This museum is very well done ! They had a great kids area, many things to look at and a beautiful…read morelocation. I want to go back and bring kids to play in the kids area, take a boat ride and or see the xmas trains.

We were looking for things to do and we found out about this museum. We had the pleasure of meeting…read moreDenise and let me tell you she made our experience so much better. She was so sweet and gave us all these kind of fun and neat facts that we would want to hear about. If you have time, go ahead and check it out!

This festival was a delightful surprise. They say 50,000 people attend each year. 3 band stands…read more Beer garden, wine garden, crafts, food, vendors, entertainment, contests, demonstrations. They even had an archiological dig that.you could participate in.

Let the Good Times Roll!...A Weekend well spent with food, friends and family!!…read more Nestled around the waterways of the Chesapeake, Potomac and Rappahannock River...is a small tidewater town populated by more boats than people.....named Urbanna, VA. Although I was not born and raised in this small town, I have family here and during November the river home becomes host to many family members and friends from afar. Each November, the town of Urbanna throws the country's largest and longest-running Oyster themed--food and wine festivals called the "Urbanna Oyster Festival!" The town's streets are closed to vehicle traffic and become filled with oyster booths, seafood dishes, music and crafts. The festival highlight is the oyster itself and a shucking contest which draws spectators from around the world. The festival is held the first weekend of November each year, from Friday morning to ending Saturday night. For a town a little over 500 people, the annual festival's attendance over the two days is in between 50,000-75,000. During the festival, the town is closed to traffic in the afternoon on Friday and for most of the day Saturday. Admission to the event is free of charge, although there is a fee for parking within the vicinity of the festival. Home to the Oyster Festival for almost sixty years, Urbanna is synonymous with Chesapeake Bay oysters. Food, Wine and Arts n' Crafts...is the name of the game here! The food is provided in many different forms by over fifty vendors. The beloved oyster is always available in ample supply and in a variety of presentations: raw, roasted, fried, smoked, steamed, in fritters or in a stew. There is a plethora of eats to be had! In addition to the oysters, one can enjoy clams, crabs, shrimp, Philly Steak, oriental food, hamburgers, hot dogs, roast beef and other goodies too numerous to mention. Local Virginia Wineries offer up some of the best libation and even though its not my thing the hand made Art n' Crafts sold here invoke lots of great memories of the things my Nanna often crafted and loved. There is definitely a variety of crafts and artwork available for sale throughout the town and within Festival's village. Among the many offerings are handmade furniture, stained glass, antiques, wood carvings, sculpture, pottery, leather goods and jewelry. There is some of everything here at this festival for all ages. Hay Rides, Pony rides, amusement park rides and many outdoor games for the kids. For the adults, young and old....FOOD! Oh and did I say FOOD!?....No let me clarify GREAT INSANE FOOD! I have never been so stuff! This weekend was truly a great one. The perfect mini-vacation with family and friends! I mean....What better way to spend a holiday weekend and getaway from the "hustle n' bustle" of the city!? Come here with a big appetite because the folks native to this town are the most generous, hospitable people and welcome you with open arms! Each home and restaurant visited, we were shoved food in giant proportions. Small town charm and simple living is what you will find here in Urbanna, VA.....and based on the local eats and this festival...they clearly don't care about snobby paleo diets, low-carb desires, obsessive compulsions to the gym or your waist line...as in the city! LOL.

We love this place. This is one of our favorite places to go on a Friday evening when we are in…read moreReedville. They do have live music most of the Fridays. We were here last night for St Patrick's day celebration. We had to reserve our spot in advance as it's a small place. Great ambiance and service is great as well. We ordered Malbec wine along with charcuterie board, raw oysters, mushroom soup, and meat lovers pizza. I tried everything except for the raw oysters. One pizza is good enough for 2 people. It was delicious. The crust could have cooked slightly longer. Owners are very welcoming. Always come and talk to us. Highly recommend it if you're visiting the northern neck area.

