SPRING EVENT GUIDE 2011

Last night while watching The Office, our local news reported about a great jazz concert that occurred less than two miles from our house. Husband said something like “darn, totally forgot to get tickets to that. That would have been amazing.”

In my world, the more likely comment would be “Shoot, I forgot that was this weekend,” which really  means  “I planned something else.”

Spring and summer will be here and gone before you know it. If you want to enjoy some of the events and festivals, you may need to mark your calendars right now.

Go get them and circle April 16 / May 13 and July 2. good.

Here are the big ones I have written down and for those of us in SW / Central Virginia, these should not be missed. Heck, if you are in Tenn., NC, West Virginia, MD, DC or Virginia, these events should not be missed. Email me and I will tell you where to stay, eat etc. You can even come by my house and help us build our front porch while you are in town.

MUSIC

• DOWN BY THE RIVER, May 13 – 14, 2011 ROANOKE VIRGINIA
• Two days of amazing music, vendors, camping and food, right in the middle of a City
• Lineup includes: Amos Lee, 2 dixie chicks, Chris Thile, Neko Case
• To buy tickets go to www.jeffcenter.org
• I don’t love the idea of camping and a music fest in the middle of no-where, but this show is actually in the middle of a city, near the Roanoke River, restaurants, hotels, etc… And, I can walk from my house

OUTDOOR SPORTY FUN

• BLUE RIDGE MARATHON / TWILIGHT BIKE CRITERIUM – April 16 – 17, 2011 – ROANOKE VIRGINIA
• I am physically not fit or strong enough to do either event, but how much fun are these going to be?
• 26 mile run up Mill Mountain?
• Downtown Roanoke Bike Race?
• The 2nd annual marathon and first annual bike race are going to be great events for participants and “athletic supporters” like me —

FESTIVALS

• FLOYD FANDANGO, July 2-3, 2011 – FLOYD, VIRGINIA
• Beer? yes please
• Wine? ok, if you insist
• MUSIC? we are in floyd
• Combine all three, plus great food and vendors and you get my favorite event in Floyd.
• If you haven’t been to Floyd – you must go, now. today. It’s only the greatest County in Virginia

This is not an exhaustive list. It isn’t even a complete list but so far, I have heard of so many great events in Virginia / neighboring states that I felt a need to write them down and share those local ones.

Do you have a spring event you never miss? Tell us about it?

It is going to be a great Season to live in the Blue Ridge mountains.