Governments saying “trust us” instead of showing proof; officials hiding embarrassing relationships with rich people; folks making public records requests so expensive or slow that normal people give up; tech companies helping police watch people more closely—this week’s cover story (p.17), a roundup from the Electronic Frontier Foundation and MuckRock, examines the increasingly absurd ways public agencies dodge transparency and accountability.
Some of the examples are outrageous enough to feel almost funny: police departments charging millions for public records, agencies relying on screenshots instead of archiving official text messages, entire pages of government emails released as gray rectangles. But beneath the absurdity is something more serious. Public records laws only work when the public—and the journalists filing FOIA requests— have the time, resources, and persistence to fight for access.
That work matters at the national level, sure. But it matters here, too. Every delayed response, excessive fee estimate, vague denial, or mysteriously missing document chips away at the public’s ability to understand how decisions are made in their own communities. Local journalism depends on access. And increasingly, it depends on reader support, too.
Hey, thanks! These generous benefactors of C-VILLE have supported our work through our (now tax-deductible!) Save the Free Word campaign. To contribute, follow the QR code.
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Shea Gibbs is president of public relations and marketing firm Gibbs Communications and has been a working journalist for more than two decades. Gibbs’ work has appeared in trade and consumer publications across the country and internationally. Read his work on page 25.
Tristan Williams is a live music, portrait, and editorial photographer. He has been contributing to C-VILLE Weekly since 2017. His work has been featured in Billboard magazine, Pitchfork, Stereogum, Relix, Brooklyn Vegan, and American Songwriter. See his work on page 38.
RARE BOOK SCHOOL
AT THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA
2026 Lecture Series
All RBS summer lectures are free, open to the public, and hosted on Grounds at UVA. Lectures begin at 5:30 p.m. ET and are followed by a reception.
Unless otherwise noted, Monday lectures are held in Room 330 of the Edgar Shannon Library, and Wednesday lectures are held in the Auditorium of the Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library. RBS also offers an option to attend a livestream of the in-person lectures via Zoom.
For details, visit rarebookschool.org/public-programs or use the QR code above. Please email Rare Book School with any questions at contactRBS@virginia.edu.
June July
Monday 1 June
THE KRESS FOUNDATION ART OF THE BOOK IN EUROPE LECTURE Aquatint Travel Books and the Haptic Picturesque
DOuglaS FOrDhaM
Professor of Art History & Chair, Department of Art, University of Virginia
Monday 6 July
Wednesday 3 June
THE SUE ALLEN LECTURE FOR WOMEN IN BOOK HISTORY
“They Can’t Buy It and They Can’t Take It”: Bookish Solidarity in a Time of Institutional Crisis
hEathEr O'DOnnEll Honey & Wax Booksellers
Wednesday 10 June
THE KENNETH W. RENDELL ENDOWED LECTURE
ElizabEth Canning Book Collector & Board Member of the Book Club of Washington Women’s Libraries & Their Afterlives
Wednesday 8 July
THE SOL M. AND MARY ANN O’BRIAN MALKIN LECTURE
From text to .txt: Making Material Messes in a Sloppy World
MatthEw kirSChEnbauM
Commonwealth Professor of Artificial Intelligence & Professor of English, University of Virginia
THE KENNETH KARMIOLE ENDOWED LECTURE ON THE HISTORY OF THE BOOK TRADES
Landscapes, Labor, and the Infrastructures of Printed Newspapers
MiChaEl StaMM
Professor of History, Michigan State University
Wednesday 22 July
NEH-SHARP LIVING AMERICAN HISTORY IN PRIMARY DOCUMENTS LECTURE
Indigenous Agency and Intervention in the Bibliographical Record
MikE kElly
Head, Archives & Special Collections, Amherst College
IN THIS ISSUE
Calling out agencies, officials, and contractors that thwart our right to know.
Spanberger aises ire by vetoing local e housing funds guidelines, plus measles spikes : Residents ter West
CULTURE
23
: Pablo Cruise at the Jefferson The Pollocks mark Love You Pippin’ s taste of Greece.
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38
The Big Picture
Correction In last week’s “John McGuire vs. The 5th District,” we incorrectly described the work requirements for Medicaid expansion under HR1. HR1 requires most ablebodied Medicaid recipients to work, volunteer, or study at least 80 hours a month. C-VILLE regrets the error.
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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
Aug 19: Dominic Fike
SEPT 5: WNRN Presents: Charley Crockett
Age of the Ram Tour with Nat Myers
SEPTEMBER 8:
Sierra Ferrell A WNRN 30th Anniversary show Support from The Brudi Brothers
SEPTEMBER 22: Rainbow Kitten Surprise
SEPTEMBER 24: Sam Barber MAY 29 FRIDAYS AFTER FIVE! HASH THE BAND w/ N.E.W.T. 5:30-8:30 pm More Announcements Coming Soon!
OCTOBER 17-ON SALE FRIDAY ROBERT LESTER FOLSOM JUNE 20-ON SALE NOW AN EVENING WITH SHINING
SAM MORROW
06-19| CALEB CAUDLE & THE SWEET CRITTERS WITH MURPHY CAMBELL
06-21| KALETA & SUPER YAMBA BAND BROOKLYN AFRO FUNK
06-24| BABE HAVEN WITH SLOW FUNERAL & DESTRUCTO DISK
06-25| CHUCK RAGAN 06-26| NIRVANI - A NIRVANA TRIBUTE EXPERIENCE
07-16| SHAWN MULLINS
07-18| SUMMER JAM AT WATKINS GLEN ANNIVERSARY SHOW FT. GRATEFUL ALLMAN BAND EXPERIENCE
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NEWS POLITICS
Gov. Abigail Spanberger vetoed a slate of Democratic priorities on May 19, surprising the Democratically controlled Virginia General Assembly. Several bills carried and supported by local legislators, covering everything from Board of Visitors reform to immigration enforcement regulations, were among those struck down.
The latest string of vetoes follows the legislature’s reconvened session, during which lawmakers weighed the governor’s recommendations, substitutes, and first wave of vetoes. The Assembly returned several of the bills to Spanberger without her suggested changes, something the governor referenced in multiple veto explanations.
Local District 55 Del. Amy Laufer already had a mattress recycling bill vetoed outright in April, and her bill HB111 has now also been struck down by Spanberger. The legislation, passed along party lines, would have created additional protections against state government officials canceling voter registrations based on information from outside the Department of Elections, and reintroduced protections for specific armed service members and Americans temporarily abroad.
The governor recommended that a clause be added to the bill that would have delayed its onset by requiring the General Assembly pass it again during its 2027 session. The legislature sent HB111 back to Spanberger without the recommended change.
“Voter rolls should be accurate and regularly updated, not used for political disenfranchisement. I’m deeply disappointed that the governor vetoed HB111, which would have required verified state agency approval before removing a voter,” says Laufer. “After the improper voter roll purges of 2024 by [former Gov. Glenn] Youngkin, this protection is vital for all Virginians. I look forward to continuing collaboration with stakeholders on ensuring voter integrity across the Commonwealth.”
In her veto explanation for HB111, Spanberger cited the need for “additional time
to work on this legislation to ensure it achieves its purpose without risking unintended consequences, such as placing administrative burdens on grieving family members.”
The need for more time or consideration has been a recurring theme during Spanberger’s administration. Rather than immediate action, many of the governor’s executive actions and recommendations to the legislature call for the formation of work groups or studies. This was the case for HB1173/SB258, which proposed adding menopause and perimenopause to the list of characteristics and classes protected by the Virginia Bill of Human Rights. Laufer and 54th District Del. Katrina Callsen were both patrons of the bill.
When the legislature declined Spanberger’s recommendation to substitute the legal change for a study, the governor vetoed HB1173/SB258 outright and said protections for people in menopause and perimenopause already exist under protections based on age and gender.
Callsen’s bill which would have added regulations for immigration arrests based on civil detention orders, HB650, was also vetoed by the governor.
“During her response to Trump’s State of the Union, Governor Spanberger told the nation that, ‘our President has sent poorly trained federal agents into our cities, where they have arrested and detained American citizens and people who aspire to be Americans—and they have done it without a warrant,’ with their, ‘faces masked from accountability,’” shared Callsen on social media after the veto of HB650 was announced. “The General Assembly heard that message. It is true, and it is why we sent the Governor a bill that did just that. A bill that requires ICE agents to have warrants and identify themselves when conducting arrests in protected places (our courts, our schools, our hospitals, and our polling places).”
In an interview with C-VILLE, Callsen confirmed she has not heard from the governor directly regarding the veto of HB650. She noted that while existing EOs are a step in the right direction, “ICE enforcement activities are happening now, they’re impacting people now, they’re affecting our courts, our schools now” and the EOs are “basically work groups to establish guidance. The problem I have with them is there is no timeline on when that needs to happen, and there’s not a lot of clarity around what guidelines would look like.”
