Fairy Stone State Park opened June 15, 1936, as one of Virginia's first six state parks. Parks around the state will host special events June 17 to celebrate the system's 87th anniversary. Photo courtesy of the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation.
Fairy Stone State Park opened June 15, 1936, as one of Virginia's first six state parks. Parks around the state will host special events June 17 to celebrate the system's 87th anniversary. Photo courtesy of the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation.

Here are some of the top events around Southwest and Southside for the coming week. Check out our new events calendar. Got an event? You can add it there for free.

June 16: Tickets on sale for Cummings, Kearney at Harvester

Tickets for two newly added fall shows at the Harvester Performance Center in Rocky Mount go on sale Friday. 

Guitar virtuoso Albert Cummings will perform Oct. 27, with tickets starting at $27. Singer-songwriter Mat Kearney will make a stop in Rocky Mount on Nov. 4; tickets start at $37.

Tickets for both shows go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday at harvester-music.com

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June 16-17: Summer book sale at SML

The Friends of the Moneta/SML Library will hold a summer book sale from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. June 16 and June 17.

A members-only preview sale will be held from 4 to 8 p.m. June 15. Membership can be purchased for $10 in advance or at the door.

The sale will at 13941 Moneta Road near Downtown Moneta. Proceeds from the sale go to continuing the summer reading program, as well as helping to fund special programs and craft supplies. 

Fore more information, visit www.friendsofmonetalibrary.org.

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June 17: Virginia State Parks anniversary celebration

State parks across Virginia are hosting special events on June 17 in honor of the system’s 87th anniversary.

The park system opened on June 15, 1936, with just six parks: Douthat, First Landing, Fairy Stone, Staunton River, Hungry Mother and Westmoreland. Since 1936, the system has grown to 41 parks.

To celebrate the 87th anniversary, parks are hosting a Virginia State Parks History and Culture Day. Planned activities include self-guided and ranger-led tours, cultural demonstrations, kayaking tours, guided hikes, mock archeology digs and historical artifact viewings.

Park-specific anniversary events are listed at virginiastateparks.gov/events.

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June 17: Juneteenth Festival at Emory & Henry

Emory & Henry College, in collaboration with Middle Fork Records and the Appalachian Peace Education Center, will host the second annual Juneteenth Festival from noon to 5 p.m. June 17.

The event, which is free and open to the public, will follow the theme “How to Do Better,” in honor of Squire Miller Henry. [Read more about Henry here.]

Juneteenth, also known as Emancipation Day or Freedom Day, marks the emancipation of enslaved African Americans in the United States.

The festival will be held at the center of campus in front of the Van Dyke Center at the Duck Pond Lawn and will include a food truck. The event will kick off with a welcome message from John Holloway, vice president for diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging, followed by college President John Wells. The festival will be emceed by Pastor William Ward. 

The festival will include a gospel performance by The Gospel Sensations, arts and crafts, an interactive drum circle, award presentations, a cake walk and a silent auction. 

For more information, visit www.ehc.edu/juneteenth. The event will take place rain or shine. Attendees are encouraged to bring a chair or outdoor blanket. 

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June 17: Children’s Festival in Danville

Danville Parks and Recreation will host its annual Children’s Festival at the Carrington Pavilion from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. June 17.

Admission and activities are free. There will be concessionaires and vendors on-site with items for purchase.

Activities will include caricatures, yoga classes, painting classes, a sensory tent, a toddler play area and a plant giveaway.

Chain Reaction Action Sports will provide three 30-minute shows that will showcase high-energy BMX performances. 

For more information, call 434-857-3384 or email taylor.roberts@danvilleva.gov.

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June 17-18: The Quebe Sisters, Michael Cleveland at Floyd Country Store

The Floyd Country Store in Floyd will host back-to-back shows Saturday and Sunday.

June 17: The Quebe Sisters. The Dallas-based progressive Western swing band plays at 7 p.m. Tickets are $32 general admission, $38 reserved seating.

June 18: Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper. Twelve-time IBMA fiddle player of the year plays at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $38 general admission, $45 reserved seating

For a full list of musical events at the store, visit www.floydcountrystore.com.

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June 18: Juneteenth Event: The History of Enslavement in the Hill City

Silent Witnesses Inc. will host a Juneteenth event on June 18 to explore the history of enslavement in Lynchburg.

The program will focus on the experience and contributions of enslaved people of African descent in the Hill City before 1865. The keynote speaker is Kelley Fanto Deetz, vice president of collections and public engagement at Stratford Hall and a published author and expert on slavery in America.

The event at the Virginian Hotel will begin with a reception and silent auction from 4 to 5 p.m., followed by dinner and a program that will include the unveiling of six new historical markers, dramatic and musical performances and a silent auction.

The event is open to the public, but tickets must be purchased in advance and space is limited. Tickets are $50 per person, which includes a three-course dinner. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/silent-witnesses-event-tickets-623654386057

Silent Witnesses is the first comprehensive study of the history of enslavement in Lynchburg, and many of the findings from its first year of research will be shared during the Juneteenth event. All proceeds from the event benefit Silent Witnesses Inc., a nonprofit formed by the Legacy Museum of African American History and the Lynchburg Museum System to document and share the history of enslavement in Lynchburg.

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June 19: Street-McGlothlin Memorial Golf Tournament in Abingdon

The Appalachian School of Law will host the annual Street-McGlothlin Memorial Golf Tournament June 19 at the Glenrochie Country Club in Abingdon.

Registration starts at 8 a.m., with tee-off at 9 a.m. Lunch is included.

To participate in the tournament, or for more information, email Hayley Allison at hallison@asl.edu. Spaces are limited.