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V.36, No. 22
21
out
Present-day Queer teens share their coming-out experience—and how it differs from their counterparts’ 10 years ago.
9
11 UVA’s swimming and diving teams gear up for Olympic Trials.
13 The city looks to improve the Downtown Mall.
15 Real Estate Weekly: The BAR previews the planned tower at 10th and Wertland.
28 Small Bites: Cocoa & Spice moves, Guajiro’s stays open late, and Umma’s owners move on.
29 Extra: Singer-songwriter Yasmin Williams plays The Southern on Friday.
31 The Works: Aboriginal works on full display at The Fralin’s ‘Mad - ayin’ exhibit.
40 Sudoku
41 Crossword
43 Free Will Astrology
CLASSIFIED 44
P.S. 46
Question of the Week
Correction
In last week’s feature, “The art of the place,” we incorrectly stated that Jordan Fust’s family had owned land in Stuarts Draft for six generations. The family had in fact lived in Stuarts Draft for six generations, but didn’t own land until Fust’s grandfather saved enough as a tenant farmer to buy a plot.
Charlottesville’s News & Arts Weekly CIRCULATION: 20,000 WEEKLY
P.O. Box 119
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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Caite Hamilton editor@c-ville.com
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Tami Keaveny tami@c-ville.com
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Catie Ratliff reporter@c-ville.com
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CM Turner arts@c-ville.com
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CONTRIBUTORS
Rob Brezsny, Dave Cantor, Matt Dhillon, Carol Diggs, Shea Gibbs, Claudia Gohn, Mary Jane Gore, Maeve Hayden, Andrew Hollins, Erika Howsare, Justin Humphreys, Matt Jones, Sarah Lawson, Erin Martin, Kristin O’Donoghue, Lisa Provence, Sarah Sargent, Kristie Smeltzer, Jen Sorensen, Susan Sorensen, Julia Stumbaugh, Courteney Stuart, Paul Ting, Sean Tubbs
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ART DIRECTOR
Max March max@c-ville.com
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C-VILLE is published Wednesdays. 20,000 free copies are distributed all over Charlottesville, Albemarle, and the surrounding counties. One copy per person. Additional copies may be purchased for $1.99 per copy.
Unsolicited news articles, essays, and photography are carefully considered. Local emphasis is preferred. Although care will be taken, we assume no responsibility for submissions. First-class mail subscriptions are available for $140 annually.
©2024 C-VILLE Weekly. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the written permission of the publisher.
MEMBER Virginia Press Association
All RBS summer lectures are free, open to the public, and hosted on Grounds at UVA. Lectures begin at 5:30 p.m. and are followed by a reception. Monday lectures are held in Room 330 of the Edgar Shannon Library, and Wednesday lectures are held in the Auditorium of the Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library.
Visit rarebookschool.org for updates to our lecture schedule as well as for recordings of past lectures. This summer’s lectures will be made available later this year.
Please email Rare Book School with any questions at contactRBS@virginia.edu.
MONDAY JUNE 3
LeRonn Brooks
getty research institute
Archive of the People:
The Johnson Publishing Company Tells the history of the African American-owned publisher of Ebony and Jet magazines
MONDAY JUNE 10
Stephen Karian
university of missouri
Scholarly Editing and the Challenges of Attribution
WEDNESDAY JUNE 12
Deborah Parker
university of virginia
A Librarian Like No Other: Belle da Costa Greene and Self-Invention
Examines the first director of the Morgan Library, who was the daughter of two mixed Black Americans
MONDAY JULY 8
RENDELL LECTURE
G. Scott Clemons
collector, aldine press & chair, rbs board of directors
De Motu Librorum: On the Movement of Books
Explores how books have moved and how humanity captures, preserves, and transmits information and knowledge
WEDNESDAY JULY 10
KARMIOLE LECTURE
Richard B. Sher
new jersey institute of technology & rutgers university
New Light on the Early Publication History of Boswell’s Life of Johnson Examines the publication and printing of the early editions of Boswell’s Life of Johnson
MONDAY JULY 22
Aaron Pratt
university of texas at austin
Buying a Book in Early Modern England
Describes how regular buyers and readers acquired their books from English booksellers
MONDAY JULY 29
MALKIN LECTURE
Li Wei Yang the huntington library Yongle Dadian: An Emperors’ Encyclopedia Recounts the rediscovery of an unknown volume in The Huntington Library’s rare book storage room
WEDNESDAY JULY 31
NEH-SHARP LECTURE
Ashley Cataldo american antiquarian society Collecting Daily Life in Early American Manuscripts
Places the collecting of early American manuscripts about daily life in the longer tradition of collecting the written record
Hello, Charlottesville. Thank you for reading C-VILLE Weekly.
This week in the office, we’ve been discussing our mission—examining, redefining, and refining the ways in which we do what we do. It’s a multi-step process, a conversation that we’re keeping open as we move C-VILLE into its next era. But one thing is clear: We’re committed to publishing engaging stories about real life in Charlottesville.
The cover story this week is a perfect example of that vision. In it, writer Margaret Manto speaks with several young members of the Queer community about their experiences coming out over the last decade. She notes that, according to Gallup surveys, each recent generation of U.S. adults has had about twice as many lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and other Queer members as the preceding generation. “Teens are Queerer than ever,” she writes, “but they are also sadder than ever—and Queer teens are especially sad.”
5.29.24
Manto’s conversations with local teachers and a UVA professor studying the psychology of sexual orientation offer a window into why these teens are struggling and explore the ways in which local Queer youth are working to change the narrative.
Caite HamiltonFRIDAY, MAY 31 YASMIN WILLIAMS
SATURDAY, JUNE 1 TIMALIKESMUSIC R&B DANCE PARTY
JUST ANNOUNCED!
JUNE 28-ON SALE NOW MIGHTY JOSHUA WITH LIONS BRIDGE
AUGUST 8-ON SALE NOW BIT BRIGADE PERFORMS “THE LEGEND OF ZELDA” + “CASTLEVANIA” LIVE OCTOBER 16-ON SALE FRIDAY LIVE! ON STAGE: JONATHAN RICHMAN FT. TOMMY LARKINS ON THE DRUMS!
PORTER & THE RHINESTONE ROSES WITH CASSIDY SNIDER & THE WRANGLERS AND JIM & JUICE
06-29 | JAKE KOHN
06-30 | AFRO DEAD + SIA TOLNO
07-05 | MOSH BIT: PUNK MUSIC AND GAMING NIGHT NIJI SAGA, STEEL SAMURAI, AND 14£BS
07-12 | THE WILDMANS
07-14 | TOMMY PRINE WITH SPECIAL GUEST KINDRED VALLEY
Charlottesville’s local lingerie store since 2005featuring professional bra fit services with a whole lot of kindness and a little bit of sass - and a dedication to supporting our local community in many different ways.
Located near Crozet - Ivy Area Just Off Route 250 Membership applications are now open! 12-Month Full Membership Included TRIAL POOL/PICKLEBALL/SOCIAL MEMBERSHIPS NOW AVAILABLE
Contact the Club to schedule your tour today!
www.silkybottom.com
Do you appreciate all the benefits trees serve in our environment? Consider registering to become a Tree Steward in the Fall 2024 Training Class and joining us in our commitment to promote healthy urban and rural forests!
The Fall 2024 class will consist of a combination of online training sessions and field activities with a maximum of 32 students to facilitate the best field training possible. With a 15-week duration beginning August 6 and ending November 16, the online classes will precede the field activities held on every other Saturday at various locations in the Charlottesville area.
We look forward to meeting you, assisting you with the training program, working side-by-side with you and enjoying Piedmont Virginia’s beautiful urban and rural forests together as you progress through the class toward becoming a Tree Steward.
NOTE: Please go to the CATS website at www.charlottesvilleareatreestewards.org to view the complete class description and syllabus and to follow the registration link to Eventbrite. Questions? Contact us at news@cvilleareatreestewards.org
“I think that Governor Youngkin was absolutely wrong to veto a bill that the General Assembly passed that would guarantee the rights of a woman to access contraception. And when I am Governor, I will sign that legislation into law.”
—Democratic Gubernatorial candidate Rep. Abigail Spanberger on MSNBC’s
“The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell”
Community organizers are calling on the University of Virginia to drop its no trespass order against Mustafa Abdelhamid, who was one of 27 people arrested at the pro-Palestine encampment at UVA on May 4. The order has led to the rescinding of Abdelhamid’s externship at UVA Medical Center, and it has jeopardized the Piedmont Virginia Community College student’s anticipated graduation. The nursing student alleges he was in the area delivering an order for DoorDash and that he was not aware of the declaration of an unlawful assembly.
The Charlottesville Police Department is seeking information about Portillo Abreago, a missing child from Washington, D.C., most recently seen in the 500 block of Park Street on May 24. Abreago is 14 years old, 4’5,” with brown hair and eyes. Anyone with information can contact CPD at 910-3280.
The Blue Ridge Area Food Bank announced the results of its annual Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive on May 23, bringing in a whopping 90,967 pounds of food. The donations will reportedly produce 76,006 meals for local people experiencing food insecurity. “Together, we are making a difference and helping to ensure that no one in our community goes without healthy, nutritious food,” shared the group on Facebook.
Everything's waiting for you PAGE 13
Former president Donald Trump weighed in on the heated primary between Rep. Bob Good and state Sen. John McGuire, formally endorsing McGuire in a Truth Social post on May 28.
“Bob Good is BAD FOR VIRGINIA, AND BAD FOR THE USA. He turned his back on our incredible movement, and was constantly attacking and fighting me until recently,” posted Trump. “John McGuire has my Complete and Total Endorsement!”
The race between Good and McGuire for the Republican primary nomination for Virginia’s fifth district kicked off in November 2023, shortly after McGuire was elected to the state Senate. While Good is the chair of the ultra-conservative House Freedom Caucus, McGuire and other Trump loyalists have slammed the representative for his previous endorsement of Ron DeSantis in the presidential primary and have accused Good of being a “RINO” (Republican In Name Only) and “never Trumper.”
Trump’s endorsement of McGuire has sent an already hotly contested primary into overdrive. Both candidates have received hundreds of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions, and more than $6 million in independent expenditures—either in support of or against the candidates—has been spent
The University of Virginia has been selected as one of 16 teams to host a regional for the NCAA Division I Baseball Championship. Players from Mississippi State, St. John’s, and the University of Pennsylvania will join the Cavaliers at Ted Davenport Field at Disharoon Park for the Charlottesville regional, which runs from May 31 to June 3.
The Cavs will face Penn’s Quakers in the opening game at noon on May 31, with St. John’s and Mississippi playing ball later that night at 7pm. The teams will then go into a doubleheader on Saturday, June 1.
This year’s event marks the 11th time the Hoos have hosted NCAA Regionals and the 21st time UVA has competed in the playoffs.
Prior to his election to the state Senate, John McGuire served in the House of Delegates for six years.
so far, according to the Virginia Public Access Project.
Early voting for the Republican and Democratic primaries in VA-5 is already underway and runs until June 15. For more
information on local early voting hours and locations, visit your local registrar’s website.