IN BRIEF
All the news you missed last week (in one sentence or less)
An especially relevant bill for Charlottesville, HB1385/SB494, was also shot down by the governor. The legislation, designed to reform the process for appointments to and confirmation of Board of Visitors members at universities in the Commonwealth, was carried by longtime state Sen. Creigh Deeds and incorporated legislation by Callsen and Laufer. It was prompted by concerns surrounding the University of Virginia Board of Visitors and the ouster of former UVA President Jim Ryan.
“I offered amendments that would remove certain provisions that could further politicize our institutions of higher education and undermine the current efforts of my Administration and Boards to stabilize governance of the Commonwealth’s universities,” wrote Spanberger in her veto explanation. “I also removed provisions that had no clear connection to addressing the challenges our boards have experienced in recent years.”
“That bill took so much negotiation, it ended up in a place so different from where it started, because of feedback and stakeholder input, and so for it to all be vetoed in the end is deeply frustrating,” says Callsen. “We know there’s work to be done there. In fact, the governor herself gave statements about that. So to do nothing in the end is problematic to me.”
Other major party priorities vetoed by the governor include the creation of a retail cannabis market, expansion of collective bargaining rights, and the establishment of a prescription drug affordability board.
With the conclusion of the legislative session, bills Spanberger vetoed will be tabled until the next session unless they are incorporated into the state’s budget, which has yet to be finalized.
“There’s no hiding that it’s disappointing. … Disagreement is not always a bad thing. Obviously, we’re not all going to agree on everything,” says Callsen. “We’re in session for 10 weeks, we’re working these bills there. We only have so many sessions that many of us are even elected to pass things.”
Lee weigh City Council okays public parks as potential sites for new monument made from the melted-down bronze of the old Robert E. Lee statue. Win some Breaking her recent string of controversial vetoes, Gov. Abigail Spanberger signs statewide provisions giving workers up to five annual days of paid sick leave into law. Over the hill A new congestion warning system will alert I-64 commuters between Charlottesville and Waynesboro to mountaintop traffic snarls around Afton. Camp out? Amid concerns over sanitation and safety, City Council, police, and local homeless orgs work together on plans to relocate unhoused residents from their Rivanna River Trail encampment. Splash zone Onesty Family Aquatic Center and Booker T. Washington Park Pool are now open on weekends through May 30, then will open daily for summer swimming season. Pitched battle VA-5 Dem Congressional hopefuls, friendly rivals, and general copy-editor challenges Robert Tracinski and Suzanne Krzyzanowski hold May 23 town hall to pitch their primary candidacies to area voters.
After the Virginia General Assembly sent many pieces of legislation back to her desk without her recommended changes, Gov. Abigail Spanberger vetoed several bills, including Democratic priorities like the retail cannabis framework and Board of Visitors reform.
Counting cases
The Virginia Department of Health launched a statewide measles dashboard on May 21, prompted by a spike in cases.
At press time, Virginia has recorded 40 measles cases in 2026—up from the five cases documented in 2025. Among the known infections, 17 are connected to an ongoing outbreak in Buckingham County, which the VDH confirmed May 13.
Approximately 13 percent of known measles cases in Virginia have resulted in hospitalization, according to VDH data. No deaths from the disease have been reported in the Commonwealth or the United States this year.
No cases have been documented in the Blue Ridge Health District. Despite the lack of local infections, medical facilities across the region are displaying signs about the outbreak and the highly contagious disease.
The best known way to prevent measles infection is with the MMR vaccine, which is 97 percent effective at two doses.
VDH data shows that 33 cases (83 percent) of infections in the Commonwealth occurred in unvaccinated people. Two people with at least one dose of the MMR vaccine were infected. The vaccination status of the other five people with known measles infections is unknown.
For more information on measles and cases in Virginia, visit vdh.virginia.gov/ measles.—Catie Ratliff
Ahead of schedule
Work on the Old Ivy Road bridge over U.S. 29/250 bypass wrapped May 22, more than a month ahead of the project’s expected completion date. The construction, which cost $3.9 million, replaced several structural components and raised the clearance height under the bridge. Overnight work connected with the project will be completed in the coming weeks, according to the Virginia Department of Transportation.—CR
Installing guardrails
Albemarle supervisors to update guidelines for use of housing funds, with $7M slated for next fiscal year BY SEAN TUBBS
When Albemarle’s fiscal year begins on July 1, there will be $7 million set aside by the Board of Supervisors to help keep the cost of housing down—at least for some places.
“The Affordable Housing Investment Fund was created in 2019 with the intention to fund projects that created or preserved affordable housing in several forms, including rental units and home ownership,” said Kaki Dimock at the May 20 Board of Supervisors meeting.
Earlier this year, supervisors delayed a vote on awarding about $4 million in the first cycle to go through a competitive process. The elected officials had questions about the role staff was playing in the review process and, as a result, made a change to the protocol.
“We believe it’s important for the Office of Housing staff to not be formal reviewers to avoid the potential appearance of bias, but also want to make sure that their expertise is available to our outside experts,” Dimock said.
The application window for the second cycle will open July 1.
Construction for affordable housing is just as expensive as market-rate work, so projects need multiple layers of financing. An earlier deadline allows for projects to be better suited to earn tax credits requiring rents to be held below market rate.
“There are certainly other sources of funds and community foundations that
people will be seeking,” Dimock said. “And we want it to not be in the way of your budget decision-making process.”
The Board will be asked to approve staff recommendations on October 8 and the review team will comprise different people, including some from the development community.
Each project will be reviewed by a team of experts on how well it meets certain criteria. Points will be given for site readiness, the development team’s experience, budget, and consistency with Albemarle’s policies.
Until the current fiscal year, there was no dedicated source of revenue for the fund until supervisors assigned 0.4 cents of a real property tax rate increase to AHIF, generating $1.2 million a year. The rest comes from transfers from other county funds, including $2 million that otherwise would have been spent on economic development.
Neil Williamson of the pro-business Free Enterprise Forum said the county should instead consider using money from the housing fund to cover some of the costs to build affordable units.
“What if AHIF paid all the connection fees for all housing developed as affordable under Housing Albemarle?” Williamson asked.
The Albemarle County Service Authority doesn’t give breaks on water and sewer connection fees. According to the draft FY2027 budget, tap fees paid by developers will increase from $15,000 per unit to $16,500.
Supervisor Ned Gallaway said the county should work with the ACSA to help lower the cost of units.
“The growth that we see in this county is luxury market growth,” Gallaway said. “Affordability is about retaining people. It’s not a growth tool. This is a human retention tool.”
Dimock said connection fees could be studied as an incentive for affordable housing and that could be discussed on August 5 when supervisors will be asked to review and renovate the county’s overall housing policy, which was first adopted in July 2021.
Albemarle County Chief Human Services Officer Kaki Dimock outlined revisions to the county’s Affordable Housing Investment Fund review process during the May 20 Board of Supervisors meeting.
Annie Gould Gallery
NEWS REAL ESTATE Uphill battle
Smaller West Main building still draws ire from public housing advocates BY
SEAN TUBBS
The tension between Charlottesville’s permissive new zoning code and public housing advocates continued to be on display when the Board of Architectural Review took a preliminary look at a revised proposal for another student housing building on West Main Street during its May 19 meeting.
“Ultimately something’s going to get built here,” said BAR Chairman James Zehmer. “I think the goal is to try and all work together to try and find something that the city and various communities within the city can be proud of.”
The firm LV Collective submitted plans in the summer of 2025 for an 11-story building to be constructed on a parking lot at 843 W. Main St., just up the hill from Westhaven. This sparked the Public Housing Association of Residents to launch a campaign for City Council to change the zoning to allow more community input and requirements for developers.
Council has so far declined to do so, and voted 3 to 2 on May 4 to approve a certificate of appropriateness to allow a seven-story student housing building in Fifeville. That project’s future depends on meeting only technical requirements.
LV Collective is working on a new version for its West Main project, and reduced the maximum height to eight stories. It’s also cleared more room for a walkway listed in the conceptual plans as a “Celebrated Gateway and Connection to West Main.”
“There are still ongoing conversations with the community,” said Brittani Sanders, vice president of entitlements and development strategy for LV Collective. “Not everybody’s concerns have been met, nor do I think they will be met, but LV is at the table and I think we’ve made some productive progress.”
Earl Hicks, a Westhaven resident and member of the Charlottesville Redevelopment and Housing Authority’s Board of Commissioners, said the building was still too tall at eight stories.
“Without a significant reduction in height, there would still be a negative impact on our neighborhood,” Hicks said. Brandon Collins, the redevelopment director for the Charlottesville Redevelopment and Housing Authority, told the BAR that residents who have worked on the plans to redevelop Westhaven in size had expected to see the new drawings before they got to the BAR.
