Valentine’s Day in Downtown Blacksburg

With just a week to go until Valentine’s Day we thought you might enjoy a round-up of some of the great deals downtown to make the day extra sweet for your special someone! And don’t forget to Love your Community by shopping small for Valentine’s Day this year!

Gifts Galore

Aureus Jewelry
Stop by Aureus Jewelry and register to win a heart shaped garnet pendant necklace to be given away on Valentine’s Day! We are offering 60% off all in stock jewelry from now until Valentine’s Day

Fringe Benefit
Valentine’s Day is just around the corner. Come in to see our beautiful jewelry just in from Brighton! There is a wonderful selection to choose from!

Heirloom Originals
First 10 customers on February 14th receive free gift
Vintage Valentine displays and beautiful costume jewelry
Free Valentines day gift wrap
20% off any red or pink item in store…

Mad Dog
Serving Hershey’s kisses and a 14% discount on selected items. Beautiful heart necklaces and earrings in stock for that special day

Matrix Gallery
American made pottery, glass, jewelry, wood, leather goods, and more. Offering you the very best in Valentine’s Day treats!

P Buckley Moss Gallery
The gallery has released a new print especially for Valentine’s Day. They also have a collection of many other subjects suitable for valentine gifts.

Polished by Claire v.
Send your heart this Valentine’s day with a polished gift basket. Call us at 904-6868 to order your baskets by February 12th!

Uncommonly Gifted
Valentine’s Day is nearly here so stop in to browse the very best selection of cards and unique & unusual gifts for your sweetie! Blacksburg is for Lovers t’s, hoodies and totes make the perfect Valentine Gift!

Special Experiences

Clay Corner Inn
Great Valentine’s special and any weekend stay at the Clay Corner Inn.dsa
Weekend Healing Retreat Package- 2 nights, 2 people plus a Reiki Session each- $447 plus tax

Eucalyptus Massage Therapy
Free Olive Oil & Aloe Vera foot massage with any service purchased in February!

Isn’t it Romantic? A Dinner Concert
Saturday, February 14
Dinner Buffet & Musical Revue with Catherine Breske & Quartet
The Village Center, Warm Hearth Drive
Reservations- contact mbaker@warmhearth.org

Lyric Theatre
February 14- The Virginia Center for Civil War Studies invites you to a free screening of Young Mr. Lincoln 1:00–4:30 p.m. The afternoon will include a post-screening Q & A with VT Department of History professors Kimberly Kutz and Paul Quigley.

 Regular Movie for Saturday Night- showing- The Imitation Game at 7pm & 9:15pm 

Main Street Inn
Make A Night Of It- 10% discount on room rate for Valentine’s Day
Enjoy a complimentary bottle of Wine!
Call 540-552-6246 to reserve your room today

NRV Pilates, Personal Training & Massage
Valentines special – buy 1 hot stone massage for $55 and get a free Pilates Personal Training session.

Say it with Food

Beliveau Estate Winery
February 14- Chocolate inspired “Wine and Dinner Pairing”, 6:30pm. $65 per person, reservations required: 540-315-5674

Ceritano’s
Valentines Day dinner special
Appetizer or salad
Grupper al limone or
Assagini di pasta
Dessert
Bottle Motepulciano or Trebbiano
$65 plus tax and gratuity

Café de Bangkok
February 14 features a Thai style Valentine special menu.

Gobble Cakes
Cupcakes with flowers for Valentine’s Day! $4 each

Gourmet Pantry
Saturday Feb. 14: A special Valentine’s Wine tasting from 12 – 4pm.
Celebrate Valentine’s Day at Gourmet Pantry with an evening of romance in the kitchen, featuring a menu of decadent recipes you’re both sure to enjoy! We select the highest quality meats available and the freshest ingredients, with a different wine specially paired to perfectly compliment each dish. Join us for this exquisite evening of sumptuous food, fine wine, and romance! $110 per person. Limited space, so book your reservation early! Saturday February 14, 6:00pm.

Next Door Bake Shop
Make your Valentine’s Day Gifts count twice! Order from us on February 9th and 10% of sales will be donated to the Price’s Fork Elementary School!
What’s that? You’ve got it covered?! Don’t need help making your valentine feel special? That’s okay!
Come in and join us for lunch, dinner, coffee, or your choice of treat and we’ll donate 10% of our daily sales!

