C-VILLE Weekly April 1 - 7, 2026 by C-VILLE Weekly

Spoiled debate?

At Western Albemarle High School, new rules collide with a controversial student club

City proposes retractable roof for Downtown Mall's 50th P.12

Housing bubble bursts: North Downtown pad sells for $300K P.17

Not dreaming? DMB announces anniversary show at Miller's P.30

“Jordan

My name is Jordan Hague and I created Equity Saver USA in 2008 to offer a better, more affordable service to disrupt and challenge what I personally experienced to be an outdated and flawed approach to Realtor compensation at the expense of sellers and buyers.

In 2024 the National Association of Realtors settled a billion dollar lawsuit related to inflated Realtor commission practices. This monumental settlement opens the door for true free market competition and innovation to thrive. I’ve successfully sold homes using a 1% model for nearly 2 decades proving the old “6% legacy” commission model is a waste of money and does nothing to help promote affordable housing. Contact me direct to arrange a no obligation meeting to learn more.

Ben

Jerry and

Sam

Hello, Charlottesville.

Thank you for reading C-VILLE Weekly.

My daughter has started to form strong opinions about what she wears. Not preferences—opinions. She’ll come to the breakfast table in an absolutely nonsensical combination of colors, patterns, and seasonal appropriateness. She rebuffs any effort on my part to edit, despite my “best dressed” senior superlative (an accolade on which I still hang my hat, 23 years later).

I know that her insistence, her experimentation, her slightly chaotic self-expression is just the work of growing up. And that if I don’t let her find her own way, I’m not guiding her. I’m replacing her instincts with mine.

But I find myself in constant negotiation: when to gently steer and when to trust that her internal compass and the world will do some of that shaping on its own. Because it will. At some point, she’ll notice what other kids are wearing. She may adjust, she may not. She may dim something, or she may refine it.

That push-pull of self-definition versus outside influence doesn’t end in elementary school. It just gets more complicated.

This week’s cover story (p.16) looks at Western Albemarle High School, where students have formed a chapter of a national political organization, bringing with it a prepackaged set of ideas, language, and identity. Teenagers have always had strong opinions—that’s part of the work. What’s different now is how ready-made those opinions can be, and how clearly they’re shaped by forces far beyond Albemarle County.

The students involved are engaged and articulate. They are also still becoming. And as with all young people trying to figure out who they are—through clothes, friendships, or politics—the question isn’t just what they believe, but how those beliefs are formed, who shapes them, and what’s gained or lost along the way.

Seeing is believing

Nathan Alderman, C-VILLE’s senior news reporter, is a writer, editor, and Oxford comma enthusiast. He volunteers for civic causes, folds a lot of laundry, and adores his spouse and his large, loud, hungry children. He’s written for Macworld magazine and The Motley Fool, among others. Read his work on page 16.

Eze Amos is a documentary photographer and photojournalist. Amos trained in the sciences at the University of Ibadan, Nigeria, and immigrated to Charlottesville in 2008. His photos have been published by The New York Times, Getty Images, and other international news agencies. See his work on pages 9 and 16.

The winner of our March 11 scavenger hunt, Adam Mohr, puts its level of difficulty somewhere between “easy” and “quite obscure”—with one notable exception.

“The item that took me the longest to find was the Elvis bust. It took me almost an hour to find it, and I was relieved to find the king at Sidetracks,” Mohr says. “The owner and I had a good laugh.”

In all, Mohr spent about two hours on the 34-image challenge, but it might have been longer were he not a photographer and, therefore, trained to see the little things.

“I went home and showed my kids the contest,” he says. “I noticed that I immediately was able to spot about 10 of the pictures in less than 30 seconds.” Next year, we’ll level up!—CH

Adam Mohr

BALLOT QUESTION

Proposed Constitutional Amendment

To be voted on at the April 21, 2026, Special Election

Should the Constitution of Virginia be amended to allow the General Assembly to temporarily adopt new congressional districts to restore fairness in the upcoming elections, while ensuring Virginia’s standard redistricting process resumes for all future redistricting after the 2030 census?

IN THIS ISSUE

FEATURE 16

EXPLANATION FOR VOTERS (Approved by House and Senate Privileges and Elections Committees on February 20, 2026)

Present Law

Point of view

Virginia’s eleven congressional districts are drawn once every ten years by the Virginia Redistricting Commission, a legislative body made up of eight legislators and eight citizens, with an equal number of Republicans and Democrats. Virginia’s congressional districts were last redrawn in 2021 and will next be redrawn in 2031.

EXPLANATION FOR VOTERS (Approved by House and Senate Privileges and Elections Committees on February 20, 2026)

Present Law

Proposed Amendment

The proposed amendment would give the General Assembly the authority to redraw one or more of Virginia’s congressional districts before 2031 in limited circumstances. In the event that another state redraws its own congressional districts before 2031, without being ordered by a court to do so, the General Assembly would then be able to redraw Virginia’s congressional districts. The General Assembly’s power to do so would continue until October 31, 2030, and the Virginia Redistricting Commission would reassume the responsibility of drawing the congressional districts in 2031.

TPUSA’s Club America controversy at Western Albemarle High School.

NEWS 9

The proposed district map has been approved by the General Assembly and would take effect only if the constitutional amendment is approved by the voters.

A “yes” vote would allow the General Assembly to redraw Virginia’s congressional districts, since other states have done so, in addition to giving effect to the proposed district map in time for the 2026 Congressional elections, and return the responsibility of drawing the congressional districts in 2031 to the Virginia Redistricting Commission.

A “no” vote would leave the authority to draw congressional districts with the Virginia Redistricting Commission once a decade and Virginia’s current districts would remain in place.

The proposed district map has been approved by the General Assembly and would take effect only if the constitutional amendment is approved by the voters.

FULL TEXT OF AMENDMENT

[Proposed new language is underlined. Deleted old language is stricken.]

ARTICLE II.

Franchise and Officers

Section 6. Apportionment.

A “no” vote would leave the authority to draw congressional districts with the Virginia Redistricting Commission once a decade and Virginia’s current districts would remain in place.

FULL TEXT OF AMENDMENT

[Proposed new language is underlined. Deleted old language is stricken.]

Members of the House of Representatives of the United States and members of the Senate and of the House of Delegates of the General Assembly shall be elected from electoral districts established pursuant to this section and Section 6-A of this Constitution. Every electoral district shall be composed of contiguous and compact territory and shall be so constituted as to give, as nearly as is practicable, representation in proportion to the population of the district. Every electoral district shall be drawn in accordance with the requirements of federal and state laws that address racial and ethnic fairness, including the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States and provisions of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, as amended, and judicial decisions interpreting such laws. Districts shall provide, where practicable, opportunities for racial and ethnic communities to elect candidates of their choice.

ARTICLE II. Franchise and Officers

Section 6. Apportionment.

The Commonwealth shall be reapportioned into electoral districts in accordance with this section and Section 6-A in the year 2021 and every ten years thereafter, except that the General Assembly shall be authorized to modify one or more congressional districts at any point following the adoption of a decennial reapportionment law, but prior to the next decennial census, in the event that any State of the United States of America conducts a redistricting of such state’s congressional districts at any point following that state’s adoption of a decennial reapportionment law for any purpose other than (i) the completion of the state’s decennial redistricting in response to a federal census and reapportionment mandated by the Constitution of the United States and established in federal law or (ii) as ordered by any state or federal court to remedy an unlawful or unconstitutional district map. Any such decennial reapportionment law, or reapportionment law modifying one or more congressional districts, shall take effect immediately and not be subject to the limitations contained in Article IV, Section 13, of this Constitution.

The districts delineated in the decennial any reapportionment law shall be implemented for the November general election for the United States House of Representatives, Senate, or House of Delegates, respectively, that is held immediately prior to the expiration of the term being served in the year that the reapportionment law is required to be enacted. A member in office at the time that a decennial redistricting law is enacted shall complete his term of office and shall continue to represent the district from which he was elected for the duration of such term of office so long as he does not move his residence from the district from which he was elected. Any vacancy occurring during such term shall be filled from the same district that elected the member whose vacancy is being filled.

SCHEDULE

Section 6. Application and duration of certain redistricting amendments.

9 Third No Kings rally draws thousands of local protesters.

10 Latest from City Council on Holiday Drive low-barrier shelter.

11 Fifeville building approved for student housing; DTM crossings closed to traffic; and more

12 Charlottesville’s population drops below 45,000.

CULTURE 21

25 Small Bites: Beatrix Ost’s The Bardo, plus God in the Woods and chef Mathieu Char tron at Birdwood Mansion

ED I TORIAL

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Caite Hamilton editor@c-ville.com

ART DIRECTOR

Max March max@c-ville.com

CULTURE EDITOR

Tami Keaveny tami@c-ville.com

SENIOR NEWS REPORTER

Nathan Alderman news@c-ville.com

ADVERTISING advertising@c-ville.com

DIRECTOR OF SALES

Bianca Johnson bianca@c-ville.com

REAL ESTATE & CLASSIFIED ACCOUNT MANAGER

Brian Hrozencik brian@c-ville.com

DIGITAL SALES MANAGER

Rob Davis rob@c-ville.com

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES

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Jacob Phillips jacob@c-ville.com

GRAPHIC DESIGNER

NEWS REPORTER

Catie Ratliff reporter@c-ville.com

NEWS CONTRIBUTOR

Sean Tubbs

ASSOCIATE CULTURE EDITOR

The authorization in Article II, Section 6 authorizing the General Assembly to modify one or more congressional districts at any point following adoption of a decennial reapportionment law in the event that any State of the United States of America conducts a redistricting of such state’s congressional districts at any point following that state’s adoption of a decennial reapportionment law shall be limited to making such modifications between January 1, 2025, and October 31, 2030, in response to actions taken by another state between January 1, 2025, and October 31, 2030

Any such decennial reapportionment law, or reapportionment law modifying one or more congressional districts, shall take effect immediately and not be subject to the limitations contained in Article IV, Section 13, of this Constitution.

SCHEDULE

Section 6. Application and duration of certain redistricting amendments.

CM Turner arts@c-ville.com

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Susan Sorensen

DIGITAL EDITOR

Tristan Williams

CONTRIBUTORS

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APRIL 19: Lake

MAY

JUNE 20:

WNRN Presents: The String Cheese Incident Just Keep Spinning Tour 2026

JULY 18:

Alison Krauss & Union Station ft. Jerry Douglas with Special Guest Theo Lawrence

JULY 26: Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit Benefiting the Charlottesville Free Clinic

SEPT 5: WNRN Presents: Charley Crockett Age of the Ram Tour with Nat Myers

SEPTEMBER 8:

Sierra Ferrell

A WNRN 30th Anniversary show Heavy Petal Tour

SEPTEMBER 22:

Rainbow Kitten Surprise

April 4 April 7 Hiroya TSUKAMOTO &

April 10 - Mark SCHATz & Bryan McDowell

APRil

April 18 - Driftwood

April 24 - Tom Tom block party may 2 - Rivanna roots begins - Season PASS ON Sale! may 8 - peni Candra rini & rumput

UVA MUSIC EVENTS

Date/Time/Place

Friends of JMRL

Straight talk about the vote on April 21st

FIRST: Trump demanded that Texas Republicans pass a new map to add up to five new GOP seats. They obliged, without consulting voters.

THEN: Missouri, Ohio, and North Carolina quickly followed, without voter consent.

NOW: Virginia lawmakers have put a constitutional amendment on the ballot, asking everyday Virginians to vote to temporarily redraw districts, in effect until the 2030 census.

VOTE YES!

by April 21st to preserve the power of your vote and fight GOP efforts to rig the election.

To help Albemarle County Democrats defend fair elections, scan this QR code!

Friends of JMRL BOOK SALE

Choral Evensong

5:30 p.m. | 1st, 3rd, and 5th Sundays of each month

BOOK SALE

This primarily sung service is ideal for seasoned churchgoers and newcomers alike. Sung by the professional St. Paul’s Schola Cantorum on 1st and 3rd Sundays, and St. Paul’s, Ivy Parish Choir on 5th Sundays. A casual reception follows. Join

Contemplative Evening Prayer

April 2nd-10th 10am-7pm each day 1/2 price days: April 9th & 10th 300 Albemarle Square Shopping Center, Charlottesville (at the old Northside Library location)

Member’s

5:30 p.m. | 2nd and 4th Sundays of each month

Join us for this time of quiet, prayer, reflection on scripture, and soothing Celtic-style music. It’s a great opportunity to be still and center yourself in God before your busy week begins.

A casual reception follows.

Learn more about worship at stpaulsivy.org/worship

APRIL 4-12

10am-7pm each day

Friday, April 3, 5-7pm (No Scanners at

(4/3 & Sat 4/4 10am-1pm) 1/2 price days: April 11 & 12 300 Albemarle Square Shopping Center Charlottesville (at the old Northside Library location)

...and much, much more!

Thanks for your support!

What: The Friends thank Albemarle Square for their continued support.

Friends thank Albemarle Square for their continued support.

• (434) 977-8467

Sic semper tyrannis

According to estimates, more than 8 million people turned out nationwide and on all seven continents on March 28 for the third No Kings protest against the Trump regime. Attendees at over 3,000 registered events—called the largest mass protest in American history—included thousands in Charlottesville. Festive demonstrators crowded both sides of 29 North and the pedestrian bridge near The Shops at Stonefield, holding handmade signs, waving flags, and getting mostly enthusiastic honks and waves from passing vehicles. Sponsor Indivisible Charlottesville, which had been planning the event for the past month, did not have turnout figures at press time. But one organizer for the group estimated it was “twice as big” as the previous No Kings protest in October 2025. “We are stretched out from Hydraulic to Greenbrier,” she said on Saturday. “I’m seeing a lot of new faces … a lot of people say this is their first one.”

NEWS HOUSING

Gimme shelter

Service providers have a plan to operate city’s low-barrier shelter—once they can get the doors open BY CATIE

RATLIFF

At a March 25 special meeting, regional service providers and project leaders presented Charlottesville City Council with plans to renovate and operate a low-barrier shelter at 2000 Holiday Dr. “I know from the outside it’s difficult to understand why this kind of process seems to take a long time. And to be clear, in the best of times, this work is H-A-R-D—hard,” said Piedmont Housing Alliance Executive Director Sunshine Mathon at the onset of the presentation. “But we are not in the best of times. This work has blossomed during the most hostile federal environment that this work has ever seen, particularly to the unhoused services sector.”