“I think it’s really important for the BAR to understand that at eight stories, the height and scale and mass of this building still [has] an adverse impact on the neighborhood,” Collins said. “Part of that’s because they’re set down on a hill, and it was done on purpose to separate the community.”
Collins demanded a community benefits agreement be made before the building is allowed to be built, but acknowledged that’s beyond the scope of the BAR.
Sanders said such a document is in the works.
“I don’t want to get into the specifics of the community benefits agreement because I respect the community and I want to have those conversations offline,” Sanders said. Sanders said her team will work with the Westhaven planners as the formal application is put together.
The building would be next to what’s now known as the Yugo Crestline and across the street from The Flats at West Village. Both buildings were constructed in the mid-2010s under the old zoning, when City Council had to grant special use permits for additional height and density. Since 2015, The Flats has brought in more than $8.3 million in realproperty tax revenue.
LV Collective is working on a new version of its building at 843 W. Main St., the height of which has been reduced to eight stories, with only six on the Westhaven side.
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For the last six years, a class of journal ism students at the University of Ne vada, Reno, has kicked off each se mester by filing their first Freedom of Information Act requests.
The assignment: Request copies of com plaints sent to the Federal Communications Commission about their favorite TV show, a local radio station, or a major broadcast event, such as the Grammys or the Super Bowl halftime show. The students are learn ing that the federal government and every state have laws establishing the public’s right to request and receive public records. It’s a bedrock principle of democracy: If a government belongs to the people, so do its documents.
In the past, the FCC always provided records within a few weeks, if not days. But that changed in September when students requested consumer complaints filed against NPR and PBS stations to see if there was absolutely anything at all to merit de funding public media. Seven months later— crickets.
Now the students are learning to perse vere even when public officials demonstrate an utter disdain for transparency. And The Foilies are here for it.
Established in 2015, The Foilies are an annual project by the Electronic Frontier Foundation and MuckRock to recognize the agencies, officials, and contractors that thwart the public’s right to know. We give out these tongue-in-cheek “awards” during Sunshine Week (March 15-21), a collective effort by media and advocacy organizations to highlight the importance of open government.
This year, we’ve got a few “winners” whose behavior defies belief.
But it’s not all negative. Those same Reno students are also assigned to file public records requests for restaurant health inspections. This semester, the records started to show up in their inboxes within 20 minutes. If every agency followed Northern Nevada Public Health’s example, we could
policy discussions, including how the state entices private companies to do business in Texas, or “intimate and embarrassing” information.
The claims were unelaborated boilerplate language based on exemptions in Texas’ public records law. But if you’re wondering what “intimate” and “embarrassing” exchanges Abbott and Musk shared over email, you may be waiting a while.
Last fall, the Office of the Texas Attorney General ordered Abbott’s office to release nearly 1,400 pages of communications between Abbott and Musk. About 1,200 of those pages were fully redacted–just sheets of gray obscuration. The records that were released don’t reveal much more than an invitation to a happy hour or a reminder of the next SpaceX launch.
Department of Homeland Security
The Department of Homeland Security’s banner year of lawlessness included backsliding on its transparency obligations.
In response to a request from the nonprofit American Oversight, DHS stated that it was no longer automatically archiving text messages sent between officials. The department clarified that it had a new, and much worse, records retention policy. Instead of archiving officials’ text messages as the agency had done before, DHS now asks officials to take screenshots of any text messages conducting government business on their work phones.
It’s hard to see the change as anything more than a giant middle finger to the public, especially because the Federal Records
hold our breath waiting on DHS officials to dutifully press the volume and power button on their phones to record every text message they send and receive.
The DiScarDment oF Government eFficiency award
DoGe
As the Trump administration took over last year, there was a looming threat over government transparency: the so-called Department of Government Efficiency, also known as DOGE.
Billionaire Musk, soon to be the de facto leader of DOGE, proudly claimed “there should be no need for FOIA requests” and “all government data should be default public for maximum transparency.” What quickly became apparent was there may be no need for FOIA requests, because there may be no FOIA officers to fulfill those requests.
DOGE quickly went to work slashing through the federal government, including seizing control of the U.S. Institute of Peace. Part of the takeover included restricting access to the agency’s FOIA system and firing the employees responsible for fulfilling FOIA requests, according to a letter sent to Bloomberg reporter Jason Leopold. Meanwhile, when CNN filed a FOIA request with the Office of Personnel Management for information about Musk and DOGE’s security clearance, they were told: “Good luck with that,” because the FOIA officers had been fired.
DOGE also argued that its own records are exempt from FOIA under the Presidential Records Act, meaning records cannot be accessed until five years after President Donald Trump is out of office.
While DOGE “doesn’t exist” anymore according to the OPM, there remains a last-
chula ViSTa Police department, california
In 2021, Arturo Castañares at La Prensa San Diego filed a request with the Chula Vista Police Department for copies of videos taken by drones responding to 911 calls as part of the city’s “drone as first responder” program. One of the goals was to evaluate the technology’s efficacy and risks to civil liberties.
The city worked overtime to maintain the secrecy of the footage at the same time officials publicly touted the drones as a revolution in policing. That’s some impressive trust-us-but-don’t-verify chutzpah.
The city argued that every second of every video recorded by its drones was categorically off limits because they were law enforcement investigative records. They even got a trial court to initially buy the argument.
But an appellate court ruled that the investigatory records exemption is more limited, shielding only drone footage that is part of a criminal investigation or evidence of a suspected crime. Footage of wildfires, car wrecks, wild animal sightings and the like are not criminal investigations and must be disclosed.
The California Supreme Court rejected both of CVPD’s appeals and a trial court bench slapped the city for inaccurate and incomplete court filings. In the end, the city had to shell out north of $400,000 to its outside lawyers, and then paid Castañares’ lawyers more than $500,000 when he prevailed.
So what were Chula Vista police hiding? A bunch of routine service calls, such as
The Shady ScreenShoT award
The Secret eyeS in the Sky Award
The loVe letTerS awarD
Gov. Greg AbboTt
Last spring, the office of Texas Gov. Greg Abbott withheld communications between himself and one of the state’s most powerful business figures, Elon Musk. The office
unverified reports of a vehicle fire and a vehicle collision.
Now, according to La Prensa’s reporting, officials are trying to raid a public safety fund created by voters to reimburse the city for the cost of its ill-advised secrecy.
The Flock You Awards
TAunton Police DepArTment, MassachusetTs
If you live in one of the 5,000 cities where surveillance vendor Flock Safety claims to have established relationships with local cops, you may have noticed the sudden installation of little black cameras on poles by the side of the road or at intersections. These are automated license plate readers, which document every vehicle that passes within view, including the license plate, color, make, model and other distinguishing characteristics. The images are fed to Flock’s servers, and the company encourages police to share the images collected locally with law enforcement throughout the country.
In 2025, journalists and privacy advocates started filing public records requests with agencies to get spreadsheets called a “Network Audit,” which shows every search, including who ran it and why. Ac-
an who received an abortion, targeting immigrants, surveilling protesters, and running racist searches targeting Roma people. In response, some cities have terminated their contracts with Flock Safety. Other law enforcement agencies, and Flock itself, have gone a different direction.
Taunton Police Department, Massachusetts: The police department told the ACLU of Massachusetts to cough up $1.8 million if the organization wanted its network audit logs–the highest public records fee we documented this year. The civil liberties group filed requests with agencies throughout the state for the audits, and most agencies handed over the spreadsheets for free and with little fanfare. Taunton, however, said it would take 20,000 hours to process the request, at $86.57 an hour.
Flock Safety: The company responded to criticisms of its ALPR network by sending legal threats aimed at trying to silence its critics. First, the company used a bogus trademark claim to threaten DeFlock.me–a crowdsourced map of ALPR. (EFF represented its creator.) Then it hired a company to try to get the hosts of HaveIBeenFlocked.com, which hosts an interface for searching these network audits, to remove the site from the internet.
The Foilies were written by EFF’s Beryl Lipton, Dave Maass, and Aaron Mackey and Muck-
Watercolor
basics beyond! w/ John A. Hancock &
@ McGuffey Art Center
Tuesdays, 6:30-9:00 pm 8 weeks, Starting June 2nd johnahancock.com 434-939-7445
Summer 2026
SketchingOutside
@ Shenandoah Valley Art Center
Begins Wednesday, June 3rd 5 weeks 10:00 am - 12:30 pm
to register online please visit: johnahancock.com for additional class info: 434-939-7445
Intro to Drawing, SVAC, June 20th) Intro to Watercolor (Crozet Arts, June 28th) Sketching Charlottesville (McG, June 30th)
Known as the Powerpuff Girls of folk pop, Trousdale celebrates the re-release of its sophomore album on the Growing Pains (Deluxe) Tour. Powerhouse trio Quinn D’Andrea, Georgia
Greene, and Lauren Jones build their trademark sound around tight vocal harmonies that create a kind of democratic understanding of the group’s material. Many of the songs on the album began as rough sketches from individual members, before being refined by the band as a whole, illustrating the universal experience of growth and transformation. $33.20–129.80, 8pm. The Jefferson Theater, 110 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. jeffersontheater.com
CULTURE CRITICAL CONDITION
Pablo Cruise
Has there ever been a musical group more committed to the conceptual panacea known as yacht rock than Pablo Cruise?
