The Ultimate Charlottesville & Albemarle County Summer Bucket List

• Plan a paddling adventure. Enjoy our local lakes and reservoirs, the mighty James River, and scenic Rivanna River.
• Book a historic batteau ride with James River Batteau Company in Scottsville if you prefer to have someone else do the paddling.
• Watch a free game of polo every Sunday at King Family Vineyards in Crozet.
• Enjoy a hike in town or in nearby Shenandoah National Park. Here are ten of our best trails.
• Go for a swim! Enjoy beaches at Walnut Creek, Mint Springs Valley Park, or Chris Greene Lake or splash on the spray grounds at Tonsler Park. Take a dip in an outdoor pool when you book a stay at the Clifton, Boar’s Head Resort, Keswick Hall, the Inn at Stinson Vineyards, and Albemarle Estate.

Bonus: Tag your adventure with #GetOutdoorsCville to be featured on the Visit Charlottesville pages.

• Sip chilled wines in the shade of 40+ wineries along the region’s Monticello Wine Trail.
• Take part in the fifth annual Walk Our City Crawl on July 15th along the Charlottesville Ale Trail. Choose from two routes and ten breweries!
• Keep things tart at Albemarle County’s best cideries.
• Celebrate National Ice Cream Month at our favorite local creameries.
• Find fresh peach ice cream at Chiles Peach Orchard.
• Indulge in apple cider donuts and wine slushies at Carter Mountain.

Bonus: Book a stay at a vineyard property!

• Soak in Saturday mornings with local artisans and farms. Visit the Charlottesville City Market, Farmers Market at Ix Art Park, and Scottsville Farmers Market.
• Pick your own fresh fruit, like peaches and blueberries, at Chiles Peach Orchard and Carter Mountain Orchard.
• Make Thursday the new Friday with the Sunset Markets at Ix Art Park and Sunset Series of live music at Carter Mountain Orchard.

Bonus: after your market trip, enjoy an outdoor lunch on the patios of restaurants along the historic pedestrian Downtown Mall.

• Join a special day for dozens of fellow countrymen and women at the 61st Annual Independence Day Celebration and Naturalization Ceremony at Monticello.
• Take in a full day of festivities at Carter Mountain’s “Happy Birthday America!” event.
• Catch a parade and fireworks show at Keswick Hall or the Independence Day Party and Fireworks Display at Boar’s Head Resort.
• Visit downtown Crozet for the Crozet Independence Day Parade & Celebration.

Find a full list of 4th of July weekend activities here.

• Make your own music festival with outdoor live music happening every week of the summer.
• Attend the Virginia Theatre Festival (July 7th – August 6th). Here’s five reasons why you should.
• Visit the Kluge-Ruhe – the nation’s only museum dedicated to Indigenous Australian Art!
• Take in two classics – Guys and Dolls and Tosca – from the Charlottesville Opera, performed at the historic Paramount Theater on the Downtown Mall.
• Get a free taste of the local music scene at Fridays after Five – a free weekly concert on the Downtown Mall!
• Create your own art at Pikasso Swig, City Clay, the Art Bar, or the studio at the Scrappy Elephant