Get Out Loudoun for September 2022 by Loudoun Now

Your guide to Loudoun’s Entertainment Scene Now Page 14

14727 Mountain Road Purcellville, VA (540) 668-6464 Bistro returns. q bistro returns fri., sept. 2nd, 6-9 p.m music every sat and sun 2-5 p m www.doukeniewinery.com Scan to purchase tickets for elevated tasting and to make free reservations or go www.exploretock.com/doukeniewineryto It's the beginning of Fall and the sun sets sooner. Join us for a crisp September Bistro evening. Along with the music, the wine, and the CharGoaterie Box, the end of the day will feel brand new. Bistro Fridays: September 2 | The Lost Corner Vagabonds September 9 | Jason Masi September 16 | Juliana McDowell September 23 | The Lost Corner Vagabonds September 30 | Amanda Cunningham t h e n i g h t i s y o u n g . Facebook hours: Tuesday – Friday 12 - 5 p.m. Saturday + Sunday 11 - 6 p.m. Monday – Closed for reservations scan the Q r or go to www.exploretock.com/doukeniewinery Exclusive seating for guests with children and/or dogs at Adirondack chairs along pond, reservations recommended. Outside food not allowed { reservations recommended– free} Instagram

HAPPENINGS Get out the lederhosen and steins: It’s Oktoberfest season.

SEPTEMBER 2022 GET OUT LOUDOUN 3 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 getoutloudoun.com.to CONTRIBUTORS

BEST BETS Get Out Loudoun’s picks for Septmeber.

or sales@loudounnow.com getoutloudoun.com Inside:682014 14

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Photo by Renss Greene

ON THE COVER

A new community fundraiser asks you to put on a blindfold and explore your pallet. It’s dinner in the dark. BREWS The new brewing duo at Harpers Ferry Brewing is quicky making their stamp on Virginia’s craft beverage scene.

Harpers Ferry Brewing Company brewer Sean Foley works on the brewery’s production floor.

Loudoun folk musician Andrew McKnight’s latest project revives his heavy metal roots.

Dana NormanRenssArmstrongGreeneJanMerckerK.Styer

Photo by Renss Green Harpers Ferry brewer Edan Valkner stands with a glass of their Pollywog Irish Stout, which took first place in the at this Virginia Craft Beer Cup. Susan Styer at 703-770-9723

category

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South of Leesburg, Banshee Reeks Nature Preserve is a 725-acre preserve featuring more than 20 miles of marked trails through dense woodland in the rolling hills and valleys along Goose Creek. The diverse range of forest wildlife and natural flora here is protected by the Nature Preserve designation. On the banks of the Potomac River in Sterling, 838-acre Algonkian Regional Park has miles of paved and natural surface trails through woodland and open fields and on cliffs above the banks of the great river. The gold and yellow leaves of oak trees reflect back at you from the mirrored surface of the water.

Inaround.thesoutheast part the county meanwhile, Brambleton residents have Beaverdam Reservoir Trail in their backyard. Part of the NOVA Parks system, this park and reservoir sprawls across 600 acres with a winding, six-mile circular trail along its shore and through dense woodland. You may be in the suburbs but you will feel as if you’re a world away. Happy trails!

Photo by Douglas Graham

For a manageable family-friendly hike, Ball’s Bluff Battlefield Regional Park has a one-mile hiking trail with interpretive signs, which take you through open ground, past the small Civil War cemetery, through woodland to high bluffs overlooking the Potomac, spectacular views all

BY VISIT LOUDOUN

Take the short hike from the Rt. 7 parking lot above Bluemont to the rocks of Bear’s Den Overlook this fall and the spectacular kaleidoscope of red, orange and gold leaves carpeting the Shenandoah Valley resembles an oil painting. But what few people know is that Bear’s Den is part of the most famous hiking trail on the face the earth—the Appalachian Trail—and that an intense, swooping 13-mile stretch of trail either side of Rt. 7 is one of the toughest sections on the entire AT: The Roller BuiltCoaster.inthe mid-1980s by a volunteer crew, the Roller Coaster runs from the rock and pine forests south of Bear’s Den, across Rt. 7 and along and over a set of stones and boulders that form a natural staircase leading to the Blackburn Trail Center log cabins above Round Hill. “The name says it all,” said Jody Brady, director of the Round Hill Appalachian Trail, which oversees this section of AT and hosts the annual Round Hill Appalachian Trail Festival each summer. “It’s infamous for its ups and downs and talked about by hikers from Maine to Incredibly,Georgia.”the Roller Coaster is not the only dramatic and scenic trail hikers can try in Loudoun this fall.

Best Loudoun Hiking Trails for The Fall

A couple looks over the fall colors of the Shenandoah Valley from the Bear’s Den Overlook on the Appalachian Trail.

