Shenandoah Valley, VA – Well, it’s the official start to Summer in the Valley! Here are some of the great events planned for Memorial Day Weekend in the Shenandoah Valley. Grab the kids and come on out.  Relax and enjoy!

In Winchester – Frederick County

Visit the Winchester Visitors web site for more information. On May 29, make plans to bring the kids to the Winchester All-American Soap Box Derby at 8:00 am.

Veramar Vineyards is celebrating Memorial Day at noon. And, the Newtown Heritage Festival will be going on all day.

In Clarke County

On Saturday, May 29 – It’s the St Mary’s Church Annual Strawberry Festival! Activities include:

- Yard sale – 8:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. – Features plants, crafts, ice cream, jam, a raffle and more.-

- 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. – Features homemade fried chicken dinners and strawberry shortcake 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM.

Location: Barnett Street on the left at the top of Church St. in Berryville, VA. Phone: (540)955-3397.

On Saturday, May 29 – Live Music at The Battletown Inn – Featuring Medicine Wind” at 7:00 p.m. Nightly bar and dinner specials. See website for details.

On Sunday, May 30 and  Monday, May 31 – The Horseshoe Curve Benevolent Association Barbeque at Nalls Farm Market – on Route 7 in Clarke County. From 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.  Barbeque will be available, sandwiches and pints. All proceeds will go to help local causes.

In Shenandoah County

Count on Shenandoah Caverns to honor our military.

During Memorial Day weekend, all Military Service Members with Military ID (Active or Retired) will receive a Free Adult Combination Admission to the Shenandoah Caverns Family of Attractions, including the Caverns, American Celebration on Parade, Main Street of Yesteryear exhibit and the Yellow Barn. (Special group rates are extended to family members with ID during Memorial Day weekend.)

Location: 261 Caverns Rd., Shenandoah Caverns, VA 22847. Exit 269 off Interstate-81. Phone: (540) 477-4300

Date/Hours:
Friday, May 28, 2010 – Monday, May 31, 2010 (9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.)

In Page County

Family car trips and weekend getaways are closer than you think.

The Luray-Page County Visitor Center will have extended hours from Memorial Day (starting Friday, May 28 until Labor Day Weekend) from 9 am – 7 pm on Fridays and Saturdays.

Grab the kids and come see their new location in the historic restored Luray Train Depot. It’s a wonderful piece of Shenandoah Valley history. Page County offers colorful country roads, Civil War trails, vista overlooks, rivers, parks, and small town charm. (Luray-Page County has been designated the “Cabin Capital of Virginia.” It’s less than a 2 hour drive from the D.C. Metro area.)

In Rockingham County

On May 31 in Harrisonburg, Virginia – Don’t miss the 24th Annual Memorial Day Horse Fair and Auction at the Rockingham County Fair Grounds. Phone: 540-434-0005.

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Thanks to our military for giving us the freedom to enjoy these activities with friends and family.

Shenandoah Valley, Va. – April showers brings May flowers. The Valley is beginning to bloom. And, don’t miss out on the strawberries! On May 29 and 30, in Delaplane, enjoy the “Strawberry Festival” at Sky Meadows State Park.

Celebrate Spring,and the region’s strawberry season, with live music, arts and crafts, old-fashioned kids’ games, a petting zoo, hay rides, historical exhibits, a silent auction, lots of great food … and fresh strawberries and strawberry sundaes. Treat yourself to good old country fun. (Admission is $15 per car in advance or $20 per car at the gate. Details: 540-592-3556.)

Other May 2010 events in the Valley

Here’s what’s in store for visitors – and Valley residents – during May 2010:

May 1 – Roanoke

31st Annual Virginia State Championship Chili Cook-off, from 11 a.m.-5 p.m., at Railside Plaza, 19 Salem Avenue. Live entertainment and music all day, including headliner band “The Kings”. A free childrens’ crafts and entertainment area. Also a Jalepeno eating/chili slurp contest. There will be a beer garden adjacent to the stage. Admission fee is $4.00 in advance, or $5.00 at the gate, kids 10 and under are free. 540-342-4716, or visit their web site.

