GROUP TOUR VIRGINIA 2018 GROUP TRAVEL GUIDE immerse in the arts connect with america’s STORY pack an appetite 10 celebrations for every season escape to the coast made in Virginia, 5 fab finds chase new adventures YOU WANT TO SHOW THEM AMERICA. START AT THE BEGINNING. Williamsburg, VA was ranked as a Top 10 Student Travel Destination by SYTA The past comes alive at the world’s largest living history museum, Colonial Williamsburg. Travel back in time with your group to the 18th century, and experience the dawn of America. Learn how things were made, discover what the culture was all about and feel the passion of the people who turned a colony into a country. SPECIAL SAVINGS FOR GROUPS OF 15 OR MORE. To begin planning your journey to the past, BRING YOUR GROUP TOUR TO LIFE call 1-800-228-8878, [email protected], or Good times are inevitable with hands-on experiences and visit colonialwilliamsburg.com/grouptours uncommon access offered exclusively for groups. Plan your group’s • TAKE TIME TO GO BACK • Live the Life Adventure at VisitVirginiaBeach.com/GroupTour © 2018 The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation 1/18 TIS-12650858 YOU WANT TO SHOW THEM AMERICA. START AT THE BEGINNING. Williamsburg, VA was ranked as a Top 10 Student Travel Destination by SYTA The past comes alive at the world’s largest living history museum, Colonial Williamsburg. Travel back in time with your group to the 18th century, and experience the dawn of America. Learn how things were made, discover what the culture was all about and feel the passion of the people who turned a colony into a country. SPECIAL SAVINGS FOR GROUPS OF 15 OR MORE. To begin planning your journey to the past, BRING YOUR GROUP TOUR TO LIFE call 1-800-228-8878, [email protected], or Good times are inevitable with hands-on experiences and visit colonialwilliamsburg.com/grouptours • TAKE TIME TO GO BACK • uncommon access offered exclusively for groups. Plan your group’s Live the Life Adventure at VisitVirginiaBeach.com/GroupTour © 2018 The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation 1/18 TIS-12650858 « It’s no secret that Virginia is for lovers, but it can easily be said that Virginia loves groups, virginia too. Flip through the pages of this inaugural issue of Group Tour Virginia and find both tour information and inspiration. loves Virginia boasts rich American history. There’s eclectic shopping, great cities and the wonder of the Atlantic seaboard. Virginia’s food, regional drink, arts and outdoor adventure are groups winners, too. While researching the guide, I caught up with Carol Torricelli, the director of domestic sales for Virginia Tourism. Torricelli helps group travel planners create lifelong memories for their clients in Virginia. “We enchant our travelers through spell- binding stories, breathtaking vistas, mouth- watering tastes and a symphony of sips and sounds to soothe all souls,” she said. At Group Tour Media, we can’t agree more. I invite you to dive into our first Group Tour Virginia guide and discover what’s waiting for your group in Virginia. Cover: Courtney Birchmeier Top: Pleasure House Oysters, Virginia Beach; Middle row: The U.S. Army Band, Arlington; Editor of record Nauticus, Norfolk; Colonial Williamsburg, Williamsburg; Courtney Birchmeier Group Tour Virginia Bottom: RVA Paddlesports, Richmond Elly DeVries, President Greg Jones – [email protected] audience development advertising 859-327-6417 Eric C. Lutey, Director of Sales Cindy Fish, DC, DE, MD, NJ, NY, PA, CT, MA, ME, Editorial [email protected] Audience Development Director NH, RI, VT Mary Lu Laffey, Editor Bethany Vander Kolk, 800-767-3489, ext. 111 David Hoekman, Managing Editor AB, BC, MB, NB, NL, NS, PE, QC, SK, YT, Circulation Coordinator Alan Lininger – [email protected] Courtney Birchmeier, Web Editor AK, ID, KS, MT, ND, NE, WY 800-767-3489 717-778-8056 Cortney Erndt, Associate Editor IL, NC, SC, VA, WV, KY, MO, TX, SD fax: 616-393-0085 marketing Allison Howard, Sales Assistant Kelsey Smith, Associate Editor Ben DeVries, Marketing Director [email protected] GroupTour.com Marlene Smith – [email protected] Steph Lulofs, Associate Editor 800-767-3489, ext. 110 Brittni Miller, Graphic Designer 231-499-1408 AR, AL, FL, GA, LA, MS, CO, OK Art administration Jim Holthaus – [email protected] Mark Dryer, Art Director 616-283-1816 Jim Bowser, Webmaster Tom Ward – [email protected] IA, IN, MN, MI, WI, OH, TN, ON Gabrielle Aleman-Gordon, 530-621-1235 Graphic Designer AZ, CA, HI, NM, NV, UT, OR, WA 4 Group Tour Virginia | 2018 Group Travel Guide GroupTour.com 5 Group Tour | virginia | 2018 group travel guide Thank You to our Advertising Partners 32 Abingdon CVB VisitAbingdonVirginia.com what’s 14 American Civil War Museum acwm.org 8 American Shakespeare Center AmericanShakespeareCenter.com 6 inside 36 Arlington Convention & Visitor Service