Primary election day is June 18, with polls open from 6am to 7pm statewide.
“Certainly, you have to perform on the field, and your team each and every year has to earn that opportunity,” Head Coach Brian O’Connor told VirginiaSports.com.
“But you also have to have a facility and a
fan base to drive that, to put in a bid that’s competitive … Our fans come out for the games, even the games that we’re not playing in, and it’s just a great atmosphere for college baseball.”
Members of the University of Virginia Swimming and Diving team are set to make a splash at the United States Olympic Trials in Indianapolis June 15 to 23. Any Cavaliers who make the Olympic roster will join UVA Head Coach Todd DeSorbo in Paris, where he will lead the U.S. women’s team.
Since taking over as head coach in 2017, DeSorbo has led the Hoos to national prominence. The UVA Women’s roster swam their way to four consecutive NCAA championship victories under DeSorbo, taking home 11 of 16 individual national titles this year.
“Honestly, our biggest priority is to perform at the highest level internationally,” says DeSorbo. “It’s three months between NCAA [Championships] and Olympic Trials. It’s not a lot of time, but we’ve been preparing since August, September. The NCAA season keeps your mind off of the Olympic Trials. It’s a positive distraction and a great motivator.”
The Paris Olympics aren’t DeSorbo’s first foray into international swim coaching; he led the U.S women’s team at the 2022 FINA World Championships and served as an assistant coach for the Olympic women’s team in Tokyo in 2021.
Before diving into the pool in Indianapolis, Olympic hopefuls must post a qualifying time at a USA Swimming-sanctioned meet between November 30, 2022, and June 4, 2024. Qualifying swimmers then compete in heats for each event, culminating in the semi-final and final trials.
Only the top two finishers in each event’s final trial will make the Team USA roster, with some wiggle room for third through
Olympic hopeful Kate Douglass, who took home a bronze medal for the women’s 200-meter individual medley in 2021, heads to Indianapolis with
her swim team in a few weeks.
“Having training partners that are also national team athletes [and] are also going to make the Olympics has been huge,” she says.
sixth place finishers in the 100 and 200-meter freestyle events to join the relay team. There are 26 spots each on the men’s and women’s teams, but the U.S. is not obligated to fill the entire roster.
More than 750 swimmers have qualified for the Olympic Trials at press time.
Several Hoos are vying for the opportunity to compete for Team USA in Paris this summer. Among the hopefuls are Tokyo Olympic medalists Kate Douglass and Alex Walsh, who took home the bronze and silver respectively in the women’s 200-meter individual medley in 2021.
“I always joke with people [that] I kind of train with my biggest competition in a lot of races, and I feel like that’s a great thing,” says Douglass about competing against her teammates. “Since we train against each other every day, when we go up and race we’re not scared. … We’re comfortable racing each other. … Obviously, having training partners that are also national team athletes [and] are also going to make the Olympics has been huge.”
“The intensity has been really high the past couple of weeks, and I think that’s normal heading into any championship meet, especially Olympic Trials. It’s like
the biggest meet, second biggest meet in the world,” says Walsh.
More than one Walsh is expected to test the waters in Indianapolis though, with Alex’s younger sister and teammate Gretchen an early favorite to make the U.S. team after a wildly successful NCAA season.
“To have a sibling duo that is this elite and both going for the same Olympic dream is so rare, and I think that’s just a really cool story for us,” says Alex. “We have this extra characteristic of our bond where we can really come to each other and relate to each other on that level that I guess other siblings really can’t.”
“Alex has always been there for me to confide in when I’m struggling with practice, or something’s hurting, or mentally I just need someone to lean on,” says Gretchen. “She’s always going to be there for me, and I’m always going to be there for her.”
Jack Aikins is also anticipating the upcoming meet, especially after taking a year off of NCAA competition to focus on the Olympic Trials. “Last time I was just a high schooler; I didn’t have any expectations of myself or anything like that,” he says. “I swam really well just being myself and not thinking about many pressures … so I’m trying to replicate that and go into it with the same mindset again.”
Other standout Cavaliers heading to Indianapolis include Claire Curzan, Noah Nichols, Izzy Bradley, and August Lamb, but even more Hoos are still racing the deadline to qualify for the trials.
While tensions are high heading into the pressure-cooker meet, so is excitement.
“I’m looking forward to experiencing trials for the first time with a huge team,” says Gretchen. “I think we’re all ready. I’m ready.”
“The intensity has been really high the past couple of weeks, and I think that’s normal heading into any championship meet, especially Olympic trials. It’s like the biggest meet, second biggest meet in the world.” ALEX WALSH, OLYMPIC MEDALIST AND UVA SWIMMER
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As the 50th anniversary of the opening of the Downtown Mall approaches in 2026, the city of Charlottesville is looking to make some improvements. The Downtown Mall Action Plan presented to city council outlines stakeholders’ priorities and suggested next steps, with a focus on the Mall as a public space.
“The goal was not to resolve, or even identify, every issue related to the Mall, which will be an ongoing process for the City,” reads an excerpt of the report, “but to begin to serve as a starting point for that process.”
The plan is the culmination of over a year of discussions by the Downtown Mall Committee, comprising more than a dozen local business owners, residents, nonprofits, students, and city leaders.
The report’s 22 recommen dations are split into organiza tional, programming, and ame nity categories. Four items of particularly high priority are: to have staff consistently on the Mall to bolster cleanliness and safety, to implement the Tree Management Plan, to create a lighting plan and guidelines that account for safety and aes thetics, and to “re-imagine the outdoor café spaces.”
A LOCAL AUTHOR OF TWO BOOKS William A. James, Sr. HAS WRITTEN A PLAY
WILLIAM A. JAMES, SR.
DIRECTED BY JORDAN SYKES
designed it in the early 1970s, there was significant emphasis on the Mall as a place for the community. Recommendations—including the installation of a permanent public restroom, increasing and improving public transit to the area, reconsideration of outdoor dining spaces, the restoration of Halprin chairs (movable wooden-backed seats designed by Halprin himself), and the addition of more public seating—are all aimed at improving the utility of the Mall as a communal space.
With more than a year spent considering the various elements of the Mall and its role in the community, it is now up to the city and other local actors to move from discussion to implementation.
“These are
Is about the Demolition and Gentrification of The Fifeville Community
Located around Fifth And Dice Streets during the 1990s as part of Charlottesville’s “Urban Renewal/ Black Removal Initiative.”
Program Director, Leslie Scott Jones
The Play Will Be Read At The Jefferson School African-American Heritage Center 233 4th Street N.W. Charlottesville, VA 22903
June 14, 2024 at 7:30 P.M.
As part of The JUNETEENTH CELEBRATION Call (434) 260-8722 for Ticket Info
“These four priority items, I think, [are] just a place of where do we start first,” says Greer Achenbach, Executive Director of Friends of Charlottesville Downtown and Down town Mall Committee member.
At the core of all 22 action items is the idea of the Downtown Mall as a public space. When landscape architect Lawrence Halprin
“These are not new ideas; a lot of these things have been talked about in the community for a long time,” says Achenbach. “I’m just so community.”
Tickets can be purchased Online at: Jefferson School African American Heritage Center. 5th & Dice by William A. James, Sr.
BOOKS BY WILLIAM A. JAMES, SR:
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Details are now known for the first of three UVA-initiated projects to build between 1,000 and 1,500 affordable housing units in the community.
“This is a project being pursued by the University’s real estate foundation at the northeast corner of 10th Street and Wertland,” says Jeffrey Werner, the city’s preservation planner. “There are some opportunities here for architectural creativity.”
UVA President Jim Ryan announced the general goal in March 2020, but work stalled during the pandemic. Three sites were selected in December 2021; they include the redevelopment of a faculty housing site on Fontaine Avenue and space at the North Fork Research Park. In all cases, developers will lease sites that will be owned by UVA’s foundation.
The two-acre site in the center of Charlottesville is currently a parking lot and a three-story apartment building owned by the foundation. In February, UVA selected a partnership consisting of the Bostonbased Preservation of Affordable Housing and the National Housing Trust.
“Our goal is to design this in context and collaboratively with the University of Virginia with the surrounding community and [to create] something that is financeable,” says J.T. Engelhardt of NHT, an organization that co-owns Kindlewood with the Piedmont Housing Alliance.
Under the city’s new CX-8 zoning, the developer could have gone as high as 11 stories. But on May 21, members of the Board of Architectural Review saw a sixstory structure that would take up much of the two-acre site.
“We’re assuming somewhere between 150 and 190 affordable rental units,” says Liz Chapman of Grimm + Parker, a local firm hired to actually design the building.
“That … range is largely driven by wanting to work with community stakeholders to
understand the types of residential units these should be.”
For instance, should they be built for individuals or for families?
Under the initial plan, vehicles would enter the 80-space parking garage on 10th Street, the same street that retail spaces will face. Chapman asked BAR members to identify what architectural cues the project should take and whether there were nearby examples of adequate public infrastructure for pedestrians.
BAR member James Zehmer pointed out that 10th Street is a very busy road and suggested the designers move the garage entrance to Wertland.
“I think this wants to be part of West Main because of the massing and size, but we need to respect there’s a much more residential neighborhood behind it,” Zehmer says.
Chapman said the preliminary idea is to build the structure as a concrete podium with wood construction because that’s the most feasible way to cover the costs. An internal courtyard would provide the outdoor amenity space in something referred to as a doughnut.
Planning Commissioner Carl Schwarz says he understands the reason for the design, but he doesn’t like that it looks like a fortress.
“It does feel like it’s walled itself off a little bit,” Schwarz says. “It makes a safe public space for the residents, but it’s not very welcoming to the neighborhood.”
BAR member Cheri Lewis encouraged the designers to create a way for vehicles to drop people off at the new building.
“You can’t stop on 10th Street,” Lewis said. “There’s no way. And I don’t think you can turn very easily without being backended anyway, so maybe there’s an opportunity there.”
In the near future, the redevelopment of Westhaven could mean additional affordable units. City Council has morally committed at least $15 million to the Charlottesville Redevelopment and Housing Authority.
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“I’m going
Sitting on the floor of his bedroom, Carter cracked like an egg.
It was December 1, 2020, the doldrums of a Covid year; technically Carter was in a Zoom class, but attending his sophomore year of Charlottesville High School from home had long lost its novelty, so Carter was scrolling through Instagram when a simple square of black text on a white background caused him to pause.
It was a post by the actor and producer Elliot Page. “Hi friends, I want to share with you that I am trans, my pronouns are he/they and my name is Elliot,” Page wrote. “I feel lucky to be writing this. To be here. To have arrived at this place in my life.”
“I felt an immediate panic,” said Carter in a March 2024 interview. “Something in me was just like, that’s what I need to do.”
In the parlance of some trans communities, an ‘egg’ is a person who is trans, but hasn’t realized it yet. The egg ‘cracks’ at the moment of self-insight—the gender epiphany. For Carter, that moment occurred as he read Page’s words.
Three and a half years later, Carter is 19, a second year at UVA, and a trans man. His real name isn’t Carter; he asked to be identified by a pseudonym because many people don’t realize he’s trans, and he appreciates being able to choose whether or not he shares that part of himself with others.
