2011 VARF Dates

[lowlandscot]

What is the address of the site? I'm planning to go this weekend for the pirate theme if it doesn't rain or the following weekend if it does. But I need to an address to plug into the GPS.  Had a great time last year, and it was a very nice drive there off the main highways, got to see a lot of country.

5621 Courthouse Road
Spotsylvania VA

Depending upon how long it's been since you updated the maps for your GPS -- do a reality check against Google Maps or Mapquest. There has been a lot of road construction out that way the past couple of years and some GPSs do not, for instance, know about the Lake Anna Pkwy extension or the Courthouse Rd. bypass.

[Feline Groovy]

Neeeeeever mind.   

[mross7]

Lake Anna Winery
5621 Courthouse Road
Spotsylvania, VA 22551-6100

[GoldenGoose]

I recommend that you do not rely on your GPS under any circumstances. Follow the directions on the website: http://www.varf.org/directions.html
and use your GPS as back up.

If coming down 95 from Northern VA, just ignore GPS when it tells you to get off 95 earlier. When Lake Anna Parkway is finished, that may well cut time...until then, speaking as someone who's driven it hundreds of times in all variations, going all the way to exit 118 at Thornburg is fastest. Plus, you get a shot at the cheapest gas in the area at the Thornburg exit.

Mapquest will get you there from Northern VA, although I think it takes longer. Googlemaps agrees with me that exit 118 is the better option. For those coming from other directions -- all I can say is that we've had dozens of patrons complain about GPS leading them astray.

If you are coming from Northern VA/DC Beltway region -- I highly recommend that you get on the road EARLY. Start out at the crack of dawn and have a leisurely breakfast in Fredericksburg. 95 South through Virginia gets extremely congested -- if you think you're going to leave home late morning, and still have time to enjoy the faire before we close at 5pm...you may have an unhappy surprise!

[hitchhiker90]

I'll be coming from NC, probably not going up 95.  Last year the GPS had us going on some back roads which made for a nice drive through the country. Looks like I got some planning to do.

[ataraxy]

I had a great time at the faire today.  The weather was about perfect and everyone seemed so happy to be there.  This is the third year I've been down to VARF, and it's gotten better each time!  I only wish it was a little closer so I could go more frequently, but it's a 5 hour round trip for me.

[hitchhiker90]

I was there today too. Great weather. Great people.  Its about 4 hours for me if I didn't stop. Probably post pics tomorrow night once I get them loaded to the laptop and decide which site to upload to.

[remission]

Wow, people drive 4-5 hours for VARF?  I drive 2 and that seems pretty far to me, only because the Faire is so small. I can walk it in 20 minutes. Tis a nice little faire though. Do you guys that drive long distances camp out at faire all weekend though?

[Lady_Glorianna]

Had hoped to go to VARF but my back has been giving me problems and I do not think I can handle a ~4 hour drive. Hope you guys have a glorious final weekend! Please give Cornelia my regards and assure her that I have not forgotten her or faire.

[Feline Groovy]

Wow, people drive 4-5 hours for VARF?  I drive 2 and that seems pretty far to me, only because the Faire is so small. I can walk it in 20 minutes. Tis a nice little faire though. Do you guys that drive long distances camp out at faire all weekend though?

For me, one-way is two hours in perfect traffic with no stops, two and a half is what I plan on needing at a minimum to allow for stops and such.  When I was a patron/playtron and leaving at 'normal' times, the drive was often three hours thanks to Peninsula traffic, aka the I-64 Parking Lot.  And I still went every year, multiple times after the first couple of years.  (My first year was VARF's first year at the winery.)  And it was always up and back on the same day, no overnighters.  As a cast member, I still up-and-back on Saturday when I can't be there all day Sunday.  When I can do both days, I stay at a hotel in Fburg because I luuuurrve my flushies and my bottomless hot, running water.  But several cast members do camp out; I'll let those that do answer to that.

Sure you can walk the grounds in twenty minutes but you can't see or do anything.  We may be wee but we have a full day of things to experience and that's why folks to go faires, for the experience, not the walk, right?   

[Master James]

Wow, people drive 4-5 hours for VARF?  I drive 2 and that seems pretty far to me, only because the Faire is so small. I can walk it in 20 minutes. Tis a nice little faire though. Do you guys that drive long distances camp out at faire all weekend though?

For me, one-way is two hours in perfect traffic with no stops, two and a half is what I plan on needing at a minimum to allow for stops and such.  When I was a patron/playtron and leaving at 'normal' times, the drive was often three hours thanks to Peninsula traffic, aka the I-64 Parking Lot.  And I still went every year, multiple times after the first couple of years.  (My first year was VARF's first year at the winery.)  And it was always up and back on the same day, no overnighters.  As a cast member, I still up-and-back on Saturday when I can't be there all day Sunday.  When I can do both days, I stay at a hotel in Fburg because I luuuurrve my flushies and my bottomless hot, running water.  But several cast members do camp out; I'll let those that do answer to that.

Sure you can walk the grounds in twenty minutes but you can't see or do anything.  We may be wee but we have a full day of things to experience and that's why folks to go faires, for the experience, not the walk, right?   

Well I come from up north and it takes me 2 hours one way most times.  For rehearsals we simply drive both ways each day.  Have to be there by 8:30AM and there until at least 4PM both days on the weekends.  For the faire itself, being on cast, we are able to park our camper on site so that is what we do.  There are a number of nice campgrounds in the area that aren't too expensive for a couple of nights.  We have many cast that come from places like Lancaster, PA and Raliegh, NC so they have even further to go.

[hitchhiker90]

Wow, people drive 4-5 hours for VARF?  I drive 2 and that seems pretty far to me, only because the Faire is so small. I can walk it in 20 minutes. Tis a nice little faire though. Do you guys that drive long distances camp out at faire all weekend though?

Usually end up making a long weekend out of it.  Go to VARF on that Saturday, then get a hotel for the night and go elsewhere from Sunday through Tuesday.  Last year I went to Colonial Williamsburg after leaving VARF, this year I went to Kings Dominion after leaving VARF.  It makes the 4 hour drive worth it because I get to go to a ren faire and get a mini vacation.