©2005-2011 www.nelsoncountylife.com : The original 2005 cast & crew of The Homecoming at The Hamner Theater in Nelson County, Virginia. The theater was established in Earl Hamner's honor in 2005. The Homecoming is currently on stage there until December 18th. Earl Hamner talks about his Christmas story this Thursday on the radio with NCL publisher Tommy Stafford.

Afton, Virginia
Memphis, Tennessee
If you are from Nelson County you know about the The Homecoming. If you aren’t from Nelson County, you probably still know about The Homecoming. This December marks 6 years of stage productions at The Hamner Theater in Afton, VA. The theater was established in honor of Nelson County native Earl Hamner, Jr from Schuyler. His Homecoming inspired the long running CBS television series, The Waltons. The stage production of The Homecoming is currently playing until December 18th at The Hamner Theater. This is a must see!

This Thursday – December 8th, Earl Hamner and NCL Publisher, Tommy Stafford will be on the radio in Memphis, Tennessee for an hour and a half talking about The Homecoming, Earl’s Christmas memories from here in Nelson, and much, much more. Tommy is frequently on the radio back in Memphis as part of The Earle Farrell Radio Show in the afternoons. Memphis is where Tommy began his television news and weather career.

You don’t have to be in range of a radio to hear the broadcast, simply head on over the www.kwam990.com on Thursday afternoon starting at 4:30 PM EST to listen to the live stream and hear Earl talk all about Nelson!

Photos By Elizabeth Cantrell : Members of the Apache and Yakima tribes were at North Branch School in Afton on November 21 to tell the students about customs of their tribes during Native American Heritage Month. Pictured is an Apache in traditional clothing.

Afton
Nelson County, Virginia
Students at North Branch School in Afton got a real treat last week when members of the Apache and Yakima Tribes stopped by their classrooms to tell students there about customs of their tribes. It was all part of Native American Heritage Month.

Students and teachers at North Branch School had an opportunity to look at animal skins and jewelry during a presentation by members of the Apache and Yakima tribes.

©2011 www.nelsoncountylife.com : Photo By Tommy Stafford : Early Saturday morning they were getting the trees ready for sale at RVCC's annual Christmas Tree sale. Get yours now!

Afton
Nelson County, VA
The temps may be in the 70′s this weekend, but the Christmas trees are back at the Rockfish Valley Community Center in Afton. We got ours first thing Saturday morning! The trees went on sale Saturday November 26th and will be available through December as supplies last.

Click on image to enlarge for prices from the RVCC website.

Get yours now!

©2011 www.nelsoncountylife.com : Photos By Tommy Stafford : Blue Mountain Brewery's co-founder and head brewmaster, Taylor Smack, talks about several beer pairings at Thursday night's Fall Beer Dinner at the Afton brewery.

Afton
Nelson County, Virginia
Most know how yummy wine pairings can be with food, but beer is too! This past Thursday night Taylor Smack hosted the 1st Fall Beer Dinner at Blue Mountain Brewery in Afton. In short, it was incredible! The entire room was packed with people wanting to experience some of the custom BMB brews paired with fantastic local foods.

Click on the image above the enlarge the menu and pairing from Thursday night's menu at Blue Mountain.

Just one of 5 courses from the BMB Fall Beer Dinner. The main couse was Slow-Roast Polyface Chicken basted with BMB beer bbq: accompanied by local acorn squash, sweet red pepper & onion hash, mashed sweet potatoes, cheddar topped with honey beer gravy. It was paired with a perfect Lights Out Holiday Ale.

Taylor Smack of Blue Mountain Brewery chats it up with people attending Thursday night Fall Beer Dinner in Afton.

With the success of the Fall Beer Dinner we feel confident there will be more in the future! Let’s hope so.

Excellent evening, well done!

©2011 www.nelsoncountylife.com : Photos By NCL Valley Photographer Hayley Osborne : A veteran stands while the Armed Forces Medley is played this past Thursday morning at Rockfish River Elementary School.

