The Fair begins on Friday! |
Beginning this Friday at 10 a.m., we welcome you as our honored guests! This year's Fair--our 69th--is our signature opportunity to carry out our mission of preservation through education. Waterford is a landmark not because of a single important event that occurred here, but rather because the village and its surrounding rural landscapes have been preserved as an example of everyday life in an agricultural village in the 18th and 19th centuries. At the fair we bring parts of that history back to life.
On these three October days--the 5th, 6th, and 7th, we will share some of the finest crafts from nationally known artisans, musicians and entertainers, some of the best hands-on living history for children of all ages, beautiful historic homes and buildings, delicious local food and wine, and some of the loveliest rural views in Virginia. See our new website for more Fair information, and...
Read on!
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So much for children to experience!
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A child coaxes music from a dulcimer.
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This is a "teaching fair," and that means almost everywhere you turn in the historic village of Waterford this weekend, you'll be learning something of the history, the skills, the architecture, and the work and pastimes of an agricultural village in northern Virginia in the 18th and 19th centuries.
Waterford grew rapidly into a bustling, prosperous agricultural center following its 1733 founding by Quakers. Craftsmen made furniture and woolens, ground grain, tanned hides, and made much of what citizens needed. At the Fair children can experience how things were made "back in the day."  | |
A youngster practices tooling leather.
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They can: - Hand-tool leather
- Punch designs in tin
- Turn a clay pot on a wheel
- Try rug hooking
- Practice weaving on a loom
- Stencil on canvas to see how floor cloths are decorated
- Practice painting fraktur designs and take home a bookmark
- Watch how maple syrup is made into maple sugar
- Shape wood on a treadle lathe
- Practice basket making
- Make a "bitty broom" to take home
- Watch how cheese was made in colonial times
- Watch a class of children in the 1890s at a one-room schoolhouse
- See antique farm equipment operate
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Learning to weave.
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...and much, much more. One hundred and fifty years ago in Waterford, miller Samuel Means recruited volunteers for a regiment to fight in support of the Union cause in the Civil War, and his men battled Confederate troops at Waterford's Baptist Church on High Street. The church was heavily damaged but stands today. Historical markers and signs document that period at properties significant to the village's Civil War history, and reenactors will demonstrate cavalry tactics, camp life, and more.  | |
The Waterford Magician challenges children to try the magic.
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And at the Membership Booth in the village center, children can get a free pencil and handouts that include an architectural treasure hunt, a matching puzzle of historical events with Waterford buildings, a word search, and more.
And they also can just sit and watch: a magic show, the organ grinder, barbershop quartet singers, a mime, troubadours, dancers, soldiers' marching...
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Getting Fair tickets:
At our ticket outlets (through Thursday)
or
At the gates (all three days)
 While it's too late for us to send you tickets for the 69th Annual Waterford Homes Tour & Crafts Exhibit, you have today and tomorrow to purchase tickets at the advance discount price of $15 at our ticket outlets in the Washington metro area, and at both Foundation offices in Waterford--the Corner Store at 40183 Main Street, and the Old School at 40222 Fairfax Street.
An advance ticket for a day at the Fair is $15 (a savings of $2 over the price at the gate). And because you can't really do the Fair justice in a single day, we offer 2-day (at $26) and 3-day (at $39) tickets at discount prices too.
If you miss out on these opportunities to purchase tickets in advance, you can purchase tickets at the gates for $17 each after you park your car on Fair days, by cash, check or credit card.
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Fair entertainment schedule
Old School Stage
Saturday
Noon - Patent Pending
1 p.m. - Celtic Rhythm School of Dance
2 p.m. - Tara Lindhardt & Friends
3 p.m. - Danny Knicely, Aimee Curl & Bert Carlson
 Sunday1 p.m. - Patent Pending
2 p.m. - Seldom Scene
3 p.m. - Seldom Scene
4 p.m. - Patent Pending
Schooley Mill
Friday - Ray Owen, storyteller (farm heritage show)
Saturday, Sunday - 11 a.m. to 4 (Sat.), noon to 4 p.m. (Sun.) Mike Hansen & Friends (traditional American folk music)
John Wesley Community Church
Saturday - 10 a.m. to noon and 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., Dearest Home, Civil War
music; 2 p.m., Loudoun Chorale
Sunday, 2 p.m. - Mt. Zion United
Methodist Church Choir
Village Center
Friday - 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Dominion 4 (barbershop quartet); 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Maggie Sansone (hammered dulcimer with unique puppets, "Roverdance"),
Saturday - noon to 5 p.m., Mill Run Dulcimer Band (old time American folk string band); 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.,Doug Jimerson and the Civil War Comrades (19th century popular music)
Sunday - 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sliders (barbershop harmony); noon to 5 p.m., Mill Run Dulcimer Band
Red Barn
Saturday and Sunday - all day, Madeline MacNeil (hammered dulcimer and vocals)
Yard behind Old Mill
Saturday and Sunday - 11:30 (Sat. only), 1:30, 3:30, John McLaughlin, The Waterford Magician
The Park
Sunday - 2 p.m., "Waulking the Wool" at the Waterford Weavers; songs by Melissa Weaver Dunning
Bond Street
Saturday and Sunday - throughout the day, The Swordmasters (interactive exhibition on swordsmanship)
Bond Street Barn area
Saturday - 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Terry Bender (organ grinder); 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Tabby Finch (hammered dulcimer and celtic harp)
Old School
Saturday and Sunday - all day, Bob Bellamy and Wendy Barlow (handmade dulcimer and harp)
Old School outside
Saturday and Sunday - all day, Eighth Infantry Confederate Camp (Civil War camp life); Stonewall Brigade
Strolling
Saturday - all day, John Durant (18th century gentleman playing the lute and singing period songs); John Durant, Jr. (troubadour)
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12 Homes on Tour during the Fair;
one a Historic Homes finalist
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The Joseph Janney House
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Twelve Waterford homes are open for tours during the 2012 Fair, and volunteers have set the schedule of open homes--and one, the Joseph Janney House, has just been listed as a finalist in the Washington Post's Historic Homes Contest. It is open on Friday for tours.
