Thursday, March 28, 2024

Williamsburg Notebook: Free Symphony Concert Thursday

Arts month will be launched under the stars Thursday when the city and college host the Virginia Symphony. On Sept. 5, the Planning Commission will host a community forum on portions of the Comprehensive Plan. Read on for details.

Free Symphony Concert Launches Arts Month

The City of Williamsburg invites the community to celebrate the beginning of Arts Month at the Virginia Symphony Concert at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at the Lake Matoaka Amphitheatre.

The performance, held on the campus of The College of William & Mary, is open to the public and co-sponsored by the city, the college and W&M’s Student Assembly and Alma Mater Productions.

Associate Conductor Benjamin Rous will lead the “Symphony Under the Stars,” a prelude to the 2012-13 program. It features selections by Mozart, Rossini, Scott Joplin, Marvin Hamlisch and more.

Guests should bring beach chairs and blankets, along with personal coolers and picnic baskets. External alcohol is not allowed, but wine will be available for purchase on site. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and in the event of inclement weather, the performance will be held in Phi Beta Kappa Hall off Jamestown Road.

The amphitheatre is located at 121 Ukrop Way.

Learn more about Arts Month here.

Workshop to Focus on Google for Business

W3 Consulting President Ray Sidney-Smith will present a workshop on services Google offers for small businesses from 2 to 4 p.m. Aug. 28 at the Williamsburg Community Building.

Sidney-Smith’s presentation will touch on Google’s free and low-cost options that can help save businesses money.

The seminar is free, and is recommended for small business owners, entrepreneurs, office and retail managers and supervisors and executive and administrative assistants. Click toregister for the event.

Planning Commission to Host Comp Plan Forum

The Williamsburg Planning Commission will host a community forum on the 2012 Comprehensive Plan at 7 p.m. Sept. 5 at the Williamsburg Community Building.

The commission specifically seeks input on the updates for the Downtown and Midtown Planning Areas.

The Downtown Planning Area is centered on Merchant’s Square and extends north to the Governor’s Inn, south to Mimosa Drive and west to the Hospitality House.

The Midtown Planning Area includes the Arts District, the Williamsburg and Monticello Shopping Centers, Richmond Road from Monticello Ave. to Bypass Road, the Lawson apartments and the School of Education.

Read the draft chapters of the plan here.

City Receives Highest Honor for Performance Management

The International City-County Management Association (ICMA) has recognized the city with a Certificate of Excellence from the ICMA Center for Performance Management.

The certificate is the highest level of recognition, and the city is one of only 26 jurisdictions in the country receiving the honor. The only other Virginia jurisdiction is Fairfax County.

The certificate program assesses a local government’s performance management program and encourages analysis of results by comparing to peers and gauging performance over time. Criteria include: reporting of performance data to the public; data verification; staff training and use of data in strategic planning and decision-making.

Tickets On Sale for Oct. Gallery Crawl

The Williamsburg Economic Development Authority sold its first tickets to residents Allie Lewis and Corey Miller for the second Gallery Crawl.

The crawl, which will visit the city’s art showcases, will be from 5 to 11 p.m. Oct. 4. The event is one of several planned activities for Arts Month, including a celebration of plein air (outdoor) painting and contemporary artisans on Sept. 29.

During the crawl, chartered buses will transport participants to 18 locations across town to sample wine and food while taking in works of art. The $40 ticket includes a keepsake wine glass that serves as “admission” to each gallery.

Find more information here.

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