News

Media Contact: Mark Finks
Tel. 540-801-8779
E-mail: Mark@valleyarts.org
Web: valleyarts.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Valley Playhouse is excited to announce that they will be presenting the Pulitzer Prize-winning production of A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams this April!

What: A Streetcar Named Desire

When: Thursdays - Saturdays, April 20 - 22, and April 27 - 29 at 7: 30 pm and Sundays April 23 and 30 at 3pm.

Special benefit dress rehearsal on Wednesday, April 19 for the Blessed Sacrament Food Pantry. Admission is a non-perishable food item.

Where:  Court Square Theater, 41 Court Square, Harrisonburg, VA

Tickets: $14 in advance, $12 for seniors in advance; $16 at the door, $14 for seniors and students at the door. Thursday, April 27 is “Pay What You Will” night

Description: Valley Playhouse is pleased to add a new director to our roster, Mr. Joseph Nunez, who is directing the classic A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams.

A Streetcar Named Desire opened on Broadway on December 3, 1947. Set in the French Quarter of New Orleans just after the end of World War II, its mid-century audience was reportedly shocked by its frank depiction of sexuality and brutality onstage. It made stars of newcomer Marlon Brando and Jessica Tandy won a Tony for her portrayal of the frail Blanche Dubois.

Veteran VP actors Michael Trochia (Stanley Kowalski) and Rebecca Wishon Rodgers (Eunice Hubbell) join Alex Cooke (Stella Kowalski), Deanna Garmer (Blanche DuBois), and Will Browning (Harold Mittchell) in this powerful and provocative production. Supporting actors Emily Oblinger, Richard Clem, Madelene Caruso, Nathan Granofsky, Dennis Lee, Emma Leweke, Megan Shield and Chloe Fritz complete the ensemble as we ride the theatrical trolley to the climatic end of the line.

THE STORY:  The play reveals to the very depths the character of Blanche du Bois, a woman whose life has been undermined by her romantic illusions, which lead her to reject—so far as possible—the realities of life with which she is faced and which she consistently ignores. The pressure brought to bear upon her by her sister, with whom she goes to live in New Orleans, intensified by the earthy and extremely "normal" young husband of the latter, leads to a revelation of her tragic self-delusion and, in the end, to madness.

This celebrated play had a long and successful run on Broadway and the road. A tragic and effective drama which ranks as one of the greatest in our theatre.

For more information, please check out our website at www.valleyplayhouse.com. 

####

The Arts Council of the Valley promotes the arts as fundamental to a vibrant community, providing memorable arts experiences in the City of Harrisonburg and Rockingham County.

The ribbon cutting for the new Northern Virginia Gateway Welcome Center on Northbound Interstate 95 took place Friday, March 10th at 10am! This center is staffed by VTC Tourism Counselors 362 days a year from 8:30am until 5:00pm. These Tourism Counselors provide travelers with information on all of Virginia's attractions and destinations, as well as hotel reservations.

The new Northern Virginia Gateway Welcome Center is located in Caroline County at mile marker 107. Located less than 50 miles south of the heart of the Northern Virginia tourism region, this new Welcome Center provides tourism partners in Fredericksburg, Manassas, Prince William, Fairfax, Arlington, Alexandria, Falls Church, Leesburg, and other destinations with an expanded opportunity to reach north-bound travelers (over 1.8 million travelers stop here every year)! The goal with this new Welcome Center, as with all Virginia Welcome Centers, is to get more people off the road, to spend more time and more money in Virginia.

	Representatives from VDOT, Caroline County, and the Virginia Commerce Department join Virginia Tourism's CEO Rita McClenny (red dress) for the ribbon-cutting.

As with the existing Virginia Welcome Centers, marketing opportunities for tourism partners include brochure distribution, year-long glass case displays, month-long marketing blitzes, and ad panels. This new center also features new enhanced digital spotlights! These new spotlights will rotate on a 90-second cycle and will display on a 65-inch screen visible to travelers 24-hours a day!

Contact Highway Information Media to enroll in marketing at this new location!

