During the storm, Visit Loudoun will attempt to keep our social media accounts up to date regarding the impact of Hurricane Sandy on our area. We will also be posting updates to our blog regarding hotel availability and rates (first update below) should you find yourself in need of lodging. We’ve listed important phone numbers and some recommended social media accounts to follow to...
Halloween is less than two weeks away which means it’s time to get out now and celebrate this festive time of year before its gone. Here in Loudoun we’ve got a Halloween experience for just about anyone – kids to adults, fun to frightening. We’ll break them down for you now from tamest to scariest so that you can start planning your Halloween thrills!...
In honor of Virginia Wine Month, we’re taking a look at some of the first wineries to open in Loudoun and seeing where they are today. Founded in 1984, Willowcroft Farm Vineyards was the first winery to open in Loudoun and one of the few wineries open in Virginia at the time. Owner and winemaker Lew Parker is considered the pioneer of Loudoun winemaking...
October signifies many things. The mugginess of summer has faded into cooler days and nights. The leaves are starting to change and will peak with autumn color soon. The farms are overflowing with the end of the season’s harvest and pumpkins, gourds, and squashes are showing up everywhere – from the roadside stand to the new menus and specials at local farm to table...
Fall is a busy time of the year. Summer vacations are over, school is back in session, the weekends are filling with activities, and the days are slowly getting shorter. In wine country, it’s also harvest time which means the wineries are in full swing bringing in the harvest, crushing the grapes, and beginning the process of creating this year’s vintage. But does...
Labor Day weekend has past and with it, the unofficial end of summer. More importantly, it’s the start of fall. My plan this weekend is to say goodbye to the dog days of summer and instead grab my dog to go hit the trails for a long hike. This is my favorite time of the year for hiking. If it’s still a little...
On September 4th, 1862, Confederate General Robert E. Lee arrived at Leesburg and stayed at the home of a relative, Harrison Hall, now Glenfiddich House, on North King Street. The next day, September 5th, he assembled his generals in the house to plan an invasion across the Potomac into Maryland. This invasion led to the famous battle at Antietam, the bloodiest day of the...
As I slowly made my way along Hamilton Station Road in Western Loudoun, I kept my eyes peeled for the sign indicating I’ve arrived at The Barns at Hamilton Station Vineyards. The gravel driveway slopes up to a small parking lot with several buildings in view. Although the exterior is unassuming, a newly lain path beckoned me back to an old barn and...
It seems as though a fitness craze has truly hit the nation. It may be spawned by the President’s Challenge or a response to growing awareness about health and wellness. Or maybe good habits are contagious. I abhorred running until one of my dearest friends started doing it. And after watching friends and colleagues train and then rave about some of the races they’ve...
Did you know that Visit Loudoun is giving away TWO prize packages this summer? As part of our summer promotion, Summer’s Perfect Pairing, we’ve created these two giveaways: The Loudoun Food and Wine Experience includes a two night stay at Lansdowne Resort, meals at two of Loudoun’s Destination Restaurants, a culinary walking tour of downtown Leesburg, and tastings at Boxwood and Tarara wineries. For travelers...
Summer is officially here which means two things are at their peak – summer harvest and festivals. This also means that festivals celebrating the foods of summer are peaking and Loudoun has several coming up in the next few weeks. From local wine festivals to certified barbecue competitions and pick-your-own fruit, here are some summer food festivities that should make it onto your calendar....
Loudoun is full of Civil War history and sites. As one local historian said, “it’s around every corner.” Nowhere is that more true than in our historic county seat of Leesburg. One home in particular outshines the rest in historical significance: The Glenfiddich House. This home, called Harrison Hall at the time of the Civil War, played a pivotal role in the Maryland Campaign...
Last year we shared with you some of our favorite outdoor dining spots around Loudoun County. We still love these spots and while some new ones have opened, we’re thinking outside the dining room. Food trucks may be a new craze but roadside stands have long been a great way to pick up a fast, inexpensive, and flavorsome meal. And these mobile eateries are...
I was just browsing Northern Virginia Magazine’s website and noticed a feature on beer. They have lists for the best bars for a beer, local brew pubs, and best breweries, and again and again, Loudoun was featured prominently on these lists. A robust wine country should feature a well rounded offering of culinary delights and as Loudoun’s wine country continues to grow, it’s no...
