FunStuff: Charlottesville events June 14 and beyond
SuperCLAW
This ain't your mama's PTO fundraiser. Sweaty, loud-mouthed, garishly dressed women with names like The Homewrecker, Pain-Fonda, Cop-ophelia, and Ze Dirty Butcher (pictured) arm wrestling before a raucous crowd for charity at the Jeff– what's not to like? SuperCLAW: the Championship of Lady Arm Wrestlers is bound to be the biggest estrogen super-charged event of the year. In case you haven't noticed, the Charlottesville-born ladies arm wrestling league concept founded in 2008, CLAW (Charlottesville Lady Arm Wrestlers), has swept across the nation, inspiring other women to unleash their inner hell-raiser for good causes. Music by We Are Star Children and BETTY. Mayhem by you.
June 16, Jefferson Theater, 8pm, $25
Father's Day: beer and wine
Dad. Where would you be without him? That's what we thought. So why not give him something more refreshing than a tie and a card this year? Several destinations are offering special Father's Day events. At Wintergreen, they're making a weekend of it with 20 percent off spa services for men, a father/child golf tournament, and a scotch-and-whiskey tasting on Saturday. Delfosse Vineyards is serving up Father's Day crèpes, Sugarleaf Vineyards is having a wine and cigar event, and Blue Mountain Brewery promises a Father's Day brunch "extravaganza."
June 16-17, area vineyards & breweries, $6-20
Father's Day: run
Get Dad off his duff for the 7th Annual Men's Four Miler run or walk starting and ending at Scott Stadium. It's a tradition designed to encourage men to get and stay active, and we all want Dad around for a long time. It also raises funds for men's health studies at UVA. All fitness levels welcome. And you can run as a family team. And get this: the race ends on the 50-yard line, with Dad up on the JumboTron. Register online at mensfourmiler.com through June 15 or stop by the Ragged Mountain Running Shop.
June 17, Scott Stadium, 7:30am, $25-66
Movie kick-off
Talk about a megaplex. The UVA Athletic Department is again kicking off the first of three free movie nights this summer at Scott Stadium. On Saturday, it's The Blind Side, the true story of Michael Oher, who grew up homeless and went on to become an offensive lineman for the Baltimore Ravens. Look out for The Adventures of Tintin in July, and The Lorax in August. There will also be raffle prizes, including tickets for the 2012 Virginia football season. An LCD-TV will also be given away, and you can tour the Virginia football locker room. Best of all, parking is free in the stadium's west lot.
June 16, Scott Stadium, 7pm, free
Fish Monticello
Teach a kid to fish, and, well, you teach him to have fun for life. Over at Monticello's Kemper Park Pond, kids 12 and under will be allowed to fish for free this weekend. You should bring your own poles, equipment, and bait, but parkway rangers will be on hand to help out. The 2-acre pond is part of Kemper Park, an 89-acre complex of trails along the Thomas Jefferson Parkway. In addition to fish, you're likely to see blue heron, green heron, geese, and ducks around the pond. Farther up the main trail, which goes all the way up to Monticello, there are also some pretty awesome views of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Monticello also keeps the pond stocked with several local species of fish, so the kids are bound to catch something.
June 15-18, Kemper Park, all day, free
Humpback hoedown
Humpback Rocks is a must-see adventure, a steep, strenuous hike to the peak above that offers breathtaking 360-degree views of the Rockfish and Shenandoah Valleys. But this Saturday, visitors can mix (or nix) the hiking with a little hoedown. That's because old time mountain music band Bread and Butter will put on a free concert at the Humpback Rocks Visitor Center. So leave your hiking boots at home and bring a folding chair instead.
June 17, Humpback Rocks Visitor Center, 2-4pm, free
Indecision time
The members of Indecision appear to have had no indecisions about being, and remaining, a classic jam band. So why should you have any indecision about seeing them at Fridays After Five? Its been 27 years since two local high school grads formed the band, influenced by the Casuals and Skip Castro. By the early 1990s, Indecision was touring nationally with the likes of The Neville Brothers, Phish, and Widespread Panic. Of course, a Miller's bartender and an unlikely group of talented musicians would overshadow Indecision's success in the coming years, but hey, the local boys are still rocking' it.
June 15, nTelos Wireless Pavilion, 5:30pm, free
Femme football
Ladies, now is your chance to get some respect from the football-loving men in your life. Imagine watching your man's favorite team take the field from the tunnel through a cloud of smoke and being able to say, "Yeah, I know what that feels like." You will be able to if you attend UVA football coach Mike London's Women's Football Camp. In addition to taking the field like the big guys do, you'll learn the fundamentals of throwing, catching, kicking, and blocking courtesy of on-field instruction from the UVA coaching staff. Plus, you'll top it all off with a dinner overlooking Scott Stadium, a free gift, t-shirt, and a tour of the locker room. Email fbheadcoach.com or call 434-982-5923 for information about participating.
June 22, Scott Stadium, 5:30pm-9:30pm, $35
Mountain voices
For 15 years, the non-profit Appalachian Voices has worked to protect the environment of the central and southern Appalachian region, with a special focus on reducing coal mining. In celebration, Charlottesville will be hosting an Artists for Appalachia event at the Jefferson Theater. In addition to music from Grammy-winner Kathy Mattea (pictured), and local favorites The Honey Dewdrops and others, there will be renowned authors, activists, and filmmakers on hand to discuss the history and environmental health of the mountain land we love so much. All proceeds will go toward the work of the non-profit.
June 21, Jefferson Theater, 8pm, $35+
Swine and wine
Every year, First Colony Winery hosts an all-you-can-eat pig (and chicken) roast with new wine releases, hayrides, and live music. This year, Joe Overton and the Clear Blue Sky will be providing the tunes, while First Colony provides the Chardonnay, Viognier, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Cabernet Sauvignon for the tasting. Just ten miles from Charlottesville, First Colony has been making wine in the area for over a decade, and its lovely 2,000 square-foot post-and-beam tasting room and expansive views make it a special place to drink and feast.
June 16, First Colony Winery, 12pm-5pm, $12-25
Better world businesses
These days, a better business is a business better at reducing its energy consumption. That's why the Paramount Theater will be rolling out the "green" carpet for the 2012 Charlottesville Area Better Business Challenge Awards Night, as over 100 local businesses gather to showcase their efforts to increase their efficiency and help the planet. Awards will be given to businesses that rose to the year-long challenge of reducing their environmental impact (some pictured), came up with green innovation, and cracked down on their electricity use. Of course, it'll be a great party, too, with cocktails and hors d’oeuvres served up by ten local restaurants. Charlottesville Right Now's Coy Barefoot and Teri "Better World Betty" Kent will be your hosts.
June 21, Paramount Theater, 5pm, $20
This week's "FunStuff" was compiled by Dave McNair, and next week's "FunStuff" will be compiled by another newsroom staffer. To get your event considered, send a press release and photo to [email protected].