Destination Bedford

Bower Center Exhibit
2025-06-27 11:00 - 15:00, 2025-06-28 11:00 - 15:00, 2025-07-01 11:00 - 15:00, 2025-07-02 11:00 - 15:00, 2025-07-03 11:00 - 15:00 (America/New_York) | Bower Center for the Arts, 309 North Bridge Street, Bedford, VA, United States
Beginning on June 24, the Bower Center for the Arts will host the 4th Biennial Fiber Arts National Juried Exhibit.
A reception and awards presentation will be held on Friday, July 18th beginning at 5:00pm. The public is invited to attend this free reception. It is open to the public. As always, admission to the galleries are free!

Live Music at Portside
2025-06-27 17:00 - 19:00, 2025-06-28 13:00 - 19:00, 2025-07-04 17:00 - 19:00 | Portside Grill and Bar, 3619 Airport Rd., Moneta, VA, 24121, United States
Come to Portside Grill & Bar right on Smith Mountain Lake, for great food and live music! Click here to see who is playing!

Forest Friday Cheers
2025-06-27 18:00 - 22:00 | Apocalypse Ale Works, 1257 Burnbridge Road, Forest, VA, 24551, United States
Come enjoy Forest Friday Cheers at Apocalypse Ale Works!
Kick back, relax, and enjoy a FREE family-friendly evening of live music, food, and fun every Friday!
**Time:** 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM
**Location:** Apocalypse Ale Works
Expect:
– **Live Music:** Click here to see who is playing each week!
– **Bounce Zones:** Fun for the little ones with bouncy castles and kid-friendly activities.
– **Beer & Refreshments:** Grab a cold one from Apocalypse Ale Works and enjoy their fantastic selection of local brews.
– **Food by Bunker 42: Delicious eats to fuel your evening of fun and music.
**All Ages Welcome** – Bring the whole family out for a night of great music, tasty food, and unforgettable memories.
Let’s make this Friday a night to remember! See you at Apocalypse Ale Works!

1776 The Musical
2025-06-27 19:30 - 21:00 | Thomas Jefferson’s Poplar Forest, 687 Poplar Forest Dr., Forest, VA, 24551, United States
Revel in the revolutionary spirit of America’s Founding Fathers at Poplar Forest’s presentation of 1776—the Tony Award-winning comedy by Sherman Edwards and Peter Stone based on the events leading up to the drafting and signing of the Declaration of Independence. View these events through the eyes of Ben (Franklin), Richard Henry (Lee), John (Adams) and Tom (Jefferson). Celebrate their contributions to our country’s history.
Bring a chair or blanket, a picnic dinner (no outside alcoholic beverages allowed. Wine, beer and cider will be available for sale on site), and friends and family for an evening of theatre under the stars. Rain date is June 28
$20.00/Adults (18+), $15/College and Youth (6-17), $5/under 6.
Click here for tickets.

Forest Farmer's Market
2025-06-28 09:00 - 12:00 | Forest Farmers Market, 15583 Forest Road, Forest, VA, 24523, United States
The Forest Farmer’s Market is held each Saturday morning behind the Forest Public Library. The Market features farmers and artisans selling a variety of items including plants, meats, produce, soaps, lotions, coffee, baked goods and more!

VA250 Mobile Museum Experience
2025-06-28 10:00 - 19:00 | Thomas Jefferson’s Poplar Forest, 687 Poplar Forest Dr., Forest, VA, 24551, United States
The Virginia American Revolution 250 Commission is bringing the spirit of the American Revolution to Poplar Forest! A hands-on, interactive, and immersive “museum on wheels,” the VA250 Mobile Museum Experience titled Out of Many, One is housed in a quad-expandable tractor trailer that is traveling throughout Virginia and beyond. Guests visiting this unique traveling museum will embark on a journey through pivotal moments of our fight for freedom while learning about the Revolution’s key figures as well as the often-overlooked stories of the Indigenous Virginians, free and enslaved African Americans, and others whose efforts secured American independence.
Out of Many, One will be open to the public free of charge (admission rates are applicable to experience the historic house and surrounding grounds and to attend 1776 the Musical). Out of Many, One will be open to the public from 10 a.m.- 7 p.m. June 26-June 28, 2025. Take advantage of this rare opportunity to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the founding of our nation and learn about Virginia’s vital role.

Live Music at Harvest Moon
2025-06-28 13:00 - 17:00, 2025-06-29 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 each week.

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

Live Music at Drifter's
2025-06-28 14:00 - 17:00, 2025-06-29 14:00 - 17:00 | Drifter’s, 1617 Crystal Shores Drive, Moneta, VA, 24121
Live music on the water front! Enjoy the beautiful Smith Mountain Lake, great food and awesome music! Click here to see who is playing each week.

Concert on the Lawn
2025-06-28 15:00 - 18:00 | Spring Oak Bedford, 931 Ashland Avenue, Bedford, VA, 24523, United States
Come to the Historic National Elks Home for Concert on the Lawn!
Live music by Thomas Taylor.
Free admission. Bring a lawn chair.

