We have attended this festival on and off for over 30 years. Great food , great fun..
Originally called "Urbanna Days," the Urbanna Oyster Festival was established to promote the town and it's economy. In the early years the event was a relatively small gathering of local folks highlighted by a parade comprised primarily of antique cars.
In 1961 the name was officially changed to the "Urbanna Oyster Festival" in recognition and honor of the succulent bivalve that was such an important part of the local economy. The crowning of a Queen and "Little Miss Spat" (a "spat" is a baby oyster) along with the selection of a grand marshal to honor local or state individuals held in high esteem became an important part of the tradition.
In 1986 the prestigious Friday night Fireman's Parade began a truly exhilarating experience. In 1988, the General Assembly of Virginia designated the festival as the official Oyster Festival of the Commonwealth. In 1991, the Urbanna Oyster Festival Foundation was established to produce and manage the annual festival.
The festival has grown and so have the crowds. Crowds for the two-day event now number nearly 75,000. Food and craft booths number over 125 and the Fireman's Parade features over 80 engines of every size and description. The Oyster Festival Parade on Saturday features over 80 units including numerous marching bands, antique cars, locally produced floats and the renowned Khedive Temple Shrine Club of Norfolk.
Find details, schedule, etc on their website here : http://www.urbannaoysterfestival.com/
Colonial Williamsburg SALUTES MILITARY SERVICE ON VETERANS DAY, NOVEMBER 11
Colonial Williamsburg honors the sacrifices and dedication of United States veterans,
active military personnel and their families during special Veterans Day programs on
Tuesday, November 11.
On Veterans Day, a military parade honoring America's veterans will be held at 4:30 p.m. and will begin at the Capitol. All veterans of service in America's armed forces are invited to participate in the parade. Groups will begin forming at 4:15 p.m. A ceremony will follow the parade at the Courthouse on Market Square. Colonial Williamsburg's militia and cannon crew will fire volleys in honor of those who have served in America's forces.
Colonial Williamsburg's Fifes and Drums will perform tunes as a salute to the veterans. As part of the tribute, Colonial Williamsburg offers special complimentary admission passes to active duty military, Reservists, retirees, veterans and their families from November 7 through 11, 2008.
Colonial Williamsburg's Golden Horseshoe Golf Club invites military golfers to enjoy special rates when they play. The discounted rates on the Green Course are offered as the Military Appreciation Golf Special to honor our country's service men and women. The Golden Horseshoe is part of Colonial Williamsburg's Resort Collection located adjacent to Colonial Williamsburg's Historic Area.
Price per person includes 18 holes of golf, cart and green fees. The special is valid for up to four people and not available to groups. Tee times may be booked up to five days in advance. Subject to availability, and course operating schedules may vary.
Call 1-800-648-6653 or (757) 220-7696 for tee times or to inquire about special rates available for the Gold Course.
Recent awards for this course include :
America's Top Golf Courses," Zagat Survey®, Gold and Green Courses (2007, 2005, 2003)
Four and ½ Stars," Green Course, Best Places to Play, Golf Digest (2006)
Platinum Places: The World's Best Golf Destinations; Best Resorts for Family Foursomes," Golf Odyssey: The Insider's Guide to Sophisticated Golf Travel (2007 - 2008)
As the closing date for InBev $52 billion takeover of Anheuser-Busch ( The developer of Kingsmill and Busch Gardens in Williamsburg, VA) nears, some investors fear they may be forced to renegotiate or even shelve the debt-financed deal to create the world's largest brewer.
A banking industry meltdown and corresponding market volatility has already caused the Belgium-based brewer to postpone a $13.4 billion rights issue it planned in connection with the deal. Analysts say there could be more changes in store.
Some possibilities include offering a stock component in return for Anheuser shares, instead of the current cash deal terms, as well as trying to persuade Anheuser Busch to accept a lower deal price as tumbling stock markets wipe out trillions of dollars of assets worldwide.
"Could the purchase of Anheuser Busch be delayed ? Could the purchase be restructured? Inbev has repeated stated that it still expects the deal to close by the end of the year.
InBev, which makes Stella Artois Beer and Beck's Beer, has repeatedly said the deal remains on track. But Anheuser's shares have remained well below the $70 deal price, proving at least some investors are skeptical.
Considering what's happened with the financial meltdown, it's just a really serious situation. If they are able to close a deal at the current terms, they're going to be handicapped for years. It's very much in their interest to try to renegotiate."
InBev planned to take a $45 billion jumbo loan to finance the deal, along with other debt.
Lenders signed up for a first round of funding in August, but a second round of loan syndication has been going more slowly in recent weeks due to the global financial crisis, sources told Reuters.
Other analysts agree that InBev's offer now values the U.S. maker of Budweiser and Michelob too highly, especially if consumers worldwide are less likely to open a cold one.
In a recent example, private equity buyers of radio station operator Clear Channel Communications negotiated a lower deal price in May after debt financing costs surged and their lenders balked at the transaction. That was before a wider financial crisis erupted in September.
InBev could also renegotiate the deal so some or all of it could be paid in InBev shares, rather than cash, she said.
Anheuser Busch shares fell further Friday ( closing at $56.93) and traded nearly 20% below the proposed price of the InBev NV acquisition amid continued jitters about the deal, while InBev said it was committed to the acquisition at the agreed-upon terms. On the other hand, Anheuser shares are up more than 10% from where they were in May before merger speculation sent them soaring. The two companies formally agreed on a deal in July.
Without a pending deal, some analysts feel that Anheuser shares would trade in the mid-$30s.
Another needle in InBev's side is Mexico's Grupo Modelo, which is half-owned by Anheuser.
Modelo, which makes Corona, has begun arbitration against Anheuser, claiming Anheuser did not consult it about the deal, even though Modelo has a right to choose its partner.
Anheuser and InBev have both said Modelo's claims lacked merit and would not interrupt the deal. A Modelo spokeswoman said that for now, the brewer just wants its rights to be respected.
The companies are facing other complications to the deal. InBev recently said "unprecedented volatility" in capital markets has forced the company to delay raising new equity that was intended to help fund the deal. At that time the company said it still expected to complete the purchase by the end of the year and instead of raising equity, the company would rely on a bridge loan, which expires six months after the deal closes.
Traders also point to other factors in play. One arbitrage trader said many investors are selling stocks such as Anheuser-Busch simply because they need the cash.
It's just being here...."
Those are the words my husband and I have used over the years to describe our flood of sensations
upon arrival in Williamsburg each time we visit.
Like many, we've come countless times over the years. Our children grew up vacationing here.
Whether by car or plane, it's always the same, as we travel the roads leading to Williamsburg.
Trying in vain to express what we love: the sight and smells of the York River as we travel the
Colonial Parkway, the pine-rich wooded areas along the way, the architecture and symmetry of
Colonial Williamsburg, the smell of wood-burning fires, the bustle of activity. Giving up, we just
glance at each other and sum it up it again: "It's just being here."
Read the rest of the article published in the VA Gazette here
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