Sunset at Sunset Hills Vineyard Having worked in a few wineries I can tell you that there is nothing like stepping outside at the end of the workday, sitting down with a glass of wine as you literally and figuratively soak in its terroir, and just letting the day wash away in those spectacular views. It’s truly blissful and the best way to...
I love Friday! There’s an excitement to the day – everyone’s in a good mood, looking forward to their weekend plans. It’s an easy reason to celebrate and what better way to kick off the weekend than celebrating with an entire historic downtown district! Leesburg’s monthly First Friday event unites the downtown businesses in a celebration of art and music with some shopping discounts...
Behold. Yes, today is my birthday and to celebrate, my family (which includes two boys ages 6 and 3) went to Ford’s Fish Shack in Ashburn. I really like the Fish Tacos, but the real star of the night for me was dessert – the whole reason for going to Ford’s – the banana pudding. If you’ll notice, the perfectly ripe bananas lay around...
Two new wineries have recently opened in Loudoun, bringing the total number of wineries and tasting rooms in the county to 33! And between us, there’s several more new wineries in the works! We recently visited the two new members of the DC’s Wine Country family, starting with – Goose Creek Farms & Winery If you’ve visited 8 Chains North in the Waterford Cluster you may already...
We here at Visit Loudoun live, breathe, and work Loudoun. And it doesn’t stop at the end of the work day. Loudoun is a pet friendly destination and the pets of Visit Loudoun know it! We love taking our dogs for long walks on the W&OD or Appalachian Trail. Strolling the streets of Middleburg, stopping at retail shops for treats, and people watching from...
With all of the great culinary offerings downtown Leesburg boasts, it can be difficult to decide where to dine. Leesburg alone is home to three of Loudoun’s nine destination restaurants. DC Metro Food Tours takes this tricky decision out of your hands with their new culinary walking tour in Leesburg. These tours will be hosted every Saturday from 2:00-5:30pm and offer what amounts to...
Possibly one of the coolest, and most historic events of the year will occur next week: the arrival of Space shuttle Discovery and “Welcome Discovery” celebration at the National Air and Space Museum’s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia! Visit Loudoun will commemorate the event with special packages and events. Check them out at VisitLoudoun.org/Welcome-Discovery. On Tuesday, April 17, at about 10 a.m.,...
New brochure highlights Loudoun Civil War sites, markers, offers contest for a stay in a place Robert E. Lee’s called home, for at least one night This year marks the second year in the Sesquicentennial of the American Civil War. It touched many lives and communities, especially here in Virginia. Loudoun was a community that saw numerous conflicts, passing of armies north and south,...
The Virginia Wine Country Half Marathon will be held on June 2. After all, we are DC’s Wine Country! The race is a great way to experience our wine country, on foot! Plus, at the end, there’s a wine festival and later that night a music and wine festival too. Its a TON of fun. For the second year in a row, the event is...
Check out some of the images we’ve created of Loudoun in Instagram. What is Instagram? An app that is for taking pictures, adding filters to make them look retro, and then for sharing them with sites like Twitter, Flickr, Tumblr, and Facebook. Its also a simple social network that allows you to connect with other users, “like” their photos and comment. I’ve been taking...
On Saturday, February 18, 2012, Purcellville will host the Loudoun Grown Expo. This event brings Loudoun’s farms, wineries, and producers together and offers visitors a chance to meet winemakers, farmers, and other personalities involved in Loudoun’s booming rural business community. Visitors will be able to meet the people behind these businesses and learn about community supported agriculture (CSA’s) programs, bakeries, wine from Loudoun’s wineries,...
The holiday season is here (where did spring, summer, and fall go anyway?) and to add to your merriment, we here at the Loudoun headquarters of the North Pole want to make your holiday a little brighters. So starting tomorrow, December 1st, we’ll be giving away a prize a day for 12 days! We’ll be giving away prizes like overnight stays, restaurant gift certificates,...
I know, I’m a little early this year with my Thanksgiving wishes, but since AAA is predicting a four percent increase in travel over last year, a lot of you may be traveling so I wanted to make sure you received our wish. And thanks for traveling too! As Hans Christian Andersen wrote: ” “To move, to breathe, to fly, to float, To gain all while you...
Fall in Loudoun is a great time for driving the scenic byways, visiting farms during the harvest, and checking out all of the great fall festivals. But harvest in Loudoun means something else to me – it’s that time of the year when the apples, winter squashes, and local meats start appearing on menus in the form of comfort food at its best! Stews,...