UVA mum on next steps for community partners after DEI dump P.10
County supes deadlock 3-3 on rezoning for new mobile home park P.13
José González brings soulful acoustic to The Paramount Theater P.29
MARCH 19 – 25, 2025
Hello, Charlottesville.
Thank you for reading C-VILLE Weekly.
3.19.25
Years ago, I adopted a new practice during my workday lunch breaks: I’d take whatever leftovers I brought that day, tuck my Kindle under my arm (print’s not dead, I just feel antsy when I know how many pages are left!), and hole up in C-VILLE’s conference room. I could usually knock out a few chapters, and while I did feel a little bit Rory-reading-alone-in-the-cafeteria (any other “Gilmore Girls” fans in the audience?), carving out that small time for myself in the middle of the day quickly became a kind of reset.
Books provide an escape hatch, a salve, a mirror, and, for me, they always show up at the exact right time. When I was going through a rough breakup, I found Two Swallows in No Time, a poem that follows two birds as they seek refuge from a storm, on the Strand’s antique books floor. After my mom passed, I came across Mike Gayle’s The Museum of Ordinary People, about a woman who takes over a warehouse of people’s left-behind possessions. And when I’m feeling overwhelmed, well, nothing hits quite like a Jasmine Guillory romance novel.
The point is, where would we be without books? Who would we be without them?
The Virginia Festival of the Book, a local celebration of all things literary and one that we here at C-VILLE look forward to each year (we’re words people, after all), begins this week and runs from March 20 to 23. Find seven of our must-see events, beginning on page 23, and prepare to be inspired.
Hey, thanks!
These generous benefactors of C-VILLE have supported our work through our Save the Free Word campaign. If you’d like to contribute, follow the QR code.
Towns Ackerman
Lori Balaban
Timothy Bambury
Catherine Barnes
Jennifer Beachley
Mayanna Bean
Denise Benson
Anne Bergamesca
Kim Biasiolli
Patrick Bird
Paddy Bowman
Paul Brewer
Claudia Murray Brindle
Sumner Brown
Colette Brown
Jack Brown
Kate Buford
Cathleen Burgess
Patricia Burkett
Michael Callahan
Brian Carlton
Karen Collins
Emily Currier
Maria-Eugenia Dalton
Martha Donnelly
Charlotte Drummond
Louise Dudley
Lee Elberson
Jane Elmore
Karen Emmitt
Ken Engebretson
Elizabeth Engle
Rosa Ellen English
M. Fife
Lavonne Fitts
Barbara Fornoff
David Gies
Stephanie Goodwin
Madeleine Hawks
Mary Haynes
Chris Hellings
Stephen Herrick
John Heyser
JoAnn Hofheimer
Lisa Hogan
Laura Horn
Christina Horton
Garth Jensen
Nina Johnston
Nicole Jones
Diane Jones
Janet Jospe
Brian Kelly
Trish Kenney
Tom Kirk
Kathryn Kluge
Julie Lacy
Marcia Langsam
Jacalyn LaPierre
Aaron Lawrence
Eric and Diane Lawson
Elizabeth Lawson
Frances Lee-Vandell
Sean Libberton
Angeline Lillard
Jessica Lino
D. Little
Phillip Long
Rob Lynch
Jeff Martin
Erin Mayer
Kieran Mcdowell
Mary McIntyre
Ruth McWilliams
James Mernin
Nicolas Mestre
Parthy Monagan
Hilary Moorman
Michael Morency
Harold E. Morgan
Michael Moriarty
Jim Mummery
Karen Myers
Monica Newby
Dennis O’Connor
Cynthia Van Osch
Annette Osso
Annette Owens
Elizabeth Perdue
Joann Peters
Damon Pettitt
Elayne Phillips
Anne Price
Ernest Pugh
Harry Purkey
Leslie Quenichet
Sarah Ratcliffe
Stots Reele
Marjorie Rein
Cindy Richards
Kevin Richardson
David Robinson
Julia Rubarth
Carol Gilbert Sacks
Audrey Sarate
Joan Schatzman
Sandra Schmidt
Eric Schultz
James Seitz
Elaine Shaw
Chuck Shelton
Paul Shettel
This week’s contributors
and
is a
Her
has been published by Scribes*MICRO* Fiction, MonkeyBicycle, and Atticus Review. Smeltzer earned her MFA in creative writing at the University of Central Florida. She loves helping others tell their stories and collaborates one-onone with writers through her consulting business. She also teaches creative writing classes for WriterHouse. Learn more at kristiesmeltzer.com.
John Smith
Kristina Smith
Meredith Smoot
Mickey Speck
Maria Spence
Nichole Taylor
Emily Thiede
Reid Thompson
Prue Thorner
John Titus
Jessica Tobin
Erica Toy
Jill Trischman-Marks
Susan Uland
Rick Vergot
Christina Walker
David Waters
Chris Waugaman
Kelly West
Jay Wildermann
Marcia Wilds
Andrew Wolf
Natalie Yancey
Suzanne Yeaman
Nura Yingling
Kelly Zalewski
Kathleen Zenker
Sanford was hired as a “teen reporter” for The Grand Rapids Press while he was still in high school. He is a graduate of Western Michigan University and taught journalism there for seven years. He has been an arts writer, film critic, reporter, restaurant critic, and section coordinator, winning three awards from the Society for Features Journalism. He is also the former creative manager/programmer for Alamo Drafthouse Charlottesville, a filmmaker and playwright, and has appeared in several Live Arts productions, including Hand to God, #Charlottesville, Kinky Boots, and numerous Locally Sourced and Waterworks shows.
Kristie Smeltzer
writer, writing coach,
teacher.
fiction
James
— Preconcert talk by Dr. Susan Treacy 45 minutes before each performance — Fri, March 21, 7:30p @Trinity Episcopal, Staunton Sat, March 22, 4:00p @Emmanuel Episcopal, Greenwood (Crozet) Sun, March 23, 4:00p @Grace Episcopal, Keswick (Charlottesville)
This meditative masterpiece by Josef Haydn was premiered in Spain on Good Friday, 1787, and arranged for various instrumental and vocal combinations. We’ve chosen the new arrangement for voice and string quartet by José Peris, notably performed at the Vatican in 2010 for Pope Benedict XVI. Aisslinn Nosky & Fiona Hughes, violin; Cristina Prats-Costa, viola; Ben Wyatt, cello; Benjamin Geier, tenor.
Tickets online or at the door: $30, youth/students free 434.409.3424 www.tnrbaroque.org
BUY 5 COOLTONE TREATMENTS, GET 5 FREE!
CoolTone® is a noninvasive solution that tones, firms, and strengthens muscles. It's FDA-cleared for enhancing your: Abs Thighs Glutes
Schedule your free consultation today and take the first step towards a stronger, more defined you! Treatment must begin in March to qualify.
IN THIS ISSUE
Hundreds protest Stonefield’s planned Tesla showroom
Community partners respond o UVA DEI office closure ounty considers two tax eases; UVA looking for w men’s basketball coach. The latest from City Council.
Supes deadlock on rezoning
A.D. Carson raps with ymphony in world premiere.
at
29 Stages: Guitarist José González at the Paramount.
31 Extra: New book delves into ar tist Michael Stewart’s death. FOR FUN 33
33 Sudoku 33 Crossword 34 Free Will Astrology
COPY EDITOR
Susan Sorensen
NEWS INTERN
Merrill Hart
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, Julia Stumbaugh, Courteney Stuart, Paul Ting, Sean Tubbs
For a Good Day, Call ... Sherry Taylor
ADVERTISING
advertising@c-ville.com
DIRECTOR OF SALES
Bianca Johnson bianca@c-ville.com
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR
Brian Hrozencik brian@c-ville.com
ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE
Gabby Kirk gabby@c-ville.com
Candace Stevens candace@c-ville.com
Stephanie Vogtman-Say stephanie@c-ville.com
GRAPHIC DESIGNER
Tracy Federico designer@c-ville.com
PRODUCTION COORDINATOR
Faith Gibson ads@c-ville.com
BUSINESS
PUBLISHER
Anna Harrison anna@c-ville.com
CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER
Debbie Miller debbie@c-ville.com
A/R SPECIALIST
Nanci Winter (434) 373-0429
CIRCULATION MANAGER
Billy Dempsey circulation@c-ville.com
C-VILLE HOLDINGS, LLC
Bill Chapman, Blair Kelly
C-VILLE Weekly is Charlottesville, Virginia's award-winning alternative newspaper. Through our distinctive coverage, we work to spark curiosity and enable readers to engage meaningfully with their community.
CONTACT US: P.O. Box 119, Charlottesville, Virginia 22902
Individualized, comprehensive nutrition counseling and weight management programs delivered by a compassionate, experienced Registered Dietitian Nutritionist.
Serving adult clients who use GLP-1 medications to assist with weight loss and those who are not using medication to assist with weight loss.
Joan Cates original art It’s Art Not Science Ellen Beard home furnishings Patina
* Refreshments – Proceeds to benefit Foothills Child Advocacy Center *
Local Author William A. James, Sr. has done it again.
HIS TWO NEWEST BOOKS ARE...
LUCY CAT IN A CAT BOOK, is primarily for children five to eight years old kindergarten through third grades. It’s main focus Is on getting children to relate to each other in a positive manner regardless of their cultural and diverse origins. The Book consists in two parts: One is pictorial-cartoon depictions showing how Lucy Cat is able to befriend everyone around her in a very convivial manner.
The Second part is Lesson Planning Suggestions giving the Teachers or Instructors ideas about how to reinforce the messaqe each cartoon presents. OTHER BOOKS BY JAMES ARE:
Based on LUCY CAT IN A CAT BOOK, 2024, By William A James, Sr., LUCY CAT IN A COLORING BOOK includes all of the characters in LUCY CAT’S neighborhood
James will sign copiesof his books at 2nd Act Books March 22, 1-3 pm
In, A MURDER ON FIFTH AND DICE AND THE RUIN OF FIFEVILLE, James shows how drugdealing and gang violence led to the condemnation, demolition, and gentrification of Fifeville. It is a Sequel to his IN THE STREETS OF VINEGAR HILL, 2007. (He is writing a play based upon this latest Book)
In, HARD TIMES AND SURVIVAL: THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF AN AFRICANAMERICAN SON, James relates His Story and the Reader learns what He means when He Says: “Do not GiveIn to Adversity, but overcome it by Steady and Constant Perserverance.”
IN THE STREETS OF VINEGAR HILL, James reveals how fear and misunderstandings caused The Charlottesville City Council to condemn and Demolish a 20 Acre Tract (30 Black businesses and 600 residents) from the Downtown area from 1958-1964.
Local Author
William A. James, Sr.
Call or Write, William A. James, Sr. 434-985-8987 PO Box 6991, Charlottesville, VA 22906 Wjpublications@aol.com
BOOKS SOLD AT:
The University of Virginia Bookstore
400 Emmet Street, Charlottesville, VA 22904 (on UVA Grounds).
More than 500 people gathered March 15 at the site of a planned Tesla showroom at The Shops at Stonefield to protest Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s takeover of the federal government. Holding signs with phrases like “Elon’s greed is destroying America,” “Control, ALT, Delete Musk,” and “What’s that Musk? Smells like greed and cruelty,” the crowd chanted “Hey hey, ho ho, Elon Musk has got to go.” The event, which was organized by local activism group Indivisible Charlottesville, was meant to send a message to the shopping center’s parent corporation: “Tesla is not welcome here!” Protest organizers encouraged supporters to write emails and make phone calls to Stonefield management.
Uncertain times
Next steps unclear amid shuttering of UVA’s DEI office
BY CATIE RATLIFF
Almost two weeks after the University of Virginia Board of Visitors issued a resolution dissolving the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, there are more questions than answers about what comes next—even for community partners.
The Center for Community Partnerships at UVA was created as part of the university’s effort to be a “good neighbor” to Charlottesville-area communities, a key initiative in UVA’s 2030 Plan. The CCP, which opened an office at 617 W. Main St. in 2020, is a program of the university’s Equity Center, established in 2019 under the Division for DEI.
Almost 40 organizations are currently listed as community partners on the UVA Equity Center website.
“In partnership with our neighbors in Charlottesville and surrounding counties, we will work toward being a just and sustainable community,” reads UVA’s 2030 Plan website. “We will work collaboratively, and with all due humility, with our community partners to address key challenges, including housing, living wages, local educational opportunities, and access to health care.”
