Announcements

IX Arts Foundation welcomes you to immerse yourself in art this Spring at IX Art Park in downtown Charlottesville on Saturday May 24th and Sunday, May 25th for the 5th annual Charlottesville Arts Festival.

More than 50 artisans will showcase their work in painting, photography, ceramics, jewelry, woodworking, and more.

This family-friendly event will feature live demonstrations and workshops that aim to spark creativity, live music and performances, and more.

More information is online at ixartpark.org

Crozet Arts and Crafts Festivals welcome you to bring your whole family out to Crozet Park on Mother’s Day weekend – May 9th-11th – for the 45th Annual Crozet Spring Arts and Crafts Festival.

This celebrated tradition will feature over 130 artists and crafters, food trucks, a kids area, Mother’s Day activities, live music all weekend including a performance by The Judy Chops, and more. All proceeds from our event benefit non-profit and community owned Crozet Park.

You can learn more and purchase your tickets online at crozetfestival.com.

Rooster Walk, inviting you to bring your family and friends to the 15th annual Rooster Walk Music & Arts Festival in Martinsville. Rooster Walk will take place over Memorial Day Weekend, May 22nd through 25th, at Pop’s Farm, in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. You can enjoy a weekend of live music, camping, outdoor adventures, healing arts, family programming, food and drink. Proceeds from the festival go to a memorial scholarship fund, public school band programs and local charities. RoosterWalk.com has all the info, including the full band lineup.

Virginia Center for the Creative Arts is a nonprofit in Amherst that provides time and space for writers, visual artists, and composers to focus exclusively on their creative work. 

VCCA is launching a new traveling event series in our region! In partnership with neighboring community spaces, they’ll be connecting local art lovers to the creative work of VCCAFellows who are visiting from around the world. Their first event will be held at Second Stage in Amherst on Wednesday April 30th from 7-8pm. Artists in residence will present their work with a Q&A to follow.

Valley Supportive Housing in Staunton is a nonprofit organization that provides affordable housing to individuals with serious mental illness. They currently have 68 subsidized apartments and the majority of their tenants have come out of homelessness.

They’re hosting a benefit concert at the Blackfriars Playhouse in Staunton on Sunday, May 18th at 7PM featuring Knoxville Music Hall of Fame member and Virginia native Scott Miller with special guests Boxcar Speakeasy.

Proceeds from this event go towards Valley Supportive Housing’s efforts to provide affordable, safe housing and supportive services for those with mental illness, intellectual disabilities, or substance use issues.

craveABLEs is a nonprofit based in Lynchburg whose mission is to provide supportive employment to individuals with intellectual disabilities. They are hosting their first annual craveABLEs Cup miniature golf fundraiser on Saturday May 17th at Tiny Town Golf in Lynchburg. Teams of 4 can enjoy 18 holes of golf, a bbq lunch, and of course craveABLEs ice cream. All proceeds help support their mission and allow them to continue to change lives one scoop at a time. 

Richmond Performing Arts Alliance is a nonprofit that supports the artists of today, nurtures the artists of tomorrow, and provides spaces for the arts to thrive. They’re closing out their season with the Lights Up! Grand Finale at Dominion Energy Center on Saturday, May 10th at 10am. This open-house style event includes performances, visual and performing arts workshops for youth of all ages, and a resource fair with local performing arts organizations.

The Jefferson-Madison Regional Library in downtown Charlottesville is hosting the How-To Festival on Saturday, May 3rd from 10AM-1PM. This is a library takeover event where members of the community have volunteered to share their expertise on a variety of subjects including Qigong, English as a second language, and crafting. Representatives from the Charlottesville-Albemarle Rescue squad and Virginia Master Naturalists will also be there. The library invites you to bring your entire family to the Central branch to learn up to 30 things in 3 hours.

The Richmond Bluegrass Jam welcomes you to join them on Saturday, May 3rd, from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. for their fourteenth annual event featuring 20 local bluegrass and Americana bands playing on three stages. Open jam areas will also be available.

The event will take place at American Legion Post 354 in Midlothian, on the banks of the James River, and all proceeds go to support military families through the Richmond Fisher House and Liberation Veteran Services. The Fisher House is a home away from home for the families of veterans and active-duty soldiers recuperating at Richmond VA Medical Center. Liberation Veteran Services provides homeless veterans with shelter, meals, counseling, and employment training.

Second Street Gallery is a nonprofit community art space in Charlottesville promoting contemporary artists through the presentation of their work in a professional gallery setting. 

Their current exhibitions run through May 23rd. 

The Charlottesville Black Arts Collective group show, Home, in the Main Gallery explores the rich and diverse meaning of “home” in Black communities.

In the Dove Gallery, local photographers, Eze Amos, Tom Daly, Kristen Finn, John Robinson, and Sarah Cramer Shields, exhibit their Charlottesville Porch Portraits taken during the pandemic. This is the first time the project will be shown collectively in a public space.