Editing Charlottesville, Virginia (section)

==Attractions and culture==
[[Image:First United Methodist, Charlottesville, VA IMG 4220.JPG|right|thumb|First [[United Methodist]] Church in the historic district of downtown Charlottesville (pictured July 2011) has since been renovated.]]
[[Image:Downtownmallcville.jpg|thumb|upright|The [[Downtown Mall]]]]

Charlottesville has a large series of attractions and venues for its relatively small size. Visitors come to the area for wine and beer tours, ballooning, hiking, and world-class entertainment that perform at one of the area's four larger venues. The city is both the launching pad and home of the [[Dave Matthews Band]] as well as the center of a sizable indie music scene.<ref>Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/7Vem4i8xFLw Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}} and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20151120173410/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Vem4i8xFLw Wayback Machine]{{cbignore}}: {{cite AV media|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Vem4i8xFLw|title=Interview with Carey Sargent|last=C-VILLE Weekly|date=February 4, 2008 |via=[[YouTube]] |access-date=August 12, 2017}}{{cbignore}}</ref> Charlottesville hosts multiple orchestral groups including the Blue Ridge Chamber Orchestra,<ref>{{Cite web|title=Blue Ridge Chamber Orchestra|url=https://brco.avenue.org/|access-date=2022-01-11|website=brco.avenue.org}}</ref> Youth Orchestras of Central Virginia,<ref>{{Cite web|title=Mission and History|url=https://www.yocva.org/mission-history|access-date=2022-01-11|website=Youth Orchestras of Central Virginia|language=en-US|archive-date=January 11, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220111025356/https://www.yocva.org/mission-history|url-status=dead}}</ref> and the Charlottesville Symphony at the University of Virginia.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Charlottesville Symphony at the University of Virginia {{!}} McIntire Department of Music|url=https://music.virginia.edu/symphony|access-date=2022-01-11|website=music.virginia.edu}}</ref>

The Charlottesville area was the home of [[Thomas Jefferson]], [[James Madison]], and [[James Monroe]]. [[Monticello]], Jefferson's plantation manor, is located just a few miles from downtown. The home of [[James Monroe]], [[Ash Lawn-Highland]], is down the road from [[Monticello]]. About {{convert|25|mi|km}} northeast of Charlottesville lies the home of James and [[Dolley Madison]], [[Montpelier (James Madison)|Montpelier]]. During the summer, the Ash Lawn-Highland Opera Festival is held at the downtown Paramount Theater with a performance at Ash Lawn-Highland.

The nearby [[Shenandoah National Park]] offers recreational activities, scenic mountains and hiking trails. [[Skyline Drive]] is a scenic drive that runs the length of the park, alternately winding through thick forest and emerging upon sweeping scenic overlooks. The [[Blue Ridge Parkway]], a similar scenic drive that extends {{convert|469|mi|km}} south to [[Great Smoky Mountains National Park]] in [[North Carolina]], terminates at the southern entrance of Shenandoah, where it turns into Skyline Drive. This junction of the two scenic drives is only {{convert|22|mi|km}} west of downtown Charlottesville.

Charlottesville's [[downtown]] is a center of business for [[Albemarle County, Virginia|Albemarle County]]. It is home to the [[Downtown Mall]], one of the longest outdoor pedestrian malls in the nation, with stores, restaurants, theaters and civic attractions. The renovated [[Paramount Theater (Charlottesville, Virginia)|Paramount Theater]] hosts various events, including Broadway shows and concerts. Local theatrics downtown includes Charlottesville's community theater Live Arts. Other attractions on the Downtown Mall are the Virginia Discovery Museum and a 3,500 seat outdoor amphitheater, the Ting Pavilion (formerly the Sprint Pavilion and the nTelos Wireless Pavilion). Court Square, just a few blocks from the Downtown Mall, is the original center of Charlottesville and several of the historic buildings there date back to the city's founding in 1762.

