The cult classic coming-of-age movie Napoleon Dynamite turned 20 last year, but the main characters—Napoleon, Pedro, and Uncle Rico—are still kicking around their old stomping grounds. About five years ago, the film’s core ensemble of Jon Heder (Napoleon), Efren Ramirez (Pedro), and Jon Gries (Uncle Rico) hosted a Dynamite film screening and post-movie conversation with […]
The cult classic coming-of-age movie Napoleon Dynamite turned 20 last year, but the main characters—Napoleon, Pedro, and Uncle Rico—are still kicking around their old stomping grounds. About five years ago, the film’s core ensemble of Jon Heder (Napoleon), Efren Ramirez (Pedro), and Jon Gries (Uncle Rico) hosted a Dynamite film screening and post-movie conversation with […]
In one of Charlottesville’s warmest neighborhoods, John Hunter’s yard feels like a cool oasis. An array of waist-high shrubs and groundcover fills the property, while a billowy corkscrew willow, a hardy black walnut, and several juvenile trees cast shade over the space. Come summer, the plants go a long way toward helping Hunter and his […]
How do we come to terms with dying? Three women in our community, friends for decades, have come through their own personal journeys to consider this question, and have decided to help others start their own conversations. Next week, their newly fledged Blue Ridge Action Team, a local chapter of Compassion & Choices, the country’s […]
The Tom Tom Festival is doubling down on inclusivity while the rest of the country seems to be betting against it. The theme of the 2025 festival’s opening day is “civic futures,” and the idea, according to organizer Paul Beyer, is to bring the most influential local minds together to talk about their “big vision” […]
Melodie Collard had been sick leading up to the University of Virginia women’s tennis match against Stanford at the end of March. She missed a string of matches, so her doubles partner, Elaine Chervinsky, paired up with teammates Isabelle Lacy and Meggie Navarro. When it was finally time to get back on the court together, Collard […]
The Riverside Lunch hamburger thrives in a world outside convention and science. The burgers (gasp!) are unsalted. “We don’t do anything to the meat. Nothing at all,” owner Lee Shifflett says. “When we get it, it’s ground up, and we pat ’em out. That’s it.” It’s a fine March day for culinary heresy, and Shifflett’s […]
Books are the ultimate means of travel. Through them, we explore the globe, navigate time, and visit alien and imagined worlds. Books immerse us in the experiences and cultures of others and help us feel connected. Though books can take us anywhere, we get to be locals for the upcoming Virginia Festival of the Book, […]
The world is a lot right now. Headlines scream for our attention, deadlines loom, and the constant hum of daily life can often feel overwhelming. Sometimes, we just need a break—a moment to step away from the noise and immerse ourselves in something purely fun. Enter gaming. Whether it’s an epic adventure, a mind-bending puzzle, […]
March means longer days, warmer temperatures (hopefully!), and, for many in central Virginia, getting out the rake, trowel, and gardening gloves. Lovers of flowers, shrubs, and beauty anticipate the splendors of Garden Week, while those gearing up for soil and sun are looking forward to eating the fruits (and vegetables) of their labor. If you […]
Construction of infrastructure for places to walk and bike in the United States can take a long time as the political world goes through different seasons and as competing priorities demand funding and attention. The Rivanna Trails Foundation, for instance, was created in 1992 to stitch together various stretches of trails and roadways to create […]