Get Out Loudoun April 2021

APRIL 2021

Loudoun Now Your guide to Loudoun’s Entertainment Scene

tHe

bunny

is coming

,

Krysta Norman Photography

...and she’s bringing a trio of wine!

{reservations required} Spring has arrived and Easter is just around the corner. Join us and you’ll be in good company. We proudly offer safe and healthy spaces to enjoy the camaraderie of friends. We’re ready for any weather.

Our heated, enclosed Pavilion is open and snug and firepits are toasty. Visit our website for musical performances on our event calendar.

q

easter wine 3-pack special available through april 4th. $70.80

+ tax (retail $104). to order, email: orders@doukeniewinery.com or

Hours:

call (540) 668-6464 x201. fedex shipping is available to several states.

Thursday 12 - 5 p.m.

Friday 12 - 5 p.m.

Saturday + Sunday 11 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

Inside: 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.

CONTRIBUTORS Paul Gilbert Kara C. Rodriquez Norman K. Styer Patrick Szabo ON THE COVER Photo by Norman K. Styer Breaux Vineyards President Jennifer Breaux displays the two wines that earned a place in the 2021 Governor’s Case‚ judged to be among the top vintages in the commonwealth.

TO ADVERTISE Susan Styer at 703-770-9723 or sales@loudounnow.com

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WINE

Breaux Vineyards was Loudoun’s big winner in the 2021 Governor’s Cup competition, bringing home three gold medals, two of which were selected for spots in the elite governor’s case.

OUTDOORS

Need to get your steps in? NOVA Parks has miles and miles of paths and trails to stretch your legs.

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BREWS

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HAPPENINGS

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FLAVOR

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BEST BETS

Middleburg’s Hunt Country is getting a bit hoppier with the opening of Lost Barrel Brewing on the western edge of town.

Two spring traditions are returning this month, with a scaled-down version of Leesburg’s popular Flower and Garden Festival and the garden clubs’ annual tours of the state’s best landscapes.

With the island recipes of his great-grandfather in hand, Chef Stephon Washington is cooking up a taste of Jamacia in his Sterling ghost kitchen.

Get Out Loudoun’s top recommendations for April.

getoutloudoun.com APRIL 2021

GET OUT LOUDOUN

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ARTISTS OF LOUDOUN Loudoun has long inspired artists. With gorgeous green hills, stone-fenced country lanes, farm fields dotted with red barns bathed in ethereal light, the county’s very landscape looks like an oil painting. Yet we attract writers too – literary giants. Pulitzer winners Larry McMurtry (Lonesome Dove), Tony Horowitz (Confederates in the Attic) and Geraldine Brooks (March) all lived in Loudoun; columnist and memoirist Russell Baker (Growing Up), grew up in a log cabin in Morrisonville, near Lovettsville.

It is with this creative combination in mind – art and literature – that Franklin Park Arts Center will host “Literature to Life”: a four-week exhibition and competition in which Loudoun artists bring the written word of local authors, poets and playwrights to life with original artwork.

“We’ve been supporting and engaging local artists across multiple genres since before and during COVID, and this exhibition is a way to connect visual artists with local authors,” said FPAC Managing Director Elizabeth Bracey.

Running until April 25, the exhibition will showcase work in any medium including 3D and digital animation, but requires the artists provide notation from the passage of the specific written work to which their piece refers. Sponsored by the Friends of Franklin Park Arts Center, winning pieces will receive cash prizes.

“Literature to Life” is not the only major art event taking place in Loudoun in April.

April 9 sees the opening of “Tucker Smith: A Celebration of Nature” at the National Sporting Library & Museum in Middleburg, an exhibition of more than 75 landscape, wildlife, and cowboy oil paintings from the renowned Western artist, organized by the National Museum of Wildlife Art.

Monte’s Shortcut (detail), 2005, Collection of the artist

Monte’s Shortcut is among more than 75 landscape, wildlife, and cowboy oil paintings from renowned Western artist Tucker Smith on exhibit at the National Sporting Library & Museum.

through May 31st.