SEPTEMBER 2022 GET OUT LOUDOUN 5

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Ghosts, Miracles and the Calm Before the Storm

ANDREW MCKNIGHT REVISITS HIS HEAVY METAL ROOTS BY JAN MERCKER

“We were creating and riding a wave and we were hoping to catch a wave and do something more. It is what it is as far as the story goes, Loudoun singer/songwriter and teacher Andrew McKnight today is known for his folk music, but in the 1980s he was part of the short-lived heavy metal and hard rock band Nor’easter. Now the band’s album “Calm Before the Storm” is getting a new release.

To Loudoun fans, Andrew McKnight is a beloved and prolific folk singer/songwriter and music teacher. But locals may be surprised to learn the longtime musician’s first project was an ’80s metal and hard rock band. McKnight launched Nor’easter in the mid-80s with two close friends. The band eventually fell apart as bandmates went their separate ways. But two years after breaking up, the trio got together to record an original album “Calm Before the Storm” in 1989. This week, McKnight releases a new version of that record, restored thanks to 21st century technology and talented Leesburg-based sound engineer Dustin Delage. “It very quickly became sort of a mission of mine. We have all the tools now to do the things we always dreamed about doing and never would have been able to do back then,” McKnight said. Restoring “Calm Before the Storm” became a passion project during McKnight’s touring hiatus in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. The record is also a tribute to McKnight’s childhood friend and Nor’easter drummer Matt Bouley, who died in 2002 at the age of 38. “There’s lots of threads, there’s lots of ghosts. It’s been a deeply emotional journey,” McKnight McKnightsaid. and Bouley launched Nor’easter with vocalist Chris Gursky as 20-year-olds with big dreams. Inspired by both ’70s legends like Led Zeppelin and Rush and guitar-driven heavy metal sounds of Ozzy Osbourne and Iron Maiden, the trio wanted to create their own sound with McKnight as songwriter and guitarist. But in their eastern Connecticut town, which McKnight describes as “a hotbed of talent and a backwater of opportunity,” options were limited and the band never got its big break. Nor’easter broke up in 1987 as members went on to college, jobs and other musical pursuits.

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McKnight hopes the album will have something to offer his Loudoun fans—both his GenX contemporaries and a new generation of music students and rock lovers.

”I often think of Nor’easter as one of tens of thousands of stories from that era of people who had ideas that we’re going to write these songs, and we’re going to do something. But hardly any of them really get a chance to do it. We were lucky that we were able to preserve our music, that we have that legacy,” McKnight McKnightsaid.

It’s also something to pass on to Bouley’s adult “Hechildren.was a wonderful human being. I said at some point I needed to do this for him and for his kids,” McKnight said. Last summer McKnight got together with Bouley’s son Alex’s 30th birthday and jammed with friends and family.

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McKnight transferred the recordings to a digital workstation with backup discs just two weeks before Bouley’s death. Those digitized recordings sat for nearly 20 years, with the discs stored in McKnight’s attic. But when COVID hit and the 20th anniversary of his bandmate’s death approached, McKnight was determined to save them. Working with “technical wizard” Dustin Delage of Cabin Studios near Leesburg, McKnight overcame corrupted files and other obstacles to restore the 1989 recordings to radio-quality glory.

SEPTEMBER 2022 GET OUT LOUDOUN 7 but the really cool thing is that this story has all these twists that wind up right here right now. And I can share the story with people in a very visceral way,” McKnight said.

McKnight left his engineering job for a career as a full-time touring musician in the late ’90s. And in 2002 while on an East Coast tour, McKnight connected with Mills who had the original analog recordings of “Calm Before the Storm.”

“I’ve found that the people who come in our wake find a lot of interest in the music of my youth. Part of it is because musically speaking it was more challenging and maybe has more energy to it,” he said. “There’s a reason a lot of that music has staying power.”

“I think that some of the same instincts that show up in the Nor’easter recording are things that you might recognize elsewhere in my work in a completely different setting. It’s all part of a long musical journey,” McKnight said. “To have [Nor’easter] in my wheelhouse meant that I wrote with a rock foundation to a lot of what I do even as a folk singer and songwriter.”

The restoration is also a tribute to his “lifer” friends, including both Bouley and Gursky, who now lives in New Hampshire with his family.

“It’s nothing short of a miracle,” McKnight said. “It would not have happened without Dustin. He put in an enormous amount of effort. He turned it into the way it should have been heard on the radio in the ’80s.”

Two years after breaking up, the band had a chance to record “Calm Before the Storm” at their friend Pat Mills’ studio in a nearby town, laying down recordings, first on 4-track cassette and then on 8-track tape reels.

went on to get a degree in environmental engineering, a career that brought him to Northern Virginia and eventually the tiny village of Lincoln where he lives with his family. But college also introduced McKnight to the folk scene and the power of acoustic music, putting his guitar skills and lyric sensibilities to work in a new genre.

