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. Want to keep up with what’s happening? Sign up here for our free weekly events newsletter.
Sept. 13: Tickets to Twitty & Lynn in Rocky Mount
Tickets go on sale Friday for Twitty & Lynn at the Harvester Performance Center.
Twitty & Lynn — Tre Twitty, grandson of Conway Twitty, and Tayla Lynn, granddaughter of Loretta Lynn — will perform in Rocky Mount on Dec. 8.
Tickets start at $47 and go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday at harvester-music.com.
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Sept. 14: SJ Sindu reading at University of Lynchburg
Award-winning author SJ Sindu will read from their work as part of the Thornton Reading series at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at the Hall Campus Center’s Memorial Ballroom at the University of Lynchburg.
The reading is free and open to the public and will be followed by a Q&A and book signing.
Sindu, a Tamil diaspora author, has written and published a diverse range of books, including two award-winning hybrid chapbooks, two forthcoming graphic novels, and one forthcoming collection of short stories.
Their literary novel, “Marriage of a Thousand Lies,” won the Publishing Triangle Edmund White Award. Another literary novel, “Blue-Skinned Gods,” was an Indie Next Pick and a finalist for the Lambda Literary Award.
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Sept. 15: Farmville Duck Derby
Piedmont Senior Resources will host the annual Farmville Duck Derby at 6 p.m. Friday at Riverside Park.
All proceeds from the fundraiser, which will kick off the 2023 Heart of Virginia Festival, will go toward Piedmont Senior Resources’ community programming for seniors.
Ducks can be adopted at Piedmont Senior Resources’ Farmville location, 1413 S. Main St., from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. One duck is $5, a half-dozen “quack pack” is $25, a flock of 25 is $100.
On derby day, the ducks will be released into the Appomattox River for their swim to the finish line at Riverside Park. The first-place duck receives $1,000, second place $500 and third place $250.
Learn more about the Duck Derby at www.psraaa.org/duck-derby.
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Sept. 16: Henry Street Heritage Festival in Roanoke
Roanoke’s Henry Street Heritage Festival kicks off at noon Saturday at Elmwood Park.
The event is free until 5 p.m., with live entertainment, educational forums and exposure to African American heritage through the performing arts, crafts, cuisines, customs, merchandise, art and children’s activities.
En Vogue will headline the festival at the Elmwood Park Amphitheater at 7 p.m. (gates open at 6 p.m.). Tickets are $42 plus fees and tax in advance or $50 the day of the concert and can be purchased online.
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Sept. 16: Bluegrass and Old-Time Jamboree in Wytheville
Wytheville Community College will host its monthly Bluegrass and Old-Time Jamboree from 7 to 9 p.m. Saturday.
The Jamboree will feature Bluegrass Kinsmen and Adam McPeak and Mountain Thunder and will be held in WCC’s William F. Snyder Auditorium, Grayson Hall.
The music begins at 7 p.m. and seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis. The event is free and open to the public, but donations will be accepted to help defray the travel expenses of the bands.
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Sept. 17: Brickle Duo piano/violin recital in Wise
Brickle Duo, a husband-and-wife team featuring pianist David Brickle and violinist Marianna Brickle, will give a recital at 3 p.m. Sunday in Cantrell Hall on the University of Virginia’s College at Wise campus.
The program will include Sonata in A Major by César Franck and Nocturne by Lili Boulanger.
The recital is free and open to the public.
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Sept. 17: Uncle Henry’s Favorites at Humpback Rocks
Uncle Henry’s Favorites will perform from 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday at Humpback Rocks, milepost 6 on the Blue Ridge Parkway.
The outdoor concert is one of the free Milepost Music sessions offered at popular destinations in the national park.
This concert will be the final Milepost Music session hosted at Humpback Rocks this season. The last show of the series will be hosted from 2 to 4 p.m. Sept. 24 at Doughton Park, milepost 241. The Mountain Laurels will play on the lawn in front of The Bluffs Restaurant.
Learn more at BlueRidgeMusicCenter.org.
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Sept. 17: Henry County candidate forum
Candidates for Henry County offices including sheriff, treasurer and school board will be featured at a forum at 3 p.m. Sunday at the Spencer-Penn Centre, 475 Spencer-Penn Road, Spencer.
The event is free and open to the public. Del. Les Adams, R-Pittsylvania County, will serve as moderator. Public questions may be provided in advance by emailing spc.susan@yahoo.com.