev has exhibited his work in the gallery for 17 straight years and is on a world tour with shows in Russia, Europe and the Far East. His work is featured in the Louvre in Paris, the Kremlin in Moscow and the White House in DC. Gorbachev has also designed advertisements for Absolut and Stolichnaya Vodka that have appeared in hundreds of magazines across the world and was commissioned by Stolichnaya Red Vodka in 2011 to design its new label.

Those wishing to visit The Byrne Gallery to see Gorbachev’s work may stop by Mondays and Tuesdays by appointment, Wednesday to Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sundays from 12-5 p.m.

The gallery is located at 7 W. Washington St. Learn more at byrnegallery.com.

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pszabo@loudounnow.com 7

HAPPENINGS

HOLIDAY CELEBRATIONS CONTINUE WITH SAFETY IN MIND

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DECEMBER 2020

Norman K. Styer

Santa Claus may not walk down Purcellville’s Main Street this year, but there is a good chance of a sighting in the town’s drive through “reverse parade.”

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s with almost everything during 2020, the holiday season in Loudoun will go on without many of the community’s treasured traditions.

Thousands of revelers will not pack downtown streets to view Christmas parades. The all-star Jingle Jam Band will not perform on the Tally Ho Theater stage.

Children won’t be sitting on Santa’s lap.

But coronavirus concerns will not completely zap the holiday spirit.

For many families, that starts with the search for the perfect Christmas tree.

While some farms have opted to close to the public this year, several have joined the “Loudoun is Ready” campaign and put in place protocols aimed at keeping customers safe. Visitors can grab a saw and walk the fields to make their pick from among thousands of candidates. For a list, go to: loudounfarms.org/holidays-trees.

DECEMBER 2020

The towns of Leesburg and Purcellville are looking for a little creativity to keep the celebrations going, planning “reverse parades,” with families driving past lines of floats and other displays.

In Purcellville, the annual tree-lighting will be a Facebook Live event on Dec. 4. Then residents will be invited to drive down Hirst Road from 6 to 9 p.m. on Dec. 5 to view decorated floats and vehicles parked on the side. The town also plans a self-guided tour of the community’s best holiday displays and will take its holiday market, Christmas ornament workshop and Lego display online. For details, check in with the town’s Facebook page.

In Leesburg, the town’s tree lighting is planned for 6 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 4.

The Holiday Fine Arts and Crafts Show

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HOLIDAY HAPPENINGS

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Douglas Graham

A visitor to Snickers Gap Tree Farm near Round Hill heads toward the binding station after finding one just the right size and shape. Thousands of trees are available at the county’s cut-yourown farms in western Loudoun.

HOLIDAY HAPPENINGS

with 30 artisans selling hand-made items including candles, stained glass, carved wood, jewelry, table linens, and more will move outdoors, at Freedom Park, on Saturday, Dec. 5, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. As a substitute for the annual parade down King Street, a “Glitter and Glow Drive Thru” will be held Dec. 12 at Freedom Park from 5:30 to 8 p.m. The event will feature stationary floats decorated for the holiday and winter season and competing for the annual “Holiday in Lights” trophy sponsored

by Loudoun Now. COVID-19 precautions have put a hold on large concerts, but several area performers have teamed up with BENEFIT, a musicoriented charity that supports youth programs, for a special holiday show from Morven Park. Juliana MacDowell, Jason Masi, Gary Smallwood, and the Master Singers of Virginia are among the performers in the program that will be streamed online Saturday, Dec. 19 starting at 7 p.m. Watch it at benefit.live.

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At the Franklin Park Arts Center, patrons can explore an exhibit of Stars, Night and Winter Sky in the gallery and then continue outside to wander among beautifully displayed lighted sculptures created by area artists. The event runs Dec. 14 through Jan. 2. Tickets are required for tours that run 5:30-7 p.m. or 7-8:30 p.m. For details, go to franklinparkartscenter.org.

And, yes, there will still be opportunities to get your wishes directly to Santa.

At the Dulles Town Center, guests can expect a contactless Santa visit. Children will be able to talk with Santa from a safe distance to share their wish lists, although Santa and each family member will wear masks during their visit. Professionally staged photos will be taken with 6 feet of social distance in place. Hours are 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. To reduce wait times and promote social distancing and contactless payment, families are encouraged to make a reservation in advance at bit.ly/35pu40O. Reservations are not required.

