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Good morning, Blacksburg.
Virginia Tech has a new president: on Wednesday, the Board of Visitors named Kansas State's Richard Linton, a three-time Hokie, as the university's 17th president. He takes office at the start of the spring semester. The weather gives you a pleasant Thursday, with afternoon showers and a high of 76, before a cold front turns Saturday's Homecoming game into a 53-degree affair with a low of 32. Dig out the heavy maroon. And a Blacksburg-grown pumpkin just set a state record at 1,861.8 pounds. Let's get to it.
A quick correction: Tuesday's edition had two sports listings wrong. Virginia Tech women's soccer hosts Virginia (not Florida State) this Friday at 7pm at Thompson Field, and Hokie volleyball played at Virginia Wednesday before hosting the Cavaliers Friday at 6pm.
In today's Blacksburg Connect:
🏛️ Richard Linton named Virginia Tech's 17th president
🏈 Homecoming weekend: parade Friday, sold-out game Saturday
🎃 A 1,861.8-pound Blacksburg pumpkin sets a state record
Let’s get to it.
Thursday, October 15
🥕 Christiansburg Farmers Market
3-7pm, Huckleberry Park, 300 Huckleberry Park Dr NW, Christiansburg. The weekly Thursday market.
🎃🎈 Sinkland Farms 35th Annual Pumpkin Festival
4-8pm, 3060 Riner Rd, Christiansburg. The Thursday evening edition: hayrides, the 5-acre corn maze, Kids Zone, Terrace Bar, and food trucks. Thursday admission is $15.
🧊 Popsicles in the Park
5-7pm, Blacksburg Municipal Park, Shelter 9. An informal town-hall drop-in: casual conversation with town folks, held on third Thursdays.
🧹 Broom Workshop with Gabriella the Garden Sage
6-7:30pm, Historic Smithfield Pavilion, 1000 Merry Oak Way, Blacksburg. Make your own broom from dried flowers, textured grasses, fragrant herbs, and seasonal botanicals. $50 per person.
💃 Swing Dance
6-8pm, 595 N Franklin St, Christiansburg. A beginner-friendly swing dance class; no experience needed, all ages welcome. (dance)
🚚 Hot Spot Food Truck at Iron Tree
4pm, Iron Tree Brewing, 5 Roanoke St, Christiansburg. Hot Spot Halal Food serves lamb and rice plates, burgers, fries, and wings.
🎸 Surrender Dorothy at The Farmhouse
6-9pm, 285 Ridinger St, Christiansburg. A Southwest Virginia band playing classic rock, funk, and soul. (rock)
Friday, October 16
🎺 Homecoming Parade
6:45pm, downtown Blacksburg, ending on Alumni Mall. The Homecoming parade marches down Main Street. Road closures: Alumni Mall closed from 8am; Main Street and Alumni Mall closed 5:30-9pm. Blacksburg Transit runs parade detours.
⚽ Virginia Tech women's soccer vs Virginia
7pm EDT, Thompson Field, Blacksburg. Kick Cancer Night.
🏐 Virginia Tech volleyball vs Virginia
6pm EDT, Cassell Coliseum, Blacksburg. The home leg of the Smithfield Commonwealth Clash.
🏊🎈 Family Fun Swim Night
5:30-8:30pm, Christiansburg Aquatic Center, 595 N Franklin St. Half-off admission ($5 per person); no registration needed, pay at the door.
🕯️ Grave Matters: Folklore. Horror. One Unforgettable Night.
6:30-8:30pm, The Pavilion at Historic Smithfield, 1000 Merry Oak Way, Blacksburg. Appalachian folklore, fireside storytelling, and a chilling literary reading; the ticket includes hot beverages and heavy appetizers. Bundle up and bring a blanket.
👻 Library Night Out: Spooky Speakeasy
6-8pm, Christiansburg Library, 125 Sheltman St. An after-hours Halloween evening: mocktails, moody music, and scary stories by candlelight. Ages 18+.
🤠 Line Dancing at Sinkland Farms
7-11pm (instruction at 8pm), 3060 Riner Rd, Christiansburg. All levels welcome; $15 cover, food trucks and adult beverages on site; ages 16 and under with an adult. (dance)
🤸🎈 Friday Nite HYPE!
7-9pm, Virginia Techniques, 1550 Roanoke St Suite C, Christiansburg. A kids' open gym night with an inflatable slide, games, and prizes; pre-registration recommended.
🏍️ The Frosty Fender Adventure Rally: FREEZE FOR ALL!
Starts 10am Friday, runs through Sunday 1pm, 6647 Virginia Avenue, Pembroke. An adventure motorcycle rally exploring Southwest Virginia backroads, mountain roads, and gravel.
🔥 Bonfire Friday Night: Jeff Levy
Friday evening, Beliveau Farm Winery, 3899 Eakin Farm Rd, Blacksburg. Bonfire Friday nights continue with live music from Jeff Levy. Kitchen open 3-8pm.
Saturday, October 17
🏈 Virginia Tech vs Georgia Tech
3:30pm, Lane Stadium, Blacksburg. The Homecoming game is sold out, the fourth straight sellout, and airs on ACC Network. The Hokies (4-2) look to snap a two-game skid.
🎪🎈 Homecoming Tailgate
11:30am, Virginia Tech Drillfield. Lawn games, music, family-friendly activities, and inflatables before kickoff.
🥬 Blacksburg Farmers Market
8am-2pm, Market Square Park, 100 Draper Rd, Blacksburg. The Saturday market: seasonal produce, baked goods, crafts, flowers, and more.
