Charlottesville & Albemarle County Feature an Array of Festivals This April

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA--(Marketwired - April 04, 2013) - Charlottesville and Albemarle County will feature a great selection of local festivals in the upcoming weeks. These festivals will celebrate everything from innovation and wine to flowers, creatures and steeple chase races. Here are some of these events not to be missed.

The Dogwood Festival celebrates the arrival of spring in a big way, April 4 through the 21. Featuring an array of events such as a pageant, parade, concert and a long-awaited carnival, this Festival is named in honor of the official flower of the state of Virginia. This year marks the 64th anniversary of the Charlottesville Dogwood Festival. http://www.charlottesvilledogwoodfestival.org/

Coming back with a bang for a second year with a revamped, condensed event with 96 hours of catalyzing innovation converging music, art, design and technology, the Tom Tom Founders Festival invites everyone to join in this unique happening from April 11 through the 14. Tom Tom will transform historic downtown Charlottesville with four days of public talks, concerts, events and creative energy. Some of the many highlights are: Tom Talks (TED-style talks featuring local innovators making an impact nationally), more than 60 concerts, and Tom Yum (to showcase local farmers, fresh food and a Pop-Up Park with live Roots & Americana music). http://tomtomfest.com/

The second edition of the Taste of Monticello Wine Trail festival will take place on Saturday, April 13 at the nTelos Wireless Pavilion, in the heart of Downtown Charlottesville. Featuring over 25 local wineries, this event gives visitors the opportunity to taste a vast variety of local wines, all under one roof. VIP packages are available and all proceeds benefit the Jeffersonian Wine Grape Grower's Society. http://monticellowinetrailfestival.com/

The Creatures are coming... and they will astound you! The Stan Winston Arts Festival of the Moving Creature, held on Saturday, April 20, will feature Creatures built by University of Virginia students from Architecture, Studio Art, and Drama. These students were involved in a yearlong collaborative workshop to research, to design, and to construct creatures, led by master creature builders from the Stan Winston Studios, who gave birth to some of the most famous creatures ever for the Alien, Jurassic Park, Terminator and Iron Man motion pictures, to only name a few. The Creatures will be joined by other performing artists for an experience like no other. Admission is free. http://www.virginia.edu/arts/visual_arts/events/moving_creature/index.php

A true Charlottesville tradition not to be missed is the Foxfield Spring Races, which will be held on Saturday, April 27. For over 30 years The Foxfield Racing Association has provided a beautiful setting for the equestrian sport of steeple chasing. The alluring but challenging Foxfield course was designed to attract Thoroughbred owners and trainers, and to provide the jockey and his mount with a beautiful ride over rolling lush green turf. This year's event also features a Beach Party with live music by The Embers. http://foxfieldraces.com/spring.cfm

The Charlottesville area comes alive, throughout the year, with countless festivals, special events, concerts and more. The official destination website offers a complete calendar of events at http://www.visitcharlottesville.org/visitors/calendar-of-events/.

About the CACVB
In addition to providing a wealth of information on the area to individual visitors, the CACVB assists tour operators, meeting planners, reunions and other groups to find attractions, restaurants, hotels, and other visitor related businesses. Its mission is "to enhance the economic prosperity of City and County by promoting, selling and marketing the City of Charlottesville and County of Albemarle, as a destination, in pursuit of the meetings and tourism markets."

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