Get Out Loudoun for August 2021

AUG 2021

Loudoun Now Your guide to Loudoun’s Entertainment Scene

take

some

time off

...

©Alicia Bruce Photography

... and let us peel you some grapes.

{reservations required–always free} Go on, spoil yourself and come to Doukénie to drink in some relaxation, and the wine! Guests with munchkins and leashed pups are welcome in the lovely, outdoor green spaces. The Tasting Room, Pavilion, Deck, Terrace, and Bistro Patio seating areas are all total attractants for 21 year olds and over.

Masks no longer required for vaccinated guests.

Visit our website for musical performances on our event calendar along with scheduled food vendors.

q

visit every friday night for bistro with live music and food.

21 and older seating only 6 to 9 pm reserve through our website, www.doukeniewinery.com

Hours: Thursday 12 - 5 p.m.

Friday 12 - 5 p.m. + Bistro 6 - 9 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 Younger than 21 + pets in “green space” area only Outside food not allowed

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

©Alicia Bruce Photography

www.doukeniewinery.com ©Alicia Bruce Photography

Inside: 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.

6

COMMUNITY Art galleries have long been staples of Leesburg’s historic district. Now they’re getting top billing.

10

ART SCENE The Ordinary: A mother and son team have opened Loudoun’s newest gallery.

14

DESTINATIONS Entrepreneurs in Leesburg are bringing back the local bookstore experience.

ON THE COVER Photo by Renss Greene Leesburg artist and Fine Gallery founder Kaeley Boyle works on a mural on the King Street bridge over the Town Branch. Boyle’s trainthemed mural, right next to the W&OD Trail that follows the former Washington and Old Dominion railroad, is a nod to town’s history.

16

LIBATIONS Long surrounded by breweries and wineries, area tea enthusiasts are getting some love from several new start-ups.

18

HAPPENINGS Pack your picnic and enjoy Morven Park’s Saturday night polo parties.

TO ADVERTISE

20

CONTRIBUTORS Douglas Graham Renss Greene Aili Hou Kara C. Rodriguez

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

BEST BETS Get Out Loudoun’s recommendations for August.

getoutloudoun.com AUGUST 2021

GET OUT LOUDOUN

3

Get Crafty with Virginia Craft Beer Month On a recent Friday afternoon, a collection of Loudoun farmers, winemakers, beer enthusiasts, county officials and yeast scientists gathered at the shaded bench tables of scenic Wheatland Spring Farm + Brewery outside Waterford to drink a beer.

NO ORDINARY BEER. Wheatland’s new “Loudoun Grown Farmhouse Ale” – a hoppy, fruit-forward saison with hints of pepper and herb – was made entirely with ingredients grown in Loudoun, much of them on the farm itself.

“When people talk about ‘local’ beer in the U.S. it almost always has ingredients from elsewhere, be it grain or hops or fruit,” said John Branding, who established Wheatland with his wife Bonnie two years ago. “True local craft beer means ingredients should all come locally.”

Incredibly, that’s the case with Loudoun Grown, where everything in the beer from the grain (Three Monkeys Farm and Hanging Rock Hay & Grain) to the hops (Fabbioli Cellars) to the spring water (Wheatland) and even the yeast (extracted from Wheatland strains by Sterlingbased yeast scientist Jasper Akerboom) is Loudoun grown.

As Loudoun beer lovers gear up for Virginia Craft Beer Month this August, it’s worth celebrating this kind of communal creative spirit that’s driving Loudoun’s dynamic beer culture.

FROM NEW BEERS TO NEW BREWERIES… No less than three new breweries have opened in Loudoun in the past six months, all of them adding a variety of tastes, styles and experiences to the scene. At Flying Ace Distillery and Brewery near Taylorstown you can dine on scallops and pork belly from gourmet food truck Polished Foxx while sampling craft fermentations such as Air Boss Pilsner with its hints of hay and honey; Harvest Gap Brewery in Hillsboro offers stunning views of grain fields and Blue Ridge Mountains to enjoy with your German style helles lager; sleek new Lost Barrel Brewing in Middleburg hosts live music, 4

Contributed

A glass of Loudoun Grown Farmhouse Ale at Wheatland Spring Farm + Brewery.

quiz nights, art classes and even auto shows to experience while sipping hand-crafted IPAs and hard seltzers.

