Upcoming Events:
Wednesday, Nov. 29:
CommUNITY Yoga for Self-Care for Adults
At the Radford Public Library; 5:45- 6:45 p.m. Join Kelly McCoy of The Whole You for an all-level yoga class for adults. Learn poses to help strengthen and lengthen your muscles as well as some breathing and meditation techniques to help calm the nervous system. This class is FREE to the public and is funded by grant money via the Virginia Department of Health.
Thursday, Nov. 30:
Final Town Gown
The final Blacksburg Town Gown meeting of the fall semester will take place this at 6:30 p.m. The meeting will be located in the Blacksburg Police Department’s Community Room, 200 Clay Street SE. Free parking is available adjacent to the building on Church Street and Midtown Way. This month’s session will be an opportunity for a casual and engaging discussion with our Town Gown co-chairs: Dean of Students Mark Sikes and Deputy Town Manager Steve Ross, and various VT and Blacksburg staff members. The conversation will focus on future Town Gown topics so please bring us suggestions on what you want to learn and discuss. Lights refreshments and snacks will be served.
Waffles Club! A Young Writer’s Group
At the Radford Public Library; 4 -5 p.m. Join us for a gently guided writing club for kids, aka the Waffles Club (Writing Association for Fun Loving Enthusiastic Students)! Together, we will work on responding to writing prompts, have some quiet writing time, and the opportunity to share work! Geared toward 8-12 year olds. Contact Morgan for more information at morgan.esterhuizen@radfordva.gov. Please bring your favorite writing materials!
Friday, Dec. 1:
Blacksburg Winter Lights and Holiday Parade Road closings
Winter Lights activities
Downtown Blacksburg’s Winter Lights activities will be held on College Avenue, 3-8 p.m. College Avenue will be closed beginning at 11a.m. and will reopen at 11 p.m.
Holiday Parade
The Blacksburg Annual Holiday parade will be held at 7 p.m. The parade will begin on Main Street at the Turner Street intersection and will follow Main Street through downtown, ending on Eheart Street. Turner Street will be closed to through traffic for the parade lineup starting at 5:30 p.m. and will reopen at 8:30 p.m. Main Street will be closed during the parade. This year’s route is a slight change from previous years. Those who typically watch the parade near the roundabout on Prices Fork Road are encouraged to move closer to the Turner Street intersection and the new beginning of the parade route.
Radford “Candyland” Parade
Radford’s Holiday Parade, themed “Candyland,” will take place at 7 p.m. Line-up begins at 6 p.m. The parade route will line-up on East Main Street between Tyler Avenue and University Drive Bridge and proceed westward along Main Street to the Central Square Shopping Center.
Saturday, Dec. 2:
Breakfast with Santa
The Christiansburg High School Music Department will host its annual community event Breakfast with Santa 2023, 8 a.m. – 12 noon in the CHS cafeteria. Admission includes a pancake breakfast, fun games, and holiday crafts. Bring your camera or phone for a photo op with Santa. Cost is $6 for children 12 and under and $8 for children 13-99. Kick-off the holiday season with Santa, his elves and reindeer, live music and the music students of CHS.
SWVa Legal Aid Society meeting
The Board of Directors of Southwest Virginia Legal Aid Society will meet at 9 a.m. at The Inn at Virginia Tech, 901 Prices Fork Rd., Blacksburg. The public is welcome to participate.
Saturday, Dec. 2 and Sunday, Dec. 3:
Artists host Holiday Open House benefitting charities
Annual open house event at 408 Eighth Street, Radford, (corner of Berkley and Eighth) with parking on Berkley, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. The show will feature artwork by Blacksburg painter Charlotte Chan, Christiansburg colored pencil artist Jennifer Carpenter, and Radford photographer Susan V. Lockwood. Originals, prints (framed and unframed), and cards will be available. Area residents are invited to stop by and enjoy fine art and refreshments. Also, 10% of all sales will be donated to a local charity of each artists’ choice.
Sunday, Dec. 3:
NAACP Veterans Affairs Committee
The NAACP Veterans Affairs Committee will present a program to honor veterans at 3 p.m. at the Asbury United Methodist Church, 500 Stuart St, Christiansburg. The guest speaker will be former Navy Commander Dr. David Points of Roanoke.