At press time, none of the community partners C-VILLE contacted have received any communication from UVA regarding the BOV resolution. UVA Communications did not respond to C-VILLE’s request for comment by press time.
“I haven’t heard anything from UVA,” says Price Thomas, executive director of City of Promise, a local education nonprofit. The
organization works with UVA in several capacities, including data gathering and interpretation through the School of Education and Human Development and the Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy. Last month, City of Promise announced a partnership with Associate Professor Gretchen Martinet examining the correlation between economics and education outcomes.
“My hope is that it won’t impact the way that we work with university because it certainly won’t change our commitment to helping our kids and families,” says Thomas. “I’m confident in the dedication of the folks inside UVA to continue to pursue these goals. We may have to call it something different, we may have to restrategize, but the opportunities that we will continue to push for and work towards with our individuals and families remain steadfastly intact.”
Also among UVA’s community partners are Charlottesville City and Albemarle County schools.
“It’s too early to determine actual impact,” says CCS Superintendent Royal Gurley. UVA’s dissolution of its Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion comes at an already uncertain time for the district, with the future of the U.S. Department of Education and federal support for schools already up in the air. “It would be a shame for this work to lessen at a time when our youth need a village of support around them.”
ACPS also has not heard from UVA leadership, but the district has confirmed with the university’s Equity Center that the collaborative Starr Hill Pathways program, which offers career and education opportunities and mentoring for Charlottesville youth, will continue.
While the BOV resolution justifies its actions through “legal compliance,” the Legal Aid Justice Center, also a community partner, says the argument doesn’t hold up.
“UVA’s Board of Visitors can’t hide behind a veneer of compliance with a legal analysis that federal courts have already found is likely unconstitutional,” says Angela Ciolfi, executive director of LAJC. “Local organizations now face broken connections, uncertain funding, and no clear point of contact at the university. This isn’t about compliance with the law—it’s a choice that the Board of Visitors made that could set back years of trust-building work with communities that have historically been marginalized by the institution.” C
Budget budging
Albemarle County weighing two tax increases
The Albemarle County Board of Supervisors is in the midst of budget season, with a draft budget of $642,386,163. To balance the budget for fiscal year 2026, the county has proposed increases to its real property and personal property taxes.
Under the current FY26 budget, the real property tax (also known as the real estate tax) would increase by 4 cents to a rate of $0.894 per $100. The 4-cent increase is further broken down in the budget proposal, with revenue allocations of 3.2 cents to public safety, 0.4 cents to public schools, and 0.4 cents to affordable housing initiatives.
A portion of the public safety funding is slated for retaining 57 firefighters, hired through FEMA grants, which would maintain continuity of service.
On the personal property side, Albemarle County plans to return to its pre-pandemic rate of $4.28 per $100, an increase of 32 cents.
The FY26 budget proposal projects property taxes will account for approximately 51 percent of total revenues.
Like the City of Charlottesville, Albemarle’s largest area of spending for FY26 is education. Roughly 47 percent of the county’s total budget is allocated for school operations, and an additional 4 percent for school capital. Other areas of significant spending include public safety, health, and welfare, and transfers to capital and debt.
New ballgame
The University of Virginia men’s basketball team will be under new leadership next season, with the athletics department opting not to retain interim Head Coach Ron Sanchez, as announced March 12. Sanchez was thrust into the job on October 15, when longtime head coach Tony Bennett retired months after signing a contract extension. Sanchez led the Hoos to a 15-17 record for 2024-25, which was his 11th season with UVA.
Despite the $209,302,695 ongoing and $6,219,994 one-time contributions to the school fund, the municipality’s proposed contribution still leaves the district with a budget deficit. Albemarle County Public Schools has reworked its budget to an approximately $700,000 deficit, down from the original $5 million shortfall.
Several service reductions were needed to get closer to a balanced budget, with furniture replacement and elementary schools’ foreign language programs both eliminated entirely. The modified ACPS budget also cuts 10 full-time instructional coach positions.
The Albemarle County Board of Supervisors’ next budget work session is March 19. Public hearings on the proposed budget and tax rates will be held on April 23 and April 30, respectively.—CR
“I am grateful to Coach Sanchez for accepting this role during such a critical time for the program,” said UVA Athletics Director Carla Williams. “Ron is the
ultimate professional because he cares deeply about this program and this university. … Ron and the staff provided great stability, guidance, and support for the young men on the team, and we are thankful for his commitment to UVA and the values that are foundational to Virginia men’s basketball.” At press time, the university had not announced who will lead the men’s basketball team this fall. CR
After one season as UVA’s interim head men’s basketball coach, Ron Sanchez will not get the full-time gig.
County supervisors have proposed raising residents’ real estate and personal property taxes.
Price Thomas, executive director of City of Promise, says nobody from UVA has told him how community partners will be impacted by the DEI office closure.
Seeds for thought
City Council discusses Parks & Rec Master Plan
BY CATIE RATLIFF
Charlottesville City Council took a break from the FY26 budget at its March 17 meeting to review the Parks & Recreation Master Plan. The agenda will inform what the city does for the next decade, with the first financial allocations expected next year.
Community feedback and demographic research was prioritized in the master plan, created through a collaboration between the city and PROS Consulting. According to the demographic analysis, approximately 84 percent of Charlottesville residents live within a 10-minute walk to a park, with 45 acres of parks per 1,000 residents—both figures well above the national average for urban areas.
Recommendations from the plan include expanding the shared-use path system within the city, which would increase connectivity between parks, pools, and recreation facilities. Under the capital improvement plan framework recommended, spending for the project is organized into three
tiers: sustainable projects, expanded service projects, and visionary projects. The cost estimate for the 10-year plan totals $78,179,672.
Multiple funding strategies beyond public funding were noted in the master plan, and include general obligation bonds and grants.
Though council was broadly supportive, the finer details of the parks plan remain a future matter.
“I want to make sure, if we embrace the broad concepts of this plan, that we are not necessarily committing ourselves to the things that would happen six to 10 years down the road, which will not have been the product of detailed study,” said City Councilor Lloyd Snook.
“The idea was we went through an intensive kind of parkby-park improvement exercise, and incorporated a lot of different data points,” responded Mike Svetz with PROS Consulting. Rather than a list of must-dos for the city, he said the recommendations further down the line were included as “opportunities and ideas around which you can improve your park system as being intentional about incorporating and listening to the community as well as staff as well as other consultants.”
Closing out his presentation during the 4pm session, Svetz said an investment in parks supports more than just facilities.
“Parks that are activated, parks that are used for the right reasons, parks that are productive, end up being parks that don’t get used for the wrong reasons,” he said. “The investment in parks actually is an investment in public safety as well.”
During the 6:30pm public hearing and resolution, several community members voiced both concern and support for the parks plan.
Jackie Temkin, a business owner and city resident, called on council to put concrete plans into place to address the inequity in Parks & Recreation partnerships. “There’s been a big issue for supporting women’s sports,” she said. “There’s maybe one sport now, girl’s basketball, for the first time in 2025, that Parks & Recreation is giving a partnership to girls’ sports—it’s not addressed in any of this. I think the word ‘female’ appears four times in 300 pages. … Not just saying we need to do better, but actually a plan on how to do better to reach different members of the community, including women.”
Cultivate Charlottesville’s Aleen Carey said she was concerned about the potential gentrification of Washington Park through the suggested conversion of a softball field into a dog park.
City Council will next consider the Parks & Rec Master Plan as an action item at its April 7 meeting.
IN BRIEF
All the news you missed last week (in one sentence or less)
Darden Towe Park advisory committee votes 3-1 to convert two remaining tennis courts to pickleball courts, pending funding. UVA Professor Alison Gocke wins prestigious Morrison Prize for her article on clean-energy transitions. Multiple cars vandalized in Crozet March 5; police are still searching for the culprit. Students at Community Lab School launch rocket in nationwide competition for the National Association of Rocketry. Charlottesville man faces assault charges following March 11 altercation at Fourth Street NW and Preston Avenue. Albemarle County temporarily closes some trails in Biscuit Run park in preparation for construction. Residents of Nelson County’s Stoney Creek Village/Wintergreen area advised to boil water following a water outage. City says medical incident responsible for March 4 Barracks Road CAT bus crash. Bomb threat causes temporary evacuation of Burley Middle School. UVA receives $20 million grant for the College and Graduate School of Arts & Sciences Campaign for Graduate Excellence. 55th District Delegate Amy Laufer announces she’s running for re-election. Charlottesville Police investigate suspicious package in front of Virginia National Bank March 14. Blue Ridge Health District program officer Jen Fleisher announces run for Charlottesville City Council.
Charlottesville City Council will consider the Parks & Rec Master Plan as an action item at its April 7 meeting.
BLOCK PARTY DOWNTOWN MALL
FRI. APRIL 18 + SAT. APRIL 19
NEW THIS YEAR : DOWNTOWN PASSPORT PROGRAM
A cultural experience to remember, the Downtown Mall turns into a New Orleans-style festival for TWO nights! Grab a drink from your favorite local bar, take a walk, check out galleries and shops, listen to live performances, and hang out with friends, old and new. This year, everyone in the community is able to support the Block Party, by making a donation and grabbing a Block Party Passport. Enjoy amazing special offers at local businesses throughout the event and beyond!
REAL ESTATE NEWS
Rural concern
Albemarle Supervisors deadlock on proposal to rezone 50 acres for mobile home park
BY SEAN TUBBS
Aplan to build a 50-unit mobile home park on a portion of 50 acres in southern Albemarle County is dead after the Board of Supervisors deadlocked 3-3 on rezoning.
They did so after a three-hour discussion and a public hearing during which housing advocates urged the county to move past decades of rural area protection by allowing more residential density.
“Affordable housing issues are so interconnected with health and safety and economic development, and ideas like this should be rewarded and applauded,” said Emily Dreyfus of the Legal Aid Justice Center.
The property is in Albemarle’s rural area, which was created after a comprehensive rezoning in 1980. The rezoning request sought to change the land to a zoning category that allows for a manufactured home park with a special use permit. Albemarle staff said the project’s affordability provisions were a benefit, but building that level of density in the rural area is against the county’s Comprehensive Plan.
“There are inadequate services, facilities, and infrastructure to support the development,” said Kevin McDermott, Albemarle’s deputy director of planning.
For instance, there’s no public water; wastewater would enter into a drainfield and McDermott said that would be up to the Virginia Department of Health to approve.
Developer and civil engineer Justin Shimp, an investor in the proposed mobile home park, said there is nowhere in Albemarle to build a new manufactured home site. He urged supervisors to think differently.
“No one on the county staff has any kind of desire to be inequitable in housing or
anything in this community, I’m sure of that,” Shimp said. “But sometimes there are policies that have been long-standing, not looked at, that can result in an outcome that seems that way.”
Shimp said manufactured homes are cheaper for residents to purchase and would provide affordable places to live without requiring subsidies from the county.
People who live in the community would have to provide their own trailer and would lease space from the property owner. Shimp said he and the other owner would likely purchase around 10 trailers for households who want to rent.
More than 30 people spoke at the public hearing with roughly half urging supervisors to maintain the spirit of the Comprehensive Plan. Housing advocate and city resident Matthew Gillikin urged supervisors to solve a greater community issue.
“This is an excellent opportunity for the county to address its affordable housing goals without spending a single dollar from its affordable housing funds, leaving budget room to support deeply affordable housing in the urban core,” Gillikin said.
One person who lives closer to the site called the water and sewer plan a guess.
“The idea that they’re going to be able to regenerate the water through a septic field for 50 homes and not have any problems with it,” said Kevin Fletcher. “That’s just kind of a pie in the sky type of idea.”
Supervisor Ann Mallek voted to deny the request in part out of a concern that a manufactured home depreciates and there is not often a guarantee it can be moved. Also voting no were Supervisors Bea LaPisto-Kirtley and Jim Andrews.
Annie Gould Gallery
The property for a proposed mobile home park in southern Albemarle County is within the rural area where density is discouraged, in part because of a lack of public water and sewer infrastructure.
3590 PINEWOOD DR
THE WINE DOWN -
WHAT’S DELISH AT LOCAL WINERIES?