So what if visitors to Loudoun want to sample a variety of these tastes in one setting?

Well, we have that covered too – and you don’t have to wait for Oktoberfest. “Taste Leesburg” takes place Saturday, Aug. 14 on the town green by the courthouse: a day-long culinary festival featuring scores of Loudoun restaurants, food trucks, farm markets, wineries and breweries offering “tastes” of their finest fare. More than a dozen local breweries including Old Ox, House 6, Beltway Brewing Company and Leesburg’s own urban brew pub Loudoun Brewing Co. are taking part.

Prost!

GET OUT LOUDOUN

For more information, visit visitloudoun.org/getout

AUGUST 2021

COMMUNITY

Leesburg Puts New Focus on Arts & Cultural District

BY KARA C. RODRIGUEZ

Ten years ago, Leesburg debuted its Arts & Cultural District, hoping to spur investment from prospective businesses in locating in the county seat’s cultural center. A decade later, those same hopes remain as town leaders relaunch the district and figure out how best to promote the district.

The district, which includes the historic downtown area and portions of Catoctin Circle, was adopted by the Town Council in 2011 to encourage arts-related businesses and organizations to locate in town. Incentives including Business and Professional Occupation License tax rebates, real estate tax rebates and zoning permit exemptions are offered.

The Commission on Public Art developed a marketing strategy for the district in 2019, acknowledging that many local residents or visitors to the downtown area are not even aware the district exists. Visit Loudoun has 6

also dedicated its own page on its website to promote the Arts & Cultural District.

While public art has sprung up throughout the district and historic downtown over the past decade and downtown Leesburg has indeed become a destination in its own right, only a handful of businesses have taken advantage of the incentives to locate in the district.

To promote the district, and even to make town residents aware of its presence, signage and banners have sprung up throughout the town.

Next will be a renewed push to attract more arts businesses to the district, perhaps going back to the drawing board on offered incentives.

GET OUT LOUDOUN

ARTS & CULTURAL DISTRICT

8

AUGUST 2021

DOWNTOWN GALLERIES MEDLIN ART GALLERY 32 S. King St.

An established art dealer located in the historic district, Medlin offers a large selection of original paintings, limited edition prints, antique prints, etchings and engravings as well as custom framing.

PAINTED TIGER ART STUDIO 108 South St. SE

A quaint studio with an intimate feel and cool vibe, The Painted Tiger cultivates artistic expression in a relaxed, sociable and fun learning environment using a wide variety of artistic media.

THE FINE GALLERY Photos by Douglas Graham

Artist Penny Hauffe creates a chalk mural on the side of Virginia Village Shopping Center in advance of a July event to celebrate the relaunch of Leesburg’s Arts & Cultural District.

Expanding Public Art One key focus of Leesburg’s Arts & Cultural District is to promote public art displays.

The ArtsPARKs in Raflo Park along Harrison Street features a rotating display of on-loan sculptures by local artists. After a two-year exhibit period, the works are sold, with a portion of the proceeds donated to support future arts activities in town.

This year, the park has five works on display: Low-Poly Open Heart (R.I.D.E.) by m.l. duffy; Unbroken Circle #4 by Sally Myers; Kintsugi Heart by Kim Pourciau Kim, Sun Flower by Alyssa Imes; and Welcome, the Iconic Hand

by Brian Kirk.

11 Royal St. SW

The Fine Gallery is a contemporary art gallery showing emerging and mid career artists.

LOUDOUN STREET STUDIOS 25 S. King St.

Loudoun Street Studios is the home of artists Libby Stevens, Bethany Widom, and Kim T. Richards, and offers fine art and classes in oil, pastel and acrylic painting.

