It’s the most wonderful time of the year to Shop in Clarksville!  Our Merchants will be all decorated to get you in the Holiday Spirit by offering Special deals at CLARKSVILLE’S ANNUAL HOLIDAY OPEN HOUSE on November 22nd.  1- 5 PM! Christmas Music will be playing and be sure to get pictures with SANTA CLAUS… Wander, Shop, and Love all the savings to be had in Clarksville.

There will be a slight change with no open refreshments offered or carriage rides. But many of the stores will be open and we ask that all shoppers maintain social distancing and that you may have to wait in lines if the store has reached its max on occupancy. Please shop local and shop small.

Come and celebrate the fall season and enjoy our outdoor Fall Marketplace on the morning of Saturday, October 3rd, 2020, from 8 am to 3 pm. Traditionally this would have been our 25^th Annual Harvest Days Festival event usually with over 60 vendors, hayrides, kids activities, but we have had to modify it due to pandemic. So we are just holding an outdoor marketplace this year. We will have over 25 vendors spaced apart in a gated sectioned along Virginia Avenue (middle of 3^rd) to the pocket park offering seasonal crafts, specialty items, antiques, &  collectibles, In addition to the vendors, our one-of-a-kind specialty shops will have sidewalk sales and specials. Shop, Dine, and Explore Clarksville. Please adhere to all the safety guidelines. The road will be closed from the middle of 2^nd (Wells Fargo Ramp) to 5^th Street.

For more information contact the Clarksville Lake Country Chamber of Commerce 374-2436. Follow us on Facebook for all the updates

The 43^rd Annual Lakefest has been canceled. The Board of Directors of the Clarksville Chamber of Commerce has decided to cancel due to the Phase 3 restrictions in hosting large events, which would only allow 1000 attendees, and as we all know, Lakefest is a largely attended event. It wasn’t an easy decision due to the economic impact Lakefest had for the county but it is in our best interest for us to hold value to the wellbeing and safety of our community and for those attending.  

Coming anyway? WanderLove into Clarksville for some great sales, dine at our restaurants, and stay with us as we wind down the summer in Clarksville.

Thank you all for your support and understanding as we all get through this and know that there is Hope!

Sheila

The Clarksville Lake Country Wine Festival slated for August 29th has been canceled. The Board of Directors of the Clarksville Chamber of Commerce has decided to cancel the Wine Festival in light of the continuing presence of the COVID 19 virus in Mecklenburg County.  Executive Director Sheila Cuykendall has been working closely with the Health Department and the ABC to make the Festival as safe as possible.   Even though all protocols were followed, the Board felt the risk to the Town and its citizens was too great to take.  Director Cuykendall said “We are very disappointed to be forced to cancel but believe the health and welfare of the Town and all its citizens is a priority now.   We will be back next year with a bigger and better Festival.”

Ready for a road trip? Need to get away from the hustle and bustle of city life or just need to find your next getaway?  Make Clarksville on the Lake your next destination. We’re known for our fishing tournaments and beautiful lakeside views, but that’s just the surface appeal of this area. Dive a little deeper, and you’ll find things to do and see that will delight every member of the family, no matter their age or interests. At the Heart of It All: Clarksville. #wanderlove #clarksvilleva

June 25, 2020. It is with a heavy heart that the Chamber Board of Directors have all agreed that it is in the best interest of our community that we postpone the 43rd Annual Virginia Lake Festival to September 18th & 19th. Phase three starts July 1st and looking over the restrictions that the governor has cited limits the event beyond our control. We hung as long as we could hoping for the best, but we feel its best to reschedule to September where there may be fewer limitations. We know Lakefest is a huge economy booster for our community and this is why the decision was so hard to make. We hope everyone will understand and join us in September. It will be a grand event as we share the weekend with Lake Life Live and their rescheduled Embers concert which is being held on September 20th.
Thank you for your understanding and support

Sheila Cuykendall & the Chamber Board of Directors

The Board of Directors of the Clarksville Lake Country Chamber of commerce met Thursday, June 11th to discuss the status of the event and as of right now we still are moving forward with the scheduled event BUT will make the final decision June 26th. We collectively want to hold off postponing the event until we see what phase 3 is going to look like before we rushed to a decision, however, if we do decide not to have it in July we plan to reschedule to Sept 17-19^th.