Social House
Busy on Valentine’s Day? Join us at Social House, on February 10th, for lunch or an early Valentine’s Day Dinner and 10% of sales will go to Price’s Fork Elementary School.

Travel in Style  

Take the Hooptie Ride!

To schedule a pick-up, call:
(540) 449-DRIV(3748)
Our drivers are on-call daily morning to late night. Other times are available by appointment.
Call ahead for best service!

A student’s eye view…

By: Abigail Rausch

Being a Virginia Tech student, I’m not as creative as I tend to think when it comes to some things. When I want to shop, I look online; when I want a cup of coffee, I go to Starbucks; and when I’m hungry, I eat Chipotle or Panera Bread. I’m sure a lot of students can agree with me, we get caught up in the rush of life and stick with what we know, what we’re used to. So what’s wrong with shopping on the same websites and eating the same foods if we know that 9 times out of 10, we’ll like our results? I never used to think there was anything “wrong” with that, and I think most students feel the same as I did. Truthfully, this is only because most people don’t know the many possibilities and options Downtown Blacksburg has to offer, and I am just now recognizing them.

In the Downtown Blacksburg area, there are tons of options for shopping and dining that a lot of students seem to overlook, at least, I know I did. We all know that Blacksburg isn’t the most “eventful” place, so in our leisure time we might stay in, order a pizza, and surf the web. We do all this while a lively and exciting downtown sits less than a mile away, perfectly stocked with the means to fulfill all of our wants and needs.

One day last semester I was put in a situation where I had to enter each and every business in the downtown area, and it was then that I realized I was missing out on so many wonderful aspects of downtown Blacksburg. Since that eye opening experience, whenever I want to hang out with friends or family, I love to spend the evening downtown. Throughout my many recent adventures downtown, I was surprised by the diverse food options a lot of restaurants offered, as well as the fun, interactive environments.

The restaurants aren’t the only great things about the downtown area, and with one walk down Main Street, anyone would agree. The local shops downtown carry unique items that you couldn’t find just anywhere else. Remarkably, they carry practically anything a college student or any other customer could want for all occasions. Exploring each and every store in the downtown area was a great experience and left me stunned with what I found, and happy I took the time to do it.

My new go to place for shopping and dining is downtown Blacksburg. Why don’t you join me? I think you’ll be surprised and excited at what you find.

 

Abigail Rausch is a Sophomore at Virginia Tech. She is double majoring in Marketing and Fashion Merchandising & Design. Abigail is currently working as a part time work study Intern for Downtown Blacksburg, Inc.

 

Home for the Holidays

FREE FAMILY FILM FEST

Stop…..then Shop!
A great way to spend a Saturday with the family enjoy a free movie on us and then stop in for lunch at one of our wonderful downtown restaurants or do some shopping in one of our fabulous downtown stores! Or stop by Blacksburg Farmers Market for some wonderful local fresh produce, meats, baked goods and more! Open 10am-2pm

FREE FAMILY FILM FEST dates:
December 20- “Polar Express”

January 10, 2015- TBA
February 7, 2015- TBA
March 7, 2015- TBA

Brought to you by:
Downtown Blacksburg, Inc. & The Lyric Theatre

GENTS LATE NIGHT HOLIDAY SHOPPING

Thursday Dec 18, 4-7pm

Including free gift wrap, personal shopping assistance, special discounts, refreshments and more.

Mad Dog- store wide SALE along with Hot Cider and refreshments.

Beliveau Estate Wineries Store- “Buy Two Bottles, get 3rd Bottle at 50% off”

Uncommonly Gifted- Join us for a fun evening of holiday shopping! Wish Lists,Light refreshments, door prizes, Holiday Raffle!

The Gallery Store-Come shop with us and enjoy coffee and treats, free gift wrap and more!

polished by claire v- complimentary refreshments and an extra $10 for every $50 gift card.

Main Street Inn-  “Calling all Shoppers to enjoys fresh-baked cookies and hot cider by with fireplace”& Make a Night of It with 10% off your stay tonight!

