2009 Event Calendar
| Saturday,
February 7 at 10:00 am - noon Volunteer Orientation Session. Interpret life on the colonial frontier. Garden in an 18th century demonstration garden. Help plan and implement special events, kid's activities, exhibits, and much more! Enter at the Museum Store. Call 231-3947 or e-mail info@smithfieldplantation.org to sign up or for more information. |
Wednesday,
February 11 at 9:30 am |
| Thursday,
February 19 at 7:30 pm Historic Lecture Series. Local resident and Blacksburg Museum Committee member Charles Johnson will speak about his recollections of the African American communities in and around Blacksburg. Mr. Johnson, a lifelong resident of Blacksburg offers many thought provoking insights into topics such as the integration of public schools and Virginia Tech. In the Roger E. Hedgepeth Chambers, Blacksburg Municipal Building, 300 South Main Street. The lecture is free and open to the public. Refreshments will follow in the Municipal Building lobby. The Historic Lecture Series is sponsored by the Blacksburg Museum and Historic Smithfield Plantation. |
| Thursday,
March 5 at 7:30 pm Historic Lecture Series. A presentation by Jack Davis, Reynolds Metals Professor and Dean of the College of Architecture and Urban Studies at Virginia Tech. Mr. Davis will present "A Historical Perspective on the Town Planning of Blacksburg", which includes many photographs of buildings that have been demolished during the Town's history. In the Roger E. Hedgepeth Chambers, Blacksburg Municipal Building, 300 South Main Street. The lecture is free and open to the public. Refreshments will follow in the Municipal Building lobby. The Historic Lecture Series is sponsored by the Blacksburg Museum and Historic Smithfield Plantation. |
| Wednesday,
March 11 at 9:30 am Smithfield Guild Meeting. Professor Bruce Parker will talk about Mountain Lake and the phenomenon of the vanishing lake. Light refreshments will be served before the meeting. Bring a friend! |
| Saturday,
March 21 from 1:30pm - 3:00pm Fruit Tree Pruning Workshop. This class will meet in Historic Smithfield Heirloom Orchard and Gardens. It will be led by Barry Robinson, Montgomery County Horticulture Extension Agent, and Don Bixby, Historic Smithfield Garden Coordinator. The emphasis will be on proper pruning of apple and pear trees in the Smithfield Orchard, but other topics to be covered include: variety selection, planting, mulching, maintenance and pest management. Also covered will be the pruning and care of grapevines, raspberries and currant bushes. Equipment will be reviewed (you may bring your own for evaluation). Preregistration is required with a fee of $15.00 to support the historic agriculture program at Smithfield. |
| Saturday,
March 28 from 9:30am to 12:30pm Inside/Outside Work Day. Help prepare the house and grounds for Opening Day. Bring paper towels, step stool, or anything you think might be useful for clean up. |
| Tuesday,
March 31, 7:00am - 8:45pm Spring Guild Trip. The itinerary includes the Virginia Historical Society Museum in Richmond with a special behind the scenes tour of the archives, a tour of the recently restored Executive Mansion plus a chat with the First Lady of Virginia, and a visit to one of Virginia’s newest award-winning vineyards--Barren Ridge Vineyards, for a wine tasting. Cost is $50 (includes bus fare, cost of “gourmet” box lunch and museum admission). Make reservations for yourself, friends and family early! The bus from Sunshine Tours holds only 52 people (so passengers will have extra leg room). Itinerary and reservation form here. |
| Saturday,
April 4 from 10:00am-5:00pm Opening Day. Join us as we celebrate the re-opening of Smithfield this spring with re-enactments and demonstrations of life in the 18th century, walk–through tours guided by costumed interpreters, and the Smithfield Museum Store. Admission will be $1 at the gate and includes a tour of the house. |
| Wednesday,
April 8 at 9:30 am Smithfield Guild Meeting. The Reverend Jimmie Price will share some of his vast knowledge about the area - both entertaining and educational. Light refreshments will be served before the meeting. Bring a friend! |
| Saturday,