To learn more about the tourism marketing opportunities in this new location, and in all forty of the Welcome Center and rest area locations along Virginia's Interstate Highways, please contact Highway Information Media! Send email inquiries to: info@himediallc.com or call Lindsay Slone and Larry Henley at (804)382-4850.

Cedar Creek and Belle Grove National Historical Park

National Park Service News Release

For Immediate Release: March 7, 2017
Contact: Eric Campbell (540) 868-0937
Meg Martin (Civil War Trust) 202.367.1861 x7231  

Cedar Creek and Belle Grove National Historical Park
Seeks Volunteers for Park Day

Middletown, Va. – On Saturday, April 1, 2017, history buffs, community leaders and preservationists will team up with the Civil War Trust at more than 130 sites in 30 states to answer the call to service on Park Day. Celebrating over 20 successful years, Park Day has attracted volunteers of all ages and abilities bound by their dedication to serving their communities at historic sites nationwide.

In Middletown, Virginia, Cedar Creek and Belle Grove National Historical Park will host a Park Day event from 8:00 a.m. until 12:00 noon. This year’s project will involve constructing an historic fence line near the 8th Vermont monument, trail work and brush removal. Refreshments will be provided free of charge. 

Following the project, at 12:00 noon, Park Ranger Jeff Driscoll, will present a special program, the "Sacrifice of the Thomas' Brigade.” Each participant will be given the identity of a soldier in the brigade (including the soldier’s photograph) and learn that soldier's fate at the end of the program (lasts 1 hour).

Volunteers are requested to contact the park prior to Park Day to register, at (540) 869-3051 or by e-mail at Shannon_moeck@nps.gov. 

WHAT: Park Day volunteer event at Cedar Creek and Belle Grove National Historical Park

WHEN: April 1, 2017, beginning at 8:00 a.m.

WHERE: Meet at the National Park Service Visitor Contact Station (7712 Main Street, Middletown, Virginia).  Once registered, visitors will be given directions for a short drive to the work site.

The Civil War Trust is the largest and most effective nonprofit organization devoted to the preservation of America’s hallowed battlegrounds.  Although primarily focused on the protection of Civil War battlefields, through its Campaign 1776 initiative, the Trust also seeks to save the battlefields connected to the Revolutionary War and War of 1812.  To date, the Trust has preserved close to 45,000 acres of battlefield land in 23 states.  Learn more at Civilwar.org. 

*********************************

About Cedar Creek and Belle Grove National Historical Park:
Cedar Creek and Belle Grove commemorates a nationally significant Civil War landscape and antebellum plantation by sharing the story of Shenandoah Valley history from early settlement through the Civil War and beyond. The park is embedded within the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields National Historic District, a National Heritage Area.

Created on December 19, 2002, the park encompasses approximately 3,700 acres across three counties and includes the key partner sites of Belle Grove Plantation (owned by the National Trust for Historic Preservation and managed by Belle Grove, Inc.), Cedar Creek Battlefield Foundation lands and Headquarters, Shenandoah Valley Battlefield Foundation lands, and a developing Shenandoah County Park. The partner sites continue to be owned and operated independently.

###

For a complete list of participating Park Day Sites, visit Civilwar.org/parkday. Volunteers can participate in Park Day online using #ParkDay2017.

A Special Presentation of "The Sound Of Music"

Sunday, March 19th at 6:30 pm

Come to Court Square Theater on March 19th and sing along with the Von Trapp family as we raise money to replace the seats at CST! There will be a short presentation before the film about the seat campaign and our plans for replacing the seats. We hope you will join us! 

Ticket price includes one non-alcoholic beverage and a boxed meal from Mama's Caboose. Vegetarian meals provided by request.

Contact mark@valleyarts.org after making your ticket purchase.

TICKETS:  $25 in Advance / $27 Day of Film

Purchase Tickets

"A former nun leaves the convent to become a governess for the seven children of a wealthy, Austrian widower who has grown into a cold disciplinarian. Soon, the she opens the children to the wonders of life and the joy of music - and eventually softens the heart of their father and gains his love."

