With gift-giving, parties, Christmas celebrations and more, the holidays are an exciting time of year. Heading to a holiday event can be a fun way to celebrate the season with the wider community. Check out Front Royal’s events calendar and find the best events where you can celebrate with our small town community this winter. Choose the event that suits your mood, or try to make it to all of them. You can bundle up for a Christmas parade and some local shopping, relax and restore with a musical performance, or enjoy a fun, historic celebration. Read on to discover the events you’ll find in Front Royal this holiday season.

1. Front Royal Christmas Parade and Festivities
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​The first Saturday of December is the date of a beloved Front Royal tradition: the Christmas Parade! Mark your calendar for December 3rd to enjoy a full day of fun. The celebration starts in the morning with the Kiwanis annual pancake day, lasting until 3 pm. Stop by Warren County High School to support a good cause and charge up with a plate of pancakes before a day of fun. 
 

Head downtown around noon to find an open air market where local vendors can provide you with unique, beautifully crafted gifts to get you started on your list (or help you finish!). Enjoy entertainment from Front Royal’s talented youth while you shop. Need a break? Stop by Royal Cinemas at 1 pm for a FREE Christmas movie showing! With horse-drawn carriage rides available too, there’s plenty to keep you busy until 5 pm rolls around and it’s time for the Christmas parade. The ceremonial lighting of Front Royal’s Christmas tree ends a magical evening.

2. Music to Uplift your Spirit
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The busyness and gaiety of the holiday season is exciting, but it can also be draining. It’s important to take the time to recharge and refresh your spirit. What better way than by reflecting on the real meaning of Christmas with beloved choral classics of the season. Give yourself or a loved one the gift of an evening of Christmas song in the Front Royal area. 
 
The Blue Ridge Singers is a local group of musicians who perform classic choir music throughout the year. This year’s free concert of Christmas and Advent music will be held at three different times and locations around Warren County. Check it out to see which one works for you! 

​Another option for a free concert is Night of Wonder, a performance of historic and well-loved Christmas music by the Valley Chorale. Performances are in Staunton, Winchester, and Front Royal on December 9, 10, and 11. Pick the one that works for you. ​

 
If you’re a fan of big bands, Front Royal has that too! On December 13, enjoy Christmas music of the Front Royal based American Legion Community Band at Front Royal’s RMA. Can’t wait until the thirteenth? Head to the nearby historic town of Harper’s Ferry for their performance on December 11.

3. A Christmas Celebration of Front Royal’s History
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Take a break from all the music, and enjoy a Christmas Celebration with a historic twist with the Warren Heritage Society’s Christmas Open House on December 14th. The Warren Heritage Society is the proud owner of three fantastic historic homes in Front Royal. Check them out and enjoy chatting with 17th century reenactors. Refreshments keep the mood festive. You can enjoy a little bit of Christmas and learn some history too! 
 
With band music, choir performances, festivals, and more, there’s plenty to enjoy in Front Royal during the holidays. Make your plans today for a memorable holiday season in Front Royal!

Summer and fall are typical times of year for harvesting and preserving fruit and vegetables. But there’s still more of the year left for another kind of harvest as the weather turns cold. Late fall and early winter are the traditional season for butchering animals. There are several reasons for this seasonal rhythm. First of all, it makes more sense for farmers to butcher meat animals in the fall, rather than providing them with food and water through the harsh temperatures of another winter. In addition, in the ages before refrigeration, butchering animals in cold weather (40 degrees and below) reduced the risk of meat spoiling during processing. Without modern freezing and refrigeration, butchered meat was commonly preserved in many of the ways we now choose primarily for their flavor such as curing (think bacon and hams!), smoking, or drying (jerky).
 

Of course, with modern refrigeration and freezing devices, butchery isn’t primarily confined to the cooler months of the year as it once was. Nevertheless, fall is a great time to shine a light on local, humane meat production and some of the delicious meat products you can find around Front Royal. Read on to discover Front Royal’s local meats.
 