Carter has a quiet but intense energy. His initial email offering to participate in this article was concise; still, it was clear that its emotional current cut deep. “I would be excited and honored to be considered for an interview,” Carter wrote.
Each recent generation of U.S. adults has had about twice as many lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or Queer members as the preceding generation, according to Gallup surveys. A 2021 CDC survey of U.S. high school students found that one in four identified as gay, lesbian, or bisexual—and the CDC didn’t ask students about gender identity, so the actual number of LGBTQ+ students is likely even higher.
Queer kids (this article, in keeping with many young LGBTQ+ people, uses LGBTQ+ and capital-Q Queer interchangeably) are also feeling more accepted in the school environment than they have in the past. The 2021 GLSEN School Climate Survey found that the rates of harassment experienced by Queer students based on sexual orientation, gender expression, or gender are the lowest they’ve been in the 20 years the survey has been given.
Yet at the same time, there’s a paradox: Teens are Queerer than ever, but they are also sadder than ever—and Queer teens are especially sad. The 2021 CDC survey also found that 75 percent of LGBT high-school students feel persistently sad and hopeless, a 15 percent increase since 2015, and 20 percent higher than the overall teenage population.
When she was in eighth grade, Sydney Walther decided to come out as a girl. It was 2011, and Walther, who at the time attended Albemarle County Schools, started by telling her close friends, who were overjoyed for her. Her parents were also supportive, though worried about her becoming a target for bullying.
Unfortunately, Walther’s parents’ worries proved founded: When Walther entered ninth grade at Albemarle High School in 2012, she was bullied relentlessly. Her classmates did not use her new name and desired pronouns, and to make matters worse, the administration at AHS refused to allow Walther to use the girls’ bathrooms.
So in 2013, Walther transferred to Charlottesville High School. (This writer was also a student at CHS in 2013, but knew Sydney only in passing.)
“For the time, CHS was fairly accepting and progressive,” said Walther. She was allowed to use the girls’ bathrooms, and her new classmates were generally accepting.
“At least to my face, most people used my correct pronouns and name. There were a few times that I was misgendered or dead-named on purpose, but only a couple of instances,” said Walther.
Walther made new friends at CHS. Meanwhile, encouraged by her parents, she began the medical gender transition process. By the time she was 16, Walther was taking testosterone blockers and estrogen.
“Today, the average age of recognizing yourself is around 14, telling friends around 16, telling family and parents by 17. Lots of kids are talking about LGBTQ+ issues with their friends when they’re in high school now, which never used to happen,” Patterson said, adding that this shift to coming out younger makes the school environment all the more important for Queer youth.
In 2008, while an 8th grader at Tandem Friends School, Logan Hall told a friend he was gay. That friend then told the rest of their classmates.
“I wasn’t that mad about it,” said Hall. “I wanted to be out, but didn’t want to go through the process of telling everyone individually. It was not ideal for him to break my trust, but in the moment, and even in retrospect, it didn’t feel dramatic to me.”
Hall went to CHS for high school and graduated in 2013, and he now looks back on the antics of his adolescent self with amusement, but also respect.
“At the time, I just felt like I really had to put on a display as an act of resistance. Like no matter how homophobic people are, my clothes are going to be as tight as I want, and I’m going to wear makeup if I want to. I feel like I just got a huge dose of self-possession in eighth grade. I was kind of a passive kid, I was bullied a little bit when I was younger, I was quiet and sensitive … Maybe it was fury, but I just suddenly was like, ‘I’m going to be who I want to be and I’m going to get what I want out of life,’” said Hall.
“Ithink I was just blindly confident,” said Tamara Starchia, who came out as a stud (a masculine Black lesbian) before high school and graduated from CHS in 2014. “Everyone already thought I was gay,” said Starchia. “So by the time we got to high school, it was like, whatever. I was always sporty. It just kind of made sense.”
Starchia said that she doesn’t remember there being a particularly active Queer community presence at CHS, and even if there had been, she feels that it’s unlikely that she’d have been able to attend any community meetings: Between school, sports, and working at Raising Cane’s, her schedule was booked.
Fortunately, Starchia said she didn’t encounter much bullying at CHS. When she did need support, she went to her guidance counselor, another Black woman, or her basketball coach. Other than her guidance counselor, Starchia doesn’t recall ever taking an issue to the CHS administration, saying, “I kept a pretty low profile.”
And though her family was not immediately supportive of her Queer identity, Starchia credits the trajectory of her coming-out experience to the values instilled in her growing-up.
“I think my experience was as positive as it was because I grew up being told to not care about what people think about me,” said Starchia. “Your family loves you, and you love you. What other people think doesn’t matter.”
“The thing I’m noticing, especially in the last two or three years, is that kids are really flexible with the changes their peers are making with regards to their identities because they’re probably doing a little changing themselves,” said Will Cooke, who’s been the director of the CHS choirs for the past 16 years.
Jason Bennett, an assistant principal at CHS, said, “I think students and, you know, youth and people as a whole are seeing themselves more in the world that they’re living in, and I think that inevitably opens up to people living as their true selves.”
Logan Hall told a friend in eighth grade that he was gay. That friend told everyone else.
“It was not ideal for him to break my trust,” Logan says, “but in the moment, and even in retrospect, it didn’t feel dramatic to me.”
But “whether I was at Albemarle or Charlottesville, I was on my own,” said Walther. “I felt like the only openly trans person that had at least started their transition. I didn’t really feel like I had anyone that I could relate to.”
For the most part, Walther said she encountered fewer incidents of harassment at CHS than at Albemarle High school, but the ones that did occur were particularly disturbing. Walther recalled that there was a period of a few weeks when, while walking to her car at the end of the day, another student would shout threats of violence at her in the parking lot.
“I remember being legitimately scared. My mind was in so many other places that it was hard for me to keep up with my schoolwork,” Walther said.
“What used to happen is people would come out to themselves in high school but not tell anyone, tell their friends when they were in their 20s, and only by the end of their 20s tell their parents,” said Dr. Charlotte Patterson, a professor at UVA who studies the psychology of sexual orientation and has worked with LGBTQ+ families and teenagers for decades.
“When I think back even—Lord have mercy—20 years ago when I was in high school, it was a completely different world than probably when you were here in high school, right?” Bennett added.
Sisters Cora and River are almost exactly 10 years apart in age: Cora, the second of four kids, is 28, and River, the youngest, is 18. Cora graduated from CHS in 2014–River, in 2024. Both of the sisters’ names have been changed at their request. Both sisters are thoughtful, reserved in crowds, and more comfortable joking with small groups of friends in large gatherings.
Both are Queer: Cora came out as bisexual during her final year of college; River has been out as Queer since her freshman year of high school and has recently come to identify as a lesbian.
River is grateful to have had the space while still a teenager to contemplate her identity.
“I’ve had the privilege to be self-reflective,” she said, naming the support of Queer family members, friends, and teachers as crucial to allowing her to come to terms with her Queer identity in her own time.
But for Cora, despite growing up in the same family and going to the same high school, coming out in high school just didn’t feel like an option that was available to her.
“There’s a grief for that missing experience, of not experiencing coming of age while having a full sense of my identity,” said Cora, adding that she’s happy that River and her friends get to “explore and learn so much at a younger age.”
“Whereas for me and my friends, we were just not aware,” Cora added.
Every year, more Queer kids find self-acceptance, which seems to make it easier for other Queer kids to “catch” self-acceptance from their peers. Often, a Queer high schooler no longer has to be willing to be the only Queer kid they know in order to come out. They can simply be a regular kid who happens to be Queer.
“Students have always known the teachers they could talk to, but everyone’s very open about it now. I cannot tell you a teacher in that building who does not have a safe space sticker on their door,” said Cooke, the current CHS choir director. “Everybody has one, and they genuinely mean it. It’s not a signifying thing.”
A few years ago, the CHS GSA sold t-shirts and hoodies featuring a black knight (the CHS mascot) against a rainbow background.
“I have never ever seen a fundraiser that sold actual t-shirts. Everybody, everybody, everybody has that shirt. I don’t think there’s a single teacher, unless they’re new this year, that does not have one,” said Cooke.
“Had there ever been CHS LGBTQ+ pride gear before?” I asked.
Cooke paused, then said, “I don’t think so. Not that I can recall. So there it is.”
ISydney Walther came out as a girl in eighth grade and, pretty immediately, started being bullied by her classmates at Albemarle High School, who taunted and dead named her until she switched schools.
t only took a few days after Hestia, 17, told the Renaissance School her new name and pronouns until “all the teachers were using them, and even other students,” she said. Hestia, along with her friends Zina, Quinn, and several of their classmates, recently founded Safe Open Queer Space for Teens, or SOQS4Teens (pronounced “‘socks for teens”). SOQS4Teens’ goal isn’t to improve the community for Queer students at Renaissance School—they don’t need to. It’s already thriving. (Hestia, Zina, and Quinn are being identified by first name only because they are minors.)
But despite their supportive school environment, the founders of SOQS felt detached from the larger Charlottesville Queer community due to the lack of spaces for Queer teens.
“I was 13 when Covid started, so that really affected my ability to make friends,” Hestia said.
“I see SOQS providing a welcoming and nurturing peer environment that will help increase the mental health and wellbeing of Queer teens throughout Charlottesville and Central Virginia,” said Welford L. McLellan Jr., a dean at Renaissance School who teaches a class on civic engagement. “Marginalized people tend to feel physically and emotionally safer when gathered with marginalized people from the same group. Teens are often marginalized in our society and we know that being Queer has a stigma, as well. Queer teens often feel more ostracized than straight teens. I see SOQS as a safe haven for Queer teens,” McLellan added.
Nowadays, Carter’s busy with two majors and a number of UVA student groups, but still, he hasn’t forgotten about the wider Charlottesville LGBTQ+ community. He is a board member for the Charlottesville Gender Expansive Network, and the leader of a new support group for trans men and transmasculine people in Charlottesville. At first, taking on the role of organizer felt unnatural to Carter, but he felt that the community need was too great to go unattended.
“I saw that it was mine to do because no one else was doing it,” said Carter. “It was more work than I thought. I feel like a lot of the time the people who need the support group the most are the people who are not going to be able to come to the support group.”
Despite this, or perhaps because of it, according to the Trans Legislation Tracker, every year since 2015 has seen more attacks on the rights and identities of LGBTQ+ teens in the U.S. via bathroom bills, book bans, “don’t say gay” legislation, and barriers to accessing gender-affirming healthcare.
“A lot of these strategies have a long history in authoritarian lore,” said Charlotte Patterson, who has been tracking social acceptance of LGBTQ+ people for decades. “For many older people, I think when you say the word book ban, it conjures images of Nazis burning books in World War II. And many of the books they burned were about LGBTQ issues.”
By early 2021, Carter knew that he was trans. Even so, he took his time coming out to his friends and family.
Tamara Starchia, who identifies as a stud (a masculine Black lesbian), came out to little fanfare before starting high school at CHS. “I think my experience was as positive as it was because I grew up being told to not care about what people think about me,” she said.
