Free Admission for Active Military & Their Families; $10 Ticket Includes Live Music, Children’s Activities, and Admission to Museum Galleries 

 

Winchester, VA 7/7/14… Music from the Soul Expressions Band, free activities for children, and admission to the gardens and galleries will highlight Gardens at Night at the Museum of the Shenandoah Valley (MSV) on Friday, July 11, from 6 to 9 p.m. In addition, those attending will be able to purchase beer, wine, and food from Bonnie Blue.

According to MSV Executive Director Dana Hand Evans this summer’s Gardens at Night concert series includes a great lineup of musicians and—thanks to the sponsorship of Navy Federal Credit Union—free admission to all active military personnel and their families. Admission to Gardens at Night remains free to Museum Members and youth ages 12 and under. The ticket price for all others, which includes the concert and admission to the Museum’s Glen Burnie Gardens and galleries, is $10.

From Richmond, Virginia, the Soul Expressions Band will play a high-energy mix of funk, rock, Motown, and rhythm-and-blues music from 7 to 9 p.m. This seven-member band includes bass player Wilbert Anderson, drummer Rickk Gray, guitarist William Anderson, keyboard player and guitarist Eric Anderson, saxophone player Richard D’Abreu, and lead vocalists Tyrone Jackson and Jamela Bullock. Each of the musicians in the Soul Expressions Band has been performing for more than 25 years, and their collective professional experiences include large festivals to private house parties and more. For their Gardens at Night performance the band will play songs made famous by Aretha Franklin; Stevie Wonder; The Rolling Stones; UB40; Earth, Wind & Fire; Van Morrison; and many other music greats.

Along with live music, Friday’s event will feature free children’s activities. Throughout the evening kids will be able to explore the gardens with a seek-and-find game, Can You Find This? In addition, from 6 to 8 p.m. children may play a variety of lawn games including Frisbee, hula hoops, and cornhole. In the event of rain, the children’s activities will move inside to the Museum’s BB&T Learning Center.

Those attending Gardens at Night also may purchase wine, beer, and food from Bonnie Blue including pork barbecue, crab cakes, peel-and-eat jumbo shrimp, hot dogs, French fries, and cheese plates. No outside food or beverages will be permitted in the concert area and the gardens. All those who plan to listen to the musical performance should bring their own chairs.

Admission to Gardens at Night is $10; MSV Members, children aged twelve and under, and active military personnel and their immediate family are admitted free. The gates, galleries, and gardens will open at 6 p.m. and the music will begin at 7 p.m. Due to the ongoing garden restoration project the concerts will take place on the lawn by the MSV. In the event of rain, the musical performance will take place in a tent.

The 2014 Gardens at Night series is sponsored by Navy Federal Credit Union and Shenandoah Country Q102. Following this Friday’s event, Gardens at Night will take place on August 8 and September 12. In August the Robbie Limon Band will celebrate the music of the 1970s, and September’s concert will feature rock-and-roll oldies from The Fabulous Hubcaps.

The Museum of the Shenandoah Valley is located at 901 Amherst Street in Winchester, Virginia. The MSV complex—which includes the Museum, the Glen Burnie House (not open during Gardens at Night), and the gardens—is open Tuesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m.  Additional information is available by calling 540-662-1473, ext. 235, or referring to www.theMSV.org.

About Navy Federal:
Navy Federal Credit Union is the world’s largest credit union with over $57 billion in assets, more than 4 million members, 247 branches, and a workforce of over 11,000 employees worldwide. The credit union serves all Department of Defense and Coast Guard Active Duty, civilian and contractor personnel and their families. For additional information about Navy Federal, visit www.navyfederal.org.