CLAY AND METAL LOFT 27 Fairfax St., SE

Clay and Metal Loft is a working art studio where patrons can see pottery and jewelry making in progress with classes offered at every level.

THE ORDINARY ART GALLERY & STUDIO 18 S. King St.

Leesburg’s newest gallery showcases local paintings, sketches, and digital prints and offers classes and lessons.

ROTATING EXHIBITS

These locations feature rotating exhibits by local artists throughout the year.

VISIT LOUDOUN VISITORS CENTER 112-G South St. SE, in the lower level of Market Station LEESBURG TOWN HALL 25 W. Market St.

EXPANDING PUBLIC ART

AUGUST 2021

8

GET OUT LOUDOUN

7

ARTS & CULTURAL DISTRICT FROM PAGE 6

“We’re hoping to get more people aware there is an Arts & Cultural District and then an interest in coming to that district, participating in it, being a part of it,” Mayor Kelly Burk said.

“We have had a couple of businesses come because of the incentives but most certainly I think we can look at making the incentives more desirable to an arts and culture kind of

business.”

Burk said she was excited for the visual imagery, by way of banners and signage, to begin to draw residents’ and visitors’ attention to the district.

“People will begin to realize arts is important to Leesburg, and an important component to quality of life here,” she said.

SUN FLOWER

BY ALYSSA IMES

SUN FLOWER BY ALYSSA IMES, one of the sculptures on display in Leesburg’s ArtsPARKs uses warm, sunny colors and geometric shapes to create an abstracted flower—designed to show that only with warmth and care can people truly blossom and bring joy to others with their beauty.

EXPANDING PUBLIC ART FROM PAGE 7

Two other sculptures rank high on the list for selfie shots. The LOVEwork sculpture along Harrison Street pays tribute to the nearby W&OD Trail with a bicycle part theme. Downtown on King Street, visitors will frequently take a seat beside Stanley Caulkins, a longtime town leader whose memorial is located outside the former location of his jewelry store.

8

Currently, artists are working on three new murals in the historic district.

One way to see all the town’s public arts displays is to download the Tour Leesburg app, which offers an arts tour, along with other tours of historic sites, African-American History and the county’s war memorials.

GET OUT LOUDOUN

AUGUST 2021

Free Concert Lawn Opens 6 p.m.

Local Beer, Wine, Food

Cooley Dooley AUGUST 2021

GET OUT LOUDOUN

9

ART SCENE

Photo by Renss Greene

ART AND OPPORTUNITY:

ORDINARY ART GALLERY OPENS FOR BUSINESS

BY AILI HOU

A new center for the arts has arrived in downtown Leesburg amid the vintage shops and lively bars. The Ordinary Art Gallery and Studio, opened in July by Sharon Virts and her son, Lucas Mason, is illuminated by bright white walls and wide windows that stretch to the ceiling. It is filled with artwork of all kinds—from vibrant canvases of nature scenes to small graphite sketches depicting historical figures and moments.

“We both always had an interest in art,” Virts said. “I started painting when I was six. My dad taught me, and I taught Lucas,” she added.

Although Virts and Mason were both involved in the arts from an early age, this mother-son venture began only recently, when Mason decided to search for more space to store his work.

“I had a room in my house that was so congested with paint,” he said.

After a failed attempt to acquire an old chiropractor’s office for this purpose, Mason and Virts stumbled upon a property on 18 S. King St. that they were able to lease and convert into 10

a studio. This studio provided them with a fresh new space to begin working on, displaying, and selling their art to the public.

Virts, who is also an author and entrepreneur, has committed to reinvesting all the proceeds from the sale of her art back into the Loudoun community to promote historic and cultural preservation.

“We’ve already made our lives, and so now we’re just giving back,” she said.

While their newly purposed property is now brimming with art, it was once previously used for many different purposes. The property housed a tavern in 1798 that was commonly known as “The Ordinary,” and it is the inspiration from which Virts and Mason drew their studio’s name.

“The Ordinary [Art Gallery and Studio] is sort of an homage to the space before it,” Mason said, in reference to the tavern. “People would come into this building, travelers would eat here, and there were pallets upstairs where they could sleep,” Virts said.

