The July Biz Buzz was brimming with activity on the hill at Middleburg Baptist Church!
Community non-profit organizations were on hand to meet and greet attendees and share their work and mission with everyone, and the amazing folks from MBC provided an outstanding summertime buffet for all!
The Middleburg Baptist Church, then known as the Middleburg Free Church, was erected in 1844 and more than likely replaced an earlier structure that might have dated back to 1829. The church served as the non-denominational place of worship for Presbyterians, Methodists, Baptists and Episcopalians until their respective congregations were large enough to warrant building their own churches. By 1847, the Baptists and Presbyterians were still using this church, and then in the 1880s it became the Middleburg Baptist Church.
“Our church was a hospital during the Civil War, and we still feel like we’re hospital today, but in a spiritual sense,” said Senior Pastor Dan Morgan in his welcome to MBPA. “If you’re looking for a friendly place to come and learn about your faith, we would love to be a part of that.”
In response to, in many cases, years-long waiting lists for local childcare, MBC has recently invested a significant amount of money to create classrooms and a space for a childcare or early childhood education center with room to accommodate 50 children. Please get the word out! MBC’s location and facilities are ideal for a childcare service operator to start up or relocate their business.
MBPA Updates
The headliner, of course, is The Fun Shop,” said Punkin Lee, MBPA President. “Mrs. Allen started the Fun Shop in 1950, and now after 65 plus years, her daughters Betsy and Paige have closed the door for the last time.”
Dubbed “Middleburg’s Department Store”, The Fun Shop had everything and something for everyone, from locals to visitors, and while our community is sad it is over, we wish Betsy and Paige the best in their well-deserved retirement.
The Town of Middleburg hosted a spectacular Independence Day celebration at Middleburg Community Charter School on July 4th. If you weren’t there, you missed a big time, complete with food trucks, live music, swings, bounce houses and live music! MBPA’s Kids’ Parade was a huge success, with over 40 children and their families participating.
“I hope you all saw some of those kids were really decked out in red, white and blue!” laughed Punkin. “There were lots of stars and stripes, and we have a huge thank you to the Town, our Police Chief, Shaun Jones, and his officers, the Community Center and the Charter School for working together to create a great event, completed by a wonderful fireworks display.”
“The 17th Annual Summer Sidewalk Sale is quickly approaching, so be planning for three busy days,” continued Punkin. “We’ll be doing balloons on Friday and Saturday as usual, so the town will be festive and welcoming to all the shoppers.”
If you have not yet signed up to participate in the Sidewalk Sale, please get in touch with Punkin 540-687-5888 or Katy info@visitmiddleburgva.com.
Middleburg was well represented in the 2023 Best of Loudoun Awards! Among the many county wide winners and finalists were: Lost Barrel Brewing, Mount Defiance Cidery and Distillery, Sprout Therapeutic Riding, Salamander Resort & Spa, The Hill School, Goodstone Inn, Town of Middleburg, McEnearney Associates, Kristen May of May Aesthetics, Zest, Mitchell & Company, Climatic, Royston Funeral Home, Brick & Mortar Mercantile, Foxcroft and Northwest Federal Credit Union,
While July may be half over, there is still plenty to do:
- Swimming at the Community Center
- Middleburg Museum’s Fun Friday on July 21 at 5:30 pm
- NSLM’s Open Late Concert on July 28 featuring The Brian Shepherd Band at 5:30 pm
- New exhibits at The Byrne Gallery and The Artists in Middleburg
New Businesses:
Kathleen Fraser has just opened the Middleburg Acupuncture and Apothecary Clinic at 112 W Washington St. The practice is open full-time if you have any questions about acupuncture, they offer free 20-minute consultations. You can book appointments online , via email at Kathleene.fraser@gmail.com or by calling 703-232-2025.
CDMX Bar & Grill will be opening in the location previously occupied by Red Bar Sushi and will be serving up fresh and tasty Mexican fare.
Upperville’s Bluewater Kitchen is slated to open Bluewater Cocina in the garden behind Nature Composed on the corner of West Federal and South Pendleton Streets (Provender’s former spot.).
New Middleburg resident Mary Beth Morrell will soon be opening Middleburg Books on South Madison Street.
Town Updates
“The first thing to mention is wonderful news, the Town Hall is almost finished,” announced Vice Mayor Peter Leonard-Morgan. “We will move in at the end of July and by end of July.”