Afton
Nelson County, Virginia
For years we have been telling you about Rockfish River Elementary School’s committment to honor and remember veterans.

Students hold miniature american flags during the Veteran's Day program at RRES this past Thursday morning.

This past Thursday morning RRES Principal, Nita Hughes and her staff continued their tradition of recognizing vets for service and sacrifice to their country.

Nelson County High Band Director Scott Belcher directs the band in a series of patriotic tunes at the Veteran's Day remembrance.

Veterans were honored and remembered this past Thursday morning at Rockfish River Elementary.

RRES faculty, students, attendees, and veterans show their respect to the US Flag and other respective flags during Thursday's ceremony.

Veteran’s Day is officially recognized nationwide on November 11th.

©2011 www.nelsoncountylife.com : Photos By Marcie Gates : Jesse Gates Hudson, a teacher at NBS, savors victory with her rubber chicken prize after winning The Great Tricycle Race of 2011 this past Friday.

Afton
Nelson County, Virginia
Reading 700 books in one month is nothing to sneeze at! But thats exactly what the kids at North Branch School just did. Their reward? Teachers had to participate in The Great Tricycle Race of 2011! Katrien “Kat. A. Strophe” Vance, Michael “The Dominator” Donegan, Jessie “Gates-Smasher” Hudson, Jess “Four Leaf Cleaver” Tucker, Krista “Betty ClockHer” Crocker and Oscar “El Rey Triciclo” Cardenas all took place in the race.

They're off!

Michael Donegan falls over in an attempt to the finish line.

Oscar Cardenas looses control of his trike. Yikes!

Here’s a neat video NBS shot of the race. Click on the player to view.

Katrien Vance (left) and Krista Crocker making their way to the finish line!

Looks like Jesse had little doubt she would be the winner!

Not exactly Nascar, but not bad!

Congrats to the 92 students at NBS who read the 700+ books in just three weeks!

Way to go!

©2011 www.nelsoncountylife.com : Photos By Yvette Stafford : Jim Taggart (left) with Northwest Ventures preps some of his Direct To Nelson Wild Alaska Salmon this past Saturday morning at the Rockfish Valley Community Center's Indoor Market.

Afton
Nelson County, Virginia
Now that cold weather is settling in and the Nelson Farmers Market Coop has closed down for the season, it’s indoors for the winter months at the RVCC Indoor Community Market. It kicked off this past Saturday morning in conjunction with the monthly First Saturday Pancake Breakfast.

The indoor market at RVCC allows local producers, vendors and crafters to continue right into the cold winter months on the first Saturday of each month.

RVCC on the web: http://rockfishvalleycommunitycenter.memberlodge.com/

©2011 www.nelsoncountylife.com : All Photos By Hayley Osborne : Teachers, friends, and former students gather to plant a tree in memory of Earl Miller who once attended North Branch School.

Afton
Nelson County, Virginia

You can’t go anywhere in Nelson County without someone telling you an Earl Miller story. And they are always good. Positive. Inspiring. We told you about Earl’s sad and tragic death here back in early October.

This past Sunday afternoon (10.30.11) friends, former teachers and students at North Branch School planted a tree in remembrance of Earl Miller.

Raven Holland Curtis, a long time friend of Earl Miller, takes a turn digging the hole for a memorial tree planted in his memory at North Branch School this past Sunday afternoon in Afton.

“He was my book buddy. A wonderfully nice person,” one former student of North Branch told us. We continue hearing the same sorts of stories all across the county.

Friends and former students place dirt around the tree remembering Earl Miller a previous student at North Branch School.

After the tree was planted, friends took turns speaking in remembrance, and singing a couple of songs in Earl Miller's memory.

The newly planted tree is now a permanent marker for future generations and students at North Branch School.