To read Andrew McKnight’s moving story of Nor’easter and purchase a disc or download of “Calm Before the Storm,” go to noreaster.rocks. Photos by Renss Greene Sound engineer Dustin Delage and singer/ songwriter Andrew McKnight work at Cabin Studios north of Leesburg.

“It was deep,” McKnight said. “I was able to hand him a copy of his dad’s legacy a couple weekends ago. The human part of it is important.”

Have you ever been interested in having a blind date with food? The surprise isn’t your date—it’s the food itself.

Ashley Brody Photography 10

Although the exact menu will remain top secret, diners can trust their meal will be of high quality.

Over the past few months, LTR hosted one kickoff event and two preview events at restaurants around Washington, DC, and Loudoun County.

LTR offers programs including as therapeutic riding and carriage driving, physical therapy (“using Hippotherapy—the medical movement of the horse”), and horse-powered learning (unmounted sessions that focus on building reading and verbal skills through a horse lens).

Bourbon Bayou Kitchen’s Executive Chef Jazmin West, and Christine Ha, a blind chef, restauranteur, and “Master Chef” season 3 winner will collaborate to prepare the menu. All of the items are intended to be easy to eat in the dark and maximize texture, scent, and flavor.

Loudoun Therapeutic Riding Foundation is set to host a special fundraising event where diners will be blindfolded in low-light conditions while eating a menu of fine cuisine.

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Loudoun Therapeutic Riding to Host Dining in the Dark Fundraiser

Partially blind pianist and “American Idol” season 8 contestant Scott MacIntyre will be performing. Blindfolded diners dig in at Bourbon Bayou Kitchen in Ashburn.

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By taking away eyesight, the senses of smell, texture, and taste are heightened. But, more importantly, it will engage diners in a form of experiential empathy that raises awareness and funding for the work of LTR.

Ha is not the event’s only notable guest.

BY DANA ARMSTRONG

The experience is meant to excite foodies.

The programs benefit a wide range of people including veterans, seniors, and kids and adults who experience physical or cognitive challenges. One subset of that scope is their students who experience partial vision loss caused by Cerebral Palsy or complete blindness.

Loudoun Therapeutic Riding opened in 1974 as Virginia’s first therapeutic riding center. It provides horse-assisted services that encourage and empower those of all ages with physical, cognitive, and learning disabilities.

The main fundraising event will take place on Oct. 13 at Bourbon Bayou Kitchen in Ashburn.

One more preview event with a blindfolded hors d’oeuvre and wine tasting will be held Sept. 7 at Magnolias at the Mill in Purcellville.

“This event will give [diners] a small window into what it feels like to have a disability and to experience first-hand some of the challenges our students contend with daily,” Foundation Executive Director Paul Shane said.

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SEPTEMBER 2022 GET OUT LOUDOUN 9 Coming to Town this September 19 W Market St, Leesburg, VA (703) 777-1665 Tickets Available WWW.TALLYHOTHEATER.COMat: SMASH MOUTH INTERN JOHN’S LOST TOAD THE WET SPROCKETPAT MCGEE BAND 9/1 - DOORS 7:00PM 9/9 - DOORS 7:00PM 9/29 - DOORS 7:00PM9/24 - DOORS 7:00PM SOLD OUT

In that same month, LTR announced it was searching for a new executive director to replace Susan Koehler who led the foundation from 2019 through the bulk of the pandemic.

Contributed photo Guests sample specially prepared food during a Dining in the Dark preview event at DC Prime.

The lack of sponsorships and the impacts of inflation are the biggest challenges facing LTR. It is difficult for LTR to financially sustain their herd of 12 therapy horses, resources for their volunteers and staff, scholarships for their students, and the upkeep of their equestrian center.

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“There are so many reasons out there to frown. We are looking forward to creating an avenue for community members to help disabled individuals and being the sanctuary to help our students weather this economic storm with a smile.”

Shane joined as the new executive director in December. Originally from rural New York, he joined the U.S. Air Force at 23 and was stationed in California. He was later discharged as a disabled veteran because of injuries sustained in the line of duty as a law enforcement officer. Since then, he has committed his life to other forms of service. He completed three terms of national service for AmeriCorps State & Local and Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA).

Why the steep price tag?

“Wecommunity.arestruggling like everyone else, but what sets us apart is that, in good times and in bad, our horses still have to eat. In lean times, I cannot say to a horse, ‘Hey buddy, can you take a break from eating for a month so we can catch up on the bills?’”

“I would love to say that the money generated from this event would fund some amazing project like building an Equestrian Education Center,” said Paul Shane. “But the stark reality is that we are facing hard times, like every other nonprofit out there, and every dime raised for this event will go to paying for the current operations of LTR.”

