Admission is Free to Weekend Event Featuring 15 Vendors and Demonstrations
Winchester, VA 11/14/17…The Museum of the Shenandoah Valley (MSV) will host the Virginia Gourd Show, Sale & Competition from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, November 18 and 19. Admission to the show and sale is free.
According to gourd artisan and Virginia Lovers’ Gourd Society President Carol Jackson, 15 gourd artisans from Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania are scheduled to participate in the show and sale at the Museum. Gourd art available for purchase at the event will include luminaries, birdhouses, oil lamps, bowls, musical instruments, and ornaments. Raw gourds will be also available for purchase. Grown in Delmarva, the raw gourds are suitable for arts and crafts or decorating and will range in size from large bushel gourds to small jewelry-size gourds.
While browsing displays of gourd art available for purchase, event attendees will have the opportunity to converse with expert gourd artisans about gourds and see several gourd artists demonstrating gourd art techniques. Winning entries in the event’s annual gourd competition will also be on view.
Organized by the Virginia Lovers’ Gourd Society (VLGS), the Virginia Gourd Show, Sale & Competition has taken place in various area venues for fifteen years. This weekend marks the first time that the event will be held at the MSV. The show and sale will take place on the first floor of the Museum. There is no fee to attend the Virginia Gourd Show, Sale & Competition. Regular admission rates apply to visit the galleries and the MSV’s Glen Burnie House and Gardens.
Based in Stephens City, the VLGS is dedicated to educating the public about the benefits of gourd gardening, encouraging the use of gourds in arts and crafts, and supporting gourd agriculture.
Following this weekend’s show and sale, the VLGS and MSV are teaming up to present a Gourd Workshops Weekend for new and experienced gourd enthusiasts on April 21 and 22, 2018. The workshops will be held at the Museum and program details will be announced this winter.
A regional cultural center, the MSV is located at 901 Amherst Street in Winchester, Virginia. The MSV includes galleries, the Glen Burnie House, and seven acres of gardens. The galleries and exhibitions are open year-round; the house and gardens are open April through December. MSV admission is $10 or $8 for seniors and youth ages 13 to 18. General admission is always free to youth ages 12 and under and to MSV Members. Additional details are available at www.theMSV.org or by calling 540-662-1473, ext. 235. –END–