We believe Lakefest brings economic value to our small businesses and we do plan to do the right thing at the end of the day. We just ask you give us more time to see what the governor restrictions are in Phase 3. We appreciate your patience in our decision.

There are parts of Lakefest that won’t be happening in July if it is still a go. The Balloon Tethering event is canceled. There will be no sand sculpture this year (unless we can find someone who does it between time) and the car show will not be at Century 21 on the Lake.

We have ordered Lakefest T-shirts and hope to have them available in a few weeks. If you are interested in sponsoring the Virginia Lake Festival, please contact us asap.

Thank you, Sheila, Executive Director of the Clarksville Lake Country Chamber of Commerce

The Big Lake Flea Market that was scheduled May 9th, is postponed. New applications with merged info will be up soon

“Stronger together” is our campaign motto for the 2020 Membership Drive here at the Clarksville Lake County Chamber of Commerce. Every January we send out well over 300 membership packet applications to partner with area businesses & organizations. In 2019, we reached an all-time high of had 239 members of the Clarksville Chamber.

Our primary purpose of this Chamber is to our members. Members are “preferred” businesses because they make the commitment to the purposes of the Chamber – to promote civic, economic, and area enterprises. Chamber members promote job readiness for youth, efficient public services, a positive business climate, and solid customer service. This Chamber refers only to investing members’ information throughout the year. We make thousands of referrals yearly via telephone, email and person-to-person, In our office alone, we handled more than 15,000 inquiries in 2019—phone calls, emails, social media contacts (Facebook) and people walking through our door, all asking questions and needing assistance with information.

We accomplished so much in 2019, and not without the help of our members! Together we have accomplished so much this year, and not without the help of our members! In 2019 we reached an all-time high of 239 members, held 12 main events: Wine Festival, Big Lake Flea Market, Lake Festival, Harvest Days, Trick or Treat the Avenue, Estate Planning Seminar, Fall Lamppost Decorating Contest, Holiday Open House, Christmas Parade, and our Christmas Social, plus 14 Saturdays hosting the new farm-fresh Marketplace events. A new addition this year was the Grand Tree Illumination and with the overwhelming support of the community, we were able to purchase an 18 ft tree. We had 9 “Business After Hours” events, 3 ribbon cuttings, assisted with 4th of July Parade, Cruise-ins/Lake Life Live concert series and started the new annual tradition, Tree Lighting event.

Not only does the Chamber organize, host and help at events, much time is spent providing the community with weekly news, bi-monthly newsletters, marketing efforts on Facebook & Twitter, and recruiting new members. The Chamber also assists visitors, promotes the coupon and Chamber Bucks programs, and continues to maintain the LOVE sign.
With the support of our members we are also able to purchase three NEW cameras streaming live videos of our beautiful downtown & lake views. We also, partnered with Microsoft and their project, providing our town with access to free Wi-Fi for downtown Clarksville.

This coming new year, we hope to accomplish even more, as we celebrate 50 years and hope that you know we could not do it without our members! Please join our organization for another successful year by joining our organization of businesses. We are stronger together! There is strength in numbers and we are looking forward to promoting you to the visitors & residents in this great community. Join in 2020!

Thank you, in advance, for supporting your Chamber and your community!

Christmas in Clarksville Open House

Make your holidays extra special by attending the Christmas in Clarksville Open House on Sunday, November 24th! Downtown merchants have made special plans to be open from 1-5 pm and help you to wrap up your holidays with one-of-a-kind special gift ideas, discounts and refreshments. In addition, Christmas music will be playing  your holiday favorites. Santa Claus will be at Santa Land located in Virginia Avenue Mall. Take a ride down Virginia Avenue in a horse drawn carriage, provide by B & W Carriage, of Buffalo Junction. Downtown Clarksville will be shining in its beautiful splendor of the holidays that take you back to Christmas of yesteryear.

