| credit: Virginia Lake Festival |
The Virginia Lake Festival in Clarksville attracts enough attention to have recently been named one of the Top 20 Festivals in the Southeast by the Southeast Tourism Board.
One of the most popular Virginia festivals, it attracts more than 100,000 visitors each year in July from all over the state.
Location
Clarksville is located in south central Virginia, just above the North Carolina border. The town was founded in Mecklenburg County, and overlaps into Halifax County.
Clarksville’s downtown area has been named an Historic District and is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Buggs Island Lake is the major body of water in the Clarksville Area. Parts of the festival take place in and around the lake.
Hours and Admission
The festival is in operation from 6:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. each night of the three-day event.
Admission is free. Visitors are advised to bring cash with them, as there are a variety of stands and vendors at the festival.
Events
This event is broken down into several smaller events.
The Clarksville Virginia Lake Festival has more than 20 food vendors in attendance. Food vendors sell both local and ethnic food.
The Thursday night kick-off of the event features tethered balloon rides, available to adults and children alike. On Saturday, hot air balloons will soar over and around the lake.
On Friday morning, sand sculptures will begin creating faces and places out of sand. The sand sculpting competition is an integral part of the festival.
An Antique Auto Show is on display at the event. An arts and crafts show also takes place throughout the festival. The show is juried.
Evenings at the festival feature live bands, fireworks, and children’s entertainment.
To watch the fireworks, boats gather on Buggs Island Lake, and onlookers gather along the shoreline. This “gathering of the boats” is a signature part of the Virginia Lake Festival.
Among other activities at the festival are helicopter rides, unique food tastings, and a 5K run.
If you want all the outdoor fun of a state park along, with some wonderful…
Monticello might get its fair share of visitor action up in Charlottesville. But just down…
James Madison, father of the U.S. Constitution, maintained a lifelong home at Montpelier that is…
False Cape State is a rustic park that offers many choices for those who love…
Wilderness Road State Park has many amenities that are typical of other Virginia state parks,…
Maymont park in Richmond is a unique blend of mansion, gardens, farm, zoo, nature center,…