Beyond special exhibits, there are countless other ways to enjoy the work of local artists in Loudoun. Celebrated landscape painters Antonia Walker and Katherine Riedel sell their exquisite work from their studios in Waterford, while the Byrne Gallery in Middleburg features a permanent collection of abstract and impressionist art as well as jewelry. To capture the full gamut and diversity of the Loudoun arts scene, the Leesburg Arts and Cultural District incorporates more than a dozen galleries, studios and public works of art all within walking distance of each other in the historic downtown.

For more information, visit visitloudoun.org/getout

Over at Leesburg Town Hall meanwhile the landscape and animal paintings of local artist and lawyer Antonia Plazibat is the subject of “Near and Far: Journeys in Watercolor” running 4

GET OUT LOUDOUN

APRIL 2021

Tickets Available at:

WWW.TALLYHOTHEATER.COM

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

Coming to Town this April!

THREE SHOWS!

4/9 - 7:00PM | 4/10 - 2:30PM & 7:00PM

DC IMPROV PRESENTS: COMEDY NIGHT IN LEESBURG 4/16 - 7:00PM

VAN HALEN NATION

TROPIDELIC

EAGLEMANIA: THE WORLD’S GREATEST EAGLES TRIBUTE BAND

4/17 - 7:00PM

4/22 - 7:00PM

WINE

Breaux Vineyards Makes Governor’s Cup Case—Twice Twice

Norman K. Styer

Breaux Vineyards President and General Manager Jennifer Breaux displays two wines selected for inclusion in the 2021 Governor’s Case.

Breaux Vineyards President and General Manager Jennifer and winemaker Josh Gerard with this year’s Governor’s Case-winning wines, the 2016 Meritage and 2016 Nebbiolo.

BY NORMAN K. STYER

Loudoun’s Breaux Vineyards placed two wines in the Virginia Wineries Association’s 2021 Governor’s Cup Case—a selection of the commonwealth’s top gold-medal winners.

Breaux’s 2016 Meritage and 2016 Nebbiolo will go into the case alongside 10 other wines from nine Virginia wineries. The wines were two of the three gold medal winners, along with 2019 Sauvignon Blanc, for Breaux this year. The winery also landed six silvers and a bronze.

The winning Meritage and Nebbiolo were among the first wines created by Josh Gerard after he became Breaux’s winemaker in 2016.

He went to school for winemaking in New Zealand and yo-yoed between there and the Northern Hemisphere during the alternating seasons—working in Oregon, California, and Pennsylvania before landing in Virginia at Middleburg’s Boxwood Winery and then joining Breaux, where there are 100 acres under vine.

Breaux President and General Manager Jennifer Breaux said Gerard’s experience in East Coast wine making was important. “Not APRIL 2021

everybody can make wine in Virginia. We’re not California. The weather patterns are incredibly inconsistent. I always say the most consistent thing are the inconstancies,” she said. “So, a lot of the winemakers who come over from other countries or the West Coast don’t quite know what they’re getting into. We love it when people are passionate about East Coast winemaking.”

Breaux’s Meritage is a perennial gold medal favorite with judges. Nebbiolo is less common in Virginia, with only a few vineyards growing the Italian fruit, which requires high altitude and has a long growing season—among the first to bud in the spring and the last grape to harvest each year. 2016 was Gerard’s first experience with Nebbiolo.

“It just takes a while for it to ripen. Even though we’ll go out and sample the grapes in September and October the sugars are up there, but it retains it acidity so the acid will be really high, the pH really low, so you have to wait until you have that balance of pH, acid and sugar. But year after year, it is probably one of

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BREAUX

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In addition to the two Governor’s Case selections, Breaux Vineyards also brought home third gold medal for its 2019 Sauvignon Blanc, along with six silvers and a bronze—10 medals in all.

BREAUX FROM PAGE 7

the most ripe grapes sugar-wise, he said.

“The Nebbiolo is a really interesting grape to work with. Our pallets here in Virginia are so accustomed to the French varieties. So we know Merlot and cab franc and petit Bordeaux.

They’re everywhere,” Breaux said.

“There’s not a lot of Nebbiolo in the state so it’s unique. It’s kind of peculiar when you taste it.

Especially when there is a line up with a lot of reds, it can be a standout. It’s a bit of a switch from the other French varieties that you’re used to,” Breaux said. “We got a gold last year, but this year we made it into the case, so we’re very pleased.”

