For Immediate Release
August 6, 2014
Digital images available
Media Contact:
Melissa Wood (703) 799-5203
Fall into Colonial Fun at Mount Vernon
Beer Dinner, Photo Workshop Safari, and a New Trick-or-Treat Event
MOUNT VERNON, VA – George Washington’s Mount Vernon kicks off the fall season with special events for all ages! New: Join Mount Vernon for a spooktacular evening of fun at its first ever Trick-or-Treat at Mount Vernon event! Go behind-the-scenes at Mount Vernon and take a photography workshop with Washington Safari. Lean how to play cricket with our 18th-century cricket expert during Colonial Market & Fair, September 20-21. For more information, please visit MountVernon.org.
SPECIAL EVENTS
Gentleman Distiller: Whiskey Tasting & Dinner
Friday, September 12, 6 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Learn more about George Washington’s role as “Distiller in Chief” at this exclusive event! The evening begins with a reception at the Distillery & Gristmill, where guests will get a first-hand look at how whiskey was produced in Washington’s time. The event continues on the estate with a brief talk by Mount Vernon’s distillery staff, followed by a whiskey tasting and seated dinner at the Mount Vernon Inn. Tickets are $125 per person.
Colonial Market & Fair
Saturday & Sunday, September 20 – 21, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
The annual Colonial Market & Fair at Mount Vernon features dozens of America’s finest craftspeople and plenty of family fun! Fifty colonial-attired artisans demonstrate 18th-century crafts and sell traditional wares such as baskets, woodcarvings, tin and ironwork, leatherworkings, weavings, furniture, and much more. New this year: Try your hand at 18th century cricket! Cricket games will be played throughout the weekend. “General Washington” will be on hand overseeing the lively Revolutionary War military drills and 18th-century entertainment including music, fire-eating, sword-swallowing, puppet and magic shows, plus hearty specialty food for sale on site. This weekend only, Potomac River sightseeing cruises, courtesy of Spirit Cruises and Potomac Riverboat Company, are free of charge. The Colonial Market & Fair at Mount Vernon is included in admission.
Fall Wine Festival & Sunset Tour
Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, October 3-5, 6 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Enjoy live blues and spectacular views of the Potomac River while sampling wine from 16 Virginia wineries. Visitors learn about the successes and failures of our Founding Father’s wine endeavors, enjoy live blues music, and meet “George and Martha Washington” on the Mansion’s piazza. Guests experience an evening tour of the Washingtons’ home and are invited to visit the basement where he stored his wine. Tickets to the Fall Wine Festival & Sunset Tour are $38 per person Friday and Sunday night; Saturday night $44 per person, fruit and cheese boxes are $26 each. Ticket sales begin August 25 at 10 a.m. at the Ford Orientation Center or MountVernon.org.
Brewing History: Beer Tasting, Tour & Dinner
Friday, October 24, 6 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Mount Vernon hosts a special beer dinner, brewing demonstration, and private Mansion tour for guests at the first president’s estate. Learn more about how beer was brewed and enjoyed in early America. The evening begins with a reception and beer tasting. Following the reception, groups will experience a private tour of the Mansion. A special 18th-century beer brewing demonstration in the historic area will focus on the beer that would have been consumed by Washington. Listen to knowledgeable staff while enjoying a four-course menu paired with specialty beers by the Mount Vernon Inn. Tickets are $95 and are available online at MountVernon.org beginningSeptember 15. Includes tax and gratuity.
Capturing an American Icon: Fall Photo Workshop at Mount Vernon
Saturday, October 25, 2:30 p.m. – 5 p.m.
Sunday, November 2, 2:30 p.m. – 5 p.m.
Monday, November 10, 2:30 p.m. – 5 p.m.
Join Mount Vernon for an exciting new program, Capturing an American Icon: Fall Photo Workshop at Mount Vernon, offered in partnership with Washington Photo Safari. The photo safari includes many of Mount Vernon’s picturesque outdoor settings, including the gardens, orchard, farm, historic structures, and the Potomac River. Participants will go “behind-the-scenes” to areas of the estate not available to the general public. Washington Photo Safari director E. David Luria will give hands-on tips in architectural, travel, and nature photography, as well as instruction on camera use. Participants at any skill level, with any camera, are invited to attend.
Guests are responsible for providing their own equipment and for any photo processing. This workshop is $89 per person and includes estate admission. Tickets are available at MountVernon.org or at the Ford Orientation Center.
Fall Harvest Family Days
Saturday & Sunday, October 25-26, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Mount Vernon celebrates the autumn season with Fall Harvest Family Days! The entire family enjoys autumn activities including wagon rides, wheat treading in the 16-sided barn, 18th-century dancing demonstrations, a straw bale maze, farrier (blacksmithing) demonstrations, apple-roasting, corn husk dolls demonstrations and early-American games and music. Potomac River sightseeing cruises are half-price this weekend only. Fall Harvest Family Days is included in estate admission.
