FUNDRAISING PARTIES
Get what you give
Charity is not easily provoked, but it’ll bring the house down when it gets going. This season, Charlottesville has no shortage of soirees poised to raise both funds and roofs for everything from the arts to the sciences to the magical “wow” factor. For those with a taste for that rock ‘n’ roll swagger, the annual “Party Like a Rock Star” event features local food and music that’s never sold out to the man, all the while helping to fund the Music Resource Center’s mission to empower students through after-school music education to shred righteously through life. The Bridge/Progressive Arts Initiative is back by popular demand with its REVEL fundraiser for the third year in a row, offering tasty cocktails, live music, devastatingly cool people, and an eclectic selection of experience and service auction choices. And while we’re on the topic of swanky arts events, Live Arts is flaunting an impressive flair for the dramatic with its 20th Annual Arts Gala & Afterglow, doing the good work that any theater should: transforming regular old reality into a more awesome version of itself.
The Big Gig, sponsored by the Boys & Girls Club of Central Virginia, sets up a wishbone offense of celebrity hosts like Howie Long, Curt Menefee, and Michael Strahan, and puts them through their reps. Proceeds from the live and silent auctions go to programs benefiting over 1,400 children in the greater Charlottesville area annually. If you’re in the mood to support the community in a more roundabout kind of way, the United Way presents “One Fine Day with the United Way,” where you can ardently serve your fellow man by golfing a few holes or taking a leisurely tour of local vineyards, with proceeds going to the charitable organization, which has dedicated its mission to the concept of community since 1943 by focusing on school readiness, self-sufficiency, and community health.
If you’re not one for the human element, you can shake, rattle, and roll at the ’50s-themed SPCA Critter Ball. This greased-back rager channels all the money it raises to fund SPCA’s no-kill, nonprofit animal welfare organizations, taking care of homeless and abandoned animals in Charlottesville with the ultimate goal of finding them a happy, permanent home.
KIDS’ ACTIVITIES
Child’s play
It’s a charmed life for the Charlottesville child.
To start with, there are all the cosmopolitan perks of youth in a city often ranked for its smarts and cultural vibrancy. Youth programs at The Fralin Museum of Art at the University of Virginia include Family Art JAMs, a mix of tours and hands-on activities geared toward the 12 and under set.
At the Kluge-Ruhe Aboriginal Art Collection children learn to implement the technique of Aboriginal artists in a variety of media. And for 11 years running, Second Street Gallery’s been running Family Art Day, a fee-free, registration-free themed event focused on hands-on art. And then there’s yoga at Bend studio, where instruction is focused on those under 16. The pre-pubescent literati finds an audience at the Virginia Discovery Museum’s ongoing poetry club, complete with publication opportunities.
What’s a childhood without memorable food? The Charlottesville City Market has face-painting, balloon art, and gourmet popsicles that make Saturday-morning cartoons an easy thing of the past. There’s a rich selection of “pick-your-own” farms where food—including berries, peaches, apples, and even lavender—provide a whole other level of interaction. It’s a confectionary dream out there, too, with cupcake and candy shops littered around town, and the all-time classic ice cream shop Chaps.
No great childhood is complete without a healthy dose of natural wonder. No one is going to appreciate the magnitude of our pastoral landscape quite like a kid. The Skyline Drive, with its numerous scenic stops and easy hiking, is ripe for day tripping, and swimming abounds at such old-time spots as Blue Hole and White Oak Canyon with no membership required. And for the future astronaut, public night at the McCormick Observatory (the first and third Friday of each month) brings the cosmos mighty close to home.
Whether skating, drawing, bending, eating, picking, swimming, or playing—Charlottesville is a great place to be a kid.
NATURALIZATION CEREMONY
Wave your flag
While some July 4 festivities include burgers and hotdogs with fireworks, Charlottesville’s Monticello has offered an inspirational celebration since 1963. The annual Monticello Independence Day Celebration and Naturalization Ceremony has brought more than 3,000 people from all parts of the world and walks of life to the steps of Thomas Jefferson’s home to take an oath of citizenship.