View Trailer
View Event on our Website

FAST-RISING NASHVILLE ACT:
“GRANGER SMITH, FEATURING EARL DIBBLES, JR.”

TO HEADLINE 2017 COUNTRY MUSIC PARTY;
WITH OPENERS: POST MONROE

In only its third year, the Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival®’s new Country Music Party has become one of the Festival’s hottest events. Presented by, and in conjunction with, Shenandoah Country Q102, an iHeart Media station, this year’s event will be held on Saturday night, May 6^th, 2017, in the Festival’s Tolley Dental Tent. The festive and spacious Tolley Dental Tent is located at 1755 North Sector Court, on the campus of the Valley Health Winchester Medical Center. Festival President, Mike Stanfield, is very pleased to announce that, for 2017, Festival Organizers have been able to line up fast-rising, good-looking, popular young Nashville-recording artist, Granger Smith [featuring his country boy alter-ego, Earl Dibbles, Jr.], as the headline act!

A country music trailblazer and a surprisingly talented comedian, Granger Smith, is the flagship artist on Wheelhouse Records. With sold-out national tours, a social media following of more than 5 million, and YouTube views exceeding 50 million, Granger Smith has amassed a rabidly loyal audience. Granger’s newest album, “Remington,” released on March 4^th, 2016, immediately claimed the #1 spot on the iTunes country album chart on release day, and garnered him the #1 debut for first week sales via Nielson “Soundscan.” The album features the hit single “Backroad Song,” which landed the #1 spot on country radio (Billboard “Country Airplay,” Mediabase and Music Row charts). The follow up single, “If the Boot Fits”, is climbing the charts now. Granger’s “Yee Yee Nation” national tour has consistently broken attendance and merchandise records at nearly every venue over the past two years. He is playing some of the country’s biggest festivals throughout the year, and has been touring with Florida Georgia Line. Granger’s comic country boy alter-ego, Earl Dibbles, Jr., has its own fanatical following and garnered him a weekly segment called “Dip ‘Em and Pick ‘Em” on CBS Sports Network’s “Inside College Football,” on which he has appeared for the past three seasons. Granger has even been recognized by Variety for being the brainchild behind Earl Dibbles, Jr. (among other character alter-egos: Donny Cowboy and Live with Lionel) and was named one of Variety’s “Ten Comics to Watch for 2016.”

Opening for Granger Smith is the gorgeous and talented country trio: Post Monroe. Ashlee Hewitt, Whitney Duncan and Shelby McLeod meld their distinct voices, backgrounds and life experiences together to create Post Monroe. The trio’s harmonies are paired with acoustic-driven, catchy melodies to create the music they each grew up idolizing. “We’re country, that’s what I love,” Whitney says. “We’re not pop country. We’re not trying to be a crossover group.” Each member can approach a song or idea from a different perspective. Ashlee is married with a three-year-old son, Whitney is newlywed, and Shelby, the youngest, is still living the single life. “We’re all in different places, but we’re also similar!”

When asked about the upcoming 2017 show, Festival President Stanfield said: “We promised the country fans of Bloomtown that we would come back with an artist for this year's party that would not disappoint; and we're extremely proud to give them Granger Smith. Add Post Monroe to the show and the Country Music Party becomes a "must do" Festival event." Continuing its tradition of offering great new country acts at an amazingly affordable price, tickets for the Country Music Party, presented by Shenandoah Country Q102, are only $25.00. In addition to an evening full of great music, plenty of adult beverages (ID required), as well as hot food are available for purchasing. The doors open at 7:00pm, and the music starts at 8:00pm. Headliner, Granger Smith, is scheduled to take the stage at 9:30pm. Please note: No outside food and drink, large purses or bags.

Virginia Tourism Corporation (VTC) and VDOT are opening a new welcome center March 10th to focus on the Northern Virginia tourism arena. This new center will be staffed by VTC Tourism Counselors 362 days a year from 8:30am until 5:00pm. These Tourism Counselors will provide travelers with information on all of Virginia's attractions and destinations, as well as hotel reservations.