That hindsight-made genre can be found in the name. You can see it in the Pablo Cruise logo: the cheesiest sunset and palm tree art this side of a “My Parents Went to Florida and All I Got Was This Lousy TShirt” design. And the sound? The songs are a not-so-subliminal message telling you that someone else should be driving the boat in order for you to catch a few rays with a cold drink in your hand.
The conflation between the music and actual boating may have come to a head when the aforementioned logo was spotted emblazoned across the front of Will Ferrell’s chest in Step Brothers (2008); apparently many a viewer of the comedy thought it was the name of a luxury liner—connecting to the whole boat motif running through the movie. And if that were surprising, maybe the only thing more astonishing about Pablo Cruise is that the band is from San Francisco and not San Diego or Key West.
Softball single hits like “Love Will Find a Way,” “Cool
Love,” and “Whatcha Gonna Do?” buoyed the group’s popularity on breezy vocals and the kind of plush velour harmonies that have given dentist offices across the country a more relaxed atmosphere for decades. The four-piece (currently five-piece, featuring two remaining original members) sailed on to the scene with a self-titled debut in 1975. Rising on the charts by the late ’70s, as the ’80s wore on its schtick began to lose favor with listeners whose tastes shifted to spicier, more assertive flavors.
Yet the delicate piano pump, economical guitar touches, and inoffensive whiff of funky bass somehow stand the test of time today. That is, the band’s classic sound stands as an audio time capsule for Jimmy Carter’s America—and like then, we’re dealing with rising energy costs and cultural divides, but Pablo Cruise still offers an original brand of escapism that you won’t get from the unsavory tropes shaping the majority of current pop.
While I can’t be sure that yacht rock wasn’t just an attempt to normalize doing coke outside, these easygoing songs about relationships avoid suspicion: They share all the good vibes of late afternoon summer sunshine.
The Jefferson Theater Monday 6/1
CM Gorey
CAUTION: The writer’s unrestrained cynicism and unresolved issues shape the writing of this opinion column. Results may vary.
FRIDAY 5/29
SKETCH AND CANDY
Grab your golden tickets for a sweet night of off-the-cuff comedy as Bent Theatre Improv parodies Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory Employing pure imagination with a heaving helping of chaos, the Bent crew brings its trademark brand of “yes, and…” improvisation sprinkled with audience suggestions to craft a confectionary-based show full of nostalgia and fun. This one-night-only parody event is open to all ages, though some adult content may seep onto the stage as the evening progresses. $10, 7pm. Four County Players, 5256 Governor Barbour St., Barboursville. benttheatrecomedy.com
Wednesday 5/27
music
Hard Swimmin’ Fish. Together for more than 20 years, the band plays one special show while Demian Lewis visits from Hawaii. Free, 6:30pm. The Whiskey Jar, 227 W. Main St., Downtown Mall. thewhiskeyjarcville.com
Mood Ring: Queer and Trans Open Mic Night. Share your original music. Mic, speakers, and keyboard provided, please bring your other instruments. Free, 7pm. Firefly, 1304 E. Market St. fireflycville.com
Open Mic Night. Mic check to all musicians, poets, and everyone in between. Free, 9pm. Holly’s Diner, 1221 E Market St.
words
Adult Book Club: Dragons, Werewolves and Droids, Oh My! A speculative fiction book club for fans of science fiction, horror, and fantasy. Free, 6:30pm. Northside Library, 705 W. Rio Rd. jmrl.org
classes
Writing About Your Life. Discuss the nuts and bolts of writing and publishing memoir and personal essays—from prompts to get you started, to how to find a structure, to dealing with your own emotions. Free, 6pm. Gordon Avenue Library, 1500 Gordon Ave. jmrl.org etc.
Crafts & Laughs. Local comic and astrology enthusiast Lex Gibson performs live and gives “tooreal” horoscope readings while you paint. $40, 6:30pm. Pikasso Swig Craft Bar, 333 Second St. SE. pikassoswig.com
Dürty Karaoke. Consistently voted Charlottesville’s best karaoke. Free, 8:30pm. Dürty Nelly’s , 2200 Jefferson Park Ave. durtynellyscharlottesville.com
Rapture Karaoke. Hosted by Thunder Music. Free, 9pm. Rapture, 303 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. rapturerestaurant.com
Thursday 5/28 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 Colton Davies. Davies and his seven-piece band play folk, rock, and country tunes. Free, 7pm. Dürty Nelly’s, 2200 Jefferson Park Ave. durtynellys charlottesville.com
Journey Final Frontier Tour 2026. The iconic act takes the stage. $40–225, 7:30pm. John Paul Jones Arena, 295 Massie Rd. johnpauljonesarena.com
stage
As You Like It The noble Orlando wins a court wrestling match—and Rosalind’s heart—but before their love can take root, she’s banished from court. $40–75, 7:30pm. Blackfriars Playhouse, 10 S. Market St., Staunton. americanshakespearecenter.com
words
Author Visit: Cassidy Dyce. Celebrating Dyce’s debut graphic novel The Brainstormerz: Money Talks, co-written with Kwame Alexander, through an intimate interview-style discussion. Free, 6:30pm. Central Library, 201 E. Market St. jmrl.org
classes
Needle Felted Mushrooms for Beginners. Learn how to make soft and colorful mushroom decorations using a specialized barbed needle to sculpt beautiful dyed wool. Ages 12+. $30, 4pm. The Scrappy Elephant, 1745 Allied St. scrappyelephant.com 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
Trivia Night with Mike & Miranda. Play alone, or bring a team of up to six players for five rounds of trivia, and let the good times roll. Free, 6:15pm. Potter’s Craft Cider, 1350 Arrowhead Valley Rd. potterscraftcider.com
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 5/29
music
Bob Bennetta Trio. Live jazz. Free, 6:30pm. Afghan Kabob House, 200 Market St. afghankabobhouse.com
BOSTYX: The Ultimate Boston & Styx Tribute. Experience the soaring harmonies and powerful anthems that defined a rock era. $20, 7pm. Pro Re Nata, 6135 Rockfish Gap Tpke., Crozet. prnbrewery.com
Dave Goodrich. Singer-songwriter guitarist brings a repertoire of blues, rock, pop, Motown, and original music. Free, 5pm. DuCard Vineyards, 40 Gibson Hollow Ln., Etlan. ducardvineyards.com
Fairwell to Auld Decency. Traditional Irish folk music. Free, 6pm. Bottle House, 608 W. Main St. bottlehouse.net
Fridays After Five: Hash the Band. Exciting alt/ indie rock rooted in improvisation. With N.E.W.T. Free, 5:30pm. Ting Pavilion, 700 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. tingpavilion.com
Humberto Sales and Matt Wyatt. Vocal and instrumental music rooted in Brazilian and Latin repertoire. Free, 5:30pm. Potter’s Craft Cider, 1350 Arrowhead Valley Rd. potterscraftcider.com
Ken Farmer & the Authenticators. A priceless night of rocking good fun. Free, 6pm. Chisholm Vineyards at Adventure Farm, 1135 Clan Chisholm Ln., Earlysville. chisholmvineyards.com
Sarah White and The New Band. Unique American roots rock, steeped in good time ’70s country music, guided by pop instincts and punk rock attitude, and White’s powerful, distinctive voice. Free, 8pm. The Stage at WTJU, 2244 Ivy Rd. wtju.net Sharif. Virginia-bred, Los Angeles-based singersongwriter brings original soft rock and indie-blues. Free, 5pm. Eastwood Farm and Winery, 2531 Scottsville Rd. eastwoodfarmandwinery.com
The LockJaw Classic Rock Band. A four-piece blues-rock band covering primarily ’60s, ’70s, and ’80s classic rock music, plus some R&B and country tunes for variety. Free, 6pm. Glass House Winery, 5898 Free Union Rd., Free Union. glasshousewinery.com
stage
As You Like It. See listing for Thursday, May 28. $40–75, 7:30pm. Blackfriars Playhouse, 10 S. Market St., Staunton. americanshakespearecenter.com
words
Author Event: Chet’la Sebree. Sebree reads from her new essay collection, Turn (W)here: A Geography of Home A conversation with scholar Niya Bates follows. Free, 7pm. New Dominion Bookshop, 404 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. ndbookshop.com
classes
Paint + Sip: Sunset Bridge. Paint the supplied design in a step-by-step format. No experience necessary, all materials included. $36–40, 6pm. Hazy Mountain Vineyard & Brewery, 240 Hazy Mountain Ln., Afton. blueridgebrushes.com
etc.