©2011 www.nelsoncountylife.com : All Photos By Hayley Osborne : Last weekend's bout of snow didn't keep the oysters from being shucked at Cardinal Point's annual Oyster Roast.

Afton
Nelson County, Virginia
A little snow early Saturday didn’t stop people from heading over to Cardinal Point Vineyard & Winery for their 8th Annual Oyster Roast. Rappahannock River Oyster Company was back again serving them up! The event went on through Sunday afternoon with people enjoying great food, wine and entertainment! And our Hayley Osborne was there to capture it all. Tough assignment Hayley!

The Atkinsons from Richmond took to the CP stage this past Sunday at Cardinal Point's Oyster Roast

The oysters and the CP wine have become an annual favorite at the festival!

No matter how you like them they were served raw, steamed, fried, and stewed!

Ahhhh! This is what they have been waiting on! Yum!

The Oyster Roast is one of the most popular events held each year at CP.

See you next year!

©2011 www.nelsoncountylife.com : All Photos By NCL Mountain Photographer Paul Purpura : It was a packed house this past Saturday night (10.29.11) at Veritas Vineyard & Winery for the annual Opportunity Ball benefitting the Nelson County Community Fund.

Afton
Nelson County, Virginia
Some arrived as hippy throwbacks to the 1960′s, others as Robin Hood. And the ones less adventurous showed up in customary business or formal dress. Nonetheless, everyone had a fantastic time at the 2011 Opportunity Ball at Veritas. The events helps to raise money for The Nelson County Community Fund that issues grants to numerous Nelson non-profits. We’ve been covering the annual gala for years.

Alyssa Mische (right) of Nellysford, who showed up at Saturday night's Opportunity Ball as Robin Hood, chats it up at the 2011 event.

The Opportunity Ball was first held in 2004 to raise funds to help address the need for basic medical and dental care, improved housing, childcare and even food for neighbors in Nelson County. All of the funds raised through sponsorships, auctions and donations are used solely to benefit Nelson County through grants from the Nelson County Community Fund.

Auction items continue to be one of the biggest draws at the annual Opportunity Ball.

There was a wide cross section of costumes and fun at Saturday night's Opportunity Ball.

The Opportunity Ball first began in 2004.

The ball included a 5 course meal paired with the perfect wine from Veritas!

1st
Headless Horseman Pumpkin Potage
Roasted Pumpkin Potage with a Crème Fraîche Swirl, Garnished with Pumpkin Crisps
Paired with Reserve Chardonnay

2nd
Parmesan Tower of Terror
Parmesan Basket with Orzo Pasta Salad and Truffles
Paired with Rosé
3rd
Diablo Seared Shrimp
Grilled, Marinated Shrimp with a Light and Spicy Ginger Cilantro Sauce
Paired with Viognier

4th
Ghoulish Goulash
Tender Chunks of Beef Tenderloin in a Hungarian-Spiced Stew
Paired with Claret

5th
Candy Corn Crème Brûlée
Garnished with Pecan Crisps
Paired with Petit Manseng

The Nelson Blues Brothers!

After a fantastic meal everyone danced the night away!

See you at next year’s ball!

PLANNING COMMISSION
Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Present: Ms. Philippa Proulx, Mr. Mike Harman, Ms. Linda Russell, Mr. Mike Tapager and Ms. Connie Brennan (Board Liaison and non-voting)

SPECIAL USE PERMIT/WILLIE PARRISH: The applicant applied for a permit to place a second mobile home on property located at 1885 Cub Creek Road, Roseland. The property is 12.59 acres and zoned Agricultural A-1. A permit is necessary because there is an existing manufactured dwelling the property and adding a second one constitutes a mobile home park. Mr. Boger noted that the existing manufactured home is used as a weekend retreat and the second home will be used for the same purpose. He reported that there is an old house on the property which Mr. Parrish has indicated he plans to remove because of its condition. Mr. Boger reported that the Health Department has determined that, if the old house is removed, the existing septic system is sufficient to handle both the manufactured home and the new mobile home.