53RD WINERY AND VINEYARD
A note from W inegrower and Owner, Dave Drillock
The Medalists from the Virginia Governors Cup Competition were announced recently. A broad array of winners suggests the quality of Virginia wines keeps improving and expanding! For Fifty Third Winery, we were awarded 3 Gold medals, 2021 Rock Ridge, 2021 Romulus (both red blends) and our 2023 Albarino. Our 3 Silvers medalists were 2023 Chardonnay, 2021 Merlot and 2021 Norton. Stop by for a taste and see how good Virginia wines can be.
We invite you to visit our serene, meadow-like location in rural Louisa County. We pride ourselves on being genuine and approachable, eager to share our passion for wine without any scripted lines or memorized facts—just a warm and welcoming atmosphere. Over the coming months, we’ll host several special tasting events. For more details, please check our website at www.53rdwinery. com or call us at 540-894-1536. We look forward to welcoming you to the winery, and we truly appreciate your business and support.
Upcoming events:
March 21st - our Woman in Wine, Winemakers Dinner. The dinner will start off with a special meet and greet with our winemaker, Chelsey Blevins followed by a curated meal, paired with our wine, by Sauce Catering. Ticketed event.
March 28th - we will have our Chambourcin vertical tasting and food pairing event. Will include a discussion on this much maligned grape and its rising prominence in the wine world. Ticketed event
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
DUCARD VINEYARDS
2022 Veni, Vini, Vino! With aromas of pear and white flower followed by brightness and minerality, this white wine blend exhibits structure and a firm acidity. Pairs well with light cheese, seafood, and nothing at all. This wine is a Double Gold Winner in the 2024 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition, and is available in our tasting room and online.
We are open 7 days a week throughout the month of January, with live music every weekend! Make sure to keep an eye on our website and social media pages for the most up to date listings of our upcoming artists.
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!
March 30th - We are excited to welcome back Master Chocolatier Ann Czaja, DipWSET, to DuCard for a unique Chocolate and Wine Program. This class has become a beloved tradition at DCV. Ann and DuCard owner, Scott Elliff, select each pairing and share the reasons why they work. Head to our website to reserve your spot.
40 Gibson Hollow Ln Etlan, VA 22719 (540) 923-4206 www.ducardvineyards.com
EASTWOOD FARM AND WINERY
Women’s History Month
This March, we’re proud to honor Women’s History Month at Eastwood Farm and Winery, a women-owned business with a passion for great wine and community. Join us for an exciting lineup of events. Just 5 miles from Downtown Charlottesville, enjoy award-winning wines like our Best In Class 2023 Petit Manseng and Double Gold 2022 Petit Verdot, on tap beers and ciders, and delicious lunch and dinner menus all week, including our new warm crab dip, toasty flatbreads, chocolate fondue, and much more! Open seven days a week.
Upcoming at the Winery:
Low-Country Shrimp Boil | Fridays In March
Get ready for a delicious, flavor-packed Shrimp Boil Feast every Friday night in March! We’re bringing the best of Southern tradition right to your plate with succulent shrimp, juicy sausage, tender corn on the cob, and perfectly seasoned potatoes – all served hot and ready to enjoy in a relaxed, fun atmosphere with live music from 5-8pm on the stage in our tasting room.
Women Wine Trail Weekend |
Friday, March 21 - Sunday, March 23
Friday, March 21: Women Winemaker Pop-Up with Free Tastings 5-8PM, Live Music by Lina SaRoza 5-8PM & Friday Night Shrimp Boil 4-7:30PM
Saturday, March 22: Live Music All Day! Jim O’Ferrell from 12:30-3:30PM and Stillhouse Sound from 5-8PM
Sunday, March 23: Women’s Day Maker’s Market 12-5PM, Live Music by Heidi Riddell 1-4PM, Meet The
Join us for the popular Eastwood After Dark featuring upbeat, danceable music on Saturday nights from 5-8pm (in addition to our more mellow Saturday afternoon music program). Eastwood also hosts a range of live performances by talented local and regional musicians every Thursday and Friday night. See the Winery Calendar on our website for details.
Every Thursday: Live Music 5-8PM or Music Bingo 6-8PM
Thursday “Thank You” Community Day at Eastwood—$5 Taps (Beer & Cider)
Every Friday: Live Music 5-8PM
Low-Country Shrimp Boil 5-8PM
Every Saturday: Live Music 12:303:30PM + Eastwood After Dark with Live Music 5-8PM
Every Sunday: Music Bingo, Paint & Sip, Maker’s Market or Live Music (See the Winery Calendar on our website for details.)
What about the kids?
Kids can share in the experience with their own juice tasting flights and cheese boards!
This beautiful blend of Petit Manseng, Seyval Blanc, and Vidal Blanc make for the perfect introduction to warmer weather, outdoor gatherings and porch sipping! Full of character, this lightbodied wine demonstrates finesse with citrus notes of lime and orange blossom and light undertones of peach and pear with a lush and uplifting crisp apple finish. Pair it with citrus chicken or fish or enjoy without food anytime! This is a new Hh fav!
Ready to try a local winery that offers a break from a large formal setting?
Hardware Hills is a petit family-owned and operated vineyard and winery. Just minutes from historic Scottsville, guests can enjoy first class hospitality and very often are greeted by owners Andrea and Rob who can be found at the tasting room sharing stories with guests who quickly feel like friends of the family! We are expanding our hours starting in April, so make plans to Head for the Hills and come spend a relaxing day among the beautiful vines.
Eastwood Women In Wine Tasting Event with Free Tastings 12-5PM
Paint & Sip | Sunday, March 30
Grab a glass of wine (or your favorite drink!) and let your creativity flow in our relaxed and fun Paint & Sip classes. Whether you’re an experienced artist or a first-time painter, the talented instructors of Blue Ridge Brushes will walk you through the painting process as you create your own masterpiece. Ticketed Event - Reserve Your Spot On Our Website
Virginia Oyster & Wine Celebration | Fridays In April
Beginning Friday, April 4, our Virginia Oyster & Wine Celebration will be back every Friday night!
An Urban Winery Experience: Tour and Taste Five Wineries
Under One Roof at the Virginia Wine Collective | Wednesday, April 16
Join us at the Virginia Wine Collective for an intimate wine tasting and tour. You will move in small groups around the production facility to visit each winemaker, while sharing a glass of wine and discussion before moving to the next party of the facility. This event is part of the 13th Annual Tom Tom Festival and all details may be found on our website. Ticketed Event - Reserve Your Spot On Our Website
Easter Celebration & Maker’s Market | Sunday, April 20 Fun for the whole family this Easter Sunday at the winery. Celebrate the joy of Easter with a fabulous market featuring delicious food, refreshing drinks, and unique creations from local artisans. We’ll also have special activities for kids like our Easter Egg Stroll and live music by John Kelly from 1-4PM.
MUSIC AT EASTWOOD THIS MONTH!
We look forward to welcoming you to our cozy tasting room, seven days a week. Join us for award-winning wines, beer, and cider, as well as a delicious seasonal menu by Chef Andrew Partridge that is perfect for lunch or dinner. Delight in lounging on our enclosed & heated veranda with a glass of our gold medal 2022 Meritage Reserve. Or, stay inside and enjoy live music with a seasonal toasty flatbread or our scrumptious Cast Iron Baked Brie. 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
March marks the completion of our long-awaited tasting room expansion. We are so excited to share this 2400 square food event space with the community. Perfect for business retreats, parties, weddings, birthdays and celebrations! Check it out on our website!
Hours:
Thursday 4 – 7 p.m. (new in April 12 – 8 p.m.)
Friday 3 – 8 p.m. (new in April 12 – 8) Saturday 11 – 5 Sunday 11 – 5
March 15 – 31 – Women in Wine Trail! Come experience all the wineries with women at the helm. We will be offering team-selected flights all month and a special DIY floral class! Check it out!
Friday, March 21- Live Music with Theocles Herrin at 5:30 p.m.
Saturday, March 22 – Pop Up with Buck Wild Hat bar. Make your own trucker hat 1 – 4 p.m.
Thursday, March 27 – Hardware Hills Book Club at 6 p.m.
Friday, March 28 – Live Music with Matt Johnson at 5:30 p.m.
Saturday, March 29 – SPECIAL HOURS (we have a wedding!!) 11 – 3 p.m.
Friday, April 4 – Live Music with Ian Vest at 5:30 p.m.
Save the DATES!
Saturday, April 5 – GRAND OPENING AND RIBBON CUTTING!
Come see our new venue officially opened to the public! Food truck, live music with Back 40 East Band, and ribbon cutting festivities at 4 p.m. Wine club special reception at 3 p.m.
Saturday, April 12 – HILLSIDE SPRING MARKET DAY – over 25 vendors, food truck, Jimmy O live music and a GREAT day to hang out at the Hills! 11 – 5
Saturday, April 19 – Adult Egg Hunt at 1:30. Leave the kids home and come explore the vineyard for the elusive prize eggs!
Sunday, April 27– Wedding Expo and Bridal Fashion Show 12 – 4 p.m. Come spend an afternoon meeting with wedding pros for all of your local bridal needs!
5199 W River Rd, Scottsville, VA
434.286.4710 www.hardwarehills.com
KESWICK VINEYARDS
Come Sip, Play, and Unwind at Keswick Vineyards!
Join us at Keswick Vineyards for an unforgettable experience! Whether you’re a wine enthusiast or just looking for a fun day out, we’ve got something for everyone.
Wine by the Glass, Bottle & Flight –Explore our award-winning wines with the option to enjoy a glass, bottle, or a tasting flight. Perfect for discovering your new favorite!
Guided Tastings – Available 7 days a week, our knowledgeable staff will walk you through a tasting experience like no other.
Mini Golf & Dog Park – Bring the whole family (including furry friends!) and enjoy our scenic mini golf course and dog park.
Wine Slushies, Local Beer & Cider –Cool down with refreshing wine slushies or sip on local beer and cider.
Live Music – Every Saturday from 12-4 PM, enjoy live tunes while sipping your favorite Keswick wine. It’s the perfect way to spend your weekend!
Wine Club Exclusive: Consensus Wine Blending Party – Wine Club members, join us for a fun and exclusive Consensus Wine Blending Party this March! Reserve your spot for one of three dates at keswickvineyards. com. Don’t miss out on this unique opportunity to create your own blend! Not a member join online or in the tasting room in person!
We can’t wait to share the beauty of Keswick Vineyards with you! Cheers to great wine, good company, and a whole lot of fun!
Our Tres Bien is delightfully sweet and crafted from late season Petit Manseng grapes, with a residual sugar content of 11%. Pouring a golden amber hue and shimmering with hints of honey and sunshine. The nose is vibrant and aromatic, offering intense aromas of ripe tangerine zest, apricot, honeyed citrus and tropical fruits. Rich and luscious with a velvety texture that coats the palate. Flavors of honeyed apricot, candied orange peel, and ripe peach dominate layered with notes of toasted almonds and exotic
spices. The wine’s natural sweetness is beautifully balanced by a refreshing acidity, which ensures a clean but lingering finish.
Discover Prince Michel Vineyard and Winery, an iconic East Coast estate. 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.
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.
At Prince Michel Indulge in a spectrum of wines, from luxurious craft picks such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Manseng, to distinctive options like our Sweet White Reserve from our Rapidan River series. Don’t miss our crowd-favorite Decadence Chocolate or a refreshing wine slushie for a delightful twist. We have something to offer for every palate!
Live Music every Friday – Sunday! (Music lineup on our website)
Friday 5-8 p.m.
Saturday 1-4 & 5-8
Sunday 1-5 p.m.
Open 7 days a Week at 11 a.m.
154 Winery Lane, Leon, VA 22725 (540) 547-3707
www.princemichel.com
A Woman-Owned Business
REVALATION VINEYARDS
2019 Novum
This white port-style wine, made from Vidal Blanc (85%) and Viognier (15%), was aged for 58 months in cognac barrels. It is oxidized by design as the barrels were not topped off. Anticipate aromas of hazelnut, orange, caramel, and apricot. Aromatic with a dry alcoholic finish of candied fruit (raisins and candied citrus peel) and hazelnut. Enjoy on its own or add tonic and a slice of lemon for a delicious alternative to a gin and tonic.
March Hours: Friday 12pm to Sunset; Saturday 12pm to 6pm; Sunday 12pm to 5pm; Monday and Thursday by reservation only.
Until April 30th - Exhibition of artwork by Stephanie Mendlow.
