Central Virginia’s got a lot of history, relatively speaking. As the oldest region in a fairly new country, its rural affluence has protected it, more or less, from the encroachment of modernization that’s changed so many historic areas into really lame amusement parks.
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Explore local land(marks) June 16 on the Beyond the Gates historic farm tour. (photo courtesy of Linda Berry)
Take heart, those of you hankering for a taste of a simpler, more elegant time. On Saturday, Grace Episcopal Church has put together a program called Beyond the Gates—an exploration of historic Albemarle County farms replete with all manner of country fairs, artisans and craftspeople, historic tours, horse shows, and those myriad details that make history nerds drool. The event is a fundraiser for local charities.
In total, the tour covers Grace Church and the Keswick Hunt Club, plus six historic farms around the Keswick/Cismont area: Airslie, Bridlespur, Castalia, Castle Hill Cider Works, Edgeworth, and Merrie Mill. Tickets are $20 day of, children under 12 are free, and the whole thing is as family-friendly as it gets. Tickets cover all the locations and events and if you spend the day, you’ll get a wealthy dose of local history and a look at historic properties that are rarely open to the public. More information about the programming and charities can be found at www.gracefarmtour.org. —Brandon Walker