Light Up the Lawn
2025-06-28 17:00 - 22:00 | Ivy Hill Golf Club, 1148 Ivy Hill Drive, Forest, Virginia, 24551
Light Up the Lawn is BACK — and bigger than ever!
Ivy Hill Golf Club | Saturday, June 28 | Starting at 5 PM
Bring the whole family out for an unforgettable night under the stars! Enjoy bouncy houses, delicious food trucks, and live music all evening – capped off with the area’s most spectacular fireworks show, now featuring even bigger shells and a sky-filling finale you won’t want to miss.
Headliner: Radio Time Machine – Featuring opening acts straight from
Nashville — it’s going to be a full night of incredible music!

Admission is free – bring your chairs, your blankets, and your people.

Bower Center Concert
2025-06-28 18:00 - 20:00 | Bower Center for the Arts, 309 North Bridge Street, Bedford, VA, United States
Come to the Bower Center for the Arts to see Virginia Hollow live!

Virginia Hollow’s sound is a blend of Americana, Country and Folk, with a hint of Bluegrass and Rock. You’re not going to want to miss this one!

Tickets now available here: https://members.bowercenter.org/…/virginia-hollow-1396315

Tickets: $20 in advance, $25 at the door.

Live Music at New London Ruritan Club
2025-06-28 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.

Judd's Music in the Park
2025-06-28 20:00 - 22:00 | Smith Mountain Lake State Park, 1235 State Park Road, Huddleston, VA, United States
Come enjoy great live music in the park!
The entry fee is $7 per person, and children 12 and under get in free. Parking fee is included in ticket price. Ice cream, drinks and other refreshments will be for sale. Don’t forget lawn chairs. This event is sponsored by the Friends of Smith Mountain Lake State Park. For more information and to see who is playing click HERE.

Live Music @ Mitchell's
2025-06-29 13:00 - 16:00, 2025-07-03 17:00 - 20:00 | Mitchell’s Resturant & Pizzeria, 3553 Trading Post Rd, Huddleston, VA, 24104, United States
Enjoy live music, great food and the beautiful Smith Mountain Lake all in one place! Click here to see who is playing each week.

Wander & Awe
2025-07-01 18:30 - 19:30 | Falling Creek Park, 1257 County Farm Road, 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: We 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: We 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! We will typically hiking less than 1 mile each session unless otherwise noted in the event discussion.
Meetings will be every 4th Tuesday of the month. Sessions start at 6:30pm and will be at different locations throughout the season depending on what is growing so click here for updates.

*** Due to rain, the May 27th session is now moved to June 3rd at Montvale Park

Moneta Farmer's Market
2025-07-02 15:00 - 18:00 | Moneta Farmer’s Market, 13641 Moneta Road, Moneta, VA, 24121
The Moneta Farmer’s Market is open Wednesdays 3 to 6pm next to the Moneta Library. The market is producer only – fresh fruit, vegetables, meat, eggs (duck and chicken), bread, jams, jellies, and features local artisans.

Apocalypse Trivia Night
2025-07-02 19:00 - 21:00 | Apocalypse Ale Works, 1257 Burnbridge Road, Forest, VA, 24551, United States
Every week there will be a wide range of categories to enjoy while also drinking your favorite beer or seltzer water!

Wagon Rides & History Tour
2025-07-03 10:30 - 12:30 | Gross’ Orchard, 6817 Wheats Valley Rd., Bedford, VA, 24523, United States
Come to Gross Orchard this summer every Thursday, starting on June 12th for free wagon rides/history tour. Come explore the beauty and the history of this 5 generation orchard.
Tours will run from 10:45-11:30 and 11:45-12:30.

Independence Day Festival Before the Works
2025-07-03 17:00 - 22:00 | Liberty Lake Park, 939 Burks Hill Road, Bedford, VA, 24523, United States
-Music
-Food & Dessert Trucks
-FIREWORKS
-Kids Zone (Completely FREE)
FOAM PARTY, Multiple Bounce Houses, Face Painting, Balloon Artist, Touch-A-Truck, & More Kid Activities.
NO OUTSIDE FOOD OR DRINKS
NO COOLERS OR TENTS
NO PETS ( Service pets allowed)
Please bring blankets & lawn chairs
Admission $10 Adults/ Children FREE

Poplar Forest Independence Day Celebration
2025-07-04 10:00 - 16:00 | Thomas Jefferson’s Poplar Forest, 687 Poplar Forest Dr., Forest, VA, 24551, United States
Thomas Jefferson held July 4th as “the only birthday I ever commemorate…” Bring your family and friends out to Poplar Forest, his Bedford County retreat, to celebrate the 249th anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence in historic style. Enjoy colonial-style entertainment, demonstrations by colonial artisans and craftspeople, archaeological displays, old-fashioned children’s activities, a reading of the Declaration of Independence at 1:30 p.m. and more!
Tickets are $15/person ages 16+, under 16 are free. House Tours available for a reduced rate of $10 ages 18+, $7/ages 6-17, and free under 6. House Tour tickets are available day-of only on a first come, first served basis.

Pancake Breakfast & Car Show
2025-07-04 10:30 - 13:00 | Liberty Lodge, 910 Longwood Ave, Bedford, VA, 24523, United States
All you can eat pancake breakfast followed by the 2nd annual car show!
Breakfast will be 7a-10am, cost is $10 per person, followed by the car show starting at 10:30am, free entry!
Come celebrate our nations independence!
910 Longwood Avenue, Bedford, Va.