March 7th - Book World Meets Wine World at 6 pm: Author Caroline Topperman will present her book Your Roots Cast a Shadow. A benefit for the Literacy Council of Madison.
March 21st - Sip & Learn: Jill Trischman-Marks’ presentation, Botanical Garden of the Piedmont (BGP): Building A 21st Century Public Garden for Now and the Future, will start at 6:00pm. Come and mingle at 5:30pm!
March 28th - Book Club @ The Vineyard starting at 6pm: This is Happiness by Niall Williams.
April 4th - Book World Meets Wine World at 6 pm: Author Elizabeth Massie will present her book Night Benedictions. A benefit for the Literacy Council of Madison County.
May 4th - En Plein Air: Artist Day at Revalation. Artists are invited to create art in the vineyard from dawn to dusk and exhibit their work from 5pm to 7pm. Artist tickets available on our website.
2710 Hebron Valley Road, Madison, VA 22727 540-407-1236 www.revalationvineyards.com
Read ’em and weep, laugh, and rejoice
It’s time to celebrate at the annual Virginia Festival of the Book
Books are the ultimate means of travel. Through them, we explore the globe, navigate time, and visit alien and imagined worlds. Books immerse us in the experiences and cultures of others and help us feel connected. Though books can take us anywhere, we get to be locals for the upcoming Virginia Festival of the Book, taking place right here in town March 20 to 23. ¶ Far-flung and Virginia authors and artists come together to offer a wide variety of readings, panels, and events—most of them free. Check out our event recommendations below and visit the 2025 Festival of the Book schedule for a full listing. ¶ Remember, there are myriad ways to support authors and other artists. Buy their books when you can or borrow them from the library. If your library or bookstore doesn’t have the book, request it. Write reviews when you enjoy a book, follow folks you admire on social media, and spread the word about books you find compelling. Authors will appreciate your support.—Kristie Smeltzer
Celebrating Women in Music: A Festival Kickoff Party
March 20, 7pm | Level 10
“RIGHT NOW IS AN exciting time for women in music, as we’re seeing women oftentimes at the center of the mainstream conversation,” says author and WNRN Content Director Desiré Moses. “Pop heavyweights like Taylor Swift and Beyoncé are breaking touring records, while artists like Chappell Roan are ushering in a new cultural frontier.”
In 2017, Moses (a C-VILLE Weekly contributor) joined other female writers, music journalists, and radio hosts
to participate in NPR Music’s “Turning the Tables.” The series reexamines the history of popular music with a focus on the voices and accomplishments of women.
“It’s no secret that women in the music industry have
been marginalized or overlooked,” says Moses. “Take Sister Rosetta Tharpe, for example. She’s been dubbed the ‘Godmother of Rock and Roll,’ but think about how often her story is buried by discussions about the genius of Elvis Presley or Chuck Berry.”
With time, “Turning the Tables” blossomed into a larger multimedia project that led to the creation of How Women Made Music: A Revolutionary History from NPR Music. The book combines archival interviews and essays drawn from “Turning the Tables.”
“It’s a compilation that not only celebrates women making music, but also those women who write about, think critically about, and love music,” explains Moses. “I’m honored to be included among more than 100 contributors to the book.” Moses wrote essays on the importance of Stevie Nicks’ Bella Donna, Etta James’ Rocks the House, and Spice Girls’ Spice.
The kickoff party will feature live music from Suz Slezak (David Wax Museum, The Golden Hours) and Lauren Plank Goans (Lowland Hum, The Golden Hours), and discussion with Moses and the musicians.
Moses says, “Suz and Lauren are extremely talented, hard-working women who will shed light on the intricacies of being touring musicians.”
Desiré Moses
Mae Mallory, World Defense Committee, and World Revolutions
March 21, noon | New Dominion Bookshop
“I WAS COMPELLED very forcefully to write this book,” says author, historian, and ethics scholar Paula Marie Seniors of her book Mae Mallory, the Monroe Defense Committee, and World Revolutions: African American Women Radical Activists.
In grad school, others urged Seniors to write about her unique upbringing once they heard about her family’s activism and close relationship with Mallory. Mallory’s involvement with the Negroes with Guns movement resulted in her imprisonment in Cleveland. Seniors’ parents co-founded the Monroe Defense Committee, with Mallory’s daughter and others, to fight Mallory’s extradition to Monroe, North Carolina.
Their work together to protect Mallory ended up bonding their families.
While in her first faculty position, Seniors told new friend Carole Boyce Davies about her family’s connection with Mallory as well as her mother’s activities with the World Workers Party and Black Panthers.
“Carole’s like, ‘You know your story is not the ordinary childhood?’ Because I’m thinking that everybody had this type of childhood, right?” Seniors
“SO MANY PEOPLE, particularly Americans, don’t even know that Oscar Wilde had a family,” says author Louis Bayard, “that he had a wife and two sons.”
This limited view of Wilde persists because, as
Bayard puts it, “He’s been passed down to us as the great gay martyr of late Victorian England.” The Wildes: A Novel in Five Acts shows readers a fictionalized version of that less well-known facet of Wilde’s life.
says. “Marching against the Vietnam War, marching to prevent wars overseas.
[Carole] said, ‘That’s a very unique situation you’re talking about. This is not common.’”
In Mae Mallory, the Monroe Defense Committee, and World Revolutions, Seniors weaves together personal stories and theoretical frameworks in her portrayal of African American women engaging in radical activism.
“They had ginormous FBI files,” Seniors says, referring to Mallory, her parents, and others they knew, “over 3,000 pages.”
She describes photos in her mother and Mallory’s files taken without their knowledge at private events, meaning that they were likely taken by friends, revealing the level of scrutiny they endured.
Seniors’ mother never wanted her to experience that kind of surveillance.
“I just want people to learn,” Seniors says, “and to not be fearful of learning.”
“It’s another kind of outing, to introduce him as a family man,” says Bayard. “He adored his children, adored his wife and their marriage.”
To be able to bring readers into private rooms with the Wildes authentically, Bayard researched the family, period, and setting for three months. He and event partner Emma Donoghue share those research chops.
“[The Paris Express] was triggered by spending a year in Paris, and the apartment we happened to rent was in Montparnasse,” says author Emma Donoghue. “I knew very little about that part of Paris, so I Googled it and saw this extraordinary photograph from 1895. I was
transfixed by this crazy image of a steam train plunging out of the window and straight down to the ground.”
That fateful web search resulted in an express ride of a book that features a diverse cast of characters, some based on real people involved in the French railway disaster, while others are completely fictional. With so many potential passengers, Donoghue had to be judicious in her selections.
“It’s a very, very deeply researched novel, but I really tried to be very strict with myself,” Donoghue explains. “If somebody wasn’t earning their place on the train, I pushed them off.”
Paula Marie Seniors
Emma Donoghue
Louis Bayard
Virginia Festival of the Book
Searching for Jimmie Strother:
A Tale of Music, Murder, and Mystery
March 21, 5pm | McGuffey Art Center
“THEY USED TO HAVE A term called songsters or musicianers that referred to members of the Black community [who] were overall performers. They had to be very versatile,” says author Gregg D. Kimball. “That’s one thing that’s really notable about Jimmie Strother’s recordings. He does spiritual music. He does blues. He does
The 2025 Carol Troxell Reader with Evan Friss
March 21, 6pm | New Dominion Bookshop
WHEN EVAN FRISS WAS in New York City studying American history, his girlfriend took a job at Three Lives & Company, a small independent bookstore in the West Village. He vicariously became acquainted with the behind-the-counter perspective of the bookshop.
“I fell in love with a bookseller, and, as a result, I ended up falling in love with bookstores,” says Friss, author of The Bookshop: A History of the American Bookstore.
“I got to know the people, the community, the regulars, the customers, and all the stories,” Friss explains. “I had
some labor songs, so it’s a really interesting mix.”
That versatility drew Kimball to Strother as a book subject, as did the struggles he endured as a blind Black man in the South born in 1881. One of the things that Kimball hopes to draw attention to are messages in Strother’s songs related to those struggles. For example, in “Thought I
Heard My Banjo Say,” Strother refers to leaving a drinking place by sundown.
“That’s a message,” says Kimball. “He was traveling around in the time when Black people did really have to think about where they were because sundown towns and counties were dangerous for them.”
this kind of close-to-insider’s perspective to see how different and special these places were.”
As a historian, Friss researched bookshops with academic rigor. He drew on a wide variety of sources, from personal diaries and letters to municipal documents and archival collections, to depict the bookshops and booksellers he features in his book. He also includes some personal experiences, writing about Three Lives & Company.
“Having an investment in the subject and being passionate about it can, hopefully, make the work more intimate, personal, full—and enjoyable from the readers’ perspective,” says Friss.
The Bookshop begins in colonial America through to the present day, following the role bookstores have played and continue to play in American culture.
“In many ways, bookstores are more vital than they’ve ever been before as we humans tend to live more insular lives in the 21st century and third spaces become rarer,” says Friss.
Friss hopes to motivate people to take a trip to their local bookstore and visit others when traveling.
“I hope that people will feel inclined to go for a good browse,” Friss says. “Browsing the books can be an almost transcendent experience.”
Recognizing these messages can help listeners contextualize the songs in time and place as well as revealing more about Strother himself. Musician-scholar Corey Harris will join Kimball to pair discussion and music.
“To work with Corey Harris is a real honor for me,” Kimball says. “I’ve admired him as a performer and as a scholar for a long time. He is a continuation of the musicianer tradition that flows through Black music, so I think he will be able to articulate musically a lot of the key ideas in the book.”
“In many ways, bookstores are more vital than they’ve ever been before as we humans tend to live more insular lives in the 21st century and third spaces become rarer.” EVAN FRISS
Gregg D. Kimball
Evan Friss
“I feel really honored,” Jody Hobbs Hesler says of sharing the panel with Sarah LaBrie and Suzanne Scanlon
In Her Own Words: The Power of Women’s Mental Health Narratives
March 22, noon | Jefferson School African American Heritage Center
GENERATIONAL
trauma and mental health are at the forefront in Jody Hobbs Hesler’s novel Without You Here, about a young woman’s journey to reckon with her own mental health after a deeply beloved aunt’s suicide.
“One thing [that inspired my novel] was the story of a friend who was in a difficult marriage,” says Hesler. “She had a history of mental health issues, and she was afraid to leave the marriage because she was afraid her kids would go to her husband because of her mental health history. It was heartbreaking.”
Hesler says it was important to her to “write a story that addressed how, no matter what people are struggling with, they’re still complete and that their love actually still has merit and worth in the world.”
Nonfiction authors
Sarah LaBrie and Suzanne
Scanlon join Hesler on the book festival panel.
LaBrie’s memoir No One Gets to Fall Apart delves into her experiences with depression, her mother’s schizophrenia, and beyond. Scanlon’s Committed: On Meaning and Madwomen chronicles her own experiences in the New York State Psychiatric Institute and what followed.
“I feel really honored,” Hesler says of sharing the panel with LaBrie and Scanlon. She’s just finished reading both of their books, and says they’re “wonderfully written stories of difficult experiences that these women have gone through. And I just hope, in their company, that they feel like my book did service to some of the things where there’s Venn diagram overlap [with my novel’s content] and their experiences.”
Hesler will also participate in The Write Start: Moseley Speed Critique on March 23 at Jefferson-Madison Regional Library Central. Panelists will critique the first hundred words of original work submitted ahead of the session.
Saturday, March 22 7:30pm | Old Cabell Hall
Sunday, March 23 3:30pm |
– Adagio for Strings CARSON – & metaphors
A.D. Carson, rapper, and Patrick Dailey, countertenor (Content Warning: Lyrics include strong language that may not be suitable for all audiences.)
MOZART – Requiem
Clara Rottsolk, soprano, Patrick Dailey, countertenor Gene Stenger, tenor, Andrew Garland, baritone UVA University Singers, Michael Slon, Director
Jody Hobbs Hesler
Sarah Labrie
Suzanne Scanlon Patrick Dailey’s appearance is made possible by the Davidson Guest Artist Fund
CULTURE
MUSIC | ART | BOOKS | FOOD | DRINK
FRIDAY 3/21
STEP IN TIME
A buzz is building around Richmond guitarist and singer-songwriter Jack Stepanian
The young musician has already played several sold-out shows, blending blues and rock with lyrical storytelling that connects with listeners. Pop inflections bridge Stepanian’s sound into laidback listening, and his smooth voice and bluesy guitar riffs carry audiences into contemplative contentment. Wim Tapley & The Cannons and Brave Baby provide opening sets. $16–18, 8pm. The Jefferson Theater, 110 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. jeffersontheater.com
CULTURE STAGES
The Charlottesville Symphony at the University of Virginia
As part of its 50th anniversary season, the Charlottesville Symphony at the University of Virginia offers a pair of what should be gripping and provocative performances.