P.Buckley Moss Gallery-a small black-and-white print valued at $40 with every purchase of $100 one per customer

Fringe Benefit- Special discounts and more

FREE PARKING DOWNTOWN!

Enjoy a gift from the Town of Blacksburg……..

FREE PARKING beginning Saturday, December 20 and ending Sunday, January 4.

HOLIDAY TREES & GINGERBREAD HOUSES AT KENT SQUARE

Kent Square lobby has been transformed to a Winter Wonderland with decorated trees provided by downtown merchants and non-profit groups.Nest Realty is hosting their 3rd annual Gingerbread House Contest to benefit Micah’s Backpack at this location. Park in Kent Square Parking Garage and bring the family to enjoy this spectacular new addition to the holidays in Downtown Blacksburg.
Voting for your favorite tree and Gingerbread House takes place from December 5-20

To vote for your Favorite Tree
• Collect your FREE ballot from participating stores or Kent Jewelers, & Uncommonly Gifted.(Only 1 ballot per person)
• Visit the trees in Kent Square and choose your favorite
• Return your completed ballot to Kent Jewelers of Uncommonly Gifted & be entered to win PRIZES
• The winning tree will be announced Saturday Dec 20 at 2:30pm at a special reception with Santa and Mrs. Claus in Kent Square. “Cookies, Candy Canes & Cocoa” provided.
Prize Drawing will take place – random voters will win Downtown Gift Certificates!

 

To vote for your favorite Gingerbread House
Purchase a ticket from Kent Jewelers for $1 or a food donation (Chicken Noodle Soup or Pasta)
Put your ticket in the tin in front of your favorite house
All proceeds go to Micah’s Backpack

Here comes the sun…here comes the FUN!!!

April showers bring May flowers, spring has truly arrived!! And with spring our thoughts turn to sunshine, to social time to FUN!! Summer is a fun-filled busy time in downtown Blacksburg so we think you need to mark your calendars now and SAVE THE DATES!

Saturday, May 3, 5-10pm- 2nd annual Horseshoes & Hats: A Kentucky Derby Casino Night
In Kent Square
Tickets available NOW online only at: http://www.downtownblacksburg.com/casino_night.aspx
The event will include viewing the Kentucky Derby, heavy hors d’oeuvres, a Fancy Hat contest and Casino games- Craps, Roulette, Blackjack, Texas Hold ‘em, and River City Horse Racing. Must be 21 or older to attend.

 
Tuesday May 27, 6:02pm- CASH MOB for Mental Health America
Meeting place To Be Announced

We meet, the secret locally owned businesses to target are announced and off we go!
Rules:
1) Spend up to $20
2) Meet 3 new people
3) HAVE FUN!

Tuesday June 17, 5:48pm Cash Mob
Meeting place to be announced

Saturday, June 21, 1pm-11:30pm- Summer Solstice Fest
Main Street and Lee Street
Featuring Burnt Creative Craft & Vintage Market, Downtown Sundown 5k® Race, carnival, sand beach, live music, dog parade, petting zoo, and so much more.

Tuesday July 15, 6:12pm Cash Mob
Meeting place to be announced

Saturday July 19, 8am-2pm Art at the Market with Breakfast at the Farmers Market
Juried Art show and sidewalk sale featuring at least 30 local artists.
Take in a little breakfast with your art, as well as enjoying a bustling day at the Farmers Market. Live music included!

Friday-Saturday August 1-2, 10am-10pm STEPPIN’ OUT!
Crafters, art, sidewalk sales, live music and entertainment, family, food FUN!!!

Monday, August 18, 6:06pm Cash Mob
Meeting place to be announced

We have a few more activities and events up our sleeves so keep watching our website: http://www.downtownblacksburg.com/events.aspxor our facebook https://www.facebook.com/DowntownBlacksburg

Top 5 reasons for attending Horseshoes & Hats

With the 2nd Annual Horseshoes & Hats, Kentucky Derby Casino Night fast approaching we thought it would be fun to give you our Top Five reasons why you should attend. So in true David Letterman style here we go…..

#5- Fabulous Prizes
We have a fantastic variety of prizes ready for you to win including hotel packages, beautiful jewelry, massages, wine baskets and so much more.

