February
Japanese Family Festival
University of Virginia Art
Museum
434-924-7458
Call for exact date and
time.
Admission Free.
Festival events will
include family activities such as origami, games, kimono wrapping and other
traditional crafts, organized by the Young Friends. The gallery guild and the
volunteer board will present Japanese treats and drinks, and the docents will
host demonstrations of Japanese music and dance, a tea ceremony and a bonsai
exhibition.
March
Virginia Festival of the
Book
Events are held at the
University of Virginia, in downtown Charlottesville, and around the
Charlottesville/Albemarle area
434-924-6890
Admission Free (except
special luncheons and receptions).
Call for dates, time and
location.
Readings, panel discussions
and book signings are held throughout the area during the days and evenings of
the festival. There are usually about 150 total programs, including adult and
children's programming.
April
The City Market
H & R Block parking lot on Water St.
970-3371 or 970-3271
Saturdays, 7am-12noon
The Market offers fresh produce, herbs, plants,
crafts & baked goods
from local vendors.
Court Days Crafts
Festival
Downtown Historic District
434-296-8548
Admission Free.
Historic Garden Week in
Virginia
Various locations in
Charlottesville and Albemarle County
434-977-1783 or
877-386-1103
Admission Charged.
Call for exact date, hours
and locations.
Annual Dogwood Festival
Various locations including
McIntire Park and Downtown Charlottesville.
434-961-9824
Admission Charged for some
events.
Call for schedule of all
events.
What began in the fall of
1950 as the Apple Harvest Festival became the Dogwood Festival in April of 1958,
during the peak of the Dogwood blossom season. Thousands come each year to enjoy
the feature parade which usually consists of over 120 units. Some of the many
other activities that comprise the festival include a golf tournament, a chicken
barbeque at McIntire Park, the dogwood tree sale at Barracks Road Shopping
Center, a breakfast in Charlottesville, the amusement rides at McIntire Park,
the Dogwood Blues Festival on the Downtown Mall.
Fridays After Five
Downtown Mall
Every Friday, late
April-early October, beginning at 5:30pm.
434-296-8548
Admission Free.
Free outdoor concerts for
the whole family on the east end of Charlottesville's historic Downtown Mall in
the amphitheater.
Easter Egg Hunt at Kluge
Estate Farm Shop
Kluge Estate Winery and Vineyard | 100 Grand Cru
Drive
434-977-3895
Call for exact date and time.
Admission Free.
Come for a fun-filled
Easter Egg hunt. All prizes are edible!
May
Crozet Arts and Crafts
Festival
Claudius Crozet Park
434-823-2211
Call for exact date and
time
Admission Charged.
Virginia Wine Festival
Ash Lawn-Highland, 1941 James Monroe Parkway
434-293-9539
Call for exact date and
time
Admission Charged (includes
wine glass and tastings).
Important Virginia
vineyards, music, gourmet food, Monroe house tours, more.
June
Ash Lawn-Highland Summer
Festival
1941 James Monroe Parkway
434-293-4500
Call for exact date and
time.
Admission Charged.
July
Charlottesville
Fireworks Fest
McIntire Park
434-977-6100
July 4, 4-10pm
Admission Free (donations
accepted).
Come for an evening of
great community fun. Moonbounces, games and slides for kids, music, skydivers
and lots of fireworks!
Monticello Independence
Day Celebration and Naturalization Ceremony
Monticello, 931 Thomas
Jefferson Parkway, Charlottesville
July 4
Call for exact time.
Admission Free.
This outdoor naturalization
ceremony for new citizens on Monticello’s West Lawn is one of America’s most
inspiring July 4 events. Patriotic music will be performed.
African-American
Cultural Arts Festival
Booker T. Washington Park
(Park is located on corner of 10th Street NW and Preston Avenue, west of the
Downtown Mall in Charlottesville)
Last Saturday of July
434-296-4986 or
434-979-0582
Admission Free.