While Carter’s parents were supportive of his decision, his dad was hesitant to allow Carter to medically transition. One time during his senior year, Carter and his parents sat down to talk about Carter starting hormone replacement therapy, and his dad pulled out a stack of papers. He’d printed out a number of studies about the risks of hormone replacement therapy and a few articles from the New York Times featuring concerned parents of trans children.
Carter ended up having to wait until he was 18 to start hormone replacement therapy— which meant that, over the span of three months in the summer of 2022, he started hormone replacement therapy, had top surgery, and began college at UVA. “I got cut open. I had major surgery in order to feel at home in my body,” said Carter. “I make the intentional choice every week to inject myself [with hormones] in order to grow and be who I want to be … I think that the journey lends a perspective and an understanding of the world that’s valuable.”
As a first step, Carter sent out a preliminary interest form to ask people what could keep them from attending the support group. Carter said he got a number of responses from people about things that could keep them from attending like a lack of childcare or transportation.
“When you try to be compassionate and inclusive in your work, it makes it harder,” said Carter. “But I’m glad I’m taking such an approach.”
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Maintaining a feeling of connectedness with others, our communities, and even life itself can be challenging as we age, as the diminishment and loss of faculties, the departures of friends and family, and the march of time can make older people feel like relics living among strangers, even in communities where they have lived their whole lives. An older friend remarked recently that she was walking on Charlottesville’s Downtown Mall, a place where she once worked and had many friends, and while the mall was crowded with people she did not see one person she knew.
“Who are all these people,” she laughed, “ and where has the time gone?”
Like many older people, my friend was inclined to shrug off the realization, and just take it in stride, but how we respond to feelings like this, what attitudes we bring with us into the later halves of our lives, can be crucial to our health and our well-being... and how we experience that part of our lives.
Thanks to historic increases in longevity, many of us approaching 40 or 50 years of age will find ourselves with, as aging researcher Deepak Chopra puts it, a long “second birth–half of our lives” stretched out before us, one “leading to territory as unknown as the first half of life is to a newborn baby.”
“In this second life, as it were, we will reap the benefits and deficits developed in the first 45-50 years,” writes Chopra. “We must all be psychologically prepared for this in advance. Inertia, which means doing the same old things as before, will be deadly psychological-
ly and perhaps physically as well.”
Chopra mentions isolation and loneliness as things to be particularly mindful of, conditions that he said can lead to “rapid aging.”
As you might know, May is Older Americans Month, and this year’s theme is “Powered by Connection,” which addresses what Chopra is talking about.
“This is so important for seniors, and for all of us, because connection helps to prevent isolation, “ said JABA CEO Marta Keane in a recent TV interview. “And we know isolation creates certain declines in mental, emotional, and physical health.”
Keane encouraged people to look out for family and friends and neighbors, to let them know about services available at JABA and in the community. She also pointed out how JABA’s Community Centers and Respite & Enrichment Centers for those who need extra help provide socialization and connection crucial to well-being.
Indeed, at a recent celebration of Older Americans Month at JABA’s location on Hillsdale Drive I went to recently, which brought together people of all ages from their centers, isolation and loneliness didn’t have much of a chance when everyone started dancing to “Shake Your Groove Thing” by Peaches & Herb:
Let’s show the world we can dance…
Grooving loose
Or heart to heart
We put in motion
Every single part with each other than we realize. David McNair handles communications, media relations, and social media efforts for JABA.
“This is so important for seniors, and for all of us, because connection helps to prevent isolation...”
SATURDAY 6/1
Now based in the commonwealth’s capital, local favorites Erin & The Wildfire return with their smoking-hot show of original neo-soul and indie-pop sounds. Seeking authentic audience interaction and acceptance—of both self and others—the group brings incredible energy to the stage, while frontwoman Lunsford balances power and emotion through an impressive vocal range that moves body and spirit. $14–17, 6pm. Rivanna River Company, 1518 E. High St. frontporchcville.org
SATURDAY 6/1
With an infectiously upbeat attitude and relatable witticism, TimaLikesMusic takes the stage for a night of funky fun and riveting R&B. Steeped in ’90s soul and insights from internet culture, this multifaceted producer, songwriter, singer, instrumentalist, and content composer broke into the mainstream with a series of comedy-filled jingles on Instagram Reels. She’s on the road, selling out shows with originals, remixes, and tributes that pay homage to her musical influences while hyping up audiences. $15–20, 8pm. The Southern Café and Music Hall, 103 S. First St. thesoutherncville.com
SATURDAY 6/1
With an ending more than five years in the making, The Electronic Lover audio opera debuts its ultimate episode in front of a live audience this week.You can be one of the (lonely?) hearts in the crowd as this tragicomedy set in 1980s chat rooms hits “send” on its final installment. Scored for six lead female vocalists, three male vocalists, a three-person choir, three instrumentalists, a narrator, and spaces for special guests, San Francisco Bay Area’s composer Lisa Mezzacappa and writer Beth Lisick have infused this audio dramedy with ’80s synths and pop-culture references. It’s a look back at what the early days of internet dating held, with parallels to today’s swiping singles culture. An interview and Q&A with Mezzacappa follows the show. Free, 8pm. WTJU’s Stage, 2244 Ivy Road. wtju.net
“Tater totchos and a few truffles to go!” That’ll likely become your regular order at FIREFLY, where new owner Jennifer Mowad has relocated her popular artisan chocolate business, Cocoa & Spice.
The new space adjacent to the restaurant will host a grand re-opening party the first weekend of Pride Month—June 1 and 2—with chocolate tastings, a tour of the new production and retail space, and a full menu of chocolate and other confections (think truffles, drinking chocolate, and bean-to-bar).
“I look forward to sharing this new space with the Charlottesville community,” Mowad said in a press release for the event. “Having the grand re-opening the first weekend of June means you can kick off Pride Month by supporting a local queer-owned business!”
Established in 2015, Cocoa & Spice was previously housed in York Place on the Downtown Mall. The new shop can be accessed through the red door on the Market Street side of the Linen Building where FIREFLY is located—or through the restaurant itself. As Moward recounted on a recent Instagram post, some lucky restaurant guests were given the first slice of warm brownies from the shop. Truffles and chocolate bark will be available for sale at FIREFLY outside of retail store hours, too, in case you want dessert for later.—Caite Hamilton
Beleza Duo. Funkalicious samba soul sung in Portuguese, English, and Spanish. Free, 7pm. The Bebedero, 201 W. Main St., Downtown Mall. thebebedero.com
Karaoke. Downtown C’ville’s longest-running Karaoke party. Hosted by Jennifer Deville. Free, 9pm. Rapture, 303 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. rapturerestaurant.com
Open Mic Night. Open to all musicians, poets, and everyone in between. Hosted by Nicole Giordano. Free, 9pm. Holly’s Diner, 1221 E. Market St.
The Wavelength. Vintage rock, originals, and jazzy blues vibrations for your mid-week music boost. Free, 6:30pm. The Whiskey Jar, 227 W. Main St., Downtown Mall. thewhiskey jarcville.com
dance
Karen’s Line Dancing. Dust off your cowboy boots and get ready to kick up some fun. This is a perfect opportunity to learn the steps, meet new friends, and let loose on the dance floor. Free, 6pm. Prince Michel Vineyard & Tap 29 Brewery, 154 Winery Ln., Leon. princemichel.com
Paint + Sip. Learn a variety of techniques and skills to render a “dockside dreams” scene. Paint, sip, repeat. $45, 6pm. Pro Re Nata, 6135 Rockfish Gap Tpke., Crozet. prnbrewery.com
Bingo. Free to play, fun prizes. Free, 6pm. Firefly, 1304 E. Market St. fireflycville.com
SuperFly Run Club. Run around the city, then enjoy $5 pints. Free, 6pm. SuperFly Brewing Co., 943 Preston Ave. superflybrewing.com
The Commandant’s Shadow Hans Jürgen Höss, the 87-year-old son of Rudolf Höss, faces his father’s terrible legacy as the camp commandant of Auschwitz for the first time. $15, 4pm. Regal Cinema Stonefield, 1954 Swanson Dr. regmovies.com
The Nice Guys Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe team up to find a missing woman in 1970s L.A. $10, 8pm. Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, 5th Street Station. drafthouse.com
Following its move to the former Peloton Station location on 10th Street NW, local favorite Guajiro’s Miami Eatery is now featuring a late(r)-night menu. Guajiro’s After Dark, as it’s been branded, is available Wednesday to Saturday, 5-10pm, with a menu that includes everything from birria ramen and a classic Cuban sandwich to beer, wine, and the restaurant’s signature cocktail list.
Add these new spots to your must-try roster: Lazeez, a modern, upscale Indian spot in the former Red Pump Kitchen space on the Downtown Mall and SugarBear, a from-scratch gourmet ice cream shop that champions local ingredients,
at 1522 E. High St. in the former Pie Chest outpost.
Sad news for fans of Umma’s, the buzzy Korean/Japanese restaurant from chefs Kelsey Naylor and Anna Gardner: The owners announced on the restaurant’s Instagram page that it was up for sale.
“TLDR: we are moving to the city [in] 6ish months (Philadelphia and Charlotte).”
Umma’s opened in 2022 following the success of their food truck, Basan, known for its unique take on ramen. In the years since, the brick-and-mortar has earned recognition for both its inventive menu (read: Big Mac Dolsot Bokkeumbap) and its Big Gay Dance Parties. The post notes that, until they leave, the restaurant will stay open.
Plantation Archaeology Walking Tour. This 90-minute walking tour explores how we use archaeology to better understand the plantation and the lives of those who lived and labored here. Free, 2pm. Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello, 931 Thomas Jefferson Pkwy. home.monticello.org
Fridays After Five: Indecision. Indecision’s original music is a unique blend of rock, jazz, blues, and extended jams. Free, 5:30pm. Ting Pavilion, 700 E. Main St, Downtown Mall. tingpavilion.com
Gallatin Canyon. Sunset soirée featuring Gallatin Canyon, a C’ville-based group specializing in traditional bluegrass music with a refreshing, modern sensibility. Free, 6pm. Chisholm Vineyards at Adventure Farm, 1135 Clan Chisholm Ln., Earlysville. chisholmvineyards.com
Small Town Rodeo. Twangy tunes for sunny afternoons. This band wrangles a perfect mix of bluegrass, outlaw country, classic rock, Americana, and newer roots music to please cowboys and city slickers alike. Free, 5:30pm. Potter’s Craft Cider, 1350 Arrowhead Valley Rd. potterscraftcider.com
Sonic Trails. Local blues-rock band with an upbeat mix of original and cover tracks in a cozy honky-tonk bar setting. Free, 8pm. Vision BBQ & Catering, 247 Ridge McIntire Rd. visionbbqcville.com
The Legwarmers. With more moves than a Rubik’s Cube, the Legwarmers take the stage like it’s prom night in a John Hughes movie, a very special episode of “Square Pegs,” and the Monsters of Rock Tour—all at once. $22–25, 9pm. The Jefferson Theater, 110 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. jeffersontheater.com
The Wavelength. Vintage rock and jazzy blues vibrations to jumpstart your weekend. Free, 6pm. Glass House Winery, 5898 Free Union Rd., Free Union. glasshousewinery.com
Toni Clare. Join us as we welcome country-soul singer-songwriter Toni Clare back to her hometown of Madison County. Free, 5pm. DuCard Vineyards, 40 Gibson Hollow Ln., Etlan. ducardvineyards.com
Yasmin Williams. Yasmin Williams is virtuosic in her mastery of the guitar and in the techniques of her own invention, but her playing never sacrifices lyricism, melody, and rhythm for pure demonstration of skill. $25, 8pm. The Southern Café and Music Hall, 103 S. First St. thesoutherncville.com
Berto and Vincent. A night of wild flamenco rumba and Latin guitar. Free, 7pm. The Bebedero, 225 W. Main St., Downtown Mall. thebebedero.com
Karaoke. Sing karaoke with us at Firefly Restaurant and Game Room. Food and drink specials from 7–9pm. Free, 7pm. Firefly, 1304 E. Market St. fireflycville.com
Robert Jospé Trio. Tailgate Thursdays with live music by Robert Jospé Trio and Cousins Maine Lobster Truck. Free, 6pm. Stinson Vineyards, 4744 Sugar Hollow Rd., Crozet. stinsonvineyards.com
Author Event: Allison Pugh. Join us for a book talk with Allison Pugh, who will speak about her new work, The Last Human Job: The Work of Connecting in a Disconnected World. Free, 7pm. New Dominion Bookshop, 404 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. newdominionbookshop.com etc.
