Not every town has unparalleled vistas, a Cab Franc made at the hands of the same person pouring it, or Dave Matthews and John Grisham walking by as you enjoy lunch at a café on its historic pedestrian mall—but Charlottesville does.
It’s urban and bucolic, historic yet modern. There are boundless hiking trails, wedding venues, wineries, breweries, boutique retail shops, and theaters (not to mention more restaurant seats than there are people to fill them). It’s for the limitless adventurer, the wine-taster, the music-seeker, and the family searching for a new experience..
At Charlottesville Insider, our goal is simple: to showcase Charlottesville by curating our ideas about what makes it unique. Follow our insiders to see what’s new, find exclusive deals, or simply figure out how to spend your day in our favorite city.
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🍻 One of our favorite views on the @monticellowinetrail is from the patio and lawn @mountidareserve. The tasting room at Mount Ida is unique in that it offers both a brewery and vineyard experience in one. And, it has its own kitchen offering a seasonal menu of shareable snacks, small plates, and larger offerings.
📅 Head out to the tasting room for Father’s Day live music June 18th 12-4pm! Reservations required.
🇺🇸 On this Memorial Day we'd like to honor and remember those who served, and recognize the good being done in this community. @dogoodcville teamed up with @gratitudecville and @cvillefiredept to organize an event on Saturday honoring those laid to rest. @kerryrock and 60 volunteers were able to clean and lay flags at over 700 gravesites in the Maplewood and Oakwood Cemetery. #neverforgotten #dogoodcville #lovethiscity
😍Always nice to sit back and appreciate the place you call home, especially when it is this spectacular. Thanks once again to @aerowingva for allowing us to share his stunning sunset capture from 5/17. #simplythebest #uva #charlottesville #tgif
🎨 The Charlottesville Arts Festival is back at @ixartpark this weekend! This one-of-a-kind arts festival annually welcomes over 50 artists of all genres and celebrates creativity, diversity, and community. The event focuses on fine and visual arts, immersive art experiences, interactive artist demonstrations and workshops, and allows patrons to participate in the art-making process. There will be performance artists, eclectic musical guests, and delicious local culinary artists throughout the weekend!
🌅 Thanks to @cartermountain for this gorgeous snap of the sun setting behind their Thursday Evening Sunset Series. Come out tomorrow for music by James 3 Duo (country, rockabilly, and blues), food by @goodwafflesco and @farmacy.cville, Carter Mountain wine, @boldrockhardcider and the best view of the sunset from anywhere around! Bring lawn chairs and blankets, or come early for a picnic table on our terrace or decks. Reserve your tickets online! Additional tickets are available at the gate only if the event is not sold out online.
🎨 Our local artist feature for the month of May is someone who you may have seen around town, Randy Smith. This talented local artist, who calls himself “painter amongst people”, has been painting for over 60 years. Look for @oilpaintsmith on UVA grounds or on the downtown mall, often trying to capture the look and feel of the hustle and bustle of the crowds, with well known Charlottesville landmarks as their backdrop. You can find his works hanging in many local establishments, and purchase his paintings at @consignmenthousecville. Also, look for his prints at @finch_uva, @thevirginiashop, @awcollectables, and @revsoup. We enjoyed getting to know Randy while he worked on some recent paintings, and he was so generous to let us hang some of his work at our @charlottesvilleinsider office on the mall - come by to check it out!
GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED. Thanks for participating!
231 Fest is coming up on June 10th at @castlehillcider in benefit of the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank. We're giving away two free VIP tickets!
🍷 participating wine, cider and beer partners
🎸 3 Live Bands: The Judy Chops, Tara Mills, Disco Risqué
🍔 6 Food Trucks
🛍️ Local Vendors, Activites, Kids Area
🎟️ VIP perks include early festival entry, swag bag valued at $200+, Loft Lounge curated experience by Marigold at Keswick Hall, Outdoor tent with live glassblowing and cocktail show, and more!
To enter:
1) Like this post.
2) Comment on this post and tag a friend you’d like to bring to the festival.
3) Make sure you're following:
@castlehillcider
@231fest
@charlottesvilleinsider
Open to US residents age 21+ only. Winner will be chosen on Thursday 5/25/23 at 12pm EST. This contest is not sponsored, endorsed, or administered by, or associated with Instagram. Thank you!
☀️TGIF! It should be a beautiful evening for Fridays after Five - come out and kick off the weekend with @robcva_ and @deltajunctionband at @tingpavilion!
📸 Thanks to @aerowingva for allowing us to share this cool aerial shot of the pavilion!
🛶 The Rivanna Riverfest is happening this Saturday! Join @rivannaconservationalliance and organizing partners at @rivannarivercompany for a celebration of the Rivanna River. Enjoy fun family-friendly activities, river recreation, raffle giveaways, live performances, food, drink, and more!
May 20th 2-9pm
🍷 Big news! Oakencroft Farm and Winery will be opening back up to the public for the first time in over 15 years, starting tomorrow! They are open by reservation only Thursday - Saturday 12-5pm. Escape the hustle and bustle of what is sure to be a crazy graduation weekend with a flight of wines paired with great snacks in a gorgeous setting!
@oakencroftwinery
🥃 @virginiaspiritsexpo is putting on a tasting event @ixartpark on June 3rd! Visit with, learn about, and sample from award winning Virginia distilleries! Tickets include all-access sampling to every distillery on-site, souvenir sampling glass, and 5 voting tokens. General admission 3-8pm.
Here are the participating VA distilleries…
@vitaespirits
@raggedbranch
@vadistillery
@copperfoxdistillery
@watermanspirits
@viragospirits
@twincreeksdistillery
@springfielddistillery
@reservoirdistillery
@mtdefiance
@lostwhiskeydistillery
@kodistilling
@twincreeksdistillery
@jhbardsspiritco
@5milemt
@ironcladdistillery
@orkneyspringsdistillery
@bradysdistillery
@a.smithbowman
@filibusterdistillery
🥂 We hope all you mamas out there are about to be spoiled today! Post your Mother’s Day pics to your story if you’re out and about in C-ville, and tag @charlottesvilleinsider - we’d love to reshare and celebrate you or your mama!
Thanks to @cakebloom for the cake photo. 😍