So that you’ve heard ‘Wealthy Males North of Richmond’ and began looking round for details about Oliver Anthony. And in case you’re nonetheless looking, our story right here may also help with that. However you’ve probably heard about how he labored a number of plant jobs in western North Carolina, then bought into outdoors gross sales within the industrial manufacturing world. After which you will have heard about Prince Edward County, the place he lives and this place known as Farmville. 

Since there’s “farm” within the identify, we’ve seen quite a few jokes and wordplay pop up concerning the city over the previous few weeks. A few of it’s been inventive and different components, nicely, not a lot. A pair even ventured into what we’d name offensive, feeding off stereotypes about Appalachia and this a part of Central Virginia. 

So to stability that out, we thought The Herald ought to act as a journey information of types, offering an introduction to the City of Farmville and the whole lot there may be to do and see right here. Allow us to introduce you to this place….

Farmville is a two faculty city

This place is house to each Longwood College and Hampden-Sydney Faculty. Each of Longwood’s basketball groups are within the March Insanity hunt annually, each have made it to the dance not too long ago and now, with a brand new coliseum, Longwood is bidding to host the Large South match, which you’ll examine right here. It’s additionally price declaring that Longwood’s males’s basketball group simply completed a street journey to Europe, the place they beat three groups in Paris. We really feel like one other March Insanity run may very well be brewing. 

Hampden-Sydney additionally is aware of what it’s prefer to be in March Insanity, as they danced into the second spherical of the D-III match final 12 months. That is certainly one of Virginia’s oldest faculties, after which tenth oldest within the U.S., because it was based in 1775.

It’s not nearly sports activities. Hampden-Sydney reveals up within the Princeton Overview’s record of the Finest 389 Faculties in a number of methods. The college’s ranked first in most lively scholar authorities, second for finest faculty library, third in most politically lively college students, sixth in friendliest college students and ninth in scholar love for school groups. 

The group packed out Willett Corridor one final time on Saturday, Feb. 25, for the constructing’s last sport. (Photograph by Connor Thompson)

There’s at all times one thing occurring  

That’s not an exaggeration. Virtually every single day of the week, you’ll discover one thing occurring right here, be it trivia over at Three Roads Brewing, actions at Excessive Bridge State Park, sports activities occasions and audio system at Longwood College. Or perhaps you wish to see the following Oliver Anthony earlier than they hit it massive.

There are at all times three to 4 locations on the town with a musician performing in the course of the week. That features North Road Press Membership, Charley’s Waterfront Cafe and Three Roads Brewing, to call a number of. For those who stick round for the weekend, there’s an excellent probability no less than one church is holding a meal of some variety. 

Our newest group calendar covers who’s taking part in and the place for the following few weeks. 

There’s some distinctive spots right here 

By that, we’re speaking concerning the shops, outlets and eating places. As a substitute of specializing in chain shops, you’ll discover household owned and operated outlets right here. A few of these shops are on the third era and nonetheless going robust. We’ve bought locations like Walker’s Diner which were in enterprise for the reason that Nineteen Fifties, together with newer openings just like the Uptown Cafe, North Road Press Membership and Charley’s.

If you wish to get provides straight from the supply, we’ve bought locations like Miller’s Nation Retailer, the place you’ll be able to seize a recent donut, spices freshly floor up or a carton of Farmville-raised eggs. Learn extra about it right here. 

A state park runs by means of Farmville

No, that’s not an exaggeration. We’ve got Excessive Bridge State Park, which connects with downtown. You possibly can park in downtown and decide one of many trails to go exploring at Excessive Bridge, a spot the place you’ll routinely see wildlife, hike by means of nature and participate in a ton of crafts and actions.

The park’s centerpiece is the Excessive Bridge, which is greater than 2,400 ft lengthy and 125 ft above the Appomattox River. Initially constructed within the 1850s, the bridge was a part of the Southside Railroad operating between Petersburg and Lynchburg. It was additionally the positioning of the Battle of Excessive Bridge in April 1865, with the outcomes taking part in a job in Common Lee’s retreat in the course of the last days of the conflict. The bridge was utterly rebuilt in 1914 and by 2005, its proprietor on the time, Norfolk Southern, turned it over to the Virginia Division of Conservation and Recreation. Excessive Bridge formally opened as a state park on April 6, 2012.

