THIS AUTUMN, ‘FALL’ FOR CHARLOTTESVILLE AND ALBEMARLE COUNTY
It's all about music, harvest and innovation with staple festivals and events!
The Charlottesville Albemarle Convention & Visitors Bureau (CACVB) invites visitors and locals alike to enjoy a multitude of festivals and events in our area this fall.
Celebrate the harvest and the legacy of revolutionary gardener Thomas Jefferson at the 7th annual Heritage Harvest Festival at Monticello, September 6 & 7. Thomas Jefferson, America’s “First Foodie,” championed vegetable cuisine, plant experimentation and sustainable agriculture. Taste a bounty of heirloom fruits and vegetables and learn about organic gardening and seed-saving during this fun, affordable, family-friendly festival — unlike any other — held on the breathtaking West Lawn of Jefferson’s Monticello. Your general admission ticket includes workshops & lectures with dozens of experts, heirloom vegetable and fruit tastings, chef demonstrations from our booming local food scene and a “Seed Swap”, with advice from expert seeds savers. More information can be found at http://heritageharvestfestival.com/.
Music lovers will not want to miss the 14thseason of the Charlottesville Chamber Music Festival, September 8 through the 22. This fine festival presents a wide variety of classical music played by a very diverse group of internationally acclaimed musicians. For the first time, the Festival will present a four-day weekend of concerts starting on September 12; it will include a free lunchtime concert of Saint-Säens’ Carnival of the Animals, a unique informal concert of improvisations and a closing concert by renowned musician Brooklyn Rider. For the complete list of concerts and artists, visit www.cvillechambermusic.org.
Beer aficionados are invited to gather at the nTelos Wireless Pavilion on September 14thfor the popular Top of the Hops Beer Fest. Presented by Starr Hill Brewery and Beer Run, Top of the Hops will showcase the growing popularity of craft beers from around the country and the world in a relaxed and friendly environment. Patrons will have access to two-ounce samples of over 150 craft beers in the Abita, Blue Mountain, Goose Island, and Miller's Downtown Beer Gardens. The festival will also feature the Devil's Backbone Brew University Area where guests will enjoy beer seminars such as Cooking with Beers, Food Pairings and other beer education sessions. Come enjoy the mass of craft beers with live music and games! For more details, visit www.topofthehopsbeerfest.com/charlottesville/.
From September 25 to the 28, the Tom Tom Founders Festival returns for a free fall event, Tomtoberfest. The festival celebrates innovation and creativity with three days of events, talks, concerts and parties on the University of Virginia grounds and on Charlottesville’s Historic Downtown Mall. Staple events include the “Founders Fair,” in and around U.Va.’s Lawn, which features nationally known acapella groups and a summit of groups throughout U.Va that contribute to the entrepreneurial spirit of Charlottesville. The Fair includes food, music, competitions, demos, and plenty of opportunity to stop and chat with over three dozen student groups and local ventures. Music is a huge part of Tomtoberfest with the McGuffey Art Center Block Party, which will feature an evening of live music from the historic front steps, a food festival along the streets, and family friendly picnics and beer gardens on the front lawn. More information is available at www.tomtomfest.com.
Fall will bring an array of notable music performers to Charlottesville, including Pink Martini, Taylor Swift, Fun!, Blake Shelton, Willie Nelson, Tony Bennett, Pearl Jam and Amos Lee. With awesome venues such as the nTelos Wireless Pavilion, the John Paul Jones Arena, the Paramount Theater and the Jefferson Theater, these shows promise to provide a memorable experience.
For a complete list of events, travel information, packages and hotel room reservations, please visit the official destination website for Charlottesville and Albemarle County www.visitcharlottesville.org.
Brigitte Bélanger-Warner
Director of Sales & Marketing
Charlottesville Albemarle Convention & Visitors Bureau
434.970.3632 – warnerb@charlottesville.org
About the CACVB
In addition to serving as the global resource for marketing the tourism assets of Charlottesville and Albemarle County, Virginia, through www.visitcharlottesville.org, the CACVB assists tour operators, meeting planners, reunions and other groups in planning visits to the destination. CACVB’s mission is “to enhance the economic prosperity of City and County by promoting, selling and marketing the City of Charlottesville and County of Albemarle, as a destination, in pursuit of the meetings and tourism markets.” CACVB operates the Downtown Visitor Center (610 E Main St) which is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and a satellite Visitor Center in the Albemarle County Office Building (401 McIntire Rd) which is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., as well as a touch-screen kiosk at Monticello’s Thomas Jefferson Visitor Center.