 As the calendar turns to February, thoughts of romance begin to warm the winter air. If you’re planning an evening with a special someone look no further than the Front Royal area! You’ll find that a small town Valentine’s Day is the perfect setting for your romance to blossom. Read on for five tips (plus a bonus!) on celebrating Valentine’s Day (or any romantic occasion) in the Front Royal area. With fine dining, fun activities for couples, special events with local businesses, and wineries aplenty, there’s a way for everyone to keep the romance going (and maybe fall in love with Front Royal, too!) 1. Sample Front Royal’s Fine Dining Nothing says “I love you” quite like dinner at an elegant table for two. If you’re in search of a traditional dinner date Front Royal’s fine dining eateries are at your disposal. Don’t forget to make a reservation! With Valentine’s weekend being one of the busiest of the year in restaurants, you’ll want to make sure you secure your table well in advance.  ViNoVa Mediterranean Bistro - Main Street, Front Royal Mark your calendar for Saturday February 12 to take advantage of the four course Valentine’s dinner at ViNoVA Mediterranean Bistro. Go here to make your reservation and enjoy four delicious courses, a bottle of wine, and a special dessert cocktail. Eat, drink, and fall in love! For a local craft brewery in a modern setting with delicious pub food, plan your Valentine’s Dinner at Front Royal’s own Vibrissa Beer. You may even catch a glimpse of Cupid while you eat. The Element on Main Street is Front Royal’s classic fine dining option. You’ll find gourmet food and the atmosphere to go with it. Or for another fine dining options, lovers of Asian cuisine, should visit Try Thai on Main Street.  Try Thai - Main Street, Front Royal, VA 2. Explore a Casual Dining Spot that Locals Love If you’re not in the mood for formal dining, a fun, casual eatery can also be a setting for great date. Today, we’re featuring two old Front Royal favorites where locals have been making great memories for years! If there’s one restaurant in Front Royal that pizza lovers shouldn’t miss, it’s The Melting Pot! This local favorite has been feeding pizza to Front Royal for over 50 years. Some locals have been making memories here for a lifetime!  The Apple House - Linden, VA For a fun twist on the traditional dinner date, why not try a breakfast date instead? The Apple House is an old Front Royal area favorite that gets you out of town, but doesn’t involve a long drive. Don’t forget to end your meal with one of their famous apple butter donuts! Or come back in the evening for a drink, appetizers, and a sandwich at the Apple House’s newly opened Bushel Pub. With a drink menu full of Virginia wines and Virginia Craft Beers, it’s a great date-spot for lovers of local products. 3. Take a Dance Class  Jig'N' Jive Dance Studio - Main Street, Front Royal, VA What could be more romantic than enjoying a dance together? If you or your partner have two left feet, don’t worry! Jig ’N’ Jive Dance Studio offers private ballroom and swing dance classes for couples. Have fun together, learn a new skill, and listen to romantic music, all at the same time! 4. Enjoy Special Valentine’s Events with Local Businesses  It’s impossible to enjoy all the Valentine’s fun on one day! That’s why Front Royal’s favorite local businesses have banded together to plan some fun events leading up to the big fourteenth.  Warren County Chocolate Crawl - DELICIOUS The week of February 7-14, take part in the second annual Warren County Chocolate Crawl. Explore Front Royal and receive a special treat or discount at participating businesses. Bring five receipts from participating businesses to the Visitors Center to enter their I LOVE Main Street $250 Giveaway! The winner will receive $250 in gift cards to all your favorite main street businesses. Stop by the Visitors Center for details. On February 12, enjoy extra fun on Main Street from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the I LOVE Main Street event. February 12th and 13th are also a great days to try out axe throwing with your date! Shenandoah Valley Axe Co. is offering a Valentine’s special that features 1.5 hours of axe throwing as well as coaching and refreshments. Make your reservation today!  Shenandoah Valley Axe Co. - Front Royal, VA If you’re coming into town a week early, no worries! Main Street’s local businesses also have some Valentines-themed fun planned for the “First Friday” weekend of February 4-6. 