Southern Virginia’s Largest Event!

We invite you to come to “LAKEFEST”!The 46th annual event has added some NEW features and events. Starting with adding Sunday this year. So if you can’t make it on Saturday, join us on Sunday with over 40 vendors, live music, and fun. Lakefest is usually pretty hot, so we invited a few winter guests to bring some cool weather and vibes. What does Santa do on his off time? He comes to the Lake! Summer Santa citings throughout the three days, and on Saturday Olaf & Elsa will be here, it’s like Christmas in July. Decorate your boat for our Summer Santa/Christmas in July theme for loads of fun.

Schedule:

Friday, July 21, 2023

7:00pm: Opening Night Ceremonies and Activities - 416 Virginia Avenue/Lake Life Live Park

Join us as we honor our 2023 Virginia Lake Festival Sponsors at 7 pm. Located this year at 416 Virginia Avenue/Lake Life Live Park. Lakefest t-shirts & Raffle at Chamber Booth,  Craft Beer is available for purchase (Friday night only), a selection from BIB (Buggs Island Brewery), and the NEW addition is the Woodbine Winery will also be here Friday night. No coolers or outside alcohol are permitted at the event. Food is provided by Off the Chain and the Cottage Barn.  Check out all our fabulous sponsors https://clarksvilleva.com/festivals-celebrations/clarksville-lake-festival/#/

Rides, Games and Special Guest:

For the last seven years, Paul Jackson, Helicopter Pilot, has been flying the friendly skies and giving our Lakefest visitors rides over Clarksville and the Lake. Take advantage of seeing Lake Country from the air this year, it is a memory you will never forget. Rides will be available starting Friday evening, at the Food Lion lawn area & Saturday for most of the day. It is $50 per person to ride.

Friday Night Live Music:

7:30pm: Live on Stage– Main Street Station!

Based in Richmond, Main Street Station is one of the hottest new country/rock bands on the Central Virginia music scene. Offering a fun, high-energy style with the best in Country, Classic Rock, Soul, and Pop. The driving force behind the sound is Acoustic Guitarist / Vocalist “Barefoot Joe” McMinn and powerhouse female Vocalist Lori Sclater. Their incredible harmonies are complemented by Lead Guitarist / Vocalist Mike Sisler. The rhythm section of Matt Bottone on Bass and Mike Scott on Drums provides the foundation of the band’s rock-solid groove. With experience ranging from local venues to large regional festivals to supporting major national tours, Main Street Station is ready to provide an unforgettable entertainment experience. Influences include Blake Shelton, Aretha Franklin, AC/DC, Hank Williams, Jr., Thomas Rhett, Prince, Jason Aldean, Miranda Lambert, John Mellencamp, Guns-N-Roses, Tim McGraw, Garth Brooks, Lady Antebellum, Old Dominion, The Band Perry, Blackberry Smoke, Tom Petty, and Dave Matthews to name just a few.

Saturday, July 22, 2023

7:30am - 9:00am: Lakefest 5k and Fun Run at Intersection of Hwy 58 and Hwy 15

LAKEFEST/YMCA 5K RACE 2023

Participants will run/walk straight across the bridge into Clarksville. There will be lots of inclines and declines. They will loop by the lake and through the historic homes of Clarksville. Race times are tracked with the chip timing system.

Click Here for Registration

Hot Air Balloon Show:

Saturday and Sunday AM and Saturday PM. For the safety of all pilots, flights only occur in select weather conditions. Should there be storms in a 60-mile radius, or winds locally greater than 10 mph–flights will be canceled. Pilots will meet at the Clarksville Community Center on Woodland Drive across from the Food Lion lot around 6:30 to see the location of the wind to determine where they will be lifting off.

Juried Arts and Crafts Show Saturday:

We are hosting over 175 vendors ranging from Crafts, Food, Non-profits & Retail items. Vendors this year are coming not only from Virginia, but also from other states: Florida, Ohio, North and South Carolina, Alabama, Maryland, and Georgia. We have lots of new & exciting booths this year, from amazing woodworking, acrylic and oil paintings, pottery, jewelry, items to be personalized on the spot, clothing, home accessories, and even homemade pet food and attire… just to name a few. VIRGINIA AVENUE from 9th through 2nd and Business Bridge will be CLOSED ALL DAY from 4 am to 11 pm.

Food and Beverages:

We have a full plate of food offering this year from Thai, Mediterranean, Greek, African, BBQ & Kono Pizza! For the sweet tooth, Homemade ice cream anyone? check out the Amish booth…also it would not be a festival without funnel cakes, deep-fried candy bars, & Oreos to ice, and smoothies, Lemonade is great for a hot day! NEW this year is a Sober Mobile Bar which is a non-alcoholic beverage truck. There will be lots of food to tempt you but nothing like the Smell and aroma of kettle corn, popcorn, cotton candy & more! All here on Saturday.

