The History of North Rockbridge Trail

 

It all began with a group of small business owners and churches in Fairfield. In a meeting in

early 2014, they decided to work together to offer a Calendar of events to enhance communication in the community. In 2015 the group decided on the name Fairfield Village Collaboration and chartered as a not-for-profit. The first major event was held in September on the anniversary of the date the Village was founded. All businesses in North Rockbridge County were invited to participate as Vendors.

 

2016

North Rockbridge Business Alliance:

A group of small business owners in North Rockbridge County began to meet informally to

discuss how to support each other professionally and leverage marketing dollars and efforts to

increase business traffic. The Fairfield Village Collaboration hosted three major events and two fundraiser events, most involving small businesses beyond Fairfield.

 

2017

The North Rockbridge group of business owners coordinated Small Business Saturday

(the Saturday after Thanksgiving) with a map, an ad in the News-Gazzette and special

refreshments at each business.

 

2018

The North Rockbridge Business Alliance began to meet regularly, elected officers (Kelly Fox -

Sugar Tree Inn, President, Melinda Mills - 3 Seasons Antiques, Vice President and Treasurer,

Barbara Czekner - Fairfield General Store, Secretary. This group coordinated 2 events in addition to Small Business Saturday. A map was published as the Greater Fairfield Business Guide.

 

2019

The Tourism Office in Lexington, along with Main Street Lexington, and several other entities,

began the Freedom Food Festival during the July 4th weekend. Jean Clark, Director of Tourism,

asked the North Rockbridge Business Group to offer something to give visitors to the area more

options throughout the weekend. The Northern Exposure Trail was offered on Saturday and

Sunday with seven stops and was a huge success. Karen Siegfried - Wade's Mill and Melinda

Mills - 3 Seasons Antiques, led this effort. The North Rockbridge Trail was born!!! A Christmas Holiday Open House was offered by businesses on The North Rockbridge Trail on the first Saturday of December and was well attended by local shoppers and out-of-town

visitors.

 

2020

COVID happened and for the first 9 months of the year events were cancelled. The North

Rockbridge Trail group realized that they could still OPEN the Trail by limiting numbers in the

indoor venues and hosting outdoor options. With the encouragement and support of Rockbridge Tourism, Trail Days were offered in October, November and December with overwhelming attendance each month. Karen Siegfried - Wade's Mill and Melinda Mills - 3 Seasons Antiques, led these 3 events. Seventeen businesses participated in the North Rockbridge Holiday Open House Trail, the most ever.

 

2021

Some new businesses were established in the area in this year in spite - and perhaps because -

of COVID. With the help of the Rockbridge Tourism staff, the Trail Map was updated. Three Trail Days plus the Wade's Mill Apple Butter Festival were held.

 

2022

Trail Days were held in May, July, October Apple Butter Festival, and December Holiday Open

House. Stops on the Trail totaled twenty-five and several business owners shared leadership

responsibilities. A Grant was received from Rockbridge Tourism that helped with marketing the

December event.

 

2023

The Core Leadership Team was established consisting of folks who lead the previous year

events: Becky Tubbs - Bel's Bees, Dana Tumminello - Steeles Tavern Manor, Jane Rouse -

Rockbridge Vineyard & Brewery, Cary - The Workshop at Timber Ridge, Melinda Mills - 3 Seasons

Antiques. Four Trail Days were held in May, July, October Apple Butter Festival at Wade's Mill, and December Holiday Open House with Core Team members and other volunteer business owners leading each event. A Grant was received from Rockbridge Tourism that provided road signs for each business on the Trail, which boosted the visibility of the Trail stops and increased business traffic.

 

2024

The Core Leadership Team transitioned to include next generation business owners: Dana Tumminello - Steeles Tavern Manor, Jane Rouse - Rockbridge Vineyard & Brewery, Emily Heizer Hall – Razzbourne Farms, Mary Pederson – Verdant Acres. Four Trail Days will be held May, June, October Apple Butter Festival at Wade’s Mill, and December Holiday Open House with Core Team Members and other volunteer business owners leading each event. Annual Sponsorships from local businesses was introduced to help marketing and advertising efforts.