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Fall fairs
Summer may be ending, but fair season is getting under way in earnest as the cool fall air ushers in many of the county's signature events.
Each autumn, some of Loudoun's towns and villages celebrate their unique heritage in individual ways. From the northern town of Lovettsville, which honors its German heritage with Oktoberfest, to the western village of Bluemont -- host of its 40th fair this year -- Loudouners can appreciate all that the county as to offer.
Baked pies and homemade barbecue, live bands and handmade crafts are just a few of the samplings these fairs and festivals have to offer.
First up is the 40th annual Bluemont Fair weekend, which kicks off with the Bluemont Road Race Saturday, Sept. 19, at 8 a.m., beginning and ending at Great County Farms. Also Saturday is the pickle-making/pie-baking contest at the E.E. Lake Store – contest entry is at 10 a.m. with judging at noon, followed by tastings. The E.E. Lake Store will also host a children's art exhibit and will offer homemade jams, jellies and baked goods.
Llamas and alpacas will graze nearby, and local bee-keepers will show their working honeybee colony.
More than 100 juried crafters will cover the grounds of the old schoolhouse with wares such as original art, photography, handmade brooms, baskets, spinning and weaving, birdhouses, ceramics and pottery, jewelry, dolls, fiber art and soaps and lotions. Antique and classic cars and vintage and new farm equipment will be on display.
Food vendors will whip up an array of recipes, from down-home to international, including an old-fashioned barbecue dinner. Local vintners will be on hand with samples of wine to enjoy while listening to live entertainment on the Old Schoolhouse grounds.
There will also be trains galore, including an extensive model railroad on display in the former post office building, tours of a red caboose behind the old schoolhouse, and railroad memorabilia to see at the renovated mill on Railroad Street.
The Children’s Fair is Bluemont’s gift to its youngest visitors, with face painting, clowns, farm animals and pony rides.
In celebration of Lovettsville's German heritage, the town will host live performers including The Organ Grinder, Blue Ridge Thunder Cloggers, the Alte Kameraden Band with The Alpine Dancers, and the Loudoun Jazz Ensemble. Lovettsville will also provide a rope bridge in the Kinderfest area, an art show, mini-Corvettes, the Funny Man and a Loudoun Music Instruction student performance. Food will include an Oktoberfest dinner and pancake breakfast.
The 66th Waterford Fair will include its annual Homes Tour, plus a crafts exhibit featuring a wide variety of wares, including handmade baskets, boxes, furniture, musical instruments and jewelry. Other stands will offer herbs, embroidery, woodworking and paper making and marbling.
Crafts will be for sale in the restored brick mill. Vintage barns will house galleries for paintings, sketches, photographs and dried flowers. Homemade breads and cookies and hand-blown glassware will be available at The Country Store.
Live music will play throughout the weekend, including troubadours, string bands, barbershop, gospel, classical, folk and traditional.
SterlingFest showcases numerous bands including NOVAZANZ, the Gary Smallwood band and Rhythm and Cues Tribal Belly Dancers. It will include displays by more than 50 vendors, crafters, businesses and nonprofits, as well as entertainment, children's rides, a moon bounce and food.
The Aldie Harvest Festival will feature food, entertainment, vendors, crafts, bake sales, and grinding and blacksmithing demonstrations at the historic Aldie Mill. Parking is available at Church of our Redeemer for a donation.
The mill -- with grinding demonstrations featuring the double waterwheels -- and the firehouse will both be open. Stone-ground products, locally grown honey, wool from Temple Hall Farm and other local products will be for sale at the mill.
The Aldie United Methodist Church will serve a sit-down meal and will sell crafts and baked goods. The Church of Our Redeemer is hosting a family fun-fest.
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