Members of the working group, led by regional continuum-of-care coordinator Blue Ridge Area Coalition for the Homeless, include The Haven, People and Congregations Engaged in Ministry, The Salvation Army, and several other area nonprofits.

Under the proposed operational plan, the city would remain owner of the Holiday Drive property, while The Haven and PACEM would run the day and overnight shelter, respectively. BRACH would also have a presence at the site, bringing three Charlottesville-area homelessness service providers under the same roof. Even after the city’s $6.2 million purchase of the Holiday Drive site in October, there’s still a lot more work to be done—and money to be spent.

At least one memorandum of understanding agreement would be needed to make the organizations’ collaboration official. Before any programs can launch, the building needs major renovation work, according to project leaders.

Projected capital costs for the project were scaled down from $9.7 to $8.6 million in the fall, reducing the number of beds fea-

sible at the site from 113 to approximately 80. Beds would be divided between a men’s section (48 beds and two isolation rooms) and a women’s section (24 beds and two isolation rooms), with four additional gender-neutral beds.

Original plans for 10 to 15 medical respite beds have been temporarily shelved, though organizers hope for future collaboration with the University of Virginia or Sentara health systems.

The shrinking scope of construction means the site needs more extensive renovations to make the best use of the space, according to Erin Hannegan, project manager and principal for design firm Mitchell Matthews Architects & Planners. Floorspace would be divided as follows: 37 percent for the overnight shelter, 20 percent for dining space, 10 percent for the day shelter, 18 percent for resident support, 12 percent for shared support, and 3 percent left unfinished for a future health clinic.

Planners still haven’t nailed down where they’ll get the estimated $8.6 million the project will require, since it’s only just been presented to City Council. Hannegan estimated that it would take at least two years to open the low-barrier shelter.

Capital costs are only the beginning, with projections for annual operational budgets coming in the range of hundreds of thousands of dollars for each organization. Major expenses include staffing, programming, and transportation—especially with the relocation of the central resource hub.

“We really wanted to focus on transformational impact at 2000 Holiday Dr. We want to increase our safety net and improve it,” said BRACH Executive Director Shayla Washington.

Beyond the day and overnight shelters, onsite programming will include “coordinated entry, case management, housing navigation and connections to health care and workforce supports,” according to Washington.

Owen Brennan, executive director of The Haven, underlined the importance of accessibility to the site, especially with the nonprofit’s plan to move its core operations to Holiday Drive.

“A move to Holiday Drive is not going to eliminate the visible presence of unhoused community members downtown,” said Brennan. “No stakeholder group expressed confidence that this project could succeed without a dedicated, reliable, and frequent shuttle service.”

A JAUNT estimate for a dedicated line connecting the Holiday Drive site to downtown and other key locations like the DMV came in at $411,000 annually.

IN BRIEF

All the news you missed last week (in one sentence or less)

“This is not easy. It was never going to be easy, and anyone who thought that it would be a simple solution was sadly mistaken,” said Charlottesville City Manager Sam Sanders.

“Buying the building was the easiest thing that I could do. … The hard part is working beyond what we have seen today and turning that into a reality. I’m sure there’ll be some hiccups,” said Sanders. “The direction that I got from Council was to make sure that we were making a big, bold step forward.”

“We know that [the city has] to help support in the operating [costs]. I have engaged our regional peers. Our county leaders, my counterparts, have all heard about this project. They were all very curious about the opportunity, and surprisingly, I heard nothing but positive comments about it,” he added. “I hope that turns into checks on an annual basis.”

ERIC idyll Gov. Abigail Spanberger brings Virginia back into the nonpartisan alliance of states double-checking data with each other to keep voter rolls accurate. Power move Charlottesville attorney Josephus Allmond, formerly of the Southern Environmental Law Center, named Virginia’s first-ever chief energy officer. Tinder match Under worryingly ideal conditions for wildfires, firefighters in Nelson County douse a blaze that started in a garage and was spreading to nearby dry foliage. That stinks A weird chemical smell in a Washington, D.C.-area air traffic control tower grounded flights across the region for the second time this month, including at Charlottesville and Richmond airports. Ruff luck UVA men’s basketball’s March Madness loss attributed to unorthodox choice to start a talented golden retriever at point guard; “There’s nothing in the rules that says a dog can’t play basketball,” coaches insist.*

Cleaning up and providing safety resources to an encampment along the Rivanna Trail near Free Bridge are among the city’s efforts to support the local unhoused population.

Rerouting

The Second Street NE and Fourth Street NE

Downtown Mall traffic crossings are closed through June 12 to allow the city to remove and replace pavers at both intersections.

Two-hour and handicap parking spaces along the crossings are also closed during construction. Charlottesville Area Transit buses will detour, which may result in up to a five-minute delay on the route. Pedestrians can still cross during construction on marked, accessible pathways.

The construction is part of the city’s preparations for the 50th anniversary of the Downtown Mall this July. More information on the closures and detours can be found at charlottesville.gov.—Catie

Ratliff

Community matters

Organizers with the Charlottesville Low-Income Housing Coalition rallied at the Free Speech Wall on March 30, calling on City Council to amend its zoning ordinance to slow or prevent displacement in core neighborhoods.

A letter signed by more than 60 groups, ranging from neighborhood associations to nonprofits, asks councilors to listen to CLIHC anti-displacement recommendations, limit student housing to appropriate neighborhoods, and expand preventative programs like emergency rent relief.—CR

Countdown

The City of Charlottesville is getting closer to adopting a FY27 budget. Council’s final budget work session is set for 6pm on April 2 at City Space. A public hearing on the budget and tax rates will be at 6:30pm April 6 in Council chambers, and is the last formal opportunity for residents to address City Council prior to adoption of the budget on April 9.—CR

Ruling stands

Tie

BZA vote means Fifeville building can be ‘student

BY SEAN TUBBS

Aproposal from LCD Acquisitions to construct

The Mark, a seven-story apartment building along the railroad tracks in Fifeville, can proceed under the city’s affordable housing fund rules, which allow the firm to pay less money into the fund.

Charlottesville’s zoning code, adopted in December 2023, says projects designated as student housing are not required to build affordable units on site. Instead, they must pay a fee into the city’s housing fund, but at a lower rate from those outside the half mile.

“The … [zoning code] states that in order for a project to be student housing, bedrooms must be leased individually and the project must be within one half mile of the University of Virginia campus,” said Genevieve Keller, the chair of the Board of Zoning Appeals, at a March 19 public hearing.

Council adopted the new code as a way of encouraging the construction of housing across the entire city by removing the role elected officials play in decision-making. LCD Acquisitions has a contract to buy five properties off of Seventh Street, all zoned Residential-Mixed Use 5, and filed plans for The Mark last June.

Under the code, the BZA hears challenges from those who formally question determinations made by city staff. In this case, a neighbor of the proposed building appealed the interpretation that the project qualifies as student housing.

Paul Reeder, who filed the appeal, has lived in a cottage across the street from

the property for more than 10 years, and began voicing his opposition to the byright project last summer.

“The zoning administrator’s erroneous determination reduces the cost of development of this proposed property,” Reeder said. “Put simply, the more expensive it is to build this property, the less likely it is to get built. So if I can increase the developers’ costs, I’m going to do it all day and all night.”

Zoning Administrator Read Brodhead made an official determination on December 11 that this project qualifies because it is within a half-mile of the intersection of Jefferson Park Avenue and West Main Street. The University of Virginia has plans to convert the space to a pocket park.

Reeder used maps created by the University of Virginia to assert that this particular

housing’

corner is not considered to be Central Grounds and argued it should be seen as an outlying parcel. Several speakers agreed, but local land-use attorney Valerie Long said the city has long defined what makes up UVA.

“Using the city’s own charter is the best place to start to answer that question,” Long said. “The charter effectively says that land is part of Central Grounds because it is university land.”

Hosea Mitchell, a member of the Planning Commission who also sits on the BZA, said a lot of the implications of The Mark trouble him, but the central question is from where the half-mile would be measured.

“If the pocket park is irrelevant, is it a part of the Central Grounds?” Mitchell asked. “And if it’s a part of the Central Grounds, then is it then within a half-mile?”

Keller said she was persuaded by testimony from the hearing that offered alternative definitions. She said she thought Brodhead acted in good faith but said the situation exposes flaws in the new zoning code.

“I think it’s the ordinance and the language of the ordinance and the [affordable dwelling unit] manual that is flawed,” Keller said. “Whatever is built there will have an effect on the neighborhood. It will overwhelm it and it will bring about change.”

A motion to uphold Brodhead’s determination failed on a 2-2 vote, which means the ruling stands. Reeder has the right to appeal the decision to Charlottesville Circuit Court.

This view from Albemarle GIS shows that the western corner of JPA and West Main is part of a large parcel owned by the UVA Board of Visitors, a key definition of “Grounds” dating back to the 1939 city charter.

Annie Gould Gallery

NEWS DEMOGRAPHICS

Going down

U.S. Census Bureau counts less

people in Charlottesville BY

When the Virginia Department of Education last calculated a formula to determine how easily each locality can afford the cost of public school, staff used a population count of 51,132 for the City of Charlottesville.

That number is what the Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service at the University of Virginia estimated the city’s population was as of July 1, 2023. State government and the education department rely on Weldon Cooper’s figures for official purposes, such as the local composite index for education funding.

For four years after the 2020 census, the agency used a higher number out of a belief the federal count conducted in April of that year failed to take into account that many students had left the area due to the pandemic. This year, Weldon Cooper walked back its earlier numbers and made an official estimate of 46,923 as of July 1, 2025.

“The new base population for Virginia and its counties and cities is almost identical to the census count,” said Qian Cai, director of the Demographics Research Group at Weldon Cooper, in a March 5 email.

Since that time, the U.S. Census Bureau has released updated estimates that include backdated figures putting Charlottesville’s population at 44,388, a 4.58 percent decline from the official census count of 46,518 in 2020.

The lower number means that Charlottesville would still be eligible to revert to a town in Albemarle County. Under Virginia law, that process can begin if a city

than 45,000

SEAN TUBBS

is below 50,000. A previous effort to do so was last made in the 1990s but fought vigorously in court.

Charlottesville City Manager Sam Sanders informed City Council of the lower numbers when he introduced a draft budget on March 2.

“I have a meeting on my calendar to have some conversation with some folks because I like a bigger number than that,” Sanders said.

A request for comment was sent to the City of Charlottesville, seeking clarification of why Sanders would like the higher number, but we received no answer before press time.

Mayor Juandiego Wade said he has not seen an official explanation for the decline, but claimed he doesn’t consider it significant.

“It seems like there are always swings in the numbers based on changing parameters,” Wade said in an email.

Councilor Michael Payne said he was not shocked given that other data points such as enrollment have remained flat despite Weldon Cooper’s initial higher numbers. He said there could be effects.

“What our census population is will directly impact how much funding we’re allocated for various federal and state level programs,” Payne said in an email.

No other localities in the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission had their official population reduced. According to the census, Albemarle has grown 5.27 percent since 2020 with a mid-2025 population of 118,536. Louisa County’s growth rate is 14.2 percent with a July 2025 count of 42,924.

While no official explanation has been given for Charlottesville’s population decline, Mayor Juandiego Wade said he doesn’t consider it significant because “there are always swings in the numbers based on changing parameters.”

A bright red club. A solidly blue school. A school board changing the rules.

How Turning Point USA’s spurring discussion—or division—at Western Albemarle High School

BY NATHAN ALDERMAN

On March 12, the Albemarle County School Board met to vote on changes to its student activities policy, limiting when student groups could host outside speakers, governing how they raised money, and banning groups linked to hate or harassment.

Noah Coffin, a Western Albemarle High School senior and president of the school’s conservative Club America, asked the board to vote no. “You all have a very exciting opportunity to foster [an] environment for free speech and civil dialogue,” he said, “an opportunity to platform civil discussion instead of platforming the culture … of hate, that culture of silence, a culture of keyboard warriors.”

“I have a lot of respect for each and every one of you,” Coffin concluded. “Regardless of how this goes, I will continue to pray for you.”

Coffin struck a different tone in a March 4 Instagram video captioned “Fight. Fight. Fight.” Walking the Downtown Mall in a blue suit and red necktie, Coffin told the board: “We beat you in November, and we’re ready to beat you again.” If the rules passed, Coffin said his chapter and others nationwide were “ready to fight with a force that has never been seen before.” (“My message to the school board both in person and Instagram were both kind and respectful,” Coffin says.)

The school board voted 5-1 to approve the changes.

That vote has become the latest flashpoint in a culture war at Western, centered on Club America, part of Turning Point USA, the well-funded conservative group whose founder, Charlie Kirk, was assassinated in September 2025. Western’s club has attracted as many as 700 people to see conservative speakers like former 5th District Congressman Bob Good, and his successor, Congressman John McGuire. Figures from the school district show 1,274 students enrolled at the high school for the 2024-2025 school year.

Western’s Club America says it was named High School Chapter of the Year at Turning Point’s AmericaFest 2025. Coffin and other members have been invited to the Trump White House for Christmas, celebrated onstage at Turning Point events, and welcomed at the state capitol by Republican legislators.

Members of Club America say it draws record attendance because students appreciate civil dialogue and open debate. But Western students opposed to the club argue that Club America inflates its numbers by giving out free food and counting detractors who attend its events as club supporters. Opponents say those events stoke divisions within the school, making some students feel unsafe and others hesitant to speak freely.

C-VILLE dug into each policy change to examine how it will affect student groups, and how Turning Point USA may be changing the culture at Western Albemarle.

In-school vs. afterschool

In-person guest speakers shall not be permitted for noncurricular activities during the school day. All student organizations may invite speakers to address organization members during hours after the conclusion of the school day.—Albemarle County School Board

Club America invited Victoria Cobb, president of The Family Foundation of Virginia, to Western on October 1 to deliver a speech entitled “Two Genders, One Truth.” Western’s principal, Jennifer Sublette, initially denied Club America’s request for the speech, changing course after lawyers for Cobb and the club’s faculty sponsor claimed the denial violated the First Amendment.