Everyone is invited to come out and enjoy what Downtown Clarksville has to offer for the holidays. Remember that when you spend your money here, 1% of your tax dollars go back into our community!  SO…SHOP MECKLENBURG FIRST!

NEW EVENT!! Clarksville’s Grand Illumination Tree Lighting event. December 4^th

Come celebrate our new Christmas tree and lighting. There will be Christmas caroling, free refreshments, Santa Clause, & a whole lot of Christmas Cheer! 6pm  Downtown Clarksville.

Clarksville Christmas Parade

Kick off December by attending or participating in Clarksville’s annual Christmas Parade, December 6th at 6:30 pm. What’s more fun than marching December in with a Christmas Parade, cant think anything? Me either. So come enjoy the floats, bands, & see Santa in his sleigh!

It’s time to register for the Clarksville Christmas Parade ENTRY FORM must be received in the Clarksville Lake Country Chamber Office by Thursday, December 5th, to be eligible for the December 1st event. We are seeking participants—beauty queens, businesses, community clubs, organizations, churches, antique vehicles and others interested in making this the best parade to date.

The parade will be fun-filled with no competitions and each entry is required to adhere to the parade regulations below. The parade is hosted and sponsored by the Clarksville Chamber and the Town of Clarksville. For more info, contact the Chamber at (434) 374-2436.

RULES & REGULATIONS

• Registered entries only—deadline December 6th; NO Santa on any entry, Line-up format is provided when registering is completed.
• All entries must be decorated in a Christmas theme for the Holiday and abide with these parade rules and regulations
• No candy may be thrown from entries; walkers alongside may hand candy to the children.
• No sirens, horns or air-horns may be used.
• Drivers of all entries must have a valid driver’s license.
• No entry may halt the parade (only exception will be marching bands).
• Participants must be in line by 6:15 p.m. sharp; specific line-up location is provided with the registration form.
• The Parade Committee reserves the right to reject any and all entries for any reason before and during the parade. No inappropriate actions or displays will be tolerated.

Please be aware that Highway 58 Business will be closed to truck traffic (trucks will need to utilize the Highway 58 Bypass) from 6-8 pm. During this same time, Virginia Avenue (2nd to 9th Streets) will be closed to vehicle traffic from 6-8 pm. So parade preparations may be completed, parallel parking along the parade route will be eliminated beginning at 5 pm through the duration of the parade.

Come and celebrate the fall season the first Saturday in October at the Annual Harvest Days Festival! Saturday morning, vendors will line the streets facing the storefronts and sidewalks along Virginia Avenue offering seasonal crafts, specialty items, antiques, collectibles and antiquities (items of an era) from 9 am to 3 pm.

In addition to the vendors, the one-of-a-kind specialty shops and restaurants will offer specials throughout the downtown area, along with a host of games & crafts for the kids to participate in.

Come out and enjoy the beautiful autumn weather and the activities that are available. The event is opened to the public and there is no admission charge. This year the festival will continue into the late afternoon & evening with the Lake Country Cruise-in and last LAKE LIFE LIVE event for 2019. Steve Owens and Summertime is coming to Clarksville for the Lake Life Live: Beach & Brew Bash on October 5, 2019. “Bringing the Best of Beach Music to the Lake”, Gates open at 3:00!! This event will feature some of the best local and regional craft beers in Virginia!!  We are excited to add this element to our event!  (Check back later for a list – we promise you won’t want to miss this!) All vendors will have beverages available for purchase.

