It’s Castleton Festival time
While the Maazels’ routinely extraordinary Castleton Festival summer music and opera celebration is poised to begin with splash – “An Italian Extravaganza” concert and gala this Friday (June 22), featuring mezzo soprano Denyce Graves performing selections from Puccini, Verdi, Rossini and Respighi – some of the fourth annual festival’s refinements and streamlined offerings are worth noting.
On the dining front, Claire's Restaurant of Warrenton is offering fine dining in the Great Room and terraces of the Theatre House, Lorin and Dietlinde Maazel’s intimate and sublimely located performance venue. A complete list of entrees, which are $67 per person and can be reserved in advance online or by phone, can be found at castletonfestival.org – and they come with complemenary parking at both the Theatre House and the Festival Theatre (the now 650-seat opera house formerly called the Festival Tent). The increased seating in the Festival Theatre has also made it possible for the festival to offer tiered pricing; most shows have tickets available starting at $20.
For those who like to come early and have a bite in the lobby adjacent to the big theater, chef Claire Lamborne is also providing a la carte choices there for $8, including sandwiches and salads to be eaten in the vast expanse of tables inside, or among the new picnic-table spots just outside, where the serene mountain views are complementary. The a la carte offerings are available two hours before performances.
And, speaking of performances, you’ll note that most of the Castleton Festival’s big shows are now clustered on weekends for the next four weeks, mostly Friday-Sunday, and all of them take place in the big hall. The Theatre House is largely reserved for performances and teaching sessions for the Castleton Artists Training Seminar (CATS).
Finally, the festival repeats its free Family Day on Tuesday, July 3 – with tours and an open house, a 7 p.m. concert featuring homegrown bluegrass
legends Seldom Scene – and a fireworks display at dusk. For more information, visit castletonfestival.org or call 540-937-3454.
RAAC auditions
RAAC Community Theater is holding auditions 6 to 8 Friday (June 22) and 2 to 5 Sunday (June 24) at the RAAC Community Theater on Gay Street in Washington for “The Ides of August with Ives,” a series of short plays by David Ives to be performed Aug. 17-18. In search of: seven males, three females, and three of either gender, of varying ages. Young people are particularly encouraged to try out. The play will be directed by the high school’s Russell Paulette. Further information: 540-9879620.
Butterfly count in
Rappahannock
Butterflies are plentiful this year because of the mild winter and early spring in our area. On July 28, the Old Rag Chapter of Virginia Master Naturalists will be participating in an official butterfly count for the North America Butterfly Association ( NABA). The public is invited to participate and no previous knowledge or skill is required. Besides helping provide important information about the health of our butterfly populations, counters can socialize with other nature lovers and increase their knowledge of these special creatures.
Butterfly enthusiasts will gather at the Town Hall in Washington and from there will proceed to properties in Rappahannock County. There are two sessions (8:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.), and participants can come to either one or stay all day. Armed with cameras, clipboards and binoculars, teams of six to eight people will attempt to find, identify and count as many different butterflies as possible.
If you are interested in get- ting involved in the count, please contact Don Hearl at 540-8256660 (or 540-672-5712 after 5:30 p.m., or by email at donh@essservices.com. The registration deadline is July 15; space is limited.
Children are welcome but must be accompanied by a parent. A $5 per person fee will be charged to cover the cost of identification brochures and other supplies. Please wear sturdy shoes, and bring lunch, drinks, bug spray and other personal necessities. Moderate walking of large tracts will be required and it could be a hot day, so come prepared!
Troop 36’s Court of Honor
Boy Scout Troop 36 held its summer Court of Honor last Saturday (June, 16) at Reynolds Memorial Baptist Church in Sperryville. It also incorporated an Eagle Scout-rank Court of Honor for six recipients. After enjoying a terrific potluck dinner provided by troop families, awards were presented, including merit badges, service pins, rank achievement badges and special awards.
The program then moved on to the main focus of the evening. Three current scouts and three former scouts, who had aged out, were called forward and took the Eagle Scout Oath, administered by Capt. J. Darrow Kirkpatrick. Connor Forrest and Gavin Forrest from Sperryville, Robbie HamillHuff from Flint Hill, Joey
Thursday, June 21
RappFLOW meeting: Rappahannock Friends and Lovers of Our Watershed meets at 7 p.m. at the Schoolhouse (formerly the Link) in Sperryville, outdoors if possible, where the summer solstice will be noted and followed by discussion of several upcoming projects, including a field day to learn macro-invertebrate sampling for water quality; Heinzelman from Jeffersonton, Carl Liles from Hume and Tristan Palme from Washington, were then joined by their parents, and their mothers pinned on their Eagle Scout medals, denoting the highest rank in Boy Scouting, first awarded in the U.S. 100 years ago.
