The Virginia Herb Festival was founded in 2009 by Sunflower Cottage in Middletown, VA. Sunflower Cottage is a herb farm, garden center and tea room which sits on 40 acres of farm land in the Shenandoah River Valley. The setting and our mission are ideal for this event. Our mission is to provide fun and entertainment centered around the delight in herbs and the agrarian lifestyle. Admission is $5.00 per person and children age 12 and under, accompanied by an adult, are free. The admission charge is good for both days and after you are in, all programs are free.

SPECIALS
We always have wonderful bargains on site. First, each attendee will be registered in our door prize give aways. The door prizes include a large herb garden, a large herbal gift basket, bird feeders, bat houses and more. Additionally, we offer a huge discount when you purchase a full tray of herbs. The regular price on a full, 18 inch tray of herbs is between $60 and $75. The festival sale price is $40.00, almost half price.

CHEFS
Our wonderful chefs will be giving free demonstrations during the day in our speakers tent. Don't miss Chef Ed Matthews, owner of One Block West; Chef Tim Brogan of The Lucky Star Restaurant and Lounge; Chef Allan Burrelle, owner of L'Auberge Provencale; and Chef Scott Meyers of The Grand Union Hotel.

PROGRAMS

Saturday June 11
9:30 AM -- “Gardening for Birds and Shade Grown Coffee” Diane Kline, SHS, GCW and Audubon Society
10:00 AM -- “ Edible Flowers” Kim Labash, Loudoun Valley Herbs
10:30 AM -- “Herbal Pastries” Patsy Carothers, Owner, Patsy’s Pastry Pizza
11:00 AM -- “Party Faire with Fresh Herbs” Executive Chef Bill Erlenbach of A la Carte Catering
11:30 AM -- “Lessons in Using Grape Seed Oil” June Martin, owner Wild Tree
12:00 PM -- “Herbs to Dye For” Lynn Hoffman, Master Gardener
12:30 PM -- “Herbal Bonsai” Mary Stickley, Master Gardener and Garden Curator, Glen Burnie / Museum of the Shenandoah Valley
1:00 PM -- Chef Tim Brogan, The Lucky Star Restaurant
2:00 PM -- “Preserving the Harvest of Fresh Herbs and Vegetables” Paula Brownlee, Master Gardener
2:30 PM -- “Flower Arrangements in Candelabras”, The Garden Club of Warren County3:00 PM -- “Lavender Tour – Lavender Wands” Kim Labash, Owner Loudoun Valley Herbs
3:30 PM -- “How to Make Lavender Wands” Linda Kusior, Shenandoah Herb Society
4:00 PM -- “Herbal Remedies” Sondra Johnson, Nature’s Common Scents

Sunday June 12

10:00 AM -- “Aroma Therapy 101” Ruth Egli, owner Hints for Health
10:30 AM -- “Lavender Tour” Kim Labash, Owner, Loudoun Valley Herbs
11:00 AM -- Chefs Franco and Riccardo, Violino Restorante Italiano
12:30 PM -- “Pestos and Pairings” Dean Morgan, General Manager, Shenandoah County Fair Association
1:30 PM -- “Culinary Herbs, Know Them, Grow Them and Use Them” Ed Matthews, Owner, One Block West Restaurant
3:00 PM -- Chef Tim Brogan, The Lucky Star Restaurant

We will partner this year with The Girl Scouts of America. A portion of festival admissions will go to support over 100 local girl scout troups. This is a wonderful orgainization and one that we are all know and care about. We are thrilled that the girls will be on site helping with the children's fair. So come out, have a great day and support your local girl scouts.