🎨🎈 Craft and Vendor Event at Uptown C'burg
10am-5pm, inside Uptown Christiansburg (formerly the NRV Mall). Dozens of craft and gift vendors, from baked goods to permanent jewelry.
🍂 Gilmore Girls Autumn Festival
10am-4pm, The Chandlerie, 127 N Franklin St, Christiansburg. Visit Stars Hollow: an autumn festival at the candle and workshop studio.
🎃🎈 Sinkland Farms 35th Annual Pumpkin Festival
Saturday at the festival, 3060 Riner Rd, Christiansburg, with the Jerry Wimmer Duo playing 1-4pm. High-energy acoustic music with a touch of comedic improvisation. (acoustic)
🔪 Knife sharpening at the Radford Farmers Market
Saturday, Radford Farmers Market. Bill's Knife and Tool Sharpening sets up shop: bring kitchen knives, pocket knives, fabric shears, and garden tools.
🏛️ Richard Linton named Virginia Tech's 17th president
It is official. On Wednesday, the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors appointed Richard Linton as the university's 17th president. Linton currently leads Kansas State University, where he has been president since 2022, and he earned all three of his degrees, a bachelor's, a master's, and a Ph.D., from Virginia Tech. He succeeds Timothy Sands, who announced in April he would step down after nearly 12 years; Sands will continue in the role until Linton takes office at the start of the 2027 spring semester. "Virginia Tech is poised to make a generational leap as a public research university, and Richard Linton is the right leader to guide us forward," said Rector Jim Miller. Linton called the chance to lead his alma mater "a true honor" and said he looks forward to reconnecting with the Hokie community. VT News announcement
🏈 Homecoming weekend: parade Friday, sold-out game Saturday
It is Homecoming weekend, and Blacksburg is ready. Friday's parade steps off at 6:45pm downtown and marches down Main Street to Alumni Mall, so expect road closures through the evening and plan around Blacksburg Transit detours. Saturday is the main event: Virginia Tech hosts Georgia Tech at 3:30pm in Lane Stadium, the fourth straight sellout, televised on ACC Network. The Hokies (4-2) are looking to snap a two-game skid after narrow losses to Pitt and Cal, and Saturday's forecast calls for a high of 53 with a low of 32, so the Lane Stadium crowd will earn it. Get there early for the 11:30am tailgate on the Drillfield. Parade and game details | Hokiesports preview
🎃 A 1,861.8-pound Blacksburg pumpkin sets a state record
Blacksburg is on the giant pumpkin map. A pumpkin grown right here in town weighed in at 1,861.8 pounds, a new Virginia state record, and took second place at the North Carolina State Fair. The weigh-off was sanctioned through the Great Pumpkin Commonwealth, the worldwide organization for competitive giant pumpkin growing. The news broke Wednesday morning in the Everything Blacksburg group, where it has drawn hundreds of reactions. That is nearly a ton of pumpkin. FB post
📰 News Around the NRV
🏛️ Fotheringay vote tabled to Oct 26. After hearing from nearly 40 residents at a packed Tuesday night hearing, the Montgomery County Board of Supervisors voted to table the Stateson Homes request to rezone about 263.5 acres of the historic Fotheringay property in Elliston for up to 349 homes. The Planning Commission had recommended approval 6-1 in September; the Blue Ridge Land Conservancy opposed the rezoning. The decision now waits until the board's Oct. 26 meeting. WDBJ7
🏛️ Christiansburg's Tanya Hockett joins the VML board. Council Member Tanya Hockett was elected to a one-year term as a District member of the Virginia Municipal League Board of Directors at the league's annual conference in Norfolk. VML release
🏫 Christiansburg High School's four-year project is done. The 996-day renovation and construction project at Christiansburg High School is complete; county leaders and Superintendent Kelly Guempel cut the ribbon on Friday, Oct 9. News Messenger
🖼️ Rare military photos on view at Glencoe Mansion. The Radford museum's "Answering the Call" exhibition features rare early-1900s American Legion photographs, including Radford's Company M from before World War I. It runs Oct 14 through Nov 1 with free admission, and the public is invited to help identify faces in the photos. News Messenger
🏭 $3.6M steel expansion in Bland County. Congressman Morgan Griffith announced a $3.6 million Virginia Steel and Fabrication expansion bringing 52 jobs to Bland County. press release
📌 Community Board
🥂 New bar Olaika grand-opens today. Olaika, the new restaurant and nightlife spot at 130 Jackson Street NW in downtown Blacksburg, held its soft opening Wednesday and celebrates its grand opening today, Thursday. The 21+ venue is billing itself as Blacksburg's "new favorite spot." Instagram reel We first covered the $600,000 build-out back in Issue #008.
🗳️ Early voting is open. In-person early voting runs weekdays 9am-5pm at the Montgomery County Office of Elections, 1546 N Franklin St, Christiansburg, through Oct 31. Sunday hours are Oct 18 and 25, 11am-4pm, and Saturday hours are Oct 24 and 31, 9am-5pm. Election Day is Tuesday, Nov 3. Office of Elections
🍂 VT Rescue Squad leaf-raking fundraiser. VT students will rake and bag the leaves in your yard, $60 an hour, with all proceeds going to the VT Rescue Squad. Available the next few Sundays; spots are limited. booking calendar (questions: [email protected])
🍸 JH Bards is hiring. Blacksburg's distillery needs a part-time bartender, 5-10 hours a week, at higher-than-standard pay plus tips. Send a resume and interest statement to [email protected] with "Bartender" in the subject. FB post
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