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What's On

What's On in Charlottesville

Events, markets, games, library and parks programs in and around Charlottesville, with times, prices and the organizer's own link.

Top story Nutcracker and holiday shows in Charlottesville 2026 A touring Nutcracker plays the Paramount Dec. 8. Live Arts' A Christmas Carol runs Dec. 10-20, and the symphony's family holiday concerts are Dec. 5 and 6. · 5 min read

Coming up

The full month
  1. Thu. Nov. 5 Are You Now or Have You Ever Been? 8 p.m. · Ruth Caplin Theatre, University of Virginia
  2. Fri. Nov. 6 Date Night Drop-Off 4:30 p.m. · Virginia Discovery Museum
  3. Fri. Nov. 6 First Friday Community Night 5 p.m. · Second Street Gallery
  4. Fri. Nov. 6 Charlottesville High School football at Goochland 7 p.m. · Goochland High School Stadium
  5. Sat. Nov. 7 Charlottesville City Market 9 a.m. · City Market
  6. Sat. Nov. 7 Charlottesville Symphony: Bach Violin Concerto 7:30 p.m. · Old Cabell Hall, University of Virginia
  7. Tue. Nov. 10 Shanghai Ballet: Giselle 7:30 p.m. · The Paramount Theater
  8. Sat. Nov. 14 UVA football vs. Cal Scott Stadium
  9. Sat. Nov. 14 Met Live in HD: Carmen 1 p.m. · The Paramount Theater
  10. Sun. Nov. 15 Rock with DCO 2 p.m. · The Paramount Theater
  11. Sat. Nov. 21 UVA football vs. North Carolina Scott Stadium
  12. Thu. Nov. 26 45th Annual Boar's Head Turkey Trot 5K 9 a.m. · Boar's Head Resort

