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 […]
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 […]
When you’re ready to upgrade your downriver rambling, proceed directly to the James River Batteau Co. “This is the Cadillac tour of the James River,” Company co-founder Will Smith says. “If you want to float with a big bunch of friends, this is the most comfortable way to go.” Batteaux (batteau’s Francofied plural) are flat-bottomed […]
While ax throwing has grown increasingly popular in recent years, it has long been part of the world of lumbersports. In April, Devils Backbone brought lumbersports back to the Charlottesville area with its second Lumberjack Classic, during which 24 lumberjacks and 12 lumberjills from across the country used razor-sharp axes and saws to compete for […]
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 having multiple traumatic experiences with the local mental health care system, activist Myra Anderson founded Brave Souls on Fire in 2015, creating a supportive and affirming space for Black individuals with mental health conditions. In addition to discussing the impact that systemic racism, cultural stigma, and other issues have on Black mental health, the […]
After her husband, Damien Banks, founded the Banks Collage Basketball Association, a men’s summer basketball league, in Charlottesville in 2010, Shawna Banks was inspired to create an all-women hip-hop team to perform during halftime at the league’s games in 2014. Receiving an overwhelming amount of interest, Banks also started a BCBA hip-hop team for young […]
Local foodies of the greener persuasion have been getting some love lately, with four plant-based eateries opening in the past few months. Check out the following to get your fill of vegetarian and vegan goodness. Botanical Fare: This downtown lunch spot fulfills your daily servings of fruits and veggies with its soups, sandwiches, and Insta-worthy […]
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 […]
Who is the Pie Guy? In a sense, it’s Keith Groomes who’s always been destined for the role. Groomes started working with the original Pie Guy, Justin Bagley, in 2015. Bagley then sold the business—at the time a well-known food cart on the farmers’ market, festival and Downtown Mall lunch circuits—to cattleman Rob Harrison. Harrison […]
Every year, the list of things on wheels grows larger, but it’s hard not to get excited about folks who’ve decked out a vintage horse trailer and repurposed it into something special. It’s the stuff HGTV shows are made of (not to mention what comes next: the goods). Here are three we’re devouring. Kaas & […]