If you plan your visit with Waterford home tours in mind, here is the schedule of open homes. For more information on each, visit the online tour page of our website.
Admission to homes on tour is free with your ticket to the Fair.
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Graham House
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Friday, October 5 The Pink House, Main Street Braden House, Second Street Joseph Janney House, Main Street Pierpoint House (Ratcliffe House), Main Street Asbury Johnson House, Second Street
Saturday, October 6 Marshall Clagget House, Main Street The Dormers, Second Street Ephriam Schooley House (Parker-Bennett House), Second Street Old Acre, Second Street
Sunday, October 7 Samuel Means House, Bond Street Marshall Claggett House, Main Street Graham House, Main Street Hollingsworth-Lee House, Main Street |
Here they come again...
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A Waterford dog watches the crowds from the safety of his porch.
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Some other residents of the village are trying to prepare themselves for the Fair. Dogs are getting ready for an olfactory and visual feast from the safety of their yards and homes. Poultry may find a stray bit of kettle corn or two as they scratch about for locally sourced food, and squirrels and field mice can't wait until the corn stalks go up at the street corners, with several ears of shell corn just waiting to be harvested.
We ask that visitors leave their pets at home. Streets full of legs and feet and children and baby-filled strollers are not the best place for dogs, and even the most well trained pet may get stressed under crowded conditions.
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Village chickens converse with fair shoppers
about their latest finds at the Fair.
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www.waterfordfoundation.org
P.O. Box 142 Waterford, Virginia 20197
Old School offices 540.882.3018 Fair Offices 540-882-3129
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Got GPS?
Here's the address to enter into your device to get you to Waterford for the Fair:
40183 Main Street
Waterford, VA 20197
Before you reach that address in the village center, you will encounter a member of our parking crew, who will flag you into one of the four parking areas that serve Fair visitors. For old-fashioned directions to Waterford, see the Fair FAQs page on our website or see the Google map. |
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Bob Schotta, back in Waterford for the Fair.
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A number of our dedicated, long-time Fair volunteers do not live in Waterford, or even in Virginia.
They travel back to the village each year to lend their time and expertise to some of the vital work that makes this Fair such a success. Floridian Bob Schotta arrived in Waterford several days ago to begin his duties as "area chair" for the Schooley Mill Barn area, where he'll oversee arrival, setup, and needs of all the craftspersons and entertainers in that area. Carol and Frank Davis arrived from New Hampshire last week to help with crafts in the Old Mill. Marilyn Gentry, who now lives in London, returns to work in the Waterford Citizens Association barbeque booth. They join hundreds of village and area residents who lend their talents to make this the premier crafts fair on the East Coast.
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Betty Cox and Carol Davis at the consignors' check-in table at the Old Mill.
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Fair setup
is under way
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The tent goes up at the Old School Stage.
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Tents are rising in the village, mats for the homes tours have been delivered, ropes are going up at parking areas, wine glasses are delivered, and preparations for Varnishing Night (a Foundation members-only event at which winners and prizes for the Art and Photography competitions are announced) are nearly complete.
On Friday at 10 a.m., all will be ready for the 69th Waterford Homes Tour & Crafts Exhibit.
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Rear Adm. Craig Steidle, Ret., Chair of the Waterford Foundation's Properties Planning and Management Committee, repairs a few floor boards at the Old School classroom building porch.
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Fair Raffle tickets!
The delightful "bird tree" that Don Noyes has donated
for the Fair raffle is hand carved and hand painted. And while Noyes would say their colorful decorations are not "God's birds" but his designs, the birds in this piece still seem to come to life on their perches.
Raffle tickets are $3 apiece or four for $10; they will be on sale at the Fair, with the winner to be drawn Sunday afternoon, October 7. You also can purchase them now at the Corner Store in Waterford, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday-Friday.
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The productive farmland of Western Loudoun County remains one of the county's most precious resources, and more vines than ever push their roots down deep into Loudoun soils, making its description as "D.C.'s Wine Country" a meaningful one. Stop and taste wines from the following vineyards during your visit to the Fair, at the Wine Garden in the Schooley Mill field.
Tastings are $12, and come with a "Waterford Fair" commemorative wine glass. |
For specific questions about Fair issues, dialing 540-882-3129 will get you the Fair Chairman, and 540-882 3659 will get you the Fair Assistant, at their offices, at the Corner Store in the village center.
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Lost and found
and package check
If you lose something during the Fair, our cigar store Indian at Corner Store in the village center will direct you across the street to the Information Booth, where found items will be kept safe.
You also may check your packages at the booth.
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