Inside the gallery, the artwork includes Virts’

GET OUT LOUDOUN

ORDINARY ART GALLERY

11

AUGUST 2021

Photo by Renss Greene

Lucas Mason inside the Ordinary Art Gallery in downtown Leesburg.

ORDINARTY ART GALLERY FROM PAGE 10

paintings in the style of reflectionism—a philosophy of art founded by Dallas-based artist JD Miller in 2001—and Mason’s pop cultureinspired oil paintings, sketches, and digital prints. There are also coloring books featuring Mason’s prints of iconic Leesburg monuments and monogrammed crayons available for purchase.

The gallery remains a work in progress, however, as new art is always added to the mix.

For Mason, it usually takes around six weeks to create an entire piece.

“My process is a little longer because I really do like the separation of layers,” he said. “So that would take probably three weeks to get down and probably another three weeks to finish.”

On the other hand, Virts’ creative process tends to move much quicker. “I get a painting done in two to three days,” she said. “I get pretty much all of it done in the first round in three or four hours, and then I come back and retouch it on the second day and maybe a little on the third.”

In terms of what drives Virts and Mason to create, they derive inspiration from different places, moments, and memories in their lives.

Some of Virts’ past paintings have been inspired by a family trip to the beach, an old photo of Lucas as a child, and even a bouquet of flowers from Easter. At the moment, however, she has found a new inspiration in painting trees.

“I’m inspired by a tree series. I’ll paint trees every day for the next week or two,” she said.

The idea for one of Mason’s paintings, “Party AUGUST 2021

Animals #1 (Red),” dawned on him in the middle of quarantine after reflecting on how the world would feel as soon as the pandemic was over. The raucous monkeys and bright colors represent the joyous possibilities of this postpandemic world.

“I think it does translate into that ... moment of just ‘Wow!’ Overindulgence in almost every way,” he said. “But it’s also cute and fun and approachable,” he added.

Beyond their artwork, Virts and Mason also hope to offer art classes at the studio as soon as this upcoming fall. Their ideas range from casual paint nights to regularly scheduled classes on how to depict certain subjects, such as flowers or seasons.

“We’re really just trying to start small and grow this in a way that makes sense,” Mason said.

“We’ll definitely be calculated in what we do and what we offer.”

On a broader scale, both Virts and Mason also hope that The Ordinary Art Gallery and Studio will one day expand into a community venture, showcasing work from other local artists who align with their goal of elevating the arts and cultural aspect of the community.

“Eventually, we want to get creative with the shows that we put on, the artists that we have, the exhibits that we do—and really let this thing blossom into the community,” Mason said.

THE ORDINARY ART GALLERY AND STUDIO 18 S. King St., Leesburg theordinaryart.com

GET OUT LOUDOUN

11

14

28 10

36

2 3

LIBATIONS

13 26

15 33

9 1

30 17 31

21 15 16 39 40 32 2

23

37 34

1 2

41

29

11 6

5

4

5

4

20

21

7

25 42 19 27 3

14

35

31 38

12

18

8 10 12 7 19

43

24

30 16 28 3

17

8

24

11 23 13

18

22

22 12 29

27 25 9 6

20

1 26

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 Three Creeks Winery 18548 Harmony Church Road, Hamilton 3creekswinery.com 36 Two Twisted Posts Winery 12944 Harpers Ferry Rd., Hillsboro twotwistedposts.com 37 Village Winery 40405 Browns Lane, Waterford villagewineryandvineyards.com 38 Willowcroft Farm Vineyards 38906 Mount Gilead Rd., Leesburg willowcroftwine.com 39 The Wine Reserve at Waterford 38516 Charles Town Pike, Waterford waterfordwinereserve.com

40 Walsh Family Wine 16031 Hillsboro Rd., Purcellville northgatevineyard.com 41 Williams Gap Vineyards 35785 Sexton Farm Lane, Round Hill williamsgavineyard.com 42 Winery 32 15066 Limestone School Rd., Leesburg winery32.com 43 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