• 1st Place: Owl Hollow Creations, Virgilina, VA – Donald Honeycutt
• 2nd Place: Left of Center Pottery, Forest, VA – June Martin
• 3rd Place: J & M Crafts-Millersburg, PA – Martha And Joel (not pictured…Amish) this was a stand in LOL
• Honorable Mention: Plans of the Heart/Tots for Jesus, Waynesboro, VA – Pam Carter

6 pm-until (Lake Country Business Park, Noblin Farm Road). FREE Tethered Hot Air Balloon.

Due to the growing numbers we have modified the ages this year for the tethered ride to children ages 5-12 only.  Last ticket given out at 8:15! We will have a photos only balloon for the 4 & under age. Lakefest-Hot-Air-Balloons Lakefest Highlights start on Thursday…Come out and enjoy the beauty of the hot-air balloons! Bring your lawn chairs and blankets and spend the evening watching the balloons inflate and provide fun, FREE hot-air balloon rides for children 12 and younger. This event is scheduled for Thursday, July 16, starting at 6 pm at the Lake Country Business Park located on Noblin Farm Road (next to Clarksville Elementary School). Hot dogs, hamburgers, soft drinks will be available, courtesy of Sentara MeadowView Terrace. Children’s games, a dunking booth and other activities will be available at the event, too, all courtesy of Sentara Halifax Regional Health System. A minimal fee will be charged for the food and activities; however, all proceeds will be donated to the Southeastern Alzheimer’s Association.

With the weather cooperating (pilot can fly only when the wind is less than 10 mph and there are no storms within a 60 mile radius), all activities will continue until dusk. For more information, contact the Clarksville Lake Country Chamber of Commerce at 434-374-2436.

Friday, July 19th stop by the corner of 4th & Virginia Avenue, where sand artist, Ed Moore, of Sandy Feat, has already begun his larger-than-life creation, I wonder what it will be this year? Ed Moore has been coming here for many years and is a N.C. State University residence; he lives in Raleigh with his wife, Sally Moore.

The town will be busy preparing for the night’s activities as the main stage will be rolling in as well as a few selected vendors & Fun Time Amusements of Danville will be setting up all their machines for the all the children’s games & rides.  Around 6:30 pm everything should be set & placed into action. At 7 pm, we the night’s MC, Bill Baker will take stage and announce and bring our wonderful, sponsors to the stage! We couldn’t do it without them!!! Make sure you thank a sponsor if you see one!! Click here for to go to our Sponsor page. As soon as we are finished with taking the sponsor photo, the live entertainment for the evening takes stage….The FAB-Feature Attraction Band! 

We will be selling lakefest t-shirts by the Clarksville Ruritans Thrift Shop, and also raffle tickets for the Signs of Summer Fundraising Raffle, which the winner will be drawn at 9:30 that evening. Buggs Island Brewery will be here again this year offering their craft beer.

Opening night-July 19th at Live on Stage at 7:30 p.The Feature Attraction Band-starting all the way back in 1986, FAB began as “The Overtime Band” and they performed countless festivals, private and corporate events throughout the Southeast. Fast forward to 2014 and they brought together a dynamic group of musicians whose background consists of Blues, Southern Soul, Beach, Country and Rock. Nominated in 2017 for the Carolina Beach Music Association (CBMA) rising star award, this helped promote their music throughout the Carolinas. Their song “Sunny Day” was also included on the Patman and Robin Records compilation “Tranquil Bay” and their newest single “This One’s For the People” was recently released in October of 2018 on the Cape Fear Studio compilation “Carolina Moon”.

All of this combined has gained more airplay throughout Virginia and the Carolinas and FAB is looking forward to what 2019 has in store. From your intimate black tie affair to an outdoor festival playing to a crowd of thousands “Feature Attraction” delivers the same quality performance each and every time. The members of FAB have shared the stage with such artists as: Percy Sledge, Delbert McClinton, Clarence Carter, The Showmen, The Drifters, The Rhondels, Dan Peek and more. Available for Festivals, Corporate Functions, Clubs, Private Parties, Nightclubs, Weddings or any occasion where professional “100% LIVE” entertainment is desired. Be sure to visit their website by Clicking Here and find them on Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.