School board member Allison Spillman, parent of a transgender child, criticized the speech on her personal Facebook page: “If the KKK wanted a speaker during lunch, would we allow that as well?” She later apologized for the comparison.

In November, Spillman proposed a review of the student activities policy, which the school board unanimously approved. School staff took over from there, comparing existing policies with those in other Virginia districts, then holding focus groups with staff, students, and caregivers to

“I really want students to be able to safely express their different opinions and not be fearful of it on both sides,” says at-large school board member Allison Spillman.

identify areas of concern. Spillman says the board had no further input until its March 12 public meeting; she initially hoped the review would be completed by December.

“Our policy before was so lax and provided such little guidelines that a lot was put on the principals ahead of time to make decisions,” Spillman says. “Between the high schools, there wasn’t even consistency.”

The new policy distinguishes co-curricular groups, which “serve as an extension of the school curriculum,” from noncurricular groups, “initiated by students with recreational, community, religious, political, or other interests that are not part of the school curriculum.” All non-curricular groups get equal access to school facilities. None can receive school funding. And non-curricular groups can only host speakers after school hours, a change school staff say came from focusgroup feedback.

“This was an extremely public policy development with none of the board changes made in private meetings,” school board Chair Rebecca Berlin says. “We believe this policy accurate[ly] reflects the desires of the public and better meets the needs of the students.”

But Club America members say the change makes it much harder for them to hold events, including a planned April speech by Erika Kirk, who has headed Turning Point USA since her husband’s murder. In a March 4 Instagram video, Coffin said the policy change aimed to ban Kirk from speaking.

“The policy broadly prohibits guest speakers for noncurricular clubs,” Coffin says. “Because [it] was prompted by a situation involving one of our speakers, many naturally view [that] restriction as disproportionately affecting our chapter.”

Some of the club’s opponents agree that lunchtime meetings are easier for people to attend, given students’ often conflicting commitments after school.

“Being at lunch is so accessible,” says Ike Noth, a Western senior and president of Dream for America—a progressive alternative to Club America. “There’s still groups that definitely care and would still attend these things afterwards, but their numbers would never, ever hit the same amount of students.”

Senior Madeleine Fuller is the co-president of Western’s We the People club, a competitive civics debate team. “We’ve been organizing strictly after school for several years,” she says. “We had speakers this year all after school, and we had some pretty good turnout. … I think if there’s an event that’s gaining so much traction within the student body and that so many students want to attend, they will be able to attend that event while still being able to maintain their position in other after-school activities.”

Though senior Brady Wilson doesn’t support Club America, he believes that the policy change comes across as “[hasty] and very targeted.” But he notes that “it’s not like it’s only going to affect Turning Point. It’s going to affect Dream for America as well.” Coffin says Western’s Club America chapter is “pursuing alternative solutions” to bring Erika Kirk to campus.

Publicity blitz

Student organizations may hand out flyers and post announcements and other materials only with prior approval of the principal or designee to ensure compliance with school board policies and school regulations.

“We’ve seen our attendance grow from 120 students at our very first meeting to over 700 students in our most recent meeting,” Coffin says. “Members are counted as students who have filled out a membership form in person or online. Not all meeting attendees are members.” Coffin and other Turning Point club members did not specify the group’s official membership numbers.

“It’s massive,” Noth agrees, saying no prior Western club has posted similar attendance.

To draw those crowds, students say Turning Point blankets the school in ads. “The flyer method was not used as aggressively before Turning Point USA,” Wilson says. “You see one every stairwell, every hallway, near every bathroom.”

“You can’t turn anywhere without seeing one,” another student says.

Turning Point also gives away free food—pizza, donuts, bagels—to ever-hungry teenagers. An Instagram video shows people hurling free T-shirts to students in the auditorium during one recent event. Other students report raffles for $25 gift cards at Club America meetings.

Before Turning Point, Fuller says, no other club promoted events like this, “simply because they didn’t have the funds to.”

According to WAHS Principal Sublette, Club America has deposited and spent donations totaling $800 in its schoolmanaged student activity account. “They have used those funds to purchase pizza three times and for a reimbursement for supplies for a community service activity,” she said.

“Currently the school activity fund balance is $0.”

Coffin says that Club America’s financial details are “not public information,” and otherwise declined to comment on the club’s budget. It’s not clear whether that $800 covered the other food and giveaways students described, or if the funding came from a different source.

“Especially at the John McGuire meeting, we learned that Turning Point counted the meeting attendance based on how many plates of pizza that they gave out,” Fuller says.

“I’ve had some of the leadership tell me that that is how they count up their attendee count,” Noth says. “They like to use that as their base: ‘This is 700 engaged students,’ but counting the pizza. … I find that it’s misleading.”

“Our chapter has been expanding so rapidly that we barely have enough pizza to go around,” Coffin says. “For example, only about 200 of 700 students received a slice during our last meeting, yet all 700 stayed.”

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“Pizza alone won’t attract 700-plus students into a room,” he says. “The idea of open dialogue and civil discussion is attractive to students. The idea of being part of the strongest movement in the nation is attractive to students.”

“From my experience at Western, talking to students, going to these meetings,” Noth says, “[Club America does] not have the strong base that they claim to have. … Admittedly, they’re bringing a lot of students, and while they’ll claim that that is because they’re all passionate, I think it’s because people want pizza.”

Disrupted days

Student organizations shall not engage in any activity … which materially and substantially disrupt[s] the school’s learning environment …

Berlin says the policy change was partly driven by “dozens of requests from families and students alike ... to address their concerns regarding disruptions and security during the school day caused by club activities.”

For Cobb’s October speech, Spillman says the school had mental health first responders and additional police on site. “To have a speaker come for 25 minutes—that’s a lot of resources. We’re in the middle of a really tough budget season, so when we’re talking about where we’re allocating our money and how we’re spending our money, I want to see it in the classroom.”

Students described the February McGuire event as the talk of the school.

“In my class, the entire class, we talked about that meeting,” Noth says. “And I know many other students from dozens of classes, all they did after that meeting was talk about the meeting.”

“If our event fosters discussion among classmates throughout the day, it is not our responsibility or intention to regulate that,” says junior Olivia Kate Crombie, Club America’s secretary. “I know for me personally it was not a main topic of discussion in any of my classes.”

“During our third period, we didn’t really do much school,” Fuller says. “We talked a lot about the meeting. … A lot of people were angry that what had been broadcasted as a debate had turned into something that didn’t feel like a debate at all.”

Turning Point and Club America advertised McGuire’s visit as a “prove me wrong” debate. Western’s lunch period lasts 35 minutes, and McGuire spoke for seven to 10 of those minutes at the beginning of the event.

Brady Wilson was able to ask McGuire a question, after which “I got the mic pulled away from my face.” Questioners weren’t given the opportunity to rebut McGuire’s replies, which Wilson and others describe as evasive and unconvincing.

“It was very negative in the auditorium,” Fuller says. “People were booing and jeering [McGuire] and very supportive of the students who were asking questions.”

Senior El Garth, who attended the event, says she took debate class freshman year. “One thing I do remember is that in order for something to be a debate, you have to allow somebody to respond,” she said. “If they had just advertised it as a Q&A to begin with, it wouldn’t have been that big of a deal, but because they didn’t, [students] were very upset.”

“The term ‘prove me wrong’ is not married to a multi-round-style debate,” Coffin says. “Congressman McGuire’s stances were published ahead of time, giving students a shot to ‘prove him wrong.’ Even with that shorter style, we only had time for about six questions.”

“They are creating conflict,” Noth says. “I think a lot of the students come to these things and are interested because they’re controversial topics, and students are angry about it, and it’s entertaining. From what I have seen, [Club America is] really trying to play off of that.”

“We are not trying to create conflict,” Coffin says. “We are trying to create space for civil, open discussion between students with different viewpoints.”

Hatred and harassment

Student organizations that promote or endorse violence, harassment, or hatred toward an identifiable person or group based on race, color, religion, ethnicity, national origin, ancestry, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, or disability or are affiliated with any organizations that do so shall not be permitted.

Club America members express concern that this policy change would allow Western to ban their organization. “When a school board member has previously compared our chapter to the KKK,” Coffin says, “it raises concerns for us about how such standards might be applied in practice and whether our club could be unfairly targeted.”

“The great replacement of white people is far more sinister than any redistricting project,” Charlie Kirk said on his August 4, 2025, podcast, echoing a white nationalist conspiracy theory of the same name that believes ethnic white populations are being deliberately overrun by non-white immigrants. The Southern Poverty Law Center included Turning Point USA in its 2024 Year in Hate & Extremism, noting the organization and Kirk’s harsh rhetoric against immigrants and gay and transgender Americans.

Turning Point USA has maintained public watchlists of academics and officials whose views the organization finds objectionable. The American Association of University Professors and various news outlets have documented numerous cases of targeted harassment against people placed on those lists. But multiple school officials say Club America itself has done nothing to run afoul of the new rule.

“I have not heard instances where the students have been making hateful comments or remarks to other students,” Spillman says. “They follow the rules and they’re being respectful.”

“[Albemarle County Public Schools] is committed to protecting the constitutional rights of all students,” says ACPS spokesperson Jason Grant. “The school board is not aware of any speech or conduct by the Club America chapter at Western Albemarle High School that violates these standards.”

C-VILLE could not find a recording of Victoria Cobb’s presentation at Western. On its website, Cobb’s organization lists one of its issues as “fighting the false ideology of ‘transgenderism’ in our schools and workplace … This false view of gender and sex cannot be forced on all people, undermining parents and compelling speech.”

“The most unsettling thing about the Turning Point stuff is that it’s not super in your face,” said a Western student, who identifies as transgender and spoke on condition of anonymity. “Sometimes you’ll just be walking in the hallway, and you’ll pass by a group of people talking about how they don’t think I should be allowed in [the restroom matching their gender]. It’s that underlying sense of, you don’t belong, and of not feeling safe.”

“When Victoria Cobb came,” the student says, “it was finally showing that that’s what it really is like. And I think that’s what really shocked people.”

“It’s just something that I happen to be,” says the trans student. “I was born some-

Brady Wilson

El Garth

Ike Noth

Club America at Western has attracted as many as 700 people to see conservative speakers. There were 1,274 students enrolled at the high school for the 2024-2025 school year.

thing else than I feel, than I actually am. … It’s not an ideology or stated beliefs. It’s just something I have to be in order to be myself.”

“Victoria Cobb discussed her opinion on a popular issue in a loving, kind, respectful manner,” Coffin says. “We love our transgender students and pray they will be comfortable in the unique and wonderful way God created them. … However, I believe people with XY chromosomes will always be men, and people with XX chromosomes will always be female. I refuse to affirm lies.”

Club America members say they’ve been targeted at school for their beliefs. “Many of our leaders have experienced threats either online or in person,” Crombie says, including “hateful name-calling or death threats.” Several students outside the group confirmed that Club America members have received such condemnation.

“They have, I think, been treated unfairly, but they’ve also treated other people unfairly,” one student says. “I’ve heard of people in Turning Point getting kicked out of friend groups because they’re part of it, or being kicked out of parties. But what they’re doing is very harmful … They’ll make fun of the way kids look and the way kids are acting.”

“I am friendly with the president and vice president of the club,” Noth says. “They are people that I’m able to have a conversation with. … I don’t think anybody should be being attacked. But being criticized I find different, and I find to be something that actually spurs from their own club.”

Phantom fundraising

All fundraising by student organizations, both inside and outside of the school, requires prior principal or designee approval … All monies raised or collected by student organizations or clubs shall be school activity funds and shall be deposited promptly with the school … If a student organization is dissolved, the student activity funds continue to belong to the school.

In his March 4 Instagram video about the upcoming board meeting, Coffin says the policy change “gives [the school board] complete control of our funding.” But before the March 12 vote, existing school board policies, readily viewable online, already dictated how student groups could raise and spend money.

Those prior policies, reiterated and referenced in the board’s March 12 update, required any funds raised by student groups to be deposited with the district or an individual school. Groups needed written approval from their principal to start a crowdfunding campaign. Such campaigns could not use photos of students, nor solicit funds for “items or projects that are religious or political in nature or that have a religious or political purpose.”

In February 2025, around when Club America began at Western Albemarle, someone set up a GoFundMe page in its name. An archive of the page shows that the organizer used the name of Club America’s student treasurer. The page featured photos of Western students in the club and mentioned the school by name.

“To further our mission, we are raising funds to support programs, bring in impactful speakers, and expand our outreach efforts,” the campaign’s description read. “This GoFundMe campaign will help us finance these initiatives and ensure that our chapter continues to grow and make a difference.”

Roughly a year later, in February 2026, a second archive of the page showed that funds raised had grown from $850 to $13,888 from 141 donors, with a $15,000 goal.

The treasurer was still named as the GoFundMe’s organizer at the time of the second archive, with Michelle Karpovich, the club’s faculty advisor, listed as the campaign’s beneficiary. Again, the page showed photos of students in the club and mentioned Western by name. The description had been changed from the first archive, mentioning a goal of $10,000 to “host a major fall gala … [to] celebrate the success of our chapter.”

An October 24, 2025, post on Club America’s Instagram appears to show a private, off-campus venue for this gala, which the post says took place the following day.

C-VILLE saw an active version of the GoFundMe page prior to the March 12 school board meeting that enacted the

Though Club America objects to the recent changes, “we believe this policy accurate[ly] reflects the desires of the public and better meets the needs of the students,” says county school board Chair Rebecca Berlin.

updated policy. At some point between then and the days after the meeting, the campaign was taken down.

Both Sublette and Grant say they’d never heard of the campaign. “Club leaders have not informed me of outside fundraising for the club,” Sublette says. Beyond the $800 for pizza and community projects, she had no record of other deposits into the club’s school account.

“I do not have any record of Club America at Western seeking approval for crowdsource funding,” Grant says. “I also have no way of knowing for certain who set up that account nor its legitimacy.” He confirmed that even before the March 12 changes, the board’s policies would apply to this GoFundMe if it were set up by a student group.

“I think it’s important that any school activity follow strict guidelines on how funds are raised, reported, and used,” Berlin says. “We can’t allow our student organizations to be exploited or for outside groups to falsely claim to be official ACPS organizations in the hopes [of increasing] their fundraising ability.”