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

11 Dirt Farm Brewing 18701 Foggy Bottom Rd., Bluemont dirtfarmbrewing.com Dynasty Brewing Company 21140 Ashburn Crossing Drive, Ashburn 101 Loudoun St, SE, Leesburg dynastybrewing.com Flying Ace Farm 40950 Flying Ace Ln, Lovettsville flyingacefarm.com Harper’s Ferry Brewing 37412 Adventure Ctr. Lane, Hillsboro harpersferrybrewing.com Harvest Gap Brewery 15485 Purcellville Road, Hillsboro facebook.com/HarvestGap House 6 Brewing 4427 Atwater Dr., Ashburn house6brewing.com Lost Barrel Brewing 36138 John Mosby Highway, Middleburg lostbarrel.com Lost Rhino Brewing Company 21730 Red Rum Rd. #142, Ashburn lostrhino.com Loudoun Brewing Company 310 E. Market St., Leesburg loudounbrewing.com Ocelot Brewing Company 23600 Overland Dr., #180, Dulles ocelotbrewing.com

22

23 24

25

26

27

28

29

30

31

21 Old 690 Brewing Company 15670 Ashbury Church Rd., Hillsboro old690.com Old Ox Brewery 44652 Guilford Dr., Ste 114, Ashburn oldoxbrewery.com Old Ox Brewery Middleburg 14 S Madison St, Middleburg, VA Phase 2 Brewing 19382 Diamond Lake Dr, Lansdowne Phase2Brewing.com Rocket Frog Brewing Company 22560 Glenn Dr. #103, Sterling rocketfrogbeer.com Solace Brewing Company 42615 Trade West Dr., Sterling solacebrewing.com Sweetwater Tavern 45980 Waterview Plaza, Sterling greatamericanrestaurants.com The Craft of Brewing 21140 Ashburn Crossing Dr., Ashburn thecraftob.com Twinpanzee Brewing Co. 101 Executive Dr., Sterling twinpanzee.com Vanish Farmwoods Brewery 42245 Black Hops Ln., Lucketts vanishbeer.com Wheatland Springs Farm 38454 John Wolford Rd., Waterford

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

DESTINATIONS

Photo by Kara C. Rodriguez

Leesburg resident Leah Fallon is bringing her Birch Tree Books concept to life with a summer popup in downtown Leesburg.

Reviving the Bookstore Experience

BY KARA C. RODRIGUEZ

Looking for that special book—or that special bookstore experience? The local, independent bookstore is making a resurgence in Leesburg’s historic district.

For several years, this niche has been served by Books and Other Found Things. The shop at 13 Loudoun St. features a handpicked collection of used books, works by local authors, first editions, and children’s books, along with access to a network of independent booksellers to get harder-to-find books.

This year, two new bookstores have opened nearby, led by local residents with a passion for hardcopies.

14

Leah Fallon opened Birch Tree Books as a summer popup at a storefront at the Embark Center, located at 103 Loudoun St. SW. She recalled a trip to visit a friend in upstate New York, and their stop at a local bookstore.

Fallon said she loves checking out local bookshops when she is traveling, as it gives individuality to each area. Merchants are eager to talk to new customers and share tips on local authors, or stories about the local area.

“The feeling that you get flipping through books, the feeling you get of just being around books, is something I really cherish,” she said. “I look at my competition or the challenges ahead of me, and I see Amazon as one of the biggest. Barnes and Noble, Books a Million … all those markets are different. An independent bookstore is not just about buying the book, it’s about the experience a bookstore brings to people.”

Birch Tree Books’ hours of operation are Thursdays through Sundays from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. through the Labor Day weekend. For more on Fallon’s shop, go to birchtreebookstore.com.

GET OUT LOUDOUN

BOOKSTORE EXPERIENCE

15

AUGUST 2021

“The whole finding treasure aspect of it is what I think is probably the most fun of the entire enterprise” BOOKSTORE EXPERIENCE FROM PAGE 14

Beverly Ingle opened Bespoke Books and Archives at 7 E. Market St. last month.