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DECEMBER 2020

DECEMBER 2020

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WINERIES 1 8 Chains North Winery 38593 Daymont Ln., Waterford, VA 8chainsnorth.com 2 868 Estate Vineyards 14001 Harpers Ferry Rd., Purcellville 868estatevineyards.com 3 The Barns at Hamilton Station 16804 Hamilton Station Rd., Hamilton thebarnsathamiltonstation.com 4 Bluemont Vineyard 18755 Foggy Bottom Rd., Bluemont bluemontvineyard.com 5 Bogati Winery 35246 Harry Byrd Hwy., Round Hill bogatiwinery.com 6 Boxwood Estate Winery 2042 Burrland Rd., Middleburg boxwoodwinery.com 7 Breaux Vineyards 36888 Breaux Vineyards Ln., Hillsboro breauxvineyards.com

8 Bozzo Family Vineyards 35226 Charles Town Pike, Hillsboro bozwines.com 9 Cana Vineyards of Middleburg 38600 John Mosby Hwy., Middleburg canavineyards.com 10 Casanel Vineyards 17952 Canby Rd., Leesburg casanelvineyards.com 11 Chrysalis Vineyards 39025 John Mosby Hwy., Aldie chrysaliswine.com 12 Corcoran Vineyards & Cider 14635 Corkys Farm Ln., Waterford corcoranvineyards.com 13 Creek’s Edge Winery 41255 Annas Ln., Lovettsville creeksedgewinery.com 14 Crushed Cellars 37938 Charles Town Pike, Purcellville crushedcellars.com

15` Doukenie Winery 14727 Mountain Rd., Hillsboro doukeniewinery.com 16 Dry Mill Vineyards & Winery 18195 Dry Mill Rd., Leesburg drymillwine.com 17 Fabbioli Cellars 15669 Limestone School Rd., Leesburg fabbioliwines.com 18 Fleetwood Farm Winery 23075 Evergreen Mills Rd., Leesburg fleetwoodfarmwinery.com 19 Forever Farm & Vineyards 15779 Woodgrove Road, Purcellville foreverfarmandvineyard.com 20 Greenhill Winery & Vineyards 23595 Winery Ln., Middleburg greenhillvineyards.com 21 Hidden Brook Winery 43301 Spinks Ferry Rd., Leesburg hiddenbrookwinery.com

22 Hiddencroft Vineyards 12202 Axline Rd., Lovettsville hiddencroftvineyards.com 23 Hunters Run Wine Barn 40325 Charles Town Pike, Hamilton huntersrunwinebarn.com 24 Lost Creek Winery 43285 Spinks Ferry Rd., Leesburg lostcreekwinery.com 25 Maggie Malick Wine Caves 12138 Harpers Ferry Rd., Hillsboro maggiemalickwinecaves.com 26 Otium Cellars 18050 Tranquility Rd., Purcellville otiumcellars.com 27 Stone Tower Winery 19925 Hogback Mountain Rd., L’burg stonetowerwinery.com

28 Stonehouse Meadery 36580 Shoemaker School Rd., Purcellville stonehousemeadery.com 29 Sunset Hills Vineyard 38295 Fremont Overlook Ln, Purcellville sunsethillsvineyard.com 30 Tarara Winery 13648 Tarara Ln, Leesburg tarara.com 31 Terra Nebulo 39892 Old Wheatland Rd., Waterford terranebulo.com 32 Two Twisted Posts Winery 12944 Harpers Ferry Rd., Hillsboro twotwistedposts.com 33 Village Winery 40405 Browns Lane, Waterford villagewineryandvineyards.com

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 Dog Money Rest. & Brewery 50 Catoctin Circle NE, Leesburg dogmoney.squarespace.com 13 Dynasty Brewing Company 21140 Ashburn Crossing Drive, Ashburn 101 Loudoun St, SE, Leesburg dynastybrewing.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 Rhino Brewing Company 21730 Red Rum Rd. #142, Ashburn lostrhino.com 18 Loudoun Brewing Company 310 E. Market St., Leesburg loudounbrewing.com 19 Ocelot Brewing Company 23600 Overland Dr., #180, Dulles ocelotbrewing.com 20 Old 690 Brewing Company 15670 Ashbury Church Rd., Hillsboro old690.com

