Native Waters, Changing Climate: Fly Fishing for the Eastern Brook Trout" brings award-winning writer and Registered Maine Guide Lou Zambello and USDA Forest Service ecologist Lindsey Rustad to the National Sporting Library & Museum in Middleburg on November 18 Brook trout existed long before there were hatcheries or stocked rivers. Brilliantly marked with red spots haloed in blue and fins edged in white, it is the only trout native to the eastern United States, and it has ma

By Laura Longley Photo courtesy of the Conservation | Fund Oak Hill, home to President James Monroe, will be a magnificent state park. If you escaped to the beach over this year’s long Fourth of July holiday, it’s possible you missed the biggest news to reach Northern Virginia in quite a while: the approval of Virginia’s purchase of President James Monroe’s Oak Hill mansion and its 1,240 acres as a state park. On June 30, Gov. Abigail Spanberger approved the Commonwealth of

By Peyton Tochterman Christian Lyman on the run. Somewhere along the course of the Virginia Merikos 20-mile race last March, Christian Lyman found himself sitting in a truck. This was not part of the plan. The race included roughly 3,000 feet of elevation gain, the kind of course where runners learn quickly that distance on a map and distance beneath your feet are two very different things. Lyman had taken a wrong turn. By the time he was driven back to where he needed to be

By Bridge Littleton Lieutenant Mark Putnam At the end of September, the Town of Middleburg said farewell and thank you to Lieutenant Mark Putnam as he retired after more than 29 years of public safety and law enforcement service, including 13 years with the Middleburg Police Department. Mark began his career at Coffeewood Correctional Center in 1997 before joining the Orange County Sheriff’s Office in 1999. He later served with the Culpeper County Sheriff’s Office and the Tow

By Leonard Shapiro Photo by Tracy Meyer Thoroughbred horses are out, caisson horses are in at the Middleburg Training Center This was the early morning at the Middleburg Training Center, a dozen hours after the U.S. Army had announced at a precisely choreographed town hall that it had closed that very same day on a contract to purchase the iconic facility to train caisson horses used in military funerals at Arlington National Cemetery. The morning after, several tenants were

By Leonard Shapiro Country ZEST It’s official. The iconic Middleburg Training Center (MTC), built by Upperville philanthropist and Thoroughbred breeder Paul Mellon in 1956, has been sold to the U.S. Army’s Caisson Detachment, best known as “The Old Guard,” that will re-purpose the 149-acre facility to train horses used in military funerals at Arlington National Cemetery. The sale closed on Thursday, August 6, the same day the Army had already scheduled an evening town hall m

The Middleburg Community Center welcomes Alchemy Ballet's Pop-Up Company’s Midsummer Nocturne on Saturday, August 22 at 3 p.m. The one-hour performance will be followed by a reception with light refreshments. Presented as the culmination of Alchemy Ballet's week-long Pop-Up Company intensive, “Midsummer Nocturne: Minkus to Mingus, Chopin to Copland,” celebrates the extraordinary talents of young dancers and special guest artists in a vibrant program that moves seamlessly from

Photos by Leonard Shapiro The Middleburg Museum sponsored a lively and informative program recently at the Middleburg Community Center to celebrate the 289th birthday of Lt. Col. Leven Powell (1737 –1810). Powell was the founder of Middleburg as well as a Virginia planter, merchant, Continental Army officer and Federalist politician who served several terms in the Virginia House of Delegates. Some of Powell’s living descendants were in the audience for an event that included

Patricia “Pat” Reilly, a widely respected journalist, Peace Corps volunteer, civic leader, historian, tireless champion of Irish arts and culture whose vision supported and strengthened countless organizations and good causes, passed away on Saturday, June 6, at her home in Middleburg, VA. She was 78. Pat had an unwavering commitment to communities devoted to democracy, human rights, public service, and social justice. She was a devoted daughter, sister, aunt and friend and

An elegantly attired crowd gathered recently at the Middleburg Community Center to celebrate the 32nd annual donor appreciation with the Swan Lake Holiday Ball. It was black or white tie for the men and elegant evening wear for the ladies on a magical night that included a cocktail hour, delicious dinner and of course, dancing and more dancing, even a bit of ballet. Past and present board members and those that produced the magical evening at the Middleburg Community Cent

Lisa Rackle Ben-Dov, whose life spanned a distinguished professional career in New York with a deeply rooted philanthropic presence in Virginia’s hunt country, died unexpectedly on December 7, 2025, only months after defying cancer. Born in Atlanta on March 21, 1945, to Eugene Emile Rackle and Mabel Claire Moody Rackle, Lisa grew up in Metairie, a suburb of New Orleans. She graduated from St. Martin’s Protestant Episcopal School in 1962 and went on to earn a Bachelor of Bus

The evening will kick off at 5:30 p.m. with a private champagne reception and tour of Woodside Farm for benefactors and platinum sponsors...

June 13, 1930 – August 14, 2025 The Thoroughbred industry mourns the loss of renowned international bloodstock agent Michael G. Motion...

Middleburg Architect of Neumann Lewis Buchanan Architects APRIL 28, 1956 - APRIL 14, 2025 Mark Steven Buchanan, 68, passed away...

Country ZEST & Style officially has a podcast. Hosted and produced by our very own Ronen Feldman, we'll be bringing stories from our...

The stately gated entrance at Bolinvar on the prestigious Mountville Road outside of Middleburg opens to the gently winding drive that...

A Lifelong Interest in Art Keeps Zimmerman at Her Easel

Event planner Montana Lanier Ruffner recently orchestrated a memorable evening for the Piedmont Environmental Council’s Farm-to-Table...

The Warrenton Horse Show celebrated its 125th edition in high style over Labor Day weekend. A magical party was set up in the iconic...

Horses With Middleburg Owners Will Compete at Paris Olympics By Emma Boyce