Front Royal’s Local Meat Farms
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Grass is a healthy cow’s natural diet, and grass-fed beef is a healthy and delicious food for humans. In the Front Royal area, you can find local, grass-fed beef at Cottonwood Ranch, a family-owned and operated farm just a few miles from town. Cottonwood’s cows receive humane treatment throughout their lives, graze happily on pasture, and have their diet supplemented by high protein beer mash from local breweries. Manor Line Ranch in nearby Browntown, VA is another great source of local grass-fed beef. You’ll find the same high standards of humane treatment, environmental stewardship, and delicious food here too. Manor Line Ranch also produces high quality pork, lamb, and goat. 
 
Head to their websites to purchase meat from both farms directly. Save some money and stock the freezer by placing a bulk order. You can purchase a whole, half, or quarter cow and enjoy a variety of healthy, grass-fed steaks, roasts, and hamburger, while having your freezer stocked so you’re never caught off guard.
 

Restaurants Serving Local Meats in Front Royal
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If you want someone else to cook your local meat for your, check out you can find some great farm-to-table restaurants in the Front Royal area. Head to PaveMint Smokin’ Tap House to find delicious, local, smoked meats, burgers from local farms, and more. You’ll even find some meat from Manor Line Ranch on the menu. The made-over gas station provides a fun and unique atmosphere for enjoying your food.
 

For another local food experience, try Region’s 117 at Lake Frederick. This local fine dining option boasts a menu of “regionally inspired” dishes, with most of their ingredients sourced within 117 miles of the restaurant. Head here for beautiful views, delicious cuisine, and a fine dining experience you won’t forget!

Pick up more Meats and Local Products
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In search of even more local products? Stop by Dusty’s Country Store and explore a wide variety of local, Virginia-produced food. Check out their jerky for meat preserved the old-fashioned way. The Apple House in Linden is another local favorite; find Virginia hams in the gift shop, as well as a range of other local products, or grab a bite in the restaurant or Bushel Pub.
 
Celebrate fall by bringing home some delicious local meats to enjoy with your family. Whether it’s Thanksgiving Dinner, another special occasion, or a simple weeknight meal with the family, local meat is a great addition to any table. 
 

As the school year gets under way, fall can become a busy season, filled with learning, extracurriculars, and more. In the midst of all the crazy, it’s a great idea to make time to plan a special day with your kids. You can connect over some fun fall activities as well as taking a much needed break. 
                                                                                                                   
In search of the perfect activities for a fall family adventure? Read on for our top three suggestions of fall fun to be found around Front Royal.

1. Take a Family Hike
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​With crisp fresh air, piles of leaves to crunch underfoot, and beautiful landscapes, fall’s a great time to fit in a hike as a family. It’s an especially good idea to enjoy the outdoors in the last pleasant days before the cold of winter sets in and makes it that much harder to get out. If you’re in search of a family hike, there are plenty to explore in Front Royal. You’re sure to find something that fits your skill level. For a simple, easy walk, try Eastham Park’s walking trail along the Shenandoah River. You’ll be able to enjoy beautiful fall views, while taking a gentle stroll on a flat, paved trail. It’s a perfect pick if you have a stroller along, and young kids can enjoy exploring the park’s playground before getting back in the car. 
 
For more adventurous hiking, head to Shenandoah River State Park and enjoy a variety of hiking trails ranging from the easy ones of around one mile to a challenging 5.4 mile loop. Shenandoah National Park is another great (and highly popular) option for a fall hike. 
 

2. Collect Leaves
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Kids love playing in fall leaves, and collecting some of the prettiest ones can be a fun activity while hiking, on a trip to the park, or even in your own backyard or neighborhood. If some leaves are still on the trees, it can be fun to try to match the fallen leaf with the tree that it came from. You’ll find this activity will sharpen your observational skills. Or bring your haul home and enjoy some fall crafts such as creating wreaths or pictures. Creating leaf rubbings can be another fun way to explore the beauty of the fallen leaves.
 