34 Willowcroft Farm Vineyards 38906 Mount Gilead Rd., Leesburg willowcroftwine.com 35 The Wine Reserve at Waterford 38516 Charles Town Pike, Waterford waterfordwinereserve.com 36 Walsh Family Wine 16031 Hillsboro Rd., Purcellville northgatevineyard.com 37 Winery 32 15066 Limestone School Rd., Leesburg winery32.com 38 Zephaniah Farm Vineyard 19381 Dunlop Mill Rd., Leesburg zephwine.com

BREWERIES 21 Old Ox Brewery 44652 Guilford Dr., Ste 114, Ashburn oldoxbrewery.com 22 Old Ox Brewery Middleburg 14 S Madison St, Middleburg, VA 23 Phase 2 Brewing 19382 Diamond Lake Dr, Lansdowne Phase2Brewing.com 24 Rocket Frog Brewing Company 22560 Glenn Dr. #103, Sterling rocketfrogbeer.com 25 Solace Brewing Company 42615 Trade West Dr., Sterling solacebrewing.com 26 Sweetwater Tavern 45980 Waterview Plaza, Sterling greatamericanrestaurants.com 27 The Craft of Brewing 21140 Ashburn Crossing Dr., Ashburn thecraftob.com 28 Twinpanzee Brewing Co. 101 Executive Dr., Sterling twinpanzee.com 29 Vanish Farmwoods Brewery 42245 Black Hops Ln., Lucketts vanishbeer.com 30 Wheatland Springs Farm 38454 John Wolford Rd., Waterford

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

2 Notaviva Craft Fermentations 13274 Sagle Rd., Hillsboro notavivavineyards.com

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

HISTORY

Heritage Farm Museum Expands Its Storytelling with Blacksmith Forge Exhibit

BY NORMAN K. STYER

The Loudoun Heritage Farm Museum has opened a working blacksmith forge, housed in one of the historic barns at Claude Moore Park. It’s the latest exhibit designed to help tell the story of the county’s rich agricultural roots.

Blacksmiths were once integral to farms for making and repairing tools and other farming equipment. According to Census records, there were approximately 80 blacksmiths in Loudoun County in the mid-1800s.

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Replicating a late 1800s/early 1900s forge, the new exhibit was designed by the Blacksmith Guild of the Potomac and constructed by the stone and brick mason class at the Academies of Loudoun. The project was completed in February, but largely has been under wraps because of the coronavirus pandemic, with visits limited to school programs. Executive Director Lori Kimball said that once COVID restrictions are lifted the museum plans to host live blacksmithing demonstrations monthly. A formal grand opening was celebrated in late November.

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HERITAGE FARM MUSEUM

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DECEMBER 2020

Contributed

Bobby Colicci, of the Blacksmith Guild of the Potomac, works at the new forge built on the grounds of the Loudoun Heritage Farm Museum at Claude Moore Park. He plans to be onsite for monthly demonstrations once public health restrictions are lifted.

Norman K. Styer

Among the most popular pieces in the American Workhorse Museum Collection is the dog treadmill once used to power equipment.

HERITAGE FARM MUSEUM

“We have a whole bunch of blacksmithing equipment that was donated to us, include a fabulous leather bellows,” Kimball said, highlighting the large air blower that is marked with the name Laycock, a longtime Loudoun farming family.

In fact, there are lots of familiar names featured throughout the museum. Farming was the chief industry in Loudoun through most of its history, until the construction of Dulles Airport brought the extension of public water and sewer service—and the first wave of residential development—in the early 1960s.

Permanent exhibits highlight the lives and accomplishments of 10 generations of Loudoun farm families; allow visitors to step into a general store, a farm kitchen and a one-room schoolhouse; and tell DECEMBER 2020

about the Native Americans who lived in the area.

The American Workhorse Museum Collection, also housed on the property and open by appointment, displays scores of tools used to plant and harvest crops before tractors hit the fields. Among the most popular pieces there is the dog treadmill once used to power equipment.

