Fall into Colonial Fun at Mount Vernon this September

For Immediate Release
July 29, 2011   
Digital images available      

Media Contact:
Melissa Wood (703) 799-5203
mwood@mountvernon.org

Fall into Colonial Fun at Mount Vernon this September

MOUNT VERNON, Va. – Historic Mount Vernon kicks off the fall season with a month of special events for all ages!  Watch as hundreds of 18th-century military re-enactors descend upon the Estate for a special 230th anniversary re-enactment featuring General Washington and General Rochambeau – a visit that led to the battle of Yorktown, which ultimately ended the Revolutionary War. Ready for some colonial shopping? Mount Vernon’s Colonial Market & Fair turns the Estate into a colonial marketplace including two stages of entertainment and costumed chocolatiers.  Ending the month is Mount Vernon’s festive Fall Wine Festival & Sunset Tour – tickets for this popular event go on sale September 1. Tickets and more information are available at www.MountVernon.org.

Fall Wine Festival & Sunset Tour

September 30, October 1 and 2 (Fri, Sat, and Sun, 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.)

Enjoy live blues and spectacular views of the Potomac River while sampling wine from 16 Virginia wineries. Tickets for this special event go on sale September 1. Visitors learn about the successes and failures of our Founding Father’s wine endeavors, enjoy live blues music, and meet “George and Martha Washington” on the Mansion's piazza.  Guests experience an evening tour of George Washington's home and are invited to visit the rarely-open basement where he stored his wine. Tickets to the Fall Wine Festival & Sunset Tour are $35 per person available at the Ford Orientation Center or www.MountVernon.org.

Alliance For Liberty: Military Encampment

September 10 and 11 (Sat and Sun, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.)

In September 1781, General Washington and French general Rochambeau traveled to Mount Vernon and created a bold strategy which led to the siege of British forces at Yorktown.  In commemoration of the 230th anniversary of this historic visit, Mount Vernon will come alive with hundreds of Revolutionary War re?enactors, including “General Washington” and “General Rochambeau.” Stroll the camp, talk with the soldiers, and watch military demonstrations throughout the day. Alliance For Liberty: Military Encampment is included in regular Estate admission: adults, $15.00; children ages 6-11, $7.00; and children under 5 are admitted free.

Colonial Market & Fair

September 17 and 18 (Sat and Sun, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.)

The annual Colonial Market & Fair at Mount Vernon features dozens of America’s finest craftspeople and plenty of family fun!  Colonial-attired artisans demonstrate 18th-century crafts and sell traditional wares such as baskets, woodcarvings, tin and ironwork, leatherworkings, weavings, furniture, and much more.  The event also features lively 18th-century entertainment including music, fire-eating, sword-swallowing, puppet and magic shows, plus hearty specialty food for sale onsite. This weekend only, Potomac River sightseeing cruises, courtesy of Spirit Cruises and Potomac Riverboat Company, are free-of-charge.  The Colonial Market & Fair at Mount Vernon is included in regular Estate admission: adults, $15.00; children ages 6-11, $7.00; and children under 5 are admitted free.

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Since 1860, more than 80 million visitors have made George Washington’s Mount Vernon Estate & Gardens the most popular historic home in America.  Through thought-provoking tours, entertaining events, and stimulating educational programs on the Estate and in classrooms across the nation, Mount Vernon strives to preserve George Washington’s place in history as “First in War, First in Peace, and First in the Hearts of His Countrymen.”  Mount Vernon is owned and operated by the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association, America’s oldest national preservation organization, founded in 1853.  A picturesque drive to the southern end of the scenic George Washington Memorial Parkway, Mount Vernon is located just 16 miles from the nation’s capital.

Hours of operation: April-August, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; March, September, October, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; November – February, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.  Regular admission rates: adults, $15.00; senior citizens, $14.00; children age 6-11, when accompanied by an adult, $7.00; and children under age 5, FREE.  Admission fees, restaurant and retail proceeds, along with private donations, support the operation and restoration of Mount Vernon.