Summer Events
Red-brick sidewalks link hotels and innovative eateries to a slew of boutiques and galleries in downtown Lexington while Buena Vista serves as the area's favorite launch pad to the Blue Ridge Parkway and outdoor adventure. Family-friendly in every way, our small towns and big backyard include nostalgic country stores, impromptu music jams, and fresh farm stand flavors. Put all of your senses to use this summer!
Live Music & Outdoor Entertainment
Lime Kiln Theater, formerly a limestone quarry, kicks off its spring and summer music series in late May. With a schedule packed with up-and-coming bluegrass talent, high lonesome never sounded so good.
Fiddle-and-banjo fans also head to
Glen Maury Park in Buena Vista for the annual Maury River Fiddlers Convention in mid-June. Cut a rug at the Beach Music Festival the last weekend of July.
Wild gardens and the Blue Ridge Mountains are the backdrop at Boxerwood Nature Center during its Music in the Garden concerts, held the second and fourth Fridays of the month throughout the summer. Boxerwood is A-okay with picnics, blankets, and children.
- May 29: Dennis and Steve
- June 12: Honest Labor
- June 26: Betty and the Hot Flashes
- July 10: The Pickup Band
- July 24: Caravan of Fools
- August 7: Bruce Allen & Jason Burke
- August 21: The Ruckus Bluegrass Band
- September 4: Shester, Datz & Newhall with Half Brassed Band
- September 11: Fatty Lumpkin & the Love Hogs
On select Friday evenings, follow the music to Davidson Park in downtown Lexington for the popular Friday's Alive music series or to Buena Vista for Fridays in the Park.
Annual Events
June 13: Rockbridge Outdoors Fest
June 19: Lex Rock BV Juneteenth
July 3: Freedom Food Festival
July 4: Kids Bike Parade; Independence Day Celebration: Concert & Fireworks
July 4-5: Balloons Over Rockbridge Hot Air Balloon & Music Festival
July 24-25: Bank of Botetourt Beach Music Festival
August 29: Rockbridge Community Festival
September 5: Rockbridge Beer & Wine Festival
September 7: Annual Labor Day Festival
Breweries, Wineries & Cidery
Rockbridge County is home to kid- and pet-friendly craft breweries, wineries, and a cidery. Our four breweries on the Shenandoah Beerwerks Trail, a sippable excursion linking more than a dozen craft breweries between Lexington and Harrisonburg.
What views will you enjoy from the taproom patio at Devils Backbone Brewing Company Outpost Taproom & Kitchen? The Blue Ridge Mountains, historic Route 11, and beer, mmm, beer. In summer, quaff the seasonal Trail Angel Weiss, a Bavarian-inspired hefeweizen. Check the online calendar for the Live Fridays music schedule.
In the middle of downtown Lexington, right on Main Street, you'll find Heliotrope Brewery. They're known for their eclectic pizza menu, plus they offer a great view from their small patio.
Speaking of amazing views and tasty craft beer, check out Great Valley Farm Brewery & Winery in Natural Bridge. They're Virginia Craft Beer Cup award winners, and their weekend food trucks are the perfect complement to the chilled brews.
The lone cidery of Rockbridge County, Halcyon Days Cider Co. features an apple tree labyrinth families love to wind their way through. Enjoy a flight of cider while you take a break in the shade.
Rockbridge County's oldest and most award-winning vineyard also offers a brewery! Rockbridge Vineyard & Brewery in Raphine is a laid-back experience, but Sundays include live music and a food truck. Families and pets are always welcome.
- Sundays: Uncorked - Live Music
- October 3: Fall Harvest Festival
Ecco Adesso Vineyard, in Fairfield, is growing more and more each year. Don't miss their upcoming live music, and perhaps book an overnight in one of their cozy accommodations.
- May 23: Music at the Vineyard: Jason Hostetter
- June 13: Art & Wine Fest
- Fridays: Vino Views & Pizzas
- Sundays: Sip & Savor
A summer picnic in Goshen Pass is always a good idea. To enjoy wine with your picnic, purchase a bottle at Lexington Mercantile or Purveyors on Main in Lexington. Or, pick up a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon at Jump Mountain Vineyard, or a French-American varietal at Lexington Valley Vineyard on the way to the Goshen Pass wayside.
Summertime Family Fun
There's no time for nostalgia at Hulls Drive-In. This drive-in movie theater is too busy entertaining the crowds cruising in for the weekend double feature. The theater – a community-owned non-profit – welcomes families and pets, and you'll likely see children romping on the lawn before the first show.
Dinosaurs and Union soldiers collide at the Dinosaur Kingdom II theme park. Thirty fiberglass and Styrofoam dinosaurs inhabit this family-friendly wonderland, the brainchild of artist Mark Cline.
There's one great truth at the Virginia Safari Park: it's a llama's world, and you just live in it. You'll see what we mean on a windows-down cruise through this popular drive-thru zoo where llamas, camels, and zebras approach your car, and your feed bucket, with mouths wide open.
There's an event every summer weekend at the 600-acre Virginia Horse Center on scenic Hwy 39 on the northern outskirts of Lexington. Stop by for dressage, jumping, and vaulting events as well as shows spotlighting Arabian and barrel horses.
Farm-to-Table Fare
Small farms dot the countryside in Rockbridge County, providing a remarkable variety of fresh fruit and vegetables for local chefs. As winter recedes and gardens rejuvenate, the farm-to-table fare at Haywood's, Pure Eats, and ZunZun gets downright innovative – and irresistible – as farmers roll out their summer produce.
Last Updated May 19, 2026