She calls herself the “book hunter” and has assembled an eclectic assortment—from new reads to used books along with vintage and classic titles, some of which are hundreds of years old.

She refers to her new shop as a “hybrid bookstore.”

“It really is kind of a blend,” she said. “We’ve got everything from brand new bestsellers, hot-off-the-press titles to some used ones that are really either classic favorites in great shape or maybe different covers of the books, to lots of vintage books from the late 1800s or early 1900s. I’ve got stuff that goes back to the 1600s which is amazing to touch and hold.”

Ingle said the pieces fell perfectly into place for opening her first bookshop. Her family had recently relocated from Texas, and quickly fell in love with Leesburg, its aesthetics and strong historical roots. An ancestor of Ingle’s lived in Loudoun during the Revolutionary War, and she is eager to piece together that genealogical puzzle. She said opening a bookstore “had always been bubbling around in the back of my mind” and reading had always been a big part of her life. A professional writer, Ingle has published books, and has a master’s degree in library science.

“I knew we’ve got Books and Other Found Things, but as far as anything offering new material or really ancient texts which I love,” Ingle said she didn’t see anything currently offered. “I poked around and found the spot on Market Street. It was a beautiful and perfect place. Somebody tipped the first domino and AUGUST 2021

Photo by Kara C. Rodriguez

Beverly Ingle opened Bespoke Books on East Market Street.

it all fell right into place. The funding was available, the space was just what I wanted. It’s the perfect starting spot, close to King Street, near the action. It’s small enough that it feels intimate without being tiny. It’s just kind of the perfect time to stick my toes in the water, especially coming out of COVID.” Perhaps what Ingle is most excited about with her new business is being able to hunt down treasured titles for her customers.

“The whole finding treasure aspect of it is what I think is probably the most fun of the entire enterprise,” Ingle said. “That’s why I have chief book hunter as my title—it’s fun to find and source something somebody has been wanting for years.”

Initial hours for Bespoke are 1-6 p.m. Thursdays through Sundays, and Wednesdays by appointment.

For more information, go to bespokebooks.org.

GET OUT LOUDOUN

15

LIBATIONS Photo by Renss Greene

JR Rena inside his new UniTea shop in Leesburg.

Loudoun’s Tea Trail

BY KARA C. RODRIGUEZ

Loudoun County’s reputation as a winery, brewery or distilling destination has shared space in recent years with its plethora of coffee shop options and local roasters. But make way for tea, as several shops have opened, or are eying opportunities, in the county.

Owner JR Rena credits his family for being the driving force behind his UniTea Café, which opened in the heart of Leesburg last month. The COVID-19 pandemic stopped Rena from doing what he loved most, working in the restaurant industry in a host of different roles, from chef to beverage director. He moved back to the Leesburg area to be closer to his family, and to chart his next course.

“I really wanted to get back into serving people,” he said. “My family has been really supportive.

They said, ‘you should open your own place here.’ I think they also said that so I wouldn’t actually leave.”

The tea drinker looked to his own preference for drinking teas, versus his mother’s, and found the inspiration for UniTea Café.

“My mom loves bobas and fruit drinks and all those contemporary ways of drinking teas, where I’m very much about the old way of drinking teas which is loose leaf teas. I love teas that are sourced from smaller estates around the world,” he said.

“I think the business idea sort of just evolved LOUDOUN’S TEA TRAIL

16

GET OUT LOUDOUN

17

AUGUST 2021

“Uniting the different ways of drinking tea whether it’s the old way or the new way and still making it exciting.”

LOUDOUN’S TEA TRAIL FROM PAGE 16

from me walking around Leesburg around the end of the March to signing a lease in April to really creating a menu that would really unite all of our family members in the form of tea,” Rena said. “Uniting the different ways of drinking tea whether it’s the old way or the new way and still making it exciting.”

The diverse tea menu at UniTea is complemented with an equally diverse menu of sandwiches, small bites, pastries and desserts.

