Happy September and back-to-school! September in these parts sure is interesting. It’s still the season of late-summer feeling evenings and lingering hot afternoons, but it’s also the season of school routines, sports weekends, and just a hint of fall in the morning air.
So, as we say goodbye to summer and settle into the school year, here are some things to do, helpful resources, local news info, and more for September in the Charlottesville area.
Drop us a line if you think of any fall content you think we should cover as we head deeper into the season!
Top September Events in the Charlottesville Area
Looking for family-friendly things to do in Charlottesville this September? Here are the events we’re most excited about — from free festivals to farm & orchard fun and concerts.
BOTANICAL ARTS FESTIVAL – September 1–30 at Botanical Garden of the Piedmont
This Festival will celebrate art in our community by offering free art programing for all ages, botanically themed workshops, and collaborations with regional artists, musicians, poets, and organizations, including a Botanical Art Festival Celebration supporting local artists and the Garden. CharlottesvilleFamily is proud to sponsor this event!
LABOR DAY CELEBRATION – September 6 at Boar’s Head Resort
Enjoy an activity-filled Labor Day weekend during the Summer Celebration Series. Bring the entire family for yard games, food trucks and live music, Then, a special drone show featuring 200 drones.
CENTRAL VIRGINIA STAR PARTY – September 12 at Albemarle Ciderworks
Gather round to marvel at the skies! The annual Star Party is an opportunity to come star gaze, with guidance from the UVA Astronomy Department and their educational outreach program “Dark Skies, Bright Kids”
CVILLE VEGFEST – September 13 at Ix Art Park
Join for a free vegan community event featuring plant-based foods, live music, entertainment, speakers, children’s activities, yoga and more. CharlottesvilleFamily is proud to sponsor this event!
FREE ENTRANCE DAY – September 17 at Shenandoah National Park
Enjoy free admission into National Parks in recognition of Constitution Day.
CVILLE SABROSO FESTIVAL – September 19 at Washington Park
The family-friendly Cville Sabroso festival offers something fun for everyone: nine hours of live music and lively dance performances, diverse foods, artisan crafts, and interactive cultural activities from countries all over Latin America.
FALL INTO FUN – September 19–20 at Chiles Peach Orchard
An annual event to celebrate apple season and the opening of our pumpkin patch. Enjoy lots of festive, fall-themed entertainment to keep the good times rolling all weekend long, including an exciting apple-based adventure in a new children’s book by a local author! Follow a young ninja chef from Japan to the United States as he learns to make an American classic: apple pie.
BLUE RIDGE MOUNTAIN MAZE – September 19–November 8 at Blue Toad Cider
Get lost in the fun at the best Virginia corn maze. New this year – Music in the Mountains every Saturday night from 6–9pm.
HARVEST FEST – September 19 at Southwest Mountains Vineyards
Celebrate the beauty of harvest time in the Monticello AVA with family-friendly fun, music, activities and more.
GARDEN PARTY – September 26 at Botanical Garden of the Piedmont
This one’s for everyone — bring the kids, bring the whole family. Enjoy a scavenger hunt winding through the grounds, a collaborative group art piece for guests to add to, and free tastings.
RESCUE EXHIBIT – Now–January 17 at Science Museum of Virginia
From air to sea to land, discover ways first responders help those in distress. Dive into a high-intensity experience where science meets real-life heroics in over a dozen immersive zones.
Don’t miss a thing — check our full Family Events Calendar → updated daily.
News Fresh From CharlottesvilleFamily.com
Back-to-school season is here. This month, we’re covering everything from annual physicals to homework survival tips, tick prevention, and the best family events happening around Charlottesville. Plus, a peek into fall festivals and Bumble’s Free Little Library for even more fun.
ANNUAL KIDS PHYSICALS: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW – Charlottesville pediatrician shares tips and advice for back-to-school.
TIPS ON BEING A GREAT HOMEWORK PARENT – Advice from a local teacher on how to best help your students this school year.
A LOCAL’S GUIDE TO COFFEE SHOPS – Insider tips to enjoying the best coffee spots in Charlottesville.
CHARLOTTESVILLE AREA FALL FESTIVALS – Your 2026 guide to the best local farm festivals, cultural celebrations and Halloween Fun.
VIRGINIA’S BEST CORN MAZES – Learn all about 13 of the best corn mazes in the state.
SEPTEMBER EVENTS IN CHARLOTTESVILLE – Top family-friendly events in the area including fall festivals, exhibits, back-to-school fun, story times, and outing ideas for mom and dad.