This family-oriented
festival opens with a grand entrance by the Spiritwalker, dancers, drums and
many other exciting performers. A wide variety of crafts, foods, community
organizations and artisans will be found throughout the park. Visitors can
listen to the traditional African storyteller, watch musical and dance
performances and discover more about local and national African American history
and the contributions of African Americans to our community.
Ash Lawn Opera Festival
Boxwood Gardens of Ash
Lawn-Highland
1941 James Monroe Parkway,
(2 1/2 miles from Monticello on Route 795, off Route 53).
Evening performances at 8
p.m. are outdoors at Ash Lawn-Highland; grounds open for picnicking at 6 p.m.
Lectures begin at 7:15 p.m. (if applicable).
434-979-0122 or
434-293-4500
Admission Charged.
Opera and musical theater sung in English.
August
Albemarle County Fair
Fairgrounds (From
Charlottesville take Route 29 south to North Garden, turn right on Route 692.
Approximately 1/2 mile on right)
434-293-6396
Call for exact dates and
hours of operation.
Admission Charged.
What would August in
Albemarle County be without the County Fair? This week-long tradition is a great
finale to summer fun. The fair provides an opportunity for visitors to
understand, appreciate and enjoy the agricultural heritage that continues to
sustain the area economy. A family fun-filled event featuring agricultural,
livestock and craft exhibits; musical entertainment, amusement rides, commercial
exhibits and a wonderful variety of food.
Plantation Days:
Children's Day
Ash Lawn-Highland
1941 James Monroe Parkway,
(2 1/2 miles from Monticello on Route 795, off Route 53).
434-293-9539
Admission Charged.
Call for exact date and
time.
Work and play on an early
19th-century plantation. Special youth tours of the home of President James
Monroe. Craft demonstrations, hands-on workshops, music, colonial games, more.
September
Plantation Days: Autumn
on the Plantation
Ash Lawn-Highland
1941 James Monroe Parkway,
(2 1/2 miles from Monticello on Route 795, off Route 53).
434-293-9539
Admission Charged.
Call for exact date and
time.
Activities to prepare for
winter on an early 19th-century plantation. Craft demonstrations, hands-on
workshops, music, colonial games, more.
Charlottesville Chamber
Music Festival
Jefferson Theater, on the
Downtown Mall
434-977-6100
Admission Charged.
Call for exact date and
time.
The Charlottesville Chamber
Music Festival presents a series of concerts each September, featuring musicians
from all over the world, in new and old chamber music repertoire.
October
Monticello Wine and Jazz
Festival
Boar’s Head Inn
1486 Oalencroft Lane
434-296-4188 ext. 21
Admission Charged.
Call for exact dates and
times.
Featuring wineries located
in the Monticello Viticultural Area all within an hour of Charlottesville, Va.
Art and craft exhibits, jazz musicians, great food and great wine. Come and
enjoy the beautiful fall colors of Virginia.
Virginia Film Festival
Events are held at
locations throughout the Charlottesville area.
434-924-FEST or 800-UVA-FEST
Admission Charged.
Call for exact dates and
times of event.
There will be a rapid
filmmaking workshop in which approximately twenty filmmakers will write, shoot,
and edit their films in three days, beginning on opening night and screening on
closing night.
Downtown Safe Halloween
Festival
Downtown Mall
434- 970-3271
Call for exact time and date.
Admission Free.
Halloween fun for children 12 and under.
Charlottesville
Cavalcade
CHS Stadium
434-295-8453.
Call for exact time and
date.
Admission Charged.
High School Marching Band
Competition.
November
Governor Jefferson's
Thanksgiving Festival
Historic Court Square and Downtown Mall
434-978-4466
Call for exact date and
time.
Admission Free.
