VA250 in Highland County

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75th Highland County Fair
386 Myers-Moon Road, Monterey
info@highlandcountyfairva.com
Facebook
The Highland County Fair is Virginia’s longest-running small-town fair, celebrating 75 years in 2026! This non-profit event serves as Highland’s homecoming, bringing the community together to support local groups, 4-H, and FFA youth.  From livestock shows and handmade quilts to photography, canned goods, and children’s artwork, the fair offers something for everyone.  Dedicated volunteers have sustained its success, making it a beloved tradition.  It remains one of Highland’s most treasured annual gatherings.  The Fair Horse Show kickoff will be held on August 29, 2026, with the full 75th Highland County Fair being held September 2 - 5, 2026.  Follow at www.facebook.com/HighlandCountyFairVA for updates!

 

Fair Lawn Farm
3118 Mill Gap Road, Monterey
540-468-3094
tim@visitfairlawnfarm.com
Facebook
If you’re looking for historic farms to visit in Virginia, you should add Fair Lawn to your list!  Built in 1887, this site has a deep-rooted history in its home of Highland County.  The farm’s current owners, Tim and Terry Duff, possess a passionate love for the property.  Over the last two decades, the Duffs have faithfully restored the farm, including the extraordinary farmhouse, to honor its past while preserving its future, creating an ideal location for family trips, sugar farm tours, homeschool adventures, and more.

Fair Lawn Farm, which is also a unique stop during the Highland County Maple Festival in Monterey, Virginia, focuses on the late-eighteenth to early-twentieth century era.  The Duffs collect, restore, and reuse antique 18th century trade tools and equipment your great-grandparents would have used in the days of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison.  You can even see these implements and colonial tradesmen in action during Fair Lawn Farm’s 18th Century Trades Fair every year on the first weekend of September.

In addition to their passion of recreating an 18th century farm, the Duff’s also added their own signature mark to this legacy – Duff’s Sugar House, which produces Highland County Maple Syrup and provides sugar farm tours in Virginia.  The farm also makes homemade apple butter during the Fair Lawn Fall Festival – a stop during the larger annual Hands & Harvest Festival in Monterey, Virginia.

To further honor the farm’s history, Tim and Terry have portraits of the original owners – John and Peggy Stephenson – hanging in their restored parlor.

 

Garth Newel Music Center
403 Garth Newel Lane, Hot Springs (Neighboring Bath County)
540-839-5018
info@garthnewel.org
Facebook
Founded in 1973, Garth Newel Music Center is a year-round chamber music venue situated in the heart of Virginia’s Allegheny Mountains, presenting over 50 concerts throughout the year performed by the Garth Newel Piano Quartet and other renowned guest musicians. Concerts are paired with gourmet meals created by Resident Chef Josh Elliott, and lodging is available in the Historic Manor House on the exquisite 114-acre property.

Garth Newel also hosts the Emerging Artist Fellowship Program each summer (an intensive 4-week workshop for college-age students), an Amateur Chamber Music Retreat each spring, and is home to the Allegheny Mountain String Project, a vital source of music education for children in the Bath, Alleghany, and Highland communities. Known for its breathtaking scenery, world-class performances, and friendly and comfortable accommodations, Garth Newel is truly a one-of-a-kind experience.

 

Hayfields State Park
524 Hayfields Lane, McDowell
540-396-4489
hayfields@dcr.virginia.org
Welcome to Virginia's 44th State Park!  Hayfields State Park is located in Highland County between Bullpasture and Jack Mountains at an elevation ranging from 1,800 to 2,400 feet.  It features a mix of heavily wooded mountain land, valley pastures and several structures, including an 1800s farmhouse.  The Bullpasture River flows through the property for about a mile and is home to numerous threatened and endangered species. The park features 4 miles of easy-to-moderate hiking and biking trails and fishing access along the Bullpasture River.  While the park is open daily it currently has limited hours. Visitors are encouraged to call 540-396-4489 to confirm availability before their arrival.