Included in the menu are a Cuban sandwich, banh mi sandwich and avocado toast. For those with a sweet tooth, try the sponge cake ube with flan. As business gets rolling, Rena is hoping to eventually add an opportunity for afternoon tea for his customers.

UniTea Café is located at 11 W. Market St and open 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sundays. Learn more at facebook.com/UniTeaCafeLLC. Empress Pearl Tea recently opened in the bustling Shoppes at Main & Maple center in Purcellville, and has given western Loudouners a trendy tea shop with an assortment of bubble tea and tea selections.

The Taiwanese tea shop’s menu includes an assortment of the traditional milk teas, from green jasmine to black oolong and chai, to the specialty—cookies + cream milk tea and tiger sugar milk tea. Fruit teas can be mixed with a base of black tea, green tea or lemonade, or choose from one of the specialty selections, like dragon fruit mango green tea or the tiki tea, which includes guava, passion fruit and mango.

To help with the summer heat, creamy frappes and fruit slushes are also available. Toppings including cotton candy, tapioca pearls, both big and mini, and flavored jellies are available.

The shop is located at 737 E. Main St. Learn more at empresspearltea.com.

Two more are in the works.

TeaDM Lounge is looking to bring its bright AUGUST 2021

lights to Sterling by the end of this year, or early next year, following the success of its Falls Church predecessor.

TeaDM, which resembles more of a traditional dance club atmosphere than your run-of-themill tea shop, features a menu that includes traditional brews and coffees, with its signature sea salt coffee a particular crowd pleaser. Fresh fruit smoothies and teas are also available.

When the sun sets, TeaDM offers a selection of late-night bubble teas, with boba pearls served with alcohol, said owner Jay Tran. Menu selections include lunch and dinner plates and Vietnamese cuisine, along with ice cream.

The lounge will be located at 46515 Harry Byrd Highway. Learn more at teadmlounge.com It was the pandemic that prompted Elena Lozina to put her marketing brains to work and create a product-based business to compete in the matcha business after the company that Lozina bought her matcha from went under.

“I was trying to figure out a way to get it, so I thought I would try and do it myself. I love doing branding. I decided to brand the whole thing myself, design all the products, jump off the deep end,” she said.

Matcha is a finely ground powder of specialty grown and processed green tea leaves that is sourced from Uji, Japan, the matcha tea capital.

Lozina envisions that her Kensho Tea will offer customers a space to both buy matcha tea products and paraphernalia, and a bar to make all kinds of made-to-order drinks, as well as offer snacks and desserts.

She is looking for space in Leesburg, where she has lived for the past year. Lozina said she instantly fell in love with the town. “It really speaks to my soul,” she said. Until she has brick and mortar space, Lozina is taking Kensho Tea on the road, and hosting a series of pop-ups at local businesses. Learn more at kenshotea.com.

GET OUT LOUDOUN

17

MOVERN PARK’S POLO PARTIES

HAPPENINGS

Polo in the Park at Morven Park returns this summer offering Saturday evenings of picnics and fast-paced equestrian competition.

The family-friendly arena polo matches will be held every Saturday night through August 21.

Car passes are available at PoloInThePark.org for $40 and must be purchased in advance online.

Each night of the season will feature two matches, with the first starting at 7 p.m. Guests are encouraged to bring in their own food and beverages and may also purchase a dessert from one of the on-site vendors. This weekend’s sweet treats will be provided by 1,000 Shakes.

This season of Polo in the Park will be bigger and better than ever thanks to returning sponsors AMJ Financial, Climatic Heating & Cooling, Lauten Design & Construction, andSalesforce.com. Each night of the season will showcase the skills of polo players from around the world, including internationally renowned players Juan Salinas-Bentley and Doug Barnes of Destination Polo.

Follow Morven Park on Facebook for updates and announcements of weekly vendors. For full Polo in the Park season details, and to purchase car, tailgate, or season passes, go to PoloInThePark.org.

TASTE LEESBURG TASTE Leesburg Spotlights Best Bites, Brews Some of the area’s top restaurants, beverages, food trucks, artists, merchants and businesses will be celebrated during the TASTE Leesburg event.