The program wastes no time in lunging for the heart with Samuel Barber’s wellknown Adagio for Strings. The compact and passionate piece has become a default to reflect the gravity of tragic events since it was first performed, touching listeners’ hearts from an NBC radio studio in New York City in 1938. The piece later accompanied the broadcast announcement of FDR’s death, followed JFK’s funeral, and conductor Leonard Bernstein led a New York Philharmonic performance in Barber’s memory after the composer’s own death.
Completely shifting gears, Music Director Benjamin Rous will play the role of a DJ of sorts as he guides the symphony through “& metaphors,” providing accompaniment to a new work by A.D. Carson, associate professor of hip-hop and the global South at UVA. As this is a world premiere, it’s impossible to guess at the length, the possible interplay between the words and symphonic instrumentation, or even the subject matter. The performance
does come with a content warning of “strong language,” though.
Let’s hope that Carson, as perhaps the best locally known rapping professor since booted Public Enemy member Professor Griff, opts to be less controversial than that other guy.
For the big finish, a heavy hitter: Mozart’s Requiem. The last piece reportedly ever put together by the Salzburg prodigy remained unfinished when he kicked the bucket at age 35. Conflicting accounts cloud the story behind its completion, though it’s generally accepted that a contemporary of Wolfgang, the composer Süssmayr, lent a hand in wrapping it up shortly thereafter, ensuring that late 18th-century audiences were not left hanging.
words
Author Event: Earl Swift. A Same Page Community Read event discussing Chesapeake Requiem: A Year with the Watermen of Tangier Island. Free, 7pm. Northside Library, 705 W. Rio Rd. jmrl.org etc.
Battle Royale Improv. Bent Theatre Improv sets two teams of actors against each other in a battle to see who can get you to laugh the most. Free, 7pm. Three Notch’d Craft Kitchen & Brewery, 520 Second St. SE. threenotchdbrewing.com
Exhibition on Screen: Dawn of Impressionism: Paris, 1874. The spectacular Musée d’Orsay exhibition brings fresh eyes to this extraordinary tale of passion and rebellion. $13–17, 7pm. The Paramount Theater, 215 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. theparamount.net
Scrappy Crafty Hour. Bring your project, grab a cup of tea, and hang out in the library with other stitchers. Free, noon and 5:30pm. The Scrappy Elephant, 1745 Allied St. scrappyelephant.com
Thursday 3/20 music
Berto Sales and Vincent Zorn. A night of wild flamenco rumba and Latin guitar. Free, 7pm. The Bebedero, 201 W. Main St., Downtown Mal. thebebedero.com
Faraway. Brian Franke and Sara Davenport are a married singer-songwriter couple who have played music together for over 10 years. Free, 5pm. Eastwood Farm and Winery, 2531 Scottsville Rd. eastwoodfarmandwinery.com
John D’earth & Friends. Live jazz with a rotating cast of local and national musicians. Free, 10pm. Miller’s Downtown, 109 W. Main St., Downtown Mall. millersdowntown.com
Nefesh Mountain. Beacons album release show. $25–30, 8pm. The Southern Café & Music Hall, 103 S. First St. thesoutherncville.com
Songwriter’s Open Mic. A space for all levels, styles, and ages. Amps and mics provided. Please limit performances to one original song per musician. Come play a tune or just come to listen and support local songwriters. Free, 7pm. Potter’s Craft Cider, 1350 Arrowhead Valley Rd. potterscraftcider.com words
Vineyard Puzzle Hunt. Like an escape room but at a winery. Crack codes and unravel riddles while sampling Charlottesville’s best wine, beer, and cider. Play when you want and go at your own pace. $15, available noon–8pm. Please confirm Eastwood Winery and Potter’s Cider hours beforehand. Eastwood Farm and Winery, 2531 Scottsville Rd. puzzledbee.com
Friday 3/21 music
Hazlett. Indie songwriter born and raised in Australia, now based in Sweden. $22–25, 8pm. The Southern Café and Music Hall, 103 S. First St. thesoutherncville.com
Jack Stepanian. Richmond-based singer-songwriter merges blues and rock guitar with lyrical storytelling. With Wim Tapley & The Cannons and Brave Baby. $16–18, 8pm. The Jefferson Theater, 110 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. jeffersontheater.com
José González. Whether appearing alone with his guitar, with a 20-piece orchestra, or with his band The Brite Lites, González’ performances are never merely shows—they are events. $34–64, 8pm. The Paramount Theater, 215 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. theparamount.net
Ken Farmer & the Authenticators. Fresh originals and vintage covers rooted in classic blues, country, and rock. Free, 6pm. Glass House Winery, 5898 Free Union Rd., Free Union. glasshousewinery.com
Max Johnson Trio. The Charlottesville Jazz Society and WTJU are pleased to present bassist and composer Max Johnson with his new trio, performing jazz, bluegrass, contemporary classical, and improvised music. $20–25, 8pm. The Front Porch, 221 E. Water St. frontporchcville.com
Metal Mayhem. Join us for another night of mosh pit fun featuring Disposed, Cold Cocked, Ten Toes Down, and Die Standing. Free, 8pm. Ace Biscuit & Barbecue, 600 Concord Ave. acebbq.com
Scuffletown. A high-energy acoustic duo performs a unique blend of roots, jazz, world, bluegrass, and original music. Free, 6pm. Chisholm Vineyards at Adventure Farm, 1135 Clan Chisholm Ln., Earlysville. chisholmvineyards.com
Theocles Herrin. Virginia singer-songwriter and loop pedal one-man-band. Free, 5:30pm. Hardware Hills Vineyard, 5199 W. River Rd., Scottsville. hardwarehills.com
March 22 and March 23
As the dramatic and mournful mass for the dead requires four soloists and a choir, the symphony welcomes special guest vocalists soprano Clara Rottsolk, countertenor Patrick Dailey, tenor Gene Stenger, and baritone Andrew Garland, who will be joined by the University Singers to take on those weighty Latin liturgical lyrics. Requiem’s powerful blasts shake walls, beseeching heavenly reception and saving those already in hell. It’s a big ask, but Mozart wasn’t known for halfassing it.—CM Gorey
Landscapes of Retreat. Rosetta S. Elkin, landscape architect and author of Landscapes of Retreat, shares in-depth portraits of climate adaptation. Free, 5pm. Campbell Hall, Room 158, 110 Bayly Dr. arch.virginia.edu
Virginia Festival of the Book. The 31st annual event brings together writers and readers from across the nation to celebrate reading, literature, and books in a series of lively and engaging events. Prices, times, and locations vary. vabook.org classes
Art and Mingle Meet Up. An evening of art, conversation, and new connections at this monthly event designed to help you expand your social circle and unleash your creativity. This month’s activity: acrylic painting. $20, 7pm. Pikasso Swig Craft Bar, 333 Second St. SE. pikassoswig.com
dance
Chilean DJ Dance Event. Live DJs from Chile come to Charlottesville. Free, 9pm. Holly’s Diner, 1221 E. Market St.
stage
A Midsummer Night’s Dream Enter a world of magic, mischief, and romance where fairies, lovers, and fools collide in Shakespeare’s timeless comedy. $20, 8pm. Belmont Arts Collaborative, 221 Carlton Rd. Ste. 3. phoenixtheatreworks.com
The Prom Four Broadway stars are in desperate need of a new stage. When they hear that trouble is brewing around a small-town prom, they know that it’s time to put a spotlight on the issue … and themselves. $10–20, 8pm. Four County Players, 5256 Governor Barbour St., Barboursville. fourcp.org
Wednesday 3/19
music
Berto Sales and Matt Wyatt. Brazilian and Latin jazz treasures to make you smile from the inside out. Free, 7pm. The Bebedero, 201 W. Main St., Downtown Mall. thebebedero.com
Mike Rosensky Trio. Live jazz. Free, 8:30pm. Miller’s Downtown, 109 W. Main St., Downtown Mall. millersdowntown.com
The Wavelength. Vintage rock, jazz, blues, and original tunes for your mid-week boost. Free, 6:30pm. The Whiskey Jar, 227 W. Main St., Downtown Mall. thewhiskeyjarcville.com
dance
Weekly Swing Dance. Beginner-friendly swing dance lessons teaching the Lindy Hop, Charleston, Balboa, and blues. No partner needed. Stay for social dancing after the class. $10, 7pm. The Front Porch , 221 E. Water St. frontporchcville.com
Sola Wood Flower Succulent Workshop. A hands-on class where you’ll learn how to create beautiful arrangements using sola wood flowers. Open to beginners and experienced plant enthusiasts alike. $60, 6pm. Hardware Hills Vineyard, 5199 W. River Rd., Scottsville. hardwarehills.com etc.
Brewery Puzzle Hunt. An escape room meets a pub crawl. Visit the Preston Avenue breweries, crack codes, unravel riddles, and sample Charlottesville’s best brews. Players get $1-off pints at each brewery. $15, noon. Starr Hill Brewery, Dairy Market. puzzledbee.com
The Trip to Bountiful Homesick and determined Carrie Watts sets out on a bus trip pilgrimage to the small town of Bountiful, Texas in this tender and deeply poignant play by one of America’s most celebrated playwrights. $28, 8pm. Live Arts, 123 E. Water St. livearts.org
words
CreativeMornings Charlottesville. A monthly breakfast lecture series for the creative community. Free, 8:30am. Welcome Gallery, 114 Third St. NE. ComeToCharlottesvilleVA.com
Old Cabell Hall
A.D. Carson
Storytime. Join us for a magical storytime adventure where the pages come alive and imagination knows no bounds. Free with admission to the museum. Free, 10:30am. Virginia Discovery Museum, 524 E. Main St. vadm.org
Virginia Festival of the Book. See listing for Thursday, March 20. Prices, times, and locations vary. vabook.org
classes
Paint & Sip: Wildflowers + Wings. Learn a variety of techniques and skills to render a wildflowers and wings scene. $38, 6pm. Potter’s Craft Cider, 1350 Arrowhead Valley Rd. blueridgebrushes.com etc.
Brewery Puzzle Hunt. See listing for Thursday, March 20. $15, noon. Starr Hill Brewery, Dairy Market. puzzledbee.com
Indie short Film Festival. An unforgettable weekend of groundbreaking films, creative workshops, and a vibrant celebration of independent cinema. $15–209, Times and locations vary. indieshortfilmfestival.net
Scrappy Crafty Hour. See listing for Wednesday, March 19. Free, noon. The Scrappy Elephant, 1745 Allied St. scrappyelephant.com
Trivia with Olivia. Get the weekend started with beers and trivia. Free, 6pm. SuperFly Brewing Co., 943 Preston Ave. superflybrewing.com
Vineyard Puzzle Hunt. See listing for Thursday, March 20. $15, available noon–8pm. Please confirm Eastwood Winery and Potter’s Cider hours beforehand. Eastwood Farm and Winery, 2531 Scottsville Rd. puzzledbee.com
Saturday 3/22 music
Berto Sales. Brazilian and Latin guitar to warm your spirit and satisfy your soul. Free, 11am. Tavern & Grocery, 333 W. Main St. tavernandgrocery.com
Charlottesville Symphony. An evening feating Samuel Barber’s “Adagio for Strings,” A.D. Carson’s “& metaphors,” and Wolfgang Amadè Mozart’s “Requiem.” $10–53, 7:30pm. Old Cabell Hall. cvillesymphony.org
Danny Jams. Indie-electronic loop artist combines jam-focused guitar performances over electro-funk rhythms that weave together both songwriting and improv. Free, noon. Keswick Vineyards, 1575 Keswick Winery Dr., Keswick. keswickvineyards.com
Jim O’Ferrell. Acoustic alternative rock and more. Free, 12:30pm. Eastwood Farm and Winery, 2531 Scottsville Rd. eastwoodfarmandwinery.com
José González
Wistful and moving, José González’s soft voice and intricate fingerpicking guitar elevate an otherwise indie rock formula with cavernous echoes of folk, classical, and quiet reflections of pop music. Originally finding some success with the outfit Junip, he has performed and recorded with a steady stream of collaborators ranging from British electro group Zero 7 to his own backing band, The Brite Lites. Yet González’s specialty is serving himself up with mic in face, guitar in lap. Eschewing the potential pitfalls of having to deal with other instruments and egos, he’ll have the stage all to himself at his upcoming date at The Paramount Theater.