The museum is located at 21668 Heritage Farm Lane within Claude Moore Park in Sterling. Currently, it is open during the week by appointment and for self-guided tours on weekends.

For more information, go to heritagefarmmuseum.org.

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Credit: Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum

A U.S. Navy Blue Angel F/A-18C Hornet, piloted

by Cmdr. Frank Weisser, arrives at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center on Nov. 18. The aircraft was added to the museum’s collection following its retirement by the Navy at the end of the 2020 season as the demonstration team moves to the larger Super Hornet.

Udvar-Hazy Center Adds Blue Angel Hornet to Exhibits The Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum has welcomed a Blue Angels F/A-18C Hornet into its collection. The recently retired fighter jet was flown to the museum’s Udvar-Hazy Center where it is being prepared for display.

“The museum’s collection of this important aircraft will allow us to tell stories of the Navy’s Flight Demonstration Team, as well as its time in combat,” said Laurence Burke, the museum’s naval aviation curator.

For the Blue Angels, the Hornet has been the featured show aircraft for 34 of the team’s 75 years of existence—more than twice as long as any other aircraft type.

This F/A-18C replaced the Douglas A-4 Skyhawk as the Blue Angels’ aircraft at the end of the 1986 season.

The specific display aircraft was one of the first C models built, delivered to the Navy in 1987. It was assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron VFA-86 and flew during

Operation Desert Storm, the First Gulf War in 1991 and then with VFA-83, helping to enforce the no-fly zone over southern Iraq in 1994. The plane served in eight different squadrons, seeing service in both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans as well as the Mediterranean and Red seas before being turned over to the Blue Angels in 2015.

It was active with the team until the end of the 2020 season when all of the legacy models were retired, as the team moves to Super Hornets next season.

Located on the southern part of the Dulles Airport property, the Udvar-Hazy Center displays thousands of aviation and space artifacts, including the Space Shuttle Discovery and a supersonic Concorde.

The museum has seen periodic closures and access restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic. Check airandspace. si.edu/udvar-hazy-center for more information and to plan your visit.

19 W Market St, Leesburg, VA (703) 777-1665

Tickets Available at:

WWW.TALLYHOTHEATER.COM

Coming to Town this December!

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TUSK: THE WORLD’S #1 TRIBUTE TO FLEETWOOD MAC

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DC IMPROV PRESENTS: COMEDY NIGHT IN LEESBURG

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ZOSO: THE ULTIMATE LED

12/11 ZEPPELIN EXPERIENCE & 12/12 7:00PM

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TASTE

Patrick Szabo/Loudoun Now

The Conche Owner Santosh Tiptur prepares a dessert in his Village at Leesburg location. Next month, he’ll be busy preparing tapas and tacos at his new La Prensa restaurant in Sterling.

The Conche’s Santosh Tiptur Expands with La Prensa

BY JAN MERCKER

Pandemic or no pandemic, we can all use more tacos.

Loudoun celebrity chef Santosh Tiptur is opening a new restaurant, La Prensa in Sterling, to offer internationally inspired tacos, tapas and a killer wine and cocktail program.

Tiptur’s 3-year-old chocolate-themed restaurant The Conche in the Village 18

at Leesburg has developed a regional following and is thriving despite COVID restrictions. And an outpouring of community support has led Tiptur to press forward with plans for the new spot.

“We’re going to do the same thing we do at The Conche but in a different style,” Tiptur said.

Tiptur is a Mexican cuisine aficionado, and plans for La Prensa have been in the works

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LA PRENSA

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DECEMBER 2020

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

DECEMBER 2020

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LA PRENSA

for two years. He signed the lease for the Sterling location near Nokes Boulevard last November, with plans to open on May 5, in time for Cinco de Mayo. COVID threw a wrench in those plans, and Tiptur briefly considered shelving the project. But a wave of support for The Conche after Virginia moved to its Phase 2 and 3 COVID guidelines encouraged him to keep going.

“After COVID hit, we said maybe we’d better drop the idea for now. But then slowly everything seemed to be going back to normal,” Tiptur said. “It’s the community, the people who like us really support us.

