The December Holidays

Activity Cancellations Dec 31 and Jan 1

All indoor activities and the New Year's Buffet are all cancelled out of pro-active safety concerns.

There will be a served, modified dinner on Dec 31.

The stables are open and the Mule Ride is continuing on Jan 1.

Santa's Breakfats at Graves Mountain - lists and photos all morning

Santa Breakfasts

Dec Saturdays

Saturday Breakfasts

On Dec 4, 11 and 18

A Large Breakfast Buffet from 8-10AM with Santa Here from 8-11AM to listen to Young People's Wish Lists and sit for photos.
Meal - $16.50 plus Tax for Big Folks, Half Price 14 to 6 yrs, Free 5 and unders
Reservations please: info@gravesmountain.com & 540 923 4231.

New Year's Bingo

Physical Distancing

Game of Chance for All
New Year's Eve
and Jan 1 for low-key fun.
Dec 31 - 8:30PM
Jan 1 - 8:30 PM reprise

New Year's Eve celebration buffet at Graves Mountain Farm & Lodges - low key and no party for 2021

New Year's Eve Buffet

Distancing

New Year's Buffet Dinner in The Farmm Restaurant
Low Key but with a Fine Menu for Celebration

Canape Tray

Fruit and Cheese Platter
Freshly Made Breads
Butternut Squash and Goat Cheese
Crostinis
Crab Stuffed Mushrooms
Wild Mushrooms en Croute
Black Eyed Peas with Kale and
Brown Rice
Root Vegetable Gratin
Country Green Beans
Butternut Squash Mashed Potatoes
Roasted Fingerling Russet and
Sweet Potatoes
Breaded Chicken Breast Stuffed with Country Ham and Gruyere Peanut Pesto Sauce
Beef Wellington with Horseradish Sauce and Demi Glaze
Roasted Pork Loin with Blueberry Relish
Bourbon Glazed Broiled Salmon
Homemade Desserts
~~~~
Champagne toast and non-alcoholic beverages.

$50 pp all courses, Bringing young ones - 14 to 6 years half price and free for all 5 and unders

Story-telling

Around the Fireplace

Two winter-time story telling weekends:

New Years Eve weekend - Dec 31 and Jan 1 at 5 PM
President's Day weekend- Fri, Sat and Sun.

Get to Know the Horse

At the Stables - weekdays

30 minutes - Free
Learning & Discovery

When
2:00PM Mon, Wed, Thur, Fri

Where
The Stables by the farm-yard

Free

Reserve if you can, please with Guest Care
That way Eddie and Leah know that you are coming.

What
Eddie and Leah, lead a discussion over at our Stables with the help of one of the trail horses.

How does the horse think? How do we think? What does a horse see, what do we see? How do the two work together?

Mule Cart Rides

New Year's, MLK, Valentines

On Saturdays and occasional Sunday, Eddie and Leah from the Stables will set out on Mule Cart rides over to the farm and back fields then back again - just before gloaming strikes.

Dress warmly.

Please pre-book with Guest Services - info@gravesmountain.com, 540 923 4231.

Mountain Biking

Winter Trails

18 Miles of Trails on Farm

Then we have 100 miles that take you up to and into the Park

We have all options -
- easy
- hard push
- expert, technical, mountain single track

Note - we do not rent bikes. Please bring your own.

Winter Fly Fishing for native trout at Graves Mountain Farm & Lodges in the Blue Ridge of VA

Winter Fly Fishing & Clinics

Beginners up

Yes, IT IS doable in the winter.

Clinics on MLK weekend, Valentines Weekend Sat. and following Sats. in February and March.

:: Read details here >

Bluegras on the Porch our around thefire for cozy winter weekends at Graves Mountain Farm and Lodges VA Blue Ridge

Bluegrass from the Hollow

Our local trio

Rich Bluegrass in our Mountains.

It is real, from the heart here.

Smokin' Trout Bluegrass Trio - form our holler here. Then we have two other bands family from nearby hollers, followed by another four from down the road.

:: See Graves Mountain live music schedule here >

Holiday Community Fair at Graves Mountain Farm & LodgesAC

Holiday Fair at the Market

Dec 11 - 11 AM- 4PM

Santa, Grinch, and Free Activities, Crafts People

No admission cost, of course.