Dart Night. Luck-of-the-draw, double-elimination games. $1-off pints. Free, 6pm. Decipher Brewing, 1740 Broadway St. decipherbrewingco.wixsite.com
Bent Theatre Improv. Bent Theatre Improv takes over Ricochet Fitness, so come out and exercise your laugh-muscles with us. $10–15, 7pm. Ricochet Fitness LLC, 340 Greenbrier Dr. ricochetva.com
Colors of Transformation Workshop. Taught by Novi and Joseph. 60–75 minute intensive workshop on colors of transformation. Free, 6pm. The Looking Glass, 522 Second St. SE, Ste. D. ixartpark.org etc.
Puzzle Crawl. Crack codes, solve puzzles, and enjoy some of Charlottesville’s best beers along the way. $15, all day. Starr Hill Brewery, Dairy Market. puzzledbee.com
Berto Sales. Sounds of Brazil, Spain, and Latin America with Berto Sales. His unique fingerpicking style and contagious energy will have you tapping your feet. Free, 11am. Tavern & Grocery, 333 W. Main St. tavernand grocery.com
Buzzard Hollow Boys. The Buzzard Hollow Boys are back in Batesville, providing a musical landscape somewhere between the Dust Bowl and the Mississippi Delta. $10, 7pm. The Batesville Market, 6624 Plank Rd., Batesville. batesvillemarket.com
Erin and The Wildfire. Contemporary soul and indie-pop. With indie trio The Currys. A Rivanna Roots Concert Series show, presented by The Front Porch and Rivanna River Company. $14–17, 5pm. Rivanna River Company, 1518 E. High St. frontporchcville.org
Goth Takeover. Goth Takeover is the first Saturday of every month. Come dance and celebrate all things spooky. Free, 9pm. Holly’s Diner, 1221 E. Market St.
John Kelly. Cider and the smooth sounds of our local musician John Kelly, known for his soulful voice and insightful original songs. Free, 2:30pm. Albemarle CiderWorks, 2545 Rural Ridge Ln., North Garden. albemarle ciderworks.com
Ken Farmer & The Authenticators. Join us for upbeat and fun bands every Saturday night. Gather your friends and family and join us for live music that you’ll want to dance to. Free, 5pm. Eastwood Farm and Winery, 2531 Scottsville Rd. eastwoodfarmandwinery.com
LockJaw. LockJaw covers some of the best music created by the “Boomer” generation. Look forward to an evening of “A-Z” classic rock ranging from The Allman Brothers and The Beatles to Van Morrison and ZZ Top. Free, 5pm. Glass House Winery, 5898 Free Union Rd., Free Union. glasshousewinery.com
Porch Dogs. Enjoy live tunes with your wine, cider, and beer along with a full menu of food options to choose from. Free, 1pm. Eastwood Farm and Winery, 2531 Scottsville Rd. eastwoodfarmandwinery.com
Smokin’ Trout. Join us for “Music in the Mountains,” an afternoon of lively Celtic music from the local band Smokin’ Trout. Free, 2pm. DuCard Vineyards, 40 Gibson Hollow Ln., Etlan. ducardvineyards.com
TimaLikesMusic. Funk, rhythm and blues, and a heaping portion of humor. $15–20, 8pm. The Southern Café and Music Hall, 103 S. First St. thesoutherncville.com
dance
Pride Kickoff Dance Party. Kick off Pride Month with a fabulous bash that’s bursting with glitter, love, and unstoppable beats. Free, 8pm. The Looking Glass, 522 Second St. SE, Ste. D. ixartpark.org words
Author Event: John K. Brown. Book talk with John K. Brown, who will speak about his new work, Spanning the Gilded Age: James Eads and the Great Steel Bridge. Free, 4pm. New Dominion Bookshop, 404 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. ndbookshop.com etc.
Barbie Barbie (Margot Robbie) and Ken (Ryan Gosling) travel to the real world and find it’s very different from Barbieland. $10, 11am. Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, 5th Street Station. drafthouse.com
Champions League Final. Paramount On Screen series. Join us for one of the biggest soccer matches of the year as fourteen-time winners Real Madrid take on 1997 champions Borussia Dortmund at Wembley Stadium in London. Free, 3pm. The Paramount Theater, 215 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. theparamount.net
Puzzle Crawl. See listing for Friday, May 31. $15, all day. Starr Hill Brewery, Dairy Market. puzzledbee.com
Storytime. Readings of recent favorites and classics. Free, 11am. New Dominion Bookshop, 404 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. newdominionbookshop.com
Yasmin Williams translated her enthusiasm for the video game Guitar Hero into a music degree.
After finishing up at New York University and moving back to Northern Virginia, where she grew up, the guitarist self-released Unwind, a sometimes somber, but playful, effort that seems to depict a performer pondering friendships and life, work, and making it through her 20s. The 2018 recording is by turns self-assured, unhesitant, and daring.
Williams isn’t in thrall to the folk world, despite most of her work being pretty firmly within those boundaries. She says meeting old-time and bluegrass players has been generally positive. But moreover, the audiences have been responsive, even if Williams seems to think the idea of genre is generally oppressive.
“If you’re playing old-time music, but it’s still experimental,” says the finger-style guitarist, “I’ll probably get along with you.”
After Unwind, folks at the SPINSTER imprint reached out. The label’s roster doesn’t adhere to a single genre, and its self-described radical feminist agenda made working with Williams for her second album a reasonable fit.
“It was a real honor to release Yasmin’s Urban Driftwood,” Emily Hilliard, a SPINSTER co-founder, wrote in an email. “[W]hile she is virtuosic in her technical playing, she never sacrifices lyricism, melody, and rhythm for pure demonstration of skill. It was so exciting to see this album propel Yasmin to much deserved recognition and opportunity.”
Driftwood is a collection of personal statements drawn from a politically turbulent time when Williams says she regularly attended Black Lives Matter protests in Washington, D.C. It not only focused the 2021 recording’s material, but her second full-length saw the composer expand her palette to include more percussion elements (she wears tap shoes to keep time) and affix a kalimba to the body of her guitar. The composer also brought along her high school music teacher, who contributes cello to a single track.
Even after returning to the commonwealth, Williams’ time in New York instilled in her a healthy skepticism for the business-side of the music industry. And releasing work through SPINSTER allowed her to retain a sense of independence.
“I thought that it would lead to better treatment, because at that point, I just associated labels with negativity,” she says. “So, being on a label that was smaller and more DIY, respected artists, and was [run by] radical feminists, I thought was really interest-
ing. Not something you see a lot of. And as a woman musician, I thought it’d be really cool to put the record out with a label who’s not afraid to say what they are.”
Openness and veracity has sometimes been tough for an industry where luster and presentation can overwhelm skill and artistry. But for Williams, when she perceived a problem with performers latching onto acoustic, country, and folk traditions in a possible attempt to capitalize on the music’s popularity, she spoke up.
Writing for The Guardian earlier this year, Williams analyzed Cowboy Carter, saying “Beyoncé settled for using [Rhiannon] Giddens’ banjo and [Robert] Randolph’s pedal steel as props to back up the overall production on the record, instead of boosting these traditions to the forefront on an album with an artificial sheen.”
There’s a long, if often ignored, tradition of Black performers in America’s acoustic-music past. Apart from players like Elizabeth Cotten and Odetta, there’re scads of 20th-century recordings showing that country, folk, and bluegrass have never been a White respite. Williams is part of that continuum, while having broad enough tastes and the acumen to expand it.
In a business that seems unforgiving—and sometimes unwilling to listen to the people actually making music—the guitarist says she didn’t anticipate the reception Driftwood received. The adulation, in part, led to Nonesuch Records offering her a deal. Since being founded more than 60 years ago, the imprint’s issued thousands of albums, running the gamut from contemporary, classical, and electronic recordings to Wilco.
Williams’ third album, due out this year, includes 20 guest performers and showcases her skills on acoustic and electric guitars, bass, and drums. She says it’s kind of full circle, the music in some ways hearkening back to an E.P. she released in high school. At times, her two full-lengths hued toward a New Age sensibility, creating a musical intermission from the disordered world outside. Williams says some of the new album could “be considered relaxing,” though overall, it’s more rock-oriented than her most recent releases.
“A lot of the new record is about me digesting what it means to be a touring musician, but not just me being a musician,” she says. “It’s more of the things that are connected with being a musician, like being in an industry that’s kind of predatory and learning how to reckon with that in a way that’s positive and learning how to thrive in situations or environments that aren’t really made to help you.”
Williams’ music is intended to realize new artistic peaks and explore the complexities of being a person moving through the world, but it’s also for the enjoyment of audiences— or at least those receptive to alternate modes of guitar-playing and composing. It’s maintaining and growing that fanbase that can be difficult. And being on the road is a part of the work, though Williams says royalties and streaming revenue have been solid.
“Most of my day-to-day income is from touring,” she says, discussing how the music business can sometimes be extractive. “Traveling and touring for 50 years. Yeah, that to me, doesn’t seem viable for anyone. I don’t really know how anyone can do that.”
