Last updated 9 days ago
It seems as if May just started, and we’re already halfway through the month. There is guaranteed to be not one dull moment this weekend! This is one of our busiest, which means there are plenty of events for you to attend! So if you’re staying in town for the weekend or reside nearby, there will be plenty of events to keep you entertained.
Preakness® Celebration Hot Air Balloon Festival
Join us for the exciting and family friendly Preakness® Celebration Hot Air Balloon Festival at Turf Valley! Enjoy enchanting balloon glows, tethered rides and balloon flights, walk-thru balloons, arts and crafts for the kids, and many great local food and craft vendors! Also be sure not to miss the thrilling balloon launches, taking place Thursday at 6:30 p.m., Friday at 6:30 am., Friday at 6:30 p.m., and Saturday at 6:30 a.m. There will also be a special model search for local teenagers, but everyone is welcome to walk the red carpet! Call 410.465.1500 ext. 2874 for more information.
Party on the Patio
Party on the Patio deserves the top spot on your list of things to do in Howard County. Now that the weather is warmer and spring is definitely in the air, join us for outdoor dining, beautiful scenery, and drink specials. Professionals and young professionals of Ellicott City, Elkridge, Columbia, MD and surrounding areas can connect over drinks, American food and live music right here at Turf Valley. Party on the Patio features complimentary hors d’oeuvres from 6-7 p.m., Happy Hour drink specials, and live music by UMBC’s Pandemic Steelband. Call 410.480.2400 for reservations.
Black Ankle Wine Dinner
Enjoy wines of complexity, subtlety and nuance at our Black Ankle Wine Dinner. A six-course dinner featuring and paired with wines from Frederick County’s Black Ankle Vineyards will be served in Christina’s Dining Room in Alexandra’s Restaurant. Reservations are required; call 410.480.2400.
Wine in the Woods
Wine in the Woods is the largest wine festival in Maryland and was even voted Best Festival in Howard County. Taste an assortment of Maryland’s finest wines, attend wine education seminars, and even purchase art and specialty crafts. Your Wine in the Woods Overnight Package with Turf Valley is a great weekend getaway including overnight accommodations, tickets and round-trip transportation to Wine in the Woods, and breakfast in Alexandra's Restaurant. Call us at 410-465-1500 to make a reservation.
Sunday Champagne Brunch
Conclude your weekend and begin the start of a new week with a classic, traditional brunch at Alexandra’s Restaurant. Enjoy selections from our bakery, breakfast, including a chef-attended omelet station, lunch items, desserts and beverages. Reservations are recommended; call 410.480.2400
Last updated 16 days ago
Turf Valley’s annual Preakness® Celebration Hot Air Balloon Festival, to be held May 16-18, 2013, is perfect for children, teenagers and those young at heart. Enjoy hot air balloon launches, craft and food vendors and live entertainment!
In addition to balloon activities, including tethered hot air balloon rides and pilot demonstrations, there will be family activities, handmade crafts, retail and food vendors, and live entertainment. You’re never too old to ride the Roaming Railroad, get your face painted or enjoy rock wall climbing. Everyone is sure to enjoy the food from La Pearl Waffles, Keep It Smokin' BBQ, Maui Wowi Hawaiian Coffees & Smoothies, and our many other vendors.
Balloon related activities will include tethered hot air balloon rides, a walk-through of an inflated hot air balloon, pilot demonstrations, balloon launches and the nightly Balloon Glow at dusk. Over 20 vibrant hot air balloons, including the returning Purple People Eater and Stinky the Skunk, will participate in our nightly balloon glows. On Saturday, May 18th, the Balloon Festival will culminate with the launching of the balloons at 6:30 am.
