Nightlife

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.

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. 877/CPAV-TIX [272-8849] or 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 for Youth and Puppetry Arts, 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, many at the Culbreth and Helms Theatres of The University of Virginia, both at 109 Culbreth Rd. (tel. 434/924-3376; www.virginia.edu/heritagetheatre).

The 14,500-seat John Paul Jones Arena, 295 Massie Rd. (tel. 434/243-4960; www.jonesarena.com), hosts UVA's basketball teams, traveling shows such as Disney on Ice, and concerts by leading artists such as Jimmy Buffett, James Taylor, and the hometown Dave Matthews Band.

Like most college towns, Charlottesville sees lesser known 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. Several Downtown Mall restaurants have live music on weekends, including Miller's, 109 W. Main St. (tel. 434/971-8511), where Dave Matthews tended bar before making it big.