Holiday Bazaar
“Second Chance at the Bazaar” at First Baptist Church, 555 West Rock Rd., Radford; 1-3 p.m. Lots of holiday items to choose from. Stop by and get a hot dog for lunch. This is sponsored by the Women with a Vision Bible Study.
Tuesday, Dec. 5:
Radford Holiday tree-lighting ceremony
Join Radford Public Library in the 21st Radford Tree Lighting Ceremony. Doors open at 5 p.m. Hodge Podge Cookies is bringing their sugar and chocolate chip cookies and hot chocolate to hand out. Thanks to our Lamplighters for funding these delicious treats which are free to attendees. Santa will be on hand for photo opportunities and will offer a festive reading. The Grove United Methodist Church Handbell Choirs will perform at 6 p.m. Following the performance there will be interactive playing. Bells will be (temporarily) provided for your musical participation. Tree lighting at 6:30 p.m.
Friday, Dec. 8:
Christmas on Main in Downtown Christiansburg
Join The Town of Christiansburg starting at 5 p.m. for Christmas at the Market featuring local crafters and other vendors, followed by the Tree Lighting Ceremony and Christmas Parade. The Tree Lighting Ceremony with the mayor will take place at Town Square at roughly 6:50 p.m., with the Christmas Parade starting at 7 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 9:
NAACP year-end meeting
The NAACP will hold its year-end meeting 9 -11:30 a.m. at Asbury United Methodist Church, 500 Stuart St., Christiansburg. Douglas Asante will speak about Ghana and the slave trade.
Sunday, Dec. 17:
Luminary display
The annual Stroubles Mill Neighborhood Association Luminary display will begin at 5:30 p.m. in Blacksburg (Hethwood). Rain date is Monday, Dec. 18.
On-going:
Radford “Candyland” Parade registration
Radford’s Holiday Parade, themed “Candyland”, will take place on Friday, Dec. 1, 2023 at 7 p.m. Line-up begins at 6 p.m. The parade route will line-up on East Main Street between Tyler Avenue and University Drive Bridge and proceed westward along Main Street to the Central Square Shopping Center. To register, complete the form at www.radford.gov and return it to: Radford Parks and Recreation, Attention: Donna Wolfe, 200 George St., Radford.
Blacksburg stormwater utility credit application deadline
Deadline for Stormwater Utility Credit Applications is Jan. 1, 2024. If you are located within the Town of Blacksburg and have a stormwater management facility on your site, you may quality for a credit on your monthly stormwater utility fee. Go to www.blacksburg.gov/stormwaterfund and review the Stormwater Utility Credit Manual to know more. Stormwater management facilities are typically ponds (either dry ponds/dry detention basins or wet retention basins). Other types include underground storage structures (usually located under parking lots in commercial areas), vegetated areas like bio-retentions, and mechanical filters that remove oil and sediment from stormwater runoff. Questions, contact stormwater@blacksburg.gov or call 540-443-1354.
Blacksburg Comprehensive Plan Amendment application process
In 2021, Town Council adopted the updated Comprehensive Plan. As part of the mid-way evaluation between five-year updates, the town accepts privately initiated applications for amendments to the plan. Amendments include changes to Future Land Use Map designations or the text of the Plan. Applications due on Jan. 15, 2024. A pre-application meeting is required prior to submittal. Contact Maeve Gould, Comprehensive Planner, at (540) 443-1300 or CompPlan@blacksburg.gov, with questions, or to schedule a pre-application meeting.
Eligibility applications for Christmas Store 2023
Online applications are being accepted and reviewed now through Dec. 6, 2023 to shop at the Montgomery County Christmas Store in December. Go to the Christmas Store website at www.mcchristmasstore.org and click on Apply to Shop. First, you will see the documents you need to have ready to upload before beginning the application process. Then scroll down some more to see the criteria you must meet to see if you are eligible to apply to shop at the store in December. If you qualify to shop at the store Dec. 5-9, you will receive the link to select your shopping appointment.