Trick-or-Treat at Mount Vernon
Friday, October 31, 3:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.
A historic treat! Mount Vernon opens its doors for the first time to trick-or-treaters! Join the costumed cast of interpreters for a special opportunity to trick-or-treat in the historic area. A special scavenger hunt is available for our more adventurous guests. All trick-or-treaters are invited to join in the children’s costume parade around the Mansion at 6 p.m. Prizes will be awarded for the best “George” and “Martha” costumes! Participate in a Halloween craft activity in the greenhouse. Special trade demonstrations, like 18th-century wool spinning and laundry washing, will take place in the historic area. Listen to Halloween-themed stories in the straw bale amphitheater, enjoy colonial games and dancing demonstrations, and take a wagon ride. The Mansion and Donald W. Reynolds Museum will not be open for this event. Tickets are required for all adults and children to attend this event. The cost is $10 per adult and $5 per child. Doors open at 3:30 p.m. and close at 6 p.m. Tickets are available at 10 a.m. on August 8.
Ford Evening Book Talks
Thursday, September 18, 7 p.m.
Thursday, October 2, 7 p.m.
The Fred W. Smith National Library for the Study of George Washington invites you to join us for our monthly Ford Evening Book Talk, which features authors and historians discussing their latest books about George Washington and our nation’s Founding era. Lectures are free and open to the public, and books will be available for purchase. Space is limited; registration is required. Please visit MountVernon.org/Library for more information.
SEASONAL TOURS
All the President’s Pups
Saturdays, September 6 – October 25, 10 a.m.
George Washington’s Mount Vernon invites all dogs and their two-legged friends to explore the Estate through a new guided walking tour devoted to dogs! All The President’s Pups walking tour takes place on Saturdaymornings at 10 a.m. through October 25. This special walking tour covers 1.25 miles of Mount Vernon terrain stopping at five historic locations, including the West Gate. Learn about canine life at Mount Vernon, from the first president’s dogs to the dogs that live at Mount Vernon today. All The President’s Pups walking tour costs $5 in addition to estate admission for humans. Admission for dogs is free. All dogs must be leashed with their owner at all times.
Dinner for the Washingtons
Saturdays and Sundays, through October 26, 12 p.m.
Ever wonder what George Washington ate for dinner? The Dinner for the Washingtons walking tour goes behinds the scenes to find out how food was prepared and served before the era of microwaves and TV dinners. The one-hour walking tour showcases food, hospitality, and dining at Mount Vernon by taking an in-depth look at locations around the Estate, including the basement cellar. The tour concludes in Mount Vernon’s greenhouse with a toast to Washington and a sample of food based on an 18th century recipe. This special tour costs $5 per tour in addition to estate admission.
National Treasure Tour
Daily through October 31, 9:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 1 p.m., 3 p.m.
The National Treasure Tour is dedicated to the behind-the-scenes filming of the blockbuster movie “National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets” at Mount Vernon. This popular tour combines Hollywood and history, giving visitors stories about the filming and also information on how the locations were used during George Washington’s time. Included in this approximately hour-long walking tour is the Mansion’s basement and cornerstone, the setting for a pivotal scene. Fans of the movie will recognize the space as the location where Nicolas Cage’s character kidnaps the president. This special tour costs $5 per tour in addition to estate admission.
Saving Mount Vernon
Saturdays and Sundays, through October 26, 3:30 p.m.
During this one-hour tour, visit the rarely seen Mansion basement and wander the historic area to learn of the heroics of the estate’s caretakers during the Civil War, and the robust efforts of many over the century and a half that followed. This special tour costs $5 per tour in addition to estate admission.
Through My Eyes
Saturdays and Sundays, through October 26, 1:30 p.m.
Step back in time for a 45-minute immersive experience. Join people from Washington’s world, like his granddaughter, personal secretary, or farm manager, as they go about their daily activities, making several stops along the way. This special tour costs $5 per tour in addition to estate admission.
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Melissa Wood
Director of Media Relations
George Washington’s Mount Vernon Estate & Gardens
PO Box 110
Mount Vernon, VA 22121
mwood@mountvernon.org
703.799.5203 (direct)
Twitter: Melissa_at_MV
http://www.MountVernon.org
Maralyn D. Hill
Maralyn D. Hill, M.Ed., The Epicurean Explorer
Executive Editor, LuxeBeatMag.com
August Digital Edition now online at http://luxebeatmag.com/magazine/august-2014/
Freelance Lifestyle Journalist
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Board Member, Co-Chair Conference & Media Trip Committee, Past President
Member: Society of American Travel Writers (SATW)
Member: Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ)
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