75 or so events this weekend. Downtown throws its first Dolly Day on Friday, a dozen-plus businesses running Dolly Parton themed specials, with Dolly Karaoke at the Water Dog that night and a Dolly-themed Night Market at Three Roads on Saturday. Race weekend runs right alongside it, the Amazing Mile kids' run Friday evening and the Virginia 10 Miler downtown Saturday morning. The Lynchburg Symphony opens its season Saturday night with Mozart and Mahler, and Friday also brings a pub crawl, a lantern-led tour and a mediumship night for the haunted history crowd downtown. 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
Downtown Dolly Day, Fri · downtown's first-ever Dolly Parton themed day, a dozen-plus businesses with themed food, drink, shopping and crafts, plus Dolly Karaoke that night at the Water Dog and a Dolly-themed Night Market at Three Roads on Saturday.
Race weekend · the Amazing Mile Children's Run Fri at Amazement Square, kids' races at 6:00pm, and the Virginia 10 Miler Sat at 8:00am from E.C. Glass, with an 11th Mile After Party at the Water Dog.
Mozart and Mahler, Sat · 7:30pm at Historic Academy Theatre · $25.50-$115, the Lynchburg Symphony's season opener, Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 20 then Mahler's Symphony No. 1.
🟢 free · 🟠 paid · 🎤 karaoke
Fri Sep 25
🟢 Downtown Dolly Day · All day · Downtown Lynchburg · first-ever Dolly Parton themed day, a dozen-plus downtown businesses with themed food, drink, shopping and crafts, plus a book donation to the public library
🟠 Open Studio · 10:00am-2:00pm · Hammer & Stain Lynchburg · $25-$50 · drop-in DIY studio time across five project tiers
🟠 Little Picasso Art Club · 10:30am · Scrappy Elephant · $13 · toddler art class with storytime, ages 18 months-3 years
🟢 Tiny Tabletops · 10:30am · Miller Center Library Hub · tabletop games session
🟠 Using a Serger/Overlock Machine (intermediate) · 12:00-2:00pm · Needle Ninja · $68 · for sewists with some base knowledge, two Friday sessions starting today
🟠 Sewing Circle · 2:00-4:00pm · Needle Ninja · $25 · bring your own project, the weekly Friday session starts today
🟢 Teen Movie Night: 10 Things I Hate About You · 4:00pm · Forest Library, Forest · in the Forest Community Room, register on the library's calendar
🟠 Using a Sewing Machine · 4:00-6:00pm · Needle Ninja · $98 · beginner three-week Friday series starting today, the price covers the whole run
🟠 Amazing Mile Children's Run: Once Upon a Run · 5:00-7:15pm · Amazement Square · $20 per runner · 25th year; kids' races (1/4, 1/2 and 1 mile) start at 6:00pm, with a family festival of discovery stations, face painting and food trucks around them
🟢 Walk for Recovery (CVARR 5th Annual) · 5:00-8:00pm · Miller Park · Central Virginia Addiction & Recovery Resources' annual walk, rescheduled to today
🟢 Live Music: L&H Acoustic · 5:30pm · Charley's Restaurant & Catering · Live in the Tavern series
🟠 Broom Bar · 6:00pm · Hammer & Stain Lynchburg · $50
🟢 Forest Friday Cheers · 6:00pm, The Good Ole Bones at 8:00 · Apocalypse Ale Works, Forest · live music, local vendors, food, craft beer, bounce pad for kids
🟢 Live Music · 6:00pm · Benjamin's Restaurant, Forest · weekly Friday live music
🟢 Live Music: Clandestyne Highway · 6:00pm · Starr Hill On Main · Amherst County band returns to the stage
🟢 Hill City Mindfulness Recovery Group · 6:30pm doors, 7:00pm group · The Clarity House · weekly recovery and mindfulness group, ages 18+, no admittance after 7:00
🟢 Live Music: The 501 Coyotes · 6:30-9:30pm · Trailhead · from the current-week lineup post
🟠 Digimon Weekly Locals · 7:00pm · Dragon Fire Games · $8.99 · pack per win, weekly Friday TCG locals
🟠 FNM Weekly Booster Draft · 7:00pm · Dragon Fire Games · $23.99 · three packs to draft plus a pack per win
🟢 Friday Night Magic: Commander · 7:00pm · Underground Cards & Disc Shop, Forest · weekly Magic: The Gathering Commander night