“Nebbiolo is amazing. It has more exotic flavors—it’s the tart, tobacco, violets, dark cherries. It’s just a lovely red wine,” she said.

Breaux Vineyards was among the foundational wineries of Loudoun’s now-booming craft beverage industry. Founded by Paul Breaux, Jennifer’s father, the vineyard turned out its first vintage in 1997. The family purchased the 400-acre property in 1994 and Paul began 8

experimenting with the three acres of grapes that had been planted there a decade earlier.

Jennifer diverted from a culinary career in 2005 to lead the business into the second generation of family ownership.

“I think a pivotal point for the industry came with quality,” Breaux said, noting the early days when Loudoun wines might have been known for their sweetness and vineyard managers were still learning what grapes grow best.

“The industry has changed so much. I believe that we’ve earned our way here by enhancing quality. In doing that, we have written the book on how to do it on the East Coast, here in Virginia at least. There were no guidelines.

There was no one to teach us how to do it.

It was a lot of trial and error and there we’re a lot of naysayers back in the day. But we’ve changed that reputation. The whole industry has worked really hard to do that, to raise the bar, and now customers raise their expectations, which just creates great challenges and healthy competition.”

“You can go to almost any winery around here

GET OUT LOUDOUN

BREAUX

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APRIL 2021

Art Mill Spring 2021

BREAUX FROM PAGE 8

and you’re not going to find a bad bottle. It may not be to your taste, but you’ll be like ‘OK that is a clean wine.’ That is a good start. Generally, around here you’re going to find good quality,” Gerard said. “I’ve been to places in California where you expect everything to be good and you find actually that’s kind of disappointing.”

The Virginia Governor’s Cup, hosted by the Virginia Wineries Association in partnership with the Virginia Wine Board and the Virginia Vineyards Association. A panel of 22 judges, directed by Jay Youmans, one of only 53 Masters of Wine in the United States, reviewed the record-setting 544 wines entered into the competition this year, conducting a blind sampling and scoring the wines in multiple rounds over a four-week period to confirm the winner. Gold medals were awarded to the 96 wines that scored 90 points or higher.

Two other Loudoun wines landed gold in the competition. October One Vineyard’s 2019 Cabernet Franc and Walsh Family Wine’s 2019 Dutchman’s Creek Cabernet Franc.

at the

Sunny Bouquet

by Trisha Adams

April 24 through May 9

Sunday - Friday, 12-5 Saturdays, 10-6 Burwell-Morgan Mill, Millwood, VA 540.955.2600 540.837.1799 https://www.clarkehistory.org/art-mill.html COVID Protocols will be observed.

The top prize went to Barboursville Vineyards for its 2015 Paxxito, which means the Governor’s Cup trophy will be leaving Loudoun after last year’s win by 868 Estate Vineyards, just down the road from Breaux.

Breaux said the Governor’s Cup competition is an important promotion for the commonwealth’s wine industry, with enthusiasts following the “gold trail” to experience the best wines.

“It gets consumers traveling, not only hyper local, but across the state. They get really excited about the program and to be able to get out there and taste the top wines throughout the entire state,” she said.

Additional details about the Governor’s Cup competition, a complete list of winners, and information about the Virginia wine industry can be found at virginiawine.org/governors-cup.

Breaux Vineyards 36888 Breaux Vineyards Lane, Hillsboro Breauxvineyards.com APRIL 2021

GET OUT LOUDOUN

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OUTDOORS

Norman K. Styer

Situated along the headlands of the Potomac River Gorge, the Gabrielson Trail links more than 1,500 acres of NOVA Parks lands along the Potomac River and comprises a 12-mile long segment of the Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail.

Step into Nature for Improved Health

BY PAUL GILBERT

New research into the health benefits of being in nature prompted the Wall Street Journal reporter Betsy Morris to do a story entitled, “For Better Health During the Pandemic, Is Two hours Outdoors the New 10,000 Steps?”

As good as getting your steps in, where you exercise also counts. Spending time in forests can lower cortisol levels, reduce anxiety, lower blood pressure, and increase cognitive functions.