 

#4- Fancy Hat Contest
Dust off your best hat, buy a new one or create your own. Entry in the Fancy Hat Contest is included in the incredible reasonable ticket price ($35 single or $60 couple). For the men there is also a Best Dressed Gent contest. You will have your work cut out to beat last year’s winners who intend to make it a double!

 

#3- Casino Games
Casino Games provided by Massino’s Casinos including Black Jack, Texas Hold ‘em, Roulette, and the ever popular Craps. A fun favorite of the evening is the River City Horse Racing.

 

#2- Watching the Kentucky Derby on the big screen
While drinking a Mint Julip with 200 of the most fun people in Blacksburg…..what more do we need to say?!!!

 

 

And the #1 reason to attend the event….An AWESOME great time!!!

Did we miss anything? Tell us your Top Reason for coming to Horseshoes & Hats. We’ll even give away a FREE ticket to the event for the best answer!

For more information about the event please visit

http://www.downtownblacksburg.com/casino_night.aspx

Christmas shopping on a budget revisited

Post written by Laureen Blakemore

Revisted 11/27/13

Last year I confessed to you a startling fact: I DO NOT LIKE SHOPPING! and I am VERY IMPATIENT!  Hard to believe, I know, but it remains true.  And though I actually am mellowing to the potential joy of shopping I still foresee a fair amount of retail therapy in my future before I can truly embrace the joy!

And so, once again, I believe it remains relevant to share with you my very slightly revised post about Christmas Shopping on a Budget.

I used to find Christmas  shopping to be a pain in the……. well you know what. Standing in line in crowded shops combined with the pressure to find exactly the right gift for each person on my list was not only frustrating to me, but was actually rather annoying.  Over the years Christmas shopping became an  exercise in frantically grabbing whatever I could find, as fast as I could find it and getting out of the door and back home as quickly as was humanly possible. Not much thought went into anyone’s gift. Friends or family members, who were unfortunate enough to come shopping with me, were usually left re-evaluating our relationship as they watched me turn into an impatient, obnoxious lunatic as I desperately tried to navigate my way through crowds and badly laid out aisles to find my way to the nearest cashier or doorway.

Candle sticks, purses,coasters and more under $20 available in Ten Thousand Villages in Fringe Benefit

And now…….well I shop downtown, right here in Blacksburg.While I would certainly not pretend  that I suddenly find shopping to be my most favorite activity in the whole wide world ever, I have found that I can tolerate it a lot better and sometimes I actually even enjoy myself!

I hear a lot of people saying that it is too expensive to shop locally so today I set myself a challenge- to find out if it was possible to shop downtown for Christmas gifts that cost less than $20 each. Turned out to be a bigger challenge than I expected because there was just so much available to choose from. In many instances I found delightful gifts which cost less than $10 so now I am spoiled for choice! Shopping for the holidays is made even easier by our downtown merchants who offer a whole variety of special shopping events throughout late November and December leading up to the big day. Starting with Small Business Saturday on November 30, the merchants offer late night shopping hours, special sales, Sunday hours, and themed night such as Ladies Night (Dec 12) and Gents Night (Dec 19). These themed nights feature  free gift wrapping, Wish Lists,  personal shopping assistance, special discounts, refreshments and more. Yes- they even give us refreshments while we shop!

Reusable water bottle available at The Lyric Theatre

So what brought about this change of heart in my shopping attitude I hear you asking?  Well really it’s probably down to 5 simple reasons and I  want to share those with you.

1) I now know our downtown store owners, and they know me. They are used to my “shopping phobia” and are quick to offer shopping advice if needed and equally quick to know when I just want to be left alone! I have never had to waste my time searching for a sales assistant to tell me the price of an item, or to find out if they have the size I need in stock. Downtown the sales assistants, or in many cases, the owners, are on hand almost immediately if a customer has a question. And there is certainly something to be said for shopping in the places where “everybody knows your name” (to quote from one of my favorite old shows “Cheers”)!

