Caite Hamilton

Eat good, do good: DYK that a portion of annual profits from The Ridley—The Draftsman Hotel’s Black-owned Southern cuisine spot—is given to The Ridley Foundation? Named for Dr. Walter Ridley, the first Black graduate of UVA and the first to earn a doctoral degree from a traditional white college, the foundation pursues high-achieving Black students […]

Courtney Commander and Tobiah Mundt are working on bringing a proper skating rink to Charlottesville, but until then, their occasional pop-up skate events (look for the group at Tonsler Park, and on Instagram for more info) have us rocking while we’re rolling, with a live DJ on site, plus food trucks and merch. Don’t skate? […]

After giving birth to her daughter, artist and art teacher Sarah Sweet decided to get more serious about doing good for the future of the planet. She launched The Scrappy Elephant, a creative reuse art supply store in the winter of 2020, following an inspiring trip to Nashville’s Turnip Green (an organization with a similar […]

Playtime is essential to being a kid, and Little Planets—a company that creates nature-inspired pop-up play areas for local events and festivals, breweries like Champion and Brewing Tree, and private homes—wants to bring the fun. From fairy gardens to mud kitchens, Little Planets is serious about play (and, what’s more, giving parents a break from […]

After receiving news that his wife was in remission from cancer, antique car enthusiast Mike Baldauf wanted to give back to UVA Cancer Center, the very place that helped save her life. He organized the Virginia Festival of the Wheel, a three-day gathering for vintage and classic car-lovers, the proceeds of which return to the […]

Access to public transportation is a cornerstone of a healthy community. But for those for whom travel-by-CAT is difficult, Jaunt fills in the gaps—and has since 1975. The curb-to-curb demand-response (i.e. not a fixed route) is $1.50 each way, but those with disabilities ride free.

We’ve forever had a crush on Chris Long, the former defensive end and two-time Super Bowl champion, who in 2017 donated his last 10 paychecks to charity (and six others to scholarships in the wake of the white supremacist rally on August 12). And last winter he upped the ante, kicking off his foundation’s new […]

Charlottesville may not have a true “lover’s lane,” but there is one spot where generations of paramours have canoodled: UVA’s Pavilion Gardens. Surrounded by Thomas Jefferson’s famous serpentine walls, it’s not immediately obvious that they’re open to the public—oh, but they are. In addition to picnickers and bridal parties, they’re a prime spot for a […]

With Barboursville to the east and Staunton to the sun—er, west, Charlottesville’s practically bookended by the Bard. Four County Players’ offerings set the Swan of Avon’s best work at the Barboursville Ruins, the remains of a Jefferson-designed mansion, while at the American Shakespeare Center you can get a taste of the playwright’s Globe Theater (read: […]

This one’s as old as the hills, but feels so fresh among a sea of brownie skillets and crème brûlées: Künefe, the Middle Eastern dessert invented in the 10th century AD, combines layers of shredded phyllo dough with mozzarella cheese, melted in the oven then drizzled with a lemony sugar syrup. At Sultan Kebab, it’s […]