Upcoming Events:
Now through Wednesday, Nov. 22:
South Main Street Lane Closure
The right-hand southbound lane of Blacksburg’s South Main Street from Landsdowne Street to King Street will be closed 7 a.m.- 7 p.m. until Wed. Nov. 22. Traffic will shift to the left-hand lane during this closure. The closure is due to demolition of curbing along South Main and King Street and the preparation for a new turning lane.
Wednesday, Nov. 15:
Blacksburg Farmers Market
At Market Square Park, 100 Draper Rd SW, Blacksburg: 2-6 p.m. The Blacksburg Farmers Market is a local, family-friendly gathering place in downtown Blacksburg featuring farmers of locally grown produce and meats, alongside artisans of baked goods and handmade crafts. For more information, visit http://blacksburgfarmersmarket.com.
Thursday, Nov. 16:
Virtual Author Talk with Joy Harjo
Sponsored by the Radford Public Library; 4 p.m. on-line. Join us for an afternoon chat with Joy Harjo, internationally renowned performer, writer, and poet of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, as she discusses her recent memoir, Catching the Light, via digital live-stream in partnership with Radford Public Library! Register and view more Author Talks here: https://libraryc.org/radfordlibrary.
Sons of Confederate Veterans meeting
The Sons of Confederate Veterans, Stuart Horse Artillery Camp 1784 will meet at 7 p.m. at Aly’s Family Italian Restaurant on 3204 Riner Rd. Members of the United Daughters of the Confederacy (UDC) are also invited to attend. Member Johnathan McPeak will give a talk on the Battle of Cloyd’s Mountain. For further information, please call 540-320-4315 or 540-239-9864.
Radford Photo Club – eva hinrichsen
At the Radford Public Library; 6- 7 p.m. Award winning photographer eva hinrichsen will present on travel and documentary photography. She won both the cityscape and open theme categories at the October meeting. Her background is in the arts. It should be an interesting presentation.
Exploring Nanoscience with NanoEarth @ VT
At the Meadowbrook Public Library; 4:30 – 6 p.m. Why can some fabrics repel water? What makes a vending machine work? Bring your curiosity and explore science on the tiniest scale with experts from Virginia Tech’s NanoEarth team!
Teen Dungeons and Dragons Night
At the Blacksburg Library; 6-8 p.m. Newbies and experienced players are welcome. Character sheets, dice and snacks provided. Ages 11 to 17. Contact Sarah Pahl at spahl@mfrl.org for more information.
What Would Dolly Do?
At the Christiansburg Library; 6-7 p.m. Get ready for the release of Dolly Parton’s new album with trivia, music, snacks, and crafts! There will be a raffle to win a copy of Rockstar! Fun for Dolly fans of all ages.
Saturday, Nov. 18:
Hokies for the Hungry Food Drive
The Marching Virginians at VT will hold the Annual Hokies for the Hungry Food Drive for the Montgomery County Christmas Store at Lane Stadium. The Pep Band will travel through the tailgates to perform for fans. In exchange, they will collect canned goods or cash. The goal is “One Can from Every Fan.” Bring non-perishable food or cash to hear the ‘Hokie Pokie” played at your tailgate!
Page to Screen Movies: The Iron Giant
At the Radford Public Library; noon – 2 p.m. Come see the animated classic “The Iron Giant”, based on Ted Hughes 1968 novel “The Iron Man.” It’s a fun film the whole family can enjoy. Rated PG; 86 minutes.
Sunday, Nov. 19:
NAACP meeting
The general body meetings of the local branch of the NAACP are held the 4th Sunday of each month from 3:30 – 5 p.m. Meetings are currently held at the Old Hill School 570 High St., Christiansburg. However, because of the Thanksgiving holiday, the November the meeting will be moved to the third Sunday. Please join us Sunday, Nov. 19, 2023, at 3:30 p.m. The speaker will be Kory Trott, JD, Virginia Tech Black Caucus. All are welcome.
Sunday, Nov. 19 and Monday, Nov. 20
Montgomery County Christmas Toy Drives at VT
VT Athletics and the Montgomery County Christmas Store announce the Annual Toy Drive to benefit the toy department at the store. Every year, fans have the opportunity to bring unwrapped toys to the games. Volunteers will be at entrances with huge, decorated boxes to take toys. Dates include: Nov. 19 at 1 p.m. at the VT/Clemson volleyball game; Nov. 19 at 5 p.m. at the VT/Wofford men’s basketball game; and Nov. 20 at 6 p.m. at the VT/UNC Greensboro women’s basketball game.
Saturday, Dec. 2:
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.
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.
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.
On-going:
Blacksburg Police Department survey available
The Blacksburg Police Department (BPD) is asking the community to complete a short (approximately three-minute) survey ranking individual satisfaction with the department. All responses are recorded anonymously and honest feedback is appreciated. These responses will help the BPD continue its efforts to serve the Blacksburg community. Access the survey at surveymonkey.com/r/Q8SHQH8.
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 Comprehensive Plan. These amendments include changes to Future Land Use Map designations or the text of the Plan. Applications will be 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.
Call to Artists: Signal Cabinet and Utility Box Public Art Project
Town of Blacksburg Public Arts Committee is seeking design submissions from artists who are local, regional, or familiar with the Blacksburg area. Designs will be installed on utility boxes or traffic signal cabinets at selected intersections around town as public art, beginning in summer 2024. Submissions are accepted via email and must be submitted by Friday, Dec. 15, 2023, to be considered by the selection committee. Before submitting a design for consideration, interested artists are highly encouraged to visit https://letstalkblacksburg.org/publicarts-utilitybox to learn more about the project details and submission information. Questions: contact Kenna Jewell, kjewell@blacksburg.gov, 540.443.1092.
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.
Call for participants: 2023 Blacksburg Annual Holiday Parade
Citizens are invited to participate in Blacksburg’s annual Holiday Parade, organized by Blacksburg Parks and Recreation. This year’s theme is “Miracle on Main Street”. Parade entries may be floats, bicycles, wagons, marchers, walkers, antique/classic cars, Jeeps, trucks, scout groups, bands, sports teams and more. The parade will be held on Friday, Dec. 1 at 7 p.m. In the event of inclement weather, the parade will be rescheduled to Saturday, Dec. 2. For more information on how to get involved, contact David Goodman, Community Programs Supervisor at degoodman@blacksburg.gov or 540.443.1106.
Free GED classes
New River Community College is offering free GED at the Meadowbrook Library every Monday and Tuesday through Tuesday, Dec. 12. For more information or to sign up please call the Library at 540-268-1964.
