Category — smith mountain lake

Westlake Cinema Announces Digital Cinema Conversion

Smith Mountain Lake, VA (April 20, 2012) – Westlake Cinema is scheduled to begin converting to digital cinema in late April. The process will take approximately one week and the theater plans to debut its new technology with the release of Marvel’s The Avengers on Friday, May 4^th.

There are a number of advantages converting to digital cinema. “The viewing quality will greatly improve the overall movie going experience and we will now have the capabilities to show 3-D (three –dimensional) movies,” stated Thomas Althoff, General Manager at Westlake Cinema. Althoff added that a premium of $3.50 will be set for 3-D movies, which is industry standard.

Converting to digital cinema consists of replacing traditional 35MM film with an electronic copy. This removes any of the image degradation seen with traditional 35MM projection systems.  Westlake Cinema partnered with Sonic Equipment Company based in Iola, Kansas for the project. They will be installing industry leading Christie® DLP Cinema® projectors.

According to Lee Willard, Vice President of Corporate Holding at The Willard Companies, owners of Westlake Cinema, “Converting to digital is a good business decision. Although there is a large cost in doing so, we believe it will provide a better financial future for Westlake Cinema. Not only will our theater be able to play 3-D movies, but we have also positioned ourselves to be on the cutting edge with high frame-rate technology. We are very excited to bring the 3-D and digital movie experience to the local community so folks no longer have to drive outside of the area to enjoy.” The projectors will have the ability to play the newest “high frame-rate” films such as The Hobbit this December, Willard added.

The company estimates the conversion costs around $275,000 to complete. Westlake Cinema will continue to operate business as usual without any interruption to hours of operation.  Future 3-D showings will include Men in Black III, Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted, Prometheus, The Amazing Spider-Man, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter and Ice Age 4: Continental Drift.

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About Westlake Cinema (www.westlakecinema.) – Westlake Cinema is a 13,800-square-foot cinema featuring a four-plex movie theater with stadium seating, concessions and games. In addition, Westlake Cinema offers Dolby® Digital Surround Sound and optional headphones hooked to a USL Infrared Hearing System for those with hearing impairments. Westlake Cinema’s goal is to offer moviegoers an upscale theater with first run movies, state of the art sound system and full service concession area.

About Sonic Equipment Company (www.sonicequipment.com) – Sonic Equipment Company is a leading provider of sales, service, installation, new construction, remodeling, and consulting to community-owned theatres and independent exhibitors. They staff a fully trained and certified group of technicians, installers, and sales managers to meet the needs of today’s growing digital cinema industry.

Christopher E. Finley, CCDS

Director of Marketing & Communications

(540) 721-5288 | (800) 858-4653

Mark your calendars for the 2012 Smith Mountain Lake Business Expo on Friday, April 27 in Downtown Moneta! The event will last from noon to 5pm, with more than 120 local business attending!

And if that’s not enough excitement for one weekend, on Saturday the 28^th the site of the Business Expo will be transformed from tents filled with businesses into tents filled delicious BBQ, great tunes, and your favorite brews! A variety of barbecue will be served from North Carolina to Kansas City and everything in between. Admission is $5. Children 12 and under free.

Earlier this month when Punxsutawney Phil predicted another 6 weeks of winter, many of us scoffed: what winter? But over the weekend, during one of Virginia’s up ‘til now mildest winters on record, Smith Mountain Lake received a long overdue smattering of snow snow snow.

By late Sunday afternoon, back roads in Moneta, Wirtz, and throughout Bedford and Franklin counties became treacherous and all but 4-wheel drive vehicles met great difficulty navigating hills and curves. The storm wasn’t limited to just the lake area however. The entire state and much of the region was hit hard, with the Roanoke area receiving more than its fair share of the white stuff.

The temperature is supposed to climb into the 50’s by Tuesday, so we can all expect a big wet soggy mess for at least the next week.

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!

Get the whole family involved in a relic from the past by bringing them out to The Sedalia Center’s Sedalia Country Fair! This fun-filled nostalgic country fair event takes place nearby to Smith Mountain Lake at Bedford’s Sedalia Center and includes activities such as food competitions, agricultural displays, tons of animals and other kids’ activities, local vendors and more! Step back in time as you experience an old-fashioned fair atmosphere that’s fun for the entire family.

