What’s New in Charlottesville and Albemarle County in 2025

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA – The Charlottesville Albemarle Convention & Visitors Bureau (CACVB) is excited to welcome several new additions to the area’s robust tourism offerings. Highlights of what’s new and noteworthy for 2025 in Charlottesville and Albemarle County include the following:

FOOD & DRINK:
The Charlottesville area continues to gain national and international accolades for its renowned culinary and craft beverage scene. Named Wine Enthusiast’s Wine Region of the Year at the end of 2023, and more recently, one of The Local Palate’s Top Culinary Towns in the South in fall 2024, there are are several exciting new additions ahead in 2025.

• The Virginia Wine Collective will open its doors in the spring of 2025. Spearheaded by the owners of Eastwood Farm & Winery, this facility will include seven winemaker studios off the main production area, as well as a winemaker incubator for seed-stage projects. The Virginia Wine Collective has been designed to reduce the costs associated with independent winemaking to further support innovation and talent in the Monticello American Viticultural Area. A tasting room will be open to the public to sample wines from the participating winemakers, with daily production tours also available.
• Fallen Tree Vineyard opened its doors in October 2024 and adds to the nearly 50 wineries located throughout the Monticello American Viticultural Area, which is centered around Charlottesville. Located in the Crozet area of Albemarle County, this vineyard’s namesake is inspired by a great maple tree that was once on the property. The tree was mistakenly taken down during the construction of the winery, with its roots, bark, and leaves now incorporated into the winery.
• Kindness Café + Play opened a second location in Charlottesville in December 2024. As a mission-driven coffee shop that employs adults with cognitive disabilities, its menu includes coffee and espresso drinks, as well as smoothies, protein shakes, baked goods, Bavarian pretzels, and more.
• Ethos Wine & Tea opened in summer 2024 and specializes in local, hand-crafted, and natural wine products. The teas being sourced by Ethos Wine & Tea embody ecologically responsible practices and cultural respect. Small plates and dinner services are also offered and revolve around highlighting local talent and products.
• Trump Cidery had its official grand opening in August 2024. The new cidery complements the existing Trump Winery and has launched with five distinct ciders. The tasting room offers cider tastings, ciders by the glass or bottle, a seasonal menu, and other merchandise.
• The Doyle Hotel (formerly the Quirk Hotel until July 2024) will feature a refreshed rooftop bar concept and new culinary options to be unveiled in 2025.
• Pétale opened in late summer 2024 and provides guests everything needed for a unique afternoon tea event for small groups. A curated seasonal tea menu features premium organic whole-leaf teas, locally sourced small bites, and floral arrangements.

Other notable food & drink news:

• A new four-seasons tasting room at Keswick Vineyards opened to the public in fall 2024.
• A new tasting room will open at Hark Vineyards in spring 2025.
• South Paddock Winery opened to the public in late summer 2024.
• Popular Filipino food truck Little Manila opened a brick-and-mortar restaurant named Little Manila Resto between the University of Virginia and downtown Charlottesville in late summer 2024.
• Arepas On Wheels launched Arepas Steakhouse in summer 2024. This full-service restaurant is located at 5th Street Station and features a variety of Venezuelan cuisine.
• The Blue Ridge Bottle Shop reopened in fall 2024 after nearly two years of renovations. Located in the Crozet area of Albemarle County, this shop offers a diverse selection of craft beer, wine, cider, and kombucha.
• The Dairy Market, central Virginia’s first food hall, will be welcoming Sizzle Shack, a new café and bakery, and a new lounge area with family friendly enhancements in the coming months.

ACCOMMODATIONS:

• Virginia Guesthouse, a new hotel and conference center, is set to open in late 2025 on the University of Virginia grounds. This new property will feature 217 guest rooms (inclusive of suites), approximately 25,000 square feet of conference center space, a full-service restaurant, a café, outside terraces, and a rooftop bar.
• The Boar’s Head Resort will unveil a full refresh of its marquee meeting space, The Pavilion, in early 2025. This revitalization will feature new carpeting, furniture and fixtures, along with enhanced culinary offerings to complement the updated look and feel. Also at Boar’s Head Resort, the Birdwood Mansion is being renovated and expects to open its doors by fall 2025. The historic property features four accommodations in the mansion and three adjacent cottages. The culinary program at the mansion focuses on having some of the most experienced creative chefs from around the world reside at the resort and serve the Birdwood Mansion’s dining room. The tasting menu will be seasonal and offer the opportunity to explore culinary options from around the globe. Website to come in February 2025: www.birdwoodmansion.com
• The Forum Hotel by Kimpton was awarded the prestigious AAA Four Diamond status in November 2024, making Charlottesville the only destination in Virginia to have two properties with this status (the other being Boar’s Head Resort).