To learn more information or purchase tickets to the main Dining in the Dark event on October 13, go to dininginthedark.net. To inquire about sponsoring the event or LTR, email info@ ltrf.org or call 703-771-2689.

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In August 2021, LTR moved its operations from its 30-year residence in Morven Park near Leesburg to what its hopes to be LTR’s forever home: a space along Berlin Turnpike near Lovettsville.

In total, Shane has spent 25 years in the nonprofit sector and has helped seven nonprofit organizations emerge from bankruptcy to long-term sustainability. He hopes to use his experience with fundraising, and fascination with the powerful bond between humans and animals, to help sustain the quality of LTR’s impactful services to Loudoun’s disabled

Loudoun Therapeutic Riding Foundation’s final, free preview event for Dining in the Dark will take place on Sept. 7 at Magnolias at the Mill in Purcellville. To learn more information or purchase tickets to the main Dining in the Dark event on October 13, go to dininginthedark.net. To inquire about sponsoring the event or LTR, email info@ltrf.org or call 703-771-2689.

Blind radio presenter, film critic, and YouTuber Tommy Edison will be emceeing. Miss Virginia 2022, Victoria Chuah, also will be making an appearance. Chuah’s cause for the Miss America pageant is 4A: Awareness & Advocacy for Adults with Autism. She also is an honorary board member of LTR. Her support for the foundation hits close to home since her brother, who has autism, is a student at LTR.

Tickets for the Dining in the Dark event are $300 to $400, and LTRF is still looking for partners to help sponsor the event.

SEPTEMBER 2022 GET OUT LOUDOUN 11 PRESENTS THE Event information and @BENEFITPresentsCrossroadsMusicFestivalCrossroadsMusicFest.orgupdates: Proceeds benefit charities serving children in Loudoun County.

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., thebarnsathamiltonstation.comHamilton 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., boxwoodwinery.comMiddleburg 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 Carriage House Wineworks 40817 Brown Lane, Waterford chwwinery.com 13 Casanel Vineyards 17952 Canby Rd., casanelvineyards.comLeesburg 14 Chrysalis Vineyards 39025 John Mosby Hwy., Aldie chrysaliswine.com 15 Corcoran Vineyards & Cider 14635 Corkys Farm Ln., Waterford corcoranvineyards.com 16 Creek’s Edge Winery 41255 Annas Ln., creeksedgewinery.comLovettsville 17 Crushed Cellars 37938 Charles Town Pike, Purcellville crushedcellars.com 18 Doukenie Winery 14727 Mountain Rd., Hillsboro doukeniewinery.com 19 Droumavalla Farm Winery 14980 Limestone School Rd., Lucketts droumavalla.com 20 Dry Mill Vineyards & Winery 18195 Dry Mill Rd., Leesburg drymillwine.com 21 Eagletree Farm & Vineyards 15100 Harrison Hill Lane, Leesburg eagletreevineyards.com 22 Endhardt Vineyards 19600 Lincoln Road, endhardtvineyards.comPurcellville 23 Fabbioli Cellars 15669 Limestone School Rd., Leesburg fabbioliwines.com 24 Fire y Cellars 40325 Charles Town Pike, Hamilton fireflycellars.com 25 Fleetwood Farm Winery 23075 Evergreen Mills Rd., Leesburg fleetwoodfarmwinery.com 26 Forever Farm & Vineyards 15779 Woodgrove Road, foreverfarmandvineyard.comPurcellville 27 Greenhill Winery & Vineyards 23595 Winery Ln., greenhillvineyards.comMiddleburg 28 Hidden Brook Winery 43301 Spinks Ferry Rd., Leesburg hiddenbrookwinery.com 29 Hiddencroft Vineyards 12202 Axline Rd., hiddencroftvineyards.comLovettsville 30 Lost Creek Winery 43285 Spinks Ferry Rd., Leesburg lostcreekwinery.com WINERIES 12 6 7 8 4 9 11 13 14 15 16 17 18 20 23 5 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 44 33 34 35 36 2 37 38 40 41 42 43 46 3 10 1 24 21 45 39 1 2 3 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 18 16 19 21 28 23 25 27 22 26 29 4 14 20 30 24 2 3 4 15 12 17 13 12 22 32 19 1 12 GET OUT LOUDOUN SEPTEMBER 2022

