Crab Feasts, Bachata & a Summer Send-Off
August is hitting its stride. King Family Vineyards stays open late for a Summer Send-Off party, Keswick piles blue crab and oysters high by the vines, Hazy Mountain turns its sunset deck into a bachata dance floor, and Michael Shaps dares you to tell Virginia from France without a label in sight. Here's your guide to 65 events across 34 venues in Charlottesville wine country.
Featured This Weekend
Summer Send-Off with Koda Kerl
King Family Vineyards — Crozet · Friday, August 7 · 5:30 – 8:00 PM · Open late until 8:30
King Family is keeping the doors open late to give summer the farewell it deserves. Koda Kerl of Charlottesville favorites Chamomile and Whiskey takes the stage from 5:30 to 8, with Bobby'z Burgers and Crustworthy Pizza parked on-site and your favorite pours flowing all evening. No tickets, no reservations — just show up with a blanket and watch the light go gold over the polo fields.
Friday: Free entry, live music till 8, two food trucks — the easiest yes of the weekend. Get event details →
Friday — August 7
Folk from two continents, salsa at sunset
LUA Project Live — Potter's Craft Cider, Charlottesville · 5:30 PM – 8:30 PM
A new style of traditional music inspired by the sounds and sones of Mexico, Appalachia, and the Atlantic Basin — accordion, fiddle, and upright bass weaving Mexican song forms through Eastern European tonalities and old-time storytelling. One of the most original acts to pass through Charlottesville this summer, best enjoyed on Potter's lawn with a cold cider in hand. Get details →
Bachata Night at Hazy Mountain — Hazy Mountain Vineyards & Brewery, Afton · 5:00 PM – 9:00 PM
C'Ville Bachata Social takes over Hazy Mountain's sunset deck for an outdoor social dance. Traditional Dominican bachata lessons with Katia & Joseph from Washington, DC, then DJ Sing spins salsa, bachata, and more into the evening. All levels welcome — no partner required, mountain views included. Get details →
Spark Studio Permanent Jewelry Pop-Up — Fallen Tree Vineyard, Crozet · 4:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Spark Studio brings its custom-fitted, clasp-free jewelry to the tasting room — bracelets, anklets, rings, and necklaces in sterling silver, gold-filled, and 14k solid gold, welded on while you sip. A little forever sparkle with wine and mountain views. Get details →
Saturday — August 8
Blue crab by the vines, honey in the hills
Crab Feast with Salty Bottom Blue Oysters — Keswick Vineyards, Keswick · 11:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Keswick goes full Chesapeake: a blue crab feast plus fresh oysters served raw or grilled on the half shell by the Salty Bottom Blue Oyster Truck, running until they sell out. Josh Davidson plays his Blue Ridge blend of country, southern rock, and blues while you crack claws over a glass of gold-medal Viognier. Come hungry, come early. Get details →
Press Play: Adam's Plastic Pond — Potter's Craft Cider, Charlottesville · 5:30 PM – 8:30 PM
Potter's Saturday-night Press Play series rolls on with Adam's Plastic Pond, a collective of seasoned Charlottesville musicians moving from southern lap steel and folk ballads to bright, breezy guitar pop. Bring a blanket, grab a cider, and catch the groove on the lower lawn as the sun sets. Get details →
Live Music in the Orchard: The Pollocks — Albemarle Ciderworks, North Garden · 2:30 PM – 4:30 PM
The Pollocks are led by Jason Pollock, former guitarist and songwriter for Seven Mary Three — the pen behind '90s rock-radio staples like "Cumbersome" and "Water's Edge." Catch him among the apple trees with a flight of heritage cider. Get details →
Honey Tasting with Mountain House Trading — Afton Mountain Vineyards, Afton · 12:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Part of Nelson County's Honey Daze festival running August 7–15 along the 151: walk-up honey tastings with Mountain House Trading, no reservation needed. Taste your way through local varietals, then stay for a glass on one of the prettiest patios in Afton. Get details →
Sunday — August 9
String bands, session tunes, and a blind showdown
Unlabeled: Blind Tasting with Michael Shaps — Michael Shaps Wineworks, Charlottesville · 2:00 PM
Strip away the label and let your palate do the talking. Michael Shaps pours 12 wines side-by-side — his own bottlings against their French counterparts — across four flights of rosé, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Petit Verdot. Seated and guided, $65 per person including a cheese plate and gratuity. A rare chance to test how far Virginia wine has come. Get details →
Second Sunday Bluegrass Jam — The Batesville Market, Batesville · 2:00 PM
The beloved free monthly jam returns to Batesville, hosted by Shannon Williams and Jay Gallimore. Pickers circle up, neighbors drift in, and the old country store hums with fiddle tunes all afternoon. Grab a sandwich and a local beer and settle in — this is Sunday in wine country at its most unhurried. Get details →
Irish Music: Aaron Olwell & Friends — Albemarle Ciderworks, North Garden · 2:30 PM – 4:30 PM
Every second Sunday, Patrick & Aaron Olwell and friends gather for an energetic, eclectic Irish session — fine renditions of traditional tunes traded around the table all afternoon. Light bites available, cider flowing, no cover. Pull up a chair close enough to hear the flutes breathe. Get details →
Browse all events at weekendr.info.