Shenandoah Valley Hot Air Balloon & Wine Festival

UPDATE 10/13: MEET in front of Mansion at 11AM! If you're running late call at numbers provided above. Bring a blanket or chair and relax on the sweeping lawn of the mansion while enjoying a variety of musical entertainment. Wine connoisseurs can sip vintages from some 20 Virginia wineries. Be adviced that since this is a big festival, it'll be hard to keep our group together the whole time. Please stay with who you carpool with so you won't be left behind. Also if you want to explore in small groups please do so. Have a good time everone! ************************************************************** UPDATE 10/6: Hey everyone! let's plan carpool now so nobody will be left behind. please post comments if you can drive or you need a lift, where and when you can be picked up. AND don't forget to purchase tickets to the festival and wine tasting Online: www.historiclongbranch.com; order must be received before Oct. 7. ******************************************************* UPDATE: If you're interested in Hotair Balloon ride, please call Long Branch at 540.837.1856 ASAP. They have to send you the info and wavier which takes time. Space are very limited for the rides, so the earlier you make arrangements the better. AND don't forget to purchase tickets Online: www.historiclongbranch.com; order must be received before Oct. 7. ******************************************* It's your own responsibility to purchase tickets. Please state in your RSVP once you have already bought tickets. Advanced Ticket Prices Tickets may be purchased in advance at a discounted rate. Advanced tickets are avaiable from now through October 7th, 2008. Tickets will be mailed at a later date. Online orders are non-refundable. Those who purchase wine tickets MUST show I.D. at the gate or entrance will not be permitted. One Day Admission & Wine (Saturday) - $16. $20 if purchase at gate. Purchase Online: www.historiclongbranch.com; order must be received before Oct. 7. ************************************* A Celebration of Life Amid the Blue Ridge The Annual Long Branch Hot Air Balloon and Wine Festival A fun-filled, action-packed, three-day family celebration unfolds with the 12th anniversary of the Shenandoah Valley Hot Air Balloon & Wine Festival on Oct. 17-19, 2008. Held on the spacious lawns and rolling fields of Long Branch in Clarke County, VA, the Festival brings balloonists and their colorful airborne craft from far and wide to delight spectators of all ages. In addition to the balloons, our annual event provides a wide variety of entertainment over the weekend. About Long Branch Steeped in a past rich for famous families that included Lords Culpeper and Fairfax, Robert ?King? Carter, and later Robert Carter Burwell and Major Hugh Mortiner Nelson ancestors, the 19th century brick estate is the jewel entitled, ?Long Branch.? Tours of the mansion, at a discounted fee, are available. Elaborate woodwork, antique furnishings, fine artwork, rare decorative art items dating to 200 B.C., and a spectacular spiral staircase, which spans all three floors, provides sense of drama and attributes to Benjamin Henry Latrobe and Minard Lafever. Breathtaking views of the Blue Ridge Mountains from the mansion reveal the scenic beauty that captivated the property's early owners. The beautiful gardens grace the grounds after namesake Sheila Macqueen, the late renovned Britsh floral arranger.. Hot Air Balloon Rides The Shenandoah's Fall foliage is even more spectacular from a hot air balloon. Flights book quickly and advance reservations (with participating pilots) are highly recommended. Rides are available at $250 per person, weather permitting. $50 non-refundable deposit due now and the balance is due at the conclusion of the ride. For more information, please call Long Branch at 540.837.1856. DIRECTIONS: Long Branch, 830 Long Branch Lane, Millwood, VA 22646 is located off Route 50 in Clarke County, VA, 60 miles west of Washington, DC and 13 miles east of I-81 at Winchester, Exit 313. From Washington, DC: take I-66 west to exit 23 and follow Rt.17 north. Turn left on Rt. 50 at Paris. Just past Millwood, turn left on Red Gate Road (Rt. 624) and go ½ mile to entrance. For a more scenic route, take Rt. 50 west through Middleburg and Upperville, continuing as above. From Interstate 81: Take exit 313 and go approx. 13 miles on Rt. 50 east. Turn right on Red Gate Road (Rt. 624) and go ½ mile to entrance.