Bent Theatre Improv Parody: Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Step into a world of pure imagination (and chaos) with this one-night-only parody show. $10, 7pm. Four County Players, 5256 Governor Barbour St. Barboursville. fourcp.org
Brewery Puzzle Hunt. See listing for Thursday, May 28. $15, noon. Starr Hill Brewery, Dairy Market. puzzledbee.com
Vineyard Puzzle Hunt. See listing for Thursday, May 28. $15, 5pm. Eastwood Farm and Winery, 2531 Scottsville Rd. puzzledbee.com
Saturday 5/30
music
A. Lee Edwards. A performer who’s been making music for 30 years, as an essential element throughout his entire life. $10, 7pm. The Batesville Market, 6624 Plank Rd., Batesville. batesvillemarket.com
Brian Franke. Independent award-winning singer-songwriter and cover artist. Free, 12:30pm. Eastwood Farm and Winery, 2531 Scottsville Rd. eastwoodfarmandwinery.com
Kat & The Travelers. Backroads takes on the timeless compositions of America’s roots music. Free, 5pm. Eastwood Farm and Winery, 2531 Scottsville Rd. eastwoodfarmandwinery.com
Liz Barnes/Barbara Martin Quartet. Beautiful jazz and blues music. Free, 5pm. Glass House Winery, 5898 Free Union Rd., Free Union. glasshouse winery.com
Mighty Fine Company. A band in the making— shaped by the songwriting of Pamela Ryder and defined by a blend of musical talents. Free, 5:30pm. Potters Craft Cider, 1350 Arrowhead Valley Rd. potterscraftcider.com
Rivanna Roots: The Pollocks. Local rockers celebrate the release of a new album, with opening set from the Asheville, North Carolina bluegrass outfit Tanasi. $17–20, 6:30pm. Rivanna River Company, 1520 E. High St. frontporchcville.org
Smoke & The Poet. A young and hungry country band taking Virginia by storm. Free, 7pm. Pro Re Nata, 6135 Rockfish Gap Tpke., Crozet. prnbrewery.com
The Blowbirds. Featuring harmonica masters Gary Green, John Whitlow, and Waverly Milor, along with Larry Bisgaier on guitar/vocals, and Andre LaVelle on bass. Free, 2pm. DuCard Vineyards, 40 Gibson Hollow Ln., Etlan. ducardvineyards.com
Zuzu’s Hot 5. Jazz, swing, and ballads. Free, 2:30pm. Albemarle CiderWorks, 2545 Rural Ridge Ln., North Garden. albemarleciderworks.com
dance
Can’t Feel My Face 2010’s Dance Party. Fire DJs and 2010s visuals transport you back to the decade defined by memes and selfies. Ages 18+. $20–23, 8pm. The Jefferson Theater, 110 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. jeffersontheater.com
ORH Dance: PRIMAVERA A dance performance inspired by the Renaissance painting La Primavera, by Sandro Botticelli. Performed outdoors among large-scale photographs by contemporary artist Laurie Tennent. Free, 6pm. The Gallery at Folly Farm, 837 Half Mile Branch Rd., Crozet. susannawgold.com
stage
As You Like It. See listing for Thursday, May 28. $40–75, 2pm and 7:30pm. Blackfriars Playhouse, 10 S. Market St., Staunton. americanshakespeare center.com
words
Author Event: Hayley DeRoche. DeRoche shares her new book, Dress Your Baby in Sage and Taupe: A Handbook for the Sad Beige Parent. A Q&A session with the audience follows. Free, 4pm. New Dominion Bookshop, 404 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. ndbookshop.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
Clay and Create: Spring Vases. Create a one-ofa-kind ceramic vase using slab-building techniques— perfect for holding all those spring blooms. Ages 12+. $45, 2pm. The Scrappy Elephant, 1745 Allied St. scrappyelephant.com
Dragonfly Symposium. Featuring an expert guest lecture, beginner ID talk, guided walks and excursions, and more. $15–20, 9am. Piedmont Discovery Center’s Quarry Gardens, 1643 Salem Rd., Schuyler. quarrygardensatschuyler.org
Needle Felted Sloth. Learn how to make a cute and fuzzy little sloth using a specialized notched needle to sculpt dyed wool. Ages 12+. $40, 9:30am. The Scrappy Elephant, 1745 Allied St. scrappyelephant.com
CONTINUED ON PAGE 26
FEEDBACK CULTURE
Always love
The Pollocks celebrate 20 years with new album BY SHEA GIBBS
Jason Pollock sits down for an interview in clothes that wouldn’t have looked out of place when he was the lead guitarist for ’90s rock band Seven Mary Three–gray graphic tee, layered with a worn black hoodie and a flannel. It’s easy to forget that Pollock left the spotlight of that platinumselling quartet more than 25 years ago.
For the past 18 years, he’s been “blissfully toiling in obscurity” in North Garden with his band The Pollocks. After the release of the group’s first full-length album in 2015 (which followed five unofficial recordings and countless gigs), the band produced two more records without fanfare, and grew a loyal local following owing to regular Batesville Market shows, but didn’t tour widely, and mostly “went by the wayside,” Pollock says.
The Pollocks will look to change that on May 30 with a concert and proper release party for Love You, the band’s fourth official LP. “We’re actually giving it the attention that it’s worth,” Pollock says.
Recorded at Sound of Music Studios in Richmond with Dan Deckelman, the newest effort features a sound bigger than The Pollocks have attempted in the past. Where the first three LPs—Johnny Sunshine and the Rainbows, Set and Setting, and Rock House—were captured in a small studio, Sound of Music is essentially an old warehouse, lending Love You a natural reverb that grows the instrumentation, particularly the percussion. “We’ve been missing that big drum sound,” Pollock says.
The new record, naturally, is a collection of songs about love. If that sounds cliché, Pollock doesn’t mind. “There are only so many emotions you can write about, you know. It’s like love, death, money, no money,” he says. “Paul McCartney said the thing he was most proud of about The Beatles was
that most of their songs are about love. I feel the same way about these songs.”
According to Pollock, his five-piece band has entered its most creatively productive period, with another record all but completed alongside Love You. The Pollocks’ roster has steadied in the past nine years, and band members have looked to enhance their online presence alongside the songwriting proliferation. “We’re just thriving and making great music,” Pollock says. “We honestly can’t wait for shows to be over so we can hang out together.”
Pollock wrote Love You with collaborator Thomas Gunn and credits the rest of the five-piece—his wife, Maryline Meyer-Pollock, bassist Randy Mendicino, and drummer Nathan West—with rounding out The Pollocks’ evolving sound.
“Before, Thomas and I were saying, ‘Here’s how the song goes. This is what we want, and play this,’” Pollock says. But after the COVID-era brought the members together in unexpected ways, “everybody started to have their own voice, and it became much more of a band.”
The frontman hopes Love You marks a turning point for The Pollocks. Well into his second act as a musician, he knows that turning point won’t be toward fame and fortune. But he hopes it will be toward putting the music he and his bandmates are passionate about in front of new audiences.
“It’s really something that we do because we love it. We love the human connection,” Pollock says. “There’s nothing better than going to play a show where there are a lot of people who have never seen you play, have them sit down, stay and watch you, and come up after the show to say, ‘Wow, where have you guys been?’”
The Pollocks will host a release party for Love You, the band’s fourth official LP, on May 30 at the Rivanna Roots concert series. Details at frontporchcville.org.
Fireworks show atop Carter Mountain presented by:
CULTURE STAGES
Rhythm & Roots: Storytime & Painting. Kick off your weekend with music, movement, and creativity. Program includes storytime and songs, plus en plein air painting with all materials included. Free, 10am. Jefferson School African American Heritage Center, 233 Fourth St. NW. jeffschool heritagecenter.org etc.
