Monticello - April 28: Hear author-landscape architect Thomas Woltz at an elegant garden party on West Lawn

Join us to celebrate the opening of Garden Week
at our first TOM Talk of the year!

Thomas Woltz (right), celebrated landscape architect and author, will speak at an elegant garden party on Monticello's West Lawn on April 28. Drawing on his work for Monticello's landscape stewardship plan, Woltz will address modern design methods which can improve our ecology and reveal cultural and historic landscapes. Woltz was educated at the University of Virginia in the fields of architecture, landscape architecture, fine art and architectural history. He was recently profiled in Elle Decor and Garden Design magazines.

Subscriptions to the annual TOM Talk series - four talks for $185, a 20% savings - can only be purchased until the first talk on April 28!

• This month, celebrated landscape architect Thomas Woltz will speak at an elegant garden party on the West Lawn;
• In June, we'll take you inside Monticello's South Pavilion, the first home which young Thomas and Martha Jefferson shared at Monticello that is not normally open to the public;
• In October, we'll meet in our newest vineyard on Montalto for a talk with Gabriele Rausse, the "Father of Virginia Wine" and also our Director of Gardens. Rausse will share Jefferson's ideas for an agrarian society and vision for a U.S. wine industry;
• In December, we'll host a discussion of slavery in America and at Monticello between Pulitzer Prize winners Annette Gordon-Reed and Alan Taylor.

Tickets can be purchased a la carte, or through the series subscription (a 20% savings!). Whichever selection you choose, your ticket will include a tax-deductible charitable donation to Monticello.

We look forward to welcoming you back to Monticello!

          

Celebrate Thomas Jefferson's birthday at Monticello

Friday, April 11
At Monticello

Monticello will mark the 271st anniversary of Thomas Jefferson's birth with a celebration and ceremonies on the West Lawn. Held in conjunction with Founder's Day at the University of Virginia, the event will feature remarks by James H. Webb, Jr., former U.S. Senator from Virginia and the 2014 recipient of the Thomas Jefferson Foundation Medal in Citizen Leadership, and the presentation of wreaths honoring Jefferson by local, state, and national organizations. 10 a.m., free and open to the public. (Admission required for house tours.)

Other Events
You may also be interested in related events being held at the University of Virginia as part of Founder's Day:

April 11

• 12:30 p.m. Thomas Jefferson Foundation Medalist in Citizen Leadership The Frank Batten School of Leadersip and Public Policy will host a talk by James H. Webb, Jr., former U.S. Senator (D-Va.) and Secretary of the Navy, decorated Vietnam veteran and successful author, journalist and filmmaker, in Old Cabell Hall Auditorium.

April 12

• 10:00 a.m. Thomas Jefferson Foundation Medalist in Law: A public talk will be held in the Caplin Pavilion featuring Kenneth R. Feinberg, an attorney who has administered the compensation funds for victims of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, the 2007 shootings at Virginia Tech and the Boston Marathon bombings.
• 3:30 p.m. Thomas Jefferson Foundation Medalist in Architecture
  The School of Architecture will host a public talk by Toyo Ito, a Tokyo-based architect who combines conceptual innovation with superbly executed buildings, as in his masterpiece, the Sendai Mediatheque, which reimagines what a public museum and library should be in the digital age, in Old Cabell Hall Auditorium.

Learn more about all Founder's Day events

Nooks and crannies of SWAC Daughter's Tennessee home

 Decorated for Christmas, SWAC Daughter had lots of little seasonal touches throughout her new home in Tennessee.

 We weren't in Virginia anymore and, knowing my love of history and exploring new places, SWAC Daughter had picked up a number of maps and brochures of the Nashville area from the Tennessee Visitors Center.

 The Santa came from her Mammaw in Richmond. He's holding kittens ... of course!

 Also from Mammaw....

 It's always fun to see SWAC Son-in-Law's Charlie Brown Christmas tree from his bachelor days set up and enjoying the holidays ...

 ... even though he has competition from a real live Frasier Fir.

 SIL's advent calendar ... yum!

 You can take the girl out of Virginia but she still needs a touch of Colonial Virginia. This swag is from Monticello.

 SWAC Daughter made burlap wreaths last year, and it still looks good as new. She asked for greenery from our Shenandoah Valley yard so we took some evergreen, magnolia, and nandina berries that she used to make her place look even more Christmasy.

Photos by Lynn R. Mitchell
December 2013

The 12 Days of Christmas ... Day 3: Experience Colonial Virginia with Monticello $5 admission

Experience the magic of the holiday season at the home of Thomas Jefferson, open today from 10:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. with 1987 admission prices of $5.00. Here is the information from the website:

Sun, December 15, 2013, 10:00 am - 5:00 pm

Reservations: Required

WE'RE GOING BACK TO 1987!

