JMRL book club discusses sci-fi novel by Becky Chambers

It’s summer reading season and Jefferson-Madison Regional Library coordinates a variety of book clubs for all ages. One of JMRL’s recurring offerings is the First Thursday Book Club, a hybrid (in-person/virtual) meetup for adults hosted by Greene County Library and Friends of the Greene County Library. Facilitated by Branch Manager EJ Dowling, each month’s featured […]

Our Town at Blackfriars Playhouse through 8/9

Representing one of the most beloved works of American theater, Thornton Wilder’s Pulitzer Prize-winning Our Town dives deep into community and quotidian rhythms. Leaning into simplicity over spectacle, the play employs a Stage Manager to guide audiences through the ordinary happenings of Grover’s Corners, New Hampshire. Follow members of the Gibbs and Webb families as […]

Baaba Seth at Fridays After Five 7/3

Charlottesville’s pedestrian thoroughfare is half a century old. Party down in its honor at the Downtown Mall 50th Anniversary Celebration, featuring a full day of family-friendly events. The Albemarle Charlottesville Historical Society leads ticketed tours of the Mall and the special exhibition “Then and Now: Charlottesville in the 1970s,” mounted at Vault Virginia. Free ice […]

Monticello’s Independence Day Celebration and Naturalization Ceremony at Monticello 7/4

Commemorate 250 years of the American experiment across the city. Monticello’s Independence Day Celebration and Naturalization Ceremony features keynote remarks from Gov. Abigail Spanberger. Print your own copy of the Declaration of Independence and enjoy family-friendly demonstrations and activities with Revolutionary Printing at the Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library. Carter Mountain Orchard’s Happy […]

July galleries

The Center at Belvedere 540 Belvedere Blvd. “Belonging,” paintings by Randy Baskerville. July 1–August 31. Reception July 11, 11am–1pm. Crozet Artisan Depot 5791 Three Notch’d Rd., Crozet. “The Art of Gathering,” handcrafted functional works by gardener, beekeeper, and artist Liz Buckner-Yordy of Petite Buzz Farm. Meet-the-artist event July 11, 11am–1pm. “Virginia Plein Air,” oil and […]

Chuck Ragan at The Southern 6/25

With punk rock bona fides running through his veins, Chuck Ragan brings forward a gritty brand of Americana music. Known as one of the distinctive voices co-fronting Hot Water Music, Ragan infuses folky rhythms with rock riffs and working-class ethos, creating a harder-edged sound than the plucky bluegrass acts that usually come through town. The […]

Twelfth Night at DMR Adventures 6/26 & 6/27

Celebrating the culmination of Shakespeare Production Camp from DMR Adventures, the Bard’s fast-paced comedy full of love triangles, mistaken identities, and practical jokes comes to the stage. Twelfth Night follows a shipwrecked set of twins who each think the other has drowned. Courtesan drama unfolds, centered on disguises and a lovelorn duke. Set to a […]

Cinderella at The Paramount Theater 6/26 – 6/28

Rodgers and Hammerstein’s enchanting musical comes alive in Charlottesville Opera’s take on Cinderella. Experience the magic of the classic fairy tale scored by a live orchestra, with incredible costumes and stunning sets inspired by the romantic 1965 made-for-TV production. Fit for the entire family, the show plays up the most memorable beats of the story, […]

Babe Haven at The Southern 6/24

When I was in college in the early 1990s, I got swept up in the Riot Grrrl music movement despite the fact that I wasn’t female, Queer, or even female-presenting. Sure, I wore a skirt and a shit-ton of makeup to go out—but this was New York City and I was at my gothiest with […]

Lara Call Gastinger’s guide to viewing nature

As an artist and botanical illustrator, Lara Call Gastinger’s work reflects our local environment, detailing native plants near her Charlottesville home and in the nearby mountains. She was the chief illustrator for the Flora of Virginia Project, a botanical reference book and app cataloging the rich biodiversity of our Commonwealth, and she is also widely […]