Brewery Puzzle Hunt. See listing for Thursday, May 28. $15, noon. Starr Hill Brewery, Dairy Market. puzzledbee.com
Charlottesville City Market. Explore fresh produce, local foods, and handmade goods from 100+ local vendors. Free, 9am. Charlottesville City Market, 100 Water St. E. charlottesville.gov
Met Live in HD: El Último Sueño de Frida y Diego. A magical-realist portrait of Mexico’s painterly power couple Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera. $27–32, 1pm. The Paramount Theater, 215 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. theparamount.net
Vineyard Puzzle Hunt. See listing for Thursday, May 28. $15, 5pm. Eastwood Farm and Winery, 2531 Scottsville Rd. puzzledbee.com
Sunday 5/31
music
Gina Sobel Duo. Award-winning songwriter and composer brings elements of funk, jazz, and American folk music into a fresh and compelling sound. Free, 2pm. Potter’s Craft Cider, 1350 Arrowhead Valley Rd. potterscraftcider.com
Kirsten Haze. A variety of folk, alt-country, rootsrock, and country-blues, with a hint of jazz and presents La Primavera 1477–1482) by Sandro Botticelli, as well as the work of American modern dance pioneer Isadora Duncan, the performance taps into themes of beauty, joy, and spirituality found within classical myths. The piece is performed outdoors, among large-scale photographs of botanical subjects , and celebrates spring with stunning images and choreography. Free, 6pm. The Gallery at Folly Farm,
Trousdale: Growing Pains (Deluxe) Tour. A powerhouse trio comprised of Quinn D’Andrea, Lauren Jones, and Georgia Greene blends indie pop and country with tight harmonies. $33–129, 8pm. The Jefferson Theater, 110 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. jeffersontheater.com
Ty Burkhardt. Amazing acoustic sounds. Free, 2pm. Glass House Winery, 5898 Free Union Rd., Free Union. glasshousewinery.com
stage
As You Like It. See listing for Thursday, May 28. $40–75, 2pm. Blackfriars Playhouse, 10 S. Market St., Staunton. americanshakespearecenter.com
classes
Downtown Lantern Making Workshop. Create your own lantern for the community lantern parade to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Downtown Mall. Ages 13+. $25, 1pm. Live Arts, 123 E. Water St. livearts.org
Oil Painting for Everybody: Still Life Edition. Learn oil painting in an approachable and organized format rendering a still life composition. All skill levels welcome. Ages 14+. $45, 2pm. The Scrappy Elephant, 1745 Allied St. scrappyelephant.com
etc.
Brewery Puzzle Hunt. See listing for Thursday, May 28. $15, noon. Starr Hill Brewery, Dairy Market. puzzledbee.com
Music Bingo. Listen to your favorite music, match the songs to the titles on your music bingo cards, and win great prizes. Free, 2pm. Eastwood Farm and Winery, 2531 Scottsville Rd. eastwoodfarmand winery.com
Monday 6/1
music
Pablo Cruise. American pop/rock band from San Francisco formed in 1973, currently composed of David Jenkins, Cory Lerios, Steve Price, Larry Antonino, and Robbie Wyckoff. $62–73, 8pm. The Jefferson Theater, 110 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. jeffersontheater.com
etc.
Cretaceous Craft Crew. Make awesome dinothemed crafts and hang out with friends. Ages 10–15. Registration required. This week: Dino Soaps. Free, 4pm. Central Library, 201 E. Market St. jmrl.org
Tuesday 6/2
music
Cville Band Presents: Summer at The Paramount. Opening its 104th summer season with a big concert featuring music for everyone. Free, 7:30pm. The Paramount Theater, 215 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. theparamount.net
Tuesday Jazz with Jeff Massanari. A cast of great players joins the guitar virtuoso. Free, 6:30pm. Rapture, 303 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. rapturerestaurant.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
Teen Space Tuesdays. Teens ages 11–18 beat the heat and drop in to the Teen Space each week to discover a different craft or activity. This week: PS5 Game-In. Free, 1pm. Central Library, 201 E. Market St. jmrl.org
TRIED IT IN C'VILLE CULTURE
A day of cooking in the Blue Ridge is a passport to Greece
One of the easiest and most delicious ways to learn about other cultures is to sample its cuisine. Across the globe, food brings people together in times of joy and sadness. And with gas prices what they are right now, getting a taste of international travel without having to sell a kidney to afford the plane fare feels like a win.—Kristie Smeltzer
What
Taking the Taste of Athens cooking class at Pippin Hill Farm & Vineyards.
Why
Learning about different cuisines and the satisfaction of gaining new kitchen skills.
How it went
I left with a full stomach, and was fizzing with creative energy and ways to elevate my home cooking routine.
When I arrived at Pippin Hill Farm & Vineyards, the stunning views felt otherworldly in their beauty as the late afternoon sun dipped toward the rolling blue hills. The tasting room wasn’t too shabby either. Inside, Chef Victoria Cosner and members of her skilled culinary team greeted participants with a glass of bubbly as we gathered. Nonalcoholic beverages were also available.
Once everyone was accounted for, our experience began in earnest with Cosner taking us on a brief tour of the garden beds. Though it was early in the growing season, perennial herbs like rosemary were already flourishing.
Back inside, it was time to apron up and get to work. The menu included lamb souvlaki, tzatziki sauce, and cucumber salad. As an avid home cook and viewer of culinary reality TV, stepping into a pristine commercial kitchen felt like dancing into a fantasy. Cosner provided a demo on how to clean and cube lamb prior to marinating it. (Our lamb was pre-cut, which enabled us to quickly get it into the marinade.)
We broke into smaller groups and claimed one of several workstations. Bins were set up for us, and each contained all the ingredients needed for one of our recipes. Full disclosure: I felt anxious about cooking with strangers as someone who’s a bit of a control freak (understatement) and passionate about safety around cross contamination. I needn’t have worried. Cosner and her team repeatedly reminded us about safe procedures, both with sharp knives and microplanes as well as sanitation. Since the wine continued to flow as we worked, guests appreciated the reminders. Once we got our lamb basking in the fragrant marinade, our kitchen guardians sanitized our workstations before we moved on to preparing the fresh salad and sauce.
I acknowledge my bias, but I truly believe I found the best people to cook with.
We divvied up tasks and collaborated well while getting to know each other. The kitchen folks made it easy to be successful, supporting us by swapping out tools, washing items we needed, and generally keeping us on track without participants having to think too hard.
After completing our work, we returned to the massive line of tables at which we’d dine family-style. In addition to the food we prepared, the kitchen team made fresh pita, grilled zucchini, roasted asparagus, grilled chicken, and tabbouleh salad. Everything I tasted delighted my palate. No one left hungry, especially not after the pièce de résistance: sweet, crispy baklava. I was so stuffed that I only managed a small slice of the dessert, but kind strangers twisted my arm, and I agreed to take some home in a little to-go container.
As my Italian forbears have taught me, wonderful experiences happen when we come together around a table to enjoy a meal together.
For those who get hooked on the professional chef feeling (but without the stress of doing it for real), Pippin Hill is offering the Pippin Passport this year—a program that incentivizes touring the world’s cuisines through repeated cooking experiences.
Pippin Hill cooking classes with Chef Victoria Cosner offer a global food experience right here at home.
THE WINE DOWN -
WHAT’S DELISH AT LOCAL WINERIES?
53RD WINERY AND VINEYARD
A note from Winegrower and Owner, Dave Drillock
It has been a rough start to the growing season. Our Louisa vineyard took a big hit, especially the younger vines while the Simmons Gap vineyard in the Monticello AVA had losses but not nearly as much as Louisa. We’ll have a better feel of the damage in about 2-3 weeks.
We have some great events the rest of the month with a limited release wine, our petit Verdot 2023 followed by our annual Uncorking Norton event. A special tasting of Nortons from 53rd and several other wineries plus a food and wine pairing at 2:30.
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.
May events
Saturday, May 30th: Uncorking Norton, A Celebration of Virginia’s Native Grape.
Food and Norton Wine Pairing with several wineries at 2:30pm. Limited tickets left.
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 Sat/Sun. 12-6 pm
13372 Shannon Hill Rd Louisa, VA 23093 (540) 894-5474 • 53rdwinery.com
DUCARD VINEYARDS
2025 Rosé
Our new Rosé is a classic, dry Provençal style wine with a gorgeous coral color. A perfect pairing for the patio, this wine is
simply delightful and exhibits a vibrant mouthfeel with notes of green tea and stone fruit.
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
EARLY MOUNTAIN VINEYARDS
At Early Mountain, our world class wines are featured in a restaurant grounded in the same sense of place. Reserve your table for indoor or outdoor seating and enjoy our latest releases alongside an à la carte menu or seasonal wine-paired prix fixe
The Meadow is open for the season! We’re offering a casual picnic-style menu, paired with wines by the bottle, glass, or flight. No reservation needed, weather dependent.
Tasting Room Hours
Thursday - Monday: 11:00 am - 5:30 pm Fridays: 11:00 am - 8:00 pm Closed Tuesday and Wednesday
Spring Events & Experiences
Edible Insight: The Art of Raw Cooking
June 6, 2026 | 1:00–4:00 PM
An interactive culinary experience exploring the elegance and precision of ceviche, crudo, tartare, and carpaccio with Executive Chef Tim Moore and Chef de Cuisine Kristen Hall.
Begin with a live demonstration, then create and plate your own dish using seasonal ingredients. The experience concludes with a family-style dinner inspired by the techniques explored throughout the afternoon.
In the Vineyard with Maya Hood White & Jon Ruel
June 27, 2026 | 11:00 AM–1:30 PM
A rare opportunity to spend the afternoon in the vineyard with Maya Hood White and Jon Ruel.
Walk the vines overlooking the estate as conversations unfold around the decisions that shape what ends up
in the glass. Then take your place at a table set among the vines for an open-air, family-style lunch with wines selected for the season.