May 2 – Harrisonburg

Model Train Show at the Rockingham County Fairgrounds. Over 100 tables of everything to do with railroads. Admission fee. 540-434-0005.

May 8 – Middletown

14th Annual “Of Ale and History” at Belle Grove Plantation. Celebrate our German and English heritage by tasting more than 35 specialty micro-brewed and imported beers. Food and music. For more information, call 540-869-2028.

May 8 – Verona

Shenandoah Valley Blues Festival, 845 Quick’s Mill Road, Rt 612. Enjoy a variety of regional blues offerings from the Nicholson Brothers, Lisa Miller and the Allstars, The Biscuit Rollers, Bryan Elijah Smith, Stephen Michael Smith, with headliner “Steady Rollin” Bob Margolin from the late Muddy Waters Band.

Second stage will feature more local blues artists. Enjoy food and beverages from local vendors. Tailgating is allowed. Admission fee 540-245-0609.

May 14-16 – Strasburg

The annual MayFest celebration will be held the weekend of May 14-16, 2010 in downtown Strasburg, VA. This year’s theme is “Racing To Mayfest.” It’s small town fun for the whole family!

For more information call (540) 465-3187. To download a form to be a food or arts & craft vendor, visit this web site.

May 15 – Waynesboro

“XtremeFest” will be held at Ridgeview Park.Climb the rock wall, kayak the South River or watch the BMX Stunt Show. Food and giveways. 540-942-6735.

May 15 – Luray

Wildflower Spring Celebration at Skyland Resort, milepost 42.5 on Skyline Drive. Music, food and more. Children and pets are welcome. 540-843-2100.

May 15 – Front Royal

The 24th Annual Virginia Wine and Craft Festival will be held on Main and Chester Streets from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Enjoy wine tasting from 18+ Virginia wineries. Also crafts, art, food, and childrens area. 540-635-3185.

May 15 – Harrisonburg

7th Annual Herb and Garden Festival at James Madison University (JMU). Over 30 plus vendors, and artists. 540-568-3194.

May 15 – Roanoke

Amazing Treasure Hunt and Geocaching at Garst Mill Park, 2599 Willowlawn Street. Registration required. 540-387-6078,  extension 251.

May 15-16 – New Market

146th Anniversary of the Battle of New Market will be held at the New Market Battlefield State Historical Park – which is part of the original 1864 battle site. There will be food, music, and more. Call 866-515-1864.

May 27 – Staunton
Shenandoah Harley-Davidson/Buell, at 213 Rolling Thunder Lane, will host their annual “Carry the Flame” event. Motorcycle riders ride across the nation will be on hand to honor, remember, and support our POW/MIAs ,and the brave men and women of the Armed Forces. (May is also Womens Ridrers month at Harley-Davidson.) Call 540-213-7433.

May 29-30 – Stephens City

“Newtown Heritage Festival” on Main Street. There will be a variety of activities and food throughout both days. Pets are welcome. 540-869-3087.

May 31 – Harrisonburg

24th  Annual Memorial Day Horse Fair and Auction at the Rockingham County Fair Grounds. 540-434-0005.

Winchester, VA – The second Friday of each month, from February through June 2010, the Museum of the Shenandoah Valley (MSV) in Winchester will hold “Galleries at Night.” At each of these special events, the Museum’s new exhibit will be open for viewing. The remaining “Galleries at Night” dates for 2010 are February 12, March 12, April 9, May 14, and June 11.

The new exhibit “Come In and Have a Seat: Vernacular Chairs of the Shenandoah Valley” opened at the Museum of the Shenandoah Valley (MSV) in December 2009, and will be on view through June 20, 2010.

Those attending Galleries at Night are also encouraged to enjoy the rest of the Museum. From 4 to 9 p.m., visitors may experience all of the MSV galleries, purchase a glass of wine in the Museum Lobby, browse in the Museum Store, and visit the Museum Café. For Galleries at Night, the galleries, the Museum Store, and the Museum Café are open from 10 a.m. until 9 p.m.

