Destination Bedford

Virginia Flower Festival
2026-04-19 10:00 - 18:00 (America/New_York) | Layman Family Farms, 1815 Mountain View Church Road, Montvale, VA, 24122, United States
Over 200,000 tulips are waiting for you at Layman Family Farm!
Come out and enjoy stunning views of vibrant tulip blooms, one of a kind photo ops, baby animals, festival foods, live music, tons of attractions, Easter activities (select dates) and more!

Click here for tickets.

Live Music at Harvest Moon
2026-04-19 13:00 - 17:00, 2026-04-25 13:00 - 17:00, 2026-04-26 13:00 - 17:00, 2026-05-02 13:00 - 17:00, 2026-05-03 13:00 - 17:00 | Harvest Moon Marketplace, 14917 Moneta Rd, Moneta, VA, 24121, United States
Come see live music at Harvest Moon Marketplace! Click here to see who is playing this weekend!

Enjoy beer, wine, meads, ciders, and non-alcoholic drinks, along with delicious food and great shopping at the Marketplace. Free admission and free music!

Music Bingo
2026-04-23 19:00 - 21:00, 2026-04-30 19:00 - 21:00, 2026-05-07 19:00 - 21:00 | Apocalypse Ale Works, 1257 Burnbridge Road, Forest, VA, 24551, United States
This is where the fun of bingo meets the excitement of your favorite tunes! Each round features hit songs across various genres, and you’ll mark your card to the beat. Win the coveted Music Bingo chain, gift cards, and of course, ultimate bragging rights! It’s a lively and unique way to enjoy great music, compete with friends, and score awesome prizes. Don’t miss the fun!

Live Music & Food Truck at Fables & Feathers
2026-04-24 16:30 - 19:30, 2026-04-25 14:00 - 17:00 | Fables & Feathers Winery, 2117 Bruno Dr., Goodview, VA, 24095
Come to Fables and Feathers Winery for live music, great wine and beautiful views! Some days there will also be food trucks on site. Click here to see who is playing and which food truck will be on site!

Terrapin Mountain Earth Festival
2026-04-24 16:30 - 22:00, 2026-04-25 12:00 - 22:00 | Sedalia Center, 1108 Sedalia School Road, Big Island, VA, 24526, United States
A full weekend of live music, sustainability education, and thoughtful ways to take care of the earth and each other.
Camp under the stars at the foot of Terrapin Mountain to celebrate our Mother Earth at the Terrapin Mountain Earth Day Festival.
Local food vendors, craft vendor market, and camping all weekend! Get your tickets and make your reservations now!

Live Music at Benjamin’s
2026-04-24 18:00 - 21:00, 2026-05-01 18:00 - 21:00, 2026-05-08 18:00 - 21:00 | Benjamin’s Restaurant, 14900 Forest Rd., Forest, 24551, United States
Come to Benjamins for great food and live music every Friday! Click here to see who is playing each week.

Live Music @ Apocalypse Ale Works
2026-04-24 19:00 - 22:00, 2026-05-01 19:00 - 22:00 | Apocalypse Ale Works, 1257 Burnbridge Road, Forest, VA, 24551, United States
Come to Apocalypse Ale Works for great beer and live music. For more information and to see who is playing each week, click here. Food by Bunker 42 Bar Bites will also be available for purchase!

SML Osprey 10K Run/5K Walk
2026-04-25 09:00 - 12:00 | Smith Mountain Lake State Park, 1235 State Park Road, Huddleston, VA, 24104, United States
Come enjoy the annual running of the Osprey 10K Run/5K Run-Walk, which will highlight the wonderful attributes of the area as participants make their way along the beautiful roadways in Smith Mountain Lake State Park. The Osprey race is a USATF sanctioned event with all proceeds going to benefit programs at the park and fostering environmental stewardship and education. Prizes will be awarded to the top finishers in all age groups.
Race production and organization by Friends of Smith Mountain Lake State Park, Inc.
Register online at: https://runsignup.com/Race/VA/Huddleston/Osprey10KRun5KRunWalk

