Staunton’s Sweet Summertime 

Summer living might be easy, but it sure doesn’t last long. Soon the days will shorten, the weather will cool, and the kids will head back to school. So, slow down and savor everything Staunton’s sweet summertime has to offer. From roughing it on a family camping trip, picking fruit, pigging out on barbecue and getting festive at a county fair, here’s how to make the most of the rest of the season!

Camping

Get the bug spray and the s’mores kits: you’re camping out this weekend!

• Pitch your tent, park the RV, or even rent a cabin at Walnut Hills Campground. Campground accommodations include a pool, a lake, a 9-hole disc golf course, an off-leash dog run, a playground, a game room, and lots more. 
• Shenandoah Valley Campground boasts large, comfortable sites for tents or RVs. Keep busy with playgrounds, mini-golf, a game room, a fishing pond, a heated pool, and hot tubs. You’ll also find river wading and tubing, weekend DJs, a café, and a giant pack of tame rabbits to feed. 
• Sherando Lake Recreation Area has two cool spring-fed lakes for swimming, fishing, and exploring. There’s hiking, a sandy beach and marked swimming area, plus showers and picnic facilities. 

• Natural Chimneys Park & Campground features ancient castle-like limestone towers and a 165-site campground  with sites for RVs and tents. Amenities include hiking trails, a swimming pool, playgrounds, and a slow-flowing section of the North River. 
• Sun Retreats Shenandoah Valley has tent and RV sites as well as lake and pool swimming, a beach, playgrounds, a jump pad, games, and mini golf. 

Country Fairs and Festivals

• Spend the 4th of July in Staunton at the Happy Birthday America celebration. Attend the free concert by Wilson Fairchild and other great artists followed by a grand fireworks display. Additional attractions include a parade, live music, carnival rides, and lots of community spirit.

• The Augusta County Fair (July 22-26) features midway rides, carnival food and lots of exhibits! Check out livestock, sideshow performances and evening entertainment like music, tractor pulls, dirt drag races, demolition derbies, and more!

• There’s lots to see and do at the Rockingham County Fair (August 11-16). Look for music, a demolition derby, a rodeo, a tractor pull, and lots of rides. 
• Gypsy Hill Park will host the SAArt Center’s 58th annual Art in the Park festival on August 30 – 31. Visitors can browse juried photography, paintings, jewelry, ceramics, wood turnings, and more. The festival also has food, live music, and  activities for kids.

• If you haven’t gotten enough fair fun, the Rockbridge Regional Fair & Expo will take over the Virginia Horse Center on September 11-13 with music, rides, pageants, art contests, and more.

• On September 26-28, Queen City Mischief & Magic Festival brings wizardry and fantasy lovers to Hogwarts in Virginia and features a weekend of Harry Potter-themed events and activities. Look for chances to meet and eat with your favorite characters, play Quidditch, learn about exotic animals and much more!

Barbecue

Check out our picks for Staunton’s best savory/sweet barbecue flavors!

• Big Red Barbecue’s menu is packed with selections like pulled pork and fried catfish. There is a kids’ menu for smaller appetites, and they also serve breakfast all day long!
• Kline’s Hog Wild BBQ serves Carolina and sweet-style barbecue and sides for dining in and taking out. 
• Valley Smokehouse specializes in seafood, barbecue, and steaks. Be on the lookout for events like all-you-can-eat seafood meals! 
• Next time you dine at The Depot Grille or Mill Street Grill, make sure to sample their slow-cooked ribs and homemade barbecue sauce.

Fruit Picking

Harvest your fruit and the peak of ripeness and enjoy some wholesome family fun!

• It’s tomato season at Troyer Nursery. This Waynesboro-area farm also sells pick-your-own blackberries, blueberries, sweetcorn, green beans, red beets, squash, zucchini, and onions. 

• Take the kids to pick seasonal fruits like raspberries, blackberries, cherries, and peaches at Critzer Family Farm. Cool off at the end of the outing with ice cream churned with fresh fruit.
• Wenger Grapes has Concord and Niagara grapes ripening at the end of August. Score a tasty and nutritious snack as well as some amazing photos.
• Get your Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, and Jonathan apples at Sunrise Orchards, a small pick-your-own apple orchard that sells by the bag, peck, half bushel, or bushel from the end of August until the apples are gone. 

• Carter Mountain Orchard has u-pick apples, views, and amazing apple cider donuts!
• You won’t be on an actual farm, but the produce is just as fresh at the Staunton Farmers’ Market! 

Everything Else

Here are some other fun summer pastimes.

• Take the kids and the dog to Gypsy Hill Park. Play on the playgrounds, ride the 1.3-mile loop on your bikes, let the dog run in the bark park, picnic, feed the ducks, and watch the free weeknight concert series at the bandstand.

• Head to Beverley Street each weekend for Shop and Dine Downtown, when the streets close and shops and restaurants spill onto the sidewalk. Dine alfresco, chat with your community, and enjoy the live entertainment.

• There’s still time to root for the home team at Moxie Stadium. The Staunton Braves baseball team will take on the Valley’s best teams through the end of July.
• Hot weather making you sweat? Check out some area splashes and nearby swimming holes and places to cool off.
• Another way to find your cool is with some sweet Staunton ice cream.

There’s still a lot of warm weather left, but you should start savoring Staunton’s sweet summertime today. And don’t forget to share your adventures with us on social media using #LoveStaunton!