First Friday Takes Place Tonight

Leesburg's First Friday Gallery Walk takes place this month on the second Friday, July 11, beginning at 6 p.m. throughout the town.

While they might not take anyone for a ride in a "Surry with the Fringe on Top," members of the Sterling Playmakers will entertain with songs and vignettes of their upcoming production of Oklahoma!. The Playmakers will serenade the community with songs from the Rodgers and Hammerstein classic while walking about town in costume.

Live entertainment will also be taking place at Tally Ho Theatre with an off-the-cuff performance by Last Ham Standing. The troupe puts on its "Whose Line is it Anyway" hat to perform family-friendly skits and improv games, totally in the moment. Admission to the 8 p.m. show is $10 per person.

Very Virginia/The Pink Shop will host music on the Royal Green from 7 to 9 p.m. by Brothers Pony, an acoustic folk band featuring singer/songwriter Matthew Bryce on guitar and Matthew Miller on drums.

Market Street Coffee will also host a live musical performance from 8 to 10 p.m. by Rough Draught, an acoustic threesome featuring Tim Bowers on guitar and mandolin, "K-man" on lead guitar and Terry Bowers on vocals, guitar, banjo and psaltery. Rough Draught plays a mix of bluegrass and classic rock.

As always, art abounds during the Gallery Walk.

Gallery 222 on South King Street kicks off its Summer Art Show and Sale, featuring original paintings, drawings and sculpture by 20 Loudoun artists on exhibit through July 26. The gallery will also provide visitors with free, tasty refreshments.

The offices of the Loudoun Times-Mirror will host an exhibit titled, "New Designs." Fine art on display runs the gamut of media from paintings to sculpture to photography, all inspired by the month's theme, "Designs for Fictional Products."

Walkers and shoppers may stop by the Leesburg Vintner to taste many "fruits of the vine," from 6 to 9 p.m.

A visit to the Vintner will do well to limber the mind for a trip to Esoterica, offering readings of the face, palm or tarot cards along with its lively open drum circle.

Leesburg's Ghost Tours will be taking place throughout the evening, offering patrons an intriguing stroll through all the historic district's paranormal hot spots. Tours feature Leesburg history, demonstrations of research equipment and a "hands-on" ghostly experience at a price of $10 for adults and $5 for children age 12 and under.

If ghouls and ghosts raise anxieties too high, stroll down to Market Station to take part in Flow Yoga's Happy Hour yoga class. Enjoy a relaxing and invigorating hour-long practice from 6 to 7 p.m., followed by free snacks and beverages.

As always, many restaurants and shops will have extended hours so all visitors may thoroughly enjoy the communal Gallery Walk experience.

For further information on First Friday, including a detailed schedule of events, visit www.leesburgfirstfriday.com.