Free Admission for Active Military & Their Families

$10 Ticket Includes Music, Children’s Activities, and Admission to MSV Gardens & Galleries 

Winchester, VA 6/03/16…Music from the Soul Expressions Band, free activities for children, and admission to the gardens and galleries will highlight Gardens at Night at the Museum of the Shenandoah Valley (MSV) on Friday, June 10, from 6 to 9 p.m. In addition, those attending will be able to purchase food, beer, and wine.

According to MSV Executive Director Dana Hand Evans, this summer’s Gardens at Night concert series includes a great lineup of bands and—thanks to the sponsorship of Navy Federal Credit Union—free admission to all active military personnel and their families. Admission to Gardens at Night is free to MSV Members and ages 12 and under. The ticket price for all others, which includes the concert and admission to the MSV’s Glen Burnie Gardens and exhibitions, is $10.

From Richmond, Virginia, the Soul Expressions Band will play a high-energy mix of funk, rock, Motown, and today’s pop hits from 7 to 9 p.m. A Gardens at Night favorite returning to the MSV for the fifth time, this seven-member band includes bass player Wilbert Anderson, drummer Ricky Gray, lead guitarist Vic Smiley, keyboard player and guitarist Lenny Holmes, saxophonist Richard D’Abreu, and lead vocalists Tyrone Jackson and Markia Carter. Each of the musicians in the Soul Expressions Band has been performing for more than 25 years, and their collective professional experiences include large festivals to private house parties and more. For Gardens at Night the band will play songs made famous by Aretha Franklin; Stevie Wonder; The Rolling Stones; KC and The Sunshine Band; UB40; Earth, Wind & Fire; Bruno Mars; and other music greats.

Along with live music, Gardens at Night features free children’s activities. Youngsters will be able to explore the gardens with a seek-and-find game, Can You Find This? In addition, from 6 to 8 p.m. children may play a variety of lawn games, including Frisbee, hula hoops, and cornhole.

Throughout the evening attendees may experience the seven-acre Glen Burnie Gardens illuminated by nighttime lighting and explore the MSV galleries. Recently opened and n view in the Changing Exhibitions Gallery, Alphonse Mucha: Master of Art Nouveau features the work of Alphonse Mucha (1860–1939), considered by many to be one of the most significant artists of the Art Nouveau movement. The exhibition presents more than 70 objects drawn from the holdings of the Dhawan Collection, Los Angeles, California, one of the most significant private collections of Mucha’s work in the United States. Sponsored by WINC 92.5 FM, Alphonse Mucha: Master of Art Nouveau is organized by Landau Traveling Exhibitions, Los Angeles, California.

Those attending Gardens at Night at the MSV also may purchase food and drinks at the event. Sodexo catering will serve a buffet dinner for $10 per plate that will include pork barbecue, hot dogs, potato salad, coleslaw, watermelon, and cookies. Cheese, cracker, and grape trays will be available for $5. Drinks available for purchase include bottled water and soda ($2), domestic and craft beer ($5), and wine by the 10-ounce glass ($8) or bottle ($25). Wine from Shenandoah Valley winery Veramar Vineyard will also be available for purchase by the bottle only ($35). Cash sales are preferred. No outside food or drinks will be permitted in the concert area.

The gates, gardens, and galleries will open at 6 p.m.; the music will begin at 7 p.m. The concert will take place on the lawn by the MSV. All those who plan to listen to the musical performance should bring their own chairs. In the event of rain, the musical performance will take place in a tent and children’s activities will move inside to the Museum’s BB&T Learning Center.

The 2016 Gardens at Night series is sponsored by Navy Federal Credit Union and Shenandoah Country Q102. Following June’s concert, Gardens at Night will take place on July 8, August 12, and September 9. In July, The Fabulous Hubcaps will play rock and roll oldies. The Reflex will celebrate the music of the 1980s in August, and September’s concert will feature ’70s favorites from The Robbie Limon Band.

The MSV is located at 901 Amherst Street in Winchester, Virginia. The MSV complex—which includes galleries and exhibitions, the Glen Burnie House (not open during Gardens at Night), and the gardens—is open Tuesday through Sunday. Additional information is available by calling 540-662-1473, ext. 235, or referring to www.theMSV.org. – END –

About Navy Federal:
Navy Federal Credit Union is the world’s largest credit union with more than $74 billion in assets, 6 million members, 282 branches, and a workforce of over 13,000 employees worldwide. The credit union serves all Department of Defense and Coast Guard active duty, civilian and contractor personnel and their families. For additional information about Navy Federal, visit www.navyfederal.org.