3. Enjoy a Fall Treat Together
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After a busy day in the outdoors, you’ll find it’s a great time to bond over a special fall treat. Head to one of Front Royal’s fantastic bakeries to pick up something delightful. Down Home Comfort Bakery, Daily Grind, Manor Line’s Back 40, and Garcia and Gavino all have delicious baked goods that will bring the best flavors of fall straight to your tastebuds.
 
Make the most of fall with your kids in Front Royal this year. It’s a great season to enjoy the outdoors, create some crafts, and snuggle up with a tasty treat. Here’s to another fall of fantastic family memories in Front Royal.
 

There’s a seasonal rhythm to human eating that comes with making an effort to eat local and produce some of your own food. Summer and early fall are a natural time of year to be outdoors, growing and harvesting fresh produce. But as the weather cools and the days shorten, there’s a lot less growing happening in the great outdoors. Many of us feel an urge to get cozy inside instead. It’s a great time to enjoy the tastes and scents of home-baked goods or preserved produce. 
 
If you’re feeling a craving for cozy baked goods and preserved local produce as fall turns to winter, you’ll find plenty to satisfy you in Front Royal. Read on for the best local places to pick up baked treats or stock up on local preserves. 

Front Royal’s Baked Goods
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Down Home Comfort Bakery is Front Royal’s number one stop for freshly baked goods all year round. But in the fall, there’s something particularly appealing about cozying up with one of their tantalizing treats. You’ll even find seasonal produce in your treats here. Try out the Pumpkin Moonshine Cake or Apple Caramel Cake for melt-in-your-mouth flavors of fall. Their cinnamon rolls and pecan sticky buns are favorites all year round. Need a hand with your Thanksgiving dinner? Down Home Comfort Bakery has you covered with a huge selection of delicious pies available for preorder now!

Head to Manor Line's Back 40 for a cozy coffee shop with many local products on the menu. Enjoy delicious coffee and seasonal baked goods. Couches, a stash of board games, and toys for kids make it a great place to spend a cozy few hours. ​

Or explore a few blocks north of Main Street to find Garcia and Gavino, a friendly family bakery. You can enjoy cupcakes and other sweet treats, as well as a selection of empanadas and breakfast burritos.
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In the mood for warming up with a cup of coffee and a baked treat on the side? Front Royal’s Daily Grind is another great option. This cozy coffee shop on Main Street is a long time local favorite. With fresh scones, muffins, turnovers, Danishes, and more, you’re sure to find the perfect sweet treat to pair with that warming mug of coffee or hot chocolate.
 

Let us not leave out DOUGHNUTS, wonderful doughnuts! And anyone knows that the most memorable doughnuts around are Strites Doughnuts! You can get your fill at 50 Water Street in  Front Royal, open Friday and Saturday's from 7am to sold out or Noon. (Note they accept cash only).
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Local Pickles and Preserves in Front Royal
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For many years, preserving food to last through the winter has been one of the major tasks of human life. During the summer and fall, people would “put up” a supply of canned and preserved goods, such as pickles, jams, sauces, pie fillings, dried fruits, and more. The colder moths were a time to rest from the labor of growing and harvesting, and enjoy the food prepared earlier in the year. 
 

With grocery stores now bringing fresh food into our hands from all corners of the earth, preserving food is no longer a necessity for many. Nevertheless it can be a fun and money-saving hobby, and the results are still delicious. If you’re not interested in preserving your own food, shop for local preserves in Front Royal. The Apple House has a wide range of local products such as chutneys, jams, jellies, and pickles. Dusty’s Country Store is another great place to stock up on preserved Virginia produce including peanut butter and traditional chutneys. Pick out some unique gifts at either location to get a jump start on your holiday shopping.
 

​It’s the season for cozy fires, candlelight, spicy baked goods, and delicious jams and jellies. Look no further than Front Royal to stock up on all your edible supplies for a cozy and delicious winter.