Commissioners asked Mr. Boger whether the tax map or the GIS is correct for the property and Mr. Boger said that neither is correct. Mr. Michael Parrish (Mr. Parrish’s son) said that the property has not been surveyed. Ms. Russell asked when the existing house would be removed and Mr. Parrish said that he thought that could be done within six months.

With no public comment, Commissioners voted 4-0 to recommend approval of the permit with the condition that the existing old dwelling unit be removed within one year of final placement of the second manufactured home.

CLASS II COMMUNICATIONS TOWER, VERIZON WIRELESS/COVE MOUNTAIN LANE, LOVINGSTON: Deferred until the December meeting at the request of the applicant.

CLASS III COMMUNICATIONS TOWER, COUNTY OF NELSON/CRITZER SHOP ROAD, AFTON: The applicant applied to install a 144-foot tower as part of the Nelson County Broadband Project on property owned by Dr. and Mrs. Andrew Hodson and located at 10368 Critzer Shop Road (adjoining the American Fibers site, owned by the Hodsons). The applicant also requested an exemption to 20-8-3 “Proximity to an Existing Tower”; 20-7-2e “viewshed of a designated Scenic By-Way”; an exception to 20-7-2a requiring 125% of the tower height to the property line; and an waiver of 20-7-5k(1) landscaping requirements. The proposed site is with one mile of a Verizon tower on Critzer Shop Road (the ordinance requires two miles). In addition, both Critzer Shop Road and Afton Mountain Roads are Scenic Byways and the proposed tower would be within both viewsheds. The applicant requested the waiver of the landscaping requirement due to the natural vegetation already screening the site.

Mr. Boger reported that an E&S plan is not required; the Virginia Department of Historic Resources issued a finding of “no adverse effect” on historical properties and/or structures in the area; VDOT has approved access off Rt. 151; and the FAA has noted no impact. He noted that information has not been submitted on how utilities would be brought to the site and their location, nor has a letter been received from an engineer certifying that the tower has been designed to collapse upon itself rather than falling over.

Mr. Steve Carter, representing Nelson County, said that the proposed tower is a part of the county’s Broadband Project and would serve approximately 800 households. He noted that the engineers looked at several site and chose the proposed site for the best service to the most households. Mr. Carter said that the engineers will provide a letter of certification once the tower has actually been designed. He noted that the Project will begin at Amoco Fibers, go to Rt. 6, across Rt. 6 and up Rt. 29 to Colleen, utilizing 5 towers (the proposed; one proposed for Martin’s Store on Rt. 151; one in Massies Mill; one at the Courthouse in Lovingston; and one at CVEC in Colleen).

Ms. Russell said that the ordinance lists Class III towers as 95’ to 130’ and an exception should have been requested and advertised for a tower of 144 feet. Mr. Boger said that the advertisement noted an application for a 144-foot tower so an exception did not have to be requested. Ms. Russell disagreed. She then asked what the Commission was being asked to make a recommendation on and Mr. Carter said just the actual tower. The county will return to the Planning Commission once a provider is identified for approval of specific antennas. Ms. Proulx said that she was perplexed why the county chose that site in the middle of a residential area. Mr. Carter said that the property is next to an industrial parcel and provides the best coverage. Ms. Russell said that the same coverage could be accomplished using more, shorter towers. She then asked whether any attempt was made to obtain agreements from the property owners within the fall area and Mr. Carter said that no attempt was made.

During the Public Hearing, MR. MICHAEL TANCYUS, an adjoining landowner, said that there had not been adequate notice as the letter from the county was only received this week. He said that he is opposed as high-speed internet is already available in the area. He also voiced concern with health issues, impacts on wildlife, the negative impact on area property values, and the lack of information on how this tower will be designed. Mr. Tancyus said that the parcel is a small piece of land and the tower will negatively impact many.