While on his own, he has garnered fame for a notably stripped-down cover of The Knife’s synthy “Heartbeats,” which has been streamed upwards of 580 million times (surpassing the original version by leaps and bounds).
“Stay Alive,” along with more of his music, rounded out The Secret Life of Walter Mitty movie soundtrack, bringing further attention his way.
The Paramount Theater March 21
Born to Argentinian parents in Gothenburg, Sweden, where he has long been a staple of the city’s condensed music scene, González’s songs surprise beyond his melodic vocals and acoustic dexterity. For a third-language English speaker (he sometimes writes lyrics in Spanish and Swedish, too), his words evoke an honest poetic sensibility that the best intentions can’t ape and money can’t buy. Simple, straightforward, and with a plain beauty, he manages to construct worlds that are easy to dream yourself into without first being forced to complete a master’s degree in English lit.
Take this “Crosses” excerpt from his debut solo album Veneer (2003): “Crosses all over the boulevard / The streets outside your window / Overflooded / People staring / They know you’ve been broken / Repeatedly reminded / By the looks on their faces / Ignore them tonight and you’ll be alright.”
While his own bio name-checks fellow deep songsmith dreamers Nick Drake, Paul Simon, and Elliot Smith, González’s approach to his instrument and voice produce a stunning resonance that bears little resemblance to anyone else.—CM Gorey
Mirabelle and Matty. Genre-defying, decadespanning music for all ages and any occasion. Free, 2:30pm. Albemarle CiderWorks, 2545 Rural Ridge Ln., North Garden. albemarleciderworks.com
Pat Anderson. This Oklahoma-born, Virginia-raised singer-songwriter is a real roots rocker. Free, 2pm. DuCard Vineyards, 40 Gibson Hollow Ln., Etlan. ducardvineyards.com
Perennial Collection. Dynamic vocal harmonies and jazz-infused arrangements to please the ear and move your feet. Featuring female-led vocal covers of R&B, soul, hip-hop, and jazz. Free, 5pm.
STAGES CULTURE
Glass House Winery, 5898 Free Union Rd., Free Union. glasshousewinery.com
Pop Punk Party. Featuring Padfoot, Killer Feels, Roaming Eyes, and maybe more. Free, 8pm. Ace Biscuit & Barbecue, 600 Concord Ave. acebbq.com
Stillhouse Sound. Covers of soulful rock classics and modern hits. Free, 5pm. Eastwood Farm and Winery, 2531 Scottsville Rd. eastwoodfarmandwinery.com
Three Notch’d Road Baroque Ensemble. Presenting Haydn’s Lenten masterpiece The Seven Last Words of Christ, performed on period instruments.
FRIDAY 3/21 THROUGH SUNDAY 3/23
SHORT SHOTS
Whether you’re a fan of films or a filmmaker yourself (we know there’s a lot of local talent in the cinemascape), the 2025 Indie Short Film Festival brings plenty for movie-lovers. Following the success of last year’s inaugural event, the festival returns with screenings, workshops, panel discussions, and an awards ceremony across five downtown venues. More than 80 internationally produced short films make up the screening slate, with opportunities for attendees to vote on festival awards. A new highlight this year is a cinematography workshop led by an acclaimed industry professional, offering an opportunity to gain hands-on experience and insights into the artistry of shot selection. Prices, times, and locations vary. indieshortfilmfestival.net
Virginia Man x Waasi. An emotional folk-and-roll band with poetic lyrics bellowing over the sounds of middle Appalachia. With local independent hip-hop artist Waasi. $16–18, 7:30pm. The Southern Café & Music Hall, 103 S. First St. thesoutherncville.com West of Wyatt. Get groovy with this dynamic duo delivering a jazzy, soulful sound. Free, 5:30pm. Potter’s Craft Cider, 1350 Arrowhead Valley Rd. potterscraftcider.com
dance
Ballroom Dance. The class for this month is the Samba, taught by Sam Umbaugh. Beginners welcome. No partner required. Come for the class and stay for the social dance. Pay at the door, cash or checks only. $5–10, 7pm. The Center, 540 Belvedere Blvd. thecentercville.org
Can’t Feel My Face 2010s Dance Party. Fire DJs and 2010s visuals that will transport you back to the decade defined by memes and selfies. Ages 18+. $15–20, 9pm. The Jefferson Theater, 110 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. jeffersontheater.com
Swan Lake & The Firebird. Experience two timeless classics in one unforgettable ballet performance of breathtaking dance and storytelling that will captivate audiences of all ages. $20–75, 11am and 3pm. Martin Luther King Jr. Performing Arts Center, 1400 Melbourne Rd. charlottesvilleballet.org
stage
A Midsummer Night’s Dream See listing for Friday, March 21. $20, 8pm. Belmont Arts Collaborative, 221 Carlton Rd. Ste. 3. phoenixtheatreworks.com
CULTURE TO-DO LIST
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 29
Saturday 3/22
Chinafest. Immerse yourself in a night of vibrant performances and cultural celebration, featuring Chinese fan dance, wushu martial arts, live music, modern dance performances, a video skit, and free food. Free, 3pm. Burley Middle School, 901 Rose Hill Dr. arts.virginia.edu
The Prom See listing for Friday, March 21. $10–20, 8pm. Four County Players, 5256 Governor Barbour St., Barboursville. fourcp.org
The Trip to Bountiful. See listing for Friday, March 21. $28, 8pm. Live Arts, 123 E. Water St. livearts.org
words
Virginia Festival of the Book. See listing for Thursday, March 20. Prices, times, and locations vary. vabook.org
classes
Crochet for Beginners. Learn the basics of crochet. Leave with a bamboo crochet hook and a small crocheted washcloth. Ages 12+. $25, noon. The Scrappy Elephant, 1745 Allied St. scrappyelephant.com
Learn to Knit. Learn the basics of knitting. No experience needed. Leave with a pair of knitting needles, the beginning of a scarf, and enough yarn to finish it. Ages 12+. $25, 10am. The Scrappy Elephant, 1745 Allied St. scrappyelephant.com
Upcycled Journal Making and Beginning Book Binding. Put together a journal using up-
cycled items such as fabric, paper, cardboard, and string. Ages 12+. $45, 3pm. The Scrappy Elephant, 1745 Allied St. scrappyelephant.com etc.
A Tribute to Nikki Giovanni. Virginia Humanities’ Virginia Center for the Book will proudly honor Nikki Giovanni’s legacy with an evening of dance, music, poetry, and prose. Free, 7pm. The Paramount Theater, 215 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. theparamount.net
Brewery Puzzle Hunt. See listing for Thursday, March 20. $15, noon. Starr Hill Brewery, Dairy Market. puzzledbee.com
Charlottesville Ten Miler. Celebrate the 50th running of this iconic race that provides support to nonprofit organizations in Charlottesville and neighboring counties. Free, 7:15am. Scott Stadium, 1815 Stadium Rd. villetenmiler.com
Vineyard Puzzle Hunt. See listing for Thursday, March 20. $15, available noon–8pm. Please confirm Eastwood Winery and Potter’s Cider hours beforehand. Eastwood Farm and Winery, 2531 Scottsville Rd. puzzled.com
Sunday 3/23 music
Charlottesville Symphony. An afternoon feating Samuel Barber’s “Adagio for Strings,” A.D. Carson’s “& metaphors,” and Wolfgang Amadè Mozart’s “Requiem.” $10–53, 3:30pm. Martin Luther King Jr. Performing Arts Center, 1400 Melbourne Rd. cvillesymphony.org
FRIDAY 3/21 THROUGH SATURDAY 4/12
HOMEWARD BOUND
Penned by Horton Foote—famous for his adaptation of To Kill a Mockingbird, and considered one of the premier American playwrights—The Trip to Bountiful presents an engaging and affective narrative exploring place, nostalgia, and one’s sense of self. The elderly Carrie Watts lives in a cramped apartment with her work-worn middle-aged son and his overbearing wife. Watts longs to return to her beloved hometown of Bountiful, Texas, before she dies, and hatches a plan to escape her domestic confines by bus. But as her trip progresses, Watts begins to discover the truth behind the phrase, “you can’t go home again.” Prices and times vary. Live Arts, 123 E. Water St. livearts.org
Gina Sobel. A natural improviser and accomplished musician on multiple instruments brings together elements of funk, jazz, and American folk music into a fresh and compelling sound. Free, 2pm. DuCard Vineyards, 40 Gibson Hollow Ln., Etlan. ducardvineyards.com
Heidi Riddell. Virginia-based singer-songwriter performs contemporary Christian and gospel music. Free, 1pm. Eastwood Farm and Winery, 2531 Scottsville Rd. eastwoodfarmandwinery.com
Music Open Mic. Open to musicians of all ages and styles. Two songs or 10 minutes, whichever comes first. P.A. and microphone provided. Hosted by Theocles. Free, 5pm. The Southern Café & Music Hall, 103 S. First St. thesoutherncville.com
Scuffletown. A unique blend of originals, roots, and high-energy music. Free, 2pm. DuCard Vineyards, 40 Gibson Hollow Ln., Etlan. ducardvineyards.com
Sunday Jazz Jam. Live jazz featuring local, regional, and national musicians improvising with friends and strangers. Free, 6pm. Miller’s Downtown, 109 W. Main St., Downtown Mall. millersdowntown.com
Three Notch’d Road Baroque Ensemble. Three Notch’d Road closes its season with Haydn’s Lenten masterpiece The Seven Last Words of Christ, performed on period instruments. $30, 4pm. Grace Episcopal Church, 5607 Gordonsville Rd., Keswick. tnrbaroque.org
dance
Beginner-Intermediate Salsa Classes. Beginner-intermediate salsa classes. No partner needed. Proficiency with the basic, turning, and partner connection required. Discounts available for multiple classes. $10, 5pm. The Dance Connection, 109 Second St. SE.
BRIMS Ceol and Ceili. A benefit for the Rivanna Area Queer Center. Enjoy live reels, jigs, and polkas for dancing. All dances will be taught and called. No experience needed, all ages welcome. Free, 3pm. Potter’s Craft Cider, 1350 Arrowhead Valley Rd. potterscraftcider.com
Intermediate-Beginner Bachata Classes. Intermediate-beginner bachata classes. No partner required. Proficiency with the basic, turning, and partner connection required. $10, 5:30pm. The Dance Connection, 109 Second St. SE. stage
A Midsummer Night’s Dream See listing for Friday, March 21. $20, 2pm. Belmont Arts Collaborative, 221 Carlton Rd. Ste. 3. phoenixtheatreworks.com
Golden Girls: The Laughs Continue Relive the heartfelt hilarity of four ladies who never stopped being your friends. Mature themes. Ages 18+. $38–102, 3pm. The Paramount Theater, 215 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. theparamount.net
The Prom. See listing for Friday, March 21. $10–20, 2:30pm. Four County Players, 5256 Governor Barbour St., Barboursville. fourcp.org
words
Virginia Festival of the Book. See listing for Thursday, March 20. Prices, times, and locations vary. vabook.org classes
Getting to Know and Maintain your Machine. An orientation to sewing machines and how to maintain them. Bring your own machine and instruction manual to class, and we’ll walk through the basic steps to get you sewing. Ages 12+. $20, 11am. The Scrappy Elephant, 1745 Allied St. scrappyelephant.com
Macrame Rainbows. Learn how to make beautiful rainbow ornaments and magnets. Open to all skill levels. Ages 10+. $25, 2pm. The Scrappy Elephant, 1745 Allied St. scrappyelephant.com
Spring Blooms Watercolor Workshop: Peony and Shadows. A beginner-friendly watercolor workshop focusing on capturing light and shadow. Ages 15+. $35, 2pm. The Scrappy Elephant, 1745 Allied St. scrappyelephant.com etc.