What better way to celebrate the nation’s birthday than to gather at the home of the author of the Declaration of Independence? Jefferson said he hoped Americans would celebrate the Fourth of July to “refresh our collections of [our] rights, and undiminished devotion to them.”
This year, internationally renowned Romanian Olympic gymnast Nadia Comaneci, who became a naturalized American citizen herself in 2001, welcomed a new group of citizens at the ceremony. Comaneci has retained her Romanian passport, making her a dual citizen, and maintained her cultural identity while still contributing as a United States citizen—exactly what Jefferson had in mind.
“For me, one of the greatest aspects of being a citizen of the United States is that I am allowed and in fact encouraged to cherish and celebrate my Romanian upbringing as well,” Comaneci said.
Charlottesville’s vast expanse of culture, old and new, is a constant reminder of what Jefferson envisioned for his city and country. And while he would want us to celebrate every day, the Naturalization Ceremony at Monticello is the perfect occasion to wave your American flag. Just don’t forget your tissues.
BIG-DOLLAR ACTIVITIES
Not-so-cheap thrill
If there’s universal agreement about anything in the Charlottesville-Albemarle area, it’s that we have top-notch scenery. From the smooth sweep of the southeastern vista at Monticello to the most imposing peaks of the Blue Ridge, this place is nothing if not nice to look at—and the best way to take it all in is to gain a little altitude.
No wonder, then, that there are at least half a dozen hot-air balloon companies operating within 50 miles of town. Yes, a hike offers cheaper highs (two local ballooners, Boar’s Head and Blue Ridge Ballooning, offer packages ranging from $185 to more than $400 per person), but nothing rivals the view from a basket hanging high in the pure blue sky.
And the popularity of the pasttime has fringe benefits for those stuck on the ground. Name one person who doesn’t point and “Ooh” when a hot air balloon floats by.
CLASSIC BUSINESSES
Old school
Sometimes it’s good to be old-fashioned. Plenty of us are purists about one pursuit or another. For us, it’s the written—and manually typed, and printed—word, and we love that our city still caters to those of us who are old school when it comes to the manual and mechanical manifestations of language.
The Charlottesville Office Machine Company on East Market Street has been replacing typewriter ribbons and fixing sticky keys for more than half a century. Yes, they also repair shredders and such, but they get lots of business from people who still type on Smith-Coronas—or even a temperamental 1960 Hermes 3000 whose carriage return needs constant care.
It’s also a good sign, in our book, when a town has a number of busy letterpress studios, because it means there’s a critical mass of people who appreciate the craft and care that go into printing. We’ve got a smattering, and even those who mostly peddle modern design services can still set type. Take Kristin Adolfson of Still Point Press. Web and graphic design are the backbone of her business, but her cozy studio in a corner of the third floor of 108 Second St. SW is brimming with handmade beauty, from hand-bound books to cards (right) printed on her own tabletop printing press—an homage to the age of set type.
HISTORICAL TOURS
History in our midst
We take our history seriously here. Jefferson and Monroe, Faulkner and Poe—they all left their stamp on Central Virginia, and part of the joy of living in their long shadows is that we’re regularly retracing their steps—whether we intend to or not.
There are plenty of opportunities to dive into the past in a more deliberate way. Spend some Thursday evening on a weekly walking tour of Court Square, the 250-year-old heart of the city. See the spooky side of Downtown with Tell Me About It Tours’ ghost stroll on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings. Drive over the mountain to Staunton’s Frontier Culture Museum, where costumed interpreters bring the 18th- and 19th-century farms of the Valley to life. And don’t wait until out-of-towners come to visit to drive the winding road up to Monticello, the crown jewel of Virginia’s historical estates.
WEDDING VENUE
Cool Cat
Vineyards, inns, Albemarle estates—there’s no shortage of beautiful places to have your wedding ’round these parts. One such spot, Fat Cat Farm in Scottsville, really brings the romance. The beautiful property, owned by Shawn Cossette of Beehive Events, boasts rustic barn structures, a vintage silo, and a picturesque view of lush Albemarle greenery. Set up a table in the midst of it all—as many a bride before you has done—and watch the sun disappear behind the horizon.