When asked directly about the GoFundMe, Coffin did not express surprise or say it was not connected with the group. “The county has told us repeatedly that because we are sponsored by an outside organization, we are required to manage our own funding,” he says.

C-VILLE sent further questions to Club America leadership on March 23 and Karpovich on March 25 about the GoFundMe, and about which county officials provided this guidance. No responses had been received at press time.

C-VILLE attempted to reach the club’s treasurer, whom the club still listed in that role in a December 2025 Instagram post, through their parents. Via email, their mother declined to comment.

Civil discourse and open dialogue

Club America members say they want to promote open debate at a school they characterize as previously closedminded and closed-mouthed.

“Maybe we can have discussion about cellular respiration in biology class, but before TPUSA entered the scene, political dialogue was taboo,” Coffin says. “Now, students are comfortable sharing their views, learning from other perspectives, and talking respectfully to people they disagree with.”

Other students say that even before Club America arrived, they had challenging, complex exchanges in their regular classes with people of different viewpoints.

Wilson spoke fondly of attending his junior year AP history class with one of Club America’s founders. He felt he benefited from exchanging views with someone with a different perspective. “I would say that was the most open-dialogue discussion I’ve ever had.”

“I have discussions within my group of friends and people around me about stuff like that all the time, and I think those have been good experiences for me,” says another student.

Western students outside the club express skepticism about Club America’s commitment to open debate.

“What they value is ragebait,” Noth says. “If they wanted open discussion ... they would let us have real conversations with these speakers.”

“Based on the speakers that they’ve brought in … particularly with [Victoria Cobb], I would absolutely not categorize that as open and civil discussion,” Fuller says. “I think claiming open dialogue and civil discourse while promoting these hateful, harmful, targeting messages is not the kind of club you would want to be.”

“While [Club America members] are friendly to other students in person,” she says, it’s hard to “separate the interactions that you have privately with what’s being posted online that students see.”

“It’s not clear acts of discrimination happening in your face,” says the transgender student. “It’s just, now you know that people don’t think you should exist. … Just being there feels unsafe and uncomfortable, and it’s a little scary, and it just feels wrong. People don’t talk about it, because it’s this taboo subject … you don’t know if a person is going to disagree or agree with it.”

“It’s affected the relationships that I’ve been able to make with people on my sports teams,” says one student-athlete, “or even some of my coaches. I found it harder to get along with some of the [older students] on my [sports] team, because they were a part of the Turning Point club, and I feel like they had this opinion about me, that they just didn’t like me for some reason.”

“It’s not fostering open dialogue,” Wilson says. “It is fostering division.” Though no one’s being forced to attend Club America’s events, “this is something that spreads across the entire school, no matter where it is,” he says. “And everybody talks about it.”

Spillman says she believes that Club America has created division, even fear, among students and staff. “I really want students to be able to safely express their different opinions and not be fearful of it on both sides,” she says. “I hope that we can get back to that environment at Western, and I think that is one of the main goals of this policy.”

“The presence of differing viewpoints in a student body is not divisive,” says Coffin. “What some label as ‘divisive’ is often simply the introduction of perspectives that were previously underrepresented or discouraged.”

“If the introduction of views different than theirs upsets certain students,” says Crombie, “there is nothing we can do about it.”

C-VILLE interviewed multiple Western Albemarle High School students while reporting this article. All were either 18 or older, spoke with us with their parents’ prior knowledge and permission, or were encouraged to speak with us by their faculty advisor.

SATURDAY 4/4

WERK EVENT

Welcome to the stage, The Southern Drag Show! Hosted by C’ville’s own AFAB drag entertainer Jackie of All Trades and Thee Blueridge Showgirl Darling Nikki (pictured), the show features Richmond’s top-tier draglesque performer Royalty Resignz, atomic blonde stripteasing diva Cyleste Entity—and is sure to be sickening (read “amazing” or “flawless”). The event kicks off a new Charlottesville tradition, so be welcoming and bring plenty of singles to show your appreciation. Ages 16+. $19.50–25.90, 9pm. The Southern Café & Music Hall, 103 S. First St. thesoutherncville.com

CATS SPRING TREE SALE

Join Charlottesville Area Tree Stewards at the VA Dept. of Forestry (900 Natural Resources Drive) Saturday, April 11th from 10:00 am to 12:00 noon

We maintain our own volunteer run tree nursery, concentrating on native trees and shrubs, some of which are hard to find from commercial sources. As an all-volunteer organization, we are committed to increasing public awareness of the value of trees in all environments.

Celebrate Earth Month by Planting a Native Tree!

Choose from over 40 varieties of primarily native trees and shrubs, priced from $6.00 to $15.00. Limited to 8 per household.

Check out upcoming talks, walks and events at: www.charlottesvilleareatreestewards.org

Wednesday 4/1

music

Holly’s Open Mic Night. Mic check to all musicians, poets, and everyone in between. Free, 9pm. Holly’s Diner, 1221 E. Market St. dance

Weekly Swing Dance. Beginner-friendly swing dance lessons teach the Lindy Hop, Charleston, Balboa, and blues. No partner needed. Stay for social dancing after the class. $10, 7pm. The Front Porch, 221 E. Water St. frontporchcville.com stage

Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812

An electropop opera based on a scandalous slice of Leo Tolstoy’s War and Peace, by Dave Malloy. $12–18, 8pm. Ruth Caplin Theatre, 109 Culbreth Rd. drama.virginia.edu etc.

Rapture Karaoke. Hosted by Thunder Music. Free, 9pm. Rapture, 303 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. rapturerestaurant.com

Thursday 4/2

music

Berto and Vincent. A night of wild flamenco rumba and Latin guitar. Free, 7pm. The Bebedero, 225 W. Main St., Downtown Mall. thebebedero.com

Louis & Larrabee Duo. An exciting new collaboration features Louis Smith on guitar and vocals and Adam Larrabee on banjo and electric guitar. $10, 7:30pm. The Batesville Market, 6624 Plank Rd., Batesville. batesvillemarket.com

Travis Elliott. Originals and covers from a C’ville institution. Free, 9:30pm. Rapture, 303 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. rapturerestaurant.com

stage

Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812

See listing for Wednesday, April 1. $12–18, 8pm. Ruth Caplin Theatre, 109 Culbreth Rd. drama.virginia.edu

words

Fiction Reading: Jessica Anthony. The acclaimed writer gives a public reading of her work. Free, 5pm. UVA Bookstore Mezzanine, 400 Emmet St. S. creativewriting.virginia.edu

classes

Forever Plant. Create a crafted plant that always stays in bloom. All materials provided. Ages 14+. Free, 6:30pm. Northside Library, 705 W. Rio Rd. jmrl.org etc.

Brewery Puzzle Hunt. An escape room meets a pub crawl. Visit the Preston Avenue breweries, crack codes, unravel riddles, and sample Charlottesville’s best brews. Players get $1 off pints at each brewery. $15, noon. Starr Hill Brewery, Dairy Market. puzzledbee.com

Documentary Film Screening: The Creative High Nine artists in recovery from drug and alcohol addiction are transformed by creativity in their search for identity and freedom. $20–61, 6pm. The Paramount Theater, 215 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. theparamount.net

Vineyard Puzzle Hunt. Like an escape room but at a winery. Crack codes and unravel riddles while sampling Charlottesville’s best wine, beer, and cider. Play when you want and go at your own pace. $15, 5pm. Eastwood Farm and Winery, 2531 Scottsville Rd. puzzledbee.com

Friday 4/3 music

AFRO ASIA. Thai tunes blended with funk, jazz, and blues. $15, 7pm. The Batesville Market, 6624 Plank Rd., Batesville. batesvillemarket.com

Bob Bennetta Trio. Live jazz. Free, 6:30pm. Afghan Kabob House, 200 Market St. afghankabobhouse.com

Chickenhead Blues Band. Charlottesville’s premier boogie-woogie, beat, rhythm and blues dance band. Free, 9pm. Holly’s Diner, 1221 E. Market St. Dogs In A Pile. An eclectic quintet merges funk, jazz, and rock ‘n’ roll with psychedelia. With Natalie Brooke. $32, 8pm. The Jefferson Theater, 110 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. jeffersontheater.com

Drew Pace x Jared Stout. A young country music singer-songwriter with a unique sound and an emerging force in the world of Americana and Appalachian soul perform. $10, 7pm. Pro Re Nata, 6135 Rockfish Gap Tpke., Crozet. prnbrewery.com

Hannah Cohen. American singer and model inspired by the Catskills. $32, 8pm. The Southern Café & Music Hall, 103 S. First St. thesoutherncville.com

John Kelly. A local singer-songwriter with more than two decades of solo acoustic performing experience. Free, 5pm. Eastwood Farm and Winery, 2531 Scottsville Rd. eastwoodfarmandwinery.com

Scuffletown. A unique blend of original music and acoustic roots, blues, jazz, bluegrass, and country. Free, 5:30pm. Potter’s Craft Cider, 1350 Arrowhead Valley Rd. potterscraftcider.com

Sharel Cassity Quartet feat. Michael Rodriguez. An electrifying collaboration between the quartet and one of today’s most dynamic voices on trumpet. Free, 8pm. The Stage at WTJU, 2244 Ivy Rd. wtju.net

stage

Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812. See listing for Wednesday, April 1. $12–18, 8pm. Ruth Caplin Theatre, 109 Culbreth Rd. drama.virginia.edu

The Hound of the Baskervilles. When Sir Charles Baskerville is found dead on the moors with a look of terror on his face and paw prints by his body, Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson are called to unravel the curse of the hound. $35–75, 7:30pm. Blackfriars Playhouse, 10 S. Market St., Staunton. americanshakespearecenter.com

words

Friday Night Writes. An open mic for emerging musicians and writers to share their unpublished work. Free, 7pm. New Dominion Bookshop, 404 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. newdominion bookshop.com

classes

Colloquium with Josh Brew. Brew is a scholarperformer dedicated to exploring music’s imbrication with technology and sustainability. Free, 3:30pm. Old Cabell Hall 107. music.virginia.edu etc.

Brewery Puzzle Hunt. See listing for Thursday, April 2. $15, noon. Starr Hill Brewery, Dairy Market. puzzledbee.com

Vineyard Puzzle Hunt. See listing for Thursday, April 2. $15, 5pm. Eastwood Farm and Winery, 2531 Scottsville Rd. puzzledbee.com

Saturday 4/4

music

A Fingerstyle Guitar Showcase. Accomplished performers Hiroya Tsukamoto and Ty Burkhardt present contrasting repertoire. $20–25, 7pm. The Front Porch, 221 E. Water St. frontporchcville.com

TO-DO LIST CULTURE

SATURDAY 4/4

BRUSH WITH SUCCESS

North Carolina country crooner Luke Combs brings his My Kinda Saturday Night Tour to town in support of his sixth LP, The Way I Am. The robust 22-track album dropped in March, stuffed with songs about drinking beers, driving more fast cars, drinking whiskey, driving trucks, and women without names. Hell yeah, brother! Baritone-voiced Texan Jake Worthington, Nashville-based Dierks Bentley, TikTok teen sensation Ty Myers, and singersongwriter duo Thelma & James perform as special guests. $78.75+, 5:15pm. Scott Stadium, 1815 Stadium Rd. johnpauljonesarena.com

Blue Healer. Celebrating the electric blues and late ’60s and ’70s rock ‘n’ roll, moving from smoldering cool to downright rowdy. Free, 5pm. Eastwood Farm and Winery, 2531 Scottsville Rd. eastwood farmandwinery.com

Don’t Look Up. A group of Central Virginia musicians with more than 150 years of combined musical experience, formed via connections to the Central Virginia Blues Society. Free, 2pm. Pro Re Nata, 6135 Rockfish Gap Tpke., Crozet. prnbrewery.com

Goth Takeover. DJs and Goth bands bring spookiness galore. Free, 9pm. Holly’s Diner, 1221 E. Market St. Her Checkered Past. Anne O’Brien and Frank Bechter make music by the hearth to warm the heart. Free, 2:30pm. Albemarle CiderWorks, 2545 Rural Ridge Ln., North Garden. albemarleciderworks.com

Josh Mayo. One of Charlottesville’s finest entertainers takes on the party porch with his band The House Sauce to rock your night away. Free, 9pm. Vision BBQ & Catering, 247 Ridge McIntire Rd. visionbbqcville.com

Luke Combs: My Kinda Saturday Night Tour. With special guests Jake Worthington, Dierks Bentley, Ty Myers, and Thelma & James. $78, 5:15pm. Scott Stadium, 1815 Stadium Rd. johnpaul jonesarena.com

Pat Anderson. A roots rocker with a toughminded country-rock sensibility. Free, 2pm. DuCard Vineyards, 40 Gibson Hollow Ln., Etlan. ducardvineyards.com

Paxton Henderson. Local guitarist and singersongwriter. Free, 12:30pm. Eastwood Farm and Winery, 2531 Scottsville Rd. eastwoodfarmand winery.com

Sarah White & Her New Band. Born and raised in the two Virginias, White’s musical style is as familiar as it is hard to define—not quite country, not quite rock, not quite folk—but a little bit like all of the above. $10, 7pm. The Batesville Market, 6624 Plank Rd., Batesville. batesvillemarket.com

CULTURE TO-DO LIST

Saturday 4/4

The Wavelength Trio. Vintage rock, blues, and original music.. Free, 2:30pm. Fallen Tree Vineyard and Farm, 4593 Clark Rd., Crozet. fallentreevineyard.com Travis Elliott. Singer-songwriter blending catchy alternative pop hooks with punk energy and Americana grit through originals and covers. Free, 8:30pm. Taphouse at the Gardens, 4916 Plank Rd., North Garden. taphouseatthegardens.com

UVA Baroque Orchestra Concert Spring. A dynamic performance of music from the 17th and 18th centuries with the instruments and performance practices for which it was written. $5–10, 3:30pm. Old Cabell Hall. music.virginia.edu

stage

The Hound of the Baskervilles See listing for Friday, April 3. $35–75, 7:30pm. Blackfriars Playhouse, 10 S. Market St., Staunton. americanshakespearecenter.com