The Friends of Hayfields State Park is a soon-to-be, non-profit group focused on supporting the growth and development of Hayfields State Park.  Individuals interested in supporting the park will soon be able to become a member of the group.  Membership drives for the Friends of Hayfields will launch in 2026. To join the Friend's mailing list, email info@friendsofhayfields.org.

 

Highland County Arts Council
highlandcoarts@gmail.com
Facebook
The Highland County Arts Council (HCAC) exists to promote the arts, to provide cultural enrichment to the community and to make Highland County an Arts destination.  The HCAC believes that the arts are essential to our communities. HCAC supports and encourages artists by holding classes, workshops, and camps and facilitating regular exhibits and performances.  The Highland County Arts Council is a nonprofit organization supported by contributions from members, friends, community foundations, and government organizations.  Check out the Events section frequently for special performances in 2026!

 

Highland Historical Society
The Mansion House at 161 Mansion House Road in McDowell
Charles Pinckney Jones House Museum at 144 W. Main Street in Monterey
540-396-4478
highlandhist@mgwnet.com
Facebook
YouTube
The Highland County Museum opened in 2005 in the Mansion House in McDowell.  The museum allows for the collection, preservation, and display of materials related to Highland County’s history.  The earliest settlers were in Highland in the mid-1700's with many of the original families still in the county today.  Permanent exhibits include:

• War in the Mountains - Highland in the Civil War
• Uniquely Highland - including Fort George, 1756; the Staunton to Parkersburg Turnpike, 1838; the movie Tol'able David, 1921
• Country Stores & Churches; Mills; Aileen Sewing Plant
• The Maple Museum
• "Highland Before Highland" The Edge of the Frontier, 1740-1840

The Charles Pinckney Jones House is Highland County's newest museum in Monterey that features beautiful period furnishings, clothing, and exhibits of a historic 1800s home.

Both museums are open Thursdays through Saturdays between March 14th and October 31st of 2026, or by appointment.

 

Highland Inn Revitalization Project by the Blue Grass Resource Center
68 West Main Street, Monterey
540-383-9415 or 540-474-3333
innrenovation@htcnet.org
Facebook
The Highland Inn, built in 1904 is a historic property located on US 250 (Main Street) in Monterey, Virginia.  For years, the Inn served as transient lodging with 18 rooms, a restaurant and tavern, until it closed in 2019 due to unsafe conditions.  The Blue Grass Resource Center is currently undertaking the Highland Inn Revitalization Project to restore the Inn to its former glory.

Phase I Construction, completed in 2021, mothballed the structure, provided exterior stabilization, and minimized further deterioration.

Phase II Construction will begin in 2026 and includes interior demolition and reconstruction.  When complete, there will be 2 new ADA-accessible rooms (out of 18), restaurant, tavern and public space featuring historic memorabilia.  The project will support increased visitation to Highland County.

Since the Highland Inn renovation starts in 2026, we won’t yet be open for business.  We intend to have multiple days open to the public to see the renovation in process (see Events section of this site).

 

Puffenbarger’s Sugar Orchard
17 Maple Syrup Lane, Blue Grass
540-474-5712 or 540-474-5700 (Just during the Highland County Maple Festival)
puffenbargersmaple@gmail.com
Facebook
Puffenbarger's Sugar Orchard has been in operation for over 100 years. They started out tapping trees with hand held augers, collected water in buckets, and carried those buckets by horse to the sugar camp. Current owners Doug and Terri Puffenbarger now tap over 1,800 trees (some over 200-years-old) and use miles of plastic tubing, vacuum pumps, a reverse osmosis machine, and an oiled fired evaporator to make their pure Highland County maple syrup.  They make and sell their maple syrup, candies, fudge, and other food during the annual Highland County Maple Festival on the second and third weekends of March.