Connor Forrest and Carl Liles also received a Bronze Palm for their Eagle medal for earning additional merit badges and service. All six recipients were former Cub Scouts who moved on to Boy Scouts and climbed the Eagle Trail. So many Eagles together was certainly an inspi- Trout Unlimited fishing camp; improving trout stream habitats; updates for the county comprehensive plan; maintaining the rain garden; and environmental improvements in the town of Washington. For more information, contact Bev Hunter 540-937-4744 or beverly@bevhunter.com.
Saturday, June 23
Seniors bowl-a-thon: The regional Bowl-For-Seniors event is noon to 4 p.m. at Mountain Run Bowling Center in the Culpeper Town Square, Culpeper. This is a five-county event, encompassing Culpeper, Fauquier, Madison, Orange and Rappahannock counties. For more information, call 540987-3638.
Customer Appreciation Day: CFC Farm & Home Center ration for the younger scouts in attendance.
Over the last four years, Troop 36 has recognized 16 new Eagle Scouts, a significantly higher proportion than most scout troops. The boy-led troop plans a fun-filled outing of their choice for every month, including whitewater rafting in June, and summer week camp in early August.
Meetings are 7 p.m. Monday nights at the Washington fire hall. Boys ages 11 to 18 who are interested in joining the troop can attend a meeting or contact Scoutmaster Roger Pierson at 540-222-9465. Customer Appreciation Day is 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. with a “Help Desk” of master gardeners on hand to answer your questions, music by Gold Top County Ramblers from 11 to 2, Alive & Smiling’s Cassidy McAdams and Brianna Gesling singing their original tunes. Also food from High on the Hog, free lunch tickets (limit one per person), Rappahannock seniors’ bake sale, Graves Mountain Lodge “taste testing” their apple butter and pepper jellies, door prizes and giveaways. For more information, call the Coop at 540-987-8555.
Visitors Center Community Day: The county’s tourism office and Tourism Advisory Group sponsor a Community Day from 9 to 5 at the Visitors Center on U.S. 211 just east of Washington. Free coffee and pastries early, free hot dogs during lunch hours. Brochures on the more than 60 Rappahannock County businesses who are members, and information on things to do throughout the region, Virginia travel maps, event information and more. For more information, email info@visitrappahannockva.com or call center manager Sandra Maskas at 540675-3153.
Ceramics workshops: Come see how Far Ridge Ceramics makes its unique tiles, art panels and domestic ceramics and try your hand at painting an art tile in a twohour mini-workshop at 164 Bunker Hill Lane, Castleton. Call or email to reserve a seat at the work table at 10 a.m., 1 p.m. or 3 p.m.; $25 per person ($45 for an adult and child at least 8 years old). Fee includes firing and shipping the tile to you. Call 540-937-5605 or email libet@farridgeceramics.com for more information.
Youth group: Rappahannock Youth Group’s next outdoor event is 1 to 4 p.m. at Rappahannock County Park, Washington. Tennis, basketball, volleyball, horseshoes, board games and a potluck lunch. Register with Dee Vest at 540-6751089 or deidrev190@comcast.net.
Sunday, June 24
Plant swap: Swap plants with other local gardeners from 2 to 4 at Morningside Farm and Nursery. Dig some old favorites (or overgrowns) out of your garden and share them with like-minded garden friends. Every plant swap brings new plants, new ideas and a good time. Free. For more information, email morningsidefarmandnursery@gmail.com or visit morningsidefarmandnursery.com.
Monday, June 25-Friday,
June 29
Vacation Bible School: Trinity Episcopal Church and Washington Baptist Church’s annual joint Vacation Bible School is June 25-29 at the Washington Baptist Church, 9 to noon each day. This year’s theme is “Hometown Nazareth,” where the children will learn what it was like to grow up in Jesus’ time. For more information, call 540-675-3336.
Thornton’s Gap Bible school: Thornton’s Gap Regular Baptist Church, Sperryville, begins its Vacation Bible School from 6 to 8 p.m. tonight (and nightly through Friday, June 29). Area children are invited to attend. For more information, call 540-987-8165.
Wednesday, June 27
Blood drive: Red Cross Bloodmobile visits Washington fire hall from 3 to 7 p.m. Drink plenty of water and eat a good meal before donating, and an ID. Donors receive a $10 Target gift card. For more information, call 540-675-3638.