They don’t want us to go out of business.”

La Prensa is Spanish for “the press” (as in a wine press), and a creative wine list will be a focus at the new place, along with tequila-based drinks. The Conche’s stellar bar program and creative cocktails are among of its claims to fame, along with an impressive 300-square-foot in-house chocolate lab.

Tiptur launched The Conche in 2017, and it was an immediate hit. The chocolatethemed restaurant became dessert mecca, with camps and classes for adults and kids alike. But it also got raves—and staying power—thanks to its savory dinner menu and fabulous brunches.

Tiptur is originally from India and traces his love of chocolate to his first Cadbury Eclair candy bar as a kid. He became a pastry chef and worked for cruise lines for a dozen years before opening the chocolate-themed D.C. hotspot Coco Sala with business partner Nisha Sidhu in 2008.

Coco Sala closed its doors in early 2018.

Tiptur moved to Loudoun with his family more than a decade ago and saw growth potential on his home turf. Since opening The Conche in 2017, it’s become a MidAtlantic destination, drawing a devoted DMV clientele, along with fans who travel from as far as Delaware and Pennsylvania.

Diners often come for Saturday dinner and 20

stay for Sunday brunch, Tiptur said.

“They come once and they just fall in love.”

Tiptur traces his fascination with creative international cuisine back to his years in the cruise industry, and it’s a guiding force in planning for La Prensa. Tiptur and his family love Mexican cuisine, and he says Rick Bayless’ contemporary Mexican restaurants in Chicago have long been an inspiration.

La Prensa will offer both authentic Mexican-style tacos along with internationally inspired “spin-off” tacos.

“Mexican cuisine is one of my favorites, but I don’t just want to open another Mexican restaurant. ... I like flavorful food. Tacos are going to be a vehicle for us to use many of the familiar international dishes,” Tiptur said.

Tiptur and his team are waiting for final inspections and permits and planning a soft opening and then a grand opening in November.

“It’s something fun, something new and something different,” he added. “You can put anything in tacos and it tastes good.” santosh tiptur’s la prensa is located at

21305

windmill parc dr. in sterling.

check out the facebook page for

updates at facebook.com/laprensava.

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DECEMBER 2020

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

The Reagan Years are at the Tally Ho Theater, Thursday, Dec 31st

12.10 CHRIS TIMBERS BAND & JULIANA MACDOWELL Tally Ho Theater Thursday, Dec. 10, 8 p.m. tallyhotheater.com Two favorite Loudoun performers team up for a special night of music on the county’s biggest stage.

12.19 AFRO-LACHIAN CHRISTMAS

12.5

Franklin Park Arts Center

JILL FULTON BAND

franklinparkartscenter.org

Saturday, December 19, 6 p.m.

Vanish Farmwoods Brewery Saturday, Dec. 5, 5-8 p.m. vanishbeer.com The Churchville, MD, native is a recording crossover artist known for her fiery blues, country and soul tunes.

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Storytellers Sheila Arnold and Adam Booth share Christmas and winter season songs, ballads and stories from the Appalachian and African-American cultures.

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BEST BETS

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DECEMBER 2020

UP ON THE ROOFTOP, CLICK, CLICK, BANG Dec. 5, 6, 12, 13, 19 The StageCoach Theatre Company sets up a stage at the Oatlands Historic House and Gardens to perform a new murder mystery: “Up on the Rooftop, Click, Click, BANG.” The play—written by Terry Smith, produced by Jerri Wiseman and directed by Tierney Thompson— follows the effort of Detective S. Claus in tracing the disappearance of Frosty the Snowman as the community clamors for answers.

Tickets for the socially distance shows are $60 and includes a preordered dinner. For details and to reserve your assigned seat, go to: stagecoachtc.com/up-on-therooftop-click-click-bang.

BEST BETS

12.31 THE REAGAN YEARS NEW YEAR’S EVE PARTY Tally Ho Theater Thursday, Dec. 31, 8 p.m. tallyhotheater.com Countdown to the new year with The Reagan Years rocking to top ’80s tunes.

Dress to impress.

FOR MORE BEST BETS,

VISIT WWW.GETOUTLOUDOUN.COM

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