Free events in Charlottesville, VA

FIREFLY hosts a trivia night that has received awards, inviting groups of two to six players to compete for prizes including gift cards, pint glasses, and the right to boast. There is no fee to participate. Seating is available inside, with outdoor options when the weather cooperates. To reserve a spot, call 434-202-1050.

Poet Kiki Petrosino will read from her new collection, Perfect Italian, followed by a conversation with Hodges Adams. The program also includes a short reading in Spanish from the newly released translation of Petrosino’s book Bright, presented by translator Elizabeth Mirabal. This in-person event is free and open to the public, and early arrival is recommended for the best seating. Perfect Italian delves into identity, heritage, and belonging through vivid, carefully crafted poems. Petrosino reflects on cultural inheritance and language as a Black and Italian American, weaving personal memory with ancestral resonance and exploring family, grief, travel in Italy, and the complexities of living between identities. It completes her series on heritage and identity, which also includes White Blood and Bright, published by Sarabande. Petrosino is the author of several poetry collections, including White Blood: A Lyric of Virginia, Witch Wife, Hymn for the Black Terrific, and Fort Red Border, as well as the memoir Bright. She holds graduate degrees from the University of Chicago and the University of Iowa Writers’ Workshop, teaches poetry at the University of Virginia, and has received honors such as a Pushcart Prize, a fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts, the UNT Rilke Prize, and the Spalding Prize. Hodges Adams is a poet and bookseller in Charlottesville. They earned an MFA in creative writing from the University of Virginia, teach as a lecturer in the English department, and have poems in CutBank, The Arkansas International, fourteen poems, and other publications. Their manuscript was recently a finalist for the Jake Adam York Prize from Milkweed Editions.

This producer-only market is Charlottesville, Virginia’s largest independent destination for farm-fresh goods. It prioritizes farms and locally produced food, and a weekly vendor lineup highlights who will be participating. SNAP is accepted, and Virginia Fresh Match increases SNAP purchasing power for fresh fruits and vegetables. The market is managed by the nonprofit Market Central.

Now in its 53rd season, City Market continues as a lively place to connect with neighbors and find fresh, local food. Explore vendor stalls featuring seasonal produce, locally raised meats, baked treats, handmade crafts, and many ready-to-eat options. Sunrise Tostada makes its Charlottesville debut with fresh takes on classic breakfast favorites, including complimentary samples of Cheesecake Tostadas while supplies last. Parking is available across the street at the Water Street garage, and the first hour is free.

New Dominion Bookshop hosts an in-person evening with poet Kari Gunter-Seymour, who will share work from her new collection, All That Teethes Within, followed by a conversation with Sharon Perkins Ackerman. Presented in partnership with WriterHouse, this program is free and open to all. Early arrival is suggested for the best seating. All That Teethes Within explores grief through an Appalachian lens, confronting personal loss alongside the societal and environmental pressures that shape the region. The poems mourn a sibling’s suicide, reflect on opportunities limited by poverty and gender inequality, and consider how identity can fade with age. Images from the natural world, like wind moving through hemlocks, offer moments of calm amid sorrow, while friendships, family, land, grandchildren, and wildlife provide points of light. The collection encourages speaking honestly about pain and joy as part of survival. Kari Gunter-Seymour is the immediate past poet laureate of Ohio and a recipient of the Academy of American Poets Laureate Fellowship Award, the IPPY Bronze Award, the NYC Big Book Award, the National Federation of Press Women Award, and the Feathered Quill Book Award. She serves as executive director of the Women of Appalachia Project and edits its Women Speak anthology series. A retired instructor from the E. W. Scripps School of Journalism at Ohio University, she founded and curates the seasonal performance series Spoken and Heard, featuring poets, writers, and musicians from across the country. Her work has appeared in American Book Review, Poem-a-Day, World Literature Today, Katie Couric’s Wake-Up Call, and the New York Times. Sharon Perkins Ackerman is poetry coeditor for Streetlight Magazine. Her poems appear in Southern Humanities Review, Atlanta Review, Meridian, Appalachian Places, Kestrel, Broad River Review, and other journals. She won the international Hippocrates Poetry in Medicine Prize in 2019. Her book A Legacy of Birds was shortlisted for the Arthur Smith prize in 2025, and her most recent collection, Sweeping the Porch, was published by Pine Row Press in 2026 and is available through New Dominion Bookshop. She lives outside Charlottesville and traces Appalachian roots to Perry County, Kentucky.

At Rivanna Trails Foundation, the 2026 Loop de'Ville Trail Fest celebrates National Public Lands Day and the 34th anniversary of the Rivanna Trail with a day of guided hikes, bike rides, and runs around the city. Families will find plenty to enjoy, including kids activities and relaxed family walks, along with food, beer, and music. All offerings are free and open to everyone. Additional information about specific programs and registration will be shared.

Enjoy live music alongside wine made entirely from estate-grown grapes and Blue Ridge Mountain views. The Michael Elswick Gathering performs a mix of jazz, blues, Latin, swing, ballads, and Cambodian surf rock, featuring Michael Elswick on saxes, Royce Campbell on guitar, Tom Harbeck on bass, and David Drubin on drums. Wine is available by the glass and by the bottle, and there is no admission fee. In accordance with VA ABC law, outside alcohol is not permitted. Children and dogs are welcome but must remain with their group. For questions, email info@chisholmvineyards.com or text 833-340-0086.