26 Venues Participating In First Fridays of the Valley March 7

HARRISONBURG, VA – Arts Council of the Valley (ACV) is delighted to share its March First Fridays of the Valley lineup, featuring arts programming at 26 venues around the City of Harrisonburg and Rockingham County! A list of venues, online map, and additional information about Mar 7 events are available at valleyarts.org/first-fridays-of-the-valley/. We appreciate Kathy Moran Wealth Group, Exclusive Sponsor for the 2025 First Fridays of the Valley program.

The following First Fridays of the Valley venues plan to offer arts experiences March 7. Unless otherwise noted, events are scheduled 5-7 pm.

• Arts Incarnate (75 N Mason St) showcases paintings by Nick Martori in March. Visit during this opening reception to enjoy the artwork and sample light refreshments. artsincarnate.com
• Asbury United Methodist Church (205 S Main St) offers live music and a children’s art exhibit. Delight in old and new tunes from the Appalachian fiddle tradition with a performance (featuring cello, guitar, fiddle, and mandolin) by Perry Blosser and Jesse Reist of local string band, The Rain Pickers! Refreshments will be available during the event. asburydowntown.org
• Bridgewater Retirement Community (210 Virginia Ave - Bridgewater) joins the First Fridays of the Valley lineup with a new art exhibition: Opening Minds through Art (OMA). This show is filled with works in a variety of media by Bridgewater Retirement Community residents. Stop by the opening reception to enjoy the art, partake of light refreshments, and learn more about the OMA program. facebook.com/events/2018923751934875/
• City of Harrisonburg (409 S Main St) hosts an opening reception at City Hall for Hearts and Hoofbeats, an exhibition of drawings and photographs by Joey and Laura Lezotte. Stop by to have a look around the display and meet the artists themselves. harrisonburgva.gov/city-hall-first-fridays
• Court Square Theater (41-F Court Square) hosts Rocktown Improv for another evening of live, improvisational theatre. Join this group of local actors and improv artists - who craft unscripted scenes through games and audience suggestions - for an outrageously fun performance at 7:30 pm (doors open at 7 pm). A $5 donation at the door is appreciated. courtsquaretheater.org/event/rocktown-improv
• Draime Fine Art Studio School (1153 S High St) welcomes your visit to an open house event featuring works in a variety of media by several local artists! Swing by 6-8 pm to see what students have been making lately. draimefineart.com/
• Explore More Discovery Museum (150 S Main St) invites you to join in the opening celebration for this year’s Artists and Apprentices exhibition; discover works in a variety of media by artists Bahir al Badry, Susan Elliott, Brenda Hounshell, Ver Ikeseh, Wendy Lam, Arnita Taliaferro, and their students! Chat with the artists and sample refreshments. iexploremore.com/
• Frame Factory & Gallery (139 N Liberty St, Ste 101) shares two brand new exhibitions that await your discovery: Snakes & Angels by Jayme Driver & Lynn Lough and Nature V Nurture by Tyler Kauffman. Celebrate both of these exciting painting exhibitions at the opening reception where you can also meet the artists and enjoy some snacks! facebook.com/events/1668203944098286/
• Friendly City Food Co-op (150 Wolfe St) introduces Terrestrial by Kate Duffy; this exhibition of screen print collage explores the relationship between art and nature. Check it out and meet the artist during the opening reception. Refreshments will be available. friendlycity.coop/harrisonburg-events-classes/
• Friendly City Real Estate Services (52 E Market St) opens a new exhibition of acrylic paintings in Fragmented Realities by Ver Ikeseh! Refreshments will be available at the reception. facebook.com/profile.php?id=61563582636736
• Furious Flower Poetry Center (500 Cardinal Drive) shares Sea Changes, curated by Bethany Nowviskie and Kimberly Gillette, in the Broadside Gallery. Connect with these poetry broadsides, meet the curators, and sample light refreshments. jmu.edu/furiousflower
• Gaines Group Architects (141 W Bruce St, Suite 201) features an exhibition of paintings by Cherlyn Shanahan: Pastorale. Admire the works, connect with the artist, and enjoy refreshments at the opening reception. facebook.com/events/2302805566765624/
• Gift & Thrift (731 Mt Clinton Pike) highlights the vocal stylings of a cappella group Striking Accord. Stop by throughout the evening to enjoy this musical performance. facebook.com/events/3040763979408980
• Hess Financial (380 E Market St) announces an opening reception for John C. Myers Elementary School Student Art Show, commemorating Youth Art Month with an exhibition of student-made paintings. Visit between 4 and 7pm to enjoy! Refreshments will be provided. facebook.com/events/9456142681112921/?

• Horizon Gifts and Board Games (60 W Market St) invites you to explore handcrafted jewelry; works in clay and resin; and more by artist Midnight Alleycat! Enjoy the showcased work and refreshments during this reception. facebook.com/events/s/march-first-friday-w-midnight-/998976685438385/

• Hotel Madison & Shenandoah Valley Conference Center (710 S Main St) celebrates the opening (5-7 pm in the mezzanine gallery) of SVWS at HOTEL MADISON, featuring watercolor and acrylic paintings by Shenandoah Valley Watercolor Society Signature Members. Meet the artists and then catch live music by singer-songwriter Sarah Wilcox - playing a mix of folk and jazz - in the lobby from 6 to 8 pm. Food and beverages are available for purchase at Quills lobby bar and Monty’s Restaurant. hotelmadison.com
• JMU @ Harrisonburg Innovation Hub (25 N Liberty St) hosts an evening filled with both visual and performing arts, including an exhibition by JMU MFA students as well as choreography and a performance by Javier Padilla Garcia. Enjoy the JMU MFA Exhibit with Faculty Dance Performance 5-7 pm; stick around 7-8 pm for an Arts Impact Panel - Arts as Social Practice - with panelists Amanda K Gross, Mona Merhi, and Greg Stewart; moderated by Kathryn Nusa Logan. facebook.com/events/1004054664918248/
• Look West Gallery at The Mark-It (125 W Water St) presents Unearthing by artist Julia Koehler; this exhibition