Halloween Happening Fundraising Event…read more Definitely for those under the age of 8 or so 10 if you restrict TV/movies etc from your kids and they haven't been predisposed to certain things. Not bad for $15 per person They don't offer any discounts not even military.. You walk up the paved walkway purchase your ticket ($15pp), I think under 6 is free but don't quote me on that. And you wait in line. We waited about 45mins before our group of roughly 20 went into the Haunted Barn walked down a lil hill to the mini maze, and we all loaded up in the trailer for the hayride. Please dress for the occasion, it was 43 degrees out and they don't have space heaters outdoors or fire pits etc to keep you toasty wok you wait. Although a fire pit and selling s'mores kit would've been another selling point. They did have apple cider, canned sodas chips candy and popcorn for sale. I'd suggest pack your own snacks and drinks. Oh and they had glow sticks for the kids. Organization could've been a bit better, lighting to the restroom would've been nice and more scary props. And that god awful smoky smell from the fog machine or whatever was horrendous like old fireworks just bad.

Events at this venue are my preferred brand of therapy. I feel so serene and content sitting in the…read moremiddle of the field, sipping a beverage, listening to music and bathing in the sun, basking in the breeze. My favorite events are the wine festivals. This past visit was to check out the Amish Outlaws band at the county fair.

Peruvian festival is a festival of happy and friendly Peruvians and friends of Peru that just…read morecelebrated its 30th anniversary. The parking was good, no entrance fee, a lot of free stuff (ice creams, water, bags, jello's, etc...), plenty of Peruvian food choices. Entertainment was rich and fun as you can tell by the pictures - they even had the horses do the tricks... I had food that I had never tried before: Anticuchos - marinated and grilled calf hearts, was delicious meal, with the taste and texture close to a calf liver. Picarones - Peruvian doughnuts were soft and sweet. I was expecting they will be soggy but they were perfect, melting in mouth. This festival is very colorful, and had all the colors under the sun, not just red and whites (their flag). The festival is family friendly and even had a NPS stand where kids can learn and touch objects. Only problem with that is the lack of alcohol (I would have loved a Peruvian beer) but that is a small price to pay for an excellent Peruvian experience.

I was invited by a friend to join her for this festival yesterday. I was initially apprehensive…read moreespecially after reading some less than glowing reviews on Facebook but heck, I'm new to the country so I'm going to give almost everything a try (as long as it's within reasonable limits). The drive from Loudon to the festival site was beautiful. I went with low expectations and wanted to check out the food vendors however, the craft exhibitors were pretty interesting too. There were about 18 food trucks and stalls offering a wide variety of festival food. There was BBQ meats, kettle corn, ice cream, Mexican food, Asian food, waffles, espresso-based drinks, pepperoni rolls, butterfly potato, hotdogs, burgers and even an Oktoberfest-themed vendor. I had the Purple Piggy Pulled Pork Sandwich with Purple Mango Slaw, Smoked Mac & Cheese, and Baked Beans (made from scratch and not from a can) from Rolling Smoke Bar-B-Que's food truck. Cooked with wood fire, the tender pulled pork had a lovely smoky flavour. Don't miss the sides at US$4 each for a small portion. Though I've never been a fan of baked beans (scarred for life by canned beans), these were excellently smoky, sweet with maple syrup and was in all, a game changer. There are tons of food samples from dips to chips to slushies to coffee and wine (bring your ID) so you can get an idea of what you're buying. I didn't think I'd wind up buying anything but soon found myself buying quite a few soup kits, herbs, Chai tea, 3 bottles of wine and a handcrafted hardwood coin bank with an antique post office box door. The fair's on this weekend from 10 am to 5 pm. PS: Most of the vendors accept credit cards but bring cash as some only accept cash.