2)  Every time I go and shop downtown I can absolutely guarantee that I will bump into somebody I know in at least one store. So now in addition to purchasing items I can catch up with friends and acquaintances, swap ideas about gifts for you know who, whom they just happen to know too! Suddenly shopping is a much less daunting task, it’s a social experience and I truly do love to be sociable! Often the shopping trip becomes much more than that- how fun it is to catch up with others and maybe move on from the store to one of the great restaurants or to The Lyric to catch a movie, or on a sunny day to hang out together at Market Square Park.

Delicious locally made chocolates, mugs, puzzles,Seeds of Happiness and more available in Uncommonly Gifted for less than $20

3) Our downtown stores have more one-of-a-kind gifts, unique and unusual pieces as opposed to the mass-produced items that are found elsewhere. Our stores offer a more low-pressure shopping experience and so many different options, so I am able to spend more time finding gifts that really suit members of  my family and my friends.

4) In our downtown stores the staff  are more familiar with their merchandise, and offer personalized assistance  in a low stress environment. And if they do not carry something I am looking for they let me know where I can find it elsewhere!

All your Hokie gift needs under $20 available in Tech Bookstore, High Peak Sportswear and Bookholders

5) Smaller stores = shorter lines= less waiting time. Enough said!

We all know by now, I hope, that supporting local business is beneficial to the local economy as well. According to a Nov. 22, 2011, Forbes article by Deborah Sweeney, for every $100 spent at a local business, $68 gets returned to the community, either in employee paychecks, or through taxes. An Oct. 21, 2011, U.S. News article by Rachel Koning Beals corroborates this claim, adding that, in comparison, one Chicago-based study found that only $43 of every $100 spent at chain stores remains in the local economy. Sweeney describes local businesses as “the backbone of the community”. When you spend your money locally, you are supporting the people who live next door, the people who know your name!

Candles, tapestries, incense and more under $20 available in Nice Dreams

And so with all of this in mind back to my challenge- Christmas shopping on a budget downtown. I found so very many items for $20 or less that I finally stopped looking. I have provided some pictures and ideas here for you as well as a list of most of  our downtown stores. I encourage you to take this challenge and come down and see how much is available- from $3 stocking stuffers in The Clothes Rack to $10 gloves in Fringe Benefit or Disappearing Tardis Mugs in Uncommonly Gifted: from a selection of art projects and coloring books in Mish Mish to all of your Hokie needs in High Peak Sportswear, Tech Bookstore,  or Bookholders: from beautiful works of arts and crafts in Matrix Gallery, The Gallery Store or Eucalyptus Massage Studio to cell phone accessories in Wireless Zone: from cool Kitchen accessories in Gourmet Pantry to all your gardening needs in Heavener Hardware. So many great gifts under $20 each, and in many cases, under $10 available in downtown Blacksburg! And if you are still not sure what would be the absolute best gift for your teacher/ boss/wife/friend/co-worker you can always get Downtown Gift Certificates  sold in $5 or $20 denominations at the National Bank of Blacksburg on Roanoke Street. They can be redeemed in more than 60 downtown businesses allowing the recipient to choose exactly where they want to spend their $$’s!

So come on downtown and take the challenge- get your Christmas gifts for $20 or less, you’ll be surprised how much fun you’ll have during your shopping local experience!

Gifts of art under $20 available in Matrix Gallery

310 Rosemont
208 N. Main St.
Blacksburg, VA 24060
540-961-5326

Alligator Alley
401 S. Main St.
Blacksburg, VA 24060
540-552-4287

Beliveau Estate Winery
104 W. Roanoke St
Blacksburg, VA 24060
540-961-0505

Boo Boo bunnies and other gifts created by local artisans available at The Gallery Store for under $20

Bike Barn
424 N. Main St.
Blacksburg, VA 24060
540-443-3323

Blacksburg Pipe & Tobacco
408 N.Main St
Blacksburg, VA 24060

540-951-8457

Bookholders.com
125 N. Main St.
Blacksburg, VA 24060
540-808-4481

Socks, soaps, gloves, glasses, jewelry and more under $20 available in Fringe Benefit