This is a nice winery. The staff is fantastic and treat you like old friends. There is often music…read moreand entertainment which is delightful. The wine is solid. The food is great. The entertainment makes the place lively and fun. Check their hours before you go, try some wine and take a bottle home. Cheers

We visited for one of the Igloo experiences. The setting is lovely and the staff were friendly and…read moretrying their best but appeared to be understaffed. The igloos are gorgeous inside. The heater sits in the middle of the table which is a little awkward for a table of 4 since it blocks the view. It also ran out of propane so we were freezing at the end of the evening. The soup starter was bland but the entree was excellent. The dessert was a cheesecake with chocolate and we felt the chocolate overshadowed the dessert. All in all I think this has great potential but has a few kinks that need to be worked out. Note, the toilets are port-a-potties. The wine tasting was not worth the price, I recommend just buying a glass.

I was in a group of six at the One Sweet Night lavender dessert event on Aug. 12, 2023 which was…read moredescribed as "a delicious way to celebrate the end of 2023 Lavender Season under the stars." I arrived a few minutes before the event was slated to start, and there was a young guy at the front of the parking lot who I assumed was carelessly chatting with the person in the car ahead based on how long they were taking, so I drove around. (I later discovered that he was directing traffic and served no other purpose, so I didn't understand the hold up. He wasn't checking tickets or anything to warrant the wait.) One of the owners was also directing traffic and parked the cars too close for my liking, but they barely have the space to accommodate the number of tickets they sold, so I get it, kinda :-/ The farm is seemingly small and basic. There were a few bloomed flowers (including sunflowers) but I suppose since lavender season was over, there wasn't much of anything else in bloom or anything esthetically pleasing that you'd find at a lavender farm. There was a guy singing and someone else playing guitar. Mostly covers. Meh. The other owner got up on the mic every now and then to give their story, announce the desserts, explain that they were running behind, etc., but it was extremely difficult to hear her at times. They could really use a few industrial fans under the tents. Even though the weather cooled off after the sun set, we could barely tell because it was noticeably warmer under the tents where all the dinner tables were placed. The food and what not: -- They treat you to a sample of Sly & Clyde lavender and hibiscus hard cider when you check in. It was the best thing I tasted all night. Bubbly, refreshing, and the perfect balance of sweet and dry. -- The lavender lemonade was truly Southern and super sweet. I'm Southern so I didn't mind. -- The lavender infused Laurel wine wasn't enjoyable. Based on the description ("sophisticated and unique blend with strong, sweet aromatics"), we weren't expecting something so bitter. -- The dessert trio included lavender sweet bread which had great flavor but could've benefited from some warmth because the texture was a little hard; a scone which was quite moist surprisingly and mild flavored (my fave of the 3); and and a stale-tasting cookie. -- The bread pudding was the best dish of the night. The rum glaze tasted like melted vanilla ice cream in the best way possible. The dish needed to be heated up, though. The bread pudding was a little custardy and the texture was off-putting at times. -- The charcuterie board was delicious. Everything seemed fresh and there was plenty of variety. They even accommodated my kosher friend and added chicken and turkey, so that was nice. -- The cheesecake brownie tasted store-bought. The blueberry sauce on top was incredibly salty. We were so confused. -- Something happened to the eclairs and they weren't served. Again, it was hard to hear the owner on the mic. -- The zefir was inedible. We couldn't get past the texture which reminded me of poorly mixed fondant or hardened shaving cream. -- The lemon tarts were somehow simultaneously extremely tart and sweet. -- They graciously allowed everyone to try out their new lemon sorbet which made us all pucker. For every single dish and drink (except the hard cider sample), the lavender flavor was either elusive or subtle at best. Such a disappointment. All in all, it was a great concept but poorly executed.

