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Good morning, Blacksburg.
Friday brings patchy fog early, then turns sunny with a high near 66. Saturday is sunny with a high near 55, and Sunday stays sunny with a high near 60. A dry, mild Friday before a cooler, clear weekend. National Weather Service
Enjoy the weekend, see you Monday!
In today’s Blacksburg Connect
Let’s get to it.
🎶 Your weekend: live music and things to do
Friday through Sunday is stacked in the NRV. Here are a few things worth planning around, then the rest of the weekend by theme.
Something different
🔬 Virginia Tech Science Festival — Saturday, 10am-3pm at the Moss Arts Center and Newman Library. More than 50 free hands-on exhibits, with the researchers behind them, and the free Nutshell Games at 4pm in the Fife Theatre if you want the short version.
🦎 Reptile Expo at Mountain Lake — Sunday, 10am at Mountain Lake Lodge, 115 Hotel Cir, Pembroke. The expo is back after more than 600 people showed up for its summer debut.
Live music
🎵 First Friday Concert: Sula’s Front Porch
Friday, 6-8pm (doors 5pm), Fine Arts Center for the New River Valley, 21 W Main St, Pulaski. Old-time and fiddle; $5 suggested donation.
🎵 Gin & Tonic at Rising Silo
Friday, 6-8pm, Rising Silo Farm Brewery, 2351 Glade Rd, Blacksburg.
🎵 Glencoe Sessions: Addie Levy & Gravel Road Reunion — Friday, 6-7:30pm (doors 5:30pm) at Glencoe Mansion in Radford. The Radford native comes home from Nashville for an intimate listening-room show; $15, or $50 for all four fall sessions.
Markets, fairs, and food
🎨 The Y Artisan Fair, Day 2
Saturday, 9am-5pm, Blacksburg Community Center, 725 Patrick Henry Dr, with a pancake breakfast 9-11am. (The fair also runs Friday until 6:30pm.)
🥕 Blacksburg Farmers Market Holiday Market
Saturday, 8am-2pm, Market Square Park. Extra craft vendors join the regular market.
🛍️ 2026 Elliston Craft and Vendor Fair
Saturday, 9am-3pm, Eastern Montgomery Elementary School, Elliston.
🍔 NRV Fall Food Fest
Saturday, 11am-5pm, Uptown Christiansburg, 782 New River Rd.
🛍️ Blacksburg Vintage Market
Sunday, 10am-5pm, Market Square. Vinyl, clothing, jewelry, books and oddities.
Get outside
🏃 Braving Bisset: Run Against Hunger 5K
Saturday, 9:30am, Bisset Park Shelter #3, Radford.
🌿 Riverside Cleanup and Invasive Plant Removal
Saturday, morning until noon, Fairlawn Riverfront, 5980 Dudley Rd. Sign up through the form in the post.
🚴 Owen Cup, 21st Edition
Saturday, 10am-4pm, starting from Bollo’s Cafe & Bakery, 153 College Ave. The VT cycling team’s annual road-race tradition.
🤠 Boots on the Ground
Sunday, 3-6pm, Sinkland Farms, 3060 Riner Rd, Christiansburg. Urban line dancing fundraiser.
🚶 The Walk to End Alzheimer’s is at Huckleberry Park in Christiansburg (site opens 1pm, walk at 2pm). See the feature below.
Catch a Show
🎬 Movie Night: “National Treasure”
Saturday, 6pm, Christiansburg Library. Free family movie night.
😂 Comedy Show Benefiting the Arc of the NRV
Saturday, 7pm, McClain’s at First and Main, 1614 S Main St.
🎓 2026 Nutshell Games
Saturday, 4pm, Fife Theatre, Moss Arts Center. Thirty graduate students, 90 seconds each. Free. (Pairs with the Science Festival callout above.)
Hokie Sports
🏐 Virginia Tech Volleyball vs. Notre Dame
Friday, 6pm, Cassell Coliseum, on ACC Network Extra. Spike Out Cancer match.
