Sperryville Community Alliance

05/20/2026

When it rains the Fox pours! Terrific backup plan for our first concert of the season with tasty beverages and a cozy space to enjoy Rebecca Porter & the Rhinestone Roses - c'mon and join us!

Due to cool and damp weather, this Thursday's free concert featuring Rebecca Porter has been moved indoors to Copper Fox Distillery - Sperryville. Please note that NO OUTSIDE ALCOHOL is allowed at this show. Copper Fox will be serving cocktails and spirits, as well as bottled water, spritzers, lemonade, and sodas.

Big thanks to Rick Wasmund for generously offering up the space to enjoy music and community in a warm and dry space.

04/26/2026

SperryFest is a wrap!

While there will be a number of thank you to everyone who volunteered, sponsored, offered parking locations, bought tickets, caught and chased ducks, etc., I want to give a special shout-out to this group of amazing women.

While clean-up after the festival is never high on anyone’s list, Heather Waddell and the RCHS Varsity Softball team jumped to the challenge and made it a ball.

Thank you, Heather Waddell, Carmen Pond, Carolyn Robey, Yureli Canseco, Brooklyn Smith, Addison Gray and Taylor Waddell.

The Alliance is honored to make a donation to the softball team’s equipment fund as a thank you!

04/23/2026

The Thornton River Is Ready for SperryFest!

A dedicated six showed to our postponed SperryFest River Clean-up yesterday to prepare the Thornton River for the SperryFest Duck Races this Saturday, April 25. The Kid’s Duck Derby will be held at 2:00 and the Main Event at 3:00.

Thank you to everyone who offered to help for the postponed clean-up and a HUGE shout-out to yesterday’s gang: Deb Bargides, Tom Reid, Dan Harris, Mike Pivarnik, and Tony Lavato (for those counting, I was the sixth).

We picked up trash, removed iron bars and PVC pipes, cleaned out trees and branches, and may or may not have done a little river engineering to ensure the ducks find their way down the river and not linger in stagnant pools.

The seventh SperryFest - Sperryville's Annual Spring Festival happens this weekend from 10 am to 5 pm on Sperryville’s Historic Main Street. Park at the Sperryyville Marketplace or the SperryFest lot on 522 just to east of town.

See you Saturday. And THANK YOU river clean up crew.

04/17/2026

Rito Garcia of Garcia Outdoor Services in Washington VA is this year’s unofficial hero of SperryFest’s annual Duck Race Down the Mighty Thornton River.

A recent wind storm knocked down a large tree into the Thornton River next to the pedestrian bridge. It blocked the river and would have forced every racing duck to fly over it to the finish line — a clear violation of duck racing rules and even more difficult as our ducks’ wing are molded to their bodies.

This week, Rito and his team removed the tree in the river and the remaining standing tree with some amazing heavy machinery work. It was incredible to watch.

Thank you to Rito and his team for saving the SperryFest Duck Race so expertly and quickly!

If you want to help finish the job of clearing the river for next Saturday’s (April 25) Sperryville, join us this Sunday (April 19) from 10am to Noon behind Before & After to clean trash, remove debris and clear the path for 1200 ducks!

03/20/2026

SPERRYVILLE RIVER TRAIL VOLUNTEER WORKDAY

SATURDAY, MARCH 28, 2026
9 am to 12 pm

LOCATION: SCHOOLHOUSE/BLACK TWIG PARKING LOT


The spring Sperryville Trail Volunteer Workday will be held on Saturday, March 28, from 9 am to 12 noon. This event is sponsored by the Sperryville Community Alliance, with assistance from the Rappahannock League for Environmental Protection.

The two major goals of this workday are: 1) cleaning up fallen tree branches and twigs from the trail; and 2) general trail maintenance (e.g., invasive species removal and trash pickup) in preparation for Sperryfest.

Our meeting point is at the Black Twig parking lot near the Yukon Treats ice cream truck. Volunteers will receive an orientation at the beginning of the workday.

