Community Calendar

Join us for a variety of birding events at the Frances Plecker Education Center!

Birding Activities will be hosted from 9:30-10:30am for individuals and families to explore at their own pace. Identify several local bird calls, investigate real nests and feathers, try to pick up various bird food items with simulated beaks, and create a bird craft to take home.

Birding 101 will be hosted from 11am-12pm, led by Mike Donaldson of Rockingham Birding Club. Adult instruction, all ages welcome. Follow along for a presentation featuring a brief overview of the birds of the local region and how to find them. Afterward, weather permitting, the group will venture outside to briefly listen and look for birds near the Education Center.

Virginia Roller Derby Network and the Rocktown Rollers are thrilled to announce our next live action roller derby event! Coming to Augusta Expo on April 18, we're bringing you FOUR exciting match ups!

10:30 a.m. - River City Roller Derby vs. DC Roller Derby
1:00 p.m. - Rocktown Hits vs. Fredericksburg Roller Derby A
3:30 p.m. - Charlottesville Roller Derby vs. Ghost Fleet Roller Derby
6:00 p.m. - Rocktown B-Sides vs. Fredericksburg Roller Derby B

Get your tickets for a full day of roller derby, food trucks, merch, pics with your favorite skaters, and so much more at the Augusta Expo Center in Fishersville!

Doors open at 9:30 a.m. Bring your own chair to get trackside seating and be as close to the action as you can get without strapping on your own set of wheels!

Spend your day just minutes from artsy, historic downtown Staunton. This year’s tour features city and country gardens that each take the unique perspective of their owners and are viewed against the backdrop of the beautiful Shenandoah Valley. Tour homes include a stately old Virginia mansion; an elegant post-war home; and a fascinating Colonial Revival. Nearby, the Augusta Garden Club will highlight recent improvements to historic Gypsy Hill Park, the setting of the club’s award-winning Project Dogwood. Informative gardening tutorials and talks by master gardeners complete your perfect day in the verdant Queen City.

EMAIL and SOCIAL MEDIA
staunton@vagardenweek.org
@historicgardenweekstaunton

TOUR HEADQUARTERS
Gypsy Hill Park, John Moxie Memorial Stadium (aka Winston Wine Memorial Stadium) parking lot

TICKETS
• Morning (9 am to 1 pm) or afternoon (1 pm to 4 pm) tickets available. Limited availability of both tickets.
• $40 pp sold online and in advance at VAGardenWeek.org.
• $50 pp day of tour at VAGardenWeek.org and Tour Headquarters, cash or check only
• Children’s tickets available for $15 for children ages 5-17 years old. All children must be accompanied by an adult.

FACILITIES
Gypsy Hill Park Golf Pavilion
5 Deaver Drive
Staunton, VA 24401

The Charlottesville Symphony invites audiences to experience an evening of vivid storytelling and sweeping orchestral color with its April performances of Rimsky-Korsakov's "Scheherazade," conducted by Benjamin Rous. The piece features violinist Daniel Sender. Also on the program is Gubaidulina's charming "Fairytale Poem" and Sibelius' stirring Finlandia.

Stamp Out ICE is a collection of small artworks created in protest of ICE on perforated, postage-stamp-like sheets. The show features over a dozen artists from across the U.S. and Canada, including three from Minneapolis, all expressing their ire over the federal takeover of many U.S. cities.

Visitors are invited to view the collection of stamp artwork, create postcards, explore a library of mail art books, and see a firsthand demonstration of artistamp perforation on an 1888 patented Rosback perforator.

Join us for a heartfelt celebration of early folk, gospel, and Western swing music with Women of Americana! This isn’t just a concert-it’s an exuberant exploration of this expansive and singular American genre that planted the roots of American music. Featuring acclaimed vocalists and instrumentalists Cristina Vane and Brennen Leigh, together they will perform iconic songs including “This Land is Your Land” (Woody Guthrie), “This Train” (Sister Rosetta Tharpe), “Just Like a Woman” (Bob Dylan), “Angel From Montgomery” (Bonnie Raitt and John Prine), “Car Wheels On a Gravel Road” (Lucinda Williams), and more! Coinciding with the upcoming Semiquincentennial (the 250th anniversary of the United States’ founding), Women of Americana will entertain and inspire audiences at a historic moment in our nation’s history.

The Charlottesville Symphony invites audiences to experience an evening of vivid storytelling and sweeping orchestral color with its April performances of Rimsky-Korsakov's "Scheherazade," conducted by Benjamin Rous. The piece features violinist Daniel Sender. Also on the program is Gubaidulina's charming "Fairytale Poem" and Sibelius' stirring Finlandia.

On Sunday, April 19, from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., we invite you and your four legged friends out on the Highland Rustic Trails for a day of doggone good fun!

The Highland Rustic Trails are free and open to the public. All dogs must be leashed. Dog owners are responsible for cleaning up after their animals. Please keep our trails clean so everyone can enjoy their experience on the Highland Rustic Trails.

The Blue Ridge Irish Music School (BRIMS) offers classes for all ages and skill levels in Irish dance, music and singing. The winter/spring semester begins on January 20 & 22 and runs for 12 weeks.

Join us online for the ninth annual Great Community Give on April 22. Our community-wide fundraising effort will support 158 nonprofits in Harrisonburg and Rockingham County. Early Giving is April 7-21 and the Great Community Give is April 22, with opportunities for nonprofits to win prizes each hour. Visit www.greatcommunitygive.org to give, explore new and established organizations, and register to fundraise for your favorite nonprofit. Our goal is a record $2.5 million -- let's come together to show our love for NPOs working to make this community stronger, healthier, and more beautiful!

Learn how to help the Earth every day at Earth Day Staunton, Saturday, April 25, 11am-3pm at Gypsy Hill Park Bandstand. This year's theme, “Water: Make Every Drop Matter,” focuses on making environmentally friendly decisions surrounding water usage. Enjoy a family-friendly, fun day for all with wildlife programs by the Wildlife Center of Virginia, a live beehive exhibit, electric cars on display, a stream critter touch tank, solar telescope, and much more.

Children will receive an event passport to get stamped by exhibitors to earn a souvenir button. Food trucks will be on site. Composting and recycling will be offered by Shenandoah Green and Black Bear Composting. Bring your own reusable water bottle. In the event of rain, the event will be held in the Gypsy Hill Park Gym. More information can be found at EarthDayStaunton.org