Sperryville is a storybook town with bed-and-breakfasts dotting the streets and art galleries and little restaurants in between. You can easily spend the day walking to all the shops while taking in the beauty of the surrounding Blue Ridge Mountains.
8:30 a.m. Start your Saturday early so you can enjoy what the locals already know—breakfast at Thornton River Grille is not to be missed. You can’t go wrong with the homemade French toast with challah bread or the smoked salmon plate, and be sure to dine outside on the deck if the weather permits. Stop next door at the Corner Store for a bottle of local wine and grab some sandwiches for later.
10 a.m. Walk about 100 feet down Main Street and visit the artisan shops offering gifts and artwork by local artists at Sperryville Pottery and the Haley Fine Art gallery. After picking up that perfect piece for your home, take Route 522 for one block and turn right on Water Street. A half mile on your right will be the Rappahannock Central Plaza.
11 a.m. See more local paintings at the nonprofit cooperative Middle Street Gallery, and then make your way to River District Arts, a group of 10 studios, an artisan market and two galleries that rotate regional art exhibits of various mediums. Next, visit Wild Roots Apothecary to try their craft cocktails and shop for herbal kits, botanical syrups and teas.
12:30 p.m. Follow your nose to neaby El Quijote, Sperryville’s answer to fine Spanish dining. They specialize in traditional dishes, paella with or without seafood, tapas and pitchers of homemade white or red sangria. Finish it off with some churros and chocolate dip.
2 p.m. Just a few feet down the lane from the restaurant are two options for boozy tastings and tours. Opened in 2005, the Copper Fox Distillery gives free tours every half hour showcasing their unique whiskey made with fruitwood. Beside them is Pen Druid Brewery, a family-owned operation opened last August that has a tasting room to sample beer brewed with regional yeasts. Switch gears and check out the inventory of antiques, gently used furniture and salvaged architectural pieces at Copper Fox Antiques.
4:30 p.m. Now that you filled your bellies with spirits and your arms with antiques, head back to the center of town. Drop off your purchases at your car and go to Hopkins Ordinary Bed & Breakfast + Ale Works. Try their small-batch craft beers and enjoy a pint or growler in the beer garden.
6 p.m. Just a few steps away, Headmasters Pub is an easy choice for dinner and relaxing the rest of evening. Play some pool and enjoy live music while you munch on burgers and fries. If you have too much fun, you can rent a comfortable room back at Hopkins Ordinary.
