Charlottesville News
Charlottesville 365; Crozet Arts and Crafts Festival, Fall 2010
October 4, 2010 by Sasha C. Farmer, REALTOR ® · 1 Comment
This year celebrates the 30th anniversary of the Crozet Arts and Crafts Festival, one of my favorite annual events in Charlottesville! The Arts and Crafts festival is located in Crozet, VA (which is part of Albemarle County), in the Claudius Crozet Park. It attracts artists from all across the region; this year boasting over 100! All types of artists are represented, including clay, drawing, pastels, fiber, furniture, glass, jewelry, leather, metal, mixed media, painting, photography, printmaking, wood and more. There is truly something here for everyone! Not to mention, opening day on Saturday could be a great opportunity for some last minute Mother’s Day shopping! Or Sunday could be a great day to take the kids so mom actually get’s a day off!
In addition to all of the incredible art, there is all-day live entertainment, children’s activities, and wine tasting for the adults! This years vineyards include Flying Fox (one that I’ve heard so much about but have yet to try!), DelFosse, Mount Fair, Mountain Cove, Stone Mountain, and Well Hung Vineyards (who I’ve never heard of before, but whose creative name and logos got a chuckle!). One of the entertainment highlights is Kid Pan Alley, which is a duo of musical artists, Paul Reisler and Terri Allard, who travel from school to school creating music with students and inspiring them to create their own. This two day event is truly packed with fun things to do, and all of the proceeds go to benefit and maintain the beautiful Claudius Crozet Park, a well-known and well-attended park that is a highlight of the area.
For the kids- the Arts and Crafts Festival has face painting, sand art, make-your-own crafts, and of course the added benefit of all of the future benefits that will be returned to the park!
The 30th anniversary is sure to be a hit, and it is a perfect opportunity for gift shopping, wine tasting, and a day of outdoor enjoyment!
Will we see you there?
Festival Schedule
- Saturday October 9; 10:00am – 5:30pm
- Sunday October 10; 10:00am – 5:00pm
Admission
Gate Admission is $6 for adults, and children under 12 are free. Admission to the wine tent after entering gate is $8 and includes a souvenir glass.
Visit Crozet Arts and Crafts Festival’s facebook page for updates.
Visit Crozet Arts and Crafts Festival’s website for details!
Great photos of the Arts and Crafts Festival courtesy of their website;
Map to Claudis Crozet Park;
And, of course, if you like the Crozet area, here are some nearby homes to check out;
Showing properties
1 - 5 of 112.
See more city of Crozet real estate.
(all data current as of
5/22/2012)
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$172,000 : 1511 Buck Rd, CROZET2 beds, 1 full bath
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$995,000 : 2519 White Hall Rd, CROZET6 beds, 4 full, 1 part baths
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$279,500 : 1433 Ballard Dr, CROZET3 beds, 3 full baths
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$210,000 : 5102 Browns Gap Tpke, CROZET3 beds, 2 full baths
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$169,900 : 1849 Thurston Dr, CROZET3 beds, 1 full bath
Listing information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Read full disclaimer.
Charlottesville365; 2010 Blue Ridge Home Builders Parade of Homes
October 4, 2010 by Sasha C. Farmer, REALTOR ® · Leave a Comment
2010 Annual Parade of Homes!
The Blue Ridge Home Builders Parade of Homes is an annual Charlottesville tradition that always occurs across two weekends (this year- October 9-10 and October 16-17) and showcases the best in new construction that Charlottesville has to offer. I know that for many people in Charlottesville who like to keep their eye on real estate, this is one of the most fun real estate events of the year! What better than touring through beautiful mint condition homes that are decorated impeccably to get great new ideas for your own home?!
I just had the privilege of judging several of the homes for the “Realtor’s Choice Award” that is awarded annually for each price range, and here are a few of my favorites you should be sure to check out if you’re in the market for new construction!
- 838 Belvedere Boulevard; Belvedere (Wendell Gibson)
- 854 Belvedere Boulevard; Belvedere (Stonehaus)
- 760 Belvedere Boulevard; Belvedere (Piedmont Realty and Construction)
- 821 Cole Street; Belvedere (Southern Development)
- Blandemar Farm Estates (Doug Kingma)
- 848 Colridge Drive; Kenridge (Craig Builders) Attached Home.
- 2123 Sundown Court; Pavilions at Pantops (Southern Development) Attached Home.
- 5237 Raven Stone Road; Foothill Crossing (Craig Builders)
- 393 Claremont Lane; Old Trail (Craig Builders) Attached Home.
- 2580 Palmer Drive; Keswick Estates (Alexander Nicholson)
- 118 Turkey Trot Lane; Spring Creek (Piedmont Realty & Construction)
But I just bought a home/am not looking to buy a home!