The Southern Drag Show. Serving face, fantasy, and personality on a proper stage. Hosted by Jackie of All Trades and Darling Nikki, and featuring Royalty Resignz and Cyleste Entity. Bring your singles to show you care. $19–25, 9pm. The Southern Café & Music Hall, 103 S. First St. thesoutherncville.com

Twelfth Night, or What You Will Shipwrecked and alone, Viola disguises herself as a man and stumbles into Shakespeare’s most tangled love triangle. $35–75, 2pm. Blackfriars Playhouse, 10 S. Market St., Staunton. americanshakespeare center.com

words

Gallery Talk: Michelle Pulatuwayu Woody Minnapinni. Learn about the artist’s solo-exhibition Ngiya Murrakupupuni amintiya Jilamara (My Country and Art). Registration required. Free, 1:30pm. Kluge-Ruhe Aboriginal Art Collection of UVA, 400 Worrell Dr. kluge-ruhe.org

SATURDAY 4/4

STYLE COUNSEL

In an exhilarating display of acoustic virtuosity, A Fingerstyle Guitar Showcase celebrates two performers with contrasting, yet complementary repertoires. Japanese-born Hiroya Tsukamoto (pictured) layers soulful instrumental compositions with lyrical vocalizations and spoken-word stories drawn from his own life. Richmond-based Ty Burkhardt incorporates specialized percussive techniques, such as striking the body of his guitar and two-handed playing. Both Tsukamoto and Burkhardt have been acknowledged for their individual prowess in international competition. $20–25, 7pm. The Front Porch, 221 E. Water St. frontporchcville.org

Lights ON Blackfriars. Live, in-person conversations bring together the artists and scholars behind each production. This week: A Bold Stroke for a Husband director Emily Lyon offers behind-thescenes insights. $7, 11am. Blackfriars Playhouse, 10 S. Market St., Staunton. american shakespearecenter.com

New Dominion Storytime. Featuring readings from recent storybooks and the classics kids know and love. Rain or shine. All ages welcome. Free, 11am. New Dominion Bookshop, 404 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. newdominionbookshop.com

classes

Enter the World of Wax. Learn the art of wax carving for jewelry or small sculpture production. Materials and tools provided. $150, 1pm. Malleable Studios, 1304 E. Market St. Studio T. malleable studios.com

Fabric Mosaics: Create Your Own Kinusaiga Art. Turn leftover textiles into something beautiful in this no-sew fabric art class. Ages 16+. $30, 10am. The Scrappy Elephant, 1745 Allied St. scrappy elephant.com

Journey Into Your Next. A workshop for seekers, creators, and artists to identify what they want to do, be, or create next. Ages 18+. $25, 2pm. The Scrappy Elephant, 1745 Allied St. scrappy elephant.com

Ochre Workshop. Learn how artist Michelle Pulatuwayu Woody Minnapinni turns ochre sourced from sacred locations on her ancestral homelands into paint. Registration required. Free, 3:30pm. Kluge-Ruhe Aboriginal Art Collection of UVA, 400 Worrell Dr. kluge-ruhe.org

Triple Wrap Bead Bracelets. Use colorful seed beads and stretch cord to make a fun, easy-to-wear wrap bracelet. Ages 12+. $25, 10am. The Scrappy Elephant, 1745 Allied St. scrappyelephant.com etc.

Brewery Puzzle Hunt. See listing for Thursday, April 2. $15, noon. Starr Hill Brewery, Dairy Market. puzzledbee.com

Easter Eggstravaganza. Visits from the Easter Bunny and fun activities for the whole family throughout the day. $12, 10am. Carter Mountain Orchard, 1435 Carters Mountain Trl. cartermountain orchard.com

Hop Into Spring. It’s time to celebrate a certain bunny’s favorite holiday with eggciting Easter celebrations. $12, 11am. Chiles Peach Orchard, 1351 Greenwood Rd, Crozet. chilesfamilyorchards.com

The Virginia Student Film Festival. A one-day showcase highlights exceptional short films created by undergraduate filmmakers from universities across the mid-Atlantic region. $3, 1pm. The Paramount Theater, 215 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. theparamount.net

Vineyard Puzzle Hunt. See listing for Thursday, April 2. $15, 5pm. Eastwood Farm and Winery, 2531 Scottsville Rd. puzzledbee.com

Sunday 4/5 music

John Kelly. Contemporary rock and classic tunes by a local singer-songwriter. Free, 2pm. DuCard Vineyards, 40 Gibson Hollow Ln., Etlan. ducard vineyards.com

Lina Saroza. Cuban saxophone player based in the USA. Free, 1pm. Eastwood Farm and Winery, 2531 Scottsville Rd. eastwoodfarmandwinery.com

stage

Bent Theatre Improv. See Charlottesville’s best performance troupe live in action. Free, 6pm. Decipher Brewing, 1740 Broadway St. benttheatre comedy.com

etc.

Adult Easter Egg Hunt. An egg hunt all over the manor house and estate—just for grown-ups. Ages 21+. Free, 1pm. Chiswell Farm & Winery, 430 Greenwood Rd., Greenwood. chilesfamilyorchards.com

Brewery Puzzle Hunt. See listing for Thursday, April 2. $15, noon. Starr Hill Brewery, Dairy Market. puzzledbee.com

Eastwood Easter Celebration. Featuring an Easter Egg stroll for the little ones, kid-friendly crafts, live music, and live bunnies to snuggle. Free, noon. Eastwood Farm and Winery, 2531 Scottsville Rd. eastwoodfarmandwinery.com

Easter Music In The Mountains and More. Live music by John Kelly, plus an egg hunt and a visit from the Easter Bunny. All ages welcome. Free, 2pm. DuCard Vineyards, 40 Gibson Hollow Ln., Etlan. ducardvineyards.com

Roslyn Farm & Vineyard Annual Easter Event. Hop into spring fun with egg hunts, live music, and other fun activities. $10, 2pm. Roslyn Farm & Vineyard, 100 Roslyn Heights Rd. roslynfarm andvineyard.com

Third Annual Easter Eggspedition. Hunt thousands of eggs in the gardens. Bring a new stuffed toy or book to donate to benefit patients at UVA Health Children’s Hospital. Free, 2pm. Kimpton The Forum Hotel, 540 Massie Rd. giving.uvahealth.com

Vineyard Puzzle Hunt. See listing for Thursday, April 2. $15, 5pm. Eastwood Farm and Winery, 2531 Scottsville Rd. puzzledbee.com

Monday 4/6

etc.

Film Screening: War of the Worlds A Dragons, Werewolves, and Droids program screening the 2005 film as a followup to discussions on H.G. Wells’s novel of the same title. Free, 6:30pm. Northside Library, 705 W. Rio Rd. jmrl.org

Tuesday 4/7 music

Alash Ensemble. Masters of Tuvan throat singing (xöömei), a remarkable technique for singing multiple pitches at the same time. $30–35, 5:30pm. Potter’s Craft Cider, 1350 Arrowhead Valley Rd. potterscraftcider.com

Penny & Sparrow. Indie folk performers. $38, 8pm. The Jefferson Theater, 110 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. jeffersontheater.com

Tuesday Jazz. A cast of great players joins jazz guitar virtuoso Jeff Massanari. Free, 6:30pm. Rapture, 303 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. rapture restaurant.com

classes

Frida Kahlo Pop-Art Portrait Painting Workshop. Paint a Frida-inspired portrait with step-bystep, 1:1 guidance. Materials provided. Registration required. Ages 21+. $50, 10am. Mountainside Arts, 2413 Old Lynchburg Rd. mountainsideartscville.com etc.

Geeks Who Drink Trivia. Good trivia, good times. Teams of two to six people compete to win prizes like gift certificates and pint glasses, plus bragging rights. Free, 7pm. Firefly, 1304 E. Market St. fireflycville.com

Tiwi Film Screening: Good-Bye Old Man Films from the Tiwi Islands, Australia. Screening the 1977 documentary by David MacDougall, and the short film Kapala (Sailing Boat) Dance, featuring Tiwi artist Michelle Pulatuwayu Woody Minnapinni. $11–13, 7pm. Violet Crown Charlottesville, 200 W. Main St. charlottesville.violetcrown.com

SMALL BITES CULTURE

Café society

Skip the tips, go bananas, and concentrate on your soup BY JAMES

SANFORD

Anyone who misses the former Bluegrass Grill & Bakery, known for its hearty and convivial brunches, would tell you it was not a place for peace and quiet. But the new tenant at 313 Second St. SE has other plans. Artist Beatrix Ost says her vision for The Bardo, which opened at the end of January, was “to create a space in which the community can gather for art, conversation, presence, and sensory exploration.”

The Bardo also serves coffee and pastries from Cumbre Coffee & Bakery, as well as the shop’s signature empanadas.

Upcoming events include the Ost-created Soup & Silence, described as “an experiential event in which the participant welcomes nourishment emotionally, mentally, and spiritually.” Turn in your phone and tune in to your thoughts as you enjoy a bowl of broth. Musical performances, poetry readings, and discussions are also part of the event lineup at inthebardo.com.

No getting tipsy at Tribute

Here’s a tip: If you go to Tribute Coffee, don’t try to add on. Tip screens and tip jars have no place at the recently opened café on Arlington Boulevard near Barracks Road.

“I hate it,” founder Jordan Kessler says. “I hate shilling, I hate spinning the machine around, and I just wanted to figure out a way to get rid of that—and the easiest way to get rid of it is to stop doing it.”

A former barista himself, Kessler says he sometimes had a difficult time paying the bills when he was relying on tips. So, he’s paying his staff a living wage. “It was a non-negotiable for me in opening this business,” he says.

Kessler and his wife relocated to Charlottesville six years ago. After working as director of personal training at ACAC Fitness & Wellness and as a barista and manager at Grit, he decided to open his own place.

Tribute serves brews from Waynesboro’s Happ Coffee, as well as beans from around the world: The café’s first international collaboration is a limited edition with Parcel Torrefaction from Normandy, France, with “notes of citrus, peach, and tomato.”

Kessler is also baking gluten-free pastries for Tribute—with increasing frequency. “I started making four loaves of banana bread two weeks ago, and now I’m making 10 loaves of banana bread twice a week. I’m almost a banana bread professional who just happens to have a café.” Tribute is open Tuesday through Sunday. Follow at instagram.com/ tribute.coffee.

Making a stand in Keswick

Located at the end of Glenmore Way in Keswick, Goods in the Woods is a self-serve homestead farm stand built from recycled materials, and offering treats such as fresh eggs, brown sugar banana muffins, sticky buns, scones, mini chocolate chip cookies, and dark chocolate sea-salt-covered dates. Other wares include homemade apothecary products and cut flowers when available—so bring a basket and channel your inner Red Riding Hood. The stand accepts Venmo and pre-orders can be made at hotplate.com. Updates are posted on Instagram: @goodsinthewoodsfarmstand.

Mathieu at the Mansion—vive la France!

Birdwood Mansion welcomes guest chef Mathieu Chartron April 22 through 26 and April 29 through May 2 for a special dinner menu. Trained in his native France, Chartron came to America in 2009 to work at Restaurant Guy Savoy in Las Vegas.

After being named a semi-finalist for a 2015 James Beard Award, he returned home in 2015 to oversee his family’s restaurant in

Saint-Donat-sur-l’Herbasse. He later opened Maison Gambert in Tain-l’Hermitage, located in the vineyard region of southern France, between Lyon and Avignon.

The six-course feast includes oeuf poché (a farm egg with marinated trout, green chartreuse, and spring peas); a choice of loup de mer (Mediterranean seabass, pan-roasted with asparagus, yuzu hollandaise, and squid ink crouton), or filet de veau (veal tenderloin with smoked baby potatoes, morels, fiddlehead fern, and port wine sauce); and, for dessert, fraise et basilic (strawberry sorbet with olive oil sablé Breton). Find out more at birdwoodmansion.com/dine.

Slice of a past life

Pizza-lovers, rejoice! Beloved old-school ’za spot Barnaby’s*, known for its square-cut pies, is returning in spring of 2027, says longtime employee Brian Weber.

“My life’s greatest passion has been bringing back Barnaby’s with its amazing pizzas to the Charlottesville community,” says Weber, who ran the restaurant from 1974-1984. He tried for a comeback once before, around 2008, but the economy was unstable and investors backed out.

Weber tells us Barnaby’s will open in multiple locations. “Look for missing rental signs on the commercial buildings!” he says.

MORE TO CHEW ON

SATURDAY 4/4

Art of Charcuterie: A Cheeseboard Workshop. Learn pro techniques, create culinary magic, and impress your friends creating stunning cheeseboards. $95, 3pm. The Opal Lounge at Mockingbird, 421 Monticello Rd. catering.thelocal-cville.com

THURSDAY 4/9

Tea Tasting. A tasting event held as part of a Global Tea Conference hosted by the University of Virginia. Featured alongside the lecture “The Sensory Evaluation of Tea and What Sensory Qualities and Emotion Responses do U.S. Tea Consumers Want in Specialty Green Tea (Camellia Sinensis)?” by Ann Colonna, Oregon State University. Free, 3pm. The Fralin Museum of Art at UVA, 155 Rugby Rd. uva.theopenscholar.com

FRIDAY 4/10

White Wine Showcase. Celebrate Virginia wine with a tasting of selections from more than 20 regional wineries. $70–90, 5:30pm. Southwest Mountain Vineyard, 2300 Whipper In Ln., Keswick. smvwines.com

THURSDAY 4/16

Pie Chest Take Over—Spring Edition. The Pie Chest offers a menu of spring-inspired hand pies, pot pies, and sweet pies by the slices. Event runs through Sunday, April 19. Times vary. Ethos Wine & Tea, 817 W. Main St. ethoswineandtea.com

SATURDAY 4/18

Sake Sakura: A Spring Sake Celebration. A spring celebration of sake craft, culture, and community, featuring limited release sake and cocktails, food and drink specials. Free, 11:30am. North American Sake Brewery, 522 Second St. SE. pourmeone.com

SATURDAY 4/25

Seafood Saturday. Nomini Bay Oyster Ranch provides raw, steamed, and grilled oysters along with steamed shrimp and nonseafood items. South Canal Street performs. $12–20, noon. DuCard Vineyards, 40 Gibson Hollow Ln., Etlan. ducardvineyards.com

The Generous Pour 2026. A chance to meet Virginia winemakers featuring a wine tasting of 20 of Virginia’s best wineries, canapés, a silent auction, and a live auction benefit. $95, 6pm. Hazy Mountain Vineyard & Brewery, 240 Hazy Mountain Ln., Afton. vwb.betterworld.org

FRIDAY 5/1

Hark Spring Wine Dinner. Featuring offerings from The Pie Chest. Price and time TBD. Hark Vineyards, 1465 Davis Shop Rd., Earlysville. harkvineyards.com

The Bardo is a new art gallery café curated by Beatrix Ost.