Caroline Vain. Sip some cider with Caroline Vain, a singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. Caroline combines her experience as a fiddle player with indie-rock elements to create a unique and enticing sound. Free, 2:30pm. Albemarle CiderWorks, 2545 Rural Ridge Ln., North Garden. albemarleciderworks.com
Theater, 215 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. theparamount.net
Twilight: Breaking Dawn, Part II Bella (Kristen Stewart) adjusts to her new lifestyle while Edward (Robert Pattinson) and his family brace for a battle with the vengeful Volturi. $13, 6pm. Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, 5th Street Station. drafthouse.com
John Kelly. “Music in the Mountains” series. Wrap up the weekend with some contemporary rock and classic tunes by local singer-songwriter John Kelly. Free, 2pm. DuCard Vineyards, 40 Gibson Hollow Ln., Etlan. ducardvineyards.com
Soundflight 3 VHO returns to nature’s amphitheater for immersive, acoustic concerts in the glorious Quarry Gardens at Schuyler. Program includes operatic, art song, folk, spiritual, and contemporary repertoire. $15–45, 6pm. The Quarry Gardens at Schuyler, 1643 Salem Rd., Schuyler. victoryhallopera.org
Berto and Vincent. Come join us for an evening of Spanish rumba and Latin guitar with Berto Sales and Vincent Zorn. Free, 6:30pm. South and Central Latin Grill, 946 Grady Ave., Ste. 104. southandcentralgrill.com
Create and Play Mondays. Come have unstructured fun with toddler-friendly art projects and sensory trays. Kids will have the pleasant and joyous experience of drawing, finger painting, and mess-making. $15, 11:30am. Rose’s Inspiration Station, 2025 Library Ave., Crozet. piedmont placecrozet.com
etc.
Sunday Jazz Jam. Live jazz jam featuring local, regional, and national musicians improvising with friends and strangers. Free, 6pm. Miller’s Downtown, 109 W. Main St., Downtown Mall. millersdowntown.com
Floral Design Workshop. Join us for our June installation of our beloved Floral Design Workshop at the Be Just Classroom at our location on Ivy Road. $150, 1pm. Be Just Domestic Tools & Home Supplies, 2415 Ivy Rd. bejustcville.com
Paint + Sip. Learn a variety of techniques and skills to render a “garden walk” scene. Paint, sip, repeat. $38, 1pm. Hazy Mountain Vineyard & Brewery, 240 Hazy Mountain Ln., Afton. catelynkelseydesigns.com
Back to the Future Part II Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) finds meddling in the timeline can have disastrous consequences. $10, 3:30pm. Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, 5th Street Station. drafthouse.com
Developmental Darts. Open to dart throwers of all skill levels, or anyone who just wants to learn the basics. Free, 1pm. Decipher Brewing, 1740 Broadway St. decipherbrewingco.wixsite.com
Puzzle Crawl. See listing for Friday, May 31. $15, all day. Starr Hill Brewery, Dairy Market. puzzledbee.com
Singin’ in the Rain A silent-screen star (Gene Kelly), an aspiring singer (Debbie Reynolds), and a comic (Donald O’Connor) face the wild world of late-1920s Hollywood. $10, 11am. Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, 5th Street Station. drafthouse.com
The Music Man Paramount On Screen series. Seventy-six trombones lead the big parade in one of the biggest, brightest musicals ever filmed— Meredith Willson’s The Music Man. $7–9, 2pm. The Paramount
Geeks Who Drink Trivia. Compete with teams of up to six people for chances to win gift cards. Hosted by Audrey. Free, 6:30pm. Decipher Brewing, 1740 Broadway St. decipherbrewingco.wixsite.com
Trivia Night. Unleash your talent for trivia with fierce competition and big laughs. Hosted by Brandon “The Trivia Guy” Hamilton. Free, 6pm. Prince Michel Vineyard & Tap 29 Brewery, 154 Winery Ln., Leon. princemichel.com
Hilary Hahn and Andreas Haefliger. Threetime Grammy Award-winning violinist Hilary Hahn joins superb pianist Andreas Haefliger for an evening of Brahms’ “Sonatas.” $44–89, 7:30pm. The Paramount Theater, 215 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. theparamount.net Karaoke. Sign up and sing your favorite songs. Hosted by Thunder Music. Free, 9pm. Holly’s Diner, 1221 E. Market St. Soundflight 3 See listing for Sunday, June 2. $15–45, 6pm. The Quarry Gardens at Schuyler, 1643 Salem Rd., Schuyler. victoryhallopera.org
Vincent Zorn. Vincent Zorn performs wild flamenco rumba. Free, 7pm. The Bebedero, 225 W. Main St., Downtown Mall. thebebedero.com
etc.
Geeks Who Drink Trivia. Good trivia and good times at this awesome evening of challenging questions and endless fun. Free, 7pm. Firefly, 1304 E. Market St. fireflycville.com
Music Bingo. Hosted by King Trivia. Prizes to be
“They’re more than art—they’re like the Bible, Google Maps, and ancestry.com all rolled into one,” says Henry Skerritt, curator of the Indigenous Arts of Australia at University of Virginia’s Kluge-Ruhe Aboriginal Art Collection. Skerritt is describing what bark paintings represent to the Yolŋu people of Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory of Australia. It’s an apt description to keep in mind when viewing “Mad - ayin: Eight Decades of Aboriginal Australian Bark Painting from Yirrkala” at The Fralin Museum.
The exhibition, which is the largest showing of bark paintings ever presented in the Western Hemisphere, took seven years to produce—a remarkable endeavor given the scope of the exhibition and the challenges along the way, including a global pandemic and legislative changes governing the export of Australian cultural heritage objects.
“Mad - ayin” is a collaboration with the Hood Museum of Art at Dartmouth College, but it was in Charlottesville, in 2015, that the idea for this exhibition took root. Djambawa Marawili, Chairman of the Buku-Larrŋgay Mulka Centre, was at the Kluge-Ruhe Collection on an Australia Council for the Arts artist residency. Astonished at the number of bark paintings in the collection—many containing stories he recognized—he became intent on producing a show that would tell the history of Yolŋu bark paintings.
Bark painting is a relatively new innovation in an artistic continuum that stretches back at least 50,000 years. But it wasn’t until the 1930s that the Yolŋu began painting their artwork on large expanses of flattened eucalyptus bark. Prior to this, they placed their symbols and figures on the body or ceremonial objects, or they incorporated them into sand-sculptures.
Aboriginal artwork is centered on storytelling passed down through generations, and Aboriginal artists cannot paint stories that do not belong to them through their clan. Songlines are walking routes which traverse the country with important stops like water holes and sacred sites denoted along the way and are essential to the storytelling. Each songline is specific to a certain Aboriginal clan and is memorized and sung. As an opening and closing practice, a song is sung to include the spirit. “Every one of those paintings has an accompanying song and an accompanying dance,” says Skerritt. “It records these epic ancestral stories and also testifies to the type of ownership of those places. ‘This is my mother’s brother’s land, so I can camp here and I can use the natural resources here,’ and the people living there say, ‘Well, okay, sure. Do you know the song or dance that goes with this place?’ And if
they don’t know the right song and dance, they don’t have a right to be there.”
Yirrkala and its bark paintings played a central role in establishing Indigenous land rights. When a section of the Arnhem Land
Reserve was opened to bauxite mining in 1963, clan elders responded by producing petitions on bark that presented their claim to the land. The petitions featured text in both Gupapuyŋu and English surrounded
Whenever something is begun or ended, a song is sung to include the spirit.
by sacred clan designs. The effort to stop the mining failed, but the petitions were significant in establishing indigenous ownership in the Northern Territory Land Rights Act of 1976 and the 2008 Sea Rights case.
“Mad - ayin” is curated by the artists themselves and the late WukunWan - ambi, to whom the exhibition and catalog are dedicated. They know how the work relates, its purpose and its meaning, which paintings go together and which must be kept separate, and which should be removed from public view altogether. Designed to be as accessible as possible to the Yolŋu back home, the extensive 348-page catalog is bilingual and the show is online.
The Yolŋu people divide everything into either Dhuwa or Yirritja moieties, separate groups that operate collaboratively. Ceremonies always include both Yirritja and Dhuwa, and members of one group can only marry someone from the opposite moiety. These principles, central to how the Yolŋu people live, also guided how they chose to arrange the exhibition.
It was important to the curators to hang old paintings alongside contemporary works to show the continued vitality of the Yolŋu artistic and spiritual traditions. “Whether I see an old painting or a new one, it’s no different,” says Wan - ambi. “The pathway is the same. The songline. The pattern. The story. The place. The wäŋa (homeland)—the place where it came from. It’s all the same.”
The works feature an earthy palette of red—ranging from dark brick to pink— black, tan, white, and mustard, and distinctive Yolŋu marks like cross-hatching, diamonds, and dots. Viewers can spot animals, plants, and people in the older works, but other references to topography, cosmology, and spirituality are beyond our understanding. The newer pieces read like abstract paintings but are composed of patterns, sometimes made up of recognizable objects like fish, and, in some cases, the designs are placed over figurative imagery, obscuring it.
From the Aboriginal perspective, “Mad - ayin” is far more profound than an art exhibition. The word itself means sacred and sublime, and the Yolŋu, in addition to sharing their ancestral knowledge, are showcasing a different way of seeing and understanding.
The Yolŋu spirit of collaboration extends to their artwork, which represents a relationship between the Yolŋu and the land. You see this in a small way with the pigments they use, which are derived from natural ochre and iron clay, but as Marawili explains, it’s far more profound than that: “The land has everything it needs, but it could not speak. It could not express itself, tell its identity, so it grew a tongue. That is the Yolŋu. That is me. We are the tongue. Grown by the land so it can sing who it is. We exist so we can paint the land. That is our job. Paint and sing and dance so that the land can feel good and express its true identity. Without us, it cannot talk, but it is still there. Only silent.”
Pre-register starting May 28, 2024. jmrl.org/challenges
Nelson, May 30, 2-4pm Greene, June 3, 6-7:30pm Louisa, June 4, 2-4pm Central, June 8, 10am-12pm
Northside, June 8, 1-3pm Crozet, June 10, 5:30-6:30pm Gordon Ave, June 10, 6-8pm Scottsville, June 11, 2-4pm
May 21: Yap (Micronesia) with Joyce McClure
June 18: Tuscan Tales with Robert Harllee
July 16: Portugal Road Trip with Christina Ball
August 20: Sicily's Wild West with Tullia Lynch 3rd
Saturday June 8 • 10 AM - 4 PM Stone Jail Street, Palmyra Rain Date June 9th
Sparkling Rosé
Refreshingly sweet, this white wine balances palate-cleansing Our sparkling Rosé is bright and easy to drink—perfect for these spring days! With a nose of pink carnations and fresh strawberries, it is balanced with bright acidity and light flavors of pink lady apples, starfruit, and strawberry jam with the right amount of fizz. Enjoy on the porch on a sunny day, or pair this wine with freshly shucked oysters, grilled asparagus, or roasted chicken.
A historic Jeffersonian estate nestled in the Virginia countryside, Chiswell Farm & Winery invites guests to delight in locally crafted vintages, panoramic views, and warm hospitality. With a glass in hand, savor the breathtaking scenery from a rocking chair on our covered porch. Gather with friends around a dining table on the lawn or get comfortable in the historic and inviting Greenwood home. Whether you want to come up to the bar for a chat or spread out a blanket for a private picnic, there are countless ways to enjoy the best that Virginia wine country has to offer.
We serve our award-winning wines by the glass, bottle, and flight, seasonal specialty beverages, and a tasteful selection of local and gourmet snacks. Guests are also welcome to bring their own food to enjoy with our wines.
Ages 21+ only, no dogs or other pets permitted on the property. For a family-friendly experience, visit our wine shops at Chiles Peach Orchard or Carter Mountain Orchard. Visit chiswellwinery.com for our seasonal events calendar!
