Downtown in Bloom

Art Connections
May 1st – 31st
Charlottesville City Schools (CCS) are hosting their annual art exhibit for the first time on the Downtown Pedestrian Mall. Artwork created by our city’s very talented students in grades preK-12 will be displayed in restaurant and retail windows along the mall. We encourage you to bring your family out to enjoy these creative masterpieces.

CCS is hosting a family night on May 5th, 2023 beginning at the Code Building Downtown which will include projected displays on the Code Building’s façade!

Spring Stroll
May 1st – 31st
The Spring Stroll will feature cocktails, mocktails, and specialty drinks at bars, restaurants and coffee shops in the downtown district. You can pick up your interactive Spring Stroll passport at participating locations, Charlottesville Insider or the CACVB mobile vans.
If you try at least 10 of the drinks featured, identify the secret “code,” and turn your passport back into Charlottesville Insider before the end of the month you will be invited to a special summer celebration on the Common House rooftop.

Flower Market at Ting Pavilion
May 4th, 2 – 7 PM
Please join us for the Downtown Flower and Plant Market on May 4th from 2 – 7 PM at Ting Pavilion. The market will feature 10 + plant and flower vendors and will provide everything you need to beautify your spaces for Spring. There will also be a schedule of free programming including: a native plants workshop, a vase arranging workshop, and an overview of all the exciting things happening at the Botanical Garden of the Piedmont. Volunteer for the Flower Market here!

Flower Box Competition
May 11th – 31st
Businesses in the Downtown District are putting their creativity to the test to design vibrant container gardens and planter boxes outside of their establishments. Visitors to Downtown are encouraged to vote for their favorite planter box via QR code at the establishment. First prize receives $1,000 dollars and a full-page ad in Cville Weekly.

Chalk Fest
May 20th, 10 – 5 PM
Friends of Cville is partnering with Ix Art Park to bring you the 2023 Chalk Fest! There will be 13 local artists creating murals along downtown from Ting Pavilion all the way to Dairy Market and the Quirk Hotel. Additionally, there will be three community chalk art spaces where you can let inspiration take hold. Volunteer for Chalk Fest here!