5. Sip on a Glass of Virginia Wine  Fox Meadow Winery, Linen, VA - Join the club! There’s something about the experience of sharing a glass of wine that is both memorable and romantic. If you’re in search of a wine date, the Front Royal area has a wealth of amazing local wineries. Rappahannock Cellars, and Fox Meadow Winery are two nearby favorites that combine delectable wines with all the classy winery atmosphere you love. 6. Don’t Forget to Plan Something for the Kids  Battlegrounds Fitness - Front Royal, VA Not strictly a date idea, but all parents know that the babysitting is an essential aspect of date planning. If you’re planning your night out for Saturday February 12, you’re in luck! Entertain them and let them burn off some energy at Battlegrounds Fitness. They’ll enjoy a night of fun, games, and healthy exercise. Bonus: they should be tired enough to collapse into bed right when you get home, giving you even more quiet time together! All ages from “potty-trained” on up are welcome.  Parents Night Out with Code Ninjas - Front Royal You deserve a night on the town and it helps knowing your kids will be playing and having fun too! That's why Code Ninjas offers Parent's Night Out - definitely a win-win evening for entire families! Drop the kiddos off where they will play games, assemble puzzles, build robotics, and more! Code Ninjas is offering this service on Saturday, February 12th from 6 PM to 9 PM and on Valentine's Day, February 14th from 5:30 PM to 8:30 PM. Once you've had a chance to unwind, swing by to pick them up (please) and hear about all the fun they've had! Bonus: Take your picture by the LOVE Sign While you’re out and about town on your date, don’t forget that Front Royal has a great spot for a fun photo shoot. Stop by Front Royal’s LOVE sign (located by the downtown gazebo and Commerce Street by Pavement). It’s the perfect background for taking a memorable picture together. While you’re there, stop by the Visitor Center to claim a special treat just for visitors to the area.  Gazebo - Main Street, Front Royal, VA There really are almost unlimited options for romantic outings in the Front Royal area. After all, anything can be romantic when you’re with the love of your life on Valentine’s Day! To get more ideas for a fun activity that you’ll both enjoy, see our posts here and here. It’s easy to fall in love in Front Royal!
 Eat. Drink. Love. Front Royal Photo Credit: Virginia Tourism Corporation With scenic mountain wineries, a fast-growing craft brewery scene, and restaurants sourcing delicious food from local farms all around, rural Virginia is a foodie’s dream destination. This year, Discover Front Royal is joining with the Virginia Tourism Corporation to highlight all the fantastic epicurean experiences you can enjoy in the Front Royal area. A wide range of wineries, breweries, and unique eateries await you in this scenic town of the Shenandoah Valley. Read on to find out how you can eat and drink what you love in Front Royal, Virginia. You’ll find a quick rundown of some recommended eats and drinks, as well as a section on the best ways to merge your edible experience with the Front Royal area’s fabulous outdoor attractions.  Eat – Front Royal’s Foodie Scene Front Royal is full of fabulous restaurants, and foodies will find plenty to explore. For today’s post, we’re featuring several local eateries that we’ve specially selected for their diversity. No matter your taste or budget, you should be able to find a fit on this list. For a classic fine dining experience in Front Royal, don’t look any further than Element, where you’ll find gourmet cuisine and an atmosphere to match.  The Element Italian food lovers should head to Osteria 510. It’s a farm to table Italian dream come true! Or if you’re in search of something a little more exotic, Try Thai, on Front Royal’s historic main street might just fit the bill. Here you’ll find gourmet Thai food and sushi.  Try Thai You’ll see the smokers working away in the parking lot when you pull up at Pavemint Taphouse. Delicious smoked food in a trendy renovated gas station, along with brewed-on-site craft beers. It’s a fun, one-stop shop for lovers of gourmet food and craft beer. Wine lovers in search of a bite to eat, make your way to ViNoVa. A wine bar serving gourmet tapas, it’s a great place to relax and enjoy perfectly paired wine and eats. Drink – Front Royal’s Wine, Beer, Mead, and Coffee  DL Campus Coffee on Main Of course a foodie’s adventure doesn’t stop with eating. If you’re looking for an gourmet weekend, you’ll want to plan out some delicious drinks too. In Front Royal, you’ll find a wide range of great sipping! Start the day with a perfect coffee from Happy Creek, Daily Grind, or DL Campus Coffee. Move on to wine, craft beer, or even a glass of mead. Front Royal’s wineries are the perfect combination of delicious Virginia wine, stunning countryside, and that unbeatable winery feel. For fields and rolling hills, visit Rappahannock Cellars, or for a mountainside experience try Fox Meadow Winery. See a full list of Front Royal’s wineries here.  Beer lovers will find plenty to love among the craft breweries of the Front Royal area. If you’re looking to get out in the countryside, head to Backroom Brewery. For an in town brewery experience, check out the Front Royal Brewing Company.