He continued, “You may have noticed a big tent over the water tower on Marshall Street— in case you don’t know already, the water tower tank is being repainted sandblasted after I think 50 or 60 years! Unrelated to the sandblasting and painting, Town residents have noticed a bit of milky water when you turn on your faucet. Well, it’s nothing to be worried about. It’s because we had a new well pump installed and it’s a bit too powerful; it’s pressurizing the water and it’s bubbling it up and that’s all going to be sorted out very soon.”
The Middleburg Farmers Market is every Saturday from 9:00 am-12:00 pm at the Middleburg Community Charter School. This Saturday, July 15, is Young Entrepreneurs Day, where business-minded kids will set up and sell their wares. Be sure to stop by and make a purchase!
Middleburg Mayor Bridge Littleton then addressed an issue on everyone’s mind: Mickie Gordon Park.
“There have been a lot of questions and concerns around Mickie Gordon Park with what’s going on in terms of the county plans to convert it to three championship cricket fields. So, we reached out to county Parks, Recreation and Community Services (PCRS), and they agreed to host a public information session, which was at the American Legion at the end of June.”
“Steve has been with the county parks and recs for 27 years and I called him in advance and asked, ‘Are you ready?’ He said, ‘Oh no, I’ve done dozens and dozens of these community meetings, you know, usually have 30-40 people show up. We know we’re doing.’”
He continued, “By the time the meeting started, there were over 250 people from the community in attendance, and the County folks were absolutely blown away and had never before experienced anything quite like it.”
“I will say from a big picture perspective, I appreciate them coming out, I appreciate Steve taking accountability for letting this get out of control and for not having community outreach before they made any plans,” said Bridge. “And I think they were there to listen. I think they heard the community very well.”
Bridge and Town Manager Danny Davis will be meeting with PCRS on Monday to discuss how and what the future of Mickey Gordon should be. The County appears committed to having an open mind and listening to what the community would like to see implemented at Mickie Gordon Park.
“I think we are on the right path, and I think we’re charted to find a different, more comparable use for the park in a manner that we want, but we can’t let up the pressure.”
It is of utmost importance that each member of our community makes their voice heard and shares their thoughts and opinions with the County. Please visit www.loudoun.gov/mickiegordon to view the proposal and then please take a moment to register your opinion with PCRS by emailing PRCS@loudoun.gov and including Mickie Gordon Park in the subject line.
“They need to continue to hear from us, but once we have the meeting next Monday, I will let everybody in the community know what their plans are and you know what the next steps are,” said Bridge. “But this would not have happened but for everybody here in the community who showed up. Thank you very much for doing that. It made all the difference in the world. It was certainly the highlight of Steve’s career from the community engagement perspective, so I really appreciate it.”
If you would like a Save Mickie Gordon Park sign to place at your business or home, please go see Suzanne at The Middleburg Museum at 12 North Madison Street.
Upcoming Events
“Heading our way next month is a sculpture. Not just any sculpture, but one of everyone’s favorite— Secretariat,” said Punkin. “Thank you to Middleburg resident Laura Smith, Executive Director of Loudoun Therapeutic Riding, who got the ball rolling on this!”
The 50th Anniversary of Secretariat’s amazing Triple Crown win was celebrated by an exhibit at the NSLM this past spring that attracted almost 3000 visitors. The 3500-pound bronze sculpture hit the road in April with stops at Churchill Downs, Pimlico and Belmont Park and will arrive here from Saratoga on August 9th after its exhibit at the National Museum of Racing. There will be a welcoming reception that evening, as well as a viewing of the movie Secretariat at the Community Center, and the next day the NSLM will host talks by the sculptor Jocelyn Russell and Kate Tweedy, who is the granddaughter of Mr. C.T. Chenery, who bred secretariat at his Meadow Stud in Ashland, Virginia, where the sculpture will be permanently installed.
The MBPA Board of Directors Election is this November. If you would like to give your time and expertise to MBPA, please start thinking about it NOW. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to a current Board Member.
National Night Out is Tuesday, August 1 at the Middleburg Community Center. Chief Shaun and his crew have been working hard on this event, which is sure to be a wonderful time, so please plan on attending!
Congratulations to our July Door Prize Winners!
- Certified Humane gift bag winner, Mary McEchern of Merry Designs
- NOVA Deershield gift bag winner, Lauren Bogan of Windy Hill Foundation
- Bank of Charles Town gift bag winner, Margaret vonGerstoff of Premiere Promotional Products
The August Biz Buzz is Tuesday, August 8 at The Middleburg Museum’s Garden on North Madison Street from 5:30-7:30 pm. See you then!