How To Stay Cool in Hunt Country This Summer
Written by Emerson Leger
If you’re looking to beat the summer heat, Middleburg Life has you covered. We’ve curated a list of the best spots across Hunt Country to treat your sweet tooth, enjoy a dip in the water, or experience local artistic talent in the air-conditioning. With temperatures on the rise, try one of the following activities and stay cool out there!
In The Pool
Middleburg Community Center Pool
The Middleburg Community Center pool is open seven days a week. Membership is not required and the pool is open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Guests can bring kids and friends to the pool to lounge, enjoy the water, swim laps, or take swim lessons. Lap swimming is open Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6 to 7 p.m. To ramp up the fun, pool parties are also available for reservation, with a two-hour minimum.
Don’t worry about getting hungry — there’s a snack shack for all of your pool munchie needs. For those wanting to just lay in the sun and get a nice tan, lounge chairs are provided.
The community center pool is open for the summer, so come by to take a dip and be sure to say “hi” to everyone’s favorite lifeguard, Evan.
Middleburg Community Center
300 W. Washington Street
Middleburg, VA 20117
Goodstone Inn’s Pool
At Goodstone Inn, guests from afar can come and experience the tranquility of Hunt Country. And locals don’t have to stay at the inn to experience its amenities, including its luxurious pool. For those looking for a quiet place to tan or curl up with a nice summer read, the pool at Goodstone Inn might be the perfect spot.
“Goodstone is offering day passes for the pool through ResortPass,” Goodstone spokesperson Nicole Van Stralen says.
The day pass allows access to the pool, hot tub, towels, food and drinks, changing area, and free Wi-Fi. Bring your family, friends, or just yourself to experience the peaceful atmosphere this pool has to offer.
Goodstone Inn
36205 Snake Hill Road
Middleburg, VA 20117
Round Hill Indoor Aquatics Center
The Round Hill Indoor Aquatics Center is a part of Loudoun County Parks, Recreation, and Community Services. The general admission is $3 for kids and seniors, and $4 for adults.
“We are open to everybody, whether you are a Loudon County resident, whether you live in Clarke County, Fauquier, Jefferson — everyone is welcome here,” Genie Rovang, the center manager, says.
The center offers lap swimming, water fitness classes, and a place where kids can play with parents and friends. Swim lessons are also offered. The pool goes to 4.5 feet deep and has four lap lanes.
After a closure this July for maintenance, the center will reopen in early August. “It seems like a lot, but we are 10 years old and the girl needs a facelift,” Rovang explains.
Other than the four-week shutdown, Round Hill Indoor Aquatics Center is open year-round for any type of swimming or if you just want to dip your toes in.
Round Hill Indoor Aquatics Center
17010 Evening Star Drive
Round Hill, VA 20141
Frozen Treats
Effee’s Frozen Favorites
Effee’s Frozen Favorites, known by the locals as Effee’s, is an old-school ice cream shop located off Lee Highway in Warrenton. It’s been open for 22 years, starting as an idea between two friends: Leslie Farris and Roslyn Eadi.
“We decided the area needed something, and what better thing to have than an ice cream shop and a country feel?” Farris explains.
The name “Effee’s” came from combining two F’s, representing Farris, and two E’s, representing Eadi. Farris’ kids designed the logo, featuring a chubby penguin. The shop is known as a family-oriented business with love for their customers.
“People come here to socialize,” Farris says.
Around Effee’s is a patch of grass, where families can kick a soccer ball or throw a frisbee. When it’s busy, customers bring their own chairs to sit on the grass and chat. Some people have stopped by every year for the past 22 years to enjoy what Effee’s is known best for: their shakes.
“One kid came up with a blueberry muffin shake — it tastes just like a blueberry muffin,” Farris shares.
Sometimes it’s Effee’s employees who come up with new flavors. Effee’s menu is not set in stone, which allows visitors to customize their orders. The menu includes banana splits, shakes, funnel cakes, brownie sundaes, and soft-serve ice cream. There’s also a rotating flavor of the week and a special sundae. Italian ice is an option as well, for those who would like a refreshing dairy-free alternative.