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., bellylovebrewing.comPurcellville 6 Beltway Brewing Company 22620 Davis Dr. Ste 110, Sterling beltwaybrewco.com 7 Black Hoof Brewing Company 11 South King St., blackhoofbrewing.comLeesburg 8 Black Walnut Brewery 210 S. King St., blackwalnutbrewery.comLeesburg 9 Crooked Run Brewing Central 22455 Davis Dr., crookedrunbrewing.comSterling 10 Crooked Run Brewing Market Station, crookedrunbrewing.comLeesburg 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 Flying Ace Farm 40950 Flying Ace Ln, Lovettsville flyingacefarm.com 14 Harper’s Ferry Brewing 37412 Adventure Ctr. Lane, Hillsboro harpersferrybrewing.com 15 Harvest Gap Brewery 15485 Purcellville Road, facebook.com/HarvestGapHillsboro 16 House 6 Brewing 4427 Atwater Dr., house6brewing.comAshburn 17 Lost Barrel Brewing 36138 John Mosby Highway, Middleburg lostbarrel.com 18 Lost Rhino Brewing Company 21730 Red Rum Rd. #142, Ashburn lostrhino.com 19 Loudoun Brewing Company 310 E. Market St., loudounbrewing.comLeesburg 20 Ocelot Brewing Company 23600 Overland Dr., #180, Dulles ocelotbrewing.com 21 Old 690 Brewing Company 15670 Ashbury Church Rd., Hillsboro old690.com 22 Old Ox Brewery 44652 Guilford Dr., Ste 114, Ashburn oldoxbrewery.com 23 Old Ox Brewery Middleburg 14 S Madison St, Middleburg, VA 24 Phase 2 Brewing 19382 Diamond Lake Dr, Lansdowne Phase2Brewing.com 25 Rocket Frog Brewing Company 22560 Glenn Dr. #103, Sterling rocketfrogbeer.com 26 Solace Brewing Company 42615 Trade West Dr., Sterling solacebrewing.com 27 Sweetwater Tavern 45980 Waterview Plaza, greatamericanrestaurants.comSterling 28 The Craft of Brewing 21140 Ashburn Crossing Dr., Ashburn thecraftob.com 29 Vanish Farmwoods Brewery 42245 Black Hops Ln., Lucketts vanishbeer.com 30 Wheatland Springs Farm + Brewery 38454 John Wolford Rd., Waterford wheatlandspring.com 31 Maggie Malick Wine Caves 12138 Harpers Ferry Rd., maggiemalickwinecaves.comHillsboro 32 Old Farm Winery 23583 Fleetwood Road, oldfarmwineryhartland.comAldie 33 Otium Cellars 18050 Tranquility Rd., Purcellville otiumcellars.com 34 Stone Tower Winery 19925 Hogback Mountain Rd., L’burg stonetowerwinery.com 35 Stonehouse Meadery 36580 Shoemaker School Rd., Purcellville stonehousemeadery.com 36 Sunset Hills Vineyard 38295 Fremont Overlook Ln, Purcellville sunsethillsvineyard.com 37 Tarara Winery 13648 Tarara Ln, Leesburg tarara.com 38 Terra Nebulo 39892 Old Wheatland Rd., Waterford terranebulo.com 39 Three Creeks Winery 18548 Harmony Church Road, Hamilton 3creekswinery.com 40 Two Twisted Posts Winery 12944 Harpers Ferry Rd., Hillsboro twotwistedposts.com 41 Village Winery 40405 Browns Lane, villagewineryandvineyards.comWaterford 42 Willowcroft Farm Vineyards 38906 Mount Gilead Rd., Leesburg willowcroftwine.com 43 The Wine Reserve at Waterford 38516 Charles Town Pike, Waterford waterfordwinereserve.com 44 Walsh Family Wine 16031 Hillsboro Rd., northgatevineyard.comPurcellville 45 Williams Gap Vineyards 35785 Sexton Farm Lane, Round Hill williamsgavineyard.com 46 Zephaniah Farm Vineyard 19381 Dunlop Mill Rd., Leesburg zephwine.com 1 Bluemont Station Brewery and Winery 18301 Whitehall Estate Lane, Bluemont bluemontstation.com 1 Hillsborough Brewery & Vineyards 36716 Charles Town Pike, Hillsboro hillsboroughwine.com 2 Notaviva Brewery and Winery 13274 Sagle Rd., notavivavineyards.comHillsboro 3 Quattro Goomba’s Brewery & Winery 22860 James Monroe Hwy., Aldie goombawine.com BREWERIES & WINERIES SEPTEMBER 2022 GET OUT LOUDOUN 13

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“I’m more of a traditional type of brewer. I don’t get too crazy in the weird experimental stuff,” he

NEW IN TOWN

BY RENSS GREENE

Photo by Renss Greene Harpers Ferry brewers Sean Foley and Edan Valkner stand with a glass of their Pollywog Irish Stout, which took first place in the category at this year’s Virginia Craft Beer Cup.

“I’m just trying to hold a candle to the guys that have been doing it,” said Valkner, who has been brewing himself since 2013.

Foley had been hired to be head brewer, but fell ill, and to fill the gap in January the brewery brought on Valkner, who had been under contract to make beer already. And when Foley came back to work shortly thereafter, Harpers Ferry found itself helmed by two experienced brewers.