All the fun takes place on September 10th beginning at 10:00 a.m. and keeps going until 6:00 that evening. Some of the highlights of the event include the Coon Mule Jump and the food competitions, with categories ranging from best homegrown produce, home canned vegetables, meats and fruits to baked goods. No pre-registration is necessary to enter the competition, and for more contest guidelines visit http://www.sedaliacenter.org/?q=/events/Country_fair_2011

As the main event of the fair, a very famous visitor will be present to entertain and delight the audience: Amazing Grace, trick mule will be performing live! This is no ordinary trick mule; Amazing Grace has earned renowned fame and has co-starred in movies with the likes of Robert Duvall, Sissy Spacek, Bill Murray and Lucas Black. Grace is the star of the movie Get Low and can perform tricks such as dunking a basketball, playing the piano, painting on canvas, getting the mail and doing basic multiplication! Read more about her and watch a video of her featured on the Today Show here and don’t miss out on your chance to see this unique movie star in our own backyard! The kids will love Amazing Grace the mule and adults will be delighted and awed by her talents as well.

Admission to the fair for adults is just $5 and children 12 and under are admitted for free. This event is a great opportunity to mimic the fair atmosphere and community gatherings of the not-too-distant past and to come together as a community in the beautiful, agriculturally rich setting of Bedford and Smith Mountain Lake. Don’t miss your chance for exciting family fun in the sun this September!

For more information visit the event site or call (434) 299-5080. The Sedalia Center is located at 1108 Sedalia School Road in Bedford and is conveniently located to the Smith Mountain Lake area.

We hope to see you there!

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

If you’re interested in the hunting and archery amenities in the Smith Mountain Lake and Franklin County areas, this event may be for you! Blackwater Bowhunters is hosting a 3-D Archery Tournament on August 20th & August 21st. With 14 paper spot and 25 +1 3D targets, the building is well-equipped for the tournament and can cater to all participants. If you’ve never tried your hand at archery, the 3D targets are the perfect, safe way to get started, and for old pros you can come join this competitive event and enjoy a special breakfast and lunch provided on site by “By George” restaurant.

Blackwater Bowhunters is located at 1084 Wirtz Road in Wirtz, VA and is convenient to Smith Mountain Lake and Westlake.

Another tournament event, the Tough Man Tournament event will be hosted on August 27th. For both events registration begins at 8:00 am and ends at 2:00 pm each day. The cost is $10 for the First Round and $5 for each additional round, but only the first round counts for tournament scoring.

Blackwater Bowhunters has a charter from the Virginia Bowhunters Association and participates in many community outreach events. Please come out on August 20th, 21st and 27th for some 3D and recreational fun with your family and friends and to support our local businesses!

If you’re looking for family-friendly fun, Smith Mountain Lake is full of options this July!

Upcoming Events for Children and Families in the Lake Area Include:

• July 16th-Thomas Jefferson’s Poplar Forest presents Special Talk for Children-2:00 p.m.

Bring your children out for a special gardening experience at Poplar Forest. Kids have a chance to find out what life was like for children in Jefferson’s time and what they could find in their garden. Master Gardener and history graduate of UVA Kris Lloyd, affiliated with the Hill City Garden Club and the Garden Club of Virginia, will be on hand to give families and children a look at what people of this era grew in their gardens and why, including for uses such as eating, for use for household chores, or for use as medicine. This is an opportunity like no other to learn about the little-known household uses of plants in Colonial Virginia. Light refreshments will be served, and the program is FREE with regular admission to Poplar Forest. Advance reservations are recommended, and reservations can be made by calling (434) 534-8120. The program takes place in Poplar Forest’s heirloom garden at 1542 Bateman Bridge Road, Forest VA. For more information call (434) 525-1806 or visit www.poplarforest.org.

• July 23rd & July 30th-Peaks of Otter Kids Fishing at Abbot Lake-9:00-11:00 a.m.

Bring your kids aged 3-14 out to Abbot Lake to participate in the weekly Kids Fishing with a Ranger at Abbot Lake event. Bait and tackle are provided, or you may provide your own pole. Participants should meet the Ranger behind the Lodge next to the lake on the point at Peaks of Otter, Abbot Lake, Milepost 86, Blue Ridge Parkway, in Bedford, VA. Admission is FREE. For more information call (540) 586-4496.

• July 13th, July 27th & August 10th: Wednesdays-10:30-11:30 am-Little Rangers at the Smith Mountain Lake State Park

Head to the Discovery Center with your 4-6 year old child to introduce them to the wonders found in your own back yard! Little Rangers will learn about nature and use their imaginations to explore through hands-on activities and crafts. To participate, come to Smith Mountain Lake State Park at 1235 State Park Road in Huddleston, Virginia. Come early to pre-register, admission is FREE.

Get ready for a busy July with family and friends here at the beautiful Smith Mountain Lake area! There are always family oriented activities going on, making the lake a perfect place to buy a home and start a life.