June 1st – Dapper Dad Market with local artisans and crafters.
June 9th- Painting Workshop with Adam (advanced ticket purchase required)
Seasonal hours: Wednesday–Sunday: 11 AM–6 PM
430 Greenwood Rd, Greenwood, VA 22943 434.252.2947 • www.chilesfamilyorchards.com/chiswell
A few notes from winegrower and owner, Dave Drillock:
We are in mid spring and the vineyards have popped! It is a hectic time in the vineyard but wonderful to just sit back and enjoy the vineyard view. Our Rose Trio has been very popular. Our 2023 Quintessential Rose has a refreshing acidity with notes of fresh strawberries, rainier cherries, and grapefruit. The 2023 Gentile Press Rose has a bright acidity with notes of strawberries, red current, and cherry. Last, but not least, our 2023 Barrel Aged Rose has a medium body, lively acidity and notes of cranberry, bing cherries, watermelon red currant and vanilla.
Let me take a moment to review our 2023 Chardonel. A hardy grape that is a cross of Chardonnay and Seyval Blanc, this medium bodied wine delivers a full mouthfeel of pear, lemon zest and green apple. Just the right amount of acidity makes this a refreshing wine with light fare or most fish and chicken dishes. I like it with Chicken piccata and fried chicken! If you have not tried it, come out for a visit and give it a try.
We are an easy, direct drive to get to. Take some “chill” time and enjoy!
So come for the wine and enjoy your visit to our meadow-like setting in rural Louisa County. We are down-to-earth and love to share our enthusiasm with customers about our wine. We are open 7 days a week 11am – 5pm. Check our website www.53rdwinery.com or call 540-894-1536 for more information. We look forward to seeing you at the winery! We appreciate your business and support.
June 1st – Lousia Humane Society 5K!
June 8th– Live music by Marc Carrway and food from the Cousin’s Maine Lobster Food Truck
Open 7 days a week, 11 am – 5 pm Sat/Sun. 12-6 pm 13372 Shannon Hill Rd Louisa, VA 23093 (540) 894-5474 • 53rdwinery.com
2023 Rosé
Our new Rosé is a classic, dry Provencal style wine with a gorgeous coral color. A perfect pairing for the patio, this wine exhibits a vibrant mouthfeel with notes of cranberry and citron.
During the month of April we invite you to come to DuCard and enjoy the bloom of the 12,000 tulips we planted, which are now on our lawn overlooking the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains. Guests can pick their own dozen to take home with them for $15.
Fridays - Friday Night Out! Every Friday night through the summer we feature half price wine flights, live music, food for sale, and grills available for use until 8:00pm.
Weekends - Live music all weekend long! Check out our lineup on our website!
Open daily
Mon-Thurs. 12-5 pm Fri. 12-9 pm Sat/Sun. 12-6 pm
40 Gibson Hollow Ln • Etlan, VA 22719 (540) 923-4206 www.ducardvineyards.com
2023 Petit Manseng
Monticello Cup Gold Medalist & Case Winner
With tropical notes of pineapple, mango, and honeysuckle, Eastwood’s 2023 Petit Manseng is light with medium acidity and 0% residual sugar. It is absolutely delightful and the perfect wine to sip all spring and summer. Enjoy a glass with Salty Bottom Blue’s oysters at the winery on Friday nights, or the Shrimp Salad Sandwich from the Eastwood Food Truck every weekend (think lobster roll!), or a Ham & Beurre Sandwich and Eastwood Salad available daily from
Chef Andrew and our culinary team. Heading to a dinner party or backyard BBQ? This is the perfect bottle to bring with you. Celebrate the season with a glass of this delicious, awardwinning Virginia wine.
This Month at the Winery: Join us for Eastwood After Dark featuring upbeat, danceable music on Saturday nights from 5-8pm (in addition to our Saturday afternoon music lineup). Eastwood also hosts Live Music every Thursday and Friday night, as well as many other events - most events are free and open to the public and a handful are ticketed. See Winery Calendar on our website for all details.
Every Thursday: Live Music 5-8, Select $5 Glasses of Wine, Beer & Cider + Chip Pairings With Beer Flights All Day
Every Friday: Virginia Oyster & Wine Celebration with Live Music 5-8
Every Saturday: Live Music 1-4, Eastwood After Dark with Live Music 5-8
Every Sunday: Music Bingo or Paint & Sip
What about the kids? Kids can share in the experience with their own juice tasting flights and cheese boards!
Winery Hours: WednesdaySaturday (12-8 PM); Sunday, Monday and Tuesday (12-5 PM)
We look forward to welcoming you to our tasting room, seven days a week. Join us for award-winning wines, beer, and cider, as well as delicious lunch and dinner menus. Enjoy lounging on the veranda with a glass of our gold medal 2022 Rosé. Or, stay inside and enjoy live music with a seasonal flatbread or baked brie. We also have juice flights and cheese boards for the kids. See the Winery Calendar for details. Escape to Virginia Wine Country, only five miles from Downtown Charlottesville. Open year-round, seven days a week.
Pet friendly and large groups are welcome. Ample indoor and outdoor seating.
Rt 20 near the intersection with Avon Extended (5 mi from Downtown Mall) Charlottesville, VA 22902 (434) 264-6727 www.eastwoodfarmandwinery.com
2021 Estate Reserve Rosé
The nose is dry and bright, showcasing initial aromas of
citrus, stone fruit and wet stone, but turning to more red fruit with warmth and aeration. Done in neutral French oak barrels for primary fermentation. Food pairing would be pork dishes, roasted chicken and plank baked salmon. We look forward to continuing to serve all of our wonderful guests this winter during our daily hours of 10am-5pm (last pour at 4:45). We offer first come, first served seating under our tent or open seating in our outdoor courtyard. Wine is available by the flight, glass and bottle at our inside or outside service bars, with bar service inside on the weekends!
A selection of pre-packaged meats, cheeses, crackers, and spreads are available for purchase as well as our new food truck which is currently open Wednesday- Sunday from 12p-4p. Our winter tent is up and heated for you to enjoy as well!
Bring the family or friends and enjoy live music every Saturday from 124p or play a fun 9 hole of miniature golf on our new course! (Weather permitting)
Daily- Mini golf open and available!
Wednesdays - Wine Down Wednesdays start May 8th every Wednesday through October 5:308:30pm
Saturdays - Live Music from 12-4 pm (check out our website for the schedule!)
Hours: Monday- Sunday from 10 am – 5 pm
1575 Keswick Winery Drive Keswick, Virginia 22947
Tasting Room: (434) 244-3341 ext 105 tastingroom@keswickvineyards.com www.keswickvineyards.com
2023 Montifalco Estate
SOUVENIR Sparkling
Meritage Blanc
Ancestral Method Sparkling Wine: A Tradition Reborn
Ancestral method sparkling wine, also known as pet-nat (short for pétillant-naturel), is a style of sparkling wine that predates the traditional method used in Champagne. It’s a fascinating and increasingly popular category of bubbly that captures the essence of artisanal winemaking and natural fermentation. The ancestral method is one of the oldest methods of making sparkling wine, dating back centuries before the invention of the traditional method. In this technique, the wine is bottled before primary fermentation is complete, allowing the remaining sugars and yeast to continue fermenting inside the bottle. This natural fermentation process produces carbon dioxide, which creates the bubbles in the wine. Unlike the traditional method, which involves a secondary fermentation initiated by adding sugar and yeast to a base wine, the ancestral method relies solely on the natural sugars present in the grapes at the time of bottling. This results in a more rustic and lively style of sparkling wine, with a wide range of flavors and textures.
Characteristics and Flavor
Profile
Ancestral method sparkling wines are known for their freshness, vibrancy, and purity of fruit flavors. They often exhibit a cloudy appearance due to minimal filtration, adding to their artisanal
charm. The flavor profile can vary widely depending on factors such as grape variety, terroir, and winemaking techniques, but common characteristics include: Delicate Effervescence: Unlike the fine bubbles produced by the traditional method, pet-nat wines typically have a softer and more frothy carbonation, lending a playful effervescence to the wine. Fruitforward Aromatics: With minimal intervention in the winemaking process, our pet-nat wine showcases the true essence of the grapes, with vibrant fruit aromas ranging from citrus and orchard fruits to tropical and berry notes. Subtle Complexity: SOUVENIR exhibits layers of complexity, with nuances of minerality, floral undertones, and herbal accents adding depth to the palate. In recent years, ancestral method sparkling wines have experienced a resurgence in popularity among wine enthusiasts and adventurous consumers seeking out natural and artisanal wines. Winemakers around the world are embracing this ancient technique and putting their own modern twists on it, experimenting with different grape varieties, fermentation vessels, and aging methods to create unique and exciting expressions of pet-nat. Whether enjoyed as an aperitif, paired with a variety of foods, or simply sipped on its own, ancestral method sparkling wine offers a refreshing and authentic taste of terroir and tradition, making it a delightful addition to any wine lover’s repertoire. Our sparkling petnat SOUVENIR is now available! Join us at the vineyard! Friday, Saturday, Sunday Monday Noon5pm. Visit montifalcovineyard.com for details.
1800 Fray Rd, Ruckersville, VA 22968 (434) 989-9115 montifalcovineyard.com
Harmony
Prince Michel Winery proudly presents Harmony, a masterful blend that sings to the soul and dances on the palate. With every sip of Harmony, experience a delicate balance of rich tropical and stone fruit notes, velvety textures and a refreshing melody of apricot and peach flavors.
Elevate your dining experience by pairing Harmony with light pastas, seafood delights, or a charcuterie board featuring artisan cheeses and fruits. Perfect for special occasions or a tranquil evening under the stars.
Visit Prince Michel, a cornerstone of Virginia’s renowned wine landscape for over forty years! Family and pet-friendly, it’s one of the oldest and largest wineries in the Commonwealth. Also, home to Tap 29 Brew Pub, serving local craft brews and delicious pub-style food seven days a week.
Established in 1982, Prince Michel has grown into a widely recognized winery, garnering global acclaim for its wines. Owner Kristin Easter, one of a handful of female winery owners, champions a fresh approach centered on hospitality and personal wine enjoyment.
Indulge in a spectrum of wines, from luxurious craft picks such as Chardonnay and Petit Verdot, to distinctive options like the SemiDry Riesling from our Rapidan River series. Don’t miss our crowdfavorite Decadence Chocolate or a refreshing wine slushie
for a delightful twist. We have something to offer for every palate!
Located in the heart of Virginia Wine Country, our elegant winery on Route 29 between Charlottesville and Washington DC offers wine tastings, tours, shopping, and scenic picnic spots daily from 11am.
Hours: Open 7 days a Week at 11 a.m.
Mondays - Team Trivia at 6 pm! April 17th - Sip & Paint 5:30-7:30 p.m.
154 Winery Lane, Leon, VA 22725 (540) 547-3707 • www.princemichel.com A Woman-Owned Business
2023 Bright wood
A blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, and Vidal Blanc,
this perfect Spring and Summer wine has exquisite aromatic complexity. Boxwood on the nose with gentle citrus notes (mandarin, orange, lemon) and hints of honeysuckle, mint, hazelnut, and banana. A lightly acidic wine with a fresh saline finish.
