The World Cup final lands Sunday and half the city is hosting a watch party for it, on top of National Ice Cream Day, The War and Treaty at the Academy, outdoor Shakespeare, the Wizard of Oz, a night market, and the Christmas-in-July car meet. 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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⭐ Top picks this weekend
World Cup Final, Sun · free 3pm watch parties at The Water Dog and Tiger Sun.
National Ice Cream Day + The War and Treaty, Sun · free spin-to-win scoops at Outside the Cone, then the Grammy-nominated roots/soul duo at the Academy (7:30pm).
Outdoor Shakespeare, Fri-Sun · Endstation's Merry Wives of Lynchburg at Point of Honor (free Sunday).
Legend: 🟢 free · 🟠 paid · 🎤 karaoke.
Fri Jul 17
🟢 Stay Cool This Summer · 11:00am-1:00pm · Miller Park · family · free snowcones + a fire-truck spray-down for the kids · Parks&Rec
🟠 The Not-So-Mysterious Disappearance of Cinderella · 11:00am · Joy & Lynch Christian Warehouse Theatre · $7.50 · family · Academy Youth Theatre
🟢 Learn to Weave · 10:30am · Amherst County Public Library · AMHERST · ages 18 & under · hands-on intro to weaving
🟢 Learn to Weave · 2:00pm · Madison Heights Library · MAD HTS · ages 18 & under · hands-on intro to weaving
🟢 Live Music: Starfire Live! (Lara Crist) · 5:30pm · Charley's · no cover · easy-listening 70s/80s/90s
🟢 Live Music: Gabriel Van Duo · 6:00pm · Starr Hill On Main · acoustic duo
🟠 Mosaic Experience Workshop · 6:00-8:00pm · Hammer & Stain · $35-$70 · make a mosaic lamp or wood tray
🟢 Hill City Mindfulness Recovery · 6:30pm doors / 7:00pm · The Clarity House · ages 18+ · art lesson + free-flow art
🟠 The Wizard of Oz (Youth Edition) · 7:00pm · Historic Academy Theatre · $12-$17.50 · family · Academy Youth Theatre
🟠 The Merry Wives of Lynchburg (Endstation's outdoor Shakespeare) · 7:00pm · Point of Honor · $25-$35 reserved (Ludus) · BYO seating
🟠 Disney Lorcana "Attack of the Vine" Prerelease (+ FNM booster draft, Star Wars Unlimited, Digimon) · 7:00pm · Dragon Fire Games · weekly TCG night
🟠 Left Lane Cruiser + Book of Wyrms + 501 Coyotes + Black Wind · doors 7:00pm · Super Rad Arcade Bar · $15 · blues / doom / rock bill
🟢 Live Music: Creeksyde · 7:30pm · Big Lick Tropical Grill · no cover · rock
🟠 Live Music: Chris App (First Wave Tour) · 8:00-10:00pm · The Music Hall · $15-$18
Sat Jul 18
🟢 Cars & Coffee Lynchburg (Christmas in July) · 8:00-10:00am · Tree of Life Ministries · the 3rd-Saturday car & bike meet, coffee & donuts, live acoustic by Starfire Live
🟢 Free Kids Breakfast & Art Morning - "The Sheep Detective" · 10:00am-12:30pm · The Clarity House · all ages · breakfast + art activity
🟠 "Christmas in July" Workshop · 10:00am · Hammer & Stain · Sea Glass Tree $40 / Wood Flower Wreath $60 / both $100
🟢 Archives Are Revolutionary! Open House · 10:00am-4:00pm · Jones Memorial Library · all ages · step back 250 years
🟠 Saturday Locals (Pokemon 1:30pm · Yu-Gi-Oh 2:30pm · Keyforge Sealed 2pm $20 · Riftbound 6pm · Lorcana League 7pm) · Dragon Fire Games · weekly
🟠 Psychic Reading with The Occasional Psychic (Irene Dean) · 1:00-5:00pm · Grounded Earth · $35/15min · $50/30min · walk-in or book · tarot
🟠 The Wizard of Oz (Youth Edition) - matinee · 2:00pm · Historic Academy Theatre · $12-$17.50 · family · Academy Youth Theatre
🟠 Learn to Be a Dungeon Master · 5:00pm · Mythic Hall
🟢 World Cup Watch Party · 5:00pm · Tiger Sun · Third-Place Match on the big screens
🟠 The Merry Wives of Lynchburg (Endstation's outdoor Shakespeare) · 7:00pm · Point of Honor · $25-$35 reserved (Ludus) · BYO seating
🎤 Karaoke Night with Antwoine Pennix · 7:00pm · Apocalypse Ale Works · FOREST · Shining Star Karaoke, all genres welcome
