My current home town, Staunton, Virginia, is like the Stars Hollow of the South. Stars Hollow being the picture-perfect Connecticut hamlet where Gilmore Girls, a long-time cult TV show favorite, takes place. (If you haven’t yet seen it, get thee to a streaming device pronto!)
Staunton may be a tad bigger, but it’s populated with an equal number of quirky and creative small town characters who share a BIG thing in common with tiny Stars Hollow: Both places have no end to unique events, festivals, weekends, and celebrations that keep our places hip, hot, and happening throughout the year (or TV season as it were).
The latest event to crop up in Staunton — Queen City Women’s Day — was the brainchild of Megan Burrows, owner of a super charming plant shop on the main drag — Beverley Street — called Burrow & Vine.
Queen City Women’s Day
Happening during Women’s History Month, and during the same week as International Women’s Day, the Queen City Women’s Day (March 11, 2023) places a special emphasis on women-owned businesses.
Burrows knew hosting an event of this kind was on her radar even before starting Burrow & Vine, but, she said, “I never dreamed of kicking it off in my first year of business – I’m thrilled!”
And so are Staunton women!
“With more than 80% of small businesses in downtown having a woman at the helm in some capacity there seemed to be nothing but excitement and support for the event,” Burrows said.
Lady Virginia Open House
We’re excited for it at Lady Virginia Vintage Fabrics, too. Both of my daughters will be in town to help me host another one of our periodic Open Houses that Saturday.
Unlike many of the other women-owned businesses in town, mine is almost exclusively Internet-based. But I also take appointments, and get on board with others for town-wide events like the upcoming Queen City Women’s Day.
I hope you’ll stop by to see our amazing collection of vintage fabrics and home textiles, along with some of our gifts like fabric bird ornaments, vintage fabric sachets and stuffed animals, and even our own house-made vanilla (which clearly has nothing to do with fabric but it’s just something I like to make)!
We also have 1000s of pieces of fabric that we don’t list online because we just haven’t made a dent in our enormous vintage fabric collection. It takes such a long time to list even one piece online — listing 5,000? Not yet!
We’ll also have some light refreshments and good conversation so please, stop on by!
For those of you in my audience from afar who can’t venture to Virginia, never fear — I’ll be running a special 1-day only sale in my online shop on March 8 for International Women’s Day. So watch for that online on Thursday.
The Women of Staunton
Back on the ground, I hope folks will venture to Staunton on Saturday March 11 for a taste of all we have to offer here. We’re not too far from Washington D.C., Richmond, Roanoke, Charlottesville, Lynchburg, Lexington, and Harrisonburg so if you’re looking for something to do with a bunch of girlfriends, this is the day to do it!
As the website hub for the Queen City Women’s Day states, “The citywide event will feature pop-up shops, maker demonstrations, musical events, and other activities hosted by participating Downtown Staunton businesses that specifically showcase local women entrepreneurs, artists, makers, musicians, and community advocates.”
Burrows has been working with the downtown support organization, Staunton Downtown Development Association (SDDA), to collaborate more after Queen City Women’s Day is over.
“It’s hard NOT to work with women in downtown Staunton, they’re everywhere and doing everything – I love it! I’m partnering with SDDA and other business owners to develop some fun recurring events and special moments and discoveries around downtown,” Burrows said. “This town is so full of talent and energy that the ideas are overflowing and the enthusiasm to bring them to life is around every turn and inside every business door.”
So true! That’s one of the reasons we love being located here. And a bonus is that I can walk five short blocks to get home, just like they do it in Stars Hollow.
Unlike other shops in town, since mine is an Internet biz I don’t have a need for retail space at street level. Instead I’ve got a cozy two-room studio on the third floor of the 19th-century building called The Witz Building at 11 E. Beverley Street between Yelping Dog Wine Room and CFO Trading Company.
You’ll see my fun Lady Virginia sign down on the street level but you’ll need to go through the glass door and walk up — or take our funky old elevator — to come see the fabric on the third floor, Suite 21. Follow the waft of 1930s Big Band music once you’re on the third floor.
Hope to see you here at Lady Virginia for Queen City Women’s Day and out supporting al the other amazing women-owned businesses (or women-led organizations) in town. It’s going to be great.
Hats off to Megan Burrows for the idea, drive, and inclusion that is making this event so special to Staunton already!
— Lindsay Curren, Lady Virginia