May 9 from 9:00am-5:00pm Heirloom Plant Sale. Learn about colonial plant materials that were indigenous to the area, and purchase heirloom plants for your own garden. Old favorites, bursting with color, texture and interesting form, are very appropriate for today’s gardeners, who want a touch of history for their home gardens. Crow's Nest Greenhouses of Prices Fork, owner Jay Smith, is providing true heirloom plants. The Smithfield Gardeners are also supplying several varieties of plants from the Historic Smithfield garden. Knowledgeable volunteers from the Smithfield garden will be on hand for assistance and to answer questions. Browse botanical themed gifts in the Smithfield Museum Store. The house will be open for tours at regular admission prices. |
| Wednesday,
May 13 at 9:30 am Smithfield Guild Meeting. Piecing Together History, the Quilts of Virginia and Smithfield." Light refreshments will be served before the meeting. Bring a friend! |
| Saturday,
May 30, 10:00am to 3:00pm Basket Making 501. Come learn this timeless art and create a beautiful and unique basket for your home or as a gift. Terry Nicholson has carried on the tradition of basket making from his mother and has been teaching the art for over 5 years. Participants will be making a Nantucket Style basket with wood bottom and top (supplied). Manageable for beginners with challenge enough for those with experience. These baskets retail for over $100. Class fee of $70 includes supplies and complete instruction for one basket. It is suggested that class participants pack a light lunch, and bring a pair of scissors. Class size is limited- Call 540.231.3947 today to sign up! Click here to see a photograph of the completed basket. |
| Sunday,
June 7, from 1:00-5:00pm Strawberry Social and Fashion Show. A new event for this year! We will be partnering with Ponnie from Ponnie’s Boutique to model modern as well as vintage fashions. There will be refreshments (strawberry-themed) and a silent auction featuring work from local artists. Admission is $15. Click here for a flier. |
| Saturday,
June 27, 2:30pm Historic Lecture Series. Blacksburg Cemetery Tour led by April Danner; with information provided by the Gatekeepers, a group recording the history of cemeteries in Montgomery County. The tour is free and open to the public. The Historic Lecture Series is sponsored by the Blacksburg Museum and Historic Smithfield Plantation. Meet at Smithfield Plantation to begin the tour at the Preston Cemetery. Other stops are: St. Michael's Lutheran Church, Merrimac Road; Kentland cemeteries; and the Harless Cemetery in Long Shop (near Kentland). Wear walking shoes. Please call 231-3947 for more details. |
| June TBA Juneteenth Exhibit. Includes artwork, information about research into African American life at Historic Smithfield Planation, information about the Juneteenth celebration, and a recitation of poems and the names of the enslaved people who worked and lived at Smithfield Plantation. |
| Saturday,
July 4, 10:00am to 2:00pm Fourth of July Celebration. Celebrate where Revolutionary War patriots trod. Bring a picnic, family and friends to the grounds of Historic Smithfield Plantation, the circa 1774 home of Revolutionary War Colonel William Preston and his wife Susanna. Music, dancing, Revolutionary re-enactments, children's crafts and games, walks through the magnificent plantation home will be featured. Log Cabin Bar-B-Q will be available from 11:00am to 2:00pm. |
July 20-24
and July 27-31, 9am to noon |
| Saturday,
July 25, 1:30pm - 3:30pm English Paper Piecing Quilting Class. Taught by Smithfield's own Kathy Gabrasch. Class fee $25. Class size limited to 10. |
| Saturday,
August 22, time TBA Wine Tasting. Details to be announced. |
| Thursday,
September 17, 6:30pm Historic Lecture Series. A visit to the Mary Drapers Ingles property in Radford to learn more about early life in the area. The tour is free and open to the public. The Historic Lecture Series is sponsored by the Blacksburg Museum and Historic Smithfield Plantation. |
| Wednesday,
September 23, 1:30pm - 3:30pm Braided Rug Making Class. Taught by Smithfield's own Kathy Gabrash. Class fee $25. Class size limited to 10. |
| Saturday,
October 3, 10:00am to noon Open Fire Cooking Class. Taught by Pam Linkous-Polan. Class fee is $25. Class size limited to 10. |
| Saturday,
October 3 and 4, 10:00am to 5:00pm Apple Festival. Details to be announced. |
| Thursday,
December 3 - Sunday, December 6, 1:00-5:00pm Holidays at Smithfield. The celebration includes tea and savory and sweet treats in Susanna’s Tea Room, tours of the elegantly decorated 1774 home. There will be traditional music, children’s activities, shopping in the museum store, greenery sales and more! |
Saturday,
December 12, 11:00am to 2:00pm |
1000 Smithfield Plantation Road
Blacksburg, Virginia 24060