Summer Supper Somm
July 11, 2026 | 6:00–9:00 PM
Our second annual Summer Supper
Somm returns following a sold-out debut and one of last year’s most talked-about events.
This five-course, wine-paired dinner highlights peak-season heirloom tomatoes from Village Garden RVA, brought to life through Chef Tim Moore’s artful and expressive approach.
Enjoy dinner hours every Friday! Later evenings invite you to enjoy seasonal dishes on the patio or in the Tasting Room as the sun sets.
The Chef’s Table experience offers an intimate, seven-course menu paired with select wines.
Seats are limited.
6109 Wolftown-Hood Rd, Madison, VA 22727 (540) 948-9005
www.earlymountain.com
Scan to plan your visit.
many picnic tables, relax with the sparkly lights overhead, fireflies in the fields, and a glass of porch-sipping wine in hand - join us for your new favorite Thursday tradition. Bring the family, the dog, a few friends, or just yourself. No reservations, no cover — just good music, good company, and spring evenings done right.
Wine Slushies are Back!
Cheers to the beautiful weather with a refreshing wine slushie:)
Music Bingo | Sunday, May 31st, June 14th and 28th 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!
Paint & Sip | June 28th 12-2PM (open 12-5PM)
Grab a glass of wine (or your favorite drink!) and let your creativity flow in our relaxed and fun Paint & Sip classes. Whether you’re an experienced artist or a first-time painter, the talented instructors of Blue Ridge Brushes will walk you through the painting process as you create your own masterpiece. Ticketed Event - Reserve Your Spot On Our Website
Meritage Blending Workshop, June 11th 6-8PM
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
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.
Porch Nights | Every Thursday (NEW!)
There’s something about a porch at golden hour that makes the world slow down in the best possible way. At Eastwood Farm and Winery, we’re leaning into that feeling all season long with Porch Nights — our weekly Thursday gathering featuring outdoor live music and an easygoing atmosphere. Grab a seat on our covered veranda or at one of our
and the Wildlife Center of Virginia.
Thursday, July 2: Porch NightsLive Music by Ty Burkhardt 5-8PM (Open 12-8)
Friday, July 3: Virginia Oyster & Wine Celebration 5-8PM, Live Music by John Kelly 5-8PM (Open 12-8)
Saturday, July 4: Celebrate the 250th with Wings over Wine Country (1-3PM). Meet amazing animal ambassadors from the Wildlife Center of Virginia - including animals like eagles, hawks, opossums, and reptiles and enjoy Eastwood’s new VA250 wines featuring Buddy the Eagle!
Live Music 12:30 to 3:30PM; Zuzus Hot 5 from 5-8PM (Open 12-8)
Sunday, July 5: Live Music by Brian Franke 1-4PM MUSIC AT EASTWOOD!
Join us for the popular Porch Nights every Thursday with live music on the veranda and Eastwood After Dark on Saturdays featuring upbeat, danceable music 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 Sunday afternoons. See the Winery Calendar on our website for details.
Every Thursday (open 12-8PM): Porch Nights Live Music on the Veranda 5-8PM
their own juice tasting flights and cheese boards!
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
HARDWARE HILLS VINEYARD
Cottage White
This newly bottled wine is flying off the shelves! We are so proud to bring estate grown Vidal Blanc and Seyval Blanc together and blend it with the perfect touch of Monticello AVA Petit Manseng. DELIGHTFUL! Crisp and fruity with notes of lime and orange blossom. Enjoy it as a porch sipper or with grilled chicken or fish.
Join us for a hands-on workshop where you get to be the winemaker! You’ll sit down to a table with beakers and flasks, and our winemaking team will walk you through the steps of making a great blend. Plus, there is some friendly competition involved and one of the team’s blends will be deemed the winner! Ticketed EventReserve Your Spot On Our Website
Juneteenth Celebration | Friday, June 19 12-4 (Open 12-8PM)
Celebrate Juneteenth at Eastwood for a wine release party with Tasha Durrett of ZC Wines, a special wine & cupcake tasting with Krissy Cakes, a flower bouquet popup with We Grow and music all day! Curious about Juneteenth food traditions? Looking for a unique way to honor the day? Join Black Women Who Wine on Friday, June 19. See Schedule & Details On Our Website.
Father’s Day Maker’s Market and Live Music| Sunday, June 21st 12-5PM
Join us for a funday celebrating Dad and all the father figures in your life! Celebrate with a laid back afternoon the whole family can enjoy. Shop at the artisan maker’s market, savor live music on the stage, and treat dad to a cold beer, crisp cider or one of our award-winning wines.
July 4th Weekend and Wings over Wine Country 250th Celebration | Thursday, July 2 - Sunday, July 5th Celebrate Independence Day weekend with great food, wine, beer & cider, good friends and live music all weekend long! On Saturday July 4th we have a special treat in store with a visit from Buddy the Bald Eagle
Every Friday (open 12-8 PM): Live Music and Virginia Oyster & Wine Celebration, every Friday 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
May is a BIG month at the Hills! Have you checked out our Social Media yet? Follow us on Facebook and Instagram. We promise a few laughs!
May 29th, 5:30 p.m.- Scuffletown. Back by demand. This fun duo will have you tapping your toes while you sip some great Hh wines. Join us for a warm evening of outdoor Friday night vibes!
May 30th - We will be closing at 5 p.m. for a WEDDING! Congratulations Jared and Morgan! Hours- We will be open during our regular winter hours
5199 W River Rd, Scottsville, VA 434.286.4710 • www.hardwarehills.com
KESWICK VINEYARDS
May at Keswick Vineyards! May is one of the most beautiful times of year at Keswick Vineyards. The vines are waking up, the views are lush and green, and there’s no better time to settle in with a glass of wine and enjoy everything the season has to offer.
Live Music Every Saturday | 12–4 PM
Spend your Saturdays enjoying great wine, live local music, and beautiful vineyard views.
Wine Down Wednesday | Every Wednesday | 5:30–8:30 PM Unwind midweek with live music, great food, and your favorite Keswick wines.
Barrel & Board Food Truck |
Wednesday–Sunday | 12 PM–Close Enjoy handcrafted bites perfectly paired with your favorite wines. Last food orders taken 30 minutes before closing.
Virginia’s Most Rewarding Wine Club—Now Even Better!
Our wine club is now fully customizable while still offering all the benefits you love: exclusive events, incredible savings, and first access to new releases. There’s something special about May in the vineyard, and we’d love to share it with you.
Come sip, savor, and make the most of the season with us!
Hours:
Open 7 Days a Week
Sunday–Tuesday & Thursday | 10 AM–5 PM
Wednesday | 10 AM–8:30 PM
Friday–Saturday | 10 AM–6 PM
Food, flights, and open bottle service end 30 minutes prior to closing daily
Nestled in the heart of Virginia Wine Country and proudly woman-owned, 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 after-dinner
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!
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
Join us at Eastwood Farm and Winery’s new production facility and downtown bar and lounge featuring a pizza shop menu, beer on tap, and winemaker wine flights. The Collective is now open every Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 5-10PM with revamped loft and shuffleboard.
Enjoy free samples and tour the facility with some of our independent winemakers on Fridays! Check out events on our website: (https:// eastwoodfarmandwinery.com/virginiawine-collective/) and Facebook page as we will be adding more dates.
May 29th: Jake Busching - Jake Busching Wines
June 12: Julie Linker - Delve Wines
June 19th: Jake Busching - Jake Busching Wines
June 26th: Josh Cataldo - Cataldo’s Perfezione
Winemaker Karaoke | Every Other Wednesday, May 13th and 27th; June 10 and 24th from 7-9PM (bar and dining room still open to the public 5-10PM)
Join us up in the loft at the Collective every other Wednesday evening. No cover required.
Wine Pairing Dinner | Saturday, June 27, 5:30PM \Ticketed Event
In collaboration with Monticello, join Emmy-award winning food historian, Deb Freeman, and James Beard nominee Chef Leah Branch of The Roosevelt for a “Feast of Reason Dinner” at the Virginia Wine Collective. Monticello’s Feast of Reason dinners are designed to invite conversation by gathering the community around the table to share
food and ideas. The dinners that Jefferson hosted at Monticello and at the White House were known for remarkable food and conversation. Inspired by this timeless tradition and the extraordinary legacy of enslaved chefs such as Edith Hern Fossett and James and Peter Hemings, Feast of Reason creates space for curiosity, listening, and meaningful conversation.
Featuring wines from Eastwood Farm and Winery, Jefferson Vineyards, Septenary and other Monticello Wine Trail wineries as part of Wine Week 2026.
Seating is limited for this one-night event.