Over fifty activities
scheduled at seven different venues around Charlottesville's Historic Court
Square and Downtown Mall are designed to let you experience what the community
was like during the American Revolution between 1779 and 1781. You will step
back in history and mingle with a cast of about 150 costumed people portraying
famous statesmen, soldiers, merchants, clergymen and slaves who gathered during
the American Revolution for a Day of Public Thanksgiving that was proclaimed by
Virginia's Governor Thomas Jefferson in November 1779. Events include: colonial
folk music and dancing; children's games; horse-drawn carriage rides; the
"little militia' at the soldier encampment; demonstrations of 18th century
crafts and trades; crafts for children at the Discovery Museum; lectures on
African-American history and culture; Governor Jefferson's Ball and more.
Sounds of the Season-A
Holiday Concert
Ash Lawn-Highland
1941 James Monroe Parkway,
(2 ½ miles from Monticello on Route 795, off Route 53).
434-293-9539
Call for exact dates and
times.
Admission Charged.
This informal concert
features holiday music followed by a candlelight tour of the historic James
Monroe house.
Charlottesville Gem,
Mineral & Jewelry Show
Charlottesville National
Guard Armory - 1640 Avon Street Extension
540-384-6047
Call for event date and
hours of operation
Jewelry makers, goldsmiths
and silversmiths from all over the U.S. who can reconstruct, repair, design or
make original jewelry from customer-selected gems, stones, opals and crystals.
Wire wrap, wire sculpture, pearls, stone beads, stone setting, amber, opal, gem
tree, mineral and fossil dealers. Hourly door prizes.
Charlottesville
Tradition
Charlottesville's Downtown
Mall, 108 5th Street N.E.
434-961- 5846
Call for exact date and
time.
Admission Free
Kick off the Holiday Season
in Downtown! Charlottesville’s Mayor will pull the switch lighting up the entire
Downtown Mall with brilliant holiday light for the Grand Illumination. Festive
holiday music by the Charlottesville Municipal Band and local gospel groups.
Children and adults alike can welcome Santa's arrival in Charlottesville as he
rides a fire truck down the mall!
December
Oratorio Society Annual
Holiday Concert
Cabell Hall Auditorium,
University of Virginia
434-996-3610
Call for exact date and
time
Admission Charged
The Oratorio Society of
Charlottesville- Albemarle (TOSCA) is a 65-member group of singers of all ages
(college and beyond) who enjoy singing good music. They present holiday
favorites for the whole family.
First Night Virginia
Events are held at
locations throughout the downtown area
December 31
434-975-8269
Entertainment, food, and
events in Downtown Charlottesville, fireworks at midnight. There are fabulous
musicians, magicians, storytellers, puppet shows, and entertainers galore. The
event is alcohol free.
Admission Charged (Admission buttons are sold prior to the event, call number
listed above for participating stores.)
Call for hours.
Giant Menorah Lighting
and Community Chanukah
Central Place on the
Downtown Mall
434-293-5994
Call for exact time and
date.
Admission Free
Join Chabad of
Charlottesville at Central Place on the Downtown Mall for a Chanukah celebration
for folks of all ages. Sing the “Dreidel Song” and “Rock of Ages” and feast on
traditional holiday treats like potato latkes with all the trimmings and jelly
doughnuts…plus chocolate gelt and prizes for the kids!
Spotlight at the
Paramount
Charlottesville's Downtown
mall
434-979-1922
Call for exact date and
time.
Admission Free.
Local performers are in the
Spotlight! Spirited performances of holiday cheer will begin every half hour.
Michie Tavern's Yuletide
Feast
Michie Tavern
683 Thomas Jefferson
Parkway
434-977-1234
Call for exact date and
time.
Admission Charged. Advance
ticket purchase required. Reservations begin in November.
Strolling musicians
entertain guests dining by candlelight. A banquet of Virginia favorites is
served. Festive 18th century style fresh greens and fruits decorate the Tavern.
Christmas by Candlelight
Ash Lawn-Highland
1941 James Monroe Parkway,
(2 ½ miles from Monticello on Route 795, off Route 53).
434-293-9539
Call for exact date and
time.
Admission Charged.
Christmas candlelight tours
are given by costumed interpreters. Hot cider and jumbles are served.