Whether you are in the market to buy a home or are just looking for fun and interesting remodeling ideas for the home you’re already in, this is really an excellent opportunity to learn more about our local builders, learn about the local new construction landscape, and check out the new and upcoming trends in real estate construction.
For a full list of the 28 homes on display in the 2010 Parade of Homes, click here!
Just don’t get all googley-eyed and forget to involve your favorite Realtor!
Remember: If you are currently in the the market to buy a home, many of these developments are represented by salespeople who are employees of the builder and who aren’t licensed real estate professionals. I always recommend getting involved with a Realtor before making any significant real estate decisions!
Which home is your favorite??
Dates: Saturday October 9 – Sunday October 10, AND Saturday October 16 – Sunday October 17, 12P – 5P.
Below is a chunk of the full map that can be found on the Parade of Homes Site;
University of Virginia’s Darden Business Institute Ranked #7 in Entrepreneurship
September 30, 2010 by Sasha C. Farmer, REALTOR ® · Leave a Comment
From the Charlottesville Regional Chamber of Commerce September 30 ChamberBits Newsletter;
“Darden Ranks #7 in The Nation for Entrepreneurship
The 2010 Princeton Review Ranking for Entrepreneur Magazine places Darden in the top of the class for graduate studies. Over $1 Million in entrepreneurship scholarships awarded annually; recently unveiled i.Lab rooted in multi-disciplinary thinking.
Academics complemented by unwavering commitment to experience-based approach for creating successful entrepreneurial ventures.
From over 2,000 schools surveyed by The Princeton Review for Entrepreneur magazine, the Darden School of Business’s entrepreneurship program ranked #7 in the nation in the graduate category of the survey.
“Students at Darden discover that entrepreneurship is learned, not innate, and that being entrepreneurial is about “effectual” and not “causal” thinking,” said Philippe Sommer, Director of Darden’s newly created Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership. “That’s a very powerful proposition in today’s business environment. Not only do we invest heavily in academics, with top ranked faculty and game-changing courses emerging from Darden’s Batten Institute, but we also build on this academic foundation with an unrelenting focus on experience-based programs and initiatives that empower our students to create successful businesses. Our hands-on approach has extended to new UVA-wide programs, such as the UVA Entrepreneurship Cup and the UVA Venture Summit, helping to create a vibrant and extensive entrepreneurial ecosystem university-wide.”
“Behind the top ranked schools is not only a great formal classroom experience, but a cross-disciplinary approach to teaching entrepreneurship that embraces and encourages a student’s vision to build a successful business,” said Robert Franek, The Princeton Review’s senior vice president of publishing and nationally recognized expert on college admissions.
A number of new or expanded initiatives continue to distinguish Darden’s entrepreneurship program. Earlier this year, Darden celebrated 10 years of success with its Business Incubator and unveiled its new i.Lab, a state-of-the-art learning environment complemented by an experience-based curriculum that inspires a new approach to teaching innovation and entrepreneurship. Other initiatives include a recently launched entrepreneurship concentration and a new alumni mentoring program and network. Darden’s upcoming annual Entrepreneurship Conference will explore the essentials to developing a new business, from idea generation to launch to exits, and, for the first time, will include an informal concept competition for alumni. “
Charlottesville 365; Virginia Discovery Museum’s Friday Date Night Drop-Off Program
July 5, 2010 by Jenée Libby · Leave a Comment
A NIGHT OUT FOR YOU AND YOUR KIDS!
Are you dying to finally have that date night you’ve always promised yourselves? Have you ever wished there was a place you could drop off your kids right on the Downtown Mall so you could go to dinner or Fridays After Five? Has your child ever wished they could play in the Virginia Discovery Museum after hours when the crowds have dispersed?
Well, guess what? You can! As requested by our visitors, the Virginia Discovery Museum now has a Date Night Drop Off Program! Every Friday from 5:30pm to 8pm throughout July and August, you can drop off your 3-8 year old while you enjoy all the amenities the Downtown Mall has to offer. Sip some wine over dinner, go shopping, grab a gelato, or catch the free show at Fridays After Five. The Museum has got childcare covered.
And it’s so much better than a babysitter! We keep groups small, so kids have tons of room to discover the Museum, and each week there’s a different educational theme and craft to make during the evening’s program:
July 9th – Rousseau Jungles
July 16th – Glow in the Dark Night
July 23rd – Byzantine Art
July 30th – A Night in Egypt
August 6th – Medieval Times
August 13th – Arrrr Matey!
August 20th – Pointillism
August 27th – Bead Making
A healthy dinner of cheese pizza, carrot sticks, and fruit juice is included in the registration fee, as well as lots of free time to play in the Museum. Sign up today and have that date night you’ve always wanted – the Museum will take care of the rest!