May Hours: Friday 12pm to Sunset; Saturday 12pm to 6pm; Sunday 12pm to 5pm; Holiday Monday 12pm to 5pm; Monday and Thursday by reservation only.
Until June 30 - Exhibition of artwork by Courtney Hopkins.
June 1 - Pop-up from 12:00pm until 6:00pm: Burg Charcuterie food truck
June 7 - Book World Meets Wine World at 5:30pm: Susan Schwartz will read from her book Ghosts of Charlottesville.
2710 Hebron Valley Road, Madison, VA 22727 540-407-1236 www.revalationvineyards.com
2022 Viognier
Pale as a white peach our 2022 Viognier is brimming with all the lovely aromas we associate with the Viognier grape. Perfumes of orange blossom mingle with peaches and cream with just a hint of ginger. Great with a variety of hard cheeses, grilled chicken, and pulled pork BBQ!
Big events coming up with Veritas!
Check out the lineup here:
Save the Date - August 10th: Mark your calendars for the one and only Starry Nights of 2024, an all-day-long event with your favorite bands from over the years! Additional details and ticket information with be forthcoming. The Veritas Tasting Room remains open seven days a week, 11 am - 5 pm; we look forward to seeing you soon!
151 Veritas Ln, Afton, VA 22920 (540) 456-8000
Complete the grid so that every row, column, and 3x3 box contains every digit from 1 to 9 inclusively.
1. Put ___ to (halt)
6. Argument
10. Racing form info
14. Curmudgeonly sort
15. Suffix with “trillion”
16. Miami team
17. Wrigley brand discontinued in the 1990s but brought back in 2004
19. ___ mort als
20. Concert souvenir
21. ___ seat (enviable position)
23. Dessert with a lattice
24. Bur y the ___
25. Believed to be
27. No-cost gift, as some spell it
30. Poly follower?
31. Half a NYC neighborhood?
32. Lawn sign word, maybe
35. “Sure!”
36. Actor Michael of “Ant-Man”
37. Prepared to ride, with “up”
41. Increases the st aff
44. Lorna ___ (Nabisco cookie)
45. Tahiti’s capital and largest city
46. Swiss territorial divisions
48. Cinco follower
49. Rainforest inhabitant
50. Chart topper, perhaps
52. Playfully demure
55. Commuted by bus
57. Group that covered “Venus” to hit the 1986 charts
59. Carmaker Ransom
60. Suffix after “out”
61. Light show beam
62. “The ___ From Brazil”
63. “While” beginning, once
64. Shell out
1. Eight, in Germany
2. “Leaving Las Vegas” actress Elisabeth
3. London subway
4. Spheroid
5. Pill with no intended effect
6. Fried lightly
7. Soft drink that used to have a “Mr.” title
8. Dispute settler
9. Flower named for its fragrance
10. Unit of electrical resistance
11. Suspended animation that’s really cold
12. 1997 Literature Nobelist ___ Fo
13. Take the wheel
18. Part of RBG
22. Love to a fault
24. Directionally named Titleist ball for pro golfers (there’s also a “dash” version)
26. Shape-shifting spirits in Scottish folklore
27. ___ Most Wanted list
28. “Fancy” singer McEntire
29. 1999 Cartoon Network title trio
33. Online tech review site
34. Zap, in a way
38. “A Strange ___” (Tony-winning musical)
39. Elevate in rank
40. Lose hope
41. Presumptuous one
42. Exult ant song
43. Corkscrew shapes
46. Chocolate substitute
47. Speed skater ___ Anton Ohno
51. Super Mario World console, for short
52. Law assignment
53. Sign of impending doom
54. Patio locale
56. Curvy letter
58. Jurassic 5 genre
(April 20-May 20): Since 1969, Taurus singer-songwriter Willie Nelson has played his favorite guitar in over 10,000 shows. His name for it is Trigger. Willie doesn’t hold onto it simply for nostalgic reasons. He says it has the greatest tone he has ever heard in a guitar. Though bruised and scratched, it gets a yearly check-up and repair. Nelson regards it as an extension of himself, like a part of his body. Is there anything like Trigger in your life, Taurus? Now is a good time to give it extra care and attention. The same is true for all your valuable belongings and accessories. Give them big doses of love.
(June 21–July 22): When I worked as a janitor at India Joze restaurant in Santa Cruz, California, I did the best I could. But I was unskilled in the janitorial arts. I couldn’t fix broken machines and I lacked expertise about effective cleaning agents. Plus, I was lazy. Who could blame me? I wasn’t doing my life’s work. I had no love for my job. Is there an even remotely comparable situation in your life, Cancerian? Are you involved with tasks that neither thrill you nor provide you with useful education? The coming months will be an excellent time to wean yourself from these activities.
(July 23–Aug. 22): I foresee two possible approaches for you in the coming months. Either will probably work, so it’s up to you to decide which feels most fun and interesting. In the first option, you will pursue the rewards you treasure by creating your own rules as you outfox the system’s standard way of doing things. In the second alternative, you will aim for success by mostly playing within the rules of the system except for some ethical scheming and maneuvering that outflank the system’s rules. My advice is to choose one or the other, and not try to do both.
(Aug. 23–Sept. 22): Please note that during the next 12 months, I may seem a bit pushy in my dealings with you. I will encourage you to redefine and enhance your ambitions. I will exhort you to dream bigger. There may come times when you wish I wouldn’t dare you to be so bold. I will understand, then, if you refrain from regularly reading my horoscopes.
(May 21-June 20): Off the coast of West Africa is an imaginary place called Null Island. A weather buoy is permanently moored there. Geographers have nicknamed it “Soul Buoy.” It’s the one location on Earth where zero degrees latitude intersects with zero degrees longitude. Since it’s at sea level, its elevation is zero, too. I regard this spot as a fun metaphor for the current state of your destiny, Gemini. You are at a triple zero point, with your innocence almost fully restored. The horizons are wide, the potentials are expansive, and you are as open and free as it’s possible for you to be.
Maybe you are comfortable with your current type of success and don’t want my cheerleading. But if you would welcome an ally like me—an amiable motivator and sympathetic booster—I will be glad to help you strive for new heights of accomplishment.
(Sept. 23–Oct. 22): Three months after Rachel Denning bore her fourth child, she and her husband sold everything they owned and embarked on a nomadic life. They have been roaming ever since, adding three more kids along the way. She says they have become addicted to “the personal transformation that travel extracts.” She loves how wandering free “causes you to be uncomfortable, to step out of the familiar and into the unknown. It compels you to see with new eyes and to consider things you had never been aware of. It removes preconceptions, biases, and small-mindedness.” If you were ever going to flirt with Rachel Denning’s approach, Libra, the next 12 months would be a favorable time. Could you approximate the same healing growth without globetrotting journeys? Probably. Homework: Ask your imagination to show you appealing ways to expand.
(Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Among the Europeans who first settled in South America were Jews who had been forcibly converted to Christianity by Portuguese and Spanish persecutions. Centuries later, some families resolved to reclaim their Jewish heritage. They led a movement called la sangre llama—a Spanish phrase meaning “the blood is calling.” I invite you to be inspired by this retrieval, Scorpio. The coming months will be an excellent time to commune with aspects of your past that have been neglected or forgotten. Your ancestors may have messages for you. Go in search of missing information about your origins.
(Nov. 22-Dec. 21): If you simply let the natural flow take you where it will in the coming weeks, you would become a magnet for both degenerative and creative influences. Fortunately, you are reading this oracle, which will help ensure the natural flow won’t lead you toward degenerative influences. With this timely oracle, I am advising you to monitor and suppress any unconscious attractions you might have for bewildering risks and seemingly interesting possibilities that are actually dead ends. Don’t flirt with decadent glamour or fake beauty, dear Sagittarius! Instead, make yourself fully available for only the best resources that will uplift and inspire you.
(Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Capricorn politician Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is campaigning to be US President. But oops: He recently confessed that a parasitic worm once ate a portion of his brain, damaging his memory and cognitive skills. “The worm is dead now,” he assured us, as if that were a good reason to vote for him. Why am I bringing this up? Like most of us, you have secrets that if revealed might wreak at least a bit of mayhem. As tempting as it might be to share them with the world—perhaps in an effort to feel free of their burden—it’s best to keep them hidden for now. Kennedy’s brain worm is in that category. Don’t be like him in the coming weeks. Keep your reputation and public image strong. Show your best facets to the world.
(Jan. 20-Feb. 19): The English and French word “amateur” comes from amatus, the past participle of the Latin word amare, which means “to love.” According to one definition, an am-
ateur is “someone who pursues sports, studies, or other activities purely for pleasure instead of for financial gain or professional advancement.” In accordance with astrological omens, I encourage you to make this a featured theme in the coming months. On a regular basis, seek out experiences simply because they make you feel good. Engage in lots of playtime. At least part-time, specialize in fun and games.
(Feb. 20-March 20): Good news, Pisces: In the coming weeks, one of your flaws will mysteriously become less flawed. It will lose some of its power to undermine you. If you engage in focused meditation about it, you could rob it of even more of its obstructive force. More good news: You will have an enhanced capacity to distinguish between skillful pretending and earthy authenticity. No one can trick you or fool you. Can you handle even more good news? You will have a skillful knack for finding imperfect but effective solutions to problems that have no perfect solution.
(March 21-April 19): What potentials should you strive to ripen as the expansive planet Jupiter glides through your astrological House of Connection, Communication, and Education in the coming months? I’ll offer my intuitions. On the downside, there may be risks of talking carelessly, forging superficial links, and learning inessential lessons. On the plus side, you will generate good luck and abundant vitality if you use language artfully, seek out the finest teachings, and connect with quality people and institutions. In the most favorable prognosis I can imagine, you will become smarter and wiser. Your knack for avoiding boredom and finding fascination will be at a peak.
Expanded weekly audio horoscopes and daily text message horoscopes: RealAstrology.com, (877) 873-4888
Cecile Wendover Clover Conservator
sullengirl (Fiona Apple reference)
LAURA DRUMMOND/INSTAGRAM
SoccerSporter99
MARCOS CORREA/FACEBOOK
IrishTaurus513 was my first one oof
EMMA KLEMT/FACEBOOK
Tiptoez13
EMILY KENNEDY/INSTAGRAM
Sweetneets
ANITA ANAND GUPTA/FACEBOOK
I had a few, the one I remember is VaMelonUsa
AMANDA MORRIS/FACEBOOK
SkiBum414
EDWARD WARWICK WHITE/FACEBOOK
H0rse_girl08 EM ELIZABETH/FACEBOOK
LilBuzz04—an early indicator of my problematic relationship with alcohol.
RACHAEL KESLER PALM/FACEBOOK
JohnGradyCole
JASON SMITH/FACEBOOK
Jennell396 thankfully not mortifying
JENNIFER PARNELL KALINOSKY/FACEBOOK
nouseforhunter85
HUNTER SMITH/FACEBOOK
BlueSobe03
EMILY STEMPER/FACEBOOK