Opening Day At Oatlands

Opening Day At Oatlands

This year Oatlands will mark the opening of its 16th visitors’ season on April 1 with a varied program appealing to a wide variety of interests and guaranteed to keep everyone, young and not-so-young, busy and delighted.

The equestrian activities will feature a display of champion Western cutting horse maneuvers involved in herding calves. English Morris dancers will perform their intricate steps with accompanying music and the Bob Brown Marionettes vfill be on hand with Mrs. Brown drawing the children into the action of the puppets. There will be a plant seminar conducted by the expert Oatlands gardener, Alfredo Siani, for those who are interested in horticulture. The Bluemont Concert Series will provide music played on the fiddle, guitar, mandohn and hammered dulcimer by Joe Lezain and Abby Finch. There will be hayrides around the estate and helium balloons will be available fin* a small charge as well as food, soft drinks, and popcorn. And Grandy, the Grandpa Llama, and Misha, the baby Llama, as well as assorted burros, ponies, goats, etc., all members of Mrs. Emmet's menagerie, will be on hand for the eryoyment of animal lovers.

According to Oatlands custom, all Loudoun County residents arriving in automobiles bearing Loudoun County stickers will be admitted free of charge. The gates will be open from noon until 5 p.m. For non-residents, admission is $4 for adults, $3 for citizens 60 and over and youths from 7 to 18. All children under 7 are free.

Oatlands, a property of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, is an 1806 Greek Revival mansion with extensive formal gardens built by George Carter. It stands on 261 acres in the middle of the Virginia Hunt country and is located six miles south of Leesburg on Route 15. For more information, call 703-777-3174.