― Welcomed by Old Ox Brewery proprietors Mary Ann and Chris Burns, members new and old gathered on May 10, 2022, for the MBPA Biz Buzz in downtown Middleburg. The evening was permeated with excitement as the town and surrounding environs prepare for a slew of spectacular events in the coming months, and the buoyant atmosphere was further encouraged by the Little Yellow Sofa, the social media sensation created by local artist Natalie Fox.

MBPA President Punkin Lee updated attendees on the great success of April events, including a huge turnout for the Middleburg Sustainability Committee’s Town Cleanup Day and Arbor Day celebration, and welcomed new MBPA Members Corbin Sutton of Water Street Financial and Shayda Windle of SW Creative Services.

“Middleburg was well represented at the Visit Loudoun Tourism Awards on May 5,” Punkin continued. “Walter Jinks of Market Salamander was voted General Manager of the Year! Mary Ann Burns of Old Ox and Ellen Goldberg of the Briar Patch Bed and Breakfast were both nominated for the Judith Patterson Tourism Award, with Ellen taking home the honors. Congratulations to all!”

Visit Middleburg and MBPA’s May Events card is out and available at various locations in town and bursting with activities for all.

“The week of May 16 kicks off a major celebration of the arts,” said Punkin. “DocWeek Middleburg, founded by Tom Foster, leads the way and will feature outdoor amphitheater style screenings of a myriad of documentary films through May 22, and segues into the return of Art in the Burg on May 21. This year, Art in the Burg presents artwork from more than 30 local and regional artists, street theater performances, a fashion show, activities for kids, and cooking demonstrations, as well as musicians from the Hunt Country Music Festival! The Hunt Country Music Festival is brought to the community by the Middleburg Concert Series and has a number of musical events in Middleburg and Upperville May 20-22.”

Ali McIntyre, Director of Business Development and Community Partnerships for the Town of Middleburg, announced that the Town, in conjunction with MBPA, will feature quarterly business workshops on a variety of topics important to the local business community, beginning with the Middleburg Career Fair, which was held on May 11 at the Middleburg Community Center. The June workshop, which focuses on grant writing, will be held at the Community Center on June 15 from 8-10 am. More information is available on the Town website. She also welcomed new businesses the Market Group and the Lucky Knot to town.

Town Manager Danny Davis was thrilled to announce the return of the Mini Miglia to Middleburg this October, and Francesca Perolin and Frederico Sesana, who organize the precision timed car event in Italy. The success of the 2019 Mini Miglia in Middleburg was the first of its kind outside of Italy and has ignited tremendous interest from all corners of the globe. This, said Frederico, is a testament to the special people in Middleburg who helped make it happen.

“China, Australia, Spain, the Netherlands, and Mexico all want to have what we hosted here in Middleburg,” he said. “The secret is the people!”

“The people of Middleburg are great partners,” agreed Francesca. “Whether volunteers or participants, you all helped show off Middleburg and its great people.”

More details and a formal announcement will be available soon. In the meantime, please visit the Mini Miglia on the Town website for more information.

“There are celebrations in tens this year,” Punkin continued. “The National Sporting Library honors ten years of their museum with a gala on June 2, Middleburg Common Grounds is celebrating ten years of serving coffee and smiles, AJ (Panebianco) has been our Police Chief for ten years, and the tenth Middleburg Film Festival returns in October. A ten-day countdown to the Film Festival is in the works, with ten special community events each night leading up to the Film Festival, with a block party the night before!”

Notable News and Updates:
• Premier Promotional Products will host an Open House on Thursday, May 19 from 1-4 pm at 15 South Madison Street.
• Retired Middleburg Police Office Tim Tharpe received his much-awaited liver transplant and is recovering well from a successful surgery. His retirement party is postponed until he is cleared to celebrate.
• Middleburg was also well represented in Virginia Living Magazine’s Best of Virginia 2022 Readers Poll, with Foxcroft School taking first place in K-12 Independent School and Wakefield (link) taking second place. The Salamander Resort & Spa emerged the victor for best Resort, Christmas in Middleburg took the title of Best Festival, while Mt. Defiance and Wild Hare were second and third, respectively, in the Cidery category. The Fun Shop finished third in Best Retail and Highcliffe Clothiers secured a third-place finish in Best Men’s Clothing Store!
• MBPA Member Chris Stafford successfully navigated 480-mile bike ride in support of Chef Jose Andres’ World Central Kitchen’s Chefs for Ukraine, making it possible for over 600 meals to be supplied to Ukrainian refugees.
• The Burns family of Old Ox donated $1 for every mile Chris rode, helping to ensure even more people fleeing war-torn Ukraine will be able to eat.
• Door Prizes winners:
Certified Humane swag bag winners were Nicholas Farley of Old Ox Brewery and Farmhouse Style Furniture and Ian McCarthy from McEnearney Associates Realtors (won again!).

Premier Promotional Products prize winners: Suzanne Obetz from the Middleburg Museum and Diego Hernandez of Northwest Federal Credit Union.

Join us for the next Biz Buzz on Tuesday, June 14, 2022, at the Goodstone Inn. The MBPA Biz Buzz is a monthly networking event. These events bring local business owners and professionals together to network, provide local businesses with an opportunity to showcase their facilities and services, and help to spread the word about interesting news and events in the Middleburg community.