Tonight the USA opens its home World Cup with a free watch party on the Riverfront lawn, the Central Virginia Fringe Festival kicks off Saturday, and Cinderella takes her final bow Sunday. Here's everything going on:
Times and details can change after this is sent — for the latest, view this post on the web (the "view in browser" link up top). I post corrections there.
Fri Jun 12 (tonight)
Lynchburg Comic Book Roadshow (they BUY your old comics pre-1980, sports cards, toys - bring yours) · until 6:00pm · Residence Inn (2630 Wards Rd)
E.C. Glass lacrosse state-championship send-off (cheer the team to the state final - arrive 1:45pm, bus leaves 2:00pm) · Memorial Ave side of E.C. Glass · free
Hammer & Stain: Glass Blowing Experience · 6:00-8:00pm · $65
Academy: Pottery Night Out · 6:00-8:00pm · Academy Center · $52 · drop-in clay night
Mythic Hall: Moon Zombies - Alpha Test (mini-campaign RPG) · 6:00pm
Love Heals benefit concert: The Dock Wizards · 6:30-9:30pm · The Trailhead · free, donations benefit a local family
Hill City Howlers vs. Wilson · 6:30pm · Bank of the James Stadium · Patriotic Soccer Kit Giveaway
Dragon Fire locals · 7:00pm · FNM Booster Draft (MTG) · Star Wars Unlimited · Digimon
Sunset Ghost Tour · 7:00pm · departs Lynchburg Community Market
Academy: Paint Night (Paint & Sip) · 7:00-9:00pm · Academy Center · $35
Initiate, Die Standing, Revolt, F-Certified (last-minute hardcore show) · 7:00pm · Super Rad Arcade · $12 (includes unlimited arcade games) · all ages
August: Osage County (stage play) · 7:30pm · Commerce Street Theater · $22.66
Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella (Renaissance Theatre, live musical) · 7:30pm · Hailey Theater, Dillard Fine Arts (University of Lynchburg) · $20 / $15
Wolfbane's Grease (live musical) · 7:30pm · The Wolf Den Downtown
USA vs. Paraguay - Riverfront Soccer Fest (free watch party for the USA's World Cup opener on the lawn - big screen, food trucks) · 9:00pm · Lynchburg Amphitheater at Riverfront Park (1100 Jefferson St)
🎤 Karaoke: Academy Music Hall 7:30-10pm (Robert Pennix, free) · Scoreboards 8pm-12am (DJ Cam)
Sat Jun 13
Knights of Columbus Vendor Market (local vendors, creators, food; door prizes for the council's 125th anniversary) · 8:00am-4:00pm · KoC Council 595 (201 Sweeney Circle), Forest
Lynchburg Community Market · 8:00am-1:00pm
Needle Ninja: International Knit in Public Day · 9:30am-12:00pm · free - bring your knitting & stitch in good company
Blushberry Birthday Bash (hair salon's 1-year anniversary party) · 10:00am-2:00pm · 53 Pinehaven Dr
Master Gardeners: Common Vegetable Pests & Their Controls (free garden talk w/ Linda Papadopoulos - bring a chair) · 10:00am · Davis Instructional Garden at HumanKind (150 HumanKind Way, off VES Rd)
Cafe Monte Bello Vendor Market · 10:00am-2:00pm
Lynchburg Comic Book Roadshow (sell your old comics, cards, toys) · 10:00am-6:00pm · Residence Inn (2630 Wards Rd)
Academy: Fairy Workshop · 10:00am-2:00pm · Academy Center · $125
Scrappy Elephant: Crochet 101 · 11:00am-12:30pm · $25
Pins & Prayers DIY Prayer Board Workshop · 11:00am-1:00pm · Hometown Finds (2387 Waterlick Rd) · $35
Mythic Hall: Learn to Play Dungeons & Dragons · 12:00pm · beginner-friendly
Underground Card Shop Summer Card Show · 12:00-5:00pm · Underground Cards & Disc Shop, Forest · free community card show + blowout sale
Scrappy Elephant: Granny Squares (crochet) · 12:30-2:00pm · $25
Needle Ninja: Cross Stitch on Linen Workshop · 1:00-3:00pm · $38
Dragon Fire: Pokemon Casual League · 1:30pm
Dragon Fire: Yu-Gi-Oh! Weekly Locals · 2:30pm
Arc Aid Music Festival · 3:00-8:00pm · The Field between The Arc & Centenary UMC · 4 bands + vendors, benefits The Arc of Central Virginia
Scrappy Elephant: Stitchin' Tips & Tricks (cross stitch) · 3:00-4:30pm · $25
Mythic Hall: Light of the Crystal (Final Fantasy RPG) · 5:00pm
Dragon Fire: Riftbound Nexus Nights · 6:00pm
Paddy Dougherty - Live at Burnbrae Vineyard (live music - POSTPONED from Fri) · 6:00pm · Burnbrae Vineyard, Forest
Hammer & Stain: Fire & Ice Date Night · 6:00-8:00pm · $65/person ($130/couple)
Hill City Howlers vs. Wilson · 6:30pm · Bank of the James Stadium · Toy Story Night
Dragon Fire locals · 7:00pm · Disney Lorcana · Gundam ($6.99)
Thunder Ridge Band at Big Lick · 7:30pm
August: Osage County · 7:30pm · Commerce Street Theater · $22.66
Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella (Renaissance Theatre) · 7:30pm · Hailey Theater, Dillard Fine Arts (University of Lynchburg) · $20 / $15
Endstation's Summer Season Kickoff (Central Virginia Fringe Festival opening) · 7:45pm · Randolph College
Catapult City (Central Virginia indie-rock band, immersive visuals) · 8:00pm · The Music Hall (Academy Center, 722 Commerce St) · $12-$18
Rivermont Pizza 18th Anniversary Party w/ Steal the Prize (live music) · 9:00pm · 2496 Rivermont Ave
635 (live band) · 9:00pm-12:00am · Trading Post Music Hall (1222 Main St)
🎤 Karaoke: Lola's 7pm (Mogu Entertainment) · 801 Raw Bar on Rivermont 7pm
Sun Jun 14
LOVELYH Punk Rock Flea Market · 12:00-5:00pm · Three Roads Brewing (BURG) · free · local vendors, artisans & makers, food
Dragon Fire: Sunday Afternoon Commander (MTG) · 1:00pm
Hill City Howlers vs. Wilson · 2:00pm · Bank of the James Stadium · Kids Soccer Ball Giveaway · home stand finale
Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella (Renaissance Theatre, live musical) · 2:00pm matinee · Hailey Theater, Dillard Fine Arts (University of Lynchburg) · $20 / $15 · final performance
August: Osage County (stage play) · 2:30pm matinee · Commerce Street Theater · $22.66
Wolfbane's Grease (live musical) · 2:30pm matinee · The Wolf Den Downtown
Scrappy Elephant: Upcycling with Applique · 4:00-6:30pm · $35
Helen Keller Wasn't Real (Central Virginia Fringe Festival) · 5:00pm · Randolph College
Lynchburg FC playoff game (soccer - per the club) · 5:30pm · Lynchburg City Stadium
🎤 Karaoke: Stadium Inn 8-11pm (Rhodey Entertainment)
All weekend
Riverside Sprayground (daily 10am-7pm, free) · Downtown Splash Pad · Ivy Creek canoe & kayak rentals (10am-5pm, canoes $10/hr, kayaks $8/hr) · art exhibits at Riverviews, the Academy galleries, Steven Francis Fine Art, the Virginian & Westminster Canterbury
🚗 Worth the Drive
A few standouts within about an hour of Lynchburg this weekend:
All weekend
Summer of Steam (1.5-hr steam-train excursions behind the famous N&W No. 611) · multiple departures daily Jun 12-21 · Virginia Scenic Railway, Staunton · ticketed, book ahead
Massies Mill Annual Carnival (rides, games, funnel cakes, nightly bingo - a Nelson County tradition) · nightly from 6:00pm through Sat Jun 13 · Massies Mill Ruritan Club, Roseland (Rt 151 corridor) · free entry
Friday
Starfire Live at Three Roads Farmville (per the performer - Fridays In Farmville is CANCELED for heat/storms; she plays the taproom instead) · 6:00-9:00pm · Three Roads Brewing, Farmville
Finding Nemo under the stars (free outdoor movie at dusk) · 7:30pm · Crute Stage, Farmville · make a Farmville evening of both
Boxerwood Music in the Garden: Honest Labor · 6:30-8:00pm · Boxerwood Nature Center, Lexington
Saturday
Hometown Heroes & Helpers (free family day - touch-a-truck, public-safety demos, local orgs) · 10:00am-4:00pm · Falling Creek Park, Bedford
Sweet Summer Time Night Market · 4:00-8:00pm · 200 Colonial Hwy, Rustburg
Pride Picnic · 11:00am-2:00pm · Lexington
Smith Mountain Lake Songwriters Festival: the Coasters · 4:00pm · Smith Mountain Lake
Akeylah Simone Trio (jazz) · 6:00-8:00pm · Bower Center for the Arts, Bedford
Chairlift Sunset Sessions (sunset chairlift down to Checkerberry Cabin - campfires, live music, s'mores; bring a chair) · lifts 6:30pm, music 7:00pm · Wintergreen Resort · $15 / kids $10 / 5-under free
Queers Amongst the Stars (5th annual space-themed queer dance party - cider, dancing, "intergalactic revelry") · 9:00pm · Ciders From Mars, Staunton
Sunday
The Amish Outlaws (live band) · 5:00pm · Coves at Smith Mountain, Smith Mountain Lake
🗓️ Coming up next week
A taste of what's ahead - the full list lands in Tuesday's email:
41st James River Batteau Festival 🛶 - the wooden flatboats set off down the James: Launch Party Fri Jun 19, 5:00-9:00pm at Riverfront Park (live music from ~6pm), then the Official Launch + Forward to Freedom Juneteenth Celebration Sat Jun 20, 10:00am-1:00pm at Percival's Island & Riverfront Park
Sweet Honey in the Rock (legendary a cappella ensemble) · Fri Jun 19, 7:30pm · Academy Center
Juneteenth celebrations · Sat Jun 20 · across the city, anchored by Forward to Freedom on the riverfront
Mexico's next World Cup match - Riverfront Soccer Fest (free watch party) · Fri Jun 19, 3:00pm · Lynchburg Amphitheater
Hill City FC home match (the city's NEW USL League Two club) · Sat Jun 20 · tailgate 3:00pm, kickoff 7:00pm · City Stadium