AG & ART SATURDAY BUS TOURS
Saturday, September 6, 9:30 AM-4 PM.
Bus tour tickets will be for sale from July 25th until August 30th.
Tickets are $30 each and include a light breakfast, pre-ordered lunch, transportation, and guided tour by the Grayson County VA Historical Society.
Tickets are nonrefundable; bus tours will run rain or shine. Cash, credit card, or check accepted. There is a 3.5% service fee on credit card transactions.
Please call 276-773-8002 to purchase tickets or visit us in the Tourism Office at the Historic 1908 Courthouse in Independence.
Bus tour tickets will also be for sale at the Tourism Booth during the Grayson County Agricultural Fair on August 8 & 9, 2025.
2025 Ag & Art Bus Tours: Choose Your Tour and let us do the driving!
The Historic 1908 Courthouse: General Information, Maps & Restrooms
107 E Main Street, Independence, VA 24348
Parking for bus tour participants is available at the 1908 Courthouse and across Davis Street in the Grayson County Courthouse parking lot.
Bus tour participants will meet at the Historic 1908 Courthouse at 9 AM. A light breakfast will be served and information packets will be provided. Buses will leave at 9:30 AM. We encourage participants to dress in layers, wear comfortable shoes for walking, and bring a bag to carry home your Ag & Art treasures!
2025 Ag & Art Bus Tour Routes:
Western Grayson Bus Tour
Follow the Crooked Road from Independence west along the New River to Saddle Creek!
Stop 1: Rolling Acres Farm
SATURDAY TOUR STOP: 1310 Elliott Place, Independence, VA
Rolling Acres Farm is a working Katahdin Sheep Farm. Take a tour led by farmer and photographer, Rose Mary Cornett, to learn how sheep farming works in 2025–you may even get to bottle feed a lamb! Woodworker John Taylor will have his whimsical hand-turned jewelry boxes and home decor for sale alongside farm treats and slice-of-life farm photography by Rose Mary.
Stop 2, Independence Gallery
SEPTEMBER 6, 2025 Major Tour Stop: 116 West Main Street, Independence, VA 24348
The Independence Gallery features some of Grayson County’s most talented artists in a variety of mediums. Featured artists will be present throughout the day to chat with guests and show their often mountain-inspired artworks.
Stop 3, Rock Springs Farm
SATURDAY TOUR STOP: 291 Battlefield Drive, Independence, VA
Stop by Rock Springs Farm to meet Becky Rock and her rescue horses and ponies! Rock Springs is home to many rescued farm animals while offering local horse enthusiasts riding lessons throughout the year. Guests will have the opportunity to take a pony ride ($10) or purchase treats to feed the rescue animals! This is an excellent stop for kids (of all ages).
LUNCH STOP: Dream Rock Silo DUX Outdoors, Covered Bridge Glass, Alexander Broom & Craft, Mountainhouse Farm, Three Peaks Crafts, 2025 Ag & Art Honoree Laura Bryant
SEPTEMBER 6 MAJOR TOUR STOP: 664 Saddle Creek Road, Independence, VA 24348
A MAJOR Tour Stop offering a chance to meet multiple artists and tour this beautiful property. Tomey’s Kitchen BBQ will be on site to serve lunch while the Hollifield Brothers jam on the lawn. Guest artists at this stop include: DUX Outdoors, Covered Bridge Glass, Alexander Broom & Craft, Three Peaks Crafts, Mountainhouse Farm, & the 2025 Ag & Art Honoree Laura Bryant.
Stop 5: New River Highland Cattle Farm
SATURDAY TOUR STOP: 2449 Wilson Highway, Independence, VA
Meet the gorgeous Scottish Highland Cattle living in the Highlands of Virginia. You’ll have a chance to pet and groom these fluffy cows at this stop. Bring your camera and cash to purchase their adorable Hairy Coo Merch!
Stop 6: Osborne’s Farm & Nursery
2067 Wilson Highway, Independence, VA 24348 (extra parking at Rixy’s U-Store next door)
This stop right outside of Independence offers adventurers the chance to purchase fall flowers, pumpkins, and gourds. Kids’ Ag activities and a photo booth will be available. Save room on the bus for this stop–or visit on your way home to pick up your great pumpkins.
Final Stop (Weather Permitting): CW Farm
SATURDAY STOP: 3563 Beaver Dam Road, INDEPENDENCE, VA 24348
CW Farm is a new stop on our tour this year! Climb the winding road to this hidden gem of a sustainable homestead founded by the Austen family. Visit the burgeoning gardens and orchard, pick up some duck eggs or duck meat for the cooler, and learn what it takes to start a family-run sustainable farm from scratch. (Note: The bus will only stop at CW in optimal weather/if there is sufficient time due to location)
Eastern Grayson Bus Tour
Join the Grayson County Historical Society on this bus tour from Independence through Baywood and Elk Creek!
Stop 1: Cresthaven Dairy Farm
SEPTEMBER 6 TOUR STOP: 1250 Greenwich Road, Galax, VA
Visit one of Grayson’s Century Farms, a family-owned and operated Dairy Farm in Baywood. Pet a calf, go to storytime (great for kids) and learn about the tough 24/7 job of working a family-run Dairy.
Stop 2, The Church of the Good Shepherd: Grayson Permaculture Garden, Drac Studio, Mountain Air Farm, & VH Glass
SATURDAY TOUR: MAJOR STOP at the Church of the Good Shepherd, 9441 Grayson Parkway, Galax, VA
Enjoy a lovely guided tour of the Grayson Permaculture garden and learn more about food forests. Kurt Card of Drac Studio will be set up to sell his handmade pottery and jewelry. Vanessa Hollifield of VH Glass will be there with her gorgeous stained glass artwork, housewares & jewelry. Be sure to pick up some natural grown lavender products from Mountain Air Farms before the bus heads to the next stop!
LUNCH STOP: Matthews Living History Farm Museum Stories of the Stitch & Heritage Day, Anne’s Mountain Quilting, Food trucks
SATURDAY MAJOR TOUR STOP: 476 White Pine Road, Galax, VA
Journey on to learn about life on a 19th Century Grayson County Farm! Stories of the Stitch, a celebration of quilting, happens alongside Heritage Day and the Ag & Art Adventure here at Matthews. Artisan Anne Rost of Anne’s Mountain Quilting will be on hand to give demonstrations and sell her beautiful Appalachian quilts alongside other vendors.
Lunch will be provided by the GATE Center’s Rebekah Hines for the Eastern Bus Tour participants to enjoy at Matthews Living History Farm.
Stop 4, Summerfield Farm: Donnan Orchards
SATURDAY STOP: 7538 Peach Bottom Rd, Independence, VA
Head out to Elk Creek to visit Donnan Orchard on Summerfield Farms. Here you’ll learn about the new 1000 tree apple orchard and the techniques involved in growing large-scale apples with a small environmental footprint.
Stop 5: Summerfield Farms, Sheep/Cattle
SATURDAY STOP: Summerfield Sheep Farm, 7045 Peach Bottom Road, Independence, VA
Summerfield Farms is one of Grayson County’s oldest century farms, owned and operated by the Fant family for generations. John Fant will be on hand at the historic cattle barn to educate guests on the history of the farm from where it began to where it is today. Learn about sustainable sheep and cattle farming practices, meet the heritage breeds he raises and say hello to Dolly the guard Llama while you’re there!
This will be the last official stop on the Eastern Tour, but guests are encouraged to visit the Independence Gallery after disembarking at the Historic 1908 Courthouse, or take a quick drive down the road to Rolling Acres Farm or Osborne’s Nursery if time permits.
