There’s work, there’s home, and then there’s…a third place. Third Place Thursdays offers a monthly gathering built around a simple idea: a space beyond home and work. Hosted at Bar Botanical by Lynsie Steele, the meetup invites women to drop in, connect, and share experiences. The 6pm start is loose by design—arrive, order via QR […]
When Kari Lamb tried to coax Foster, Piedmont CASA’s resident skittish stray cat, closer to her one afternoon, she had an aha moment: This is what foster-care children often go through. “Despite the compassion and consistency offered … some kids remain understandably hesitant to trust or connect,” says Lamb, the nonprofit’s recruitment and training coordinator. […]
After building a loyal following through his Order Up food truck, Troy Robinson has put down roots at the Jefferson School City Center with Order Up Eatery. The new lunch spot brings the same crowd-pleasing comfort food and rotating specials—like Wing Wednesday, with its signature Mabo Sauce and Fish Friday—into a permanent space designed for […]
Imagine that an average day in your job includes processing felony criminal cases, civil legal actions, deeds, mortgages and refinancings, wills, concealed-carry permits—and marriages. When people ask what you do, what would you say? Llezelle Dugger’s response: “I’m Clerk of Court for Charlottesville Circuit Court.” “There are 850 duties in the job description,” she says. […]
“I was fond of my Easy-Bake Oven as a child,” admits Rachel Willis. So it’s not a big leap to learn that she grew up to become founder, owner, and chief baker of Cakes by Rachel. There was a little preparation along the way. Willis attended the New England Culinary Institute and spent several years […]
In a town with no shortage of picturesque places to pop the question, Shaniece Bradford offers a way to take things up a notch: personalized picnics. Just Be Picnic offers an intimate experience for two (or a group—for pre-wedding parties!) anywhere you can think of: your home, Airbnb, favorite park, or local winery. Bradford, whose […]
When Erin Kinsey launched her wedding planning business in 2020, she became immersed in celebrations—and noticed how trends can make weddings feel similar. That realization led to Skylark Vintage, her Afton-based mobile bar cart. Inspired by Stevie Nicks, the venture blends softness and edge through curated vintage details. Kinsey renovated the trailer herself and offers […]
Public schools aren’t created equal. Neither is their funding. Charlottesville’s new citywide PTO aims to even out those highs and lows. “Our school parents are just spread pretty thin,” says Emily Harding, a PTO leader at Summit Elementary. Recent redistricting means Summit’s pupils come from newly housing-dense neighborhoods, but the school’s funding hasn’t kept up […]
In 2022, the University of Virginia’s National Marriage Project conducted a survey of 2,000 straight married couples and found that 83 percent of wives and 84 percent of husbands who had regular date nights were very happy in their marriages, compared to 68 percent of wives and 70 percent of husbands who did not have […]
There’s only one thing kids like better than juice: many juices. And at Eastwood Farm and Winery, while you’re sipping on a tasting of its Governor’s Cup award-winners, your little one can enjoy a sampling of her own with the winery’s popular juice flights. The $5 lineup includes fruit punch, grape, apple, and berry lemonade […]