Arts & Entertainment
The community calendar for the Farmville area is filled with entertaining programs and events that reflect the personality and energy of the people who live in the area.
The Heart of Virginia Festival, founded in 1979 and held on the first Saturday in May, celebrates the arts, music and culture of the region. The festival is a community wide effort, sustained by the Town of Farmville with many volunteers and participants from throughout the area. The Festival is a daylong event beginning in downtown Farmville and concluding with one of the best fireworks display in Virginia at the Farmville Regional Airport. In Cumberland Courthouse, Patriot Day is held on the third Saturday of April, and includes vendors with food, games, crafts, an art exhibit and a Civil War Camp exhibit. Another popular festival each Fourth of July brings thousands to Cartersville, in Cumberland County, for bands, games, vendors and incredible fireworks at the end of a busy day.
Hampden-Sydney College and Longwood University frequently open their doors to the community for concerts, lectures, public forums and seminars. The area secondary schools often host special events which are open to the public. The annual Hampden-Sydney College Music Festival, held on the last two weekends in May, is nationally recognized both for the quality of its chamber music performances and for the unusually intimate atmosphere in which music lovers and musicians interact. The Music Festival celebrated its 25th season in 2006. Performances are regularly broadcast on PBS and CDs are available.
The Atkinson Museum at Hampden-Sydney offers a significant collection of artifacts illustrating the 225-year history of Hampden-Sydney College. Exhibits of general interest are also offered.
Located at the corner of Third and Main, the Longwood Center for the Visual Arts (LCVA) is the art museum serving Longwood University and South Central Virginia. The LCVA offers a wide variety of educational programs for all ages and showcases exhibitions of international, national, and regional renown. The Center’s permanent art collection includes world-class examples of African, Chinese, and American art.
Waterworks Players serve Farmville and the surrounding counties by bringing the magic of live theatre to area residents and providing an artistic outlet for local actors, singer, designers, and technicians.
The Farmville-Prince Edward Community Library offers free internet services with printing capability, a copy machine, videos, audios and a comprehensive selection of new books. A children’s coordinator is on staff and provides regular story hours for pre-school children as well as school groups. Area residents are entitled to free library cards and the use of all services. Cumberland County’s library offers not only a great selection of books but also internet services, fax and copy machines to the public.
For over twenty-five years the Farmville Area Chamber of Commerce and the Town of Farmville have hosted the Farmville Christmas Show, featuring more than 50 crafters and artisans from the area and beyond. The Farmville Christmas Show provides a fun way to begin the holiday shopping season. For more information, please go to our Chamber Events page. The annual Jaycees Christmas Parade, held on the first Sunday afternoon in December, is another community holiday tradition.
First Fridays, a monthly community event held May through October, provides area residents the opportunity to meet with friends and enjoy a social evening at the Riverfront Park in downtown Farmville. The community has the chance to listen to a band, participate in children activities and chat with their neighbors.
The Downtown Stage Productions Committee provides the community the opportunity to watch a classical movie at the Farmville’s Historic Crute Stage. Movie goers can bring chairs, blankets, and lots of friends one Friday night a month during the summer, and enjoy popcorn, candy and a movie under the stars.
Throughout the year, the merchants of the Farmville area provide shoppers with special discount days and other seasonal events. Those with a taste for the nightlife can take advantage of the bands that perform frequently at some of our area restaurants.
The area’s proximity to Richmond, Lynchburg, and Charlottesville provides convenient access to other entertainment, such as cultural and sporting events.