The Welcome Center ribbon cutting will take place on March 10th at 9:00am. The new Northern Virginia Gateway Welcome Center is located in Caroline County at mile marker 107. Located less than 50 miles south of the heart of the Northern Virginia tourism region, this new Welcome Center will provide tourism partners in  Fredericksburg, Manassas. Prince William, Fairfax, Arlington, Alexandria, Falls Church, Leesburg, and other destinations with an expanded opportunity to reach north-bound travelers (over 1.8 million travelers stop here every year)!  The goal with this new Welcome Center, as with all Virginia Welcome Centers, is to get more people off the road, to spend more time and more money in Virginia.

As with the existing Virginia Welcome Centers, marketing opportunities for tourism partners include brochure distribution, year-long glass case displays, month-long marketing blitzes, and ad panels. This new center will also feature new enhanced digital spotlights. These new spotlights will rotate on a 90 second cycle and will display on a 65-inch screen visible to travelers 24-hours a day!

For more information on the marketing opportunities for tourism partners at this new Welcome Center, please contact Larry Henley or Lindsay Slone with Highway Information Media at info@himediallc.com or(804)382-4850.

Governor Terry McAuliffe announced that The Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival® received $25,000 from the Virginia Tourism Corporation Marketing Leverage Program grant fund. In total VTC awarded more than $772,000 for 62 tourism marketing projects across the state to help increase visitation and revenue for Virginia’s localities through tourism.

The grants are designed to help local and regional tourism entities attract more visitors by leveraging local marketing dollars, and will ultimately impact at least 260 other statewide tourism entities. The local organizations match the state grant funds by a minimum of 2:1 in order to support marketing projects. This funding cycle, the local partners will match the VTC grant dollars with more than $3.64 million, providing more than $4.4 million in new marketing to increase visitation to Virginia.

The Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival® received a $25,000 grant for the yearly festival celebrating the blooming of the apple blossoms.  The Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival® partnered with The Winchester-Frederick County Convention and Visitors Bureau, The George Washington Hotel, Wyndam Brand and the Hilton Garden Inn to supply $25,000 in matching funds for the project,

According to Festival President, Mike Stanfield, “The VTC Grant is very important to us as it helps us reach out to a regional audience that each year brings over 250,000 festival attendees to the Winchester-Frederick County area.”  This affects the area significantly economically and has a far reaching impact on tourism; we find that those who come from the surrounding region such as Northern Virginia often return to take in other local attractions and events.”

The VTC Marketing Leverage Program is designed to stimulate new tourism marketing through partnerships by leveraging limited marketing dollars, resulting in increased visitor spending.  A minimum of three entities must partner financially to apply and may consist of Virginia towns, cities, counties, convention and visitors bureaus, chambers of commerce, other local or regional destination marketing organizations, private businesses, museums, attractions, cultural events, and other not-for-profit entities. 

“Today, we take another critical step in supporting one of Virginia’s largest private sector industries and the individual communities across the Commonwealth that foster it,” said Governor McAuliffe. “These Marketing Leverage Program grants provide a vital opportunity for destinations and businesses across the Commonwealth, helping to create jobs, promote economic development, and increase visitor spending. I congratulate the more than 260 tourism partners across the Commonwealth that received funding for 62 projects – not only the highest number of partners awarded in the program’s history, but the highest dollar match by partners in a single funding cycle.”

Research shows that every VTC dollar invested in grants resulted in $16 of direct visitor spending. Marketing campaigns that received Marketing Leverage Grants increased visitation by 15%.

“The Marketing Leverage Program grants provide vital funding to our tourism businesses across the Commonwealth, helping to make Virginia an incredible place to visit, but also to live,” said Todd Haymore, Secretary of Commerce and Trade. “Through the MLP grant program, Virginia Tourism has helped demonstrate the power of partnerships, as well as the economic power of tourism. I thank all of our tourism partners and members of the General Assembly for their support of this program.”