HARPERS FERRY BREWING 15

HARPERS FERRY’S BREWING DUO ARRIVES WITH A SPLASH

It didn’t take long for Harpers Ferry Brewing Company brewing duo Sean Foley and Edan Valkner to make their mark in Loudoun’s brewing Thisscene.year, among a record crowd of entries in the at the Virginia Craft Beer Cup competition, Harpers Ferry took first place among stouts for its Pollywog Irish Stout. It was one of the first recipes they created at Harpers Ferry.

“The guy who was running the shop got to be a friend of mine and he said, ‘I want to start a brewery,’” Valkner recalled. “I was like, well, cool. So he got the brewery started and brought me on as his first head.”

That was Shenandoah Valley Brewing Co. Since then, he’s been around—as close by as Escutcheon Brewing in Winchester, and as far away as Virtue Cider in Fennville, MI, one of the largest cideries in the region, founded by a former 20-year brewmaster of Goose Island Beer Company and subsequently purchased by Anheuser-Busch. Before Harpers Ferry, Valkner was at Sly Clyde Ciderworks in Hampton.

For his part, Valkner has been a lot of places and seen a lot of things. After a 17-year infantry career in the Marines, he found himself living in Staunton and, like many future brewers, walked into a homebrew shop to try it out.

At Harpers Ferry, they created the Lazy River cream ale, Totally Tubular light IPA, Peregrine Dunkelweizer, Bakerton blonde ale, Lost River ESB bitter—and of course the Pollywog, “about as traditional an Irish stout as you can make,” Valkner said.

“We knew that it was a good beer—we didn’t know that everybody else was going to agree to that note,” he said.

Learn more at harpersferrybrewing.com.

His college roommate at the time was opening a new brewery, and Foley—who before then had never been to school for brewing or done any home brewing—got involved. That was Brix City Brewing in Little Ferry, NJ. After a couple years at Brix City, he wanted to get out and see the brewing world, so he and his then-fiancée—now wife—moved to Charleston, SC where he started work at Revelry Brewing Co., a larger-scale brewery selling into several states. There, he learned the ins and outs of production brewing, he said, before moving back to Virginia where his family lives now.

“There had been some flagship brews that the owner wanted to keep, like Mountain Juice [IPA],” Foley said. “To be able to come up with the majority of our own things and see them win awards, especially a gold medal, it’s a great feeling.”

HARPERS FERRY BREWING FROM PAGE 14

Where Valkner said he likes his beers continental—like German Märzens or English bitters—Foley said he favors the American “Whenclassics.you want to learn the fundamentals of everything you kind of have to revert back to the classic style, and figure out what you like from there, versus what keeps the bills paid and the lights on with the trendier styles that are out there today,” Foley said. “…But if I could have my way, it would still be classic and clean pilsners and lagers, or just the plain and simple IPA.”

“Harpers Ferry has been the best one,” he said. “It’s right in the middle of the mom-and-pop pub and the mass production place. And you can’t beat those views there either.”

For the chocolate mint stout, Foley said they harvested 15 pounds of mint from the property.

And with fall on the way, Foley and Valkner are getting ready for autumn weather and flavors, with a chocolate mint stout already in the works, the pumpkin beer on its way, and plans for a wassail-style beer planned for the winter with spices like cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice.

SEPTEMBER 2022 GET OUT LOUDOUN 15 said. “I really like to stick more to traditional styles and try to brew balanced beer.”

“I was kind of getting burnt out of the same beer every day at a production brewery and wanted to get back into the craft aspect of it,” he said. That brought him to Ornery Beer Company in Manassas, and when he got tired of the long commute from Leesburg, he found the open position at Harpers Ferry.

The coco nibs came from Frederick, MD. The day the mint and coco went in, he said, the brewery smelled like Andes mint candies.

Foley is younger but has been brewing almost as long as Valkner—since 2014, when he was 22 years old. But he also started his career on the ground floor of a new brewery.

The collaboration began with conversations at brewer conferences—first at the Craft Brewers Conference in Minneapolis, MN, in May, then at the Virginia Craft Beer Cup hosted at Old Ox in August. The breweries share the same distributor, Premium Distributors of Virginia. And Three Notch’d Brewing Company

BY RENSS GREENE

Breweries Across Virginia Collaborate at Old Ox

The name and beer also pay homage to the people who brewed the first Doppelbock, the Paulaner Friars, Franciscan brewing monks in Munich. That beer was called Salvator; Old Ox cofounder Chris Burns said ever since, it has been a tradition to give Doppelbocks names that end in -ator. And he said they’re seeking to bring attention to the style.

Photo by Renss Greene

will spend eight weeks in the Old Ox tanks before being distributed to the participating breweries in cans and kegs.

