This well-heeled college town has a lot going on between sunset and the wee hours. For a complete schedule, see Charlottesville Arts & Entertainment (www.artsmonthly.com) and the free newspapers C-Ville Weekly (www.c-ville.com) and The Hook (www.readthehook.com), all available at the visitor centers.
The two top performing arts centers are on the Downtown Mall. Built in 1931 and restored in 2004 after being dark for 30 years, The Paramount Theater, 215 E. Main St. (tel. 434/979-1922; www.theparamount.net), has showcased the diverse likes of Bill Cosby, Vince Gill, Sir James Gallway, and Arlo Guthrie. At the mall's eastern end, the outdoor but covered Charlottesville Pavilion (tel. 434/817-0220; www.charlottesvillepavilion.com) hosts concerts by nationally known artists as well as community events.
You can watch local theater at Live Arts, 123 E Water St. (tel. 434/977-4177; www.livearts.org), and Old Michie Theatre, 221 E. Water St. (tel. 434/977-3690; www.oldmichie.com), both near the Downtown Mall.
The University of Virginia has a constant and ever-changing parade of concerts, plays, lectures, and other events, most at the Culbreth and Helms Theatres of The University of Virginia and the Heritage Repertory Theatre, all at 109 Culbreth Rd. (tel. 434/924-3376; www.virginia.edu).
Like most college towns, Charlottesville sees numerous bands blasting away, especially on weekends. Even if you're hard of hearing, you can feel the music coming from the student-oriented bars around The Corner. The largest venue is Star Hill, 709 W. Main St. (tel. 434/977-0017; www.starhill.com), a restaurant, music hall, and brewery west of the Downtown Mall. On the mall, there's nighttime jazz or blues at Miller's, 109 W. Main St. (tel. 434/971-8511).
Unusual for a college town, The Prism, 214 Rugby Rd. (tel. 4340977-7476; www.theprism.org), allows neither alcohol nor tobacco during its acoustic, folkloric, and traditional roots concerts.