Capone’s Fine Jewelry
101 N. Main St.
Blacksburg, VA 24060
540-953-1000

Clothes Rack
105 N. Main St.
Blacksburg, VA 24060
540-552-8147

Eats Natural Foods
708A N. Main St.
Blacksburg, VA 24060
540-552-2279

Eucalyptus Massage Therapy
201 S. Main St.
Blacksburg, VA 24060
540-552- CALM

Arts, crafts, books, toys and more under $20 available in Mish Mish

Friends of the Farmers Market
P.O. Box 568
Blacksburg, VA 24063
540-239-8290

Fringe Benefit
117 N. Main St.
Blacksburg, VA 24060
540-951-9777

Gourmet Pantry
401 S. Main St.
Blacksburg, VA 24060
540-951-1995

Greenhouse Boardshop
203 College Ave.
Blacksburg, VA 24060
540-552-3872

Kitchen accessories, gourmet foods, fun kitchen products and more under $20 at Gourmet Pantry.

Heavener Hardware & Lumber
801 Kabrich St.
Blacksburg, VA 24060
540-552-1221

Heirloom Originals
609 North Main Street
Blacksburg, VA 24060
552-9241

High Peak Sportswear
209 College Ave.
Blacksburg, VA 24060
540-953-1293

Huge variety of gardening gloves and other great gifts for the home and garden lovers in your life. Available at Heavener Hardware.

John’s Camera Corner & Gentry Studio
213 Draper Rd.
Blacksburg, VA 24060
540-552-2319

Kent Jewelers
210 S. Main St.
Blacksburg, VA 24060
540-552-3241

Mad Dog
109 N. Main St.
Blacksburg, VA 24060
540-961-4038

Matrix Gallery
115 N. Main St.
Blacksburg, VA 24060
540-951-3566

Fancy frames,soaps,ducks and more under $20 available at Mad Dog

Mish Mish
125 N. Main St.
Blacksburg, VA 24060
540-552-1020

Nice Dreams
115-B North Main St
Blacksburg, VA 24060
540-552-4733

polished by claire v.
101 South Main St
Blacksburg, VA 24060
1540-342-5895

Sandra Eileen Designs
106 Faculty Street
Blacksburg, VA 24060

Stocking stuffers, toys, hats and more under $20 available at The Clothes Rack

Tech Bookstore
118 S. Main St.
Blacksburg, VA 24060
540-552-6444

The Artful Lawyer Gallery Store
320 N.Main St
Blacksburg, VA 24060
540- 443.9350 ext. 707

Uncommonly Gifted
208 S. Main St
Blacksburg, VA 24060
540-951-1818

Unique gifts under $20 in Heirloom Originals

Vintage Touch
208A North Main Street
Blacksburg, VA 24060
540-951-1901

Wireless Zone
304 N. Main St.
Blacksburg, VA 24060
540-961-4200

And now I look like this when I think about Christmas Shopping…..

I used to look like this when I thought about Christmas Shopping…..

Okay, not really. Just checking to see who read to the end! Share your favorite downtown place to shop for the holidays here and be entered in a draw to win Downtown Gift Certificates. Draw will take place on December 23.

Holiday Trees in Kent Square

Kent Square lobby has been transformed to a Winter Wonderland with 16 decorated trees provided by downtown merchants and non profit groups.

Trees have been decorated by:

Blacksburg Museum & Cultural Foundation
Bollo’s/Gillie’s
Bookholders
Downtown Blacksburg, Inc.
Eucalyptus Massage Studio
First Bank of Virginia
Kent Jewelers
Mount Tabor Ruritan Club
New Life Christian Fellowship
NRV Association of Realtors
Pointe West Management
The Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce
Town of Blacksburg Neighborhood Services
Tuck Chiropractic
Uncommonly Gifted
YMCA at Virginia Tech

Park in Kent Square Parking Garage and bring the family to enjoy this spectacular new addition to the holidays in Downtown Blacksburg.

Voting for your favorite tree takes place from December 6-21

• Collect your ballot from Kent Jewelers, First Bank of Virginia or Uncommonly Gifted.
• Visit the trees in Kent Square and choose your favorite
• Return your completed ballot to any of the 3 locations & be entered to win PRIZES
• The winning tree will be announced Saturday Dec 21 at 1:30pm at a special reception in Kent Square.
Prize Drawing will take place!

