Things To Do in Charlottesville & Albemarle County: June

When the temperatures heat up, there’s no better time to enjoy a crisp craft beer or refreshing glass of wine. Explore the best of our local wine and craft beverage scene when you attend one of these June events.

Show your Pride all month long at local dance parties, drag brunches, musical performances, winery visits, and pop-up markets. Plus, don’t miss Charlottesville’s famous annual Lady Arm Wrestling competition (CLAW) taking place at Random Row brewery on June 15th.

Click here for a full round-up of Pride events you can plan to enjoy during your visit this month.

June is also a great month to show your support to local LGBTQ-owned businesses. Some local favorites include the French-inspired bakery MarieBette Café & Bakery & Petite MarieBette, Oaxacan-inspired Conmole, queer bookstore & maker's market The Beautiful Idea, local restaurant and game room FIREFLY, and the only LGBTQ-owned winery in Virginia, Montifalco Vineyard.

It’s the season of outdoor live music at many area wineries, breweries, and craft beverage spots. Find regular music at wineries like Jefferson Vineyards, Stinson Vineyards, and Merrie Mill Farm & Vineyard all summer long.

If you prefer the taste of cider, Potter’s Craft Cider always has a musical act rolling through and Carter Mountain Orchard serves Bold Rock during their Summer Sunset Series every Thursday through October.

If beer is more your thing, check out Pro Re Nata Brewpub and Music Hall in Crozet, VA for live music nearly every night of the week.

If you plan to be in town on a Friday, be sure to catch Fridays After Five – the weekly free concert at Ting Pavilion located right on Charlottesville’s historic pedestrian Downtown Mall! Enjoy a different local band each Friday evening starting at 5:30 PM. Attendance is free, with drink tickets and food truck fare available to purchase. When the concert wraps up, keep your Friday night going at one of the many restaurants and bars along the Downtown Mall.

Speaking of live music, the Charlottesville Opera will returns in June for its 47th season with six weeks of performances and programming. Their first event is a concert of arias sung on the evening of June 6 with larger performances hosted in the historic Paramount Theatre on the Downtown Mall later in the month. Catch showings of The Music Man from June 21-23 and The Elixir of Love on July 12 and July 14.

The Charlottesville Opera is comprised of 120 professionals, a portion of whom travel from different corners of the country to take part in the summer season. Many of their singers are a part of world-renowned companies like the Philadelphia Opera and the Metropolitan Opera in New York.

You can access all of this world-class talent for free when you attend the annual Arts for All FestivALL and Concert hosted at the Ting Pavilion on Saturday June 29 from 5 - 8:30 PM.

FestivALL is an opportunity for people of all ages and abilities to experience the arts. Make your way through the free activities tents to try your hand at singing, dancing, painting, and more in a laid-back setting. Enjoy local food and drinks under the shade of the pavilion, then settle in a for a free concert from the Charlottesville Opera who will perform great works of opera and musical theatre. It's a great event for the whole family, classical music lovers, and newcomers!

The Virginia Theatre Festival returns for its 50th Year with performances that start in June and run through early August.

Things kick off June 27 – 30th with “50 Years and Counting: A Musical Revue.” The show features a selection of some of the most favorite songs in musical theatre history plucked straight from the festival’s half-century of past performances.

Tickets to all festival performances go on sale June 6th. Here are five reasons you won’t want to miss it.

Juneteenth – June 19th – commemorates the emancipation of enslaved people in the United States. Explore these events and exhibits that celebrate and explore the history of Charlottesville & Albemarle County’s African American community, including the annual Juneteenth Parade, Black Business Expo, and a Cookout at Blenheim Vineyards.

June is great Outdoors Month and the perfect opportunity to enjoy the stunning landscapes and rich rural history of Charlottesville and surrounding Albemarle County.

Take a look at our Trails & Outdoor Routes page to find inspiration about where to hike, bike, and kayak. Or read our blog about all the places you can plan a paddling adventure.

If you’re looking for a guided outdoor tour, plan a visit to Ivy Creek Natural Area and Historic Riverview Farm. Their regular nature walks dive deep into the local flora and fauna, as well as the history of the influential Carr/Greer family who owned the farm for a century.

Outdoor Events

James River Batteau Festival | June 19, 2024
If you haven’t seen a historic batteau race up-close, June is your chance to do so. The town of Scottsville is one of nine sites in Virginia to host the Batteau Festival – an eight-day event featuring authentic replicas of the sleek, shallow-draft merchant boats. Beginning on the waterfront of Lynchburg, the festival moves along a 200-year-old route, stopping each day in the historic towns and communities along the way. Each evening is a celebration of the cultural heritage of this legendary river basin in music, song, dance and storytelling, plus lots of plain old-time Virginia socializing.

Scottsville serves as the approximate halfway point during this race, so expect to see the boats in the evening on the 19th.

Historic Grace Church Farm Tour & Country Fair | June 8, 2024
On Saturday June 8, experience the Historic Grace Church Farm Tour & Country Fair in Keswick, VA. The day’s events include a free pony rides, animal demonstrations, live music, and history presentations. Additional exhibits will be held at neighboring properties like Edgeworth, Keswick Hunt Club, Castle Hill, and Montanova Stables.

After the day's events, you can add on a stop at a neighboring winery like Keswick Vineyards, Merrie Mill Farm & Winery, or Southwest Mountains Vineyards.

Get ready to plan your stay this June! Summer is a slower time for visitors, so enjoy great rates, especially when you book a mid-week stay.

Visit our “Places to Stay” page and choose from a wide range of accommodations, from quaint country B&Bs to boutique hotels near the historic pedestrian Downtown Mall. And be sure to check out our Ultimate Summer Bucket List for a full list of things to do when you visit Charlottesville and Albemarle County this summer.