A Growing Tradition: Deep Roots Fall Festival

Deep Roots Home and Garden Center in Rhoadesville held its fourth annual fall festival Saturday, Sept. 30. (Photo Credit: Andra Landi)

Attendees at the Deep Roots Fall Festival shopped from more than 40 local vendors. (Photo Credit: Andra Landi)

Ketra Dixon of Snicka’s Cookies chats with a customer at Deep Roots Fall Festival. (Photo Credit: Andra Landi)

Deep Roots Fall Festival featured half a dozen food trucks serving kettle corn, barbecue, ice cream and more. (Photo Credit: Andra Landi)

Earthquest educational ambassador Bubo, a Eurasian eagle owl, poses for the camera on Oct. 30. (Photo Credit: Andra Landi)

Culpeper nonprofit State Climb entertained festivalgoers with aerial silk gymnastics. (Photo Credit: Andra Landi)

A horse is a horse … or is it? (Photo Credit: Andra Landi)

A young attendee has her face painted at the Deep Roots Fall Festival on Saturday, Oct. 30. (Photo Credit: Andra Landi)

Orange County had no shortage of autumn activities last weekend, and in Rhoadesville, community members gathered for a celebration of fall, flowers and fellowship.

On Saturday, Sept. 30, Deep Roots Home and Garden Center welcomed hundreds of visitors for its fourth annual Fall Festival. With lush chrysanthemums, delicate pansies and lively asters as far as the eye could see, the greenhouse proved to be the perfect venue for a bit of weekend fun. Guests shopped from more than 40 vendors and half a dozen food trucks, while enjoying face painting, a dunking booth, bird of prey demonstrations by Earthquest and aerial silk gymnastics by Culpeper-based nonprofit State Climb.

The festival is one of several held by Deep Roots each year, including a spring Easter egg hunt and a Christmas shop, but owner Ryan Van Hoven says the fall festival is the one that garners the most excitement. A third-generation horticulturalist, Van Hoven and his wife, Autumn, bought the garden center from Ryan’s sister and brother-in-law in 2019 and have been holding community events at the business ever since.

“Being part of a small, local community, a lot of times people throw the word family around — it's a family thing — but really it is in this area,” said Van Hoven. “It's a blessing to be here, so being able to shine a light on some of the other things that people are doing is huge for us. They give a lot to us, so we try to give a little bit back.”

Deep Roots Home and Garden Center is located at 28284 Constitution Highway in Rhoadesville and is open Monday through Saturday. For more information, visit www.deeprootshgc.com.