Visit Charlottesville Festivals & Events

The 15th annual Charlottesville Vegetarian Festival will be held on Saturday, September 24, 2011, from 11am-4pm in Lee Park in the heart of the historic district of Charlottesville, Virginia. The Charlottesville Vegetarian Festival is one of the largest vegetarian festivals in the country. More than 100 exhibitors and thousands of health-conscious visitors are expected at the event. The festival will include live music, restaurant booths, vegan food samples, compassionate-living exhibitors, a dog and cat Adoption Fair, fun-raising activities to benefit the projects of Voices for Animals, and a "Kids' Patch" for children. Visit the festival's website at www.cvillevegfest.org.

The 31st Annual Crozet Arts & Crafts Fall Festival is October 8 & 9. Over 100 of the finest artists and craftspeople from around the nation will gather together, rain or shine. Find one of a kind, handmade items like pottery, textiles, leather, glass, wood, metal, photography and art. Festive fare, live entertainment, children's activities, wine tasting and more! Enjoy a day in the shadows of the Blue Ridge Mountains and marvel at the Virginia countryside. Proceeds benefit Claudius Crozet Park. Visit www.crozetartsandcrafts.com for directions and information. $6 at the gate, under 12 is free. No pets.

Join us for the 5th Annual Chocolate Festival in Lee Park on Saturday, October 15. Enjoy a day of chocolate indulgence starting with the Chocolate Chase 5k Run/Walk and immediately following, enjoy a chocolate chip pancake breakfast. The festival tents open at 10am and during the festival, you will enjoy: musical groups performing throughout the day, a cupcake throw down, chili cook-off, silent auction, book donation, basket sales, and activities just for the kids! Admission is free. Decadent chocolate treats available for purchase. Proceeds benefit local charities.

The Green Valley Book Fair is not your typical bookstore. Our 25,000 square foot store features a huge selection of new books in all categories -from children's to fiction to history to self-help to travel - all priced at 60%-90% below publishers' retail prices. We open our doors just six times a year - for about 2 weeks each time - and thousands of book lovers from across Virginia and the mid-Atlantic region attend each opening in search of great titles at unbeatable prices. Check our website for our current schedule, driving directions and a preview of our next opening.

Greenfield farm is a fun and educational activity for people of all ages. Take home a pumpkin, enjoy a beautiful hayride with Blue Ridge Mountain views, a variety of farm animals to pet, a fun hay maze & climb and of course be sure to set aside time to play in the 5-acre corn maze. There is also a kiddie corral area especially for young children. Weekends in October: Saturdays 10am - 6pm, Sundays 1pm - 6pm. Please call ahead of time about appointments during the week.

The 5th annual Heritage Harvest Festival, hosted by the Thomas Jefferson Foundation in partnership with Southern Exposure Seed Exchange, celebrates Jefferson's legacy in a fun, affordable, family-oriented, educational event promoting gardening, sustainability, local food and the preservation of heritage plants. The 2011 Heritage Harvest Festival will be held September 16-17 at Monticello: on the West Lawn, in the vegetable garden, and in the new LEEDS-certified Visitor Center. Participants will continue to enjoy the traditional tastings, workshops, hands-on demonstrations, interpretative walks, and a variety of garden tours and exhibits. Festival parking available at Piedmont Virginia Community College and Monticello High School.

Uncork the pleasure and spend the day at the Louisa Wine Festival sipping fine wines and enjoying good friends. The festival goes on rain or shine on Saturday, October 15 from 11am-5pm in beautiful Walton Park in Mineral, Virginia. Conveniently located within 45 minutes of Charlottesville, Fredericksburg and Richmond, attendees can escape the city and spend a day in the country. Learn to cook with wine or pair wines with cheese, or everyone’s favorite – chocolate! Visit an array of vendors and crafters while enjoying two fabulous bands during the day.

Save the date for the Shenandoah Valley Art Center 40th Annual Virginia Fall Foliage Festival Art Show, October 8 and 9, as we welcome 150 artists from all over the country. The streets of downtown Waynesboro will be turned into an outdoor art gallery with paintings of all kinds, pottery, jewelry and sculpture in this free, outdoor festival. The Fall Foliage Festival Art Show has been named one of the top shows in the East. The Shenandoah Valley Art Center is a non-profit community art center aiming to bring art awareness and education to Waynesboro and the surrounding areas.

Charlottesville's best variety of fresh produce, garden plants, grass fed meats, crafts, delicious baked goods and much, much more… Every Saturday, April-December, (April-October, 7am-12pm; November-December, 8am-2pm). Located in Downtown Charlottesville, this charming market has been attracting the best in vendors for more than 25 years who delight market-goers with local fresh foods to enjoy while strolling the aisles as well as gifts and tasty foods to take home to enjoy.