CULTURE GALLERIES

April Exhibitions

Atlas Coffee 2206 B Fontaine Ave. “Spring Bouquets,” oil paintings by Kris Bowmaster. April 1–May 31.

Buck Mountain Episcopal Church 4133 Earlysville Rd. Paintings by Juliette Swenson. April 1–June 30.

Crozet Artisan Depot 5791 Three Notch’d Rd., Crozet. “After the Blue Light,” works balancing realism and abstraction in oil and cold wax to capture the tranquility and energy of the natural world, by Kathy Belcher. “Gideon’s Pottery,” wheel-thrown ceramics reflecting the artist’s curiosity about form and function, by Gideon McCarthy. Both shows run April 1–30. Meet the artist event with Gideon McCarthy April 11, 11am–1pm. A one-day pop-up art show featuring works by student members of the Western Albemarle High School chapter of the National Art Honor Society takes place April 18.

C’ville Arts Cooperative Gallery 118 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. “Safe Arbors,” a 20-year retrospective of Flame Bilyue’s work, inspired by the strength and serenity of trees. April 3–30. First Fridays opening reception, 5–8pm.

The Fralin Museum of Art at UVA 155 Rugby Rd. “The World Between: Egypt and Nubia in Africa,” showcasing the deep cultural embeddedness of ancient Egypt in Africa, beyond merely acknowledging its geographical position on the African continent. “Pélagie Gbaguidi: Excavation and Knowledge,” a site-specific installation exploring the histories and tenets of faith that connect us all. “Crafted for Tea: Connecting Cultures with Teaware and Traditions,” exploring how the preparation and enjoyment of tea have traveled, transformed, and inspired across time and place, through images and objects. “Nakeya Brown: Refutations,” photographs honoring the complex entanglement of identity, memory, femininity, family legacy, and the marketing of cultural assimilation in the context of Black hair. All shows run through May 31.

The Gallery at Studio IX 969 Second St. SE. “Mt. Saint Cabbage,” new works exploring a fascination and fraught relationship with nature, questioning our effect on the earth as humans, by Allyson Mellberg and Jeremy Seth Taylor. April 3–May 31. First Fridays opening reception 5–7pm. Artist talk May 7, 5–6pm.

IX Art Park 522 Second St. SE. In the Public restroom art gallery, “The Array,” colorful mixed media pieces inspired by a life-

IMAGES COURTESY OF THE GALLERIES AND/OR ARTISTS

Asa Jackson at Les Yeux du Monde

Giselle Gautreau at Second Street Gallery Susan Brodie at McGuffey Art Center

long devotion to seeing, shaping, and honoring the world around him by Bill Atwood. First Fridays opening reception, 7–9pm, featuring a “Meet the Artist Q&A” with muralist Jesse Jentzen. “The Looking Glass,” an immersive art space featuring a whimsical enchanted forest and kaleidoscopic cave. Ongoing.

Jefferson School African American Heritage Center 233 Fourth St. NW. “Swords into Plowshares: Recast/Reclaim,” original never-before-seen photographs documenting the dismantling and melting of Charlottesville’s Robert E. Lee monument by Ézé Amos and Kristen Finn. Through May 30. Permanent exhibition, “Pride Overcomes Prejudice,” exploring the history of peoples of African descent in Charlottesville. Ongoing.

The John P. & Stephanie F. Connaughton Gallery at the UVA McIntire School of Commerce Rouss & Robertson Halls third floor, East Lawn. “POINT OF VIEW,” a twoperson show featuring paintings and mixed media works by Krista Townsend and Sue McCoy. Through June 19. Opening reception April 9, 4:30–6:30pm.

Kluge-Ruhe Aboriginal Art Collection of UVA 400 Worrell Dr. “Ngiya Murrakupupuni amintiya Jilamara (My Country and Art),” painting, sculpture, and fiber art by

Michelle Pulatuwayu Woody Minnapinni. Through July 26. Welcome reception April 2, 5–7pm. Gallery talk April 4, 1:30–2:30pm. Ochre workshop April 4, 3–4pm. “Color is Life: Women’s Work Today,” a group show of women artists featuring fiberwork, painting, printmaking, film, and sculpture. Through March 14, 2027.

Les Yeux du Monde 841 Wolf Trap Rd. “Paradise Found: Where Heaven and Earth Meet,” a solo exhibition of works by Asa Jackson, including compositions made with deconstructed and dyed garments. April 10–May 24. Opening reception April 10, 5–7pm.

Loving Cup Vineyard and Winery 3340 Sutherland Rd., North Garden. “Landscapes,” oil paintings by James Moore and Kathleen Hutter. Through April 26.

McGuffey Art Center 201 Second St. NW. In all galleries, the 2026 Mid-Atlantic Juried Show features diverse works from artists residing in Maryland, North Carolina, Virginia, Washington, D.C., and West Virginia. April 3–25. First Friday opening reception 5:30–8pm. Panel discussion with select artists from the Mid-Atlantic Show April 25, 3–4pm. Tom Tom Festival at McGuffey event, featuring open artist studios and co-create activities, April 25, 1–4pm.

New City Arts 114 Third St. NE. In the Welcome Gallery, “holding ground,” an installation of cast clay fired into ceramic and reconfigured with welded metal objects and armatures, by Stephanie Germosen Salazar, where sculptural works explore time, displacement, and instability in the present day. Through April 15. Extended First Fridays hours, 5–7:30pm. Chess and tea event April 4, 3–5pm.

Phaeton Gallery 114 Old Preston Ave. “Nature Studies,” reflecting artist Cate West Zahl’s attentive engagement with the quiet language of the natural world, translating observation into expressive compositions. April 3–26. First Fridays opening reception 5–8pm.

Ruffin Gallery UVA Grounds, Ruffin Hall, 179 Culbreth Rd. Thesis exhibitions by graduating students and fifth-year Aunspaugh Fellows. Through April 24, with receptions on Fridays from 5–7pm.

The Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Charlottesville 717 Rugby Rd. “Joy of Creation,” acrylic and watercolor works by Adriana Nicholson. Through April.

Visible Records 1740 Broadway St. “5000,” paintings and prints centered in Afrofuturism by Hampton Boyer. Through May 16. Sci-fi writing workshop April 18, 1–4pm. Closing reception May 16, 2–5pm.

Westminster Canterbury of the Blue Ridge 250 Pantops Mountain Rd. An exhibition by The Charlottesville Camera Club showcasing a diverse collection of images created by members of one of the region’s most active photography organizations. April 1–May 1.

GALLERIES CULTURE

FRIDAY 4/3 THROUGH FRIDAY 5/22

Second Street Gallery presents two shows focused on natural beauty for the start of spring. In the Main Gallery, “Fine Art + Flowers” offers a curated exhibition of botanical paintings by seven celebrated women artists, all of whom live in Central Virginia or maintain strong ties to the region, including Karen Blair, Lee Christmas Halstead, Berkeley Hoerr, Krista Townsend, Priscilla Whitlock, Laura Wooten, and Cate West Zahl. During the exhibition’s opening weekend, an extraordinary display of flower arrangements created by florists, floral designers, and creative talents will fill the space in response to the paintings on view. A ticketed VIP preview party and fundraiser takes place April 2, 5:30–7:30pm. In the Dové Gallery, Giselle Gautreau’s solo show “Field Obscura” explores the convergence of memory, landscape, and ecology through layers of oil or encaustic paints, as well as charcoal and graphite drawings. An Artist in Conversation gallery talk with Gautreau and Lindsay Heider Diamond takes place April 23, 5:30–6:30pm. Both shows open to the public with a First Fridays reception April 3, 5–7pm. Second Street Gallery, 115 Second St. SE. secondstreetgallery.org

Allyson Mellberg and Jeremy Seth Taylor at The Gallery at Studio IX

Juliette Swenson at Buck Mountain Episcopal Church

Lee Christmas Halstead, Our Spirits Lift with the Coming Rain, 2026, oil on linen, 24 x 20 inches framed.

✓ Family owned and operated in the town of Orange VA

✓ We are growers of flowers, herbs, and vegetables since the 1980s

✓ Great gardens start with great plants

✓ Jim says “Don’t settle for weak plants at big box stores”

your entire order of vegetable and herb plants

1st- 21st MUST MENTION AD

THE WINE DOWN -

WHAT’S DELISH AT LOCAL WINERIES?

53RD WINERY AND VINEYARD

A note from Winegrower and Owner, Dave Drillock

I’m back….but in a hurry. The vineyards are about to start blooming; ready, set go!

Our 2023 Two Springs was awarded a gold medal and chosen as one of the winning wines for the Governors case at the Virginia Governors Cup competition. Congratulations to our winemaker Chelsey Blevins! It also received a gold medal from the San Francisco Wine Competition and 91 pts by JamesSuckling.com. This is a cabernet franc dominate blend characterized as dark fruited and spicy with a lovely floral and herbal undertone on the nose. Being young, the palate is tightly wound with fine boned tannins and bright acidity. Focused and energetic, its carries notes of dark cherry and plum. Simply put, this is a wellmade wine crafted with real heart and soul. It can be enjoyed now and will keep rewarding those with patience to let it age gracefully. Just like me, LOL.

We invite you to visit our serene, meadow-like location in rural Louisa County. We pride ourselves on being genuine and approachable, eager to share our passion for wine without any scripted lines or memorized facts, just a warm and welcome atmosphere.

We are a Winery that just wants to be a Winery!

April events

Saturday, April 4th: Tasting of JamesSuckling.com scored wines.

Live Music: Marc Carraway 1-4pm

Sunday, April 5th: Easter Day Closed

Saturday, April 11th: Tasting of San Francisco Chronicle medal winners

Live Music: Just Tom 1-4pm

Sunday, April 12th: 53rd

Uncorked: Session 1 From Vine to Glass: The Art of Viticulture

Take a closer look at what happens in the vineyard and how those decisions show up in every glass. Led by owner and winegrower, Dave Drillock followed by a tasting of award winning wines. 1:30 at Production Building $30 per person + tax https://www.exploretock.com/ fiftythirdwineryandvineyard/ event/601295/53rd-uncorked-vineto-glass-april-12

Saturday, April 18th: Wine Club

Pick Up Day 1

Pick up your quarterly wine

allocation, enjoy a wine tasting in the pavilion, and spend your day at 53rd! Not a Wine Club Member, enjoy all the perks of being a member for $17/person.

Food Truck: FARMacy Mexican Fusion

Live Music: Pat Anderson 1-4pm

Sunday, April 19th: Wine Club Pick Up Day 2

Pick up your quarterly wine allocation, enjoy a wine tasting in the pavilion, and spend your day at 53rd! Not a Wine Club Member, enjoy all the perks of being a member for $17/person.

Food Truck: Hibachi Mobile

Live Music: Nate Oyler 1-4pm

Saturday, April 25th: Tasting of Virginia Governors Cup medal winning wines

Live Music: Ron Gentry 1-4pm

For more details, please check our website at www.53rdwinery.com or call us at 540-894-1536.

Cheers!

Open 7 days a week, 11 am – 5 pm 13372 Shannon Hill Rd Louisa, VA 23093 (540) 894-5474 • 53rdwinery.com

DUCARD VINEYARDS

2023 Triskele

A welcoming bouquet and wellstructured palate highlight this premium red wine blend with notes of sweet spices, herbal scents, dark fruit, with lingering tannins on the finish. This exquisite wine is made only in the best growing seasons. We recommend decanting Triskele for 30-60 minutes before serving in order to fully reveal its outstanding character and complexity.

2026 Virginia Governor’s Cup Gold Medal Winner

Feature Event:

Seafood Saturday April 25, 2026 12:00-6:00

Oh yeah! Our spring Seafood Saturday at DuCard Vineyards is back! Nomini Bay Oyster Ranch will be providing the freshest and most delicious oysters from the Northern Neck: raw, steamed, grilled, and grilled with toppings. They will also be offering steamed shrimp and non-seafood items!. Throw in the music of South Canal Street and add the beautiful mountain and vineyard views, and you have a day made in heaven! So grab a bottle of wine, some fine oysters, find a seat, and enjoy a great afternoon at DuCard. Admission tickets are $12 in advance

and $20 at the gate. Ticket includes a souvenir logo wine glass to take home! Wine Club members should email Beth with reservations.Purchase tickets in advance https://insidenovatix. com/events/seafood-saturdayspring-advance-tickets-4-25-2026

We are open 7 days a week throughout the month of April with live music every weekend. Visit our website and our social media pages for the most up to date listings of our upcoming live music and events!

Saturdays & Sundays- Live music every Saturday and Sunday in March from 2-5 pm. Come to DuCard for the afternoon with family and friends and enjoy a variety of live music (no cover). Bring a picnic or select some local fare from our lite noshing menu to pair with our awardwinning wine for a fun afternoon in our amazing mountain setting.

Open daily

Mon-Thurs. 12-5 pm Fri. 12-9 pm Sat/Sun. 12-6 pm

40 Gibson Hollow Ln Etlan, VA 22719 (540) 923-4206 www.ducardvineyards.com

EASTWOOD FARM AND WINERY

SPARKLING BLANC DE BLANCS & VIRGINIA OYSTERS

Celebrate the spring season with a glass of our sparkling brut Blanc de Blancs and oysters on Friday nights! Salty Bottom Blue will be here every Friday night this spring serving their delicious raw and grilled oysters, which pair beautifully with a glass of our gold medal Sparkling Blanc de Blancs. Delicious to enjoy on its own, with Salty Bottom Blue oysters, a toasty seasonal flatbread or warm crab dip, or with one of your other favorite menu items. Let us pop the cork on a bottle for you!

