The Middleburg Business & Professional Association gathered in the comfort of the Slater Run Vineyards’ tasting room in Upperville to celebrate the Biz Buzz on July 9. The weather was scorchingly hot, but the mood inside was crisp and airy as members and guests sampled the delicious fare by Provender and award-winning, locally made Slater Run wines.
Founded in 2010 by Christopher and Kiernan Patusky, Slater Run produces French-style wines from Virginia-grown grapes on land that has been a part of the Slater family for over 300 years. Sustainability and stewardship of the land are a part of their everyday practices that include hand-harvesting in the vineyard and solar powered operations in the winery. Slater Run also offers events, classes and private wine tastings and parties, as well as their very popular Wine Club.
“It’s so great to see you all,” Kiernan Slater Patusky welcomed everyone. “We are lucky to live in a community with so much talent and so many vibrant business owners!”
“This farm has been in my family for over 300 years,” she continued. “This is an effort to create a sustainable farm project; we had always been more beef cattle and cereal grains-based in the past, and while we still do have a herd of Black Angus and make hat, we hope the vineyard and winery is what propels us into the future.”
Thank you to Kiernan and Chris for creating such a stunning space for family and friends to gather and enjoy Slater Run wine.
MBPA UPDATES
MBPA welcomes new member Loudoun Therapeutic Riding (LTR), a non-profit organization dedicated to connecting people with physical, intellectual, and emotional challenges to the healing power of horses.
“This year, Loudoun Therapeutic Riding is turning 50!” exclaimed LTR Executive Director Laura Smith. “We began in 1974 through the generosity of Paul Mellom, who truly opened the gate for people with special needs to ride and to allow us to connect them with the healing power of horses.”
Today, LTR helps adults and children with special needs, as well as veterans and seniors. Their 50th Anniversary Gala is November 23 at Salamander Middleburg. For more information, please click here.
The July 4th celebration was once again enjoyed by many! The festivities started at the Middleburg Museum with a reading of the Declaration of Independence, after which Middleburg Police Chief Shaun Jones read Benjamin Banneker’s letter to Thomas Jefferson and Hunt Lyman read Jefferson’s reply.
“It was a very moving way to start the evening,” said MBPA President Punkin Lee. “Families gathered at the Community Center for the Independence Day Kids’ Parade, which was red, white and blue in a variety of ways, decorated bikes and lots of laughter with our Police Chief leading the walk to the Charter School.”
Punkin continued, “The American Legion — Annie, Gary and other veterans— cooked up burgers and hot dogs, and there was plenty of ice cream, snow cones, foxhounds, and even live music featuring Will Moore from the Town office on bass! The good times were topped off with the fireworks display.”
July doesn’t end on the 4th, however! There are new exhibits at the Byrne Gallery, NSLM, The Artists in Middleburg, and the Museum of Hounds and Hunting Middleburg, as well as art education opportunities at the AiM Gallery and NSLM.
Let this July be a musical month by partaking in Middleburg Community Center’s Concert on the Hill NSLM’s Open Late Concert, or the Community Music School of the Piedmont’s Summer Voice Camps for kids and adults. If theater is your jam, enjoy the production of Shakespeare’s Hamlet at MCC on July 31.
The Oak Spring Garden Foundation is holding two sessions of Plant Camp for your up-and-coming young botanists, The Ashby Inn celebrates Friday Night Flights on July 26, and 50 West Vineyards has live music every weekend.
Don’t forget all the various book club gatherings at Middleburg Books, the seemingly endless array of events at the Middleburg Library, and the Middleburg Museum is hosting a book signing with Carol Lee for her book A Path Through Willisville on July 24.
Tami at Seven Loaves needs our help to reach her goal of collecting 500 new lunchboxes by the end of August. Please bring your donation of new lunchboxes to Seven Loaves, on the lower level of the rear of Middleburg United Methodist Church at 15 West Washington Street.
