April showers bring on the flowers, but in Winchester, April also brings lots of activities, and in some of the nicest places, to celebrate the return of warmer weather: a vineyard as it awakens from winter, Winchester’s first-ever brewery at its second location and the historic downtown shopping district, home to one of the cutest little parks in town. Check the events calendar for these outings and others.
April 3, 2-4 p.m.: Floral Crown Workshop at Harkness Edwards Vineyard. Spend a fun and relaxing spring afternoon gathered with girlfriends in the vineyard, sipping wine, noshing charcuterie and creating a lush floral crown. Brownings Flower Truck will guide participants step by step on the how-tos of creating their own unique flower crown masterpiece. Tickets: $65/person.
The workshop takes place during the vineyard’s Spring Fling celebration, 1-6 p.m., also on April 3. Pick out spring bulbs at the bulb bar to pot for the season to add color to your garden. Terracotta pots and soil will also be available for pickup, so you’ll have all needed supplies to get your garden show ready. Harkness Edwards will serve spring cocktails all day during the festivities. This event is free to attend all day for the bulb bar and cocktails.
April 16: Downtown Easter Shop Hop, presented by Main Street Winchester. Tie on your Easter bonnet and slip on your shopping shoes for this annual outing to downtown Winchester: Photos with the Easter Bunny at Many Friends Parklette (11 a.m.-1 p.m.); spring shopping specials from participating downtown merchants; and an Easter egg drawing for little ones for small prizes and a chance to win an Easter Basket filled with goodies.
For the drawing, kids will visit participating downtown shops to draw an egg*. Each egg contains a prize. There are three golden eggs among them and the children who draw these will win the grand prize of the Easter basket. (Note: While supplies last.)
The Easter Shop Hop is the perfect day to get a head start on shopping for Mother’s Day, wedding showers and spring graduations, or to update your spring wardrobe.
April 16, 5-10 p.m.: It’s time to shop, eat, drink and listen when Abettor Brewing Company presents the Three Year Anniversary Night Market at its Depot Street location – home of Abettor’s primary production facility – and an evening of food trucks, vendors and music.
Joining the celebration will be Wildcat Willy’s Distillery – Winchester’s farm-to-table restaurant and moonshine and bourbon distillery; Bell on Wheels, an award-winning food truck famous for a unique menu that includes the likes of a full Irish breakfast, Cali-style “Ode to the In and Out Burger,” Guinness Stew and a Whiskey River Burger sauced with whiskey; and BS Barbecue, a food truck known for its mouth-watering smoked brisket, pulled pork and chicken – not to mention its secret-recipe barbecue sauce.