Otter Creek Campground Clean Up
2026-04-25 10:00 - 13:00 | The Otter Creek Campground, Blue Ridge Parkways Milepost 60.9, Big Island, 24526, United States
Join the National Park Service for a volunteer opportunity at the Otter Creek Campground Clean Up! Enjoy the great outdoors and fresh mountain air while helping prepare the campground for the 2026 season. Volunteers will assist with removing winter storm debris, picking up sticks, raking leaves, and cleaning grills and picnic tables. Participants should bring work gloves, a rake, water, a snack, and a friend, and are encouraged to wear closed-toed shoes, long pants, and weather-appropriate clothing. The Otter Creek Campground is located at milepost 60.9 on the Blue Ridge Parkway near Big Island, Virginia. For more information or to register, contact Wayne Bersch at philip_bersch@nps.gov or 540-745-9664.

Family Day at the D-Day Memorial
2026-04-25 10:00 - 15:00 | National D-Day Memorial, 3 Overlord Circle, Bedford, VA, United States
Family Day is an exciting, family-friendly event exploring life at home and on the front lines during World War II – featuring children’s activities, living historians, and special tours.
Food available for purchase.

Burgers & Bluegrass at Chapel Creek Farms
2026-04-25 11:00 - 14:00 | Chapel Creek Farms, 4915 Pike Road, Montvale, VA, 24122
Burgers and Bluegrass
Date: April 25th
Time: 11 AM – 2 PM
Location: Chapel Creek Farms, 4915 Pike Rd, Montvale, VA
Band: New Standard – A traditional and hard-driving Bluegrass Band from VA, a Bedford County favorite.
Menu: CCF Burgers ($8 for a burger, $9 for a cheeseburger). Bottled water and chips will be available for $1 each.
Quaint Vendor Area: Available on the porch. All vendor spots have been filled.
Dog-Friendly Event: Leashed dogs are welcome.
Cash-Only Event.
Admission: $15 per car, regardless of the number of occupants. Cash only for admission.

Spring Farm Fun Day
2026-04-25 12:00 - 17:00 | Huddleston Hog & Highland Homestead, 14555 Wyatts Way, Huddleston
Saturday, April 25, 2026 from 12-5pm
There’ll be:
-Animal petting areas
-Tractor Hay Rides
-Kid’s Face Painting
-Huddleston Homestead’s Farm Store
-Local Farm & Artisan Vendors
-BBQ with Huddleston Homestead’s Meats – Special Thanks to Porter House BBQ!
-Food & Drink Vendors (The Messi Lemon’s Lemonade and more!)
-Red Truck Mini’s with Kylie Akers (Details & Pricing to follow)
-AND MORE!
—FREE ADMISSION—
PARKING AT BETHESDA CHURCH – Shuttle vans going back and forth all afternoon! (ONLY handicapped & stroller parking on site!)

Conversations with Mr. Jefferson program
2026-04-25 19:00 - 21:00 | Thomas Jefferson’s Poplar Forest, 687 Poplar Forest Dr., Forest, VA, 24551, United States
The annual Conversations with Mr. Jefferson program will be returning to his retreat home in 2026!
Join Thomas Jefferson’s Poplar Forest as three of the most influential men in Colonial America sit down to discuss the Declaration of Independence and what it means to self-govern. Join Thomas Jefferson, portrayed by Bill Barker in conversation with John Adams, portrayed by Sam Goodyear, and Dr. Benjamin Franklin, portrayed by Bryan Austin. Hear from these prominent men as they discuss their lives and differing views of government followed by an audience Q&A. Following the program, a reception will allow guests to continue the conversation and meet our three guests one on one for photos.
$38/adults, $20/college students and youth (ages 6-18), $7 for children under 6 plus taxes and fees

Wander & Awe Foraging Clinic
2026-04-28 18:30 - 19:30 | Bedford County Parks and Recreation, 1257 County Farm Rd, Bedford, VA, 24523, United States
Come learn what tasty treats and healing properties nature can provide while you explore the original grocery store, the great outdoors!
Wander: They will have a short intro into foraging safety and wildcrafting etiquette, following by a short hike where we explore what edible & medicinal plants & fungi are in season!
Awe: You will cover different resources, tools, ways to ID, look-alikes, various uses, history, and traditional practices regarding the plants & fungi. Plan on learning 10-15 different plants/Fungi each session.
Families are encouraged and all ages are welcome! You will be typically hiking less than 1 mile each session unless otherwise noted in the event discussion.
Meetings will be the LAST Tuesday of each month, Mar-Oct Sessions start at 6:30pm.
Sometimes the locations will change, click here for any updates.