MR. MARK SHANKMAN, an adjoining landowner, said that his house is approximately 144 feet from the tower and he has plans to build a house for his in-laws on the parcel next to the tower site. He expressed opposition as the tower would lower his property values and is less than ¼ mile from Rt. 151, a tourism route. (Note: Ms. Russell pointed out that the tower is actually 125 feet from his property line and 344 feet from his house.)

MR. MARK ROSENTHAL, adjoining property owner, said that a Class III tower is 95 feet to 130 feet, not 144 feet. He said that the tower should be at least 180 feet from all property lines. Mr. Rosenthal said that the front of his house is all glass and faces the tower so he will have to look at 60 feet of this tower over the tree line every day.

MS. SUZANNE ROSENTHAL, adjoining property owner, said that a tower that requires five exceptions is clearly not in the right site. She said that the county is not following its own ordinance and will destroy two Scenic Byways.

MR. GREG TRUMAN, Rt. 6 (behind the American Fibers plan), said that the neighbors are a community and the tower will be an eyesore. He said that the site is not appropriate and the tower will lower all property values.

MS. CHRISTINE SHANKMAN, said that she has concerns about being so close to the tower and does not want the tower to take away the beauty of Nelson County. She said that there are lots of other places in the county for the tower.

MS. ELLIE RAY, Afton Mountain Road, said that she is opposed and would have to look at the tower every day.

DR. ANDREW HODSON, Veritas Works, LLC, said that he was approached about the Broadband Project with the engineers choosing the most favorable site at American Fiber, which is zoned industrial. He said that there is already a large silo there. Dr. Hodson said that he takes exception to being vilified and is a good neighbor, raising over $100,000 a year for Nelson County. He said that he will walk away and let the county put the tower elsewhere.

MS. CONNIE MILLER, Magnolia Acres, said that due diligence has not been done on the proposed site. She criticized the way the county does business, noting the questions about tax maps and GIS and questions about the advertisements.

Following public comments, Ms. Proulx explained that the county had advertised in the Nelson County Times twice as the newspaper of record; that the county policy is to notify all adjoining landowners, which had been done; and apologized that the notifications were received so late but said that the requirements for notification were met. Ms. Russell noted that federal law does not allow the county to consider health issues related to towers.

Mr. Tapager said that part of the problem is that people only get involved when their property is threatened and then do not understand the process. He said that Mr. Boger is doing the best he can with a staff of one and each Commissioner and Supervisor is doing their best to interpret and fairly apply the ordinances and regulations. Mr. Tapager said that this is a county project and he is saddened that the county did not get the neighbors involved in the process sooner. He said that the neighbors also have to understand that there is an industrial area next to them and they live in a transitional area. Mr. Tapager said he has always believed that when a subdivision is put in, the area should be rezoned to Residential instead of remaining Agricultural. He said that it also saddens him that Dr. Hodson has been put in the middle with a tower that he did not solicit.

Mr. Carter said that he would be happy to go back to the consultants to ask them to look at other sites but noted that the process is very time consuming and the county needs to move forward with speed. He noted that the county may come back with the same proposal. Ms. Proulx said that she would be thrilled with a new site. Ms. Brennan said that the county felt very lucky to get the Broadband Project as there are a lot of residents who want to be able to work from home and having high speed internet would allow them to do so. She said that Dr. Hodson and his family have contributed a great deal to this county and he did not search the county out for a tower site. Mr. Harman said that he would like to see another site chosen and he has problems with the height.

Commissioners voted 4-0 to defer further discussion until their November 16th meeting. (NOTE: If the applicant comes back with the same proposal and site, there will not be another public hearing before the Planning Commission. If the application changes, there will be a new advertisement and the process will begin again.)

