Classic Cars and Heirloom Apples.
Peak-color weekend is here. Saturday the Shenandoah Valley British Car Club parks its MGs and Triumphs on Afton Mountain, while Grelen teaches you to turn a pumpkin into a living centerpiece. Friday brings oysters and bubbles at Eastwood and bluegrass at Blue Mountain; Saturday night it's Liberty Pike at Bald Top or improv downtown; and Sunday, National Apple Day, starts with heirloom apples at CiderWorks. Here's your guide to 13 events across 12 venues in Charlottesville wine country.
Featured This Weekend
Meetin' on the Mountain: British Car Show — Afton
Saturday, October 17 · 12:00 – 3:00 PM · Afton Mountain Vineyards
The Shenandoah Valley British Car Club rolls up Afton Mountain for an afternoon of MGs, Triumphs, Jaguars and the odd Mini, parked along the vineyard with the Blue Ridge behind them. Food trucks are on site for lunch. This is the rare car show where the backdrop competes with the chrome — Afton has one of the best long views in Nelson County, and mid-October is when the ridge starts turning. The tasting room is open 11 AM to 7:30 PM, so stay for a glass after the owners pack up.
Pumpkin Decorating Workshop — Somerset
Saturday, October 17 · 9:00 AM · The Market at Grelen
Grelen's potting-bar workshop skips the carving knife: you pick a pumpkin, choose succulents, cacti or terrarium plants, and the nursery's plant people walk you through planting it into a living centerpiece. The $10 ticket covers instruction, soil, moss and dried flowers; pumpkins and plants are priced à la carte. It's capped at 12 people, so book ahead. Then make a morning of it — Grelen's nursery rows and the Somerset hills are about as good as fall color gets in Orange County.
Friday — October 16
An early patio set, oysters and bubbles, bluegrass at the Barrel House, and blues under string lights.
Live Music: Chris Hammock — Jefferson Vineyards, Charlottesville · 4:00 – 6:00 PM
An early start to the weekend on the patio at Jefferson Vineyards, a few minutes down the road from Monticello. Chris Hammock plays an easygoing acoustic set while the light goes gold over the vines — done by six, so there's still time for dinner in town.
Virginia Oyster & Wine Celebration — Eastwood Farm and Winery, Charlottesville · 5:00 – 8:00 PM
Eastwood's Friday oyster nights are winding down for the season. Pair Virginia oysters with a glass of their sparkling Blanc de Blancs while Matthew O'Donnell plays from five to eight. Five miles from the Downtown Mall, with cheese boards and juice flights for the kids.
Friday Cheers with Creek Mill Grass — Blue Mountain Barrel House, Arrington · 5:30 – 8:30 PM
Creek Mill Grass brings mandolin, upright bass and tight harmonies to the Barrel House from 5:30, and the kitchen runs fried seafood specials for the night. The Barrel House is where Blue Mountain ages its barrel beers, so ask what's pouring that you won't see at the Afton brewpub.
Sunset Soirée: Chickenhead Blues — Chisholm Vineyards, Earlysville · 6:00 – 9:00 PM
Chickenhead Blues plays the Friday Sunset Soirée at Chisholm, with Twisted Provisions cooking. Arrive by six for the sunset and stay for the electric set under the string lights.
Saturday — October 17
Fiddle in the orchard, a lawn facing the Blue Ridge, Appalachian bluegrass, and improv downtown.
Live Music in the Orchard: Alex Caton & Jordan Perry — Albemarle CiderWorks, North Garden · 2:30 – 4:30 PM
Alex Caton on fiddle and Jordan Perry on guitar, two voices that love singing together, playing out among the apple trees at CiderWorks. Bring a blanket, order a flight, and stick around — Sunday morning's heirloom apple tasting is at the same orchard.
Live Music with Rebecca Romano — Valley Road Vineyards, Afton · 2:00 – 5:00 PM
Local singer-songwriter Rebecca Romano plays the afternoon at Valley Road, a short drive from the Afton car show. Bring a picnic or order a pizza, baguette and cheese, and claim a spot on the lawn facing the Blue Ridge.
Valerie Smith & Liberty Pike — Bald Top Brewing Co., Madison · 6:00 – 9:00 PM
Real Appalachian bluegrass on the Bald Top stage: Valerie Smith and Liberty Pike are veterans of the circuit, whimsical and upbeat, with the kind of harmonies that suit a cold October night. The brewery's farm setting in the Madison foothills does the rest.
Stage Fright! An Improv Comedy Show — Goat Rodeo Comedy Co. at Vinegar Hill Theatre, Charlottesville · 7:00 PM
A spooky-season night of fully unscripted comedy built from audience suggestions, featuring Goat Rodeo's improv teams Big Head Fight and Billionaire Robot Dogs. At Vinegar Hill Theatre (Lighthouse Studio, 220 W Market St). $10 in advance, $15 at the door.
Sunday — October 18
National Apple Day in the orchard, a long afternoon at Keswick, and jazz to close it out.
Heirloom Apple Tasting — Albemarle CiderWorks, North Garden · 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Sunday is National Apple Day, and CiderWorks grows more than 250 varieties. This guided hour tastes six to eight of them — think Esopus Spitzenburg and Belle de Boskoop, not Red Delicious — and every ticket goes home with half a peck (about five pounds) of apples.
Live Music with Rachael Karpo — Keswick Vineyards, Keswick · 12:00 – 4:00 PM
Air Force veteran Rachael Karpo covers '80s and '90s hits, classic rock and country through a long Sunday afternoon at Keswick. Barrel and Board is serving sandwiches, salads and charcuterie.
Session Sunday: Robert Jospé Band — Stinson Vineyards, Crozet · 1:00 – 4:00 PM
Drummer Robert Jospé is a fixture of the Charlottesville jazz scene, and his band closes out the weekend on the patio at Stinson in Sugar Hollow. Weather permitting; leave outside alcohol at home.