INFORMATION:
Fridays 5:30-8pm, Ages 3-8
(we request your 3-year-old be fully potty trained)
VDM Members $20/ Non-members $25 (siblings discount $5).
Cancellation fee of $10 after 12pm on the day before registered program. No refund for same-day cancellation. Space is limited to 12 children per week and will not run without a minimum of 4 children. Registrants will be notified by 5pm on the night before the program if we need to cancel. Payment is due when child is registered for program.
Call 434-977-1025 to register your child.
Visit the Discovery Museum Website here!
Visit the Discovery Museum on Facebook
Map to the Discovery Museum
Charlottesville 365; Charlottesville Restaurant Week
June 28, 2010 by Sasha C. Farmer, REALTOR ® · 1 Comment
I could not have been more excited than I was to hear that Restaurant Week was coming to Charlottesville twice last year, and now, it’s back!
From July 12-18, 2010, Charlottesville has 20 restaurants participating in “Restaurant Week”, which involves $26/person prix-fixe menus, all of three courses- an appetizer, entree, and dessert. According to the Restaurant Week website, the last Restaurant week held in Charlottesville in early 2010 earned over $10,000 for the local food bank! ($1 of every $26 meal is donated!) It’s tough to pass up the opportunity to dine at some of Charlottesville’s most highly desired restaurants all for a low cost and a great cause!
It’s not too early to start making reservations, and most of these restaurants will completely fill up, so book your plans now!
The following 20 restaurants are participating in the July 2010 Charlottesville Restaurant Week;
- Aberdeen Barn
- Al Dente Ristorante
- Bang!
- Blue Light Grill
- The Boat House
- Brassiere Montiel
- C&O
- Camino
- Carmello’s
- Fossett’s at Keswick Hall
- Horse and Hound
- l’etoile
- Maya
- The Melting Pot
- Orzo Kitchen and Wine Shop
- Old Mill Room at The Boar’s Head Inn
- The Pointe at The Omni
- The Shebeen
- Ten
- Ventana
Photo Courtesy of the Charlottesville Restaurant Week Website; http://cvilleyum.com/
Visit the Restaurant Week website to check out the prix-fixe menus for each restaurant!
Some insider’s tips for Restaurant Week;
- Start looking through the menu’s now and pinpoint some places you’d like to go.
- Book, now!
- Call each restaurant individually to make your reservation, and make sure to tell them you are participating in Restaurant Week!
- Make your reservation on time, or you may get skipped!
- All reservations are first come, first served, and some of the restaurants will fill up very early! If you can’t get a reservation at a place you’d like, you can try calling them on the day-of to see if any of their booked reservations had to cancel.
- Don’t forget that tax and tip aren’t included! Plan accordingly!
From the Restaurant Week website;
“For any diner who has ever dreamed about fine dining without breaking the bank, Restaurant Week is that dream… come true. Modeled on similar events in other cities, this is seven days of good food and good fun. Diners get to choose from each participating restaurant’s special prix fixe menu and enjoy three courses— an appetizer, an entree, and dessert— for just $25 [CORRECTION- actually $26 this year]. (Beverages, tax, and gratuity not included.)
Charlottesville Restaurant Week is July 12-18, 2010.
[From About Restaurant Week » Charlottesville Restaurant Week - ]
Charlottesville365; Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello
June 8, 2010 by Terry Karnes · 2 Comments
Behind The Scenes
If you live in Charlottesville and haven’t visited Monticello what are you waiting for? Monticello, the famed home of our third president Thomas Jefferson, is open daily for visitors and this summer guests are in for a special treat. The typical Monticello tour is of the first level, which is nothing to sneeze at, but tickets are available for a behind-the-scenes tour that starts June 11 and goes until Sept. 6.
Meet the Inhabitants
The new tour takes visitors up very narrow (22 inches) and winding steps to the second level–the living quarters. In the first room, you see the alcove bed (bed rails are original) that Jefferson incorporated throughout the bedrooms. Groups will stay small for this special tour–only 15 people at a time–which allows for more interaction between the interpreters and guests. The goal is to share deeper knowledge of domestic life on the plantation.
From this room, guests travel up the stairs to the third floor, seeing another bedroom with two alcove beds (dubbed “The Double Room” by Martha Jefferson Randolph) that likely housed Jefferson’s grandchildren. The skylights brighten the room, but keep the third floor practically hidden from the outside.
The third special room on this tour takes visitors to the Dome Room, with its six circular windows and two half-windows over the doorways and a window on the roof. The room was completed between 1802-04 and was meant to be seen from the outside. It wasn’t a room that was used for entertaining, as guests would not have been ushered through the living quarters to this room, though it is likely the most intriguing room of the house.