OUTDOOR RECREATION:
The Charlottesville area is brimming with outdoor recreation opportunities and was voted a Top Adventure Town by the readers of Blue Ridge Outdoors magazine in October 2024. New and upcoming offerings include:

• Rivanna River Company has unveiled a second sauna offering, which was completed in fall 2024. The new sauna is constructed from Atlantic white cedar wood and heated by a Kuuma sauna wood stove. The sauna offerings are now being referred to as “Riversong Saunas,” as of December 2024. A cold-water plunge in the Rivanna River is available for those looking to cool down after the sauna experience. Additionally, Rivanna River Company will have new adaptive kayaks that will be launched in spring 2025 in an effort to make outdoor recreation more accessible to all visitors.
• The first phase of Biscuit Run Park officially opened to the public in December 2024. The first phase includes 75 vehicle parking spaces, restroom facilities, and more than eight miles of multi-use trails for hiking, biking, and exploring. At nearly 1,200 acres in size, Biscuit Run Park is now the largest County park in Albemarle County.
• James River Batteau Co. will be offering an immersive multi-day experience highlighting the history and beauty of the James River on a handmade replica of a historic batteau, beginning in fall 2025. The experience will include an open fire, farm-to-table meal, followed by a day navigating the islands and river scenery of the middle James River. The James River Batteau Festival, which includes activities in Scottsville, celebrates its 40th anniversary in 2025. The anniversary of the James River Batteau’s introduction to Virginia celebrates its 250th anniversary in 2025.
• Rock Revolution, a new bouldering gym, is set to open its doors in spring 2025.

THINGS TO DO:

• Unlocked History Escape Rooms debuted a new escape room called Da Vinci’s Discovery in November 2024. With this addition, there are now four history-themed escape rooms for visitors to discover.
• Beloved Community Tours officially launched in October 2024. These virtual tours take visitors to significant historical sites through web browsers or smartphones. These tours are centered around local history that has been racially and culturally marginalized. Tours are narrated by community members to provide important local context.
• The Toward a Lineage of Self exhibit at the Jefferson School African American Heritage Center (JSAAHC) opened in September 2024. As the next installment of its Pride Overcomes Prejudice permanent exhibition, this map-based exhibition tells the origin stories of historically Black neighborhoods, using the JSAAHC’s extensive property and oral history archive.
• James Monroe’s Highland unveiled its A Window to a New America exhibition in 2024. Telling the stories of the people and events at Highland and their connections to U.S. history, these exhibits explore the rich content of Monroe's Albemarle County property. New content covers approximately 3,000 square feet of exhibition space and completes the first major revision of the visitor experience since the 2016 announcement of the discovery of the Monroes’ main house built in 1799. Visitors can expect continued updates of museum content, including the interactive Unfinished Revolutions gallery, as we approach the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States.

NOTABLE ANNIVERSARIES IN 2025 AND BEYOND:

• 200 years ago – the first classes at the University of Virginia were held in March 1825.
• 200 years ago – Lafayette’s return tour of America, which included stops in the Charlottesville area in November 1824 and August 1825).
• 90 years ago – The Fralin Museum of Art opened on grounds at the University of Virginia.
• 50 years ago – The McGuffey Art Center opened near the historic pedestrian Downtown Mall.
• The historic pedestrian Downtown Mall was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2024. The Downtown Mall will celebrate its 50th anniversary in summer 2026.
• American filmmaker Ken Burns will be the keynote speaker for Monticello’s Independence Day ceremony in 2025.

A selection of imagery from many of the new and upcoming offerings listed above can be found here.



About the Charlottesville Albemarle Convention & Visitors Bureau
The Charlottesville Albemarle Convention & Visitors Bureau (CACVB) welcomes thousands of visitors to the region each year from all over the world who are seeking a variety of unique experiences in history, food, wine, spirits, and adventure. The CACVB serves as the global resource for marketing the tourism assets of the City of Charlottesville and County of Albemarle, and assists tour operators, meeting planners, and other groups in planning visits to the destination. The CACVB’s mission is to enhance the economic prosperity of the people of the City and County by promoting, selling, and marketing the area as a destination, in pursuit of the meetings and tourism markets.

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