"The chili is exactly the same. We cook it in the same pot that Gus used to cook it in in 1955." That's Thomas Marchese, co-owner of LiL' Guss' in Grottoes, speaking to the Daily News-Record earlier this year about the chili-covered hot dog his restaurant carries on from Jess' Quick Lunch in Harrisonburg.
The pot came south to Grottoes, a short drive down Route 256 from Weyers Cave. Most of what makes a good October weekend here comes from that same direction or from just off Route 11. It also runs on a deadline. Two of the area's biggest fall draws shift or shut down on the same day, November 1, and the stretch of I-81 through Weyers Cave will be a work zone well past then. So the planning question for the next four weeks is about timing, and the drives stay short.
Two schedules, one end date
Endless View Farms, at 2513 Rockfish Road in Crimora, runs its fall festival Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. through November 1. That covers u-pick pumpkins, a corn maze, hayrides, and what the farm counts as more than 25 attractions. New this year are an on-farm kitchen and a 150-foot mega slide. The kitchen matters for planning, because a full afternoon at the farm no longer has to end with a drive somewhere else for dinner.
Grand Caverns at 5 Grand Caverns Drive in Grottoes switches to its winter schedule on the same date. From November 1 through March 31 it is open daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The caverns stay open, but the shorter day changes what you can fit into one outing.
So October is the month when both places run on their longer days. Since neither one requires a trip up or down the interstate, the next question is how much the interstate matters this fall at all.
Why the interstate barely figures in
VDOT's project to add a third lane on I-81 near Weyers Cave runs from mile marker 234.1 to 237.9, mostly in northern Augusta County, with about a mile reaching into southern Rockingham County. The extra lane gives slower trucks somewhere to go on the steep grades in both directions. The project also lengthens the off-ramps and the northbound on-ramp at Exit 235, where I-81 meets Route 256.
Here's what that means right now, according to the project page updated September 3, 2026:
- A 60 mph work-zone speed limit is in effect around the clock.
- The left shoulders are closed in both directions, 24 hours a day.
- Single-lane closures may happen overnight as needed.
- Construction equipment moves in and out of the work zone at various points.
VDOT expects to finish in late 2027, and puts the cost at $88.3 million. The reason for the work shows up in VDOT's own traffic counts. This section carried an average of 56,800 vehicles a day in 2019, and the agency projects 76,700 a day by its 2046 design year.
None of the dates below require driving through that stretch. That's the practical value of planning October locally. This fall and next, the interstate is the part of the trip with the most uncertainty, and a weekend built on Route 256 and Route 11 avoids it.
The October dates, in order
Most of these are in or around Grottoes, with one at Blue Ridge Community College.
- Saturday, October 10, and Saturday, October 17. Glow Nights at Endless View Farms, 6 to 9:30 p.m., with $12 admission.
- Saturday, October 17. The Town of Grottoes holds its fifth annual First Responders Ceremony & Dinner from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Grottoes Rescue Squad, 805 Augusta Avenue. On a Glow Night Saturday, the two fit together easily, with dinner first and the farm after dark.
- Saturday, October 24. The free Fall Festival at Grand Caverns runs from 3 to 7 p.m. The town's listing says more details are coming. Earlier this year the town was recruiting volunteers for it, so anyone who wants to help can check the town's volunteer page.
- Wednesday, October 28. Mythologist Theresa Bane gives a Halloween lecture, "What is a Monster?", from 11 a.m. to noon in room G285 of the Houff Center at Blue Ridge Community College. The same day, Grottoes plans to announce the winners of its Halloween home-decorating contest. That contest is open to homes inside town limits, and public voting runs October 20 through 26.
- Saturday, October 31. Trunk-or-Treat at Endless View Farms.
- Sunday, November 1. Last day of the Endless View season, and the first day of winter hours at Grand Caverns.
The Fall Festival on October 24 is the one date where everything lines up. It is free, it sits inside the caverns' longer October day, and it falls on a weekend when Endless View is open.
Where to eat on the way
This is the part of the plan that runs on Route 256 and Route 11.
LiL' Guss', next to Grottoes town hall
The Daily News-Record's 2026 profile describes a restaurant that opened in Grottoes in 2019 with a grassy patio, tables, and umbrellas. Today it has what Marchese calls "a huge pavilion out there where we host live music every weekend." Marchese and his partner Angeliki Floros run it. The menu combines Greek dishes with the Jess' standards, and the burgers are still ground fresh every day. Bar manager Brianna Vaughn told the paper that regulars sometimes find their beer already on the bar when they walk in.
"My mom used to tell me that this place sounded like 'Cheers.'"
The restaurant is at 703 Dogwood Avenue. Call ahead for hours before a festival-day visit. A live-music weekend there pairs well with the October 24 festival, which ends at 7 p.m.
Ye Olde Coffee House, for the early start
WHSV covered the opening of this mother-daughter shop at 100 7th Street in Grottoes in 2023. The town's business directory lists coffee, tea, espresso, and baked goods. It gives hours of 6:30 to 11 a.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday. Older coverage listed different weekend hours, so confirm before a Sunday trip.
Pizza on Augusta Avenue
Wood Fired Oven, at 75 Augusta Avenue, serves pizza, pasta, subs, and appetizers. Its posted hours are generally 11 a.m. to 9:45 p.m., closing at 9 p.m. on Sundays. A little farther up the street, Ciro's Flying Pizza at 501 Augusta Avenue does pickup and delivery, with takeout hours of 10:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily. After a 9:30 p.m. Glow Night at Endless View, those late hours make it the easy choice.
Valley Pike Farm Market, just off the exit
The one stop near the interstate doesn't require getting on it. Valley Pike Farm Market is at 3494 Lee Highway, half a mile off Exit 235 on Route 11. It has a deli, local coffee, homemade pastries, local meats and cheeses, and a bar. The market is open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday. The deli runs from 11 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. It's a good place to pick up a farm-day lunch or a cheese board for guests.
When the trip is longer than a weekend
Holiday travel is the exception to staying local, and Shenandoah Valley Regional Airport changed its options this year. American Eagle service, operated by SkyWest, began at SHD on February 3, 2026, with daily flights to Chicago O'Hare and Charlotte on dual-class regional jets. For a Thanksgiving trip, that means connecting through two major hubs from the airport in Weyers Cave, without a long drive to a bigger airport. Check current schedules with the airline before booking.
If the work zone and the new flights have you thinking about how the area around Exit 235 is changing, I'm glad to talk it through, from the Route 256 corridor to the farms out Rockfish Road. Mary Beth Harris can help you find a house and create a home.