“When we leave and close up, people can still hang out with their ice cream and play in the grass,” Farris says. “The biggest thing is the quality of our products, the friendliness of our employees, and our customer service is really good.”
Effee’s Frozen Favorites
5051 Lee Highway
Warrenton, VA 20186
Swirlie’s Treats
Swirlie’s Treats, located in Haymarket, is a soft-serve ice cream place that offers a plethora of options for any ice cream lover.
Aside from the usual sundaes and milkshakes, a menu item called Razzles — soft-serve ice cream with toppings mixed in — sets the shop apart. The flavors offered for Razzles include everything from Brookie to Turtle Pecan Cluster. If any of the given options don’t appeal, customers also have the choice to build their own.
This summer, make your way over to Swirlie’s to explore a new ice cream option: the Razzle!
Swirlie’s Treats
15401 Kapp Valley Way
Haymarket, VA 20169
Homespun
Homespun is a farm-to-table restaurant located in Berryville. It began in 2021 as an offshoot of Smith Meadows Farm. The shop is open seven days a week, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., closing at 7 p.m. on Sundays.
Homespun is known for its burgers and shakes. Its menu features all the toppings and sauces you can think of to give customers the perfect burger.
The ice cream is homemade, either hand dipped or soft serve. There are eight rotating seasonal flavors, along with the three timeless flavors: vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry. Patrons can also create a root beer float, a sundae, or order a Homespun chocolate chip ice cream sandwich.
It’s a must-visit on a hot day!
Homespun
20 W. Main Street
Berryville, VA 22611
Exhibits in the AC
AiM’s “Something Red” Exhibit
The Artists in Middleburg gallery is hosting a “Something Red” art exhibit from July 5 through August 3. There will be an opening reception on July 5 from 1 to 3 p.m. Artists were asked to loosely interpret the theme, “Red,” for creative variety.
“They can submit work that explores the multifaceted nature of red, from its emotional response to its cultural and historical significance,” Assistant Director Laura Fulton says.
The exhibit is free, displaying the work of local artists who live within 50 miles of Middleburg. There is a wide age range and demographic, with the youngest 12 years old and the oldest artists in their 90s.
“We are trying to keep minds and bodies active and engaged, giving people a purpose and confidence, using all the skills we have,” Fulton shares.
Artists in Middleburg
102 W. Washington Street
Middleburg, VA 20117
The Byrne Gallery’s “Ocean Dreams” Exhibit
Experience the beach without leaving Middleburg at The Byrne Gallery’s “Oceans Dreams” exhibit. On view from July 3 to August 31, the gallery will include artists’ renderings of the East Coast’s most majestic shorelines. Gerald Hennesy, Shawn Hennesy, Jeff Kibler, and Anne Stine are the participating artists and are all based in Washington, D.C., or Virginia.
The Byrne Gallery
7 W. Washington Street
Middleburg, VA 20117
“The Heart of the Turf” at NSLM
“The Heart of the Turf” exhibit, hosted by the National Sporting Library & Museum, is a traveling exhibition organized by the Keeneland Library in Lexington, Kentucky. The display contains texts and panels that give an overview of the Black experience of racing, from the antebellum era to the present. Also featured in the exhibit are reproductions of antique photographs of jockeys, trainers, and handlers that were reproduced to get the true depth and detail of these men and women.
“We feel strongly in telling the whole truth and to pay tribute to these amazing men and women,” Claudia Pfeiffer, the George L. Ohrstrom Jr. deputy director and head curator, says.
The exhibition is open until September 13, showcasing the African Americans who helped make the racing industry what it is today.
“It is a wonderful opportunity to partner with Keeneland Library,” Pfeiffer says, “and they did great work in creating this traveling exhibition and bringing it to Middleburg.” ML
National Sporting Library & Museum
102 The Plains Road
Middleburg, VA 20117
Featured photo: Eliyanah, Leah, and Mason Jenkins enjoy a splash in the Middleburg Community Center pool. Photo by Gracie Savage.
Published in the July 2025 issue of Middleburg Life.