In one study out of Stanford University, two groups took 45-minute walks. One group walked in a natural environment, and the second walked on a tree-lined thoroughfare in the city. According to Professor of Environmental Science Gretchen Daily, those that walked in the more natural environment scored better on mood, creativity, and memory than the city walkers.

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In a study published in Nature’s Scientific Report in 2019 with 20,000 participants, those that spent two hours a week in nature reported better health and well-being.

An easy way to find some near-by nature is to look on Google maps, locate a park near you, and see if it has a trail through the woods.

If you would like a more in-depth nature experience, here are two suggestions: Ira Gabrielson Trail – Starting at Algonkian Regional Park and going 12 miles to Riverbend Park, this beautiful wooded trail parallels the Potomac River.

Bull Run/Occoquan Trail – this 18-mile trail starts at Bull Run Regional Park and ends at Fountainhead Park. It is one of the great treasures of Northern Virginia. Bull Run Marina and the end of Yates Ford Road by Hemlock

GET OUT LOUDOUN

NATURE

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APRIL 2021

NATURE FROM PAGE 11

Park are also entry points to this trail. This hike is beautiful, paralleling the Bull Run and Occoquan Rivers.

In 1959, he helped found the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority (NOVA Parks), the original conservation organization of our area.

With many of us feeling stressed and having cabin fever, this spring is the perfect time to take some water and snacks and explore one of the great nature trails of Northern Virginia. The physical and mental benefits of such a hike will be beneficial for days. And you will have new experiences to share with others.

Under Gabrielson’s leadership as chairman, NOVA Parks acquired significant areas along the Potomac, Bull Run, and Occoquan Rivers (and reservoir).

Long before science connected health with time in nature, some intuitively knew that time in nature was vital. Ira Gabrielson, the founding Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, hiked most of the Potomac shoreline and published books on the area’s flora and fauna.

Loudoun Hunt

As you improve your health this spring with a renewing hike in the woods, remember the conservation leaders like Ira Gabrielson that made that hike possible.

Paul Gilbert is the executive director ofNOVA Parks, which manages more than 12,000 acres of parkland in three counties and three cities, including 13 properties in Loudoun County.

The Loudoun Hunt Point-to-Point is moving from Oatlands to Morven Park this year.

The Loudoun Hunt will host its 54th annual point-to-point on Sunday, April 18, on a new course, at the Morven Park Equestrian Center.

For a half century, the event has served as a community celebration of spring with thousands converging on the grounds of Oatlands Historic Homes and Gardens, where the best tailgating locations along the property’s entrance lane were passed down from generation to generation.

APRIL 2021

Organizers say the move to Morven Park is aimed at opening the event to larger crowds and to take advantage of the purpose-build race course at the center.

However, the larger crowds will have to wait until next year, as attendance will be limited because of COVID-19 restrictions. Patrons and subscribers will be offered the first chance to purchase the advance tickets and there will be no general admission or race-day tickets available.

Check for ticket availability and updates at loudounhunt.com.

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WINERIES 1 50 West Vineyards 39060 John Mosby Highway, Middleburg 50westvineyards.com 2 8 Chains North Winery 38593 Daymont Ln., Waterford, VA 8chainsnorth.com 3 868 Estate Vineyards 14001 Harpers Ferry Rd., Purcellville 868estatevineyards.com 4 The Barns at Hamilton Station 16804 Hamilton Station Rd., Hamilton thebarnsathamiltonstation.com 5 Bleu Frog Vineyards 16413 James Monroe Hwy, Leesburg bleufrogvineyards.com 6 Bluemont Vineyard 18755 Foggy Bottom Rd., Bluemont bluemontvineyard.com 7 Bogati Winery 35246 Harry Byrd Hwy., Round Hill bogatiwinery.com 8 Boxwood Estate Winery 2042 Burrland Rd., Middleburg boxwoodwinery.com