Finally, if you’re looking to try something new and unusual, don’t overlook Front Royal’s meaderies. Mead is an ancient alcoholic beverage that’s making a comeback. If you’re curious to try out honey wine in Front Royal, visit Saga Meadery or Honey and Hops Brew Works for a tasting you won’t forget. Love – Where Food Meets the Front Royal Outdoors While you’re in Front Royal, don’t forget to plan an outing where you can satisfy your love for food while immersing yourself in the great outdoors of the Front Royal area.  Valley View Farm A great way to enjoying eating and the outdoors is to visit a local pick-your-own fruit farm. Valley View Farm is a great destination where you can eat, drink, and love all at once! Start at the pick your-own-orchard and enjoy in-season fruit. Then head on over to the farmers market, where you can buy organic vegetables and local farm produce. End your visit with some wine or hard cider tasting in the farm tasting room. Other pick-your-own options in the Front Royal area include Stribling Orchard, Hollin Farms, and Hartland Orchard.  Hartland Orchard Another way to enjoy Front Royal’s food and outdoor attractions is to bring some Front Royal food with you on an outdoor adventure. Blue Wing Frog will pack a gourmet picnic lunch for you. Or try Manor Line Market for locally sourced take-out or eat-in food.  Blue Wing Frog If you’re planning a visit to Front Royal, plan on some fabulous food while you’re here! With a wide range of restaurants, Virginia wine and beer, and food for every outdoor adventure, Front Royal is the destination your taste buds are rooting for! It’s time to Eat. Drink. Love. in Front Royal, Virginia.
 Attention Foodies of Front Royal! Have you ever thought of the food you eat as an adventure? It’s not a connection we make every day, but food has numerous ties to excitement and uncharted territory. Maybe your food adventure is trying something new, savoring a dish from a distant land, or sampling artisanal food that doesn’t taste quite the same anywhere else. Or perhaps the adventure is more simply in the fact that the food you eat is the fuel for your next hike, bike ride, swim, or rock climb. Or maybe it’s a combination of the two! Whether you’re looking for a uniquely delicious dining experience, or for food that will carry you for miles in the great outdoors, you can find it in Front Royal. Try out some adventurous eats in our welcoming small town, and you’ll discover why Front Royal is the foodie’s choice in the Shenandoah Valley. Front Royal’s Unique Restaurants Front Royal’s diverse selection of gourmet eateries make the town a great destination for foodie of all tastes. If you’re after a classic fine dining experience, you can’t go wrong with the Element. It’s fine dining the Front Royal way!  Element on Main Street For a unique and delicious micro-brewery experience try Pavemint Taphouse. Pavemint has all the character you’d expect to find in a micro-brewery located in a renovated gas station. The smoker in the parking lot will tempt you inside, to enjoy delicious, locally sourced food alongside your craft brew.  Pavemint Taphouse, Front Royal, VA If wine sounds better than beer, another great option in town is ViNoVa tapas and wine bar. Pair your wine with gourmet tapas from a fresh and exciting rotating menu. The small plate format is meant to encourage guests to share and try something of everything! ViNoVa on Main Street If you enjoy cuisines from distant lands visit Royal Spice to experience authentic Nepalese and Indian Cuisine. Family owned and operated, Royal Spice specializes in bringing exotic flavors from the foothills of the Himalayas all the way to Front Royal, Virginia. It’s hard to imagine a more adventurous eat!  Royal Spice - Main Street And the adventure doesn’t end in Front Royal! Get off the beaten by a bit by heading to the neighboring town of Flint Hill, and expand your options even further. At Flint Hill’s Griffin Tavern you’ll find pub food in a renovated 1850s Victorian Manse. Or check out The Blue Door Kitchen and Inn for gourmet offerings in the setting of a delightful four acre estate.  Griffin Tavern - Flint Hill, VA Food (and Caffeine!) to Fuel Your Adventure If it’s the desire to adventure in the great outdoors that brings you to the Front Royal area, you’ll still want to make food a part of your adventure. You’ll find that Front Royal’s business owners are ready and willing to help fuel your journey. Blue Wing Frog is a favorite hiker stop for healthy, homemade food. Better yet, they’ll even pack a picnic for you, so you can enjoy gourmet food out on the trails.  Blue Wing Frog - Front Royal, VA For some of us, when we think of the fuel that gets us going, we only think of caffeine. If coffee is an adventure necessity for you, Front Royal’s coffee shops will keep you supplied. DL Campus on Main, Happy Creek Coffee and Tea, and the Daily Grind are all located in Front Royal’s historic downtown. For an adventurous order at Happy Creek, try the Valencian. It’s coffee with chocolate and orange zest. An unexpected combination, but a great one!  DL Campus on Main Street Planning a Front Royal Foodie Getaway There are too many great places to eat in the Front Royal area for just one dinner out. If you’re a lover of gourmet food, why not treat yourself to a getaway, and spend several days in Front Royal? If you want to know exactly what to expect, Front Royal has accommodation available at several classic chain hotels including Hampton Inn, Holiday Inn, and Townplace Suites. If you want to carry your adventure into your accommodations, there are also more unique options. Stumble Inn is specifically geared to the many Appalachian Trail hikers who come through our town. With shuttle service and resupply run provided, it’s a great stay for these great adventurers.  Stumble Inn For a historic local Airbnb try John Pope Cabin in Browntown. Built in 1865 at the end of the Civil War, this historic cabin was the home of a soldier along with his wife and eleven children. Now it’s a cozy, welcoming, and totally unique accommodation option for a stay you won’t forget!  John Pope Cabin - Browntown, VA With gourmet restaurants, outstanding breweries, delightful coffee shops, and hospitality for hikers, Front Royal is fast becoming THE foodie destination of the Shenandoah Valley. When you’re planning your next adventure, don’t forget to plan for some adventurous eats in Front Royal, Virginia!