🟢 Live Music: The Jen Tal Band - A Night of Funk · 7:30pm · Big Lick Tropical Grill · funk
🟢 "Urban Renewed" (staged reading) · 7:30pm · Commerce Street Theater · 2026 Summer Play Reading Series, free · a new play by Billy Hansen, dir. Ryleigh Tatum
🟠 Live Music: The Second Wind Band · 8:00-10:00pm · The Music Hall · $10-$12
🟠 TESTRUN / LIVEWIRE + aperture sound, The Ant, eBRO · doors 8:00pm · Super Rad Arcade Bar · $16
🟢 LOVELYH Night Market · 7:00-11:00pm · Three Roads Brewing - BURG · FOREST · vendor & artist night market
Sun Jul 19
🟢 National Ice Cream Day at Outside the Cone · from 12:00pm · family · spin-to-win with any $3+ purchase
🟢 Mister Goodies 21st Anniversary Celebration · 12:00-10:00pm · BOGO cones & cups all day, balloon artist 6-9pm
🟢 Live Music: Sunday Session with Vince Whorley · 12:00-3:00pm · The Water Dog · with a John Prine tribute set 12:00-1:00pm
🟠 Neon Odyssey (D&D early play-test) · 12:00pm · Mythic Hall · an unreleased module
🟠 Sunday Afternoon Commander · 1:00pm · Dragon Fire Games · $8.99 · weekly
🟢 Family Play Day: Music in the Park with Sara Ernst · 2:00pm · Riverside Park · family · a National Play Day, live music · Parks&Rec
🟠 Glass Blowing Experience · 2:00-4:00pm · Hammer & Stain · $65 · make 3 blown-glass pieces
🟢 Mindfulness Photography Walk · 2:00-5:00pm · The Clarity House
🟢 World Cup Final Watch Party · 3:00pm · The Water Dog · with Lynchburg Football Club
🟢 World Cup Final Watch Party · 3:00pm · Tiger Sun · the final on the big screens
🟠 Live Music: The War and Treaty · 7:30pm · Historic Academy Theatre · $24-$56.50 · Grammy-nominated roots/soul duo
🟢 The Merry Wives of Lynchburg (Endstation's outdoor Shakespeare) · 7:00pm · Point of Honor · a Free Theatre Project night (free every Sunday), BYO seating
🟢 Mindfulness Art Class for Individuals in Recovery · 7:00-10:00pm · The Clarity House · ages 21+
All weekend
🟢 Riverside Sprayground · daily 10:00am-7:00pm · Riverside Park · open through Sept 7 · Parks&Rec
🟠 Canoe & kayak rentals · Sat-Sun · Ivy Creek Park · $8-10/hr · paddle the reservoir · Parks&Rec
🟢 Kreative Room Unfiltered exhibit · through Jul 30 · The Music Hall · free interactive art room
🚗 Worth the Drive
SML Pirate Days · Fri-Sun, main day Sat from 10:00am · Wind Vineyard, Smith Mountain Lake · a land-based pirate festival (kids' water battles, dunk tank) with live music all weekend (SupaFly 5 Fri, The Frequency + a Buffett tribute Sat), benefits local nonprofits.
Rivermont Rockbridge Car Show · Sat 10:00am-2:00pm · 1200 Sterrett Rd, Fairfield (near Lexington) · public car show.
Christmas in July at Smith Mountain Lake · Fri-Sat Jul 17-18 · lakeside shopping, games & slushies with live music (Noah Spencer at Portside Grill 1-6pm).
Virginia Hollow (live) · Sat 6:00-8:00pm (doors 5:30) · Bower Center for the Arts, 305 N Bridge St, Bedford · Americana/country/folk band.
Mojo Parker (live) · Fri 6:30pm · Pro Re Nata Brewery, Staunton · local blues/folk/soul.
Wolfbane Youth Theatre: Life is a Cabaret · Sat-Sun Jul 18-19 · Appomattox.
🗓️ Coming up next week
Mitchell Tenpenny at the Lynchburg Amphitheater · week of Jul 25 · country headliner on the Riverfront.
Mosermade: Farm to Table Summer Dining Experience · Thu Jul 23 · a four-course farm-to-table dinner in a glass house at sunset (Goode) · ⚠️ tickets close Mon Jul 20.
Commerce Street Theater: "The Freedom Movement's Leading Ladies" · Sat Jul 25, 7:30pm, free · next in the Summer Play Reading Series.
Millie's Summer Market · week of Jul 25.
📱 Now on Instagram - @lyhevents_
We're on Instagram too: @lyhevents_. Another easy way to catch the weekend's events in your feed, and an easy one to share with a friend who never knows what to do. Give it a follow.
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