9 Breaux Vineyards 36888 Breaux Vineyards Ln., Hillsboro breauxvineyards.com 10 Bozzo Family Vineyards 35226 Charles Town Pike, Hillsboro bozwines.com 11 Cana Vineyards of Middleburg 38600 John Mosby Hwy., Middleburg canavineyards.com 12 Casanel Vineyards 17952 Canby Rd., Leesburg casanelvineyards.com 13 Chrysalis Vineyards 39025 John Mosby Hwy., Aldie chrysaliswine.com 14 Corcoran Vineyards & Cider 14635 Corkys Farm Ln., Waterford corcoranvineyards.com 15 Creek’s Edge Winery 41255 Annas Ln., Lovettsville creeksedgewinery.com 16 Crushed Cellars 37938 Charles Town Pike, Purcellville crushedcellars.com

17 Doukenie Winery 14727 Mountain Rd., Hillsboro doukeniewinery.com 18 Dry Mill Vineyards & Winery 18195 Dry Mill Rd., Leesburg drymillwine.com 19 Eagletree Farm & Vineyards 15100 Harrison Hill Lane, Leesburg eagletreevineyards.com 20 Fabbioli Cellars 15669 Limestone School Rd., Leesburg fabbioliwines.com 21 Firefly Cellars 40325 Charles Town Pike, Hamilton fireflycellars.com 22 Fleetwood Farm Winery 23075 Evergreen Mills Rd., Leesburg fleetwoodfarmwinery.com 23 Forever Farm & Vineyards 15779 Woodgrove Road, Purcellville foreverfarmandvineyard.com 24 Greenhill Winery & Vineyards 23595 Winery Ln., Middleburg greenhillvineyards.com

25 Hidden Brook Winery 43301 Spinks Ferry Rd., Leesburg hiddenbrookwinery.com 26 Hiddencroft Vineyards 12202 Axline Rd., Lovettsville hiddencroftvineyards.com 27 Lost Creek Winery 43285 Spinks Ferry Rd., Leesburg lostcreekwinery.com 28 Maggie Malick Wine Caves 12138 Harpers Ferry Rd., Hillsboro maggiemalickwinecaves.com 29 Otium Cellars 18050 Tranquility Rd., Purcellville otiumcellars.com 30 Stone Tower Winery 19925 Hogback Mountain Rd., L’burg stonetowerwinery.com

31 Stonehouse Meadery 36580 Shoemaker School Rd., Purcellville stonehousemeadery.com 32 Sunset Hills Vineyard 38295 Fremont Overlook Ln, Purcellville sunsethillsvineyard.com 33 Tarara Winery 13648 Tarara Ln, Leesburg tarara.com 34 Terra Nebulo 39892 Old Wheatland Rd., Waterford terranebulo.com 35 Two Twisted Posts Winery 12944 Harpers Ferry Rd., Hillsboro twotwistedposts.com 36 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 Dynasty Brewing Company 21140 Ashburn Crossing Drive, Ashburn 101 Loudoun St, SE, Leesburg dynastybrewing.com 13 Harper’s Ferry Brewing 37412 Adventure Ctr. Lane, Hillsboro harpersferrybrewing.com 14 Harvest Gap Brewery 15485 Purcellville Road, Hillsboro facebook.com/HarvestGap 15 House 6 Brewing 4427 Atwater Dr., Ashburn house6brewing.com 16 Lost Barrel Brewing 36138 John Mosby Highway, Middleburg lostbarrel.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

37 Willowcroft Farm Vineyards 38906 Mount Gilead Rd., Leesburg willowcroftwine.com 38 The Wine Reserve at Waterford 38516 Charles Town Pike, Waterford waterfordwinereserve.com 39 Walsh Family Wine 16031 Hillsboro Rd., Purcellville northgatevineyard.com 40 Winery 32 15066 Limestone School Rd., Leesburg winery32.com 41 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

Norman K. Styer

The tasting room and brewhouse at Lost Barrel Brewing, just west of Middleburg.

BREWS

Lost Barrel Brewing Finds Home in Hunt Country

BY PATRICK SZABO

Lost Barrel Brewing opened in December at the southwestern corner of Loudoun County, about a half-mile west of the Middleburg town limits off Rt. 50.

Situated on a 70-acre working horse farm that abuts the Salamander Resort & Spa, the brewery features 15 beers on tap, four varieties of hard seltzers and a full food menu. And its beer is brewed by a familiar face, Patrick Steffens, the former owner and brewer at Loudoun Brewing Co. in Leesburg.