Upcoming at the Winery:

Virginia Oyster & Wine Celebration | Every Friday

Starting April 1

Enjoy our Virginia Oyster & Wine Celebration every Friday night this Spring! The oysters are prepared by Salty Bottom Blue. Enjoy them in a relaxed, fun atmosphere with live music from 5-8pm on the stage in our tasting room.

Wine Slushies are Back! Cheers to the beautiful weather with a refreshing wine slushie:)

Easter Celebration | Sunday, April 5th (open 12-5PM)

Hop into Easter weekend fun at the winery! Celebrate the season on Sunday, April 5 with family-friendly activities including our annual Easter Egg Stroll, festive crafts for kids, and live BUNNIES! Enjoy live music in the Tasting Room from 1–4 PM while sipping your favorite wines.

Earth Day Celebration |Monday, April 13th, 5:00-7:00PM (open special hours 12-7PM)

Join us in celebrating mother earth with a community art project on the lawn led by the Great Mother’s March, as well as a special studentlead art project from Tandem Friends School.

Open Mic Writer’s Night | Thursday, April 16th, 6:30PM (open 12-8PM)

Join us for our newest feature, Open Mic Writer’s Night, an evening celebrating the written word. Local writers will take the mic to share readings from their short stories and poetry, showcasing their creativity and unique voices in a warm, welcoming setting.

Music Bingo | Sunday, April 19th

2-4PM (open 12-5PM)

Everyone loves singing along with their favorite songs and who doesn’t love a competitive game of Bingo? Music Bingo brings together the best of both worlds for a high energy game that is fun for everyone. Simply listen to the music, match the songs to the titles on your music bingo cards, and win great prizes!

Tom Tom Event:How She Built

Graduation Weekend | May 15th, 16th and 17th (now taking reservations)

Reserve space with your family and friends on the Veranda or at the Tent to celebrate! Enjoy our dinner and lunch menu all day, pre order items for your group to share from our Catering Menu, or bring your own picnic to the Tent. Choose from our selection of award winning wines, beers, ciders and non alcoholic beverages throughout your reservation. We are open from 12-8pm Friday and Saturday, and 12-5pm on Sunday.

MUSIC AT EASTWOOD!

Join us for the popular Eastwood After Dark featuring upbeat, danceable music on Saturday nights from 5-8pm (in addition to our more mellow Saturday afternoon music program). Eastwood also hosts a range of live performances by talented local and regional musicians every Friday night (and Sundays!). See the Winery Calendar on our website for details.

Every Friday (open 12-8 PM): Live Music 5-8PM

Join us for an unforgettable evening spotlighting the women behind some of Charlottesville’s most beloved food and beverage ventures.

Athena Eastwood, Eastwood Farm and Winery (Moderator) Kitty Ashi, Monsoon Siam Gail Page Hobbs, Caromont Farm Emily Harpster, SugarBear Susan Sweeney, Cake Bloom

The night begins with a heartfelt panel conversation about courage — the risks taken, the challenges faced, and the passion that keeps them moving forward. It’s an honest look at what it means to build, lead, and persist. Following the discussion, settle in for a fourcourse seated wine pairing dinner with a menu created by the women on the panel, showcasing beautifully crafted dishes, thoughtfully selected wines, and a celebratory Blanc de Blancs toast. With orchard views as your backdrop, this evening is about community, conversation, and raising a glass to bold ideas. Every meaningful dream starts with courage. Ticketed Event - Reserve Your Spot On Our Website

Mother’s Day | Sunday, May 10th

Celebrate Mother’s Day at Eastwood on Sunday, May 10th. We’re hosting our annual Mother’s Day Market from 12-5PM along with Live Music by Heidi Riddell from 1-4PM. Delicious wine and food will be available all day with options for the whole family. In addition to our lunch and dinner menus, we are also bringing in several food trucks to add to the fun. We hope you can join us!

Shrimp Boil 4:30-7:30 through March

Virginia Oyster & Wine Celebration, every Friday beginning April 1st 5-8PM

Every Saturday (open 12-8 PM): Live Music 12:30-3:30PM + Eastwood After Dark with Live Music 5-8PM

Every Sunday (open 12-5 PM): Live Music or Music Bingo (See the Winery Calendar on our website for details.)

Also Open Monday through Wednesday 12-5 PM and Thursday 12-8PM

What about the kids?

Kids can share in the experience with their own juice tasting flights and cheese boards!

OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK!

Winery Hours: Sunday-Wednesday (12-5 PM); Thursday-Saturday (12-8 PM)

We look forward to welcoming you to our tasting room, seven days a week. Join us for award-winning wines, beer, and cider, as well as a delicious lunch/dinner menu. Escape to Virginia Wine Country, only five miles from Downtown Charlottesville. Open year-round, seven days a week.

Pet friendly and large groups are welcome. Ample indoor and outdoor seating.

Rt 20 near the intersection with Avon Extended (5 mi from Downtown Mall) Charlottesville, VA 22902 (434) 264-6727 www.eastwoodfarmandwinery.com

It: What It Took - A Dinner & Discussion with Women Founders | Thursday, April 23rd

HARDWARE HILLS VINEYARD

Traminette

Back on the shelf! We are excited to bring back this single varietal by demand. A beautiful estate grown favorite! Remarkably floral aromatics with suggestions of roses and lavender. Aged in stainless with well-balanced offering tones of apricot, ripe stone fruit and sweet herbs. Very limited release, so get yours today.

Our social media is worth taking a look! Check us out on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube... fun wine humor here.

EVENTS:

April 2nd – 6-8:30 pm, Calling all Country Music Fans: Get your boots on and join us for a fun night of line dance classes and open floor bootscootin.

April 4th – 1:30 – 3:30 pm, Adult Easter Egg Hunt! IT’S BAAAACK! Who says kids get all the Easter fun? Leave the young ones behind for this adults-only afternoon of fun! Welcome to the Adult Easter Egg Hunt at Hardware Hills! Join us at Hardware Hills Vineyard for a funfilled day of searching for hidden eggs filled with surprises. Get ready to explore the vineyard and enjoy the beautiful scenery while hunting for eggs.

April 9th- 6:30 pm, Music Bingo Night: Sara brings the fun, the tunes, and the prizes! Grab your whole group and be ready to sip, sing and maybe... dance with us!

April 12th- 2-4 pm, Spring Bingo Night: Grab your group and Head for the Hills for some SPRING THEMED fun. BINGO -- we all love it! Prizes all afternoon and a few surprises. Cover is $5 to play... ages 21+.

April 25th- 6:30 – 9:30 pm, Karaoke Night: Warm up those vocals for a most excellent night of ... you! Take the mic and join us for our first time Karaoke extravaganza! Who will be the star? Cover is $10. Wine and food for purchase.

April 26th- 12 noon – 4 pm, Wedding and Fashion Expo! Welcome to the Wedding Expo and Fashion Show at Hardware Hills Vineyard! Join us for a day filled with bridal inspiration, stunning fashion, and beautiful vineyard views. Discover the latest trends in wedding attire, accessories, and decor while sipping on exquisite wines. Witness a spectacular fashion show showcasing the hottest bridal designs of the season. Don’t miss out on this unique opportunity to gather ideas and meet with top wedding vendors in a picturesque setting. Save the date and get ready to say “I do” to

the perfect wedding experience!

Purchase your tickets online in advance!

Fridays - LIVE MUSIC, check out our site for each week’s lineup!

Hours - We will be open during our regular winter hours

5199 W River Rd, Scottsville, VA 434.286.4710 • www.hardwarehills.com

KESWICK VINEYARDS

April at Keswick Vineyards!

Spring has arrived, and there’s no better place to enjoy the season than at Keswick Vineyards! April brings fresh vineyard views, longer days, and even more opportunities to sip, savor, and relax with friends and family.

Now Open 7 Days a Week (Starting April 1st)

We’re excited to welcome you all week long as we return to our full schedule for the season! Please note we will be closed on Easter Sunday.

Live Music Every Saturday: 12 - 4 PM

Let the music set the mood while you sip and soak in the moment. Join Virginia’s Most Rewarding Wine Club

Where every pour feels personal and every visit feels like home. Ask us how to fall in love with Keswick wine all year long!

1575 Keswick Winery Drive Keswick, Virginia 22947

Tasting Room: (434) 244-3341 ext 105 tastingroom@keswickvineyards.com www.keswickvineyards.com

PRINCE MICHEL VINEYARDS

Nestled in the heart of Virginia Wine Country and proudly womanowned, Prince Michel blends tradition with a modern, welcoming atmosphere that invites you to slow down, sip deeply, and enjoy the season of love.

This month, we’re featuring our Rapidan River Chocolate Red, a smooth, velvety blend crafted for cozy nights and romantic celebrations. Made from 43% Chambourcin, 18% Merlot, and 39% Cabernet Sauvignon, this irresistibly satisfying wine layers dark berry fruit with rich cocoa warmth for a truly decadent experience. Enjoy it slightly chilled, over ice, or as a luxurious afterdinner treat—it’s the perfect companion for chocolate desserts, fireside evenings, or special celebrations.

Beyond the bottle, Prince Michel offers more than just great wine. From tastings and scenic views

to delicious bites and craft beer at Tap 29 Brew Pub, every visit is designed to feel special! Fall in love with Rapidan River Chocolate Red all February long— and make this month one worth savoring.

Live Music every Friday–Sunday (lineup on our website)

Trivia every Monday, 6–7:30 p.m. Tuesday is Beer & Wings Specials Day

Happy Hour every Thursday, 3–5 p.m.

Open 7 days a week at 11 a.m. 154 Winery Lane, Leon, VA 22725 (540) 547-3707 www.princemichel.com A Woman-Owned Business

VIRGINIA WINE COLLECTIVE

Expanded Hours, Wine, Beer and Pizza

Beginning March 25th, the Collective will be open every Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 5-10PM. Enjoy wine, beer and pizza as well as a revamped lounge and shuffleboard.

Upcoming at the Collective: Winemaker Pop-Ups | Select Fridays 6-8PM

Enjoy free samples and tour the facility with some of our independent winemakers on Fridays! Check out events on our website: (https:// eastwoodfarmandwinery.com/ virginia-wine-collective/) and Facebook page as we will be adding more dates.

April 3: Brooks Hoover, Eastwood Farm and Winery

April 10: Joy Ting - Joy Ting Wines

April 24: Jake Busching - Jake

Busching Wines

Winemaker Karaoke | Wednesdays, April 15th and 29th from 7-9PM (bar and dining room still open to the public)

Join us up in the loft at the Collective every other Wednesday evening. No cover required.

Production Tours and Guided Tastings

We look forward to welcoming guests to the Virginia Wine Collective for tours and guided tastings. Please email our Wine Collective Coordinator, Gabrielle Thomas, if you would like to schedule a tour or guided tasting. She may be reached at gabrielle@ eastwoodfarmandwinery.com

Large Party Reservations

Interested in making a large party reservation for your group? Reach out to mary@eastwoodfarmandwinery. com to book.

About the Collective Eastwood designed the Virginia Wine Collective to include nine winemaker suites and an incubator alongside the main production area. The suites provide a space where independent winemakers can anchor a license and make their wines. The Collective has been designed to reduce the costs associated with independent winemaking, and thereby support further innovation and talent in the Monticello AVA.

Over

21 Policy

You must be over 21 to visit the bar, lounge and dining room at the Collective.

Current Winery Hours Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays 5-10PM

1585 Avon Street Extended Charlottesville, VA 22902 (434) 264-6727

https://eastwoodfarmandwinery.com/ virginia-wine-collective/

FOR FUN PUZZLES

SUDOKU

BY MATT JONES

T·r 22. To opposite

Prefix with “gram” or “logical”

Bilingual world capital

Costumed IRL fantasy game

Pocketlike structure 30. Drudgery

31. With certainty 36. 157.5 degrees from N

37. Spot in the water

38. Invisible glow

40. ___-relief

43. “That’s ludicrous”

48. “The Simpsons” German exchange student (he’s Swiss in the German dubbed version)

50. Bob Hope tour gp.

51. Lotto prefix before “Millions”

52. Bring a librar y book back

54. Spice Girl married to David Beckham

58. Brewpub unit

59. “Anything could happen!” (or what’s happening with the circled letters)

62. Salon specialty

63. Root beer option (before it got rebranded as “Zero Sugar”)

66. Confused

67. Confusion

68. What colors may do in hot water

69. Crafty marketplace

70. Jennifer Lien’s Ocampa character on “Star Trek: Voyager”

71. Snow day rides

DOWN

1. “Not sure yet,” on a sched.

2. Songwriter Corinne Bailey

3. Item from a wall socket to a phone charger, familiarly

4. ___ Candy (ally of Wonder Woman)

5. Lead-in to “linear”

6. Acrobat software company

7. “Not quite!”

8. Dance for New Zealand’s All Blacks team

9. Parcel of land

10. Vacation highlights

11. Toughens, as metal

12. Boxing combos

16. “All the world’s ___”

18. Headed up

21. “Beats me”

22. Winter malady

23. Published, as an ar ticle

27. Mashed luau staple

29. Just ___ (minimal amount)

32. $, in exchange rate tables

33. Humorist Roy ___ Jr. (the writer, not the standup)

34. Big turnout for a bir thday party

Building What’s Next

Dear Chamber Community,

As we step into the spring season, I am reminded of the sense of renewal that follows winter—longer, sunnier days and the promise of growth ahead. It is a season that reflects both progress and possibility.

Since June 2025, we have been intentionally laying the groundwork and building what’s next for the business community we serve. Like the early stages of spring, much of that work began beneath the surface more than nine months ago.

Throughout the first quarter of 2026, my priorities included enhancing member engagement, amplifying our voice, and growing with purpose. These are intentional steps toward delivering greater value for our members.

This work will continue in meaningful ways in the second quarter and beyond.

We are expanding our regional perspective through our upcoming Chamber2Chamber Intercity Visit to Chapel Hill, May 27–29. This visit is a strategic opportunity to learn from peer communities and explore innovative approaches to economic development and workforce challenges.

