Category — Roanoke

Studies show that engaging only in passive intellectual observation (like watching television) actually leads to cognitive loss. So, if you want to stay sharp, healthy, and well informed, get off the couch and engage that brain!

If you’re in need of a little mid-week intellectual stimulation, head to Roanoke’s Shadowbox Theater and take in a TED Talk. To understand just what a TED Talk is about, just read its mission statement: “We believe passionately in the power of ideas to change attitudes, lives and ultimately, the world. So we’re building here a clearinghouse that offers free knowledge and inspiration from the world’s most inspired thinkers, and also a community of curious souls to engage with ideas and each other.”

Basically, TED Talks are positive, intelligent, inspired talks by interesting folks.

The talks are held at noon on Wednesday afternoons. Just bring your lunch and an open mind! Unable to get to the Shadowbox on your lunch hour? Eat at your desk and stream a TED Talk on your own computer from TED’s official Youtube Channel.

Mark your calendar, ladies and gents, for the Winter Tea Dance at the Hotel Roanoke and Conference Center in Roanoke, VA. It’s an afternoon affair, from 3p.m. to 9p.m., with an elegant dinner buffet (included in the ticket price) at 5p.m.

All styles of dancing are welcome, with live music performed by the show band, as well as modern tunes. The suggested dress code is business casual or proper dance attire. Tickets are $25 per person, with tax and gratuity included. For more information or for reservations, please call 540-985-5900 or visit hotelroanoke.com.

For some, it’s the perfect excuse to ramp up the romance, to others; it’s a mere “Hallmark Holiday.” But no matter your personal feelings about St. Valentine, February 14^th is an ideal date for a mid-winter’s night on the town. For the occasion, chefs across Central and Southwest Virginia (and around the world- click here for a history of the day, and how it’s celebrated all over the globe) pull out all the stops to charm their guests. From amuse bouche to mousse au chocolat, read on for a list of a few especially special regional Valentine’s Day Dining Options.

The Clifton Inn Charlottesville, VA Executive Chef Tucker Yoder has designed an elegant table d’hote menu featuring poached Virginia oysters, a foie gras terrine, coffee rubbed lamb shoulder with basil gnocchi, and goat milk panna cotta (just to name a few choices). The menu can be viewed by clicking here, and reservations may be made online or by calling (434) 971-1800. If the Chef’s Counter is available, it comes highly recommended.

The Millstone Tea Room Bedford, VA Proprietors Melanie and Jared Srisic offer fresh seafood, humanely raised pasture-fed meat, and locally sourced seasonal produce (some from their very own kitchen garden) year round. Theirs is a sweet, cozy restaurant; dimly lit, and with rich wood floors complimented by décor that is elegant and inviting; quiet and comfortable. The service is well-paced and friendly, though not intrusive; the perfect balance for a romantic meal. Last year’s Valentine’s Day Pre Fixe menu may be viewed here, but check back in the coming weeks for the 2012 version. For reservations, which are highly recommended, call 540-587-7100.

Dish Lynchburg, VA Dish isn’t offering a Valentine’s Day Menu per se, but this small plate restaurant is worth mentioning for a couple of reasons: sharing a meal necessarily brings us closer, but sharing a plate brings a whole new level of intimacy to one’s dining experience. Plus, every Tuesday night (on which Valentine’s Day happens to fall this year) they offer “Phenomenal Rendezvous,” a dinner for two with a bottle of wine included for only $35. What’s more, for all you turophiles out there, Dish offers a really lovely cheese selection, including a French Epoisses and a Grayson from nearby Galax, VA. Reservations are recommended and can be made by calling (434) 528-0700

Lucky Roanoke, VA Lucky Restaurant serves Southern American/Country French cuisine Tuesdays through Saturdays. Nearly everything served in the restaurant is locally sourced, so the dinner menu changes nightly, which is a really wonderful treat. They also have an excellent selection of wine, beer, and cocktails. The chefs are planning something special for Valentine’s Day this year, they’re just not quite sure what it will be…yet! Check back closer to the date for more information by calling (540) 982-1249. Reservations are recommended.

Wrap up the summer at Chateau Morrisette with their Friday Night Live, Cinema on the Lawn and Labor Day Monday events coming up on September 2, 3rd and 5th, respectively. Chateau Morisette is located in nearby Floyd and is convenient to all Smith Mountain Lake Residents, offering spectacular mountain views and regular fun-filled events for all tastes.

If you’re in the mood for a more rambunctious good time, live entertainment and fun, upbeat music, Friday Night Live features Southern Remedy from 6-9 p.m. Southern Remedy is a returning band that performs classic rock music, and while you listen you can dine from the outdoor grill, drink wine and dance with friends. Tickets cost only $8 apiece and you must bring your own seating. This event will continue rain or shine.