The Mountain Heritage Festival is an outdoor fall craft festival that takes place during three days…read moreeach September near Harper's Ferry. Besides crafts, there are fine arts vendors, music, wine, and food. Craft festivals are NOT my thing but I was invited on an outing and decided to try something new and I was not disappointed. Overview and Vendor Examples: There were close to 200 vendors onsite situated under large tents. Vendors sold items such as art glass, baskets, candles, bath and body products, clothing and accessories, dolls, dried flowers, furniture, jewelry, kitchen accessories, leather, metal, musical instruments, knives, photography, pottery, toys, etc. Some of my favorite non-food vendors were Forest Flower Jewelry which sold beautiful hand pressed flower necklaces, bracelets, etc. I also liked smelling all of the candle scents from the Pennsylvania Soy Candle Company. They went all out and transported a store full of candles to the festival. They had a large variety of scents such as Maple Bacon, Reindeer Poo, Nutty Taffy Apple, etc. There were lots of homemade soaps and lotions to choose from at various vendors as well. I did not intend to purchase anything but I bought a small bud vase, a pearl necklace, and three wine frappes. Food and Drink Samples/Vendors: At the end of the row of tents (or at the beginning if you wanted to start in a different direction), there are some great food and drink samples. I will mention a few favorites. A coffee vendor called Snookie Snookerwitz had vats of coffee and hot chocolate samples with flavors such as cinnamon hot cocoa (delish!), mint cocoa, hazelnut mocha, snickerdoodle latte, etc. Their station was really clean and inviting and the cocoa was great, albeit sugar laden. Meadowcroft Farm displayed a large array of relishes, pickles, salsas, pepper jellies, and jams. Their onion relish was really great. They had interesting items such as cinnamon pickles and cherry pecan jalapeño pepper jelly. One of the most popular vendors was Nectar of the Vine which served samples of mango and pomegranate wine slushies, or frappes as they like to call 'em. The pomegranate slushy was fantastic! I purchased several bags of the mix in various flavors (watermelon, pomegranate, and sangria). The bags were flying off the tables! The other food vendors provided samples of roasted nuts, dips and spreads, jams, syrups and a variety of sauces. You can look up any of these vendors via their website. Good to Know: You can consume wine samples on the grounds, but actual consumption of alcohol is prohibited on the grounds. Parking is attendant-guided, grass parking. Admission cost is $6- $7. The festival is opened daily from 10:00 am - 5:00 pm. I visited on a Friday and it was perfect. It was likely much more crowded on the weekend. I had plenty of space to move about and was not overwhelmed by the crowds except at one clothing station. The vendors were low pressure and did not push their items. In fact, it was quite the opposite. Many of the items are expensive. Plan a budget ahead of time. Even expensive items tend to look less expensive the longer you are browsing. Pack a lunch if you are trying to eat healthy. Food vendors are onsite but they serve items such as ice cream, fries, deep fried vegetables, and burgers. Bring a backpack. Do not try to carry a heavy purse all day. Wear comfortable shoes Bring sunscreen Restrooms are Porta-A-Potties only

The greatest two day festival Salisbury has to offer. $3.00 admission to listen to live bands, eat…read morebarbeque, dance, play a game of corn hole, the eastern shore wing war, and drink beer. HOT air balloons, It gets better every year!

After watching a marathon of BBQ Pitmasters last summer, I planned this weekend to come here and…read moreexperience all that BBQ had to offer. While I wasn't totally disappointed, I was underwhelmed. The music was good. The food ranged from good to excellent. After a day of hard raining, only a few parts of the field were muddy. There were also rides from a traveling carnival, which allowed for some much needed break times between feedings (of the adults, not kid). Lines were very long for some food, and no where could we find sliced brisket...odd, considering it's a BBQ fest. But anything you wanted fried could be had here: oreos, cornbread, pickles...you name it. All in all, I'd go again. But I think my anticipation for what this event would be far outweighed what it actually was or meant to be.

The Thai New Year's Day is 13 April every year. If your New Year resolution did not pan out as you…read moredesired, you can always start new one with the Chinese, Vietnamese, Persian or Thai New Year. The Songkran, Thai New Year in Sterling temple exceeded my expectations. I did not expect that it will feel like you are on the street of Bangkok. Food and smiles everywhere! There is a food that you can find in a Thai restaurant and the one that you may not find in a Thai restaurant. I had grilled squid and Beef noodle soup that was made right there in front of me. Choice of noodles - noodles get dipped in the boiled water and 30 seconds later your noodles are done. Choice of meat - liver and other parts get put in. Green plants (lemongrass), salt and been sprouts and sauce is added and then another scoop from another boiling pot and your broth is poured over your ingredients with peanuts and spices on top of it all. I could not find Thai doughnuts and tasty curry puff was under $1 (6 for $5). At least 30 different meals (including a lot of fish) were offered. Besides eating Thai delicacies, you could listen Thai music, buy clothing or jewelry or get inspired by the Buddhist monks in orange clothes. Free parking, affordable food cost and jovial surroundings makes it an enjoyable festival.

I was visiting my brother and he added this to our itinerary of things to do while we were…read morevisiting. I am so glad he did as we had a blast. There was a cost to get in but we had a discount from one of the local grocery stores and the money went to charity so that was nice. Parking was tough as this is a popular event so next time we will go earlier. The food stalls are awesome with tons of delicious items to be had. We had fried clams, fried oysters, Grilled oysters, sweet potato fries, egg rolls (lumpia), and oysters on the half shell. Everything we had was delicious! The lines for the various items were sometimes long but they moved fast. There was plenty of seating in a picnic table area so we enjoyed our feast then went around taking in the rest of the festival. They had some pretty cool vendors with various items for sale. From hats to Politicians you could find just about anything. This was such a cool event that we are planning on visiting my brother next year so we can attend again.

Cash only event. Doesn't say this anywhere. Not at the gate or any advertisement. Vendors you have…read moreto pay first and then get in line. Again no signs. To drink beer or sample wine, stand 30 minutes to get carded. Or wait 20 minutes at the ATM and pay a fee. Only highlights were the really great local oysters and they were fresh and they shucked them fast. They did recycle all the shells so plus there. And the watermen were there so plus.

