This weekend in Lynchburg (Aug 21-23)

Heads up: 70 or so events this weekend, and Saturday is doing the heavy lifting again. Joe Nichols headlines the Amphitheater, Tartuffe closes its run at Commerce Street Theater with three final performances, and the LoveLYH Night Market sets up at Three Roads. Out at Liberty Lake Park, the Bedford County Fair runs all three days if you want to make a drive out of it, and closer to home there's goth night at Super Rad, a wedding expo and a history lecture at Old City Cemetery, ghost tours, and a full slate of studio classes and open mics. If I'm missing something, or you've got an event you're hosting or want to share, let me know.

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🟢 free · 🟠 paid · 🎤 karaoke

Fri Aug 21

🟢 Sunrise Senior Walking Group · 7:00-8:00am · Awareness Garden · drop-in group walk · ages 50+
🟢 Mourning Tea · 8:30am · Old City Cemetery · tea and conversation for anyone grieving, with Guiding Sol Doula Services · RSVP [email protected]
🟢 Free daytime programs · Recreation Shuffle 10:00am at Fairview Center and 11:00am at Yoder Center · Fairview & Yoder Centers · rotating drop-in games and social hour, ages 50+ · Parks & Rec guide
🟠 Beginner Cross Stitch · 10:00am-12:00pm · Needle Ninja · $68 · beginner needle-arts class
🟠 Using a Sewing Pattern · 10:00am · Needle Ninja · $136 · intermediate sewing class, one booking covers all four sessions
🟠 Bargello Needlepoint · 12:00-2:00pm · Needle Ninja · $68 · geometric needlepoint class, ages 12+
🟠 Sit and Stitch · 2:00pm · Needle Ninja · $10 · two-hour needle-arts hangout, bring your project
🟢 Live Music: Jodie Davis & Bo Heatherly · 5:30pm · Charley's Restaurant
🟠 Pilates at Apocalypse Ale Works · 5:30-6:30pm · Apocalypse Ale Works, Forest · $5 · Kelli's outdoor HIIT Pilates, with a beer at the brewery after
🟠 Murder Mystery & Mocktails · 6:00-8:00pm · Hammer & Stain · $65 · solve the mystery while you build your project, mocktails included
🟠 Pottery Night Out · 6:00-8:00pm · May Carter Pottery Studio · $52 · ages 18+
🟢 Live Music: Evergnome + The Jangles · 6:30-9:30pm · Trailhead · Evergnome and The Jangles playing together
🟠 Star Wars Unlimited league · 7:00pm, with FNM Booster Draft 7:00-10:00pm ($26.99) and Digimon locals 7:00pm ($8.99) · Dragon Fire Games · at their downtown Federal St shop
🟢 Hill City Mindfulness Recovery Group · doors 6:30pm, group 7:00 · The Clarity House · peer recovery meeting, ages 18+
🟢 Karaoke Night at The Music Hall · doors 7:00pm, karaoke 7:30-10:00 · The Music Hall, 722 Commerce St · the Academy's free monthly karaoke night with Robert Pennix
🟠 Lynchburg Walking Ghost Tour · 7:30pm · meets at Ghost HQ, 918 Commerce St · $25
🟠 Haunted Pub Crawl · 7:30-9:30pm · meets at the Historic Bragassa Toy Store · $35 · history on tap between haunted stops
🟠 Tartuffe · 7:30pm · Commerce Street Theater · $22.66 all-in · Molière's comedy staged live (stage play) · some mature content, 16+ recommended · final weekend
🟢 Live Music: Remember When · 7:30pm · Big Lick Tropical Grill · no cover
🟠 Moxie Presents: A Tribute Night to the Eagles · 7:30pm · Historic Academy Theatre · $46-$89
🟠 Echoes on the Avenue · 8:00-9:30pm · Miller-Claytor House · $25 · lantern-led walk through Historic Upper Rivermont
🟠 Ghosts of Gallows Hill · 8:00-9:30pm · meets at the Old Court House steps · $25
🎤 Karaoke: Scoreboards 8:00pm-12:30am (DJ Cameron Wheeler)

