The Stratford Hall Wine and Oyster Festival returns on September 16 and 17. Unfolding in front of the eighteenth-century Great House, Stratford Hall’s signature event offers tastings from Virginia wineries, coastal oysters, craft breweries, spirits, artisan booths, live music, and family-friendly activities. Participating wineries, breweries, and cideries include Adventure Brewing Co; Cobbler Mountain Cider; Copper Fox Distillery; Ditchley Cider Works; The Estate at White Hall Vineyard; General’s Ridge Vineyard; Good Luck Cellars; Ice House Brewery; Ingleside Vineyards; Mattaponi Winery; Notaviva Vineyards; Rogers Ford Farm Winery; Springfield Distillery; Virago Spirits; Wind Vineyards at Laurel Grove; and Zoll Vineyards. A delicious lineup of oyster growers and food trucks are featured during the festival: Amiee’s Sandwiches; Asia Fusion Elite; Bright Eyes Concession and Catering Cargo; Denson’s Chesapeake Bay Farm to Table Catering and Food Truck; Gregory’s Grill; Nomini Bay Oyster Ranch; Rappahannock Oyster Company; Salty Bob’s Oyster and Seafood; Salty Bottom Blue Oysters; Sweet Lew’s Kettle Corn; Taste of Trelawny Food Truck; Tilly’s Homemade Ice Cream; and Will’s Place.
Local artisan booths, live music, and a kids zone with face painting and barrel train rides on both days of the festival provide fun for all ages. The wine and oyster tastings, food, and fun are just the beginning of what you can expect at this annual festival. The eighteenth-century Great House will be open Saturday 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. to wander through at your leisure.
Wandering the beautiful gardens, a trip to the cliffs overlooking the Potomac River, and discovering local wares at the gift shop offers the opportunity to explore more of Stratford Hall. The car shows are always a highlight with the Victory 7 Mustang Club and Pony Riders Mustang Club on display Saturday and Memory Lane Car Club on Sunday.
Stop by the oyster demonstration tent in the center of the festival and learn about oysters and the work of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation and the Friends of the Rappahannock. Scheduled presentations (Saturday 12 and 3 p.m. and Sunday 12 and 2 p.m.) will discuss oyster biology and history.
LIVE MUSIC LINEUP:
Saturday:
10:30 a.m. Trent Jones
12:00 p.m. Whiskey Revival
2:00 p.m. David Smith and Friends
4:00 p.m. Tyler Nichols
Sunday:
11:15 a.m. Tommy Filkoski
12:30 p.m. Darcy Dawn
2:00 p.m. Tropical Johnson
Sponsors for the 2023 festival include: Platinum Sponsor: Clements Tent Rentals; Gold Sponsors: Atlantic Union Bank; A&S Environmental, Inc.; Bay Transit: A Division of Bay Aging; The Dove Team | Keller Williams Realty; Local Services, LLC and River City Golf Carts; Silver Sponsors: Advanced Integrative Medicine; Bartlett Tree Experts; Dockside Realty; Faber Orthodontics; Renewal by Andersen of Central Virginia; Richard Cottrell DDS PC; Spinnaker Resorts; and Wynkoop Insurance Agency, LLC; Bronze Sponsors: Communication Design, Inc.; Cralle Insurance Agency, Inc.; Dixie Lee Washington | RE/MAX Supercenter; DK Direct, LLC.; Eddie Windsor | Century 21 Redwood Realty and Fredericksburg Dental Center – Dr. Kent Archibald; Jimmy Coates, EXIT Mid-Rivers Realty
Purchase tickets at StratfordHall.org/WineOyster2023.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Fossil Hunting Excursion
Sunday, October 1 • 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Dating from the Miocene Epoch - approximately 17 to 10 million years ago, the Stratford Cliffs are part of a rare geological phenomenon ranking among the most important fossil research sites in the Mid-Atlantic region. Whether you are a seasoned collector, or this is your first experience, Stratford Hall is the place for you! Spend a day hunting for fossils along the shores of the Potomac, explore the Stratford Cliffs, and enjoy the beauty and tranquility of the great outdoors!
Excursions are rated at a moderately strenuous to strenuous activity level requiring long periods of walking, hiking, standing, stooping, and bending. If you wish to access the further extremities of the beach, this will include climbing over or under washed up debris or felled trees. Minimum age requirements for all fossil hunting excursions are 8 years old. Any participant under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult.
COST
$35 per adult (14+)
$30 per child (ages 8 to 13)
Age requirements: 8+ years of age
Fossil hunting excursions are weather dependent activities and Stratford Hall reserves the right to cancel excursions at any time. A full refund will be given unless the cancellation is due to inclement weather, in which case a reschedule date will be provided. All participant cancellations require a 48-hour email notice before the excursion takes place. Absence from an excursion is nonrefundable. Refunds are the sole discretion of Stratford Hall and will be considered in such cases where there is an illness or emergency. All requests for refunds must be submitted in writing to Kelly Childress, Director of Education, at kchildress@stratfordhall.org.
Pre-registration and pre-payment are required for Stratford Hall fossil hunting excursions. To register, please visit our website at www.stratfordhall.org.
Hands On History Day
Friday, September 22
10 a.m. – 3 p.m.
The childhood home of the only two brothers to sign the Declaration of Independence, Stratford Hall represents an important time and place in our country’s history. Come be inspired by the rich history and natural beauty of Stratford Hall Historic Preserve in Westmoreland County, Virginia. Join us on September 22nd for Hands On History Day. Adventure awaits!
Discover what life was like in colonial Virginia while taking a self-guided audio tour of the Great House and historic area.
Experience an 18th-century cooking demonstration in the historic kitchen while learning about the Transatlantic trade, colonial foodways and the influences made by enslaved chefs on the creation of American cuisine.
Take part in an interactive African drumming demonstration while exploring the cultural and historical influences of the music of the African Diaspora.
Engage with our knowledgeable museum educators about the scientific studies of Paleontology and Archaeology at Stratford Hall.
Immerse yourself in nature with miles of hiking trails, bird watching, fishing, and hunting for sharks’ teeth along the Potomac River while visiting Stratford Hall’s public beach area.
Pack a picnic for the family and relax at one of our numerous picnic areas throughout our site.
Pre-registration available and tickets are available at the gate.