Be sure to pay a visit to Pale Fire Brewing in Harrisonburg when you visit.
Where to stay, eat, and enjoy your time in Harrisonburg.
STAY
Joshua Wilton House Inn & Restaurant.
You can’t go wrong at the sleek and modern Hotel Madison which abuts JMU’s campus. Its in-house Montpelier restaurant serves up delicious cornmeal-crusted grouper fingers and a spicy pimento crab dip. HotelMadison.com
The Joshua Wilton House Inn & Restaurant has an elegant and traditional Virginia vibe with five television-free rooms and a chef’s breakfast that may include savory tarts and scones with lemon curd. JoshuaWilton.com
By the Side of the Road Getaway Lodge offers private cottages, mini kitchens, and concierge service. ByTheSideOfTheRoad.com
EAT
Mashita’s bibimbap with grilled chicken.
Many restaurants offer takeaway menus along with outdoor seating. Local favorites include Local Chops & Grill (LocalChops.com), the global comfort choices of Food.Bar.Food (FoodBarFood.com), and Mashita’s Korean-inspired take (EastMashita.com).
You can pick up fresh fare at Rocktown Kitchen (RocktownKitchen.com) and enjoy it while sipping an Arrant IPA made with citra-hops (PaleFireBrewing).
VISIT
White Oak Lavender Farm.
The Alpine Loop Gran Fondo, an impressive bike race which covers approximately 107 miles featuring 11,000 feet of climbing, is on for Sept. 27. Showalters Apple Orchard will hold its 21st Annual Apple Celebration Oct. 17 with apple picking, live music, hard cider sampling, and kids’ activities.
Thirty minutes away, Massanutten Resort (MassResort.com) offers a wide variety of mountain bike terrain, golf, horseback riding, and family activities like mini golf and bumper cars. In the winter the resort offers the highest vertical drop in Virginia (1,100 feet). At press time, the resort’s pools were open but the water parks were closed.
Just outside the city, indulge your senses and calm your spirits at White Oak Lavender Farm (WhiteOakLavender.com), where lavender is the key attraction and ingredient. The site also has a beautiful outdoor pavilion with four bars for lavender-infused wine tasting.
For family fun, check out the Explore More Discovery Museum, which is a kid-sized maker space complete with a play kitchen, theater, craft area, and small airplane. IExploreMore.com
Note: Events were accurate at publication time. Please contact venues for updates before traveling.
This article originally appeared in our October 2020 issue.
