PICK: Spring Wildflower Walk

About blooming time: All those April showers brought plenty of May flowers to the gardens at Monticello. Peggy Cornett, the estate’s curator of plants, leads the annual Spring Wildflower Walk at TJ’s place. And if the rigorous five-mile hike gave you pause in the past, you’re in luck: This year’s event is virtual, which means […]

Opening eyes

Late afternoon light pours into The Ridley’s stylish dining room through tall street-facing glass walls, warming a dark-wood interior accented by copper features and splashes of UVA orange. Sitting in a booth, chef Robert Anglin is shy, and calm, even though service starts in just two hours. The upscale restaurant opened its doors on April […]

Spring emergence

By Sarah Sargent According to Greek mythology, Hades, lord of the underwold, fell in love with Persephone, the daughter of Demeter, the goddess of the harvest. Hades kidnapped Persephone and pulled her down to his subterranean kingdom, until Zeus intervened and freed her. During her time in the underworld, however, Persephone ate a handful of […]

By blood and by love

By Julia Stumbaugh The majority of Charlottesville and Albemarle County’s adult population have received at least one shot of the COVID-19 vaccine—and we may have an enslaved Black man from modern-day Libya to thank. Onesimus, who helped introduce the idea of inoculation to the West, is one of many enslaved Africans and descendants whose societal […]

PICK: Macbeth

Back to the Bard: Shakespeare knew something about quarantines, having lived through several during the plagues of the early 1600s. The urge to break out is palpable as American Shakespeare Center launches its season with safely distanced, outside performances that encompass the Bard’s work in tragedy, history, and comedy, starting with Macbeth. Actor-manager Chris Johnston […]

PICK: Featured Farmers Friday

Dish the dirt: Your Friday wine downs just got better. On select dates throughout the spring and summer, local growers will be at Pippin Hill Farm & Vineyards for Featured Farmers Friday, a pop-up mini farmer’s market paired with a farm-to-table dining option. It’s an opportunity to get some quality time with area farmers such […]

PICK: Zen at Swannanoa

Mountain pose: If you’ve been doing YouTube yoga while squeezed between your couch and TV, you might need a change of scenery. Zen at Swannanoa offers a wild alternative to your living room flow. The class is held at the Swannanoa mansion, built by millionaire Virginia lawyer James Dooley in 1912 and styled after Rome’s […]

PICK: Gallery Rally

Art bargain: One of the best bangs for your art world buck is the annual Gallery Rally, when more than 20 local artists create work on site to be purchased to support Second Street, one of the oldest nonprofit contemporary art spaces in central Virginia. Book an appointment and score an original piece from Michael […]

Whip it good

By Alana Bittner I’m cooking along with local chef Janey Gioiosa’s “A Kind (of) Cooking Show” on YouTube, and get halfway through the video before I realize I’ve overlooked something on the list of ingredients—yeast. This recipe is a brave choice for me. As far as I’m concerned, pretzels come from Auntie Anne’s at the […]

Quarantine creativity begins to show

David Wax Museum Euphoric Ouroboric, Mark of the Leopard As David Wax Museum, the husband/wife duo of David Wax and Suz Slezak have churned out studio albums brimming with their unique blend of Mexo-Americana whimsy for 14 years. In 2019, their debut label release, Line of Light, garnered the Charlottesville pair a performance on “CBS […]