Virginia’s oldest juried crafts fair returns for its 78th year

Since 1943, the Waterford Foundation has welcomed visitors to Waterford, Virginia, for its fall crafts and arts fair, one of the country’s oldest. This year, the Waterford Fair takes place rain or shine Oct. 7 – 9
from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, with an Early Bird ticket available for entry on Friday, Oct. 7, at 9 a.m.

The three-day fair in this National Historic Landmark District features tours of village homes and the founder’s mill, children’s activities, music and dance performances, juried art and photography exhibits, a farmer’s market, and a unique “Feast with Friends.

The fair features 60 of America’s finest artisans, many from Loudoun County and the Mid-Atlantic region. They will demonstrate their crafts and sell their andmade wares. The fair also presents performances of traditional music and dance; Colonial and Civil War-era militia and cavalry reviews, as well as visits to Civil War and Quaker cemeteries.

There are lots of children’s activities throughout the weekend. Kids can help make a penny rug, a stenciled floor cloth. a clay pot on a potter’s wheel. There’s a magic show, a chance to play in a jug band, and an opportunity to attend a real one-room schoolhouse and learn what school was like in the 1800s. Children also will have a chance to earn a Waterford Explorers badge upon completion of a village scavenger hunt.

The fair provides plenty of homemade baked goods, fresh foods at the farmer’s market, local wines and craft beers at “Talbott’s Tavern,” and candles, tote bags, ornaments and more at the Old Mill Shop.

Saturday evening offers “Feast With Friends,” a separately ticketed fundraising event for the Waterford Foundation. A farm-to-table dinner using products from local farms, the dinner will be prepared by Nick Wiseman of Washington’s Little Sesame restaurant. Cocktails will be served in a lovely Waterford garden with dinner under the stars at the Walker-Phillips House. Tickets are $150 per person, $4,000 for a table for 8. They are available at www.waterfordfoundation.org/event/feast-with-friends/.

The Waterford Fair takes place throughout the historic village, which was founded in 1733 by Amos Janney, a Quaker from Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Waterford is one of only three villages in the U.S.
designated a National Historic Landmark District.

Many of the village homes, other structures, and surrounding farmland have been preserved thanks to residents, friends of Waterford, and annual proceeds from the Waterford Fair.

Tickets for the Waterford Fair are on sale now at www.waterfordfairva.org or by calling 540-882-3018 Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Purchase in advance and save up to 50 percent. Tickets at the gate are $20 per adult per day, $18 per day for seniors and military personnel, $15 for students per day, and free for children 12 and under. An Early Bird special, three-day pass, and group rates are also available. All musical performances are included in the ticket price.

Check the website for participating vendors, historic homes on tour, special activities, and daily schedules (www.waterfordfairva.org).