Please dress appropriately (boots or sturdy shoes) and bring your work gloves, small tools, and water! The Sperryville Community Alliance will provide trash buckets, wheelbarrows, and light refreshments.

This event is family-friendly!

Please click the link below for more information and to sign up. This event is limited to 20 people.

The next Sperryville Trail Volunteer Workday will be held on Saturday, March 28, 2026, from 9 AM to 12 PM.

12/14/2025

Thank you to everyone who joined Merry Sperry! We want to share some photos and an email from one of our neighbors.

Congratulations - especially to the Merry Sperry team - on a most delightful, successful inaugural “Rapp’n Around the Christmas Tree” tree lighting event. It was so well planned. We loved the K through 3rd graders’ decorations, Christmas Carol Sing-a-long led by Rappahannock County’s own Jami Davis/Patsy Cline, cozy fire pit seating “booths”, opportunity to make one’s own s’mores, provisions and libation provided by the 4H and FAA, and guest appearance of THE Grinch.. It was a wonderful event. Thank you to all who made it happen.
Merry Christmastime to one and all.

Ellen McCarthy & Charlie Howell

12/02/2025

Become a "Friend of the Sperryville River Trail" by making a donation on Giving Tuesday 2025 today!

The Sperryville River Trail has become one of our village’s most cherished assets. The Trail gives residents and visitors a safe and scenic way to enjoy the Thornton River, connect with nature, and experience Sperryville on foot. Families, seniors, and hikers use it every day, and recent improvements—like new stairs, railings, and benches—have made it even more accessible.

To protect this treasured walking trail, the Alliance has launched the "Friends of the Trail" campaign. Our fall Trailblazer event, raised $110,000 toward our $200,000 goal. This fund will support future trail maintenance and enhancements including mowing, trimming, tree and branch removal, safety upgrades, and continued improvements to the trail experience.

Join "Friends" with a donation today by clicking here: https://mtyc.co/p1jjjf

11/14/2025

Well, this is exciting!

10/17/2025

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!

SPERRYVILLE RIVER TRAIL VOLUNTEER WORKDAY

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2025
9 am to 12 pm

LOCATION: SCHOOLHOUSE/BLACK TWIG PARKING LOT


The autumn Sperryville River Trail Volunteer Workday will be held on Saturday, October 25, from 9 am to 12 noon. This event is sponsored by the Sperryville Community Alliance with assistance from the Rappahannock League for Environmental Protection. The Friends of the Rappahannock will supply trees, tubes, stakes, and shovels.

The major goals of this workday are: 1) plant and water 15 tree saplings; 2) install four signs and their posts; and 3) perform general trail maintenance (invasive species removal, stone relocation, fallen twig removal and trash pickup).

Volunteers who want to help plant tree saplings will receive orientation and training.

Please dress appropriately (boots or sturdy shoes) and bring along work gloves and water!

This event is family-friendly!

Please click the link below for more information and to sign up. This event is limited to 20 people.

The next Sperryville Trail Volunteer Workday will be held on Saturday, October 25, from 9 AM to 12 PM.

09/19/2025

What a wonderful Trailblazer Reception at Pen Druid Wednesday evening.

Thank you to our incredibly community-oriented sponsors including:
Jason Brady and his delightful Oak View National Bank crew (our principal sponsor),
Angie Shavatt and her wonderful team at Atlantic Union Bank,
Bob Thorsen with Thorsen Construction,
the amazing Cheri and Martin Woodard at Cheri Woodard Realty,
Greg and Liz Yates at The Marketplace,
Josh and Rachel Savoy of Sperryville Schoolhouse,
our styling director Milda Viavada at Milda Vaivada H.O.M.E.
and our great friends and partners at Piedmont Environmental Council,
Friends of the Rappahannock, and The PATH Foundation.
Oh, and that little coffee shop on Sperryville’s Historic Main Street.

We are delighted and honored that Nancy Nord with River District Potters designed and created custom Trail Mix bowls for the event. She has donated them to our sponsors to express her appreciation. Expect some bowls and snacks soon!