Celebrating Mr. Jefferson

Tickets on sale for the 10th annual Heritage Harvest Festival.

Kathleen Toler

The Glorious Gardens at Monticello

The gardens at Monticello. 

It is well known that Thomas Jefferson was a renaissance man with a keen interest in all things local and sustainable, so for the 10th year running, the team at Monticello has collaborated with gardening and cooking experts to celebrate that fact by hosting the Heritage Harvest Festival Sept. 9-11.

The weekend kicks off Friday, Sept. 9 at 6:00 p.m. with Opening Night at the Paramount Theater. The Inn at Little Washington’s renowned chef Patrick O’Connell will be the keynote speaker, followed by local food movers and shakers like representatives from Polyface Farms and Southern Exposure Seed Exchange. And then after all that talk about food, enjoy a sampling of local food prepared by O’Connell.

Here’s just a handful of events in store for Saturday, Sept. 10:

Old Timey Seed Swap: Share your seeds and your love of gardening with fellow green thumbs. 9:00 a.m. FREE

Jefferson & Natural History Walk: Get up close and personal with Jefferson’s garden and his affection for natural history. 9:30 a.m. $10

Fresh Made Simple: Learn how to create beautiful, delicious dishes using fall fruits and veggies. 9:30 a.m. $10 

Chicken Whispering: Learn how to gently handle your chickens to develop an eggsellent relationship with the birds. 2:00 p.m. $15

The Cooking Gene: Culinary historian Michael W. Twitty will discuss the relationship between food, genetics and history. 3:30 p.m. FREE

Tickets for all events are on sale now. VIP tickets cover festival admission, parking, Opening Night, premium workshops and lectures, a tour of Monticello and concierge check-in. For the full schedule, go to HeritageHarvestFestival.com  

September 11, 2024

The Waybacks at The Tin Pan

The Tin Pan
September 12, 2024

Fall Homeschool Days

Frontier Culture Museum