Lost Barrel’s owners—a group of close friends— purchased the property in 2019 and began work to open within the year. That work was pushed back a bit when the COVID-19 14

pandemic hit three months later. Still, within a year they were able to restore the old house on the property, convert a barn into the brewery’s saloon events and party rental space, and build the 7,500-square-foot main brewery building, an open-air blend of industrial and country lodge space designed by Leesburg architect Tom O’Neil.

What made the opening easier was the professional backgrounds of the managing partners, Sam Busey and Joe Femia. Femia used his construction company to build the main brewery building and Busey continues to use his background in business to keep the brewery operational.

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LOST BARREL

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APRIL 2021

LOST BARREL FROM PAGE 14

The brewing operations started as a small beer club with the businesses’ partners in Steffen’s basement. They focused on making high quality beers for friends and family just for fun.

Eventually, the thoughts turned to ramping up that experience on a commercial scale.

“Once we made the decision to jump in with both feet, then it was just a matter of trying to bring a very high-quality operation to the area, both from a service standpoint and a product standpoint and from a people standpoint,” Steffens said.

The brewery offers 15 beers on tap, all produced in house using a 15-barrel Prospero brewing system.

“This has been quite an adventure to scale up. It’s a good size for us where we are right now, Steffens said. They soon plan to add distribution with kegs and cans.

The beer selection includes a light lager, a farm ale, an amber ale, a double IPA and an oatmeal stout. There are also four gluten-free hard seltzers for sale: wild cherry, lemon-lime, blood orange and grapefruit. All the ingredients Lost Barrel uses to create its beer and seltzer are organic.

While Steffens prefers hoppy IPAs, one of the most popular beers is the Farm Ale, a Belgianstyle saison.

The brewery also offers guests a full food menu that includes five varieties of wings, sandwiches, flatbreads and sharable plates like bacon pops, chicken potstickers and brewhouse mac and cheese.

Lost Barrel is the ssecond brewery in the Middleburg area. Old Ox Brewery opened in downtown Middleburg in 2019. Marketing & Events Manager Natalie Femia said Lost Barrel and Old Ox complement each other, since Old Ox operates as a more indoor, traditional bar space and Lost Barrel has more outdoor, farm space on which guests are invited to picnic.

While the brewery already has a strong tourist draw, Steffens said the locals have been welcoming as well. “We’ve gotten a lot of good feedback from the community as far as the products and the atmosphere, which has APRIL 2021

General Manager and brewer Patrick Steffens, left, and Marketing & Events Manager Natalie Femia

been very encouraging. It is nice to get that welcoming kind of feedback,” he said.

Thursday night trivia already has grown into a popular community event and Natalie Femia said they plan to work closely with local organizations. Already, it has worked with Dogtopia for an outdoor dog event and is planning to host a Tales and Ales fundraiser.

Lost Barrel Brewing, located at 36138 John Mosby Highway, is open Sunday and Thursday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Learn more at lostbarrel.com.

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pszabo@loudounnow.com 15

HAPPENINGS

For many, the Flower and Garden Festival is their chance to stock up on unique plants, lawn art and displays.

Flower & Garden Festival Returns Last spring, the coronavirus pandemic shut down one of Loudoun’s most popular spring traditions, but the Leesburg Flower and Garden Festival is returning, although as a scaled-down version, for 2021.

For three decades, the event has drawn some 30,000 visitors to the historic district for two days of flowers, food and music on the third weekend of April. This year, the event will be held April 17-18.

With crowd limits still in place to curb the spread of the virus, downtown streets won’t be packed with visitors this year. Instead, for 2021 the festival has been moved to Ida Lee Park where admission will be limited through the distribution of free tickets. The space will accommodate about half the number of vendors typically found at the event.

Although most activities will take place at the park, there will plenty for visitors to do if they venture downtown. Many businesses are offering special deals during the festival weekend.

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The Flower and Garden Festival was founded in 1990 as a collaborative effort with the Town of Leesburg and has won local, state and international awards. The festival is produced by the Town of Leesburg, with efforts from many different departments, including Parks and Recreation, Public Works, Leesburg Police, and Leesburg Utilities.