In celebration of 26 years as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, we're going back to 1987 ticket prices for 2 days December. Individual General Admission prices are $5 from December 14 - 15, 2013. Tours Subject to Availability; reservations can be made by calling (434) 984-9880

Advance tickets can be purchased online at www.monticello.org

And while at Monticello, you may want to participate in the Gingerbread House workshop:

Embrace your inner architect during our My Monticello Gingerbread House Family Workshop. Kids and grownups alike will enjoy this icing intense program. Try your hand at creating your own architectural masterpiece, just like Mr. Jefferson! Escape the hustle and bustle of the outside world, and enjoy special family time during this two-hour workshop. Fuel your creativity with hot chocolate and cookies as you work together to craft a hand-made addition to your home’s holiday décor. Recommended for families with children ages seven and up. Children must be accompanied by an adult. 2-4pm. $49 for a family pass (admits up to 4 people and includes supplies).

Step back to the days of Colonial Virginia and enjoy Christmas at Monticello.

Holiday events at Monticello

Wreath Workshops
November 29, 30 & December 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. 
These ever-popular workshops, in their 27th year, produce a gratifying and tangible end product: a beautiful holiday wreath.

Holiday Open House with Host Thomas Jefferson
Saturday, December 1, 3 p.m. - 5 p.m.
Thomas Jefferson (Bill Barker) will be pleased to greet you as part of this open-house tour of Monticello. $5.

4th Annual Monticello Holiday Classic 5K and Deck the Halls Kids Dash
Saturday, December 7, 7 a.m. - 9 a.m.
This family-oriented 5k begins at the East Walk of Monticello. Kids 12 and under can enjoy the Deck the Halls Kids Dash, a quarter mile loop around the West Lawn! Adults, $30; kids 12 and under, $10.

Handmade for the Holidays at The Shop at Monticello Museum
Saturday, December 7, noon - 5 p.m.
Your holiday destination for gorgeous, one-of-a-kind handcrafted gifts this season! Beeswax candle-making for the kids, historic chocolate demonstration and tasting, winter garden preparation tips and more. Free!

Holiday Evening Tours
December 7, 14, 20- 23, 26-30 at 5:30, 5:45 & 6:00 p.m. each evening
These small-group house tours, which include the Dome Room, offer visitors an intimate look at how the holidays were celebrated in Jefferson's time, plus the rare opportunity to experience Monticello after dark. $45.

Monticello Gingerbread House Family Workshop
December 7, 8, 14, 15, 2:00-4:00 p.m.
Embrace your inner architect during our Monticello Gingerbread House Family Workshop. Kids and grownups alike will enjoy this icing intense program. Try your hand at creating your own architectural masterpiece, just like Mr. Jefferson! $49 for a family of four.

UNESCO Anniversary $5 Admission
December 14 & 15
 In celebration of 26 years as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, we're going back to 1987 ticket prices ($5) for 2 days in December.

2013 Yuletide Feast at Michie Tavern

2013 Yuletide Feast

Friday, December 13th and Saturday, December 14th

Tickets remain for Friday, December 13 at 8:00,
all other seatings have sold out.

Each evening strolling Tavern musicians will entertain guests dining by candlelight.  The Ordinary will be decorated in festive 18th-century tradition, featuring fresh greens and fruits.   There will be 6:00 and 8:00 p.m. seatings each evening.  Advance ticket purchase required. The Candlelit Tavern will be open for our dinner guests.

The Bill of Fare features a traditional Virginia holiday banquet including such favorites as country ham with raisin sauce, roasted turkey and giblet gravy, cornbread stuffing, candied yams, mashed potatoes, green beans with carrots, squash casserole and homemade biscuits.  For dessert we will offer our hot peach cobbler a la mode and introduce other traditional favorites. To complement your meal, assorted wines along with traditional lagers and ales are available.

• Advance ticket purchase is required (see ticket information)
• Price includes full buffet, non-alcoholic beverages and dessert
• 9.3% sales tax, alcoholic beverages and gratuity are not included

Ticket Information

Tickets are available by phone or in person on a first come, first serve basis. (see below)

• Date of ticket sales: Monday, November 4, 2013 beginning at 8:30 a.m. Phone in: please call (434) 977-1234 with your desired date and seating. In person sales: doors open at 7:30, sale will begin at 8:30 a.m.  Major credit cards accepted.

• 2013 Adult: $37.95 plus tax
• 2013 Youth (10 years of age and under): $18.95 plus tax

To download or to print our Yuletide Feast flyer click here Please e-mail us at info@michietavern.com if you would like to be on our Special Events mailing list which includes Yuletide information.

Michie Tavern 683 Thomas Jefferson Parkway Charlottesville, Virginia 22902

A day at Monticello ... part 2

Photos by Lynn R. Mitchell
September 5, 2013

A day at Monticello ... part 1

Photos by Lynn R. Mitchell
September 5, 2013