CLASS III COMMUNICATIONS TOWER, COUNTY OF NELSON/ROCKFISH VALLEY HIGHWAY: The applicant applied to install a 144-foot tower on property owned by Central Virginia Electric Cooperative at 5519 Rockfish Valley Highway at the intersection with River Road (southwest side of Martin’s Store electric substation in Afton). The applicant requested the following waivers and exceptions: Section 20-7-5k(1) landscaping requirements; Section 20-8-3 two-mile separation requirement between towers; and Section 20-7-2e one-mile setback from a designated Scenic Byway.

Mr. Boger reported that this tower application includes a 3 1/2’ dish antenna for CVEC and will require an E&S plan. He noted that the site will use the existing driveway and the FAA has noted no impact. Mr. Carter noted that the proposed tower will serve up to 1,100 homes. Ms. Russell suggested that the county reconsider their plan for a motion sensor light as every deer that passes by will trigger the light.

With no public comment, Commissioners voted 4-0 to recommend approval of the tower with the following:

1) Approval of the waiver to the landscaping requirements in 20-7-5k(1);

2) Recommended approval of the waiver to 20-8-83 for the tower separation and 20-7-2e for the setback from the Scenic Byway and 20-8-1 for the height of the tower;

3) Recommended approval of installation of one microwave dish for CVEC;

4) Removal of the existing 85-foot tower;

5) Final E&S approval;

6) Recommendation that the light be an on/off switch rather than a motion-sensor light; and

7) Recommendation that the tower be painted a brown color approved by the Director of Planning & Zoning.

Meeting adjourned.

NOTE: The November Planning Commission meeting will be held on Wednesday, November 16th due to the holidays.

Copyright 2000-2011 by Rural Nelson, Inc. All rights reserved. Reports may be reprinted or excerpted with attribution

Photo By Tommy Stafford : ©2011 www.nelsoncountylife.com : Susan Lineberry (left) with the Nelson County Chamber of Commerce, joins Nelson Chamber President Jerry Gress (center) at the official ribbon cutting this past weekend with Todd Rath owner of Blue Toad.

Afton
Nelson County, Virginia
It’s officially official now. Though The Blue Toad had been open now since mid-summer, the official grand opening and ribbon cutting took place this past weekend at Todd Rath’s pub and restaurant in Afton, Virginia.

Though outside pickup window has gone away until warmer days return, the inside pub is ready and welcoming!

Photos By Yvette Stafford : ©2011 www.nelsoncountylife.com : Blue Toad owner Todd Rath chats it up with a couple of customers this past weekend as he opened the inside of the pub. An official ribbon cutting will be held this coming Saturday 10.15.11 at 11AM.

Afton
Nelson County, VA
After months of renovation and preparation The Blue Toad opened its indoor portion of the pub to customers this past Saturday. The deck and outdoor seating has been available for several weeks since opening back in July. But, the inside was undergoing a major transformation.

The Blue Toad now sports a new bar and large flat panel televisions.

For patrons who may remember the original D’Ambola’s Restaurant, you will be completely surprised when walking inside. According to Toad’s Facebook wall,

“The beam you see them holding up with the big Excavator in the shot is what our Centerpiece of the Dining Area turned into. These beams were the main support beams for the Irish Catholic Church that the Irish Settlers built while building the 3 Tunnels through Afton Mountain around the 1850′s. When the Church was no longer used, a barn was built on the same foundation in 1930. All of that wood and metal is used all over the pub, tables, walls, you name it…”

Historic era beams were used in the remodel of The Blue Toad, now open 7 days a week.

Though the inside has been opened now for nearly a week, an official ribbon cutting ceremony will take place this Saturday at 11AM.

See you there!

Photo By Yvette Stafford : ©2011 www.nelsoncountylife.com : Traffic northbound on Route 151 was at a standstill early Wednesday morning as police worked a fatal auto accident near Pounding Branch Road.

