Events

Designation Ceremony: Earth Day Weekend, April 21, 2012

Celebrating the official designation of Front Royal/Warren County as an Appalachian Trail Community with a full day of festivities to educate, raise awareness, and experience the Appalachian Trail and historic downtown Front Royal. The day will end with a public ceremony and proclamation-signing at the Village Commons Gazebo. Ample free parking available on Peyton Street, one block over from Main.

Activities planned:

9:00 am:  Meet at the Town Square for a guided hike along the A.T.:  a 5.5-mile hike led by the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club (PATC): learn about trail construction, maintenance, history, flora, fauna, and shelters.  Mostly (but not all) downhill.  Wear good walking shoes (rocky surfaces), bring a walking stick, water, snacks.  Youth under 18 must be accompanied by an adult. Sign up on Facebook event page. Hike leader reserves right to turn away inadequately prepared hikers.  Shuttles provided by Randolph-Macon Academy and Warren County Public Schools, post-hike snacks courtesy of The Apple House.  Only 2,179.5 miles more to finish your thru-hike!

Booths open on Town Square:  Appalachian Trail Conservancy, Potomac Appalachian Trail Club (PATC), Tree Stewards of Front Royal/Warren County, and Visitor Center.  

Questing launched! Maps and clues for community treasure hunts available at the Visitor Center located on Main Street near the Gazebo. Finish all five inaugural Quests by October 15 and earn one of 200 limited edition commemorative patches.

Make a Questing stamp at the Girl Scouts booth!  When you complete a Quest, stamp the log book in the treasure box with your own custom stamp, then stamp your passport with the stamp you find within, verifying that you have completed the Quest. Purchase Questing passports for $1 at the Visitor Center booth.  



Paint a Forest Mural at the Tree Stewards' Trees Are Cool booth!  Lots of games and crafts. Paint your own unique tree on our forest mural. 

10:00  Learn how to plant a tree correctly with the Tree Stewards. Meet at the Laura Virginia Hale entrance to the Village Commons parking lot.

The LaVignes

11:00 & 12:30 Do you have what it takes to hike 2,185 miles? Or maybe you just want to enjoy the pictures!  Thru-hiker presentation at the Front Royal/Warren County Chamber of Commerce.  Justin and Patrice LaVigne of Bears Den Trail Center.

Stewart

11:00 Guided Quest through Happy Creek Arboretum.  Meet at Tree Stewards booth. Get a stamp in your passport and enjoy a piece of Stewart the Squirrel's birthday cake!

11:00 - 2:00:  Picnicking and family-oriented activities.  Bring your own picnic lunch to enjoy in the Town Square or purchase a Designation Day special from one of our local restaurants.  Listen to trekking music by the Appalachian Duo.


Outdoor Skills Games at the Town Square:

Leave No Trace

Plan Ahead and Prepare/Leave No Trace: How well do you know the Do's and Don'ts of wilderness ethics?  Virginia's state trainers test your skills at Leave No Trace.  Build a campfire - and make it disappear. Is it ok to leave a banana peel in the woods?  What materials decompose the quickest (you might be surprised!). 

Healthy Hiker/PRO Physical Therapy: Trained physical therapists will help you identify any risk/injury areas of your hips, knees, ankles, or core by guiding you through a few key exercise-type tests, then recommend exercises or activities that help you to Hike Healthy, avoiding overuse injuries or pain.


Orienteering Course, Model Campsite and Demonstrations/Venture Crew 247:  How do you keep your food safe from bears?  How do you make sure the water is safe to drink? What do hikers eat? How heavy is a backpack?  Practice your compass skills, try out a backpacking hammock, hoist a pack.

Aqua-blazing with Front Royal Canoe Company: Instead of following those famous white blazes to Maine, some take to the Shenandoah River, canoeing the 40 miles to Harpers Ferry, home to the Appalachian Trail Conservancy headquarters.  Try out a kayak or a canoe or a raft on dry land before taking to the waves.  Learn how to paddle and how to get in a boat without falling in!

2:00  Girl Scout Color Guard followed by Campfire chat with Girl Scouts of America Founder Juliette Gordon Low: Performance by Betsey Means of WomanLore, a Chicago-based actress specializing in one-woman representations of women who should be better known in history. In honor of the Appalachian Trail and the Girls Scouts' 100th  Anniversary. Hosted by the local Girl Scouts.

3:15  Pomp and circumstance!  Parade of flags carried by Venture Crew and Boy Scouts escorting  dignitaries to the Gazebo in preparation for the proclamation-signing.  The Scouts will lead with a special honor guard flag ceremony.

3:30 Designation Ceremony: Mayor Tim Darr, County Supervisor Chairman Archie Fox, Shenandoah National Park Superintendent Martha Bogle, Appalachian National Scenic Trail Superintendent Pam Underhill, Appalachian Trail Conservancy Executive Director Mark Wenger.