🟠 Love Heals LIVE: Jay Bizzze aka Three Z's · 7:00pm · Nimble Merch · $5 · monthly Love Heals LIVE show, all proceeds go to community help
🟠 Magic: The Gathering Reality Fracture Prerelease · 7:00pm · Dragon Fire Games · $35 · two-night prerelease, also Saturday; 4 rounds with 6 packs plus a pack per win, capacity 65, prepay recommended
🟠 Star Wars Unlimited Weekly Play · 7:00pm · Dragon Fire Games · weekly Friday TCG locals
🟠 Bingo Loco · 7:30pm · Joy & Lynch Christian Warehouse Theatre · $35 · touring comedy-bingo show
🟠 Last Call with the Dead · 7:30pm · Historic Bragassa Toy Store · $45 · two-hour downtown haunted pub crawl with live group readings from Scotty the Medium; the $115 VIP ticket adds a three-hour investigation at the Miller-Claytor House
🟢 Live Music: Lily Stargazer · 7:30pm · Big Lick Tropical Grill · from the venue's September lineup
🟠 Ghosts of Gallows Hill · 8:00pm · 901 Court St · $25 · lantern-led haunted history tour
🎤 Karaoke: The Water Dog 7:00-10:00pm, Dolly Karaoke with The Kathleens (Downtown Dolly Day, so dress like Dolly) · Scoreboards 8:00pm
Sat Sep 26
🟢 Forest Farmers Market · 8:00am · Forest Farmers Market, Forest
🟢 Saturday Market · 8:00am-1:00pm · Lynchburg Community Market · weekly farmers and artisan market
🟠 Virginia 10 Miler · 8:00am · E.C. Glass High School · $100 race-week entry · 10-mile road race that starts and finishes at E.C. Glass; the 4+ Mile run starts alongside it and the 4+ Mile walk at 8:10am, both $75
🟠 Honey & Harvest · 9:00-11:00am · Everwell Integrative Wellness, Forest · $35 · candle making, honey tasting, lattes and charcuterie; a second session runs 12-2pm
🟢 Mindful Movement Saturday Yoga · 9:45am · Sattva Yoga & Wellness Center · with instructor Gary
🟠 Pumpkin Patch Opening Day · 10:00am-8:00pm · Smith's Pumpkin Patch · $10/child all-day pass, adults free · first day of the season, open daily through Oct 31 with pumpkins, bounce houses and hayrides
🟢 Salty Tiger Drink Club: Matcha Pop-Up · 10:00am-2:00pm · Palmera House
🟢 Acro Yoga · 1:00pm · Riverside Park · outdoor pop-up in Prana Yoga & Fitness's fall series
🟢 Youth RPG Club (ages 8-11) · 1:00pm · Forest Library, Forest · first of two sessions today, register ahead for one
🟢 Free Food Bank & Clothing Store · 1:30-3:00pm · The Clarity House · Leah's Food Bank and Bella's Clothing Store, weekly Saturday
🟠 Using a Sewing Machine · 1:30-3:30pm · Needle Ninja · $98 · beginner two-week Saturday series starting today, the price covers the whole run
🟠 Fabric Mosaics: Create Your Own Kinusaiga Art · 2:00pm · Scrappy Elephant · $30 · no-sew Japanese fabric-mosaic art panel, ages 16+
🟠 Yu-Gi-Oh! Weekly Locals · 2:30pm · Dragon Fire Games · $4.99 · entry includes an OTS prize pack
🟢 Youth RPG Club (ages 8-11), second session · 3:00pm · Forest Library, Forest · same club with a later start, register ahead
🟢 11th Mile After Party · 3:00pm · The Water Dog · tie-in with the Virginia 10 Miler race
🟠 Reality Fracture Pre-release Event · 5:00pm · Underground Cards & Disc Shop, Forest · card game pre-release
🟢 Java & Jazz · 6:00pm · Second Stage Amherst · AGAR's series featuring The Henson Jazz Quartet
🟢 Live Music: Local Call · 6:00-8:00pm · Three Roads Brewing BURG · live on the deck
🟠 Murder Mystery & Mocktails · 6:00pm · Hammer & Stain Lynchburg · $65 · interactive murder-mystery night with a station where you make your own mocktail; ages 18+, registration required
🟢 Live Music: The Dock Wizards · 6:30-9:30pm · Trailhead · get your dancing shoes on
🟠 Disney Lorcana League Play · 7:00pm · Dragon Fire Games · $8.99 · weekly Saturday Lorcana league play
🟢 LoveLYH Night Market: For Dolly · 7:00-11:00pm · Three Roads Brewing BURG · Downtown Dolly Day/Virginia 10 Miler weekend theme, local artists and alchemists
🟠 Magic: The Gathering Reality Fracture Prerelease · 7:00pm · Dragon Fire Games · $35 · second night of the two-night prerelease
🟢 Open Mic Night with Troy Coleman · 7:00pm · Apocalypse Ale Works, Forest