Beyond The Book Karaoke. You can sing anything found on YouTube. Hosted by Lex and Jessie. Let’s get weird. Free, 8pm. The Southern Café & Music Hall, 103 S. First St. thesouthern cville.com
Brewery Puzzle Hunt. See listing for Thursday, March 20. $15, noon. Starr Hill Brewery, Dairy Market. puzzledbee.com
Vineyard Puzzle Hunt. See listing for Thursday, March 20. $15, available noon–8pm. Please confirm Eastwood Winery and Potter’s Cider hours beforehand. Eastwood Farm and Winery, 2531 Scottsville Rd. puzzledbee.com
WTJU Family Radio Day. Bring the family for a peek into WTJU’s broadcast studios. Kids experiment with sound equipment, enjoy a radio themed storytime, and participate in a MIMA led activity. Free, 10am. WTJU 91.1 FM, 2244 Ivy Rd. wtju.net
Monday 3/24
etc.
Comedy Open Mic. Showcase your talent, try out new material, and take in the best local comedy that Charlottesville has to offer. Hosted by Chris Alan. Ages 18+. Free, 7pm. The Southern Café & Music Hall, 103 S. First St. thesoutherncville.com
Trivia on Tap. Five rounds of themed trivia for teams of up to six competitors. Hosted by Olivia. Reservations recommended. Free, 7pm. Three Notch’d Craft Kitchen & Brewery - Charlottesville, 520 Second St. SE. threenotchdbrewing.com
Tuesday 3/25
music
Making Noise in the Library: The Hard Modes. The Hard Modes perform video game music arrangements, employing improvisational melodies, modern jazz harmonies, and rhythmic twists. Registration required. Free, 4pm. Clemons Library, 164 McCormick Rd. music.virginia.edu
Vincent Zorn. Lively flamenco rumba with a unique percussive technique that incorporates a diverse range of strumming styles, rhythms, and taps. Free, 7pm. The Bebedero, 201 W. Main St., Downtown Mall. thebebedero.com
words
An Evening with Angela Davis. The Legal Aid Justice Center presents a rare opportunity to hear from one of the most influential activists and scholars of our time. Registration required. Free, 6:30pm. The Paramount Theater, 215 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. theparamount.net
classes
Guitar Jam. Learn improv techniques and jam with fellow guitarists. BYOG highly encouraged. Free, 7pm. Northside Library, 705 W. Rio Rd. jmrl.org
etc.
Geeks Who Drink Trivia. Good trivia, good times. Teams of two to six people can compete to win prizes like gift certificates and pint glasses, plus bragging rights. Free, 7pm. Firefly, 1304 E. Market St. fireflycville.com
The Run Club. Do a 5K run, then drink beer. $1-off pints for runners. Free, 6pm. Decipher Brewing, 1740 Broadway St.
EXTRA CULTURE
Long overdue
New book details the artistic life and brutal death of Michael Stewart
BY JAMES
SANFORD
The New York Daily News once called it “The death that won’t die.”
On September 14, 1983, Michael Stewart, a 25-yearold artist and DJ, was taken into custody by a transit officer who claimed Stewart was graffitiing a subway wall. Half an hour after his arrest, Stewart arrived at Bellevue Hospital hogtied, severely bruised, not breathing, and with no pulse. He died 13 days later, setting in motion a case that made headlines for the next three years and inspired tributes from artists such as Keith Haring and Jean-Michel Basquiat. It also made a lasting impact on filmmaker Spike Lee, who used Stewart as the inspiration for Radio Raheem, the character whose killing serves as the pivotal incident in his 1989 film, Do the Right Thing. (Lee went on to dedicate the film to Stewart and other victims of police violence.)
Stewart is the subject of Elon Green’s new book, The Man Nobody Killed: Life, Death and Art in Michael Stewart’s New York.
The circumstances surrounding Stewart’s death sparked protests and raised questions about police brutality, particularly with regard to people of color. “Usually, cases like that didn’t go anywhere, you know?” says Green, speaking by phone from his home in New York. “If they went to a grand jury, they usually didn’t result in an indictment … the fact that there was even as much fallout from it, I think contributed to the reason that it was occasionally national news—because the idea of the police, even the prospect of the police facing some kind of penalty for this, was highly unusual.”
Stewart was assaulted in the subway and again in Union Square—the police claimed he had attempted to run away. Eleven officers surrounded Stewart and “in full view of dozens of freshmen at the Parsons School of Design, he’s beaten into a coma,” Green says.
In the early 1980s, Stewart had been a familiar figure around New York’s Lower East Side, frequenting nightspots like The Roxy
Hotel, Danceteria, and the Pyramid Club, where he had worked. He modeled for avant-garde designer Dianne Brill and collaborated with stylist/producer Maripol. He can clearly be seen as one of the dancers in Madonna’s first video, “Everybody.”
“He was getting somewhere, he was known,” says Green. “He was someone with a great deal of potential.”
Stewart originally came to Green’s attention unexpectedly around 2022. “I hate to say this, but it was really stumbling on this Wikipedia entry,” Green says. The entry was filled with so many famous names, he thought there must be books written about Stewart. “And then I was super shocked to find out that there hadn’t been,” says Green.
The author’s research began with calls to some of the student witnesses. “They all said some version of, like, ‘What took so long?’” Green says. “I would find out that everybody who had some involvement in the case, whether as a witness, or an attorney, or even the judge … they’d been waiting almost 40 years for someone to ask them. And that’s a very lucky position for a journalist to be in.”
Elon Green will discuss The Man Nobody Killed: Life, Death and Art in Michael Stewart’s New York on March 22 as part of the Virginia Festival of the Book. C
SUDOKU
ACROSS
52. Approve of
55. Like a Dickensian Dodger
59. Word from Watson
60. Wage increase
63. Knit’s reverse
64. Disney film featuring light cycles
65. Formally gave up
66. Office bldg. division
67. Garden pest
68. Those, in Quito
DOWN
1. Wide smile
2. Cube master Rubik
22. Aspiring attys. exams 25. “Grumpy Old Men” actor Davis 26. Vintner ’s valley 29. Cut short 32. Emanation of a sor t 33. Apelike
34. Record store purchases
37. ___ chi
38. IRS payment
39. “Have I Got News For You” network
40. “That meme is funny”
41. Bad ___, Germany
42. Expressed a view
44. “Sisters” actress Ward
45. Words associated with Lincoln
47. Rowing team
48. Sprawling estate
50. “Oscar of the Internet” since 1995
3. Like some furniture
4. Difficult chores
5. Dandy
6. Hoppy brew
7. Answer to the joke “Mr. Freud, what’s between fear and sex?”
8. Not docked
9. Reed player
10. Popular read
11. Former Chinese premier Zhou ___
12. Ram’s mate
15. Prescription info
17. Messaging service with between 2-3 billion unique accounts worldwide
21. Fabric store that’s closing all locations in 2025
23. Drag per former Mattel
24. Addition result
26. Sticky ___
FREE WILL ASTROLOGY FOR FUN
By Rob Brezsny Aries
(March 21-April 19): Ancient Rome’s emperor Julius Caesar undertook a radical move to fix the calendar, which had become increasingly inaccurate as the centuries passed. He added three months to the year 46 BCE, which as a result was 445 days long. I’m thinking that 2025 might seem equally long for you, Aries. Your destiny may feel like it’s taking forever to unfold. APRIL FOOL! I totally lied. In fact, I think 2025 will be one of your briskest, crispest years ever. Your adventures will be spiced with alacrity. Your efforts will be efficient and expeditious. You may sometimes be amazed at how swiftly progress unfolds.
Taurus
(April 20-May 20): Guilt and fear are always useless distractions from what’s really happening. Right? APRIL FOOL! The fact is that on rare occasions, being anxious can motivate you to escape from situations that your logical mind says are tolerable. And guilt may compel you to take the right action when nothing else will. This is one time when your guilt and fear can be valuable assets.
Gemini
(May 21-June 20): The German word Flüsterwitze means “whisper jokes.” These jests make taboo references and need to be delivered with utmost discretion. They may include the mockery of authority figures. Dear Gemini, I recommend that you suppress your wicked satire and uproarious sarcasm for a while and stick to whisper jokes. APRIL FOOL! I lied. The truth is that the world needs your outspokenness. Your ability to call out hypocrisies and expose corruption— especially with humor and wit—will keep everyone as honest as they need to be..
Cancer
(June 21-July 22): In the lead-up to the Parishosted 2024 Summer Olympics, the iconic Eiffel Tower was repainted gold. This was a departure from tradition, as the usual colors had been brown on the bottom and red on the top. The $60-million job took 25 painters 18 months. I recommend that you undertake an equally monumental task in the coming months, Cancerian. APRIL FOOL! I lied. In fact, I do hope you undertake a monumental task—but one that’s more substantive than changing the surfaces of things. Like revisioning your life story, for example—reinterpreting your past and changing the way it informs your future. I think you are ready to purge inessential elements and exorcize old ghosts as you prepare for a re-launch around your birthday.
Leo
(July 23-Aug. 22): When I worked on the Duke University grounds crew years ago, I did everything I was assigned as quickly as possible. Then I would hide in the bushes, taking un-
(Feb. 19-March 20): Some systems and situations improve and thrive in response to stress and errors. Indeed, some things *need* strain or irregularity to be fully healthy. For example, human bodies require a certain amount of stress to develop a resistance to infection. In reading the astrological omens, I conclude you now need stimulation like that. APRIL FOOL! I lied. Here’s the
PISCES
truth: August of 2025 will be a great time for you to harvest the benefits of benevolent stress. But for now, your forte will be
the capacity to avoid and resist stress, confusion, and errors.
authorized breaks for an hour or two, so I could read books I loved. Was that unethical? Maybe. But the fact is, I would never have been able to complete my assigned tasks unless I allowed myself relaxation retreats. If there is an equivalent situation in your life, Leo, I urge you to do as I did. APRIL FOOL! I half-lied. The truth is that I think you should be a little less extravagant than I was—but only a little—as you create the spaciousness and slack you need.
Virgo
(Aug. 23-Sept. 22): In his film Fitzcarraldo, Virgo director Werner Herzog tells an epic story. It includes the task of hauling a 320ton steamship up a hill and over land, moving it from one river to another. Herzog could have relied on special effects to simulate this almost impossible project, but he didn’t. With a system of pulleys and a potent labor force, he made it happen. I urge you to try your equivalent of Herzog’s heroic conquest, Virgo. You will be able to summon more power and help than you can imagine. APRIL FOOL! I half-lied. While it’s true that you will be able to summon more power and help than you can imagine, I still think you should at least partially rely on the equivalent of special effects.
Libra
(Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Researchers discovered that Egyptian fruit bats engage in extensive communication with each other while nesting in their roosts. Surprisingly, they talk about their problems a lot. In fact, they quarrel 60 percent of the time. Areas of disagreement include food allocation, positions within the sleep cluster, and males initiating unwanted mating moves. Let’s make these bats your power
creatures. The astrological omens say it’s time for you to argue more than you have ever argued. APRIL FOOL! I was not entirely truthful. The coming weeks will be a good time to address disagreements and settle disputes, but hopefully through graceful means, not bitter arguing.
Scorpio
(Oct. 23-Nov.21): Unlike many modern poets, Scorpio-born Alice Notley rejects the notion that she must be part of any poetic lineage. She aspires “to establish or continue no tradition except one that literally can’t exist— the celebration of the singular thought sung at a particular instant in a unique voice.” She has also written, “It’s necessary to maintain a state of disobedience against everything.” She describes her work as “an immense act of rebellion against dominant social forces.”
I invite you to enjoy your own version of a Notley-like phase, Scorpio. APRIL FOOL! I lied. In fact, I encourage you to enjoy a Notley-like phase beginning May 1. But for now, I invite you to be extra attentive in cultivating all the ways you can benefit from honoring your similarities and connections with others.
Sagittarius
(Nov. 22-Dec.21): The Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) is a standardized test that many American high school students take to prove their worth to colleges. The highest possible score is achieved by fewer than one percent of test-takers. We might imagine that earning such a premium grade must guarantee admission to any school, but it doesn’t. During one five-year period, for example, Stanford University rejected 69 percent of applicants with the highest possible score. I’m sorry to predict that a comparable experi-
ence might be ahead for you, Sagittarius. Even if you are your best and brightest self, you may be denied your rightful reward. APRIL FOOL! I totally lied. Here’s my real, true prediction: In the coming weeks, I believe you will be your best and brightest self—and will win your rightful reward.