“There’s no better way to raise awareness than really try to honor that history,” he said.

Brewers from Fair Winds Brewing in Lorton, 2 Silos Brewing in Manassas, Old Bust Head Brewing in Vint Hill, Three Notch’d Brewing in Charlottesville and The Virginia Beer Company in Williamsburg met at Old Ox to make Collaborator, a Doppelbock described as “a full-bodied, malt-forward beer with a creamy head and smooth finish. The Munich Malts deliver toasty notes with hints of caramel and Collaboratorchocolate.”

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ix breweries from as far away as Charlottesville and Williamsburg recently came together for a collaboration brew hosted at Old Ox Brewery.

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“I can’t go on Facebook without seeing some kind of representation of the brotherhood of Loudoun County brewers,” he said. He said collaboration across the six breweries created a new family.

The Virginia Beer Co. co-founder Robby Willey said the collegiality of the brewing community was what drew him and his business partner, who he met at the College of William & Mary, away from their jobs in finance and into brewing in the first place.

“There’s such energy that you get from seeing that cross-pollination of ideas, seeing how other people approach the same challenges that you face, but come up with really cool and different solutions,” Burns said.

Hopefully, they say, it won’t be their last collaboration—the brewers plan to have at least five more, one at each brewery.

Brewmaster Dave Warwick said it reflects the families that local brewing communities create.

“You’ve got not only a regional demographic family that brings us together, but also the distribution family where we all have the same people out in the market fighting for our brands together, and looking out for us, so that definitely kind of brings us together as a side-family,” he said.

Old Bust Head Head Brewer Jay Bergantim said when he heard about a possible collaboration with five other breweries, he said “the more the “Formerrier.”me, it’s an opportunity to meet all of you guys, and it’s more of a collaboration not just in making the beer but also sharing ideas,” Bergantim said.

BREWS FROM PAGE 16 www.StageCoachTC.com 20937 Ashburn Road Suites 115 and 120 Ashburn, VA 571-477-944420147 Big Bad Wolf, ACE Detective - Murder Mystery Dinner September 10, October 15, 29 & November 5 at Oatlands in Leesburg September 17 & 18 at Faith Chapel in Lucketts October 21 at 8 Chains North Winery in Waterford October 22 at ONO Offshore in Chantilly Anja Dick, The Karen Whisperer - One-Woman Comedy Drag Show - September 23 Rated S LIVE! - Sketch Comedy - September 30 & October 1 Moulin Ruse - Drag Cabaret - October 7 Nightfall with Edgar Allen Poe - Eerie Staged Performance October 8, 15, 16, 22, 23, 29 & 30 PLUS monthly Magic and Improv Shows Check out more upcoming shows on our website! All performances at StageCoach Theatre in Ashburn unless noted. Now Showing After School Theatre Classes start mid-September.

Collaborator Doppelbock will be available in mid-October.

“When we got together, we homebrewed, we drank craft beer, we visited breweries,” he said.

“… I remember going to a brewery and seeing a bunch of people from brewery B and C hanging out at brewery A, and it was just like, man there’s nothing like that in finance.”

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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. Ice Rink Plaza, Ashburn, VA 20147 (571) 918-4092 fords shshack.com Promenade Dr., Leesburg, VA 20176 (571) 333-1301 fords shshack.com South Riding 25031 Riding Plaza, Chantilly, VA 20152 (703) 542-7520 fords shshack.com

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 ne 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

LIGHTFOOT RESTAURANT

Inside an historic bank building in downtown Leesburg, the Zagat-rated Lightfoot provides both a ne-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

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SPANKY’S SHENANIGANS

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TUSCARORA MILL

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

Loudoun’s Dining

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Happenings

Middleburg Octoberfest Town of Middleburg to Host Oktoberfest Celebration on September 17

From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days, the community center and the village will be filled with music, craft exhibitors, family activities, and food vendors.

MIDDLEBURG, Va. Aug. 10, 2022 – Visit the Town of Middleburg on September 17 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. for the town’s Oktoberfest celebration. The festivities will take place on South Madison St. and Federal St., which will be closed to vehicular traffic. This fun-filled event will feature two German biergartens, German inspired food, a stein holding contest, local artist showcase, live music, interactive activities for children and much more!

This year’s theme celebrates the community’s draft horse farming era, reflected in the fair logo designed by Holly Talada and the special Agriculture in Bluemont: 19th Thru 21st Century Farms exhibit on display at the Plaster Museum of Bluemont History at the E.E. Lake Store.

The 29th Annual Pickle-Making/Pie-Baking Contest takes place at 10 a.m. Saturday at the E.E. Lake Store. Slices of the pie entries will be available for purchase, along with other baked goods.

Bluemont Readies for Annual Fair Bluemont kicks off Loudoun’s fall festival season Sept. 17-18 with its 52nd annual village fair.