🟢 Live Music Night · 7:30pm · Big Lick Tropical Grill · from the venue's September lineup
🟠 Mozart and Mahler · 7:30pm · Historic Academy Theatre · $25.50-$115 · the Lynchburg Symphony's season opener, pianist Brielle Perez performs Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 20, then Mahler's Symphony No. 1
🟠 Locked in Time · 8:00pm · 1104 Church St · $25 · haunted history tour (Hill City Tours)
🟠 Live Music: PowerWhip · 9:00pm · The Trading Post Music Hall & Speakeasy
🟢 Live Music: The Pinschers · 10:00pm · DISH · late-night slot from DISH's weekly lineup
🎤 Karaoke: Lola's 7:00pm (Mogu Entertainment) · 801 Raw Bar on Rivermont 7:00pm (DJ Mike)
Sun Sep 27
🟠 Pattern Reading 101 · 11:00am · Scrappy Elephant · $30
🟢 Sunday Session: Karlee Raye · 1:00-4:00pm · The Water Dog · $1 wings and Chesapeakes while supplies last
🟢 Emerging Voices · 1:30-4:00pm · Lynchburg Art Club & Gallery · last day of the student and alumni art exhibit that's been up since Sep 4
🟢 Banned Book Club: The Handmaid's Tale · 2:00-3:30pm · Fox Burrow Books · RSVP to hold a spot; discussing Margaret Atwood's novel
🟠 Relax & Resin Workshop · 2:00-4:00pm · Hammer & Stain Lynchburg · $35-$75
🟢 Youth Art Club · 2:00pm · Lynchburg Art Club & Gallery · ages 8-11, co-hosted with 7 Hills Art Club, runs the last Sunday of every month
🟢 Riftbound Play · 3:00pm · Underground Cards & Disc Shop, Forest · weekly Riftbound TCG play
🟢 Weekly Lorcana Play · 3:00pm · Underground Cards & Disc Shop, Forest · weekly Disney Lorcana TCG play
🟢 Live Music: Andrew Q Bev · 4:00-7:00pm · Trailhead
🟠 Karissa Juhas: A Night of Classical Christian Contemporary Music · 5:00pm · The Music Hall · $15-$18
🟠 Filth, Tani & Arda Burns · 7:00pm · Super Rad Arcade Bar · $15 presale, $20 door · doors at 6:00
🎤 Karaoke: The Vault 6:00pm (Robert Pennix) · The World Famous Stadium Inn 8:00-11:00pm (Rhodey Entertainment)
All weekend
🟢 Botanical Alchemy: Echo Prints by Beth Stinson and That Which Forms · Fri-Sun 12:00-4:00pm · Riverviews Artspace · both shows run through Oct 18
🟢 Kidz Kraze Fall Consignment Sale · Fri-Mon · Boonsboro Ruritan Club · largest baby and kids consignment sale in the area, seller-priced
🚗 Worth the Drive
🟠 The Addams Family Musical · Fri-Sun 7:30pm · Wolfbane Performing Arts Center, Appomattox · $50-$74 · outdoor immersive musical, Wolfbane's 2026 Audience Choice Poll winner, gates 6:30pm
🟠 Smith Mountain Lake Wine Festival · Sat-Sun 11:00am-6:00pm · Bernard's Landing, Moneta · $50-$150 tasting tickets · $20 designated driver · 36th year, Virginia wineries, food and music
🟢 Blue Ridge Bigfoot Fest · Sat 10:00am · Wintergreen Resort, Roseland · speaker series, live bands, food for purchase, chairlift rides ticketed separately
🟢 Apple Harvest Festival · Sat 9:00am · Drumheller's Orchard, Lovingston · vendors, hay rides, food trucks, bounce houses
🟠 Corn Maze Fall Festival · Sat-Sun 10:00am-6:00pm, Saturday runs to 10:00pm · Blue Toad Hard Cider, Roseland · five-acre corn maze
🟢 YMCA End of Summer Festival · Sat 4:00-8:00pm · Bedford Area Family YMCA, Bedford · vendors and family activities, live concert 6-8pm by Glam'r Kiti
🗓️ Coming up next week
Four worth putting in the calendar now, and the full list lands in Tuesday's email.
Masterworx Presents: Prince of Egypt · opens Thu Oct 1, 7:30pm · Historic Academy Theatre · $24-$41.50.
19th Annual Candlelight Tours (End Station Theatre Co.) · opens Thu Oct 1 · Old City Cemetery · runs through Oct 23, six haunted histories plus ginger cookies and hot cider.
Day at the Point (Lynchburg Museum System) · Sat Oct 3, 10:00am-4:00pm · Point of Honor · costumed interpreters, demonstrations, farm animals, food trucks and carriage rides.
¡Somos La Cultura: Hispanic Heritage Celebration · Sat Oct 3, 7:00pm · Joy & Lynch Christian Warehouse Theatre · $25.50 · beginner salsa/bachata lessons, live music, DJ, food trucks.
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