Saturday December 21- Awards Reception- with “Cookies, Candy Canes & Cocoa”, Santa and Mrs Claus and YOU!

All are welcome. The winning tree will be announced and awarded. A random drawing will take place of all voters. Winners will receive Downtown Gift Certificates – the perfect holiday gift!

Event starts at 1:30pm.

Don’t forget to head down to The Lyric at 3pm for the FREE MOVIE- Home Alone- a gift to you from Downtown Blacksburg, Inc. and The Lyric Theatre

 

Downtown Blacksburg for the holidays

Winter Lights, TubaChristmas & Holiday Parade- FRIDAY DEC 6

Downtown Merchants annual Open Houses- 4-8pm, late night shopping, free gift wrap, snacks and beverages, holiday specials.

4-7pm Crafts, Holiday Market, free hot chocolate and hot cider, Holiday music by Sharon Stacy in Market Square Park

4:00pm-5:30pm Pictures with Santa & Mrs Claus at The Lyric (bring your own camera)

4:30pm Blacksburg Children’s Master Chorale singing at Market Square Park

5:00pm Blacksburg Children’s Master Chorale singing on Henderson Lawn Stage

5:40pm Tree lighting with Mayor Rordam, Santa & Mrs Claus, music from the Blacksburg Children’s Master Chorale. Live on WSLS 10

6:00pm TubaChristmas co-sponsored by the Downtown Blacksburg, Inc. and the Department of Music at Virginia Tech on Henderson Lawn Stage

7:00pm Holiday Parade co-sponsored by Blacksburg Parks and Recreation Department and Virginia Tech Chapter of Circle K

Holiday Trees in Kent Square
Kent Square lobby will be transformed to a Winter Wonderland with 16 decorated trees provided by downtown merchants and non profit groups. Park in Kent Square Parking Garage and bring the family to enjoy this spectacular new addition to the holidays in Downtown Blacksburg.
Voting for your favorite tree takes place from December 6-21

• Collect your ballot from Kent Jewelers, First Bank of Virginia or Uncommonly Gifted.
• Visit the trees in Kent Square and choose your favorite
• Return your completed ballot to any of the 3 locations & be entered to win PRIZES
• The winning tree will be announced Saturday Dec 21 at 1:30pm at a special reception in Kent Square.
Prize Drawing will take place!

Friday Dec 6- Kick off the Voting with “Cookies, Candy Canes and Cocoa” compliments of our participating tree “artistes”. 5-7pm in Kent Square lobby.

 

Special Holiday Shopping Night Events Downtown
Ladies Night- December 12, 4-8pm
Gents Night- December 19, 4-8pm
Featuring  free gift wrapping, personal shopping assistance, special discounts, refreshments and more.

In addition to these special events most downtown stores will be open later most nights and will also open on Sundays to provide you with plenty of Holiday Shopping Opportunities.

 

FREE HOLIDAY MOVIE

A gift to the community from Downtown Blacksburg, Inc. and The Lyric Theatre.

Saturday 21 December at 3pm

Join us for a free showing of “Home Alone”

Santa and Mrs Claus will be making appearances at various downtown holiday events. Details and dates to follow soon!

Tuba, Tuba, Tuba!

Join in the fun as the town celebrates the Winter Lights Festival, with the annual lighting of the tree, parade, and Farmer’s Market happenings.  TubaChristmas will make this the best holiday celebration ever! Dr. Andrew Putnam will be our guest conductor.   Bring your tubas, euphoniums and all of your friends to downtown Blacksburg on Friday, December 6th, 2013.  Participants, please RSVP to ecrone@vt.edu. TubaChristmas is sponsored by Downtown Blacksburg, Inc, the School of Performing Arts, Music | Theatre | Cinema and the Harvey Phillips Foundation.

Schedule and Details:

• Parking:  Kent Square Parking Garage – 207 Draper Rd, Blacksburg, VA 24060.
• Registration:  3:00 to 4:00pm – $10.00 per musician  (Department of Music, rm. 243, Squires Virginia Tech)
• Rehearsal:  4:00 to 5:15pm  (Department of Music, rm. 243, Squires Virginia Tech)
• Break:   5:15pm to 6pm (Dinner will be provided for the musicians.)  Pizza, hot chocolate, coffee and water.
• Performance:  6pm to 7pm, (Henderson Lawn Square, Outside. Warm weather dress and plastic mouthpieces are in order.)
• Available for purchase:  TubaChristmas hats and/or scarves – $20.00, Music ‘Carols for a Merry TubaChristmas -(6×10.5) $20.00, Commemorative buttons – $10.00.