 Head to Front Royal where your adventure awaits! The idea of “adventure” awakens something deep within the human spirit. After all, adventure is the topic of many of our favorite stories, books, and movies. We literally spend hours thinking and talking about adventures. So if you’re feeling bogged down with the business of everyday living, consider embarking on your own new adventure: an outdoor adventure! There’s nothing that can freshen your perspective and breathe new life into your everyday quite like spending a day (or a few!) adventuring in the great outdoors.  Discover your path in Front Royal, VA If you’re seeking to satisfy the adventure-lover within you, put the Front Royal area at the top of your list of destinations. With a fantastic location at the Gateway to Shenandoah National Park, you’ll find plenty of scope for adventure here. Oh, and did we mention that this vibrant small town is also known as the Canoe Capital of Virginia? Call it nature’s playground if you like. With river, forests, and mountains all nearby, every adventure-lover will find something to enjoy in the Front Royal area. Don’t put your next adventure on hold. Make plans today to discover the adventure of Front Royal. The Adventure of Front Royal The first ingredient in planning your adventure is, of course, the adventure itself! You’ll find plenty to keep you busy in the Front Royal area. Let us give you some ideas. The Shenandoah National Park is a great place to start. It’s Front Royal’s most famous landmark, and it’s a sought-after destination for adventure-lovers from all over the U.S. Mountain bikers and rock climbers will find plenty to enjoy in Shenandoah National Park, and in the greater Front Royal area too. If you’re looking for a memorable hike, see here for some local recommendations. Spoiler alert: two of the hikes on this list feature swimming holes!  Mountain biking adventures! Prefer to plan your next adventure on the water? There’s no better place than the Canoe Capital of Virginia! From kayaking to tubing to fishing (with lots more in between), the Shenandoah River is an endless source of adventure and fun. Check out one of our local outfitters, such as Front Royal Outdoors for everything you need to make your dream river adventure a reality. The Supplies (Find What You Need in Front Royal) Don’t forget to plan a stop in the town of Front Royal to stock up on food and any gear that you’ll need. Blue Wing Frog is a classic favorite food stop for our outdoors loving visitors. They offer wholesome, homemade food to eat in, and they’ll even pack it as a picnic for you to bring with you. Meanwhile, if you’re missing an essential piece of gear, Mountain Trails should be able to help you. You’ll find a range of high quality outdoor equipment here, from water bottles to tents and everything in between!  #SupportLocal #ShopLocal Sweet Refreshment (Front Royal’s Happy Ending) Outdoor adventures help you work up an appetite, and there’s no better way to reward yourself than with a drink and a bite to eat at one of Front Royal’s favorite breweries. Check out Front Royal Brewing Company or PaveMint Taphouse to give your adventure a perfect ending. Nothing pairs with a beer and a burger quite like the feeling of slightly aching muscles! Cheers to the adventure!  Raise a glass to great adventures! And if you think you won’t be able to tear yourself away after dinner, check out our lodging options. There’s camping, hotels, quaint bed and breakfasts, something for everyone to love. Make your visit to Front Royal all the more relaxing by settling in for the night. Maybe your idea of adventure is canoeing the river, scaling a rock face, challenging yourself with a new hike, or taking on some mountain trails with a bike. Whatever the case, you’ll find that your perfect adventure awaits you in Front Royal, Virginia. Don’t wait any longer to discover all our small town has to offer!
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February 2023
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