Co-Sponsors:
Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello
Getting Word African American History Department
Ticketed Event - Reserve Your Spot On Eastwood’s Website
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
(June 21-July 22): What’s the holiest, most healing trouble you could rustle up right now? I mean trouble that freshens what’s stale but doesn’t scorch the earth. Maybe it’s a buoyant disruption, like telling wild truths you usually tend to soften. Or maybe it’s asking for what your future self pines for instead of what your past self regards as polite and reasonable. As a Cancerian soul myself, I dare both you and me to give ourselves permission to rumble. Let’s be brazen as we instigate creative upheavals in service to our cheerful vigor. Let’s instigate at least one concrete action that will rattle the stagnant pattern just enough to make life more interesting.
Leo (July 23-Aug. 22): Sea otters are a keystone species. Their presence is essential to the health of their entire ecosystem. As they eat sea urchins, the kelp forests flourish. Without otters, the urchins overgraze, and kelp forests may collapse, which in turn affects hundreds of other species. One creature’s appetite helps regulate an entire undersea neighborhood. I suspect you’re serving a similar function, Leo. You’re having more impact and wielding more influence than you realize. No pressure! But please act accordingly: with maximum integrity and robust responsibility.
Virgo
(Aug. 22-Sept. 22): A Dutch woman who died left her grand-nephew an inheritance of 220,000 euros. The only problem is that he’s homeless and constantly on the move, so the executors haven’t been able to find him. This echoes a recurring pattern in your life. Even now, sources of blessings are searching for ways to reach you, but you are slow to notice their approach or to magnetize yourself to their arrival. My prayer: May you figure out what needs to be done to make yourself fully available for these gifts—and then ingrain that capacity in your habit mind.
Libra
(Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Visualize your fears. Consider how few of them rest on a genuine likelihood that the scary events could ever take place. Then ask yourself how much of your uneasiness springs from vivid fantasies or from a practiced tendency to fret. You might also ruminate on how you absorb the background worry that’s amplified by mass culture. After reflecting on all that, I invite you to take one concrete action to lower the level of tension you have come to treat as normal. Take another action to weaken the grip of your deepest dread. The current planetary patterns suggest you now have the bold, creative power necessary to shrink your baseline anxiety.
Scorpio
(Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Even more than usual, you have a sacred duty to celebrate your poignant
FREE WILL ASTROLOGY FOR FUN
(May 21-June 20): Among the Dogon of Mali, Sigui so is a secret language. It’s used in a sacred ritual when people gather to retell their beginnings and patch up strains in tribal harmony. I’m borrowing Sigui so here as a symbol for a way of talking that I hope you will specialize in during the coming weeks: language that eases tensions, soothes friction, and fosters unity. Start like this: Unleash your trademark wit but spike it with sly blessings and tactful probes. Wield your fluency to burn away confusion and uncover unspoken feelings. If you’re in an extra-bold mood, give everyone tacit permission to be their idiosyncratic selves instead of their polished personas.
sweetness and dark intelligence. For the sake of your emotional health, you should pay wild reverence to your deepest, most mysterious yearnings. To be the person we all you need you to be, you must tenderly nurture the parts of your inner world that resemble the aurora borealis. I want to support you in these sublime sacraments, which is why I suggest you memorize the following prayer by Rainer Maria Rilke: “Be attentive to what is arising within you, and place that above everything you perceive around you. What is happening in your innermost self is worthy of your entire love.”
Sagittarius
(Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Linguists use the term “false friends.” These are words in different languages that seem similar but don’t have the same meaning. For example, the Spanish word embarazada resembles “embarrassed” to English speakers but actually means “pregnant.” I suspect you’re dealing with another type of false friend, Sagittarius: people or situations that turned out to be at variance with what you initially imagined. But rather than feeling unsettled by these revelations, I suggest you treat them as a prod to see with fresh eyes. Your disorientation could be the beginning of more interesting understandings.
Capricorn
(Dec. 22-Jan. 19): An ISBN (International Standard Book Number) is a code assigned to a book for commercial and cataloging purposes. It contains key information and includes a built-in error-detection notation. If you transpose two numbers when entering an ISBN, the last digit will tell you
something’s wrong. In this spirit, Capricorn, I heartily recommend that you build more mistake detection into your life. Invest in extra safeguards. Add verification steps. Build in double-checks. The goal is to create systems robust enough to survive oversights and gaffes. I very much want you to give yourself the gift of safety nets that will empower you to take smart risks and intriguing gambles.
Aquarius
(Jan. 20-Feb. 18): You may not yet grasp how richly creative you are right now, nor how much more abundant your generative powers could become. So it’s auspicious that you are reading this horoscope now. Consider this your advance notice: Your capacity to originate ideas, projects, and connections is surging, and it’s crucial to choose with care which possibilities you nurture and which you decline. If you are selective and intentional about what you sow, then about six months from now, you will be far more likely to gather lush, beautiful harvests instead of wrestling with overgrown, unruly tangles.
Pisces
(Feb. 19-March 20): Ethnobotanist Wade Davis documented how different cultures perceive entirely different realities despite inhabiting the same physical world. It means that two people can stand in the same forest and see different forests through their cultural lens and personal mythology. This is simultaneously the problem and the opportunity you face, Pisces. You and others in your orbit are inhabiting divergent realities that superficially seem
the same. If you hope to reconcile the differences, you must first acknowledge them as real. You’re dealing with fundamentally different ways of constructing meaning, not just small misunderstandings.
Aries
(March 21-April 19): In the weeks ahead, simply being right won’t necessarily lead to success. Having strength, intelligence, wealth, or connections might help, though not as much as usual. But a different approach will work well as you strive to overcome challenges: a blend of cleverness and integrity. I invite you to be cunning while remaining honorable. Practice subtle strategy in service of higher aims. And here’s one more secret to ensure victory: Let go of any need to receive full recognition for your efforts.
Taurus
(April 20-May 20): “Dear Horoscope Guy: Two astrologers have assured me that as a Taurus, I’m a natural-born money magnet. So why am I broke? I keep begging the Divine for cash miracles, and I buy lottery tickets twice a week. Still nothing! Please tell me when I’ll finally hit the jackpot. Better yet, give me the winning numbers. –Taurus Desperate for Dollars.” Dear Desperate: The “luck” you crave will arrive as you diligently pour yourself into building your sweetest dreams, spurning shortcuts and enjoying yourself as much as possible. The Divine prefers to fund eager co-creators, not wishful thinkers. I predict that a slow-motion jackpot will ultimately arrive through your devoted attention to doing what excites you.
Expanded weekly audio horoscopes and daily text message horoscopes: RealAstrology.com, (877) 873-4888
GEMINI
BOX LOCATIONS: City Hall locations at 605 E. Main St. include: 6th Street NE (pedestrian only) by the West Side entrance to City Hall 7th Street NE by the East Side entrance to City Hall 8th Street NE between City Hall Annex and Herman Key Recreation Center
IN PERSON: Payments may be made in the lobby of City Hall at 605 E. Main St., Mon-Fri 8:30am – 4:30pm
First half tax bills are due to be paid by Friday, June 5, 2026. Payments sent by mail must be postmarked by June 5, 2026.
If you are experiencing a financial hardship or would like to set up a payment plan for your tax liability, please contact the Treasurer’s Office at (434) 970-3146 prior to the due date.
Taxes on all personal property items are prorated based on the date that the item was registered with the DMV as garaged in the City of Charlottesville. If you have sold, moved, or purchased a vehicle since January 1, 2026, and have not notified the Commissioner of Revenue, please call (434) 970-3160.
Charlottesville Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court
Charlottesville Dept. of Social Services v. Kieonna Hawkins & Mohipul Rajroop
The object of this suit is to terminate the residual parental rights of Kieonna Hawkins & Mohipul Rajroop of a male child M.R. born to Kieonna Hawkins on 6/4/2014.
It is ORDERED that Kieonna Hawkins & Mohipul Rajroop, 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
P.S. THE BIG PICTURE
Net gains
Scott Stadium hosted more than 24,000 fans for the NCAA men’s lacrosse Championship Weekend May 23-25, a rare return of the event to a college campus after years at pro venues. Tufts won its third straight Division III championship Sunday, while Princeton and Notre Dame advanced to Monday’s Division I title game, with the Tigers defeating the Fighting Irish 16-9.
JUNE 28
1.776 Montalto Challenge
This popular 1.776-mile race up Montalto mountain features steep climbs and scenic views. Presented in partnership with Ragged Mountain Running & Walking Shop.
3
Dom Flemons & The Traveling Wildfires at the Paramount
An unforgettable evening of live music, rich with story from the “American Songster,” blending folk, ballads, and blues.
JULY 2
Culinary Diplomacy Project: Dinner with Cristeta Comerford
Join the former White House Executive Chef to explore how food bridges cultures, fostering understanding and connection.
4
Independence Day at Monticello
There’s no better place to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence than Monticello on July 4! Ceremony begins at 9 a.m. Family-friendly activities all afternoon.