Next on the agenda for the weekend is the Cinema on the Lawn event. This is a more relaxing event for those who would like to curl up in a lawn chair and watch the sun set and have some delightful cinematic entertainment to round out their weekend. The Hitchcock classic “Dial M for Murder” will be shown and wine and food will be sold separately at the event. You must bring your own seating and blankets and picnics, coolers or outside food and drinks are not permitted. Tickets are $5, much less expensive than your average movie and with scenic sights surrounding you as the movie lights up the silver screen.

Finally, come celebrate your Labor Day Monday at the winery and join them for lunch followed by a tasting and tour. The restaurant will be open on Monday from 11 am to 2 pm and the winery hours are from 10 am to 5 pm. Take this opportunity to relax and enjoy some delicious beverages and food and pamper yourself a bit on your day off!

Chateau Morrisette would like to offer you a wonderfully relaxing weekend with their 3-day lineup of exciting events so close by to Smith Mountain Lake. If you haven’t visited the winery before, take your chance now in the midst of so many wonderful activities!

Family is important to Smith Mountain Lake Residents, and what better way to bring the family together than to attend the Bedford Genealogical Society’s Bedford Genealogy Fair on September 10, 2011. If you’ve ever been curious about your ancestors and would like to know more about genealogy and its study and uses, the genealogy fair is a perfect opportunity to come enjoy the company of expert genealogists, scholars and family historians.

Each day of the fair boasts lectures every hour from 9 am until 1 pm covering various topics of interest to genealogists and family historians, and other day events include 40 tables covering surnames, libraries, organizations, vendors selling books and wares (many of the books will be related to Bedford County), free census and internet genealogy look-ups, and breakfast and lunch items will be catered and available for purchase during the day. In addition to all this, each guest may bring one old photo to have scanned and have minor digital corrections made. All events associated with the fair are open and free to the public!

During the lectures, participants will have the opportunity to hear author Connie Lapallo tell the story of one of the few survivors of Jamestown, VA. Ginny Guedes will be offering a lecture on photography and digitizing old photos. Retired Historian Dr. John Kern, PhD will lecture on how to use land records and deeds as an aid to conducting your genealogical research. These lectures and others are listed on the Bedford Genealogical Society’s lecture schedule, which you may access here.

The informative genealogy fair takes place on the Bedford Campus of Central Virginia Community College (CVCC) at 1633 Venture Blvd in Bedford, VA (24523).

Come out for an educational and enlightening experience amongst other Bedford, Franklin County and Smith Mountain Lake area residents and learn about your own ancestors or hear more about the history of others!

A few nights of classical music are in store this Labor Day weekend for those of us who are lovers of music here at beautiful Smith Mountain Lake. Partake in a few evenings of musical enlightenment as you listen to the beautiful sounds of master musicians such as Maestro David Stewart Wiley, Tracy Cowden, Philip & Tara Bouknight and Leah Marer Wiley during the 2 days of exciting musical events and local concerts.

• On Friday, September 2 at 7:00 p.m. Tracy Cowden and David Stewart Wiley will grace the Trinity Ecumenical Parish stage in Moneta on duo pianos, providing the lake crowd with the privilege of enjoying their program entitled “Duo Piano Fireworks: From Sea to Shining C”. Throughout this program you will hear 176 keys dueling in harmony, with favorites such as Rachmaninoff Romance, Grieg Norwegian Dance, selections from Petrouchka, a Hungarian Dance and the Haydn Variations by Brahms, and a Gershwin Porgy and Bess Fantasy. There will also be a sampling of piano music from Maestro Wiley’s score to the locally filmed “Lake Effects” movie starring Jane Seymour. For a sneak peak at the scoring and to enjoy all the classics, get your tickets early for the program because they are sure to sell out!

• In addition, there will be a program on Sunday, September 4 from 3:00-5:00 p.m. entitled “Labors of Love: from Boheme to Bernstein” in which the Bouknights and the Wileys will perform classic “Labors of Love” from beloved hit musicals and the silver screen as well as popular arias, duets and trios. The program is built for the three shining vocalists and the accompanying piano in order to share with us the musical expressions of love and love’s labor’s lost. Bring a date or your spouse to this night of musical enchantment conveniently located near the lake, and hear classics including duets from Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess, Mozart’s Don Giovanni & Marriage of Figaro, Bizet’s Carmen, Copland’s The Tender Land, Bernstein’s Candide & West Side Story, and Puccini’s La Boheme as well as themes from theater classics including Gone With the Wind, Rent, My Fair Lady, and many other romance favorites.

Tickets for these events cost $20 each or $35 per ticket for both performances and they are available by mail when addressed to SMAC, P.O. Box 70 in Moneta, VA (24121) (please include a self-addressed stamped envelope) and they will also be available at the SML Visitors Center, Print-n-Paper, and the General Store. Come get swept away with us while enjoying a few nights of entertainment and refined romance on this very special Labor Day weekend!

Both concerts will be held at Trinity Ecumenical Parish in Moneta, VA on Route 122 at Lakemount, Moneta. For tickets or information contact (540) 297-0965 or (540) 309-1676.