From 5 to 10 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 14, the downtown historic district will be converted to a massive festival food, drink, and music festival.

Admission is free.

Food vendors will be offering tastings for various fees. Those wishing to enjoy unlimited samples from local breweries and wineries may purchase a $50 drink ticket, with advance purchases encouraged because of 18

Photo by Renss Greene

A TASTE Leesburg patron samples treats from The Conche during the downtown street festival.

the limited supply.

The event will go on rain or shine.

For details, go to leesburgva.gov/ tasteleesburg.

GET OUT LOUDOUN

AUGUST 2021

BEST BETS

8.7

Bluegrass Music Association Banjo Player of the Year and winner of the Steve Martin Prize for Excellence in Banjo and Bluegrass Sammy Shelor. Springfield Exit opens.

CRIS JACOBS BAND AND THE LARRY KEEL EXPERIENCE Saturday, Aug. 7, 4 p.m.

THE ROADDUCKS

Sunday, Aug. 8, 4 p.m.

Justin Trawick and the Common Good

B Chord Brewing Company bchordbrewing.com

Saturday, Aug. 14, 6 p.m.

Celebrate Jerry Garcia’s birthday week with two days of performances by Cris Jacobs and Larry Keel on B Chord’s outdoor stage.

tararaconcerts.com

8.13 VANILLA FUDGE

Tarara Winery The Tarara Concert Series presents the region’s legendary southern rockers along with a favorite singer/songwriter for an evening of hits that will get the party going.

8.20

Friday, Aug. 13, 7 p.m. (doors)

APPALACHIAN CHAMBER MUSIC FESTIVAL

Tally Ho Theater tallyhotheater.com The 1960s rock band known most notably for the hit “You Keep Me Hangin’ On,” come to Leesburg with three of the four original members.

Friday, Aug. 20 2-3:30 p.m.

8.14

Part of the five-day Appalachian Chamber Music Festival, this Inspirations: Our Folk Heritage matinee performance featuring chamber works that draw inspiration from folk music, Bluegrass, Appalachia, Slavic traditions with music by Greig, Janacek, Steve Snowden, folk transcriptions from the Danish String Quartet, and more.

LONESOME RIVER BAND Saturday, Aug. 14, 4 p.m.

B Chord Brewing Company bchordbrewing.com

Franklin Park Arts Center franklinparkarts.org

One of the most respected names in Bluegrass music, the band is led by five-time International

BEST BETS 22

20

AUGUST 2021

GET OUT LOUDOUN

PoloInThe Park!

Arena polo every Saturday night in Leesburg July 17- August 21, 2021 Gates open at 6:00 p.m.

First match at 7:00 p.m.

For car pass and event details, visit

PoloInThePark.org

2021 Gold SponSorS

AUGUST 2021

GET OUT LOUDOUN

21

BEST BETS FROM PAGE 20

8.26 TAB BENOIT Thursday, Aug. 26, 7 p.m. (doors) Tally Ho Theater tallyhotheater.com This Southern Louisiana favorite son returns to the Leesburg stage for an evening of guitardriven blues.

8.27 CALGARY Friday, Aug. 27, 7 p.m.

Hillsboro Old Stone School oldstoneschool.org A not-to-be-missed performance by this trio of Loudoun favorites—Cal Everett, Gary Smallwood and Todd Wright.

8.28 GONZO’S NOSE Saturday, Aug. 28, 6 p.m.

Tarara Winery tararaconcerts.com This popular party band returns to the Tarara stage for a special reunion show to play hits from the past four decades.

22

GET OUT LOUDOUN

AUGUST 2021

Tickets Available at:

WWW.TALLYHOTHEATER.COM

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

Coming to Town this August!

MIKE LOVE

JOHN 5

8/19 - 7:00PM

8/21 - 7:00PM

TAB BENOIT

THE BODEANS

8/26 - 7:00PM

8/28 - 7:00PM

Wegmans Food Markets