Tourism is an instant revenue generator for Virginia. In 2015, tourism generated $23 billion in revenue, supported nearly 223,100 jobs and provided $1.6 billion in state and local taxes. Dollars invested in tourism are proven to provide a 7:1 return in tax revenue for Virginia, and the grant awards and matching funds provide a stimulus to localities seeking to increase tourism visitation and revenue.

Virginia Safari Park - Guest Services Manager
Application Deadline: March 20, 2017

Virginia Safari Park is looking for an experienced, energetic and enthusiastic person to manage the Guest Services Department. This is a permanent full-time salaried position. Weekends and Holidays (during open season) are required as part of your normal schedule. The Virginia Safari Park is among the Top Tourist Attractions of the Shenandoah Valley with matching levels of Retail Sales. The park operates in a very fast-paced atmosphere with high demands and a strict focus on customer satisfaction.

The Virginia Safari Park requires all positions to be professional both in appearance and demeanor, following our company guidelines. Strong experience in Customer Service is also required. The guest experience is key when it comes to this facility and the customer service must be a priority. We take pride in having a clean friendly facility.

The successful applicant must be able to demonstrate experience operating a public attraction, preferably at the Asst Manager or Manager level, with the ability to perform the multiple-stages of the department.

The job requires:

• Managing Staff          
• • Scheduling of all Seasonal Gift Shop/Admissions, Concessions and Tour Employees.
  • Hiring, review and evaluations, and terminations within the Department.
  • Training in the Gift Shop/Admissions and Food Service ( Safe-Serve).
  • Insuring all SOP’s maintained and up-to-date.
• Customer Service
  
• • Oversight of Group Reservations: School & Camp Field Trips, Private Group Tours, and Birthday Parties.
  • Oversight of all Cash Register operations, including the ability to personally operate all register stations. 
  • Insuring all staff are well trained in Guest Relationships and understand the value of Customer Service.
• Familiarity with POS systems. 
• End of day cash handling and deposits.
• Gift/Merchandise Ordering, Inventory Control and Sales Floor rotations.
• Develop and set Sales Goals.
• Maintaining Monthly Reports for Director and CEO.
• Ensuring compliance with all Federal, State and Local Regulations in regards to Guest Services, Food Services and our visitors.
• Help maintain the facilities and amenities in accordance with National Accreditation Standards.

Company related on-the-job training is provided as necessary, but applicants are expected to have the proper experience in the above listed duties, and the ability to drive their own self-learning process.

Benefits include competitive salary, paid sick and vacation time, 401(k), and health insurance options.

Applicants should e-mail resumes and to: director@virginiasafaripark.com by March 20, 2017.

15th ANNUAL CLEAN THE BAY DAY IN SHENANDOAH, VA

April 22, 2017, at 9 a.m. - Shenandoah River Park and Landing

The Town of Shenandoah (in Page County, VA) will hold the 15th Annual Clean the Bay Day - Shenandoah River Cleanup on Saturday, April 22, 2017, from 9 a.m. until Noon.  Volunteers are requested to gather at the Shenandoah River Park and Landing, located at 315 Morrison Road, Shenandoah, VA, at 9 a.m. on this date.    

It is important to note that various other cleanups were held in the Town of Shenandoah over the years prior to 2002, but were not a part of the statewide Clean the Bay Day.  We joined the annual Clean the Bay Day in 2002.  The Shenandoah Clean the Bay Day is a few months earlier than the large statewide effort in June.  We set the earlier date for our Clean the Bay Day efforts, as it is easier to see the debris before underbrush has a chance to grow.  Also, the earlier month lessens the chance of encountering poison ivy/oak, etc. during the river cleanup.   

Volunteers will be provided with orange safety vests, bottled drinking water, gloves, and trash bags for the April 22, 2017 River Cleanup, which begins at 9 a.m. on Saturday, April 22, 2017, at the Shenandoah River Park and Landing.   

Important Notes: 

Volunteers with and without boats are requested to  be at the site at 9 a.m. 

Volunteers under 18 years old, must have a parent or guardian present to sign the waiver form prior to the cleanup and to accompany younger volunteers on the cleanup route.   

All volunteers will receive a certificate of participation in the event.  This is a great way for high school students to add to their college application resumes and to receive community service hours credit too. 