History of vernacular chairs

It is the first exhibition devoted to the study of chairs that are distinctive to the Shenandoah Valley region. By 1800, the Shenandoah Valley was home to many craftsmen of German, Swiss, English, Irish, and Scottish descent. Using familiar European craft traditions, these craftsmen made durable and comfortable chairs, but they also were influenced by fashionable designs from cities like Philadelphia and Baltimore. Their creative blending of old and new ideas resulted in distinctive chair styles that speak of the Valley’s diverse cultural heritage and are called “vernacular.”

The MSV exhibition presents the three basic Valley vernacular chair designs: ladder-back, Windsor, and fancy chairs. The display includes 43 chairs on loan from nine different private collections, most of which have never before been presented in a public display.

Guest Curator Jeff Evans – an expert in vernacular chairs – is president of Jeffrey S. Evans & Associates, in Mt. Crawford, Virginia. Museums that have sought his expertise in early American glass and eighteenth- and nineteenth-century Shenandoah Valley furniture, pottery, and glass include the Corning Museum of Glass, The Sandwich Glass Museum, and The Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts (MESDA), among others.

Evans presented a lecture, “Shenandoah Valley of Virginia Seating Forms of the Late Eighteenth to Early Twentieth Centuries,” at the 2009 MESDA Furniture Seminar and a related lecture at the Museum of the Shenandoah Valley (MSV) on January 8, 2010.  In addition, he was guest curator and author of the catalogue, “A Great Deal of Stone & Earthen Ware,” at the Shenandoah Valley Folk Art & Heritage Center (Harrisonburg-Rockingham Historical Society)  in Dayton, Virginia.

(He has authored a catalogue to accompany the MSV exhibition. The publication will be available in March of 2010.)

Special pricing, food, and drinks

In honor of the Museum’s fifth anniversary in 2010, general admission to Galleries at Night is just $5. The event is free to MSV Members. In 2010, the Museum Café will also celebrate the fifth anniversary by offering a light dinner for $5 during Galleries at Night events. This Friday’s dinner option is a combination of a cup of soup and a half sandwich for $5. In addition to the one dinner option, the café’s Galleries at Night menu will also include a variety of desserts and more than 20 types of tea. Just for Galleries at Night, the café will serve a free cup of Shenandoah Blend tea with each dessert purchase.

MSV Executive Director, Jennifer Esler, announces resignation

In a separate release, the Museum of the Shenandoah Valley (MSV) announced that its executive director, Jennifer Esler, will be leaving the Museum to become the President and CEO of the Battle of Franklin Trust in Franklin, Tennessee. Her resignation ends more than 12 successful years serving as the chief professional officer of the MSV.

According to MSV President of the Board Kit Molden, the Museum is saddened by but supportive and understanding of Ms. Esler’s decision. “Jenny has directed this Museum extremely well over the years she has been with us,” he says, “and she deserves immense credit for what the MSV has become today. We hate to see her go, but also understand and support her decision.”

“I have enjoyed working with the Museum of the Shenandoah Valley over the past twelve years, am extremely proud of what we have accomplished together, and will greatly miss the Museum family and all my other friends and colleagues in Winchester and the Shenandoah Valley,” says Ms. Esler. “But I am also excited and pleased that a new career opportunity that so perfectly suits my experience, skills, and interests has been offered to me, and I am looking forward to joining my husband in the Nashville area.”

Ms. Esler will remain with the Museum of the Shenandoah Valley until February 28. A nationally-focused search effort to hire her replacement will get underway immediately.

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The Museum of the Shenandoah Valley is located at 901 Amherst Street in Winchester, Virginia. The MSV complex — which includes the Museum, the Glen Burnie Historic House, and six acres of gardens — is open Tuesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. The house and gardens are open March through November; the Museum is open year-round. The historic house and gardens are not open for tours during Galleries at Night. Additional information is available by calling (540) 662-1473, ext. 235, or on the Museum of the Shenandoah Valley web site.

Shenandoah Valley – Times Square isn’t the only hip place to be on December 31. Many communities across the United States now have events to celebrate New Years called “First Night.” Our area is no exception. Almost in every nook and cranny of the Valley you can join other people in ringing in 2010. Here is a sampling of the various festivities, so grab your warm clothes and get ready for some fun!

