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Good Morning Blacksburg,
Good morning, Blacksburg. Friday wakes up at a crisp 39 degrees and climbs to a sunny 66, ideal weather for a full-contact weekend: today is the last day to register to vote, the Blacksburg-Christiansburg football rivalry kicks off tonight, and the Hokies head to Clemson on Saturday. Bundle up for the morning, then get out and enjoy the sunshine.
In today’s Blacksburg Connect
🏈 Hokies head to Clemson Saturday: 7pm on ESPN, with a bowl berth on the line
🎃 Local Events Weekend Run-Down
🏪 RARE 3D Maps opens a microshop at The Local
Let’s get to it.
Friday
🌲 The Dark Woods at Fithian Farms
7:30-10:30pm, 228 Shires Ln, Christiansburg. A mile-long outdoor haunted trail, $20 (cash or card); runs Friday and Saturday nights through Oct 31.
👻 Hexed Haunted Attraction 2026
7pm, 2059 Burkette Rd, Elliston. Six horror attractions on one ticket; parking is $10 cash only.
🎻 Showman & Coole Bluegrass Duo
6pm, Rising Silo Brewery, 2351 Glade Rd, Blacksburg. A bluegrass duo stopping through on an IBMA World of Bluegrass week tour. (bluegrass)
💃 Compagnie Herve Koubi, "Sol Invictus"
7:30pm, Anne and Ellen Fife Theatre, Center for the Arts at Virginia Tech. The second night of the French/Algerian company's contemporary dance performance fusing hip-hop, capoeira, and martial arts, with a post-show Q&A. (dance)
🏊🎈 CAC Kid and Teen Takeover
5:30-8:30pm, Christiansburg Aquatic Center, 595 N Franklin St. A kids' night of recreational swim with certified lifeguards, pizza, a kid-friendly movie, and a themed craft while parents get a night out. $25 residents, $30 nonresidents; ages 6-10 and 11-14.
🎈 Friday Nite Hype!
7-9pm, VA Techniques, 1550 Roanoke St, Christiansburg. A supervised kids' gymnastics open gym (ages 3-22): giant inflatable slide, trampolines, loud music, prize giveaways, and show-and-tell. $12 members, $15 non-members; pre-registration recommended.
🌲 2026 Gather to Grow Forest Farming Conference
Fri Oct 23 - Sun Oct 25, The Inn at Virginia Tech and Skelton Conference Center, Blacksburg. The Appalachian Forest Farmer Coalition's annual forest farming conference.
🏐 Women's volleyball: USC Upstate vs Radford
6pm ET, Dedmon Center, Radford. The Highlanders open a four-match homestand Friday night against USC Upstate, streaming on ESPN+.
🏈 Hokies head to Clemson Saturday: 7pm on ESPN, with a bowl berth on the line
Virginia Tech (5-2, 2-2) visits Clemson (4-2, 2-1) Saturday at 7pm on ESPN. The Hokies are 2.5-point underdogs, and a win clinches bowl eligibility. ESPN's SP+ projects VT 26-23 with a 56% win probability.
The initial injury report, released Wednesday: starting cornerback Thomas Williams is questionable, and backup corner Cam Chadwick Jr. is probable. On Clemson's side, wide receiver Gordon Sellars III is out with a concussion.
🎃 Weekend preview
The weekend starts tonight with the Blacksburg-Christiansburg rivalry game, karaoke for a cause at the Blacksburg Country Club, and the haunted trails (The Dark Woods, Hexed, and the House of Shadows at St. Albans). Here is the rest:
Saturday, October 24
Morning
💗 New River Valley Heart Walk — 8:30am, Christiansburg Huckleberry Park.
🧸 Diaper drive at the Blacksburg Farmers Market — 8am-2pm, Market Square Park; Family Fun Basket raffle, too.
🏃 Hope to Walk at VT Annual 5K — 9:30am ($30). The Blacksburg Striders run trails at Pandapas at 9am.
🛍️ Fall Children's Consignment Sale — 9am-1:30pm (half-price from 12:30).