Whether you’re a wine connoisseur or want to broaden your tastes, the Sedalia Center’s 4th Annual Jazz & Wine Festival has something to offer everyone. Come out for a classic evening of wine tasting and jazz music featuring talented artists and a rare chance to sample the tastes of some of the region’s best vintners. The smooth voices and musicianship of Jane L. Powell, Nat Reeves, and the Vince Lewis Trio will provide the perfect backdrop to your wine-tasting experience while you sample wines from Blue Ridge Vineyard, Century Beverage Distributor, Chateau Z Vineyard, and Fincastle Winery, among many others.

The event takes place in the Sedalia Center’s shaded, atmospheric open-air pavilion. The artists are local legends, with Jane Powell beginning her singing career in Roanoke, Virginia and Nat Reeves being born in nearby Lynchburg. Powell has been described as having a soulful style and a five-octave range, performing throughout the US, Canada and the Caribbean and has been featured in a national McDonalds commercial, a Dino DeLaurentis film Marie and in the 1999 New Line comedy, The Bachelor. Nat Reeves and The Vince Lewis Trio have also received national acclaim and airplay. These artists are divine jazz musicians who will put on a performance you won’t want to miss out on at the Sedalia Center!

Bring your friends and family out for a night of refined relaxation and all sorts of live entertainment with music, dancing, and drinks from 4:00-10:00 pm on August 27th at the Sedalia Center located at 1108 Sedalia School Road in Bedford, VA. It is convenient to Smith Mountain Lake and only costs $15 for an advance ticket and $20 at the gate for a night of music, wine, vendors, festival food and beverages. Advance tickets may be purchased here.

For more information, call (434) 299-5080 or visit www.sedaliacenter.org

For those of us living at Smith Mountain Lake with an affinity for literature or those of us with children who we’d like to inspire to read and enjoy books and the journey of knowledge they can open, Hollins University has some special upcoming events to offer us.

• On July 23rd, the University will be hosting the Seventeenth Annual Francelia Butler Student Conference on Children’s Literature at 9:00 a.m. The conference will include a keynote address by visiting scholar Gretchen Holbrook Gerzina. Gerzina is the author of “Frances Hodgson Burnett: The Unexpected Life of the Author of The Secret Garden” and “Black London: Life Before Emancipation” and editor of “The Annotated Secret Garden” and the “Norton Critical Edition of The Secret Garden.” An author of her caliber is a great treat to have visiting and enhancing the already extensively rich culture of our area. Her most recent book is “Mr. and Mrs. Prince” about Lucy Terry, the first known African American poet, and her husband Abijah Prince. Gerzina is also well known for her nationally-syndicated program “The Book Show” and has appeared on many British radio and television documentaries. She has much to speak about and share with reading enthusiasts and scholars alike. To learn more about her as an author and about her works, visit www.gretchengerzina.com. To learn more about the event, visit www.hollins.edu or call (540) 362-6451. The conference takes place in the Frances Niederer Auditorium in the Richard Wetherill Visual Arts Center at Hollins University.

• If you can’t make it out to the conference, another opportunity to celebrate children’s literature at Hollins University will be taking place on July 27th at 7:30 p.m. in the Hollins Room of the Wyndham Robertson Library. There will be a Children’s Literature Faculty Authors Reading held there, where Graduate Program in Children’s Literature faculty authors read from their own works. This is an opportunity for children and scholars alike to come hear some original works being read and delight in the imagination involved in the process of creating children’s literature.

Visit Hollins University at 7916 Williamson Road in Roanoke, Virginia (24019) to reconnect with your inner child and learn from some of the community’s top scholars about how to return to the imagination and wonder of your youth and to enjoy some great literature provided to us as residents of the Roanoke Valley/Smith Mountain Lake area. Enrich your life with this and other vast local opportunities to immerse yourself in creativity, culture and knowledge!

Keeping up with the tradition carried over from last summer’s success, The Friends of Smith Mountain Lake State Park, Inc. presents the Music in the Park event, taking place throughout the 2011 summer season.

Are you a fan of warm summer nights, live bluegrass music and delicious hot dogs, snacks and drinks? This is the perfect chance for you to come out and enjoy local live entertainment from talented bluegrass bands and the Old Dominion Cloggers at each event. Bring a picnic or buy ice cream, hot dogs and other treats whose proceeds help support and fund the Smith Mountain Lake State Park community facility.

When/Where: The fun takes place every 4th Saturday during the summer at 8 p.m. at the Beach Pavilion in Smith Mountain Lake’s State Park, located at SML State Park, 1235 State Park Road, Huddleston, VA.

Fees are $5.00 per person and there is no parking fee. Children 12 and under are admitted for free.

The exciting lineup of bands is as follows:
July 23rd- Friday Night Band
August 27th- Wound Tight

Seating is limited, so bring your own lawn chairs or spread out a blanket and enjoy the beautiful weather, fine scenery, and family-friendly atmosphere that the Smith Mountain Lake area has to offer!

For more information, call (540) 297-6066.