stayarlington.com immerse in 28 Chincoteague Chamber the arts of Commerce 6 chincoteaguechamber.com 3 Colonial Williamsburg Foundation connect with ColonialWilliamsburg.com 12 america’s STORY 20 Go Blue Ridge Travel 12 GoBlueRidgeTravel.com 15 Jamestown - Yorktown pack an Foundation historyisfun.org 18 appetite 26 Mariners Museum marinersmuseum.org 27 Nauticus, The National 10 celebrations Maritime Center for every season www.nauticus.org 22 9 Riverside Center for the 18 Performing Arts riversidedt.com escape to 35 Staunton CVB the coast stauntonva.org 24 33 Stratford Hall stratfordhall.org made in Virginia 17 Suffolk Division of Tourism suffolk-fun.com 29 5 fab finds 11 US Army Band 24 USArmyBand.com chase new 2 Virginia Beach CVB Visitvirginiabeach.com 30 adventures 21 Visit Loudoun visitloudoun.org 10 Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts wolftrap.org 4 Group Tour Virginia | 2018 Group Travel Guide 30 GroupTour.com 5 Immerse in the arts The U.S. Army Band, Arlington Photo: The U.S. Army Band hether dancing to the rhythm and the Richmond Folk Festival, to of a music festival, attending a name a few. WShakespeare performance or brows- And music is just the beginning. ing fine art at a renowned museum, Virginia offers groups the chance to groups visiting Virginia don’t have to see different mediums of art through- go far to find artistic expression. out the state in art studios and galler- In Virginia, music is like an old ies. Fine arts venues, theater perfor- friend; it has deep roots in the state, mances and dinner theater shows, with a rich history that spans many cultural centers, dance studios, photo genres and decades. Virginia cel- galleries and pottery studios are all ebrates its musical heritage with itinerary options. festivals throughout the year includ- Embrace all the creativity Virginia ing American Music Festival, Bristol has to offer at group-friendly stops Taubman Museum of Art, Roanoke Rhythm and Roots Reunion, the Galax dedicated to art in its many forms. Photo: Taubman Museum of Art Old Fiddler’s Convention, FloydFest 6 Group Tour Virginia | 2018 Group Travel Guide GroupTour.com 7 itinerary Follow the musical beat of the Wayne Henderson & Friends, Carter Family Fold, Hiltons Photo: Jonathan Romeo for crooked road The Crooked Road « The Crooked Road is Virginia’s Heritage After dinner, head to Rex Theatre for Music Trail, a driving route through the Ap- DAY ONE a Blue Ridge Backroads show. Blue- THURSDAY NIGHT palachian Mountains from the Blue Ridge to the grass and old-time bands share the Arrive in the charming town of Coalfields region, following U.S. Route 58. The music of the mountains with the group. Abingdon. In the evening, visit Heart- trail connects major heritage music venues in wood Artisan Center, tucked into Vir- the region. ginia’s mountains and home to music, DAY THREE “A journey to and through the Crooked Road crafts and food of the Crooked Road. SATURDAY Music Trail is one of the most enchantingly won- Delight in Heartwood’s Thursday Night Meet a local guide for a tour of derful tours I have had the pleasure of research- BBQ and Open Jam. Local musicians Abingdon. Highlights include White’s ing and producing in my 20 years as a tour will entertain with a Pickin’ Porch as- Mill and The Country Store. operator,” said Kate Scopetti, president of Mid- sortment of authentic, distinctive music Visit the Holston Mountain Arts & Atlantic Tours & Receptive Services. “The people from the area. Crafts Co-Op, which offers quality are welcoming and friendly, not to mention handmade crafts and art from the Ap- musically talented. Here, music is a language, DAY TWO palachian Mountains. which is learned from birth, handed down from FRIDAY Travel to Bristol and take a walking generation to generation and a key component After breakfast, venture to Galax tour of the town before enjoying lunch of the delightful essence of the area.” where a local guide will take the group at one of the local favorites. Tour the Mid-Atlantic Tours & Receptive Services on a walking tour of the enchanting Birthplace of Country Music Museum, provided this itinerary. mountain town. Along the way, visit the which showcases the significant role of Chestnut Creek School of The Arts and Bristol in music history. learn how to flat-foot dance and line Have dinner at the Burger Bar, a dance with mountain flair. Enjoy a box classic diner famously known as the lunch at the school. last place Hank Williams, Sr. was seen Continue with a visit to Barr’s Fiddle alive. Shop and see handmade and vintage After dinner, it’s time to experience banjos, fiddles and autoharps. Learn Carter Family Fold. The show takes where the term “hillbillies” came from. place every Saturday evening and A short distance down the Crooked includes toe-tapping, old-time country Road, stop at the Blue Ridge Music and folk music.