 Gazebo on Main Street, Front Royal, VA In the Northern Hemisphere, December is the darkest month of the year. The good news is that there are thousands of tiny, twinkling lights around to keep all of our spirits up during this season of long nights and short days. The holiday light displays across the U.S. are one of the most magical sights of the holiday season. Whether you enjoy holiday lights simply by taking a walk around your neighborhood, or think it’s worth jumping in the car to check out local lights near you, holiday light viewing is a great way to enjoy the magic of the season. Bring some hot chocolate to sip on, and enjoy a Christmassy adventure for all the family!  Local holiday light displays There are several fantastic holiday light displays within driving distance from Front Royal. Read on for help planning your light-viewing outing this season.  Holiday light displays in Virginia 1. Have a Wonderful Walk at Clearbrook Park Head north of Front Royal to Clearbrook Park to enjoy Walking in a Winter Wonderland! The 0.5 mile trail is surrounded by stunning light displays with just the right holiday tunes playing to surround you in a magical experience. It’s a fun outing for all the family. Be sure to plan ahead as advance ticket purchase is required. 2. Enjoy Gardens Transformed into a Winter Wonderland You’ll need to venture closer to the big city for this one, but if you want to see one of Northern Virginia’s Botanical Gardens transformed into a magical winter wonderland, it’s worth the trip. The Meadowlark Botanical Garden’s Winter Walk of Lights includes displays of flowers, animals, and trees, as well as seasonal holiday themes. If you need to warm up, hot chocolate and coffee are available for purchase, as well as snacks, and even cold drinks if you’re in the mood! Tickets are required: plan ahead and reserve your tickets now to avoid disappointment!  Neighborhood Christmas light display 3. Cruise through Miles of Magic at the Bull Run Festival of Lights If you want to enjoy some holiday lights from the comfort (and warmth!) of your car, the Bull Run Festival of Lights in the nearby town of Manassas is for you! Turn off your headlights and enjoy the magic of this 2.5 mile display. There’s even a special radio station you can tune to so you can enjoy seasonal music while you drive. After enjoying the light display, stop by the Holiday Village and Carnival. Here you can enjoy bonfires, s’mores, camel rides, carnival rides, and much more! Buy your tickets here. 4. Enjoy Lighting Small-town Style on Main Street, Front Royal  Front Royal Visitors Center Though perhaps not as grand as some of the displays around, don’t forget that Front Royal’s own Main Street is picturesque during the holiday season! Take a stroll one evening and enjoy wreaths and lights on the lampposts, and a lit up tree at the gazebo. There's also 'Front Royal Light Fight', a first for Front Royal! This is a friendly Christmas light competition promoting fellowship, fun, and community. Organized by Lori Oaks, a local real estate agent whose mission is to bring value to the communities she serves. Monetary prizes will be awarded to six winners! Check out the competitors here and mark your map to get out and view them!  Being local, you can even fit in some Christmas shopping while you’re out, or take a break and treat yourself at one of Main Street’s many fantastic eateries.  Main Street, Front Royal 5. Get Away from it All and Gaze up at a Star-filled Sky If you’re a lover of nature, and also looking to escape some of the crowds and hustle and bustle, why not switch out a holiday light viewing outing for a removed stargazing adventure. Mother Nature’s display of thousands of twinkling lights is more magnificent than any other! The night skies around Front Royal are dark and free of light pollution, and with Shenandoah Nation Park on our doorstep, it’s a great place to plan holiday stargazing trip for yourself or your whole family. Don’t forget to pack hot chocolate and blankets! See here for more of our tips on stargazing in the Front Royal area.  'Starry, starry night' So if you’re in the Front Royal area this holiday season, there are lots of opportunities to enjoy the magic of holiday lights. Whether you’re looking for a magical walk, an enchanted car ride, a stroll in a pretty village, or the silence and majesty of a starry night sky, you’ll find it around here. Guaranteed to lift your spirits, and delight children and adults alike, an outing to see the lights could be the next staple tradition for your holiday season!
 October is Virginia Wine Month With vibrant fall hues sweeping across the mountainsides, October is a month that typically sees a lot of tourist traffic heading for the Front Royal area. But October brings with it another reason to head to Front Royal, too. It’s Virginia Wine Month! There’s few better places to enjoy Virginia Wines that the Front Royal area! We’re marking the month with five fun facts about Virginia Wine, followed by five suggestions for places to enjoy Virginia Wine in and around Front Royal. Five Fun Facts About Virginia Wine
2. Wine Production in Virginia Failed Many Times You’d never guess it from the many flourishing wineries in Virginia these days, but early attempts to produce Virginia wine were fairly unsuccessful. European colonists found native Virginia grapes unpalatable. However European vines did not flourish in the Virginia climate. 3. Thomas Jefferson Failed to Grow Virginia Wine
4. The Virginia Wine Industry Didn’t Really Take off Until Recently Historical events also made difficulties for the Virginia wine industry. The Civil War, Prohibition, and then the Great Depression each in turn contributed to pushing wine production aside for many years. It wasn’t until the 1960s that Virginia saw a real rebirth in wine production. Italian Gabriele Rausse finally managed to successfully cultivate European grapes in Virginia. His great achievements won him the title: Father of the Modern Virginia Wine Industry 5. Front Royal is Near the Heart of the Booming Virginia Wine Industry  Once Virginia wines finally took off, there wasn’t much looking back! The Virginia Wine industry has grown rapidly since. Just six Virginia wineries in 1980 increased to 107 by 2005. Now there are over 280 wineries in the state of Virginia. With its fast-draining mountain soils, the Front Royal area has become the ideal home for many of them. Plan a trip to Front Royal to explore all that Virginia Wine has to offer. Five Places to Enjoy Virginia Wine in the Front Royal Area With wineries out in the country, and wine shops right in town, you can enjoy wine either in a stunning rural setting or on the quaint main street of Front Royal, Virginia. There are many options for the wine drinker in the Front Royal area, but here are five picks to get you started.
October is a fantastic month to enjoy Virginia Wines in the Front Royal area. The welcome coolness in the air, the stunning fall colors, and the delicious wines all combine to make it the perfect wine-drinking haven. Plan your trip today for a wine-tasting adventure you won’t forget!
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August 2022
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