This Festival goes under few different names: The church website calls it "Greek and East…read moreFestival", the host (Harris Pavilion) calls it "Annual Manassas International Food Festival," and earlier versions on the Facebook called it "Old World" festival. These are all good names for this Nativity of Our Lord Carpatho-Russian Orthodox church fundraiser. In a conversation with one member I learned that this is one of those orthodox churches that do not have the National denomination (Bulgarian Orthodox, Russian Orthodox, Greek Orthodox, etc...) as it caters not just to the first generation of immigrants but more to all generations and all people with the Orthodox fate, with no consideration of the national borders. I learned that they have one mass in English and Our Father prayer is recited in 7 world languages. The menu of the festival reflects the church diversity but caused a dilemma of many comers as far as what to eat because it is a long way from Ethiopia to Russia on the food road. People took longer time to figure out if they would rather have Ethiopian, Greek, Slavic, Romanian, Mexican or American food but once in line you move quickly with the food vendors winking and lifting their trays to entice you to get their food. Pierogi were very good, baked well; hard outside and soft inside so combination of dough, potato and cheese was properly melting in the mouth. While I was eating delicious plums with crème, my tongue quickly detected a harder object within the plum. I wondered why plums were not pitted like the most things in US are and to my pleasant surprise the object in question was a walnut half. Once I knew what I am eating - it all came together very nicely. Letdown was that the deserts did not offered any layered moist cake or crepes - which always make me anticipate any Slavic or Western Europe festival. Another letdown was that I could not have a Greek or Russian beer. There was just one Greek wine type but on a hot day a beer goes better with the lunch. The venue was perfect and enthusiasm of the host was energizing. I was happy to support in some way their church. The visit can be combined with a walk in the old town Manassas.

It was a FUN day spending with good friends, music, watching Caps play, beer and having short rib…read moresliders from Trio. Port City Brewery had the Belgian white ale & India pale ale, but we went for the Belgian white ale (my all time fav) and it was the perfect drink on a beautiful day watching the Caps!! Everyone was out along with children, dogs & grandparents, enjoying the fun festival on a lovely Saturday! Definitely have to go check out Port City Brewery with friends!!!

This festival was a delightful surprise. They say 50,000 people attend each year. 3 band stands…read more Beer garden, wine garden, crafts, food, vendors, entertainment, contests, demonstrations. They even had an archiological dig that.you could participate in.

Let the Good Times Roll!...A Weekend well spent with food, friends and family!!…read more Nestled around the waterways of the Chesapeake, Potomac and Rappahannock River...is a small tidewater town populated by more boats than people.....named Urbanna, VA. Although I was not born and raised in this small town, I have family here and during November the river home becomes host to many family members and friends from afar. Each November, the town of Urbanna throws the country's largest and longest-running Oyster themed--food and wine festivals called the "Urbanna Oyster Festival!" The town's streets are closed to vehicle traffic and become filled with oyster booths, seafood dishes, music and crafts. The festival highlight is the oyster itself and a shucking contest which draws spectators from around the world. The festival is held the first weekend of November each year, from Friday morning to ending Saturday night. For a town a little over 500 people, the annual festival's attendance over the two days is in between 50,000-75,000. During the festival, the town is closed to traffic in the afternoon on Friday and for most of the day Saturday. Admission to the event is free of charge, although there is a fee for parking within the vicinity of the festival. Home to the Oyster Festival for almost sixty years, Urbanna is synonymous with Chesapeake Bay oysters. Food, Wine and Arts n' Crafts...is the name of the game here! The food is provided in many different forms by over fifty vendors. The beloved oyster is always available in ample supply and in a variety of presentations: raw, roasted, fried, smoked, steamed, in fritters or in a stew. There is a plethora of eats to be had! In addition to the oysters, one can enjoy clams, crabs, shrimp, Philly Steak, oriental food, hamburgers, hot dogs, roast beef and other goodies too numerous to mention. Local Virginia Wineries offer up some of the best libation and even though its not my thing the hand made Art n' Crafts sold here invoke lots of great memories of the things my Nanna often crafted and loved. There is definitely a variety of crafts and artwork available for sale throughout the town and within Festival's village. Among the many offerings are handmade furniture, stained glass, antiques, wood carvings, sculpture, pottery, leather goods and jewelry. There is some of everything here at this festival for all ages. Hay Rides, Pony rides, amusement park rides and many outdoor games for the kids. For the adults, young and old....FOOD! Oh and did I say FOOD!?....No let me clarify GREAT INSANE FOOD! I have never been so stuff! This weekend was truly a great one. The perfect mini-vacation with family and friends! I mean....What better way to spend a holiday weekend and getaway from the "hustle n' bustle" of the city!? Come here with a big appetite because the folks native to this town are the most generous, hospitable people and welcome you with open arms! Each home and restaurant visited, we were shoved food in giant proportions. Small town charm and simple living is what you will find here in Urbanna, VA.....and based on the local eats and this festival...they clearly don't care about snobby paleo diets, low-carb desires, obsessive compulsions to the gym or your waist line...as in the city! LOL.