🎨 Artisan market at the Blacksburg Grange — 10am-3pm; local makers, food, and gifts.
🚴 The Andrew Gold cycling race — 10am.
Afternoon
🎨 Craft & Draft Art Market — 12-6pm, Eastern Divide Brewing; 25 regional artisans, free admission.
🎃 Fall Family Fun Day — 11am-6pm, 3720 Prices Fork Rd. Fall Festival at Trinity Community Church — 11am-1pm, free lunch and pony rides. Harvest & Haints at Historic Smithfield — 11am-3pm.
🎃 Hokie Spirit Day and Punkin' Chunkin' at Sinkland Farms — 10am-5pm.
🎃 Boo Bash Market — 2-6pm, Riner; free, with shop-and-treat candy for kids.
🍬 Trunk or Treat at the Habitat ReStore — 12-2pm. Faith Christian Church Fall Festival — 3-5pm, Christiansburg, free (no scary costumes).
🌭 Good Dog Hotdog Cart at Iron Tree — 12pm, Christiansburg. 🏺 TRY IT! Pottery Wheel Class — 4pm.
Night
🏈 Virginia Tech at Clemson — 7pm on ESPN; a win clinches a bowl berth (see the highlight above).
🚛 Monster Truck Show — Pulaski County Motorsports Park, Radford. Gates 4pm, free truck rides and pit party before the 7pm show, fireworks around 9pm.
🎻 Becky Buller Band — 7pm (bluegrass). 🎼 VT Philharmonic and Honor String Orchestra — evening (classical).
👻 House of Shadows at St. Albans Sanatorium — 7-11:30pm, Radford; $20, no one under 10.
Sunday, October 25
🎻 Blacksburg Vintage Market — 10am-5pm, Market Square Park; vinyl, clothing, books, and oddities, free admission.
🎵 A Light Beyond the Darkness — 2pm, Moss Arts Center; free Honor Choir concert, no tickets required.
⚽ VT soccer vs Clemson doubleheader — Thompson Field: men at 2pm ("Hokie Fall Fest"), women at 5pm ("Hokie Haunt," free candy and a student t-shirt giveaway).
🎃 Harvest Hope Fall Festival — 3-6pm, GraceLife Baptist Church, Christiansburg; free, with hayrides and Trunk or Treat.
🏪 From mentorship to Main Street: RARE 3D Maps opens a microshop at The Local
The Local, Downtown Blacksburg Inc.'s retail incubator in the former Cook's Cleaners building at 414 N Main St, cut its ribbon Oct 14. One of its first tenants is Jesse Hurdus, founder of RARE 3D Maps, who opened a microshop there. Hurdus, who has a background in mechanical engineering, turns geographic data into detailed, customizable 3D-printed maps of familiar destinations, including Virginia Tech's campus and Lane Stadium.
His modular designs let individual sections connect, which makes them work as personalized gifts, collectible displays, or larger installations for businesses. RARE stands for Robotics, Augmented Reality, and a deliberately flexible "E": Exploration, Education, Experiential Learning, Exercise, and other applications as his ideas evolve.
📰 News Around the NRV
🔬 VT engineer wins a DARPA Young Faculty Award. Assistant professor Jordan Budhu won $649,252 over two years (over $1.1M with a possible third year) for research on making electromagnetic devices from bioprinted organic materials. The starting question: can a leaf work as an antenna? (Oct 21, VT News.) report
🏀 Radford Athletics launches "Radford Legends." A new alumni-led program reconnecting former players, coaches, staff, and supporters of the Highlanders' men's basketball program. (News Messenger, Oct 21.) report
📌 Community Board
🏈 Radford Bobcats Mite Team headed to the Super Bowl. The youth football team plays Saturday, and the community thread is cheering them on. post
🍲 Sigma Alpha Brunswick stew fundraiser. $10 quarts of all-chicken Brunswick stew; proceeds support the VT chapter. Preorder through the Google Form in the post. post
🐕 Lost dog: Nala. Got loose Thursday morning in the Heathwood/Foxridge area. See the post for contact numbers. post
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