Well worth the stop!…read more We finally stopped in after passing the signs for the place for some time now. It was well worth the visit! Deb and another girl whose name fully escapes me, made our evening very enjoyable. There's nothing "fancy" at Zoll Vineyards. What you DO get is a wine list with amazingly accurate descriptions. We even found ourselves using the word "complex" while tasting one of the wines. I guess we graduated to a next level?!? There is a light menu offered including a fantastic "bread and cheese board" which I HIGHLY recommend! I had a nice chicken salad and she, a corn beef sandwich with light sides. Now is a great time of year to go sit outside, put on a bit of jazz on YouTube (low enough as to not disturb others) and go enjoy some nice wine and sangria choices at Zoll Vineyards. We did, and it was really nice.

The small dining room was nice to sit and eat and have a drink. For Mother's Day we got put in the…read morelarge empty warehouse type room and it was just kind of empty and quiet, so kind of a weird spot to eat. The service is alright but not great, kind of slow. The food and drinks have all be great though.

Shelley is such an amazing and wonderful caretaker for her farm. We had the privilege of going to…read moresee her and the baby goats on our last road trip. It was the highlight of our trip!! Such personal 1:1 time and in such a loving atmosphere. We will be back soon!!

this is a hidden gem in Tapoahannock! right off 369 so very easily accessible. great camping area…read more great wines from dry to sweet. it's nice to have something for everyone in our group. refreshing stay after some others not as great! we look forward to returning!!

Several family members met here to try the wine. My partner and I had the Governors Cup Tasting…read morewhich consisted of 6 different wines for which the vineyard received awards. The wines were pretty good. We purchased several bottles. Our meals consisted of the Brisket Sandwich and the Crab Cake Platter. The Brisket Sandwich was very tasty. The Crab Cake Platter was good. We enjoyed the sandwiches.

Visitors to the island will likely find themselves in this museum as it's one of the few tangible…read morethings to do. It is a large shotgun house which has been repurposed for this use. There is a small admission charge, but they do take all major cards. The short movie that they play is a little schmaltzy, but it does have some interesting moments. The movie and the exhibits both mention the decline of the island, but stay oddly silent on all the controversy surrounding sea walls and dredging and sea levels. The exhibits are highly specific and contain a lot of primary source documents. It is not generic material by any means and is worth perusing. Given that the museum is close to the dock, I suspect a common pattern for many will be to travel the island and then check out the museum on the way back, which worked out fine for me.

We didn't think a tiny island museum like this would be much to look at... we were wrong! Since…read morethere's little to do here, the museum offers a perfect snapshot of life in Tangier and shouldn't be missed! Whether you come by bike, golf cart, or stroll here as we did, this museum is just a hop, skip and a jump from the cruise pier. Located on the marshy outskirts of the bay, this is a really well thought out and planned space full of interesting displays. This secluded island is somewhat of an enigma and the museum explains much of the history and mystery surrounding this fascinating floating village. The quaint cottage styled building is inviting bedecked with cool concrete crab chairs and a checkerboard table. Inside, we were greeting by two sweet ladies who gave us some highlights to see! We paid the nominal fee of $3 and made sure we also donated a few dollars in the box for upkeep and restoration. It was refreshing to see that this museum, being one of the few tourist attractions on the island, didn't try to gouge their visitors. We took our time exploring each exhibit which included some War history, the Indians who once occupied the island, Captain John Smith's role in Tangier history, boating and crabbing displays, artifacts, maps, newspaper clippings, artwork, photos, models, and more. We sat and enjoyed the video describing the struggles on the island, the challenging lifestyle here, and the fisherman who love it and strive to keep it afloat! The moving footage on the video not only depicts the gorgeous Chesapeake Bay, and the abundant water life and wildlife seen here, but it also shows interviews of some of the folks that live and work on the island. One local Tangier waterman is quoted saying, "It is not an easy way of life. In fact, it is a true labor of love..." The restrooms were clean and tidy. But cell service can be a struggle here on the island so you'll have a chance to really connect with the relaxed vibe and friendly people around you! The gift shop had some cool postcards, trinkets, jewelry and a great selection of books. We purchased the one about Tangier's history and I can't wait to delve into it. For lover's of Virginia, the Chesapeake Bay, quirky small towns, history buffs or just curious tourists, all you need to know about Tangier Island can be discovered here!