Admission limits will be dictated by public health conditions. Tickets are being distributed in three time slots each day: 9-11:30 a.m., 12:15-2:45 p.m., and 3:30-6 p.m. Tickets will be available to Leesburg residents starting April 1 and to nonLeesburg residents on April 3.

For tickets and event updates, go to flowerandgarden.org Leesburg Flower and Garden Festival April 17-18 Ida Lee Park, 60 Ida Lee Drive, Leesburg Free — Advance Tickets Required flowerandgarden.org

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APRIL 2021

Best Blooms: Historic Garden Week Tours For one week each April, the nearly 50 garden clubs throughout Virginia team up to offer tours of private landscapes and historic sites, many rarely seen by the general public. This year’s event runs April 17-24.

Closest to home, the Fauquier and Loudoun Garden Club and the Leesburg Garden Club are hosting tours offered of two Middleburg-area properties on Friday, April 23 and Saturday, April 24.

WHITE HALL 6551 Main St., The Plains Nestled in the charming village of The Plains, this stately Greek Revival House, until it was purchased and renovated by the current owners in 2018, had been in the same family since it was built in 1903. Originally a wood frame house, the structure was covered in stucco in the early 20thcentury then overlaid with brick by mid-century.

Portions from each stage are still exposed. White Hall embraces neoclassical elements of design, including a graceful front portico, towering columns and a grand foyer stretching the length of the house. It also boasts 12-foot ceilings, original floors, original plaster and wood molding, original plaster walls and original pock- et doors in the central hall, living room and dining room.

Recent exterior plantings, including 28 new trees, were installed in 2019 to update and complement the existing mature landscape. The front walk is bordered with Limelight hydrangeas, Wintergreen boxwood and crepe myrtles; plumbago and APRIL 2021

plum yew provide ground cover. The front wall is graced with magnolia, while Yoshino cherry trees line the service driveway.

ASHLEIGH 3252 Winchester Road, Delaplane This Greek Revival country house was built in 1840 on land which was originally part of Chief Justice John Marshall’s estate, Oak Hill. Marshall’s granddaughter, Margaret Marshall Smith, designed the house for her residence, where she and her husband resided until 1860. With dramatic views of the Delaplane countryside, the stone and stucco structure was built into a hillside; its lower level is an English basement designed to keep the home cool in the summer months. The formal gardens of Ashleigh are replete with English and American boxwood, towering holly trees, sculpture and perennial gardens, including a spectacular center allée of peonies. A redbud arch leads to the heated pool and stone patio adjoining the pool house. New to the garden is a reflecting pool and fountain designed by landscape architect, Barry Starke.

Ashleigh is on the Virginia Landmarks Register and the National Register of Historic Places.

Note: The limited number of tickets to tour Oak Spring, the home of Paul and Bunny Mellon sold out quickly in March.

Advance tickets to Historic Garden Week are available at numerous local outlets listed by tour, or online at vagardenweek.org where the full guidebook is also available for purchase.

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FLAVOR

Norman K. Styer/Loudoun Now

Stephon Washington, executive chef of the Holiday Inn Dulles, whips up his specialty Jamaican dishes in the kitchen of O’Malley’s Pub. Washington, with the support of B.F. Saul Company, recently launched Grandpa Hank’s, a ghost kitchen named in honor of his great grandfather, a Jamaican native.

Chef Stephon Brings Grandfather’s Jamaican Flavors to Sterling

BY KARA C. RODRIGUEZ

During the pandemic some of Loudoun’s most creative chefs have had to turn up it up a notch, giving birth to a broad selection of culinary pop-ups.

Dubbed ghost kitchens, you won’t find them by looking at signs on brick-and-mortar restaurants, but from those same grills chefs 18

now are offering a broad range of new flavors, largely on a take-out basis.

One of those can be found at O’Malley’s Pub in Sterling, where Executive Chef Stephon Washington typically works up Irish staples and provides the in-room food service to the cluster of B.F. Saul Company-owned hotels nearby.

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GRANDPA HANKS

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APRIL 2021

Norman K. Styer/Loudoun Now

Chef Stephon’s jerk chicken is the most popular menu item, but dishes like curried goat and ox tail also see high demand.