Kerry Roszel is already planning for the Land Trust of Virginia Sunset in the Field on October 23 at Farmers Delight! Please click here to buy tickets and support conservation in the Commonwealth.
“The banners that were up last Veterans Day were done through our American Legion Post,” Punkin reminded the crowd. “Post Commander Gary Nickelson would like to have a lot more banners featuring our community’s veterans for this year’s Veterans Day. Please contact Gary for more information gary.nickelson@gmail.com.”
The countdown to Christmas and all that this community does for the holidays is on! Carriage rides start the Sunday after Thanksgiving, then the Town tree lighting, Christmas in Middleburg Parade Day, A Christmas Carol on South Madison, street music, window decorations and more!
Speaking of windows, now is a great time to begin brainstorming your window displays. The displays may be with or without a Dickens theme but need to be completed by Wednesday, December 4, 2024. The window décor will be judged, there will be various categories (Best Dickens Themed, Most Festive, etc.), as well as a new People’s Choice Award category where visitors can vote for their favorite windows via QR code that will be provided to each participating business.
MBPA is working on a plan for shops to be open until 7 pm on two consecutive Wednesdays during the month of December. In addition to the regular monthly events calendar, MBPA will print an information card with exclusive holiday happenings so folks can plan their Holiday trip to Town early (and often). MBPA would like to have this Holiday Information Card ready to go by the end of October. We will have more updates at the August Biz Buzz.
TOWN UPDATES
The 18th Annual Summer Sidewalk Sale is August 2-4! If you have not yet registered, please contact info@visitmiddleburgva.com to sign up before July 26.
National Night out will be Tuesday, August 6 at the Community Center ball field. If you would like to donate a prize for the raffle, please contact Middleburg Police Chief Shaun Jones.
Middleburg welcomed Beth Maggar, proprietor of Balloon Designs by Beth at 19 West Federal Street! Beth is a 20-year veteran of balloon design, and she is dedicated to creating heartfelt experiences, crafting each arrangement to bring joy, celebrate milestones, or offer comfort during difficult times.
“I want to thank all of you who have stopped by,” said Beth. “I really appreciate it and am excited to be here and am happy to meet so many new and wonderful people.”
Also, start checking your closets for lightly used, never used and now outgrown jackets and coats for kids for the MBPA Kids jacket drive. At the August biz buzz, we will have the information on where and when to bring your items, which will then be distributed to Banneker Elementary, Middleburg Community Charter School and the Windy Hill Foundation.
Tilley’s Pet Supplies is having an Ice Cream Social on Saturday, July 21st from 12-2 pm!
Remember that Middleburg Oktoberfest is Saturday, September 21 on South Madison and West Federal Streets in Middleburg. Oktoberfest features two biergartens, traditional German food, live music, and festival games. Local beer, wine, cider, and traditional Oktoberfest foods will be available for purchase from local vendors. Artists’ Alley, coordinated by the Middleburg Arts Council, will exhibit artwork from local and regional artists that will be available for purchase. Regional artisans will also be present throughout the day with exhibits of fine art, pottery, jewelry, wearable art and more.
Interested in becoming a sponsor? Please contact Ali MacIntyre.
Congratulations to our July Door Prize Winners:
Bull Run Turf Yeti Mug- Kirsten Malloy Windy Hill
Bull Run Turf Yeti Mug- Beth Muggan Balloon Designs by Beth
Certified Humane Gift Bag- Jenny Villar-Revello BCT
BCT Gift Bag- Michelle Lacaze Windy Hill
Two Tickets to Somm Sunday at Slater Run- Len Shapiro
Two Tickets to Sunday Supper at Slater Run- Dorsey deButts Middleburg Museum
Guided Tasting and Tour for Four People at Slater Run- Peter Leonard-Morgan
The next Biz Buzz is Tuesday, August 13 at Bluewater Cocina. See you then!