SML Triathlon
2026-05-02 09:00 - 14:00 | Smith Mountain Lake State Park, 1235 State Park Road, Huddleston, VA, United States
Staged out of beautiful Smith Mountain Lake State Park this triathlon classic has clear water, mountain views and fun courses. The swim features a sandy beach start and a crisp, clear lake. The bike and run courses are rolling, but not too challenging. This is a great race if you are just starting out in the sport, or have been racing for 20 years. Smith Mountain Lake is home to numerous lodging options and attractions. There is great trail running in the park and the Blue Ridge Parkway isn’t too far away if you want to stay the night and ride again on Sunday. With numerous B&B’s, restaurants and wineries in the area this race needs to be on your “recreation” bucket list!
Click here to register and for more information.

Peaks of Otter Campground Clean Up
2026-05-02 10:00 - 13:00 | The Peaks of Otter Campground, Blue Ridge Parkway Milepost 85.9, Bedford, VA, 24523, United States
Join the National Park Service for a volunteer opportunity at the Peaks of Otter Campground Clean Up! Enjoy the great outdoors and fresh mountain air while helping prepare the campground for the 2026 season. Volunteers will assist with removing winter storm debris, picking up sticks, raking leaves, and cleaning grills and picnic tables. Participants should bring work gloves, a rake, water, a snack, and a friend, and are encouraged to wear closed-toed shoes, long pants, and weather-appropriate clothing. The Peaks of Otter Campground is located at milepost 85.9 on the Blue Ridge Parkway near Big Island, Virginia. For more information or to register, contact Wayne Bersch at philip_bersch@nps.gov or 540-745-9664.

Big Otter Mill Spring Festival
2026-05-02 11:00 - 15:00 | Big Otter Mill, 3533 Big Island Highway, Bedford, VA, 24523, United States
Enjoy springtime in Bedford at the historic Big Otter Mill!
Live music, BBQ by the Virginia Masonic District 24 Master Masons Association, vendors, and self-guided tours of the Mill!
Free admission and family friendly!
Dogs okay, must be on a leash.

Live Music at New London Ruritan Club
2026-05-02 19:00 - 22:00 | New London Ruritan, 12411 East Lynchburg Salem Turnpike, Forest, VA, 24551, United States
This is a family friendly community dance with live entertainers!! $10/adult, doors open at 6:30pm, music 7-10pm. Please bring your own snacks and non-alcoholic beverages. Supported by Ruritan volunteers. Click here to see who is playing each week.

Jefferson's Curiosities
2026-05-07 18:30 - 20:00 | Thomas Jefferson’s Poplar Forest, 687 Poplar Forest Dr., Forest, VA, 24551, United States
About the Series: Thomas Jefferson was a man of many varied interests. Join us at Jefferson’s “best dwelling house in the state” as we delve into topics he found particularly fascinating from travel to culinary, leadership to religion. Each talk in the series includes a wine and cheese reception following the presentation.
Tickets are $25/each or $100 for all five Curiosities Series talks
2026 Jefferson’s Curiosities Series Events:

Jefferson’s Travel through the Germanies (Travis McDonald): February 19, 2026 6:30 p.m.

What Made Jefferson a Great Leader? (Dr. John Ragosta): March 26, 2026 6:30 p.m.
Jefferson and Trist’s Wild Mississippi Scheme (Karen Chase): May 7, 2026 6:30 p.m.
Jefferson’s Curiosities: Hearth Cooking (Rachel Deddens): June 11, 2026 6:30 p.m.
Jefferson & Religion (Nathan Taylor): September 24, 2026 6:30 p.m.