Charlottesville also is home to the [[University of Virginia]] (most of which is legally in Albemarle County<ref>UVa's main grounds lie on the border of the City of Charlottesville and Albemarle County. Although maps may include this area within the city boundaries, most of it legally is in the county. Exceptions include the University Hospital, built in 1989 on land that remains part of the city. Detailed PDF maps are available at: {{cite web|url=http://www.web.virginia.edu/srem/teams/ |publisher=University of Virginia |title=Space and Real Estate Management: GIS Mapping |access-date=April 25, 2008}} See also: {{cite web|url=http://george.loper.org/trends/2001/Jul/94.html |date=July 2001 |title=Geographical Jurisdiction |work=Signs of the Times |first=George |last=Loper |access-date=April 25, 2008 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080416073405/http://george.loper.org/trends/2001/Jul/94.html <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archive-date = April 16, 2008}}</ref>). During the academic year, over 20,000 students enter Charlottesville to attend the university. Its main grounds are located on the west side of Charlottesville, with [[Thomas Jefferson]]'s Academical Village, known as [[the Lawn]], as the centerpiece. The Lawn is a long esplanade crowned by two prominent structures, [[The Rotunda (University of Virginia)|The Rotunda]] (designed by Jefferson) and Old Cabell Hall (designed by [[Stanford White]]). Along the Lawn and the parallel [[The Range (University of Virginia)|Range]] are dormitory rooms reserved for distinguished students. The University Programs Council is a student-run body that programs concerts, comedy shows, speakers, and other events open to the students and the community, such as the annual "Lighting of the Lawn".<ref>{{cite press release
 |url        = http://www.virginia.edu/uvatoday/newsRelease.php?id=3408
 |archive-url = https://archive.today/20121215055711/http://www.virginia.edu/uvatoday/newsRelease.php?id=3408
 |url-status   = dead
 |archive-date = December 15, 2012
 |title      = The University of Virginia's Historic Lawn Lights Up
 |publisher  = University of Virginia
 |date       = December 6, 2007
 |access-date = February 24, 2008
}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news
 | url = https://www.readthehook.net/stories/2007/12/13/PHOTOPHILE-Lawn-A.rtf.aspx
 | title = UVA illumination draws thousands
 | last = Kuhlman
 | first= Jay
 | work = The Hook
 | date = December 6, 2006
 | access-date = 2022-12-19
}}</ref> One block from The Rotunda, the University of Virginia Art Museum exhibits work drawn from its collection of more than 10,000 objects and special temporary exhibitions from sources nationwide. It is also home to the [[Judge Advocate General's Legal Center and School]] where all U.S. Army military lawyers, known as "JAGs", take courses specific to military law.

[[Image:2008-0830-Charlottesville-DowntownMall.jpg|thumb|right|Downtown Mall]]
[[The Corner (UVA)|The Corner]] is the [[commercial district]] abutting the main grounds of the University of Virginia along University Avenue. This area is full of college bars, eateries, and University merchandise stores, and is busy with student activity during the school year. Pedestrian traffic peaks during the university's home football games and graduation ceremonies. Much of the university's [[Fraternities and sororities|Greek life]] is on the nearby [[Rugby Road]], contributing to the nightlife and local bar scene. West Main Street, running from the Corner to the [[Downtown Mall]], is a commercial district of restaurants, bars, and other businesses.<ref>{{Cite news
 | url = https://www.readthehook.net/stories/2008/01/17/COVER-west%20main-C.rtf.aspx
 | title = West Main Street: Then and Now
 | last= McNair
 | first= Dave
 | date = January 17, 2008
 | work = The Hook
 | access-date = 2022-12-19
}}</ref>

Charlottesville is host to the annual [[Virginia Film Festival]] in October, the Charlottesville Festival of the Photograph in June, and the [[Virginia Festival of the Book]] in March. In addition, the [[Foxfield Races]] are [[Steeplechase (horse racing)|steeplechase]] races held in April and September of each year. A [[Independence Day (United States)|Fourth of July]] celebration, including a [[Naturalization]] Ceremony, is held annually at Monticello, and a [[First Night]] celebration has been held on the Downtown Mall since 1982.