Open to all.
Dec 11, 11 AM - 4 PM
Santa, Grinch, Pony Rides, Bouncey House, Ornament making for the Young Ones, 10 Local Craftspeople. Baked Good Ordering for the Holidays - with Judy, our "master holler baker".

Cookie Decorating

Physical Distancing

For New Year's and MLK weekends, Judy Knighting will do Cookie Decorating for the family. Afternoons at 3 PM.

Each set-up is five cookies to work with - at your own space and with your own tools.

$20 pp - and five big cookies are the result

New Year's Weekend
Dec 31, Fri, 3PM
Jan 1, Sat 3PM

Martin Luther King Weekend
Feb 15, Sat, 3PM
Feb 16, Sat, 3PM

Fire-pit and S'more for winter nights at Graves Mountain Farm & Lodges

Fire-pit with S'mores

By Front Porch

Fridays and Saturdays at the Main Lodge firepit, overlooking the Blue Ridge, Old Rag and our Rose River River Valley

S'mores provided for all to snuggle in with.
If weather does not permit, then by the fireplace.

the Farm Resyaurant at Graves Mountain Farm & Lodges

The Farm Restaurant

Southern Contemporary

Chef James and Our Young Serving Team bring as much Farm to Table experience as the seasons allow.

Local organic pork form our friends the Weavers, beef from Polyface Farms, Pa Amish, and the Ryders, chicken from Polyface, vegetable is the simmer months from our and our neighbors gardens.

Hikling Old Rag in Winter from Graves Mountain Farm & Lodges

Hiking Old Rag

Front or Back Ways

Old Rag front entrance is 9.5 miles from us, the back way (not crowded) is 7.5 miles up our own back hollow road.

White Oak Canyon Waterfall Trail is also up our back hollow road, 7 miles.

Plus we have endless Or our other famous nearby trail (just up our back hollow road - White Oak Canyon.

Plus 18 miles of trails here on the Farm and our own big mountain - Doubletop - is 200 feet higher than Old Rag and a tough, technical footing climb.

Massages by Pre-schedule

In-room

Where?
Your choice (and the weather's)
In-room, outside in nature, or a private meeting room.

Now available with CDC precautions. Please book with the reservation desk. In room or in the Library.

Rate
$90 per hr. Please give us at least a day to arrange with Jenn or Megan as their schedules are busy.

Massage can be 60, 90, or 120 minutes.

What Styles
Both therapeutic and relaxation approaches.

Treatments are catered to meet your needs, whether preparing for or recovering from an outdoor adventure or wanting to promote relaxation for your stay at the Graves Mountain Farm

Winter road biiking in the VA Blue Ridge at Graves Mountain Farm & Lodges

Road Biking - Exceptional -

Scenic Byways

We have some of the best road biking a rider, pro or wanderer could ask for,

Our roads have very narrow shoulders but whole sequences of them are barely traveled and cars can be heard a long ways off.

The nature of hollers allow for winding, steep pushes, followed by winding turns down.

Note - we do not rent bikes, so please bring your own.

Fly Fishing Guide

Tim Lewis, Expert Guide

Learn to fish or gain more expert skills with Tim Lewis.

:: Read about Tim Lewis, Fly Fishing Guide for the VA Blue Ridge

Eagles fish along our river - the Rose River at Graves Mountain Farm & Lodges

Eagle Aerie

Eagles on our streams

Great blue herons, eagles, egrets, hawks, owls bear, deer, skunks, foxes, turkeys, coyotes, wildcats, possums, and raccoons may cross your path.

They will want to avoid you.

Soap Makinnnng Class at Graves Mountain Farm & Lodges

Soap Making Classes

With Old Rag Soap Co

Beginner Soap Making Workshop with Charlotte and Brian Lenhoff

We are local soap artisans bringing our soaping skills to Graves Mountain Farm with:

Soap making workshops on Saturday at 1 PM, $90 per person.
The minimum age, to participate in the workshop, is 16.

Dec 4, Sat
Jan 8, Sat
Feb 5, Sat
Mar 5, Sat

New Year's Holler Stle Family Time at Graves Mountain

New Year's Wkend

