Christmas tree at Graves Mountain Farm & Lodges

The Holidays in the Virginia Blue Ridge

The December Holidays
2023

See the In-between Period - After Christmas through New Year's
Santa's Breakfats at Graves Mountain - lists and photos all morning

Santa Breakfasts & Lunches

Dec Saturdays

Saturday Breakfasts

On Dec 2, 9, and 16

Santa Big Breakfast and Farmhouse Santa Lunch

A Large Breakfast Buffet from 8-11AM with Santa Here from 8-11AM to listen to Young People's Wish Lists and sit for photos.

Meal - $17.50 plus Tax for Big Folks, Half Price 14 to 6 yrs, Free 5 and unders
Reservations please: info@gravesmountain.com & 540 923 4231.

Farmhouse Santa Lunch Buffet
Noon - 2PM with Santa - brunch buffet with Farm Fried Chicken, too,
Prices TBD

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New Year's Bingo

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 and Celebration

New Year's Buffet Dinner in The Farm Restaurant
Dinner, Story-telling, Bingo, Dancing with Smokin' Trout Bluegrass Trio

To be Confirmed - subject to change

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

Get to know the horse at Graves Mountain Farm & Stables in the VA Blue Ridge

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?  

:: Read more about Get to Know the Horse here >

Mountain Biking in Winter on Trails - Graves Mountain Farm & Lodges

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

For Beginners and Experienced Anglers

Yes, IT IS doable in the winter.

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

:: Read details here >

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.

 

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

Local Bluegrass Musicians

Our local trio-Smokin' Trout

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 2 - 10 AM- 3PM

Santa, Grinch, and Free Activities, Crafts People


No admission cost, of course.
Open to all.
Dec 2, 10 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".

Learn More about Community Fair
Cookie Decorating at Graves Mountain Farm & Lodges - cozy winter activities

Cookie Decorating - On Your Own

For New Year's and MLK weekends, we will do On Your Own 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.

$25 pp -  and five big cookies are the result

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

Fire-pit with Marshmallows

By Front Porch

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

Marshmallows t roast - 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 Graves Mountain Restaurant at The Main Lodge

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

On the Farm & in The Shenandoah National Park

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 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.

Nassages in-room at Graves Mountain Farm & Lodges for cozy winter stays

Massages by Appointment

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

:: Read more here about massages at Graves Mountain >

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.

Tim Lewis Fly Fishing Guide at Graves Mountain Farm and Lodges on the Rose and Robinson Rivers in the VA Blue Ridge

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

Soap Makinnnng Class at Graves Mountain Farm & Lodges

Soap Making Classes

With In True Nature or Cornerstone Lavender Farm

Beginner Soap Making Workshop with Jenn of In True Nature

We are local users of natural, local ingredients.

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

New Years Family Weekend at Graves Mountain Farm

New Year's Weekend

Dec 28- Jan 2


Activities - Dec 30 - Jan 2
- Dec 31 -  Celebration Buffet Dinner.
  - With our Great Bluegrass Band Smokin' Trout
 - Cookie Decorating
 - Story Telling 
 - Bingo 

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 & Smokin' Trout 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 at nearby vineyard - DuCard - from Graves Mountain Farm & Lodges in Blue Ridge of VA

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 & Resort 

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

For Beginners & Experienced Artists

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 >