Welcome summer! If the kids aren’t out of school yet, they’re wrapping up their classes and final exams and will be ready for a few weeks and months of sunshine and playtime outside with the whole family. Gorgeous weather is just around the corner! June is typically a month of adventure! With solitary trips outdoors, like hiking in the Shenandoah National Park, and family excursions, like exploring beneath the surface in the Luray Caverns, adventure can be whatever you want it to be. Big or small, once in a lifetime, ziplining at the base of the Blue Ridge or Massanutten Mountains, or making fond memories, petting and feed the goats at the Luray Zoo and now at the Massanutten Country Corner, adventure can be for an individual, a couple, or the whole crew.
The return of warm weather brings outdoor events back to our towns and county! The Town of Shenandoah's monthly cruz-ins provide friendly competition between antique car owners and times of appreciation for car lovers. The monthly events are held along Historic First Street in Shenandoah and the evenings include food, a live DJ, and lots of cars and car aficionados.
Additionally, the combination of warmer evenings and the break from school and nightly routines before early bedtimes herald the return of the Page County Outdoor Movie Nights! The movie nights are coordinated by a committee of local officials from the Luray-Page County Chamber of Commerce & Visitor Center, Page Alliance for Community Action, the Town of Luray, Stanley, and Shenandoah, and other interested persons. The nights will be monthly and rotate to each of the towns to show a family-friendly new release. For the month of June, the movie will be held at the Town of Luray's Ralph Dean Recreation Park and will provide a free showing of Wonder. The story follows a young boy who has a facial deformity and his struggle to adapt to public school, 5th grade, and making friends. And is known for inspiring the sentiment that “If you have the choice between being right and being kind, choose kind.”
If that isn't enough for your summer movie needs, the Town of Luray is also going to be hosting a series of movie nights of Ruffner Plaza. The events will showcase a series of classic movies including The Jungle Book, E.T., UP, Charlotte's Web, and The Wizard of Oz. The nights run from June 27th through August 22nd and will begin at 8:30 PM each scheduled evening and include free popcorn from PACA.
The 2nd Annual Taste of the Valley returns to the Page Valley Fairgrounds on June 29th from 12:00-5:00 PM. The event showcases a variety of local brews, wines, and spirits from around the Shenandoah Valley and state of Virginia. The event was a ton of fun for attendees last year and organizers are going to keep it up for the second year. Entry into the event includes tickets to be used for a tasting/glass at the vendor tents of your choice.
There are hundreds of ways to get outside, make memories, try something new, and simply relax this month. And, it all wraps up at the end of the month with preparations for the 4th of July and Stanley Homecoming festivities!
The Town of Luray's 4th of July festivities are always a hit with the kids. A family-centered event, the celebration includes and ends with a large fireworks display. Held at the Mechanic Street Parking Lot, across from the Shenandoah Valley Electric Cooperative, and along the Hawksbill Greenway, there's always a variety of food and sweets for sale. Bringing the kids early for dinner means more time to play games and on the inflatables before slurping down some ice cream as you watch the fireworks.
The Town of Stanley's 53rd Annual Stanley Homecoming falls just after the 4th and includes back-to-back evenings of live music and fun. A great excuse to visit the Town of Stanley, Homecoming welcomes back those who used to call the area home and anyone else who loves the serenity and peacefulness of the town and county and is looking for a reason to celebrate it. The celebration concludes on Saturday evening with the parade, more live music, carnival rides for the kids, and a huge fireworks display. With elephant ears, a dunking booth, Miss Virginia, and so much more, the Town of Stanley knows how to show each of us a good time!
The fun will continue next month in Luray and Page County! As always, we're just a call or email away and our Chamber & Tourism Assistants are happy to answer any questions you may have. We'll see you soon in the valley!