BUMBLE’S FREE LITTLE LIBRARY – Exclusive resources for CharlottesvilleFamily readers, including printable scavenger hunts, activity pages and more.
Charlottesville/Albemarle News
SCHOOL GRAND OPENINGS – Charlottesville Middle School and Charlottesville Early Learning Center held grand opening ceremonies.
IMPROVED SOL SCORES – According to the VA Department of Education, Albemarle County Public Schools students improved on most of SOL tests last year and gained ground faster than the state as a whole in reading and mathematics.
OPEN SCHOOL BOARD SEAT – The Albemarle County School Board has established a public process to fill the open seat. Applications are available on the school board website.
VIRGINIA NATURALLY SCHOOL – North Branch School has been recognized as one of only three schools in the state as a Virginia Naturally School for all 25 years of the program.
PEDIATRIC HEART MILESTONE – UVA Health Children’s recently became the first in Virginia to implant a temporary heart pump known as the Impella in a patient under age 18.
Local Love: Women’s Mental Health Collective
Three Charlottesville therapists have teamed up to launch the Women’s Mental Health Collective (WMHC), a new local practice built to support women and couples through some of the biggest challenges and transitions in a woman’s life—pregnancy, birth, postpartum, infertility and (peri)menopause.
Founders Alexis Azzam, Kristin Morgan, and Jennifer Senator each spent years working one-on-one with women through these life stages, and kept running into the same gap: not enough accessible, specialized support for moments that can feel isolating even though they’re incredibly common. The Collective was born out of a desire to offer more than individual therapy—workshops, groups, and community resources that meet women where they are.
More From the CharlottesvilleFamily Fam
VirginiaSummerCamp.com — We hope you had an excellent summer camp season!
VIRGINIA RIVER TUBING & KAYAKING: A Family Outfitter Guide – A good outfitter takes all the work out of it: they supply the tubes, kayaks, life jackets, and the shuttle. Basically, all you have to do is show up with the fam and float.
TURTLE RESCUE: How to Help Turtles Safely – What to do when your family finds a turtle crossing the road.
VIRGINIA RAILS-TO-TRAILS: THE BEST FAMILY-FRIENDLY BIKE & WALKING PATHS ACROSS THE COMMONWEALTH – One of our all-time favorite activity lists — featuring the most scenic, family-friendly rail trails across Virginia.
SOON…. RoanokeFamily will launch its digital magazine. Meanwhile, follow along on Instagram.
Ready to Read
Our Relocation Guide flipbook is here! This trusted resource is designed to help families, professionals, and newcomers make a smooth transition to life in the area. Whether you’re moving across the country or just across the Blue Ridge, this guide offers info about neighborhoods, schools, and family life in one easy-to-browse digital publication.
The Ultimate Relocation Guide: Where to live, learn & play in Charlottesville
Read our Special Summer Edition of Bloom Magazine before the fall issue is released. This special Pick-Your-Own Path Guide is just what you need to plan a memorable summer with your family and friends. Here’s why:
150+ DAY TRIPS & FESTIVALS
The most extensive guide to day trip adventures and local summer festivals.
LOCAL FUN ROUND-UPS
Local round-ups including swimming spots, ice cream places, farmers markets & more.
HIDDEN GEMS & LOCAL FAVORITES
Places you may not even know about, plus popular favorites that always bring the fun.
INDOOR FUN & SENSORY-FRIENDLY OPTIONS
Beat the heat with numerous indoor places to play and learn + sensory-friendly fun for all.
AT HOME ADVENTURE IDEAS
No need to leave the house with these tried and true at home activities.
THE BEST EVENTS
All summer, all curated, all local. Your calendar just got a whole lot more fun.
This is the guide Charlottesville families will use all summer. Grab it now and start planning!
On Our Minds
From the editors:
Here’s something we’ve been thinking about as we settle into September: back-to-school is here and fall is nearing, and that means we are simultaneously soaking up what’s left of summer sun, and feeling the first breezes of fall fun heading our way
So this month, we’re enjoying it all. Soaking up whatever summer days remain while easing gently into the routines, cooler temps, changing leaves and more. Sometimes the best thing we can do for our families is simply meet the season where it is.
Coming Up for Parents
Next, be on the lookout for our fall/winter issue. Homework tips, after school activities guide, local stories, fall festival info, holiday season happenings and so much more.
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The Cville Buzz is published monthly by CharlottesvilleFamily, Central Virginia’s trusted family resource since 1998.
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