Other highlights include an immersive Indian village experience assembled by Sanctuary on the Trail, a scavenger hunt, a wine and beer garden, and entertainment by Todd Brooks and Pour Decisions, Willin’ Friends, Jimmy Lee, Gary Smallwood, Delta Spur Duo, Rowdy Ace Band, The Spiritual Harmonizers, Gary Jay and The Fire, Sweet Maple Singers, Buzzards Glory, and Hoppin’ John. The Children’s Fair offers lots of hands-on activities for kids of all ages. The fair is sponsored by the Bluemont Citizens Association. Proceeds go toward paying for the village’s streetlights, student scholarships, improvements to the village’s historic buildings, community beautification, and aid to neighbors in need.

Admission is $10/adults, 9 and under free, with free parking. No pets permitted. For details and updates, go to bluemontfair.org.

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Artist’s Alley, a local artist showcase, opens at 10 a.m. The two biergartens at the event will open at 11 a.m. The first Oktoberfest beer keg will be delivered to the festival by horse-drawn wagon. The wagon is pulled by four Belgian horses Harmon's Carriages. Local bands will provide the soundtrack for the day. Feats of Strength will be held throughout the day including stein raising and musical chairs. Attendees can also join the Button Challenge for a chance to win Oktoberfest memorabilia, by collecting eight Oktoberfest buttons from participating merchants around town. Traditional Oktoberfest food will be available for purchase from local food vendors. Oktoberfest beer from Old Ox Brewery and Lost Barrel Brewing, wine from Greenhill, Cana Vineyards, and Boxwood wineries, and cider from Mt. Defiance Cidery and Distillery will also be available for purchase. Regional artisans will also be present throughout the day with exhibits of fine art, pottery, jewelry, photography, wearable art and more.

Artist’s Alley will feature artwork from local and regional artists on Federal Street. Visitors are encouraged to connect with artists and discuss their creative process. Art-lovers will also get a rare opportunity to purchase original works of art without gallery fees.

Oktoberfest is free to attend and features a number of family-friendly activities. Traditional Bavarian attire is encouraged, but not required. Visit www.facebook.com/ MiddleburgOktoberfest for event updates. For additional information, please contact the Middleburg Town Oﬃce at 540-687-5152.

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 elds.

* 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.

Loudoun’s Attractions

21668 Heritage Farm Lane, Sterling, VA 20164 (571) 258-3800 • heritagefarmmuseum.org

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.

OATLANDS HISTORIC HOUSE & GARDENS

16 Loudoun Street SW Leesburg, Virginia 20175 (703) 777-7427 • loudounmuseum.org

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.

LOUDOUN HERITAGE FARM MUSEUM

17195 Southern Planter Lane Leesburg, VA 20176 703-777-2414 • morvenpark.org

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.

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LOUDOUN MUSEUM

20850 Oatlands Plantation Lane, Leesburg, VA 20175 703.777.3174 • oatlands.org

Saturday, Sept. 10, 4-10 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 11, 1-7 p.m. B Chord bchordbrewing.comBrewing

The Second Annual Bill Monroe Birthday Bash Weekend features the Jerry McCoury Band, McClain Family Band, Springfield Exit, The Price Sisters and Only Lonesome.

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09.02 Hard Swimin’ Fish Friday, Sept. 2, 6-10 p.m. Hillsboro Old Stone School oldstoneschool.com

High Saturday,NoonSept. 10, 6-9 p.m. Tarara tararaconcerts.comWinery A night of southern rock featuring the hits of Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Allman Brothers Band, Molly Hatchet, The Outlaws, .38 Special, and The Marshall Tucker Band.

The Music in the Gap summer concert series wraps up with the Fish’s blend of blues, jazz, funk and New Orleans swing.

09.08 Zach Thursday,DeputySept. 8, 8 p.m. Tally Ho tallyhotheater.comTheater Island-infused drum and bass gospel ninja soul from a Savannah, GA-based multiinstrumentalist known for his live looping shows.

09.10 Bill Monroe Birthday Bash

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A DMV favorite for more than 25 years returns to the Leesburg stage. White Ford Bronco Saturday, Sept. 24, 6-9 p.m. Tarara tararaconcerts.comWinery

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The Tarara Concert Series closes out its summer season with a night of ’90 hits from a perennial crowd favorite.

09.30

The legendary jam band returns to Round Hill for three days of music, sharing the festival stage with Kendall Street Company, Plate Scrapers, Stringus Kahn and Serene Green.

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Saturday, Sept. 24, 8 p.m. Tally Ho tallyhotheater.comTheater

Leftover Salmon Friday, Sept. 30, 5:30-10 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 1, 4-10 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 2, 2-7 p.m. B Chord bchordbrewing.comBrewing

Pat McGee Band