- Buchanan -  Dec 31 – New Year’s Eve Bell Ringing – Enjoy a reception featuring music, light refreshments and games beginning at 8PM. Then, enjoy a free movie at 10PM, followed by an 11:30 PM gathering in the Fellowship Hall and on the front lawn of Trinity Episcopal Church to ring in the New Year. Activities will include watching the dropping of the New Year’s Ball and the ringing of Buchanan’s historic church bells throughout downtown at midnight.

- Harrisonburg – Dec 31 – First Night Harrisonburg – Celebrate the New Year with your family and community. Festivities and entertainment begin at 6:00 p.m. and conclude with a fireworks spectacular at midnight. See their website for details.

- Leesburg - Dec 31 – First Night Loudoun County – Ring in the new year in Downtown Leesburg at First Night. There will be over 100 performances at 20 indoor locations downtown–including live music, puppet shows, magicians, and the grand illumination on the Courthouse Green at midnight.

- Mt. Crawford – Dec 31 – New Year’s Ali d’Oro Gala (The Gold Dance) – Join in the fun. Celebrate the season with wine, food and dance in our beautifully-decorated Key Room. This black-tie event is the perfect beginning to your Christmas week. $100 per person.

- Natural Bridge – Dec 31 – New Year’s Gala at Natural Bridge – Celebrate the arrival of a new decade at the Natural Bridge New Year’s Gala. The evening starts with our famous Prime Rib Buffet. Then it kicks into high gear with dancing to music provided by The House Band of Virginia. When the clock strikes twelve, join in on the champagne toast.

- Orange – Dec 31 – Music on Main Street – Celebrate the New Year during the 4th Annual New Year’s Celebration in Downtown Orange. There will be events for the whole family including food, fireworks, games, and much more.

- Roanoke – Dec 31 – New Year’s Eve Blast – Featuring Enuff and Center Hill playing all of your favorite hits at the Roanoke Civic Center. Ring in the new year than with the annual dropping of the Roanoke Star. 8 pm to 1:30 am – Sponsored by WSLS 10.

Also in Roanoke, enjoy the “The New Year’s Eve Bouncy Ball Drop” – Kids of all ages will gather in the atrium of Center in the Square just before noon for the countdown to the second annual New Year’s Eve Bouncy Ball Drop. At noon, everyone will drop their bouncy balls from various levels to the atrium’s first floor.

- Staunton – Dec 31 – New Year’s Eve Gala – Enjoy a romantic evening and ring in the New Year with style at the Stonewall Jackson Hotel.

-  Strasburg - Dec 31 – New Year’s Eve at The Strasburg Theater – Come Celebrate New Years Eve with local southern rock legends Nightrider Band. Live music, party goodies and champagne at midnight included. Special overnight hotel package available at the Fairfield Inn in Strasburg.

- Vinton – Dec 31 – Enchanted Eve: A New Year’s Eve Alcohol-Free Celebration – “Enchanted Eve” is Roanoke County’s alcohol-free, New Year’s Eve celebration, which provides a range of alternative possibilities to traditional New Year’s Eve revelry. The many community-based “inside” events will reflect activities and entertainment for all ages.

- Warm Springs – Dec 31 – New Year’s Eve Music Holiday – Celebrate the New Year at Garth Newel with the Chamber Players, Beethoven, and delicious food. Our jazz trio plays music for dancing until the Champagne toast at midnight. Then, start your year right with a concert and brunch on New Year’s Day.

- Warrenton – Dec 31 – First Night Warrenton – Ring in the New Year at First Night in Old Town Warrenton. Come see over 50 performances including live music, puppet shows, magicians, and the Grand Illumination at the Old Courthouse.

- Winchester – Dec 31 – First Night Winchester – Ring in the New Year at First Night Winchester in historic Old Town! The fun begins with more than 50 performers staging over 35 shows, including rock’n’roll, jazz, country, classical, big band, magicians puppeteers, a world champion trick roper, and much, much more! First Night will go on rain or shine, so get your admission buttons in advance for a discount or at the gate for $12. 6:00 PM – 12:30 AM. Children welcome. Phone: (540) 533-5561,  or visit their fantastic website.

