*Postponed* Update 9-29-2022: The Governor declared Virginia a state of emergency due to the remnants of Hurricane Ian. With this news, we must sadly postpone the Cherry Avenue Block Party. We will keep everyone posted on the new date once determined.
Bringing the Community Together to Support the Businesses on Cherry Avenue and The Music Resource Center
Mark your calendars! On Saturday, October 1st, from 12pm to 4pm, join us for the Cherry Avenue Block Party! This free community event, benefitting the Charlottesville Music Resource Center, will be held at the Shops at Cherry Ave, located next to the Prospect Market (500 Cherry Ave).
The Cherry Avenue Block Party is a family-friendly event featuring local vendors, a bounce house, games, free pizza for the kids, and music by MRC artists. Some of C’ville’s favorite food trucks will be there including; Mobilee Delicious, Order Up, Otto Turkish Street Food, and The Pie Guy. Come out and show your community support in the Fifeville Neighborhood at the Shops at Cherry Ave!
We hope this Block Party will acquaint the public with all of the unique offerings in the Cherry Avenue corridor and generate business for the shops in the area. “We have enjoyed working in the Fifeville neighborhood through the years, and especially recently with the Fifeville Trail project,” says Anthony Woodard, Woodard Properties’ CEO. Tanashia Washington, the Commercial Portfolio Director for Woodard Properties, adds, “Having grown up in the Fifeville area, I have witnessed first-hand the changes in that community. When I was young, Cherry Avenue was vibrant; it had a grocery store, and restaurants. There were so many things happening. We all know business has been challenging the past few years due to the pandemic. We’re hoping that the Block Party reignites commerce and interest for these locally owned, hardworking businesses and organizations.”
The Block Party will be raising money for Charlottesville’s Music Resource Center, a local nonprofit after-school program that offers instrument, voice, and dance lessons. The MRC provides youth with many resources, including creative space, equipment, instruments, performance opportunities, and recording studio time. Its mission statement reads, “Participation in after-school programming of any kind helps keep adolescents out of trouble in the evenings, and often boosts grades and test scores while providing structure and fun. Arts programs also benefit young people, particularly teenagers, by engaging their creative tendencies, helping them to achieve goals, boosting confidence, and teaching them productive ways to express themselves…we believe that no adolescent should go without access to the arts and that money should not get in the way of creative, talented young people who want to pursue music. That’s why we work hard to keep costs to families low, with fees as low as $1 per year.”
Arrive early at 11am to join community leaders in celebrating the opening of the Fifeville Trail with a ribbon cutting and guided walk. The Fifeville Trail will connect Tonsler Park with surrounding neighborhoods. Learn more about this exciting new trail here.
We hope to see you on October 1st!