Shenandoah Town Councilman and Parks and Recreation Committee Member Richard Pierce is the Zone Captain for this Clean the Bay Day event.  His telephone number is 540-652-6277 for more information or you may contact the Shenandoah Town Hall at 540-652-8164. 

www.TownOfShenandoah.com

For Immediate Release - 

 Announcing the 4th Annual Go Blue Ridge Travel Marketing Summit

GoBRT Academy, the educational division of GoBRT, in its commitment to bringing educational seminars to the valley opens it doors to 4th annual marketing summit. This year the summit ‘s focus will be the leading digital marketing issues facing businesses today. It is FREE and open to all businesses from retail, lodging, restaurants, farming, and tourism attractions.

The summit will take place on Tuesday, February 28th fro 9:30 – 1:30. The location host is the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema at 181 Kernstown Commons Blvd, Winchester, VA 22602.

This year’s summit is centering on the ever-changing relationship between a business website and social media platforms.   The workshop will feature two guest speakers, a panel discussion by GoBRT partners, and a debate between the generations on print vs. digital. 

Guest Speakers -

David Neudeck, Digital Marketing Director of Virginia Tourism Corporation will speak on blogs as a digital marketing tool and the marketing strategy that needs to be developed for them.  Blogs are becoming stand-alone websites. An example is Blog.virginia.org, which is out pacing visitvirginia.org in its visitation growth.  Blogs are essential in meeting the demands of Google for new content.  But writing a blog is only the first step behind the digital marketing strategy that must be implemented to have success.

Steve Chafe, Owner of Online Impact Marketing Group specializes in restaurants and small businesses.  Steve will address “How to get your online marketing in shape with the methods that successful businesses use?” This will be an interactive presentation covering the following topics:

Learn:

• how to measure whether your website is being a good salesperson for your business, and what you can do if not
• the calculations that show you how much your own business should spend on digital marketing (such as website design, SEO, Social media effort, and pay per click marketing)
• about SEO and "Local SEO" as ways to get visitors to your site, and the range of costs
• about bringing visitors through pay per click methods like Google Ad words and Facebook Ads, including retargeting ads.         

New this year will be a panel discussion by GoBRT’s partners on “How they develop their marketing strategy?"

There will also be a debate between the generations from baby-boomers to millennial on the successful use of print vs digital.  

A closed workshop will follow from 1:30 to 3:30 for GoBRT members exploring a new marketing software consolidating their website and social media platforms on one board.

About GoBRT  is celebrating six years as a regional planning guide for both locales and visitors to the northern Interstate 81 Corridor.  Covering the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia and western Loudoun County thru Winchester to Harrisonburg, Virginia.  GoBRT centers on six experiences and offers four websites to explore.

• Multigenerational family travel
• Culinary
• The Arts, Theatre, Music, and Film
• The Heritage and Culture of the Shenandoah Valley
• Outdoor Adventure
• Romance – Lodging from the cabins to luxury 

A recipient of three grants from Virginia Tourism for its Virginia Kids Trail, attendees will learn what Bucket and her friends from the Kids Trail will be up to this summer with the Va Family Adventure Game. Attendees will also meet the Taste of  Blue Ridge community partners and their new project -  Blue Ridge Root to Table using story-telling to promote culinary travel here in the valley.  Plus GoBRT has launched a sister website - Blue Ridge Bride showcasing Romance and Outdoor Adventure.

This is not a closed event - on behalf of our partners, we would like to extend this invitation to all businesses in the Valley.

About GoBlueRidgeTravel.com

Founded and owned by Nancy Craun who grew up in the area and has 30 years of experience in the event planning, restaurant, hotel, and marketing arenas. GoBRT covers 100 plus mile radius of the Interstate 81 Corridor spanning the states of Virginia and West Virginia.

Contact:
Nancy Craun, Founder and Owner
GoBlueRidgeTravel.com and ShenandoahValleyKidsTrail.com
Phone: 540.533.1853
Email: info@GoBlueRidgeTravel.com