Here are two other New Years events to be aware of:

- Prince Williams County – There will be a New Year’s Day Hike.. The Bull Run Mountains Conservancy invites to you to join them for a morning “New Year’s Day” hike in the Bull Run Mountains. All are welcome to join in this free nature hike to explore the winter woods.

- Luray – The Mimslyn Inn is offering a New Years Eve Package on December 31 – One night’s lodging, hors d’oeuvres and wine tasting, a five-course dinner at Circa ‘31, big band and classical jazz entertainment, fireworks, a champagne toast at midnight, and breakfast on Jan. 1. The cost is $475/per couple.

Each winery on the Trail will offer tours and wine tastings and will have a unique holiday ornament to trim your grapevine wreath. Wreaths may be purchased for $10.00 at any of the following wineries: Barren Ridge Vineyards in Fishersville, Cave Ridge Vineyard in Mt. Jackson, Cross Keys Vineyards and Winery in Mt. Crawford, North Mountain Vineyard and Winery in Maurertown, Rockbridge Vineyard in Raphine, Shenandoah Vineyards in Edinburg, Veramar Vineyard in Berryville, and Wisteria Farm and Vineyard in Stanley.  Present the wreath at any other winery and receive a free ornament.

Prepare for your very own holiday decorating pleasure by collecting beautiful and unusual Christmas ornaments along the Trail. A warm welcome and a different design await you at each winery. While you are sampling wines and discovering the nuances of different varieties, winery personnel will be happy to offer ideas for pairing food with their wines for holiday entertaining. Gift shops in each winery are wonderful sources for holiday gift needs.
The Shenandoah Valley Wine Growers Association is a nonprofit regional trade association with an active membership of Shenandoah Valley Approved Viticultural Area (AVA) wineries, businesses and folks interested in wine. The Association’s vision includes leading in the promotion and protection of Shenandoah Valley AVA as one of the finest winegrowing regions in the world and working to enhance the future of Shenandoah Valley through the preservation and enhancement of its resources: its land, wines and people.

For more information, call (540) 436-9463, or visit the organization’s website.

Winchester, VA – It’s all for a great cause: to support the Free Medical Clinic of the Northern Shenandoah Valley! This year’s “Taste of the Town” is being held on Tuesday, November 5 at 6:30 p.m. at The Shenandoah Valley Golf Club, 134 Golf Club Circle in Front Royal, Virginia.

Some of the Shenandoah Valley’s finest restaurants and wine shops will be turning out “the best of the best” for everyone to enjoy.
Participating restaurants include:Violinos, Castiglia’s, Apartment 2G,
Thai Winchester, Hotel Strasburg, Winchester Country Club, Cantina D’Italia, and Historic Jordan Springs. Participating wine shops include: Terra Cotta Kitchens, Salute, D’vine Wines, and Murphy’s Beverages.

Taste of the Town, in it’s 13th year, is a black-tie optional affair, where restaurants from the Valley present a “tasting” of their best dishes for guests (who vote for their favorite dish for the “Peoples Choice” award), and a professional does a blind judging to determine the “Critics Choice” award.

The judge for this year’s event is Larry Mulcahey. Lawrence (Larry) Mulcahy was born in Brooklyn New York, the son of an Army officer, which afforded him the opportunity to experience living in places such as France, England, Germany, and Japan before returning to the East Coast. Inspired by the cuisine he encountered while living abroad, Larry enrolled in Baltimore’s International Culinary Arts School where he graduated at the top of his class.

Upon graduation from The Baltimore International Culinary School, Larry took his first professional position as the “Chef De Tounade” at Harbor Court in Baltimore, Maryland. He then moved to New York City where he served as the “Garde Manger” at the Ritz Carlton of New York. Through his extraordinary work in New York, The Ritz Carlton invited Larry to accept the position of “Saucier” at The Ritz Carlton in Pentagon City.

Shortly after, The Ritz Carlton promoted Larry again, this time to the position of “Sous Chef” at The Jockey Club in Washington D.C. There, Larry honed his skills to accept his first Executive Chef’s title at the newly built Robert Trent Jones Golf Club in Gainesville, VA. Larry spent the last five years of his operations career as the “Executive Banquet Chef” at The Willard Hotel in Washington D.C., where he remained until late 1999.