You can click on right here to learn concerning the park’s newest growth plans. After which there’s a ghost story of types surrounding the park, a thriller nonetheless being investigated. 

A have a look at the doorway in downtown Farmville to Excessive Bridge State Park.

Let’s discuss free films

For those who like basic films from everywhere in the world, we’ve bought you lined there too. The Excessive Bridge Theater in downtown places out weekly free films for everybody. Proper now, they’ve simply wrapped up a sequence of B films, ending with the unique 1980 model of Flash Gordon. The theater belongs to Longwood College, which holds quite a few films, discussions and different group occasions on the 50-seat venue. 

Farmville has a theater firm

The Waterworks Gamers have carried out in Farmville for practically 50 years. The group was began by Dudley Sauve within the Nineteen Seventies, when he began doing theater productions at Southside Virginia Group Faculty in Keysville. The group moved to the decrease eating corridor at Longwood College, the place Sauve was a professor, earlier than transferring to an outdated water remedy plant within the Eighties that’s now house to the Farmville Hearth Division. That’s how they bought the Waterworks identify. Now they’re in a everlasting location at 25 SMI Means. 

You additionally might know a number of of the performers who’ve handed by means of over time. Steven Colbert, for instance, carried out in “The Good Physician” in 1984, whereas attending Hampden-Sydney Faculty. Others moved as much as Broadway after acting on the Waterworks stage. 

And whereas Waterworks produces something from comedy to drama, the large present annually includes Christmas pantomines. Pantomines, additionally known as pantos, are a little bit of musical theater. They turned standard in England in the course of the seventeenth century. A few of the viewers come wearing costume, ready to be concerned within the story in some unspecified time in the future. These are well-known tales or function well-known characters to assist the viewers know what’s occurring, or no less than what is meant to. Many instances the plot is primary and offers the actors the chance so as to add related jokes and produce the viewers in with out worrying about distracting from the overarching story.

A have a look at the solid of the pantomime efficiency by the Waterworks Gamers.

Really feel like a celebration?

We’ve got festivals in Farmville all year long, with the following one coming in September, celebrating the makers, the farmers, crafters and musicians on this area, higher referred to as “The Coronary heart of Virginia”. This upcoming model would be the forty third version of Coronary heart of Virginia. 

Initially only a one-day occasion, it served as nearly a summer season kickoff, happening in early Could. But it surely was moved to fall to attempt to embrace extra components of the group. Being held in Could meant the semester had ended for many Longwood College and Hampden-Sydney Faculty college students. At that time, the bulk had already packed up and headed house. By holding it in September, extra faculty college students can participate. Additionally, it’s usually held now on Longwood’s Household Weekend, so mother and father and different relations can become involved as nicely.

In 1978, the Coronary heart of Virginia Competition bought began with an artwork present. That custom continues, bringing artists from across the area to exhibit and promote their supplies. However now it’s expanded, with musical performances, meals, magic reveals and different leisure.

Let’s stroll by means of Farmville historical past

Lastly, let’s discuss our museums, of which there are a number of. You possibly can drop in downtown to go to the Longwood Middle for the Visible Arts, however earlier than that, we recommend stopping in at Moton. The Moton Museum is situated within the former Robert Russa Moton Excessive College, thought of “the coed birthplace of America’s Civil Rights Motion” for its preliminary scholar strike and supreme position within the 1954 Brown v. Board of Schooling case desegregating public faculties.

Already declared a Nationwide Historic Landmark, it’s up for dialogue as a possible World Heritage website.

And all of this barely scratches the floor. We nonetheless haven’t lined the Middle for Group Music, the city splashpad, Greenfront Furnishings and quite a few different issues that make Farmville distinctive. So in case you’re on the town for this week’s live performance or sooner or later, simply take a stroll round. It’s price a glance.