Dec 30- Jan 2

Activities - Dec 30 - Jan 2and Covid Aware
- Dec 31 - Celebration Buffet Dinner.
Low Key NOT a "Party'
- Cookie Decorating
- Story Telling
- Bingo
- Mule Cart Rides
Then all our usual
- Nature Walk
- Riding
- Get to Know the Horse
- The Farm Animals
- Hiking
- Mountain Biking - bring your own
- Road Bike Riding - bring your own

Natture Walk Learning & Discovery at at Graves Mountain Farm & Lodges

Nature Walk Saturdays

"In True Nature"

Free, for guests and all visitors.
11 AM Sat, from the Main Lodge. If weather does not permit, Jenn and Daniel will do a show and tell by the fire place in the Main Lodge.

Gentle walk - return about 12:15

:: Read more about the Nature Walk >

Ellen Nagase - singer song-writer at Graves Mountaun Farm & Lodges

Ellen Nagase Music

Ellen, resident singer song-writer

Ellen joins us around the fireplace or campfire on Friday evenings.

She will be giving us musical accents for New Year's - low key family get-together.

Wine Tastings

Just Next Door

DuCard is just the next hollow over. Their wine-maker, Julien, is French, so they have exceptional French style wines using only grapes that they grow here in the hollows.

They have fine wines and good music to make long, lazy afternoons at a vineyard.

Farm animals for youngsters - in VA Blue Ridge, at Graves Mountain Farm & Lodges

Exploring the Animals

at Farm-yard

:: Read more about the farm animals here >

We are a working farm and orchard - 1800 acres.

We start each weekend day with a visit to the rolling chicken coop at the bottom of the Main Lodge hill for egg collecting and feeding.

The onto the pet pigs having a run, followed by the goats - in their fenced in area and usually with youngsters and babes.

The ponies and longhorn cattle are around the corner and horses over at the stable.

Strolling through fields at Graves Mountain Farm & Lodges

Strolling Fields

On our 1800 Acre Farm

With 18 miles of trails, on our 1800 acres of farm and mountain, we have trails to meander on by streams - two of them, through orchards, around the Meadows pond, aloong ghe breasts of the big mountain -Doubletop- higher than Old Rag or smaller - Graves.

Winter fishing on pond or stream at Graves Mountain Farm & Lodges

Winter Fishing Pond-Stream

2 Ponds - 2 Streams

Two ponds where licenses are not required

Watercolor painting workshop with Lou Messa at Graves Mountain Farm & Lodges in the VA Blue Ridge

Watercolor Workshop

Beginners Up

Art Workshops
Watercolor Landscapes with our renowned landscape artist and mentor, Lou Messa

Learning and Discovery at Graves Mountain Farm

When?
Monthly workshops on Saturday, $175 per person, limited to eight. Lou is a painter of America’s rural heritage.

Regular monthly schedule and also guests can pre-book their own group with a minimum of three people.

Dec 4, Sat
Jan 1, Sat
Jan 8, Sat
Jan 15, Sat of Martin Luther King Weekend
Feb 5, Sat
Feb 19, Sat
Mar 5, Sat

How long?
From 10 AM to 3:30 PM

Reservations - Guest Services info@gravesmountain.com | 540 923 4231

:; Please read watercolor workshop details here >

Winter trail rides at Graves Mountain Farm & Lodges by Shenandoah National Park

Trail Riding - 1 Hr Plus

Up to Full Day

Horseback Rides in the Blue Ridge and into Shenandoah National Park are for beginners to experts.

Eddie and Leah will guide you onto the horse and take you out for the horseback ride you have chosen.

Lessons are available- anywhere from half an hour to half a day.

At Circle B Stable, we ride western style through our 1100 acres and into the Shenandoah National Park – over 100 miles of trails.

You will cross streams, open fields and woodlands. We offer one hour, half-day and full-day rides every day at Graves Mountain Farm.

:: Read details about horseback riding at Graves Mountain Farm by the VA Blue Ridge >

The Holidays in the Virginia Blue Ridge