The fourth room is the Appendix, where granddaughter Ellen slept. The room is above Thomas Jefferson’s study, and through family interviews and letters, historians learned she could hear him hum as he worked.
Guests will also learn more about the enslaved workers at the plantation; especially the daily domestic routines of the workers and the Jeffersons. The tour is not handicap accessible and children must be able to climb the stairs themselves. The price, $37, includes the regular Monticello home tour and grounds tours.
New Exhibits starting June 11
A new exhibit, called Crossroads, tells the stories of many of the enslaved workers. Crossroads is located in the center of the cellar dependencies, and will include interactive components, such as the dumbwaiter from the wine cellar and servant bell. The wine cellar will now be open for entry, including the restored dumbwaiter for wine bottles to the fireplace in the dining room. More information about the importance of wine in Jefferson’s life will be shown on reader panels throughout the cellar, which was the first one dug at Monticello.
The South Pavilion shows what life was like when the couple first wed and moved to Monticello Mountain. It was the only structure on the mountain at the time. The brick home is two levels. The basement was a kitchen (currently the men’s room) and the upstairs was the living quarters with its bedstead, crib, writing desk, dining furniture and more. The small square room will not be open for entry, but reader panels will tell visitors more about the Jeffersons in this space–the pair had two children in the small home before moving to the main house.
Tips
• Plan for a whole day on site. The 42,000 square foot, high-tech visitor’s center should be explored and the movie should be seen before you ride the shuttle to the house.
• Arrive 30 minutes prior to your house tour reservation at the house. You do not want to miss the tour.
• Buy your tickets online, especially if you’re going to buy the behind-the-scenes option. There are limited numbers of people who can do this tour per day.
• In the warmer months there are two additional guided tours included in the price of general admission–the Gardens and Grounds Tour and the Plantation Community Tour.
• Children are welcome. In the summer there are special kids tours and hands-on activites for young visitors. The Griffin Discovery Room at the visitor’s center has numerous options to experience life on the plantation, including Thomas Jefferson’s bed to lay on, a campeachy chair to sit on and so much more. It’s great for kids of all ages.
• There is a two-mile hike up the mountain (called the Thomas Jefferson Parkway). The hike is gravel and boardwalk from the intersection of Routes 20 and 53.
• Wear comfortable shoes, whether you plan to hike or not. There is a lot of walking on the tours, along the grounds and through the exhibits.
• Photography and video recording for personal use is permitted on the grounds of Monticello, but not inside.
Final Information
Monticello has a Facebook fan page.
Follow Monticello on Twitter @TJMonticello.
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- Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello- Courtesy of Elizabeth Swider
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- Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello- Courtesy of Elizabeth Swider
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- Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello- Courtesy of Elizabeth Swider
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- Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello- Courtesy of Elizabeth Swider
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- Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello- Courtesy of Elizabeth Swider
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- Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello- Courtesy of Elizabeth Swider
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- Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello- Courtesy of Elizabeth Swider
Map to Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello;
Charlottesville 365; Greene County Strawberry Festival
June 1, 2010 by Terry Karnes · 1 Comment
Strawberry Festival—YUM!
Stanardsville United Methodist Church hosts its 20th Annual Strawberry Festival on Saturday, June 5 in Greene County. Enjoy the bounty of one of nature’s sweetest fruits from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The famous Strawberry Breakfast will be served from 7 to 11 a.m. and costs $7 for adults and $4 for children 8 and under. Lunch will be from 11 a.m. onwards and is $4 for a hamburger or hotdog, chips and a drink.
But don’t forget the red, juicy fruit that’s bringing you out: that’s right, the strawberry! There will be strawberry desserts—strawberry crepes and strawberry shortcake—for $3 and strawberry slushies for $1. Want more strawberry goodness? Come early for a whole strawberry cake at $20 or strawberry pie at $6!
More Than Strawberries
But, there will be more than good eats at the family friendly event. Entertainment includes the Hi-Horse Cloggers, the Cloverleaf Square Dancers, The Greater Love, a gospel group, Stacey Roach, bluegrass and gospel, and The Deanes, bluegrass and gospel from Greene County, as well as Gary Shifflett & The Shenandoah Shakers.
Additionally, there will be crafters, vintage cars and fun and games for children on Historic Court Square in downtown Stanardsville. Bring a lawn chair and enjoy a wonderful event (and wonderful berry) in Greene County! All proceeds from the event go to Stanardsville United Methodist Church’s local missions.
Directions from Charlottesville:
Take Route 29 north to Ruckersville. Take a left at the light onto Route 33 (Spotswood Trail). Take a right onto Route 33 Business (Spotswood Trail) at the third stop light. Take that into downtown Stanardsville and follow the scent of strawberry! Or head to the church, 25 Court Square in Stanardsville. To find a farm to pick your own strawberries, visit Pick Your Own.