Sat Aug 22

🟢 Saturday Market · 8:00am-1:00pm · Lynchburg Community Market · produce, baked goods and makers downtown
🟢 Hill City Howlers Trading Card Show · 9:00am-4:00pm · Bank of the James Stadium · free admission, batting practice 10:00am-1:00pm, face painting, Wandering Donut on site
🟢 Forest Hot Wheels & Toy Show · 9:00am-2:00pm · Knights of Columbus, Forest
🟢 Wedding Expo at Old City Cemetery · 10:00am-12:30pm · Old City Cemetery, Chapel and Comfort House · vendors and venue tours for anyone planning a wedding · RSVP [email protected]
🟠 Mosaic Experience Workshop · 10:00am-12:00pm · Hammer & Stain · $35-$45 by project · the lamp tier is gone, trays still open
🟠 Saturday Clay Day: Mushroom Candlestick Holder · 10:00-11:30am · May Carter Pottery Studio · $22
🟠 Start with Art: Paper Stained Glass Apples · 10:00am-12:00pm · Amazement Square · with admission, $15 adults / $10 kids
🟠 Masterworx: Disney's Finding Nemo Kids · 10:00am · Joy & Lynch Christian Warehouse Theatre · $12.50-$19 · the youth production, three showtimes today at 10am, 12pm and 2pm
🟠 Using a Sewing Pattern · 10:00am · Needle Ninja · $136 · intermediate sewing class, one booking covers all four sessions
🟢 Engraving for Heroes · 11:00am · 404 Crowell Ln · free community engraving event
🟢 Kids Water Day · 11:00am-2:00pm · 503 New Wright Shop Rd, Madison Heights
🟠 Wheel Throwing for Beginners · 1:00-3:00pm · Firebrick Pottery · $65 · two-hour beginner workshop on the wheel, no experience needed · ages 16+ or 12+ with a guardian
🟠 Pokemon Casual League · 1:30-3:30pm, then Yu-Gi-Oh locals 2:30-5:00pm ($4.99) and Riftbound Nexus Nights 6:00-9:00pm ($8.99) · Dragon Fire Games · at their downtown Federal St shop
🟢 Holbrook Lyceum Lecture: Dr. John J. Terrell · 2:00-3:00pm · Old City Cemetery Chapel · Dr. Charles Driscoll on the 19th-century physician, RSVP [email protected]
🟠 Fabric Mosaics: Kinusaiga Art · 2:00-4:30pm · Scrappy Elephant · $30 · Japanese fabric mosaics, ages 16+
🟢 Fuel the Kindness Movement Fundraiser · 5:00-8:00pm · craveABLEs · an ice cream fundraiser, free to attend
🟢 Live Music: Backwards Long Jump · 6:30-9:30pm · Trailhead
🟠 Joe Nichols with the Travis Reigh Band and Mark Mackay · 7:00pm, gates 5:30 · Lynchburg Amphitheater at Riverfront Park · $42-$93 · free downtown shuttle 5:00-7:00pm and 10:00pm-midnight · clear-bag policy, cashless, bring one low-profile chair or rent one for $10
🟠 Daniel Barksdale's For All Have Sinned · 7:00pm · Historic Academy Theatre · $48 · opening night of a stage play running to Oct 25
🟠 The Freedom Movement's Leading Ladies · 7:00pm · Second Stage, Amherst · $10 at the door
🟢 Road to the Porch: Front Porch Fest night · 7:00-9:00pm · Starr Hill On Main · no cover · Slick Jr & the Reactors, second stop on the 2026 Road to the Porch tour
🟠 Goth Night: Every Day is Halloween · doors 7:00pm · Super Rad Arcade Bar · $10 · ages 18+ · Lynchburg Gothic League's night, with Solemn Shapes
🟢 LoveLYH Night Market · 7:00-11:00pm · Three Roads Brewing · the evening arts and crafts market from the Punk Rock Flea Market folks
🟠 Girls Night In Dance Party · 7:00-11:00pm · The Music Hall, 722 Commerce St · $15
🟢 Live Music: Shotgun Revival · 7:30pm · Big Lick Tropical Grill · no cover
🟢 Tremors: Free Film Fundraiser · backyard opens 7:30pm · The Clarity House · rain or shine, families welcome, concessions benefit Hill City Mindfulness Recovery
🟠 Tartuffe · 7:30pm · Commerce Street Theater · $22.66 all-in · Molière's comedy staged live (stage play) · some mature content, 16+ recommended
🟠 Ghosts of Gallows Hill · 8:00-9:30pm · meets at the Old Court House steps · $25
🟠 Echoes on the Avenue · 8:00-9:30pm · Miller-Claytor House · $25 · $45 with the extended investigation
🎤 Karaoke: Lola's 7:00pm (Mogu Entertainment) · Stadium Inn 8:00pm (Ready to Rock Karaoke with Cory Burchett, 2nd & 4th Saturdays)