GRANDPA HANKS FROM PAGE 18

Matt Stiers, area director of food and beverage for the Holiday Inn Dulles, said a common request from guests on the hotel’s catering menu was Washington’s Jamaican dishes. His red beans and rice, jerk chicken, and other staple dishes had caught a following, and Stiers and Washington had the idea to build a full menu with Caribbean dishes.

“Really for me it was a chance to really do something that kind of represented me in a sense. It was pretty much a shot for me to have my own influence, to have my own piece of me to give to the world,” Washington said.

They named the operation Grandpa Hank’s, in honor of Washington’s Jamaican greatgrandfather, who always told him to cook from the heart. That’s exactly what Washington has been doing with his new concept.

“I’m having a ball,” he said.

His great-grandfather referred to creating Jamaican cuisine as “loving cooking” that you have to watch over and babysit. He uses all natural ingredients, from star anise, cinnamon and citrus fruits to add to the flavor.

APRIL 2021

While the duo thought the jerk chicken would be Grandpa Hank’s best seller, other Caribbean favorites like oxtail and curried goat have been quite popular, Washington said.

Stiers credits parent company B.F. Saul for being a forward-thinking group, amenable to running a ghost kitchen concept out of their already busy O’Malley’s kitchen. He said if Grandpa Hank’s continues its success, it’s a concept that may be replicated in other hotels, or even a brick-andmortar establishment.

“There are possibilities if this goes even better than right now, we have a potential of even doing other ghost kitchens with other hotels in our portfolio. If we get a brick-and-mortar restaurant at one point that would be amazing.

If we’re still showing the revenue numbers we are now there’s the potential to drive this to our Tysons Corner and Crystal City markets,” he said.

GRANDPA HANK’S JAMAICAN KITCHEN 45425 HOLIDAY PARK DR., STERLING OMALLEYSSTERLING.COM

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BEST BETS

Chris Timbers Band performs at Crooked Run Brewing Saturday, April 17.

4.9.21 EAGLEMANIA Tally Ho Theater Friday, April 9, 8 p.m.

4.2.21

Saturday, April 10, 2:30 p.m.

KELLER WILLIAMS

Saturday, April 10, 8 p.m.

B Chord Brewing Company

tallyhotheater.com

Friday, April 2, 6 p.m.

Saturday, April 3, 6 p.m. facebook.com/bchordbrewing Keller Williams returns to the outdoor Round Hill stage for a two-night ramble. Friday features Keller & The Keels and Saturday is Keller Loopless with Grateful Gospel featuring John Kadlecik. Tickets: $40.

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EagleMania returns to Leesburg for three fully seated shows. The band faithfully reproduces the music of The Eagles, performing the band’s greatest hits, as well solo work of Don Henley, Glenn Frey, and Joe Walsh.

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BEST BETS 22

APRIL 2021

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

APRIL 2021

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BEST BETS FROM PAGE 22

4.17.21 CHRIS TIMBERS BAND Crooked Run Brewing—Sterling Saturday, April 17, 5-8 p.m. crookedrunbrewing.com Chris Timbers Band performs a blend of country, contemporary jazz, blues, and rock alternative soul, with hints of Stevie Ray Vaughn, the rhythm of blues, the lyrics of soul, the melodies of country, and some good oldfashioned rock ‘n roll.

4.24.21 CABINET B Chord Brewing Company Saturday, April 24, 6 p.m. facebook.com/bchordbrewing The Pennsylvania-based psychedelic roots/rock, folk/grass band returns to B Chord’s outdoor stage for an evening of music on the lawn.

4.22.21

4.30.21

TROPIDELIC

THE BELL BOTTOM BLUES

Tally Ho Theater

Tally Ho Theater

Thursday, April 22, 8 p.m.

Friday, April 30, 8 p.m.

tallyhotheater.com The six-piece band from Cleveland dishes out a mix of reggae, hip-hop, and high energy funk for audiences across the country.

The Bell Bottom Blues delivers an incredible tribute to Eric Clapton, recreating his stage presence and his performances from The Yardbirds, Cream, Blind Faith, Derek and the Dominos and solo career that spanned decades.

Stay up to date on upcoming events in Loudoun County getoutloudoun.com/calendar/ 22

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APRIL 2021

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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.