PLEASE RSVP to ecrone@vt.edu

About TubaChristmas

Merry TubaChristmas is celebrating its 40th Anniversary (1974-2012). Created by Harvey Phillips, Merry TubaChristmas 2013 concerts will be presented in over 200 cities throughout the United States and in several foreign countries. Every Christmas season, tuba and euphonium players of all ages, from specific geographic areas, gather to pay respect – through William J. Bell – to all the great artists/teachers who represent their heritage. Depending on the population of any given geographic area, TUBACHRISTMAS ensembles may attract multiples of 100 participants aged 8 to 85 years! The warm, rich organ-like sound of the tuba-euphonium choir has won the ears and hearts of every audience. It is no wonder that TUBACHRISTMAS is an established Christmas tradition in cities throughout the world.

TUBACHRISTMAS is a property and presentation of the

HARVEY PHILLIPS FOUNDATION, INC

e-mail: coord@tubachristmas.com Web site: http://www.tubachristmas.com

“. . .dedicated to developing, expanding, and preserving the music arts. . .”

Small Business Saturday- Nov 30, 2013

The Downtown Merchants of Blacksburg encourage shoppers to stay home and enjoy Thanksgiving with family, and maybe even to avoid the craziness of corporate “big box” Black Friday. Instead we suggest coming out and supporting small businesses by buying local on Small Business Saturday.

Top Ten reasons to Think Local – Buy Local – Be Local
Information taken from Sustainable Connections

http://sustainableconnections.org/thinklocal/why

1) Buy Local — Support yourself: Several studies have shown that when you buy from an independent, locally owned business, rather than a nationally owned business, significantly more of your money is used to make purchases from other local businesses, service providers and farms — continuing to strengthen the economic base of the community.

2) Support community groups: Non-profit organizations receive an average 250% more support from smaller business owners than they do from large businesses.

3) Keep our community unique: Where we shop, where we eat and have fun — all of it makes our community home. Our one-of-a-kind businesses are an integral part of the distinctive character of this place. Our tourism businesses also benefit. “When people go on vacation they generally seek out destinations that offer them the sense of being someplace, not just anyplace.” ~ Richard Moe, President, National Historic Preservation Trust

4) Reduce environmental impact: Locally owned businesses can make more local purchases requiring less transportation and generally set up shop in town or city centers as opposed to developing on the fringe. This generally means contributing less to sprawl, congestion, habitat loss and pollution.

5) Create more good jobs: Small local businesses are the largest employer nationally and in our community, provide the most jobs to residents.

6) Get better service: Local businesses often hire people with a better understanding of the products they are selling and take more time to get to know customers.

7) Invest in community: Local businesses are owned by people who live in this community, are less likely to leave, and are more invested in the community’s future.

8) Put your taxes to good use: Local businesses in town centers require comparatively little infrastructure investment and make more efficient use of public services as compared to nationally owned stores entering the community.

9) Buy what you want, not what someone wants you to buy: A marketplace of tens of thousands of small businesses is the best way to ensure innovation and low prices over the long-term. A multitude of small businesses, each selecting products based not on a national sales plan but on their own interests and the needs of their local customers, guarantees a much broader range of product choices.

10) Encourage local prosperity: A growing body of economic research shows that in an increasingly homogenized world, entrepreneurs and skilled workers are more likely to invest and settle in communities that preserve their one-of-a-kind businesses and distinctive character.

SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY®
THE DAY WE ALL SHOP SMALL®

https://www.americanexpress.com/us/content/small-business/shop-small/about/

“Small Business Saturday is a day dedicated to supporting small businesses across the country.

Founded by American Express in 2010, this day is celebrated every year on the Saturday after Thanksgiving.
This year, Small Business Saturday is on November 30th.”

Support our local small businesses. Shop Local on Small Business Saturday, and every day!