Afton
Nelson County, VA
Updated 1PM EDT for VSP Press release below:

VIRGINIA STATE POLICE INVESTIGATE FATAL CRASH
IN NELSON COUNTY

NELSON CO., Va. – A Staunton man is dead following a single-vehicle crash early Wednesday morning, Oct. 12, 2011 in Nelson County. Trooper A.T. Covey was notified of the fatal crash that took place on Route 151 (Rockfish Valley Highway) about a 100 feet north of Route 709 (Pounding Branch Road) at approximately 6:04 a.m.

A 2007 Toyota Prius was traveling southbound on Route 151 when the vehicle ran off the right side of the road, overturned into an embankment and came to rest in a creek. The driver, Stephen R. Lamb, 57, of Staunton, died at the scene. He was not wearing a seatbelt.

Speed does not appear to be a factor in the crash which remains under investigation.

Original Post:
Nelson County Sheriff David Brooks confirms to NCL that agencies are working a fatal auto accident Wednesday morning in the vicinity of Route 151 and Pounding Branch Road. “We got the just after 6AM this morning,” Sheriff Brooks said.

Photo courtesy CBS-19 / The Newsplex Charlottesville : The red card left the road and flipped upside down just off of Route 151.

CBS-19′s video report by clicking here.

Drivers passing the scene report seeing a car flipped in the ditch.

Via Google : The general area of Wednesday morning's fatal auto accident. Along Route 151 near Pounding Branch Rd.

The Virginia State Police is working the scene. 151 is open to traffic, but some delays may be experienced in the area of the accident as investigators work the wreck.

As of 9:30 Wednesday morning, motorists passing by the scene told us the car was being towed away at that time.

As of late morning the roadway was cleared and opened.

Photos By Tommy Stafford : ©2011 www.nelsoncountylife.com : Taylor Smack (center) co-owner, founder, and brewmaster at Blue Mountain Brewery in Afton, VA welcomes guests Tuesday evening at a soft open of the expansion at the Nelson County brewery.

Afton
Nelson County, Virginia
In a matter of hours Blue Mountain Brewery in Afton, Virginia doubled in size! Though it took months and months of construction to get to that point. Earlier this week the crew at BMB had a couple of soft openings to give everything a dry run before opening to the public today. (Wednesday 9.14.11) We first told you about the expansion back in February of this year.

The new 5000 square foot addition includes much more space and improved seating for custormers.

Blue Mountain was Nelson County’s first microbrewery, opening back in October of 2007.

The previous restaurant & patio have been converted into The Blue Mountain Beer Hall, which is available for private events such as rehearsal dinners, birthday parties, and corporate dinners. “In the past we had many inquiries about hosting parties at Blue the brewery but we just didn’t have the space. Now we can accommodate up to 65 guests for an indoor private event and even more when the outdoor patio is used. It’s already been very popular and we are booking all kinds of events for the rest of 2011 and into 2012” said Jessica Bullard, Event Coordinator for Blue Mountain Brewery.

In addition to expanded seating down below there is now balcony seating up above with a fantastic view of the Blue Ridge Mountains out the windows to the front!

The food and service were absolutely fantastic! The menu has been expanded with lots of new additions!

Taylor shows Yvette the holding tanks in the new portion of the restaurant pub. The beer is chilled in this room after it's transported over in a series of pipes from the original brewing facility next door. From this room, it's to the tap and in your glass!

This elaborate set of tubing gets the beer from the brewery into your glass at the bar!

Another view of the other side in the expanded restaurant and pub. The new addition will become the main restaurant and pub while the original pub will become a special events facitlity and overflow.

Head outside and it just gets better! Patio seating has essentially doubled as well. The new expansion in the background to the right. The original facility on the left in the background.

In addition to the new pub / restaurant expansion Blue Mountain is about to break ground on their commercial production facility here in Nelson County. You can read more about that project by clicking here.

The official Grand Opening of the restaurant & brew pub expansion is set for Wednesday, September 21st from 5-9pm and will feature live music, the new menu, specials & more. But you don’t have to wait until then to experience it. Drop on by!

Congrats guys. Nice addition!