Larry currently lives in Manassas, Virginia with his wife Gale, and has been working with Sysco Foodservices for the past ten years as a consultant and Marketing Associate.

There is also a live auction at the event. Some of the items this year include: fabulous trips; dinners presented by some of the area’s doctors; original paintings (Eugene Smith, this year), and many more. raffle tickets will be sold throughout the evening by a group of young people sporting chef coats and hats.

The Master of Ceremonies is Nick Nerangis, and the Auctioneer is Barry Lee. Tickets are $150 each; tables can be reserved for $1,500 for a table of eight.

The Free Medical Clinic of the Northern Shenandoah Valley
is marking it’s 23rd year of providing the gift of health to the uninsured and less fortunate in our community. Notable community partners like the Winchester Medical Center, Valley Health, and private specialty practices (such as physicians, dentists, nurses and pharmacists), give so much of their resources and time every year.

FACT: There are approximately 7,000 residents in the Shenandoah Valley area who are uninsured, or living below 200 percent of the Federal poverty level. The clinic treats thousands of patients each year and dispenses over 40,000 prescriptions each year. The majority of patients are in the 40-60 range, although with the economic crisis we are facing, the age range has dropped to include a tremendous number of young men and women in their 30’s and 40’s, out of work for the first time in their lives.

The Free Medical Clinic of the Northern Shenandoah Valley is located at 301 North Cameron Street, Suite 100, in Winchester, VA 22601.

Call them at (540) 536-1680, or visit their web site.

Date Line: October 3, 2009

From the Universe, Earth, the USA, Virginia, the Shenandoah Valley – comes the Special Holiday Edition of 7Bends magazine – now in production.

Catch the Wave …  ride along with 7Bends and Friends

Experience the new-media difference in promoting your business, organization, web site, and/or special event in the Shenandoah Valley, Northern Virginia and DC areas.

7Bends of the Shenandoah Valley magazine and 7Bends.com, the web site, have experienced substantial growth since they were launched in May 2009. And, it’s thanks to people like you.

Indeed, it’s the people of the Valley, and beyond, that have grabbed hold of “the new magazine of the people.”

7Bends is a new-media channel that offers a growing number of communication platforms and vehicles that individuals, businesses, and groups can tap into to spread their own messages. 7Bends is both a public awareness information portal for our region, as well as a marketing network. We are committed to telling real stories of real people in the Shenandoah Valley, and surrounding areas, and letting people really know what’s going on.

7Bends is ready to share the “real estate” we’ve created in the magazine and on the web with people like you. We’re in the midst of selling ad space for the next issue which will celebrate the holidays.

*****

Support the 7Bends “power to the people” message and simultaneously grow your business and/or organization. Meet other like-minded people all over our area and the world – who you can assist (and vice versa.)

The Scoop:

What: “The Definitive Guide to Holidays in the Shenandoah Valley” – 52 pages – full color. Finished size: 9 X 11 inches. “Silk” cover and center-section.

When: Hits the street on November 23, 2009 – before Thanksgiving, perfectly timed for holiday shopping, events, and entertainment. (First printing; 15,000 copies)

Where: Holiday print edition will be delivered to high-traffic business locations and selected homes in the top seven (7) counties of Virginia (including Shenandoah, Frederick, Rockingham, Clarke, Warren, Loudoun, Fauquier, and Fairfax; and into parts of West Virginia and D.C.)

View a partial list of places in the 7Bends distribution area where people can pick up a copy of the magazine.

The articles (content) from the Holiday print edition will also appear on 7Bends.com.

Deadlines and Payment:
Reservations for Holiday issue will be taken through October 31, 2009. Half of payment is required to reserve your spot (“real estate”). All artwork is due by Nov. 3, 2009. Payment is accepted by cash, by check, or via credit card.

Ad Notes: All ads – print and web – are sold on first come, first serve basis. In some cases, ad space can be divided between multiple businesses (using a co-op arrangement).

