Fall is Waynesboro's Prime Time
While it’s not quite time for chunky sweaters and jack-o-lanterns, the weather’s turning crisp and the sky is clear blue. What a beautiful background for the bright colors found in the Virginia Fall Foliage Art Show and other signature fall events, as well as in the Shenandoah Valley’s best natural display: the autumn leaves.
Fall Events in Waynesboro, VA
Apple Days Arts and Crafts Show is a longtime community favorite in its 47th year, featuring the work of local artists and nonprofit groups. While this fun and casual two-day show is usually the first weekend of October, it has been moved to October 15th and 16th this year. It will be held in Waynesboro's Willow Oak Plaza. Discover handmade goods from craftsmen and makers, along with a variety of food items, including the famous apple dumplings!
The Shenandoah Valley British Car Club is bringing back its annual British Car Festival for the 41st year Saturday, October 1st at Waynesboro's Ridgeview Park. One of the oldest car shows on the East Coast, festivities include an onsite food vendor, door prizes, and special car displays.
The Shenandoah Valley Art Center’s Waynesboro Fall Foliage Art Show brings together fine artists and fans of art for one of Waynesboro’s oldest and most favorite traditions, celebrating 51 years this year. Downtown streets will close for this outdoor art show taking place October 8th and 9th, where visitors can browse the works and chat with 150 artists from around the country. The festival is juried, which means that a panel of judges has evaluated the work and picked the strongest portfolios. Artwork at the show will include paintings, drawings, photography, collage, blown and stained glass, sculpture, and jewelry. You can also expect to see pottery, textile art, and hand-turned, tooled, or carved woodwork. There will even be a special display in the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts' ArtMobile museum and education studio. Along with art, visitors can expect live music and food and craft beer vendors. The art show is held outside, rain or shine. Please leave your pets at home.
P. Buckley Moss is a storied artist known throughout the country, and she visits her downtown Waynesboro gallery four times per year to meet with customers and sign her pieces. She'll be in town for her Fall Open House October 7th-9th.
Double knot your running shoes for the annual Fall Foliage 5K and 10K races that wind through some of Waynesboro’s most picturesque neighborhoods. Runners and walkers can enjoy the fall landscape and the leaves, especially along the South River Greenway as they approach the finish line.
The Wayne Theatre’s event calendar is also jam-packed this fall. There will be two weekends of the production Dial M for Murder in late-October, a special concert featuring Jim Messina on October 21st, and two weekends of the production of Nunsense! in mid-November, in addition to their classic Monday Movies and monthly Science Talk programs in collaboration with the Virginia Museum of Natural History.
Leaf Peeping Along the Skyline Drive and Blue Ridge Parkway
The Blue Ridge Mountains will come to life with fall color around mid-October and the autumn leaves will be on display for the next several weeks. Many things like temperature and rainfall determine the intensity and exact timing of the change, but the Virginia Department of Forestry predicts that colors will be at their peak around October 15th-25th, and you'll often still see color into early November. The shift happens first at higher elevations. Since it’s still pretty green in the Valley, how about leaf peeping along the Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park or along the Blue Ridge Parkway? The Skyline Drive stretches north for 105 miles toward Front Royal. Visitors can take advantage of a slow speed limit and 75 overlooks with places to park your car and stretch your legs. If you’d like to keep an eye on the progress up on Skyline Drive, watch the leaves change from the comfort of your couch, check out SNP’s fall color webcam.
The Blue Ridge Parkway meanders south along the ridge and features numerous overlooks with views to the west and east. Interestingly, leaves change first on cooler, wetter, northern slopes and later on warmer slopes, so you may experience a different view looking north and south. Humpback Rocks is a short, steep hike that offers a wide view of the Shenandoah and Rockfish Valleys. Variations in elevation make for a multi-colored display.
Both Skyline Drive and Blue Ridge Parkway get busy on the weekends during the month of October, so consider a weekday visit, or come early on the weekends. The fall color often lasts through the early part of November, too, if you’re looking for a less crowded time.