Sand art:

Lakefest is thrilled to announce we have John Gowdy & Laura Cimador-Gowdy from Atlantic City, New Jersey, who will be returning to the 46th Annual Virginia Lake Festival. He is a retired captain from the Atlantic City Fire Department having served 27 years, half of those years in the rank of captain. He has dedicated the rest of his life to the arts. May it be painting, sculpture, or the performance of both together. The duo recently achieved 2nd Place Masters Duo, John, and Laura Gowdy at the annual Texas SandFest Competition (April 12, 2022) Photos by Kastle Kelley.

“My team and I have been carving sand for over 30 years professionally. I work with my lovely wife Laura. We have won many national, international, and world-class first-place awards in just about every master sand sculpture competition on the planet. Our greatest and most often won prize is “people’s choice”. We love pleasing the people who look at our sand displays and experience an emotional feeling from them. https://www.johngowdy.com/

Rides, Games and Special Guest:

For the last seven years, Paul Jackson, Helicopter Pilot, has been flying the friendly skies and giving our Lakefest visitors rides over Clarksville and the Lake. Take advantage of seeing Lake Country from the air this year, it is a memory you will never forget. Rides will be available starting Friday evening, at the Food Lion lawn area & Saturday for most of the day. It is $50 per person to ride.

For Saturday only…We are doing something different this year with the rides and games, there will be a super slide, rock wall, Surf the waves, and Golf Simulator & photo booth. Tickets for these will be available at the Chamber booth located in front of Town Hall on Saturday. You can purchase a golden ticket which will allow you to have unlimited use of these ticketed features.

We will still have our free trackless train offering rides on Saturday from 9:30 to 3 pm. Pick-up and Drop off locations are next to Hite’s and Ayala’.

Special Guests From Party Princess Productions of Raleigh, we will have Disney Characters will be here for a short time from 10:30-1:30. Elsa & Olaf.

9am - 5pm: Lakefest Classic Car Show - TouchstoneBank Parking Lot

In 2019, The Lakefest Antique Auto Show celebrated 25 years, now called Lakefest Classic Car Show will be held in the parking lot of TouchstoneBank 701 Virginia Avenue… Each vehicle will receive a dash plaque for its entry.

Enter your Classic automobiles by filling out an application, $10 entry, and $20 day of show. You can register online at HERE or call us at the Chamber Office at 434-374-2436

Reigster

Saturday Night Live Music:

Central Virginia’s Premier 80’s Tribute Band

Mad Maxx & The Groove Train Band love to perform & it shows! It’s a high energy, crowd-interactive, and loads of fun! No matter the occasion, you CAN’T resist the dance floor. With their charismatic stage presence and high-energy performance of classic hits from the 80s and beyond, Mad Maxx & The Groove Train Band will take your next event on a time-warped trip…  Back to the Future

Sunday, July 23, 2023

Early morning hot air balloon show.

Hot Air Balloon Show:

Saturday and Sunday AM and Saturday PM. For the safety of all pilots, flights only occur in select weather conditions. Should there be storms in a 60-mile radius, or winds locally greater than 10 mph–flights will be canceled. Pilots will meet at the Clarksville Community Center on Woodland Drive across from the Food Lion lot around 6:30 to see the location of the wind to determine where they will be lifting off.

9am to 3pm

A variety of vendors located from 2nd to 5th Street ( approx 40), Live music, adult beverages available, and sip with Santa.

Music starts at 11:30 with Justin Cody Fox and 1:45 the High Grass Band will finish out the event

Justin Cody Fox:

Is a Blues/Rock powerhouse with a double-threat vocal and guitar prowess that’s been forged in fire since his early jump into the music industry at just 15 years old. Justin began honing his skills at a young age on late-night family jams and developed an early appreciation for songwriting by exploring his parent’s record collection. By the time Justin had formed his first band he was already gaining regional attention as one of the premiere performers on the NC coast. Some of Justin’s early influences included guitarists Stevie Ray Vaughn and Jimi Hendrix, as well as Rock bands The Black Crowes, Humble Pie, The Faces, and Tom Petty. Over the years Justin has written and recorded six albums and toured up and down the East Coast, Southern US and The Virgin Islands, sharing the stage with many great national acts.

Justin’s debut release ( Go Down Swinging ) was more of an upbeat statement as Brian Tucker of Star News notes: ” In a way, this album is like sunshine, especially in the aftermath of good and bad things over the last few years.” Tucker is referencing the tragic loss of Justin’s younger brother at just 17 years old in 2009, which undoubtedly changed his life and music forever. These events created an outpouring of songs still to this day.

Date: July 21 - 23, 2023

Location: Downtown Clarksville, VA 23927.

Click Here for More Information