Larger ads automatically come with a free web ad. Advertisers can choose the editorial section in which  they wish their ad to appear.  7Bends can also create basic web pages and sites for clients; help business owners distribute brochures, flyers, and door hangers;  and consult on web marketing and web traffic building activities.

7Bends of the Shenandoah Valley advertising is sold by local marketing reps – supported by autonomous sales teams in each community. Each rep receives a competitive commission on the ads they sell, whether in the magazine or on the web.

*****

Send an email to info at 7Bends:

- To inquire about becoming a 7Bends marketing rep in your local community; and/or

- To inquire about sizes and prices of ads still available for the 7Bends Holiday Issue (being published on Nov. 16, 2009).

(Photo: Preservation of Historic Winchester’s Annual Holiday House Tour on Dec. 5 and 6, 2009, will feature five splendid homes decorated for Christmas, including the Octagon House at 530 Amherst Street.)

Contrary to popular belief, 7Bends.com is not just another web presence that started out with a BANG, and ended with nary a whimper… The entire crew at 7Bends (along with as many friends, relatives and passers-by that we could rope in,)  has been busily preparing the inaugural issue of our premier print publication, ‘7Bends – The Magazine‘,  and quite frankly, no one has had the energy to write too much of anything on the web site lately.

Let me add one small proviso to the aforementioned statement, our Business Matchmaker – CEO, Managing Editor, Marketing Strategist, part-time Design Consultant…, (and she makes a mean cup of coffee too folks,) Susan Thompson (aka, SurfsongUSA) has been writing day and night,  providing content, as well as much of the incidental accoutrement that goes into the making of a magazine. All those little things, like tables of content, publishers credits, contact information, etc. that no one really gives much thought to – till you go to look for them.

The 7Bends magazine is envisioned to inform, entertain, enlighten, and hopefully amuse local residents and visitors alike, while providing a vehicle to promote Valley Business’ to highly targeted populations in neighboring regions, first and foremost the Washington D.C. corridors, beginning with the Leesburg, Reston and Fairfax areas. Through careful  targeting of distribution points and methodologies, spearheaded by our top-notch distribution team, 7Bends will be placed in the hands of those most likely to be in the market for the goods and services our advertisers have to offer.

Rounding out the key-players list is Juanita White, Creative Director and for the rest of the weekend, lay-out person, extraordinaire for the magazine, making sure all the pieces fit and come out right-side-up, (not inside-out), and on the right page.

A special thanks to Fran Romeo, of ChampagnePromotions.com and Marcy McCann of LtdEditionPrints.com for their assistance in everything from running down last minute ads to reminding us to eat when we had completely forgotten. You are appreciated.

Look for our first issue to be out the first week in June – for a partial listing of pick-up locations, please see http://7bends.com/magazine/

I remain,

your humble facilitator of mass communication,

James Maas (aka, Meriweather)

The Wild West Mayfest is underway today in Strasburg Virginia. Hundreds of people – young and old, and every age in between, lined the streets to see the parade at 4 p.m.

Music is now out on the street, including the band, “Outlaw Jazz,” from the D.C. area. They’re playing at 234 West King Street (Route 11) outside the new office of 7Bends.com and LtdPrints.com – and right next door to Outkast Customz Motorcycles. Come join us. … And, watch for more Mayfest photos through the evening. (Free Shenandoah County event)

(Bottom Photo: The Mykle Lyons band played at the Strasburg Mayfest in the Shenandoah Valley this evening.)

In Woodstock, VA — Friday, April 24 through Sunday, April 26, Fort Valley Nursery will offer 20% off on all trees grown on their farm – in celebration of Arbor Day. On Saturday, April 25, they’ll also be holding demonstrations showing folks how to best plant and care for their trees – at 10 a.m., 11 a.m., and noon.

Come on out…embrace Spring, get some advice from the pros, and enjoy breakfast, lunch or a coffee at the Woodstock Garden Cafe (inside Fort Valley Nursery).

For information, call 540-459-5151, or visit their web site at: Fort Valley Nursery

Driving Directions: From Interstate 81, take Woodstock Exit #283. Go West (right) on Route 42 (Reservior Road) just past Tractor Supply. Make a left on Hisey. The nursery is located on the left, 1/3 mile.