Sun Aug 23

🟠 $10 Ticket Day at Hill City AquaZoo · 12:00pm · Hill City AquaZoo, River Ridge · $10 · one day only
🟢 Sunday Session: Gabriel Van Trio · 1:00-4:00pm · The Water Dog · live music with brunch, $1 Chesapeakes and wings while they last
🟠 Sunday Afternoon Commander · 1:00-4:00pm · Dragon Fire Games · $8.99 · includes a $6 pack · at their downtown Federal St shop
🟢 Summer Reading Party · 2:00-4:00pm · Fox Burrow Books · close out the summer reading season at the shop
🟠 Intro to Watercolors · 2:00-4:00pm · Scrappy Elephant · $35 · ages 10+
🟠 Tartuffe, closing matinee · 2:30pm · Commerce Street Theater · $22.66 all-in · the last performance of the run (stage play) · some mature content, 16+ recommended
🟢 Live Music: Virginia Sky · 4:00-7:00pm · Trailhead · wrapping up the weekend
🟢 Free-Flow Art Night · 7:30-10:00pm · The Clarity House · donations welcome · doodle, paint or create whatever you want, no pressure, ages 16+, sober environment with free coffee and parking across the street
🎤 Karaoke: Stadium Inn 8:00-11:00pm (Rhodey Entertainment)

All weekend

🟢 Riverside Park Sprayground · 10:00am-7:00pm daily · Riverside Park · through Labor Day
🟢 Riverfront Park Fountains · 10:00am-7:00pm daily · Riverfront Park · zero-depth splash fountains off the Riverwalk
🟠 Canoe & Kayak Rentals at Ivy Creek Park · Sat + Sun 10:00am-5:00pm · canoes $10/hour, kayaks $8/hour · weekends through Aug 30 · Parks&Rec
🟢 Being There: Marjorie Portnow and guests · Thu-Sat 11:30am-5:30pm · Steven Francis Fine Art, Tradewynd gallery · landscape painting group show
🟢 Robert Sulkin · Wed-Fri 11:30am-5:30pm, Sat 9:30am-5:00pm · Steven Francis Fine Art, Main Street gallery · solo show, artist talk Sep 4

🚗 Worth the Drive

🟢 Bedford County Fair · Fri 4:00-10:00pm, Sat 10:00am-10:00pm, Sun 12:00-6:00pm · Liberty Lake Park, Bedford · the county fair, all three days
🟠 Wolfswood Faire · Sat 2:00-7:00pm · Wolfbane Performing Arts Center, Appomattox · $15 adult / $10 child (+$3 processing fee) · outdoors, Wolfbane's annual medieval faire
🟢 HopeDriven's Street Dreams Benefit Car/Truck/Powersports Show · Sat 4:00-9:00pm (rain date Sat Aug 29) · Berglund Ford Buick GMC, Bedford · free to attend
🟢 Avoca After Hours · Fri 5:00-8:00pm · Avoca Museums, Altavista · free · the series' last night of the season, bingo with the Gabriel Van Trio and Franken-Q
🟠 Judds' Music in the Park: Common Ground Bluegrass Band · Fri 7:00pm · Smith Mountain Lake State Park · $10 · live bluegrass at the Beach Pavilion, closing out the park's 2026 concert season
🟠 Morning on the Lake Canoe Tour · Fri 9:00am · Smith Mountain Lake State Park · $5 · ranger-guided paddle up Walton's Creek, looking for herons, mallards and bald eagles
🟢 Owl Prowl Night Hike · Sat 7:30pm · Smith Mountain Lake State Park · ranger-led night hike from the Campfire Circle, calling in owls; bring a flashlight
🟠 Fritz Schindler Band · Sat 6:00-8:00pm, doors 5:30 · Bower Center for the Arts, Bedford · $20 advance / $25 door · folk-rock with jazz and Celtic in the mix
🟢 Blue Roots Blue Grass & Wine · Sat 2:00pm · Peaks of Otter Winery, Bedford · live bluegrass in the tasting room with sangria; price not published
🟢 Starry Nights Outdoor Concert Series: Hipshack · Sat 5:30pm · Veritas Vineyard & Winery, Afton · price not published · headliner Hipshack, from Charlotte NC
🟢 Motorcycle Extravaganza · Sat 12:00pm · Rockfish Valley Volunteer Fire & Rescue, Afton · price not published · live music, food vendors and beer at the firehouse
🟢 Milepost Music Series: The McKenzies · Sun 2:00-4:00pm · Peaks of Otter Lodge, Bedford · price not published
🟢 Wine, Balloons and Tunes at Wind Vineyards SML · Fri + Sat 3:00pm · Wind Vineyards, Moneta · price not published · wine, hot air balloons and live music

🗓️ Coming up next week

Five worth putting in the calendar now, and the full list lands in Tuesday's email.

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