TwoFifty briefs—June 27, 2007

From staff reports / News Virginian
Published: June 27, 2007

The Shenandoah Valley Art Center is celebrating their June show, the SVAC Members' Judged Show, and invites the public to come and enjoy it now through July 4. The center is located at 126 S. Wayne Ave, Waynesboro, and open Tuesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Luray to host July 4th celebration

Start a new Independence Day tradition on the BB&T Plaza July 4 from 7-10 p.m. Enjoy the LDI fireworks at dusk. "The Party on the Plaza" features Just Jazzin' - Harrisonburg's community jazz ensemble that plays most of the great big bands along with music of contemporary big band jazz composers.

Just Jazzin' plays big band and contemporary swing and Latin tunes, performing music by Glenn Miller, Benny Goodman and Count Basie. Vocalist Charles Barone adds the classic hits of Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin. Advance tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children.

Tickets are available at Luray-Page County Chamber of Commerce, McKim and Huffman Pharmacy, Luray Copy Service, Luray Apothecary and Stanley Pharmacy. Tickets are also available through InstantSeats.com. Tickets are usually available at the door and are $2 more. Enjoy a cash bar in the BB&T Center's "Vault." Performing Arts Luray recommends that patrons purchase tickets in advance. The Box Office at the BB&T Center for the Performing Arts opens 45 minutes before the start of the event.

Lexington to hold balloon rally

Expanded activities for children and families will add color and excitement to the BB&T Hot-Air Balloon Rally this Fourth of July week. For the 11th consecutive year, Lexington's Sunrise Rotary Club will coordinate an event that brings thousands of people to the Virginia Military Institute's Parade Ground for hours of fun, food and festivities.

This year will have games, pony rides and inflatable playsets for youngsters from 5-9 p.m. on Tuesday July 3 and from 2-9 p.m. on the Fourth of July. Barbecue dinners and musical entertainment will be available both evenings.

BB&T sponsors the signature activity of the week - the gathering of colorful hot-air balloons for a rally over the scenic Shenandoah Valley. Visitors seeking a breath-taking trip may purchase rides for the evenings of July 2-4 or the mornings of July 3-4. Launch times are scheduled for 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. but may vary because of weather and winds. For information and reservations, call 540-461-0006. Tethered balloon rides for adults and children also will be available after 6 p.m. on July 3-4.

Throughout the afternoon and evening of July 4, the parade ground comes alive with music, face painting, an antique car display and many food and craft vendors. One of the biggest draws each year is "Eleanore's Marketplace," a tag sale of gently used items, which will open at 9 a.m. on July 4 and continue until about 4 p.m.

Visitors may bring lawn chairs, blankets and picnics to the parade ground on the Fourth to enjoy a beautiful balloon glow at dusk and a spectacular 20-minute fireworks display at about 9:30 p.m. Vendors will be on hand selling delicious foods of all kinds throughout the festivities on both days.

Admission to the event is free. A bus shuttle is provided for your convenience.

Lexington Sunrise Rotary donates proceeds from the event to more than a dozen area charities, especially ones that help children.

In addition to the balloon rally, historic Lexington offers many other things to see and do during July Fourth week, including the Marshall Museum, Lee Chapel, the Stonewall Jackson House and the Lee Museum. The town's annual July Fourth children's bicycle parade is also a must-see.

Lexington is at the intersection of Interstate 64 and 81 in Rockbridge County. For more information and updated schedules for the Balloon Rally, check http://www.sunriserotarylexva.org.

Ringers-on-the-Green come to Waynesboro

The nationally acclaimed hand bell choir Ringers-on-the-Green will appear in concert at the First Presbyterian Church, 11th St. and Wayne Avenue, Waynesboro, at 7:30 p.m. The choir of 13 high school students selected from the music ministry of the Presbyterian Church in Morristown, N.J., rings over six octaves of precision-tuned hand bells. The Ringers-on-the-Green will perform contemporary compositions by American composers, including works by Kevin McChesney, Timothy Waugh and Robert Ward. The choir will also perform global works from diverse folk traditions and an arrangement of excerpts from the popular Broadway musical "The Phantom of the Opera." The performance also includes vocal and instrumental contributions from within the choir. For more information concerning Ringers-on-the-Green, please log onto http://www.JamesDHicks.com.

Floyd hosts wine festival

Wine Down the Music Trail can be described as a celebration of fine wine, music, food and mountain crafts all in one pristine package off the Blue Ridge Parkway. This year's third annual event will be held July 7-8 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the beautiful 80-acre venue nestled in the breath-taking Appalachian Mountains, 10 minutes from the town of Floyd. Adult tickets are modestly priced at $18 in advance and $22 at the gate with designated driver discounts available. With the purchase of a ticket, festival-goers receive a commemorative wine glass along with the privilege of unlimited wine tasting. The event features headlining musical act Gaelic Storm, performing daily on the one-of-a-kind timber frame Dreaming Creek Stage.

Wine Down the Music Trail has found a niche in the ever-growing arena of wine events by showcasing both Virginia and North Carolina wineries. Participating wineries that will be tasting out their vintages include AmRhein Wine Cellars, Blacksnake Meadery, Chateau Morrisette, Chatham Hill, Cooper Vineyard, Davis Valley Winery, Fincastle Vineyards, Foggy Ridge Cider, Hickory Hill Vineyards, Horton Cellars Winery, Rag Apple Lassie, Rockbridge Vineyard, Shelton Vineyards, Valhalla Vineyards, Veritas Winery and Villa Appalachia.

Great music sets the tone for this sweet summer festival. The foot-stomping Celtic sounds of Gaelic Storm, featured on the soundtrack of the blockbuster movie "Titanic," will have festival-goers dancing on their feet or in their seat. Other acts include the musical stylings of No Strings Attached, the popular Charlottesville-based William Walter and Company, Kill Basa Bill's Road Show, Beggar's Circus and Scott Perry. Even more than music and wine sampling, the event offers a peak into the diverse cultural offerings of the area from specialty foods to crafts including handmade soaps, antique lace tablecloths, wooden bowls, furniture, unique pottery, and a variety of beautiful handcrafted jewelry. Not to mention artisan chocolates and such main course offerings as sushi, crepes and old-world Italian.

Wine Down the Music Trail takes place at the same venue as FloydFest, the nationally acclaimed 4-day musical event also hosted by Across-the-Way-Productions. The site is situated in the heart of Virginia wine country adjacent to Villa Appalachia and near neighbor to Chateau Morrisette.

For additional information on the Wine Down the Music Trail festival or for tickets call 540-745-FEST or visit http://www.winedownthetrail.com.

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