SPERRYVILLE

Brilliant collaboration yields two new products

We have two new items to add to the list of specialty foods from Rappahannock County. Maggie Rogers, owner of Central Coffee Roasters, has collaborated with owner Brooke Parkhurst at Triple Oak Bakery to create “Brilliant Trail Mix” and “Radiant Granola.” Brooke took Maggie’s recipe, tweaked it, added the maple syrup and voila! Freshly roasted gluten-free granola and trail mix. Both will contain oatmeal, pumpkin seeds, currants, almonds, chopped apricots, vanilla and maple syrup, and the trail mix will have the additional zip of coffee beans. Naturally, the cereal will be sold in those familiar 12ounce biodegradable cello-inbrown-bags and adorned with some of Maggie’s exquisite art. (Be sure to see her current exhibit at Haley Fine Art; more on that in the Rapp column on page 1.)

How fitting that these new products will be released Saturday (June 2), National Trails Day. National Trails Day events involve an array of activities that includes hiking, dog walking, bike riding, trail maintenance, birding, wildlife photography, geocaching, paddle trips, trail running, trail dedications, healthfocused programs and children’s activities. (There’s more online at americanhiking.org.) This Saturday, as you prepare to go on a hike, stop at Central Coffee Roasters to pick up your freshroasted Brilliant Trail Mix for the day.

Imagine, too, the next gift basket that you put together can include items for the recipient to enjoy from breakfast to dinner: granola, farm eggs, locally grown vegetables and fruit and a cooler of locally raised meats, naturally accompanied by Virginia Chutney.

Gold Top wins the gold!

At Barrels, Barbeque and Bands, a battle of the bands held in Mt. Jackson and sponsored by the Shenandoah Music Festival, our own Gold Top County Ramblers won first place! Gold Top County Ramblers was the public’s favorite that day, receiving the most votes and giving them the opportunity to open for the Seldom Scene at the Bluegrass Mini-Festival on Sept. 1. Members of the band include Adam and Jesse Rogers, Jon and Forrest Marquisee and Chris Moyles. Congratulations to this talented group of musicians!

Music in the West End

Wammie Award-winning Irish band Tinsmith, Brooke Parkhurst’s band, will play at Central Coffee Roasters just up the road from her Triple Oak Bakery from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Sunday (June 3). At intermission, there are baked treats from Triple Oak and super coffee and great granola from Central Coffee Roasters. This is Tinsmith’s last concert of the season, so don't miss it. Read more about this group at tinsmith.net.

Around the village

Have you noticed that home and property owners continue to invest in Sperryville and improve properties? Two properties on Main Street and one on Woodward Road (just off Main Street) are all being upgraded. The farm behind Attic Treasures is looking great and, less visible but fabulous, is the renovation of the dairy barn at Mount Vernon Farm, where weddings and other special events can now be held.

The workshop by Holistic Management International (see the story on page 1) will be held tonight (May 31) in the auditorium of the Schoolhouse, thus heralding the return to service of that facility after the fire. Participants in last year's program will be joining HMI leaders in talking about their experiences and looking forward to the coming year's program.

Those Sunday evenings of music-on-the-deck events have just resumed at the Thornton River Grille. Be sure to look for notices of who is playing there so you can finish your weekend with dinner and music “en plein air.”

By the way, those yoga classes at Stonewall Abbey Yoga are increasingly popular. That beautiful space has been filled with participants of all ages and levels each time I have been there. In this time of prolonged of economic turmoil, people who live in Sperryville continue to have faith in our community and contribute to the vibrancy of the village. It is lovely that we all have the opportunity to see and experience the many layers of activity and life in Sperryville.

Drive 25

I know that I sound like a broken record, but please drive 25 or slower on Main Street and Water Street. Those 3,500 vehicle trips through the village are now traveling on roads more suited to the horse-and-buggy days when they were created. Again, the new bridge will be worth the temporary disruption, but, in the meantime, please be respectful of our community.

Next week: Artists in Sperryville

Next week: let’s take a look at artists in Sperryville. If you are an artist who is not represented in a gallery, but operate out of your home, please contact me so we can be sure to include you. Email sperryvillenews@gmail.com.