Just one week later, on Thursday, June 4, we will come together at the DoubleTree Hotel for our State of the Chamber Membership Meeting. Under the theme Building What’s Next, members, partners, and community leaders will gather to learn how—in this new era for our Chamber—we are fortifying our organizational foundation, so we are better positioned to collectively shape the future of our region.

Building on the success of the State of the Community event in February, advocacy remains at the heart of our mission. This work is led by our Public Policy Committee and Board of Directors, in partnership with the Free Enterprise Forum. We are committed to advancing a unified voice for business. We stay informed on key legislation through our engagement with the Virginia Chamber of Commerce, while ensuring our members’ concerns and perspectives are represented through ongoing dialogue with local government and community leaders.

We continue to invest in events, programs and partnerships that are intentionally designed to foster meaningful engagement. This includes new opportunities like our monthly Stepping with the CEO series and our Q3 Economic Forum, as well as enhancements to our Visionaries in Partnership (VIP) and Chamber Champions programs.

Just as the spring season invites new construction across our region, this is the ideal time for us to build on the momentum we have created. Keep showing up, stay engaged, and continue investing in your Chamber.

Together, we are building what’s next. In service,

Andrea D. Copeland, IOM, CCM President & CEO

Charlottesville Regional Chamber of Commerce

By Rob Brezsny

Taurus

(April 20-May 20): My Taurus friend Elena keeps a “gratitude garden” in her backyard. When she feels grateful for a specific joy in her life, she writes it on biodegradable paper and buries it among her flowers, herbs, and vegetables. “I feed the earth with appreciation,” she says. “Returning the gift.” She feels this practice ensures that her garden and her life flourish. Her devoted attention to recognizing blessings attracts even more blessings. Her cultivated appreciation for beauty and abundance leads her to discover more beauty and abundance. Elena’s approach is pure Taurean genius. I invite you to create your own rituals for expressing your thankful love. Not just paying dutiful homage in your thoughts, but giving your appreciation weight, texture, and presence in the actual world.

Gemini

(May 21-June 20): Many of us periodically slip into the daydream that everything would finally feel right if only our lives were somehow different. If we’re single, maybe we imagine we ought to be partnered; if we’re partnered, we wish our beloved would change, or we secretly wonder about someone else entirely. That’s the snag. The blessing is this: In the days ahead, you’re likely to discover a surprising ease with your life exactly as it is, and feel a genuine, grounded peace. Congratulations in advance!

Cancer

(June 21-July 22): A cautious voice in your head murmurs: “Proceed carefully. Don’t be overly impressed with your own beauty. Stick with dependable methods. Live up to expectations and avoid explorations into the unknown.” Your bold genius interrupts: “Tell that fussy, boring voice to shut up. The truth is that you have earned the right to be an inquisitive wanderer, an ingenious lover, a fanciful storyteller, and a laughing experimenter.”

Leo

(July 23-Aug. 22): In medieval European gardens, there was a tradition of creating “pleasure labyrinths.” They were walking meditations that spiraled inward to a center, then back out again. There were no decisions and no wrong turns, just the relaxing, meditative journey itself. I think you need and deserve a metaphorical pleasure labyrinth right now, Leo. You’ve been treating every choice as a high-stakes dilemma and every path as potentially problematic. But what if the current phase isn’t about making the perfect decision? Maybe it’s about trusting that the path you’re on will take you where you need to go, even if it meanders. By cosmic decree, you are excused from second-guessing every turn.

Virgo

(Aug. 22-Sept. 22): Your eye for imperfection is a gift until it becomes the lens through

FREE WILL ASTROLOGY FOR FUN

(March 21-April 19): Now is an excellent time to decide your favorite color is amaranth (a vivid red-violet), or sinopia (earthy red-orange), or viridian (cool blue-green, darker than jade). You might also conclude that your favorite aroma is agarwood (deep, smoky, resin-soaked wood), or heliotrope (cherryalmond vanilla), or petrichor (wet soil after a rain). I’m trying to tell you, Aries, that you’re primed to deeply enhance your detailed delight in smells, colors, tastes, feelings, physical sensations, types of wind, tones of voice, qualities of light—and everything else. Indulge in sensory and sensual pleasures!

which you see everything. The critical faculty that drives you to refine and enhance may also shunt you into a dead end of neverbeing-good-enough, where impossible standards immobilize you. In the coming weeks, dear Virgo, I beg you to use your vaunted discernment primarily in the service of growth and pleasure rather than constraint. Be excited by buoyant analysis that empowers constructive change. Homework: For every flaw you identify, identify two things that are working well. You won’t ignore what needs attention, but instead will compensate for the excessive criticism that sometimes grips your inner critic.

Libra

(Sept. 23-Oct. 22): You Libras shouldn’t expend excessive effort trying to force the external world to be more tranquil. That’s mostly a futile task that distracts from your more essential work. The secret to your happiness is to cultivate serenity within. How do you do that? One reliable way to shed tension is to continually place yourself in the presence of beauty. Nothing makes you relax better than being surrounded by elegance, grace, and loveliness. Now is a good time to recommit yourself to this key practice.

Scorpio

(Oct. 23-Nov. 21): In computer science, there’s a concept called “graceful degradation.” When a system encounters an error, it doesn’t crash completely. It loses some functionality but keeps running with what remains. According to my reading of the astrological omens, Scorpio, you’d be wise to acknowledge a graceful degradation like that. Something isn’t working as you had hoped

and planned. A relationship? Project? Adventure? In classic Scorpio fashion, you’re tempted to burn it all down. But I encourage you to practice graceful degradation instead. Keep what still works and release only what’s actually broken. Not everything has to be all-or-nothing. You can lose some functionality and still run. You can be partially out of whack and still be valuable. P.S.: The awkwardness is temporary.

Sagittarius

(Nov. 22-Dec. 21): At your best and brightest, you are a hunter—though not the kind who stalks prey with weapons and trophies in mind. Your hunt is noble: the fervent pursuit of adventures that nourish your curiosity and the brave forays you make into unfamiliar territories where intriguing new truths shimmer. And now, as the world drifts deeper into chaos, you are called to respond with even more exploratory audacity. I invite you to further refine your hunter’s craft. Lift it up to an even higher, more luminous form of seeking.

Capricorn

(Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Capricorn meditation teacher Wes Nisker guided his students to relax the relentless mental static that muddled their awareness. But he also understood that excessive striving can sabotage the peace we’re seeking. I invoke his influence now to help you release some of the jittery goal-obsession you’ve been gripped by. Nisker and I offer you permission to temporarily suspend the potentially exhausting drive to constantly be better and more accomplished. Instead, just for now, simply be your authentic self. Loosen your high-strung grip

on self-improvement and allow yourself the radical luxury of purposelessness.

Aquarius

(Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Here’s a danger you Aquarians are sometimes prey to: spending so much energy fixing the big picture that you neglect what’s up close and personal. You may get so involved in rearranging systems that immediate concerns get less than your best attention. I hope you won’t do that in the coming weeks. Your aptitude for overarching objectivity is a gift because it enables you to recognize patterns others can’t detect. But it may also divert you from the messy, intricate intimacy that gritty transformation requires. Your assignment: Eagerly attend to the details, which I bet will be more interesting than you imagine.

Pisces

(Feb. 19-March 20): In horticulture, “hardening off” is the process of gradually exposing seedlings started indoors to outdoor conditions before transplanting them. Too much exposure too fast will shock them; no exposure at all will leave them unprepared. Let’s invoke this as a useful metaphor for you. I believe you are being hardened off, Pisces. Life is making small, increasing demands on your tender self. Though this may sometimes feel uncomfortable, I assure you that it’s preparation, not cruelty. You’re being readied for a shift from protected space to open ground. My advice is twofold: 1. Don’t retreat back into the ultra-safe greenhouse. 2. Don’t let yourself be thrown into full exposure all at once.

Expanded weekly audio horoscopes and daily text message horoscopes: RealAstrology.com, (877) 873-4888

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NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

PROJECT:

Comprehensive Plan & Zoning Map Amendments for the Town of Scottsville, VA

DATE & TIME: Monday, 6 April 2026, 7:00pm

LOCATION: 401 Valley Street, Scottsville, VA (Town Hall)

PURPOSE: Scottsville’s Planning Commission will hold a hearing to receive input on these important materials that guide and regulate development for the entire town. The materials are being considered for approval and would then be recommended to Town Council.

MATERIALS: View the proposed amended Comprehensive Plan with Zoning Map— In-Person at the town office during normal business hours.

Online at the town website, www.scottsville.org, under “Upcoming Events” and “Meeting Information”.

HOW TO PARTICIPATE: Members of the public are invited to attend the hearing and present their views—

In-Person at the town office; the location is ADA accessible.

Online (Zoom) by computer or mobile app; a link is posted on the town website, www. scottsville.org, under “Upcoming Events” and “Meeting Information”.

Written comments may be submitted by email no later than Friday, 3 April 2026 to admin@scottsville.org.

ORDER OF PUBLICATION

VA. CODE § 1-211.1; 8.01-316, -317, 20-104

Case No. CJJ-37, 315-08, 09

Charlottesville Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court

Charlottesville Dept. of Social Services v. Kieonna Hawkins & Mohipul Rairoop

The object of this suit is to terminate the residual parental rights of Kieonna Hawkins & Mohipul Rairoop of a male child M.R. born to Kieonna Hawkins on 6/4/2014.

It is ORDERED that Kieonna Hawkins & Mohipul Rairoop, appear at the above-named Court and protect his or her interests on or before July 14, 2026 at 9:00 a.m.

3/23/26

Areshini Pather

DATE JUDGE

ORDER OF PUBLICATION Case No. CJJ-4, 882-07-00

VA. CODE § 1-211.1; 8.01-316, -317, 20-104

Charlottesville Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court

Charlottesville Dept. of Social Services v. Unknown Father, Gabriel Cerritos and Cecily Bolden

The object of this suit is to terminate the residual parental rights of Unknown Father, Gabriel Cerritos and Cecily Bolden of the minor child S.B. born to Cecily Bolden on 4/5/2025.

It is ORDERED that Unknown Father, Gabriel Cerritos and Cecily Bolden, appear at the above-named Court and protect his or her interests on or before April 22, 2026 at 9:00 a.m.

2/20/26

Areshini Pather

DATE JUDGE

ORDER OF PUBLICATION Case No. JJ41782-04-00 JJ41782-05-01

Commonwealth of Virginia VA. CODE § 8.01-316

Charlottesville Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court

Charlottesville Dept. of Social Services v. Unknown Father & Sam Diaz

The object of this suit is to terminate the residual parental rights of unknown father and Sam Diaz of a girl child I.S. born to Emily Sherman on 2/12/2025.

It is ORDERED that Unknown Father & Sam Diaz, appear at the above-named Court and protect his or her interests on or before April 15, 2026 at 9:30 a.m.

2/11/26

Areshini Pather

DATE JUDGE

ORDER OF PUBLICATION Case No. CJJ41703, -04, -05 VA. CODE § 1-211.1; 8.01-316, -317, 20-104

Charlottesville Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court

Charlottesville Dept. of Social Services v. Unknown Father & Katelyn Breedan

The object of this suit is to terminate the residual parental rights of unknown father of the minor child B.B. born to Katelyn Breedan on 11/27/2023.

It is ORDERED that Unknown Father appear at the above-named Court and protect his or her interests on or before May 19, 2026 at 10:00 a.m.

2/25/26

Areshini Pather

DATE JUDGE

NOTICE OF TAKING OF DEBTS AND DEMANDS

At the request of the Administrator, I appoint Tuesday, April 14, 2026, at 11 :00 a.m., as the time and my office at 420 Park Street, Charlottesville, Virginia, as the place for receiving proof of debts and demands against the decedent or his estate.

Edward H. Bain, Jr. Assistant Commissioner of Accounts Circuit Court for Albemarle County, VA

ESTATE

OF KATHERYN DAMERON

SAUNDERS

NOTICE OF TAKING OF DEBTS AND DEMANDS

At the request of the Executor, I appoint Tuesday, April 14, 2026, at 11 :30 a.m., as the time and my office at 420 Park Street, Charlottesville, Virginia, as the place for receiving proof of debts and demands against the decedent or her estate.

Edward H. Bain, Jr.

Assistant Commissioner of Accounts Circuit Court for Albemarle County, VA

P.S. TRENDING

The good, the bad, and the Charlottesville

Submit your own at c-vile.com.

C-VILLE

University of Virginia women’s swimming and diving team wins sixth consecutive NCAA championship. Albemarle County’s $86 million budget increase balanced without tax rate increases. UVA women’s basketball team exceeds expectations. Record numbers for No Kings 3. It’s (sometimes) warm outside. The Corner while students are on spring break Public tribute to friendship between President Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein briefly displayed on Downtown Mall. Piedmont Virginia Community College expands prison education program. C&O Restaurant turns 50. Crozet roundabout reopens. Belmont neighbors gather for a spring cleaning event. While TSA lines across the country stretch for hours due to partial government shutdown, lines at Charlottesville Albemarle Airport are just fine.

C-VILE

Obama’s March Madness bracket had No. 3 UVA losing in second round to No. 6 Tennessee (which it did; thanks, Obama!). Freak snowstorm on March 12. President Trump celebrates death of former FBI director and UVA alum Robert Mueller. Bomb threat temporarily closes Shannon Library. Charlottesville budget balanced around 2-cent real estate tax hike. Only 6 percent of proposed Vibrant Community Fund slated to support the arts. Virginians inundated with ads and mailers ahead of April special election. Part-time local Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson looks very tired, questionably wigged in Disney’s live-action Moana. Permanent closure of Omakase Obscura. Even though data shows that gun-free zones have far fewer shootings, Rep. John McGuire introduces a bill to let gun owners injured in these areas sue.

Thursday, April 9, 2026 | 5:30–7:30 p.m. | The Bolick Center

w Meet faculty and staff, learn about career pathways and complete the application process!

w Attend breakout sessions. Win door prizes. Take a picture with Pouncer.

Learn more and sign up to attend at pvcc.edu/open-house . Registration is required.

Parking is available on campus.

QUESTIONS? Contact us at admissions@pvcc.edu.

ENROLL AT PVCC

PVCC does not discriminate based on race, color, national origin, sex, disability, or age in its programs and activities. Learn more at pvcc.edu/nondiscrimination.