Plan your weekend

Fourth of July Charlottesville Fourth of July fireworks 2027 Charlottesville's free July 4 celebration at Tonsler Park ended in a fireworks show in 2026. The 2027 plan is not out yet; all home fireworks are illegal in the city. · 4 min read Halloween Trick-or-treat hours in Charlottesville 2026 Halloween is Saturday, Oct. 31. Charlottesville sets no trick-or-treat hours; UVA's free Rotumpkin lights up the Rotunda from 7 to 11 p.m. that night. · 4 min read Valentine's Day Valentine's Day in Charlottesville 2027: events and date ideas Valentine's Day is Sunday, Feb. 14, 2027. The Charlottesville Symphony plays Love, Beethoven at Old Cabell Hall Feb. 13 and the Paramount Feb. 14. · 4 min read Spring break Spring break in Charlottesville 2027: dates, camps, things to do Charlottesville City Schools' spring break is April 5-9, 2027, after a half day April 2. Day camps, the indoor pool, parks and what is open. · 4 min read Easter Easter in Charlottesville 2027: egg hunts, brunch and services Easter is Sunday, March 28, 2027. The city's 2026 Eggstravaganza egg hunt at McIntire Park was Sat. March 21; 2027 dates are not out yet. · 3 min read Mother's Day Mother's Day in Charlottesville 2027: brunch, events and gifts Mother's Day is Sunday, May 9, 2027. The City Market runs Saturday, May 8, and brunch, garden walks and pools are close by. Updated as venues announce. · 3 min read Memorial Day Memorial Day in Charlottesville 2027: ceremonies, closings and trash Memorial Day is Monday, May 31, 2027. City offices close, trash runs a day late, downtown garages are free and the outdoor pools are open. · 4 min read Summer Summer in Charlottesville 2027: camps, pools and splash pads Charlottesville's outdoor pools ran May 23 to Sept. 7 in 2026 and the spray grounds reopen in May 2027. City day camps, registration dates and pool passes. · 6 min read Father's Day Father's Day in Charlottesville 2027: events, car shows and brunch Father's Day is Sunday, June 20, 2027, the day after Juneteenth. Pools, the City Market, trails and brunch; events added as organizers announce them. · 3 min read Labor Day Labor Day in Charlottesville 2027: events, closings and trash Labor Day is Monday, Sept. 6, 2027. City offices close, trash runs a day late, downtown garages are free and it is the outdoor pools' last day. · 3 min read Christmas Charlottesville Christmas parade and tree lighting 2026 Charlottesville's Grand Illumination is Saturday, Dec. 5, an all-day Downtown Mall event ending with the tree lighting. The Barracks Road parade is Nov. 28. · 4 min read Football Friday night football in Charlottesville 2026 Charlottesville High School football is 2-7 and ends its season at Goochland at 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 6. Every 2026 date, score and ticket link, plus UVA home games. · 4 min read Fall Fall festivals and pumpkin patches near Charlottesville 2026 Carter Mountain Orchard needs entry passes Nov. 7-8 and 14-15, its last pass weekends, and closes at 5 p.m. in November. Chiles in Crozet is open daily. · 4 min read Halloween Halloween events in Charlottesville 2026 Halloween is Saturday, Oct. 31: the YMCA Halloween Hustle at 8:30 a.m. and UVA's free Rotumpkin show at the Rotunda, 7 to 11 p.m. Earlier events have passed. · 5 min read Thanksgiving Thanksgiving in Charlottesville 2026: turkey trots and trash pickup Thanksgiving is Thursday, Nov. 26. Two turkey trots start at 9 a.m., city offices close Nov. 26-27, and Thursday trash pickup moves to Friday. · 5 min read Black Friday Black Friday and holiday shopping in Charlottesville 2026 Black Friday is Nov. 27 and Small Business Saturday Nov. 28, when the City Market Holiday Market opens and Barracks Road holds its parade. Parking and hours. · 4 min read Christmas Holiday lights and Christmas events in Charlottesville 2026 Winter Wander lights Boar's Head Resort Nov. 13 to Jan. 2, with Santa through Christmas Eve. Holiday Market, Magic on the Mall and closings. · 6 min read New Year's Eve New Year's Eve in Charlottesville 2026 Winter Wander at Boar's Head Resort sets off New Year's Eve fireworks at 8 p.m. Dec. 31. Home fireworks are illegal in the city. Jan. 1 closings. · 4 min read Brunch Brunch in Charlottesville: 9 places with weekend brunch hours Weekend brunch in Charlottesville at nine restaurants, with days, hours and addresses from each one's own site: Downtown Mall, West Main and beyond. · 5 min read Dogs Dog-friendly Charlottesville: parks, patios, trails and leash rules Charlottesville's off-leash spots are Azalea Park, Riverview Park trails Tuesday to Thursday and Darden Towe Park. Leash law, dog park rules and patios. · 5 min read Kids Kids' activities in Charlottesville: playgrounds and rainy days Playgrounds, spray grounds, story times, free roller skating, the Discovery Museum and the indoor pool: kids' activities in Charlottesville from official pages. · 5 min read Trails Charlottesville walking and biking trails: greenways, loops, parking