Capricorn
(Dec. 22-Jan. 19): The visible part of an iceberg is typically just 10 percent of its total size. Most is hidden beneath the sea’s surface. References to “the tip of the iceberg” have become a staple metaphor in many cultures, signifying situations that are not what they seem. Of all the zodiac tribes, Scorpios are renowned for their expertise in discerning concealed agendas and missing information. The rest of us tend to be far less skillful. APRIL FOOL! I fibbed. These days, you Capricorns are even more talented than Scorpios at looking beyond the obvious and becoming aware of the concealed roots and full context.
Aquarius
(Jan. 20-Feb. 18): In the coming weeks, I advise you to be like the 19th-century poet Emily Dickinson. She lived in quiet seclusion, corresponding through letters instead of socializing. She seemed content to write her poems all alone in her home and be unconcerned about trying to get them published. APRIL FOOL! I lied. Here’s my real horoscope: Now is a highly favorable time for you to schmooze with intensity at a wide range of social occasions, both to get all the educational prods you need and to advance your ambitions.
Expanded weekly audio horoscopes and daily text message horoscopes: RealAstrology.com, (877) 873-4888
CLASSIFIEDS
DEADLINE
SIZES AVAILABLE
PRICING
Community & MISC. Notices
Legals
Email
classifieds.c-ville.com
SOUL FOOD JOINT, LLC
200 W. Water Street, Charlottesville, VA 22902
The above establishment is applying to the VIRGINIA ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE CONTROL (ABC) AUTHORITY
for a restaurant or caterer wine, beer, mixed beverages consumed on and off the premises license to sell or manufacture alcholic beverages
Shaun Jenkins, Owner
NOTE: Objections to the issuance of this license must be Submitted to ABC no later than 30 days from the publishing date of the first of two required newspaper legal notices. Objections should be registered at www.abc.virginia.gov or 800-552-3200.
VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE COUNTY OF ALBEMARLE
IN RE:
ESTATE OF ROBERT E. YOUNG Civil Action No. SHOW CAUSE ORDER AGAINST DISTRIBUTION
It is ordered that the creditors of, and all other persons interested in the above estate show cause, if they can, on the 11th day of April, 2025, at 9:00 a.m. before this Court at its courtroom, against payment and delivery of the estate to the distributees without requiring refunding bonds.
It is further ordered that the foregoing portion of this order be published once a week for two successive weeks in Cville Weekly, a newspaper published in Charlottesville, Virginia (Albemarle County), it appearing that a report of the accounts of Neal L. Walters, Administrator of the estate, and of the debts and demands against the estate has been filed in the Clerk’s Office, and that six months have elapsed since qualification as Administrator.
Entered: Cheryl V. Higgins Judge
Date: 3/11/2025
WE ASK FOR THIS:
Neal Walters, Esq. (VSB No. 32048)
Melissa T. Markiewicz, Esq. (VSB No. 39990)
Scott I Kroner, PLC 418 East Water Street
P.O. Box 2737
Charlottesville, VA 22902
Telephone (434) 296-2161
Fax (434) 293-2073 nwalters@scottkroner.com mmarkiewicz@scottkroner.com Counsel for the Administrator
Complainant v. NELSON R. DAVIS,
ERLINE DAVIS, aka EARLENE ELIZABETH DAVIS,
SHIRLEY RAGLAND, deceased, JANICE M. BARBOUR, EDDIE J. BARBOUR, deceased, KAREN L. JACKSON, deceased, CLARK JACKSON, aka
JAMES CLARK JACKSON, deceased, LINWOOD N. DAVIS, JR., aka LYNWOOD N. DAVIS, JR., CHRISTIE DAVIS, aka CHRISTY DA VIS, aka KRISTI ANN DAVIS,
Case No. CL24-1463
and any other heirs, devisees, personal representatives, successors, or assigns, if any, of Shirley Ragland, Eddie J. Barbour, Karen L. Jackson, Clark Jackson, aka James Clark Jackson, and any other named Respondents, as they may appear, proceeded against herein as PARTIES UNKNOWN,
Respondents
ORDER OF PUBLICATION
The object of this suit is to effect a judicial sale of certain real property, reportedly containing 7.57 acres, more or less, and designated as Tax Map Parcel No. 03400-0000-008300, and which is being assessed on the tax records of the County of Albemarle, Virginia in the name of Shirley Ragland or Nelson R. Davis, et al., in order to subject such property to the lien thereon for delinquent real estate taxes.
It appearing from the Complaint and by the Affidavit filed according to law that the Complainant has used due diligence to ascertain all of the owners of the subject property but has been unable to do so and that there are or may be persons unknown who claim or may claim an interest in the property, namely the heirs, devisees, personal representatives, successors, or assigns in and to the title and interest of Shirley Ragland, Eddie J. Barbour, Karen L. Jackson, Clark Jackson, aka James Clark Jackson, and any other named respondent.
It is therefore ORDERED that the heirs, devisees, personal representatives, successors, or assigns in and to the title and interest of Shirley Ragland, Eddie J. Barbour, Karen L. Jackson, Clark Jackson, aka James Clark Jackson, and any other named respondent, as they may appear, proceeded against herein as “Parties Unknown,’’ appear on or before March 29, 2025, and take such action as they deem appropriate to protect any interests they may have in the abovedescribed property.
It is further ORDERED that the foregoing portion of this Order be published once a week for two consecutive weeks in the C-Ville Weekly, that a copy hereof be posted on the door of the Courthouse and that a copy be mailed to the last known address, if any, of the Respondents.
The Clerk is hereby directed to send this Order to the C-Ville Weekly by email to sarah@c-ville.com and to make the aforementioned posting and mailings. Endorsement of parties and counsel of record is dispensed with for good cause shown including the nature of these proceedings, the relief granted, and the time and expense associated with acquiring said endorsement.
ENTER: Cheryl V. Higgins DATE: 2/20/2025
I ASK FOR THIS:
JONATHAN T. WREN, VSB #40304 MARTINWREN, P.C.
400 Locust Avenue, Suite 1 Charlottesville, Virginia 22902 (434) 817-3100 (phone) (434) 817-3110 (fax) wren@martinwrenlaw.com (email) Counsel for the County of Albemarle
VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE COUNTY OF ALBEMARLE
COUNTY OF ALBEMARLE, Complainant v Case No. CL24-1462
HELEN V.S. DUDLEY, aka HELEN V. DUDLEY, TRUSTEE UNDER THE HELEN V.S. DUDLEY LIVING TRUST. DATED DECEMBER 21, 2004. believed deceased, GARY ALAN DUDLEY,
and any heirs, devisees, personal representatives, successors, or assigns, if any, of Helen V.S. Dudley, as Trustee under the Helen V .S. Dudley Living Trust dated December 21, 2004, or otherwise, or Gary Alan Dudley, and any other Respondent, as they may appear, proceeded against herein as PARTIES UNKNOWN, Respondents
ORDER OF PUBLICATION
The object of this suit is to effect a judicial sale of certain real property, reportedly containing 5.72 acres, more or less, and designated as Tax Map Parcel No. 054B0-00-00-01100, and which is being assessed on the tax records of the County of Albemarle, Virginia in the narne of Helen V.S. Dudley, Trustee, or her successor(s) in trust, under the Helen V.S. Dudley Living Trust dated December 21, 2004, and any amendments thereto, in order to subject such property to the lien thereon for delinquent real estate taxes.
It appearing from the Complaint and by the Affidavit filed according to law that the Complainant has used due diligence to ascertain all of the owners of the subject property but has been unable to do so and that there are or may be persons unknown who claim or may claim an interest m the property, namely the heirs, devisees, personal representatives, successors, or assigns in and to the title and interest of Helen V.S. Dudley, Trustee, or her successor(s) in trust, under the Helen V.S. Dudley Living Trust dated December 21, 2004. and any amendments thereto.
It is therefore ORDERED that the heirs, devisees. personal representatives, successors, or assigns in and to the title and interest of Helen V.S. Dudley, Trustee, or her successor(s) in trust, under the Helen V.S. Dudley Living Trust dated December 21. 2004, and any amendments thereto, as they may appear, proceeded against herein as ‘’Parties Unknown,” appear on or before March 29, 2025, and take such action as they deem appropriate to protect any interests they may have in the above-described property.
It is further ORDERED that the foregoing portion of this Order be published once a week for two consecutive weeks in the C-Ville Weekly, that a copy hereof be posted on the door of the Courthouse and that a copy be mailed to the last known address, if any, of the Respondents.
The Clerk is hereby directed to send this Order to the C-Ville Weekly by email to sarah@c-ville.com and to make the aforementioned posting and mailings.
Endorsement of parties and counsel of record is dispensed with for good cause shown including the nature of these proceedings, the relief granted, and the time and expense associated with acquiring said endorsement.
And this cause is continued.
I ASK FOR THIS:
JONATHAN T. WREN, VSB #40304
MARTINWREN, P.C.
400 Locust Avenue, Suite 1
Charlottesville, Virginia 22902
(434) 817-3100 (phone) (434) 817-3110 (fax) wren@martinwrenlaw.com (email) Counsel for the County of Albemarle
ENTER: Cheryl V. Higgins
DATE: 2/20/2025
VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE COUNTY OF ALBEMARLE
COUNTY OF ALBEMARLE, Complainant
v. Case No. CL24-1456
MINGDAR HSIEH, believed deceased,
and any heirs, devisees, personal representatives, successors, or assigns, if any, of Mingdar Hsieh, as they may appear, proceeded against herein as PARTIES UNKNOWN, Respondents
ORDER OF PUBLICATION
The object of this suit is to effect a judicial sale of certain real property, reportedly containing 6.41 acres, more or less, and designated as Tax Map Parcel No. 060G0-00-00-00500, and which is being assessed on the tax records of the County of Albemarle, Virginia in the name of Mingdar Hsieh, in order to subject such property to the lien thereon for delinquent real estate taxes.
It appearing from the Complaint and by the Affidavit filed according to law that the Complainant has used due diligence to ascertain all of the owners of the subject property but has been unable to do so and that there are or may be persons unknown who claim or may claim an interest in the property, namely the heirs, devisees, personal representatives, successors, or assigns in and to the title and interest of Mingdar Hsieh.
HIRING
It is therefore ORDERED that heirs, devisees, personal representatives, successors, or assigns in and to the title and interest of Mingdar Hsieh, as they may appear, proceeded against herein as “Parties Unknown,” appear on or before March 29, 2025, and take such action as they deem appropriate to protect any interests they may have in the above-described property.
It is further ORDERED that the foregoing portion of this Order be published once a week for two consecutive weeks in the C-Ville Weekly, that a copy hereof be posted on the door of the Courthouse and that a copy be mailed to the last known address, if any, of the Respondents.
$48k-$56k Support Professionals per hour eager to hear from candidates who share our passion the community for the positions.
The Clerk is hereby directed to send this Order to the C-Ville Weekly by email to sarah@c-ville.com and to make the aforementioned posting and mailings.
Endorsement of parties and counsel of record is dispensed with for good cause shown including the nature of these proceedings, the relief granted, and the time and expense associated with acquiring said endorsement. And this cause is continued.
ENTER: Cheryl V. Higgins
DATE: 2/20/2025
I ASK FOR THIS:
JONATHAN T. WREN, VSB #40304 MARTINWREN, P.C.
400 Locust Avenue, Suite 1 Charlottesville, Virginia 22902
(434)817-3100 (phone) (434)817-3110 (fax) wren@martinwrenlaw.com (email) Counsel for the County of Albemarle
Offering competitive compensation, paid training, and - for full time staff - an attractive benefits package including paid leave, health, dental & vision insurance, as well as life & long-term disability insurance.
P.S. FOR A GOOD DAY, CALL...
My ideal day in Charlottesville would start around 8:30am with breakfast on the mountain at Tip Top. French toast, coffee, and my best friends. After breakfast we’d walk off all that goodness with a beautiful and easy stroll on the Saunders-Monticello Trail. Then we would need Smoothie King in the Barracks Road Shopping Center to get us ready for an afternoon of shopping! My sister, my mom, my friend Missy, and I would do a marathon shopping experience looking for all the best deals—Michaels, Loft, The Virginia Shop, and pretty much any store that had a sale sign in the window. Then to the Downtown Mall at New Dominion Bookshop, J. Fenton Too, Rock Paper Scissors, Lynne Goldman Elements … too many to mention. After shopping we would visit The Whiskey Jar to top off the day with one of their amazing French dip sandwiches—the best in town!