🏐 Virginia Tech Volleyball vs. #3 Louisville
Sunday, 1pm, Cassell Coliseum.
🏈 Virginia Tech Football at SMU (on TV)
Friday, 7pm on ESPN. The 6-2 Hokies are bowl eligible after the bye.
🏀 Virginia Tech Women’s Basketball vs. James Madison
Sunday, 6pm, Cassell Coliseum, on ACC Network Extra.
🗺️ See this weekend’s events and live music on the Blacksburg Connect map.
💰 $2 million ARC grant for regional workforce development
The Appalachian Regional Commission has awarded the New River/Mount Rogers Workforce Development Area Consortium, whose board is based in Radford, a $2 million grant for workforce development. The project, “POWERing Pathways: Advancing Southwest Virginia’s Workforce,” will expand access to training programs for roughly 450 people and help 75 businesses access a developed workforce and related services.
The funding serves businesses and workers across Bland, Carroll, Floyd, Giles, Grayson, Montgomery, Pulaski, Smyth, Washington and Wythe Counties, plus the cities of Bristol, Galax and Radford. Rep. Morgan Griffith announced the grant on Nov 4. Rep. Griffith’s announcement
🚶 Walk to End Alzheimer’s this Sunday in Christiansburg
The Walk to End Alzheimer’s returns to the New River Valley on Sunday at Huckleberry Park, 300 Huckleberry Park Dr in Christiansburg. The walk site opens at 1pm, the Promise Garden ceremony is at 1:45pm, and the 1.5-mile walk begins at 2pm. It runs rain or shine.
It’s a fundraising walk for the Alzheimer’s Association. Details and registration are on the event page. Walk to End Alzheimer’s
News around the NRV
⚽ Men’s soccer falls 2-1 to NC State in the ACC Tournament. Freshman Luke Hamel scored on a free kick in the 26th minute for a 1-0 lead, but NC State scored twice in the second half at Thompson Field on Wednesday. Tech finishes 8-7-3, and the NCAA bracket will be announced Monday, Nov 16. recap
🏛️ Virginia Tech Board of Visitors meets Mon-Tue Nov 9-10. The quarterly meeting is at The Inn at Virginia Tech, with committees Monday and Tuesday morning and the full board Tuesday starting at about 1:15pm, livestreamed. details
🏈 Blacksburg football at Patrick Henry on Friday. The Bruins travel to Roanoke for a 7pm kickoff against Patrick Henry, which is 8-1 on an eight-game win streak. schedule
🤼 Virginia Tech wrestling opens its dual season at Lehigh. The Hokies travel to Bethlehem for a 7pm dual on Friday, streaming on FloWrestling. schedule
Community Board
🎅 Santa and Mrs. Claus home visits (plus elves) are now booking. Wonderland Events is booking holiday and corporate party visits. post
🎲 Gift Bingo, Volunteer Montgomery’s last bingo night of the year. Wed Nov 18, 6-9pm, Iron Tree Brewing, 5 Roanoke St, Christiansburg. 21+, $10 admission, $10 and $100 gift-card prizes, with the Cabo Fish Taco truck. post
🥧 Butter+Milk Baking Club “Pie Party” bake swap. Sat Nov 15, 1:30-3:30pm, Radford Coffee Company. Free tickets on Eventbrite. post
🎄 Prices Fork Grange Holiday Craft and Vendor Bazaar. Sat Nov 28, 10am-3pm, Grange Hall. Two vendor spots left at $35 for an 8x10 space. post
🏠 Montgomery Museum Holiday House Tour. Sat Dec 5, 10am-4pm. Six properties along East Main St, Christiansburg, with an after-party and silent auction at the museum from 4pm. Tickets at montgomerymuseum.org. post
💪 Blacksburg Fit Body is hiring a part-time coach. 6-10 hours a week, $18-23 an hour. Apply to [email protected]. post
🩺 Free Remote Area Medical Clinic
Saturday and Sunday at Giles High School, Pearisburg. Free dental, vision and medical care; doors at 6am, with the lot open by midnight Friday.
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