Admission and Parking
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May 16 & 17, 2013, 4:00-9:00 p.m. Balloon Festival
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May 16 & 17, 2013, 6:30 p.m. Balloon Launch
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May 17 & 18, 2013, 6:30 a.m. Balloon Launch
Admission to the event is free; activities are available for purchase. Parking will be provided at the Howard County Fairgrounds, with a $5 donation fee per car to benefit the Elkridge Adult Athletic Association. Shuttle buses to Turf Valley begin at 3:30 p.m., and the last shuttle will depart Turf Valley at 10:30 p.m. on Thursday and Friday. For the 6:30 a.m. balloon launches on Friday and Saturday, all parking will be at Turf Valley.
About Preakness® Celebration
Preakness® Celebration, Inc. is an organization established in 1988 to produce events in and around Baltimore that celebrate horse racing’s famed Preakness® Stakes. Preakness® Celebration stages a series of events, including hot air balloon ascensions and glows, the Preakness® 5-K Run at Pimlico and other special festivities. Throughout its 25 year history, Preakness® Celebration has accomplished its mission "to create and promote a unique series of fun and diverse events that enhances the Preakness®, engages the community, entertains residents & visitors alike, and generates positive economic impact to the City, region and State."
About Turf Valley
Turf Valley is located in the Baltimore/Washington Corridor and features 40,000 square feet of event space, guest rooms, meeting rooms and public areas the Turf Valley Spa, and 36 holes of Championship Golf.
Last updated 22 days ago
Did you know that saunas have been around for hundreds, if not thousands of years? While the modern saunas in today’s luxurious and soothing spas bear little resemblance to Finland’s first pits with fireplaces, saunas have long been praised for their cleansing benefits, relaxing effects, and detoxifying capacities. Here are just a few of the health effects you can expect after spending time in a sauna.
Stress Relief
For hundreds of years, Finns have stood by their invention’s ability to naturally soothe both physical and emotional stress and even relieve symptoms of insomnia. Spa saunas today are typically warmed to 180 degrees Fahrenheit, and users are encouraged to remain in the warm room until the heat becomes uncomfortable. As your body naturally sweats, your mind and muscles will slowly begin to relax. Many spa visitors find that a visit to the sauna is a perfect finish to a facial, massage, or beauty treatment.
Glowing Skin
Relaxing in a sauna causes your body temperature to rise and blood flow to your skin to increase. As even the deepest layers of your skin are flooded with essential nutrients, your tissues are cleansed. After spending time in a hot sauna, men and women alike report naturally glowing skin.
Detoxification
While a visit to the sauna is rewarding on its own, many spa visitors report that the detoxifying benefits of their massage are further magnified after stopping by the sauna or steam room. In fact, a sauna’s heat actually releases toxic substances from the body, including chemicals and heavy metals that naturally occur in the environment. If you visit the sauna after another spa treatment, remember to always drink plenty of water to stay hydrated and encourage the detoxification process.
Do you live in neighboring Columbia, Frederick, Baltimore, or D.C.? Whenever you visit The Spa at Turf Valley, you will also enjoy full access to our pools, saunas and fitness facilities. Check out our spa specials or call our hotel and spa directly at (443) 364-9022 to book your next massage, body treatment, or facial today.
Last updated 22 days ago
Last Thursday, April 25, 2013 was Take Your Child to Work Day and each department planned an educational and enjoyable activity for the 10 children who participated.
The day began bright and early at 8 a.m., when the children were able to see Mom and Dad at work. After a warm welcome to Turf Valley, the kids embarked on a day-long adventure throughout the resort.
First stop – Grounds. Adam Hunsicker and Jeff Roeder gave the kids a demonstration of changing cups on the golf course. The children were so excited that they even began changing the cups themselves! Emily, daughter of Chef Dan Shoemaker, had a take-charge attitude and was our first volunteer. Director of Grounds Charlie Ulevich and Asst. Golf Pro Chuck Doan also made a special visit. After changing cups, they put their putting skills to the test and some had friendly competitions amongst themselves.
Next, Human Resources Coordinator Stacey Stauffer then guided the children to our Banquets Department. Chef Dan Shoemaker talked to them about food safety and how Banquets successfully prepares food for hundreds of people at a time. The children were amazed at how large the cooking trays were and the price of an oven. Their excitement grew once they found out they’d be making chocolate chip and sugar cookies!
Banquets Manager Latisha Davidson then gave a quick lesson on proper etiquette and how tables are set for formal dinners. The children were also taught the “Nurses Hat” napkin fold, which lead to a napkin folding contest. They children raced to fold as many napkins as they could in two minutes. Seth, son of Stacey Stauffer, won and took away a huge bag of candy as his prize.
Making beds with the Housekeeping Department was surprisingly fun for the kids. We’ve never seen children so excited to make a bed! The children also inspected a hotel room, making sure it was ready for guest arrival.
After lunch in Alexandra’s Restaurant, our Marketing Department surprised the kids with their own special posters to take home. The children had their photos taken earlier in the day, but they weren’t expecting to see their faces on posters! Nicole Hock showed them how she edited their images and printed them with a “magical” printer, and Doug Heinle presented their posters.
In the Alexandra’s Restaurant kitchen, Executive Chef Russell Svoboda demonstrated how to make granola for the kids. While he put lots of healthy ingredients in the mix, including apricots and orange juice, the homemade marshmallows were everybody’s favorite ingredient.
The next stop was the Turf Valley Spa. The kids were given a tour, and made a homemade scrub. The boys were very thoughtful and made their body scrubs for mom or big sister. One of the last stops was our Pro Shop. The driving range was almost everybody’s favorite part of the day.
Other activities for the day included visits to the Human Resources, Accounting, Front Desk and Reservations, Sales, and I.T. departments. As a surprise, they also received a special welcome from General Manager Pete Mangione during their lunch break in Alexandra’s Restaurant!
Originally “Take Our Daughters to Work Day,” the national day occurs the fourth Thursday of every April and was founded 20 years ago by Ms. Foundation for Women. In 2003 it was expanded to include boys, although many employers were already including boys in their programs. Although our team members have brought their children to work on this day for many years, this is the first year that we have offered the full Turf Valley experience to the kids -- and we had a great time!
Turf Valley is a spa, golf, resort and conference center located in Ellicott City, conveniently near Baltimore and Washington, D.C. For more information, visit www.turfvalley.com or call 410.465.1500.
Last updated 27 days ago
Are you considering planning a corporate retreat? If your business is in the D.C. or Baltimore area, venture to beautiful central Maryland. With both luxurious hotel amenities and state-of-the-art conference rooms and meeting facilities, Turf Valley is the premier destination for corporate retreats. Read on to learn why you should consider visiting our venue with your employees.
Eliminates Distractions
Work days can be hectic for any employee, but as your team navigates individual projects, personal interaction usually suffers. A corporate retreat eliminates incessant phone calls and emails and client emergencies so your co-workers can focus on strategic planning. When people spend time together in a more relaxed and closed-off setting, they will naturally begin to move in the same direction and realize shared goals and objectives.
Builds Mutual Respect
Corporate retreats build mutual respect organically. By spending time together as a group, employees will have real opportunities to work together as a team and feel like they are part of a larger organization. By interspersing lectures and work-related exercises with outdoor activities and nighttime get-togethers, your employees will begin to relate to each other as friends. In fact, corporate retreats often form lasting bonds between co-workers by removing the hierarchy and pressures of the office.
Creates Incentives
On a corporate retreat, a company’s management can show their appreciation for employees by scheduling recreational activities and announcing bonuses and incentives. While retreats are often already considered to be perks of the job, a beautiful hotel with such amenities as a spa, golf courses, and fine dining establishments certainly can’t hurt. When you plan your retreat, be sure to pick a spot that offers more than just meeting facilities.
Convenient to Ellicott City, Frederick, D.C., and Columbia, Turf Valley is nestled in the beautiful, rolling hills of Central Maryland. Whether you are planning a conference, arranging a corporate retreat, or simply planning a family vacation, call us at (443) 364-9022 to book your hotel rooms and event space today!