Charlottesville has nearly 6 miles of paved trails and about 30 miles of nature trails. Lengths, surfaces, trailheads, parking and where bikes and dogs go. · 6 min read Downtown Mall A guide to Charlottesville's Downtown Mall: parking, shows, history The Downtown Mall is eight pedestrian blocks of Main Street, Virginia's only pedestrian-only Main Street. Parking, theaters, events, rules and history. · 6 min read Live music Live music and nightlife in Charlottesville: venues and late bars Charlottesville's music venues and late-night spots with addresses, phone numbers and official calendars: the Downtown Mall theaters, Ting Pavilion and bars. · 4 min read Free things to do Free things to do in Charlottesville: concerts, skating and trails Free in Charlottesville: Fridays After Five concerts, roller skating at Carver, the Kluge-Ruhe art museum, spray grounds, trails, garden programs and festivals. · 4 min read Date night Date night in Charlottesville: restaurants, theaters and wine bars Date night in Charlottesville: dinner downtown and in Belmont, a show at the Paramount or Jefferson, a wine bar and late openings, from official sites. · 5 min read Virginia Film Festival Virginia Film Festival in Charlottesville: dates and tickets The 39th Virginia Film Festival ran Oct. 21-25, 2026, at the Paramount, Violet Crown and UVA, and its audience awards are out. 2027 dates are not out yet. · 5 min read Virginia Festival of the Book Virginia Festival of the Book in Charlottesville: 2027 dates The Virginia Festival of the Book moves to April in 2027: April 1-4 in downtown Charlottesville, with the theme Renaissance. Schedule comes later. · 3 min read Foxfield Races Foxfield Races 2027: spring race date, tickets, parking and rules The Foxfield spring steeplechase is Saturday, April 24, 2027, at 2215 Foxfield Track. Tickets go on sale in February; kids 12 and under get in free. · 5 min read Restaurants Where to eat in Charlottesville: lists by category Charlottesville's where-to-eat lists in one place: wings, pizza, Mexican, barbecue, breakfast, burgers, Asian, desserts, bakeries, patios, brunch, date night. · 4 min read Wings Where to get wings in Charlottesville: Downtown Mall and West Main 15 places to get wings inside Charlottesville city limits, from the Downtown Mall and West Main Street to Ivy Road, Belmont and East Market Street. · 7 min read Pizza Where to get pizza in Charlottesville: Downtown Mall, Belmont, Corner 14 pizza places inside Charlottesville city limits: the Downtown Mall, Belmont, the Corner, West Main Street, Dairy Market and Jefferson Park Avenue. · 6 min read Mexican food Mexican and Tex-Mex restaurants in Charlottesville 15 Mexican restaurants and taco places inside Charlottesville city limits: West Main Street, Belmont, the Downtown Mall, 5th Street SW and Emmet Street. · 6 min read Barbecue Where to get barbecue in Charlottesville: Ivy Road and downtown 5 places for barbecue inside Charlottesville city limits: two barbecue restaurants, a Korean barbecue spot and two kitchens that smoke their own pork. · 4 min read Coffee Breakfast and coffee in Charlottesville: Downtown Mall to the Corner 25 coffee shops and breakfast places inside Charlottesville city limits, with hours from each one's own site: Downtown Mall, West Main, the Corner. · 7 min read Burgers Where to get burgers in Charlottesville: Downtown Mall and the Corner 13 places for burgers inside Charlottesville city limits: the Downtown Mall, the Corner by UVA, Ix and Barracks Road. · 6 min read Sushi Sushi and Asian restaurants in Charlottesville 25 sushi, Chinese, Thai, Korean, Japanese and dumpling places inside Charlottesville city limits: West Main, downtown, Seminole Square and Fontaine Avenue. · 7 min read Ice cream Ice cream and desserts in Charlottesville: Downtown Mall and beyond 8 places for ice cream, gelato, fudge and cake inside Charlottesville city limits: the Downtown Mall, the Corner, Dairy Market, Barracks Road, East High Street. · 4 min read Bakeries Bakeries in Charlottesville: West Main, Rose Hill, Belmont, Fry's Spring 8 bakeries and doughnut shops inside Charlottesville city limits, with hours from each one's own site: West Main, Rose Hill, Preston Avenue, Belmont, Fry's Spring. · 4 min read Patios Patios and outdoor dining in Charlottesville: Mall, West Main, Belmont 30 Charlottesville restaurants, bars and cafes whose own sites describe a patio, outdoor seating or beer garden: Downtown Mall, West Main, Belmont, Ix. · 9 min read

Event news

Arts Arts and exhibitions in Charlottesville: November 2026 Arts in Charlottesville: Come From Away at Live Arts to Nov. 15, Shanghai Ballet's Giselle Nov. 10, symphony Bach concerts Nov. 7-8 and a Nutcracker Dec. 8. · 5 min read Things to do Charlottesville this weekend: things to do Oct. 30 to Nov. 1 Halloween is Saturday: the YMCA Halloween Hustle, the City Market, horror films at the Paramount and UVA's free Rotumpkin at the Rotunda, then Coco on Sunday. · 3 min read