A Taste of Virginia, Nov. 5, Charlottesville

The Inaugural Virginia AgriTourism Conference is being held in Charlottesville on Nov. 5-6th, at the Doubletree Hotel and Conference Center.

Registration for the conference itself is $85. However, on Monday, Nov. 5th, from 5:30-7:30 pm, the public is invited to A Taste Of Virginia reception. Tickets for A Taste of Virginia cost $5. For more information on the public reception, check out the website.

Virginia Film Festival 2007: Kin Flicks - Nov. 1-4

Next weekend is the 20th Virginia Film Festival, with the theme "Kin Flicks." Tickets are still available from the Festival website.

Apple Tasting at Tufton Farm, Oct. 27

As one of its annual fall events, Monticello is holding an "Apple Tasting" at Tufton Farm on Oct. 27. As it says on the Monticello calendar, "Tom Burford, Professor Apple, will provide numerous apple varieties, each introduced with a discussion of their history and culture. Participants will taste, savor, and, most importantly, rate each apple. Reservations required. Meets at 9:30 a.m. at the Tufton Farm nursery." Cost is $10 per person.

This is a great chance to see a Jefferson property that isn't always open to the public.

For more information about Monticello events (including Montalto tours), see the Monticello site (Interesting Links in the sidebar), and look at the calendar.

Where to Get My Book, or Amazon.com v. Barnes and Noble

If you look to the sidebar under "Buy the Book," you'll see links for both Barnes and Noble and Amazon.com. Barnes & Noble has the book for $17.99 ($16.19 for B&N club members). I was told that, for some reason, Amazon is slow to get books from the History Press into its warehouses, so there are no new copies available. There is, however, a "used--like new" copy available on Amazon from an independent seller for $94.87. (Ed. note: These prices were good as of 10/19/2007.) Do not ask me why the seller decided on that price. I don't even know if that's one of the copies I signed! But I have to admit, I'm kind of flattered that I'm considered collectible.

If you're in Charlottesville or nearby, you can get copies at New Dominion Bookshop on the Downtown Mall and Barnes & Noble at Barracks Road Shopping Center. In Lynchburg, you can get them at Givens Books (where I'll be signing books tomorrow from 1-3pm).

Enjoy!

Crozet Music Festival, Oct. 20, 11am-8pm

Here's another event that sounds like fun in Central Virginia. This Music Festival is being held at Crozet Park, and features blue-grass musicians such as the Hogwaller Ramblers, Terri Allard, and the Sons of Bill. Check out their website for details.

Chocolate Festival, Charlottesville, Saturday, Oct 20, 10am-4pm

Imagine my surprise when I found a notice for a Chocolate Festival on the Virginia Tourism website!

A whole day devoted to chocolate! (I think I may have seen Nirvana.) The site is Lee Park, at Market St. and First St. NE in Charlottesville (across the street from McIntyre Library -- the home of the Albemarle Charlottesville Historical Society).

The program will include chocolate tastings, learning more about chocolate and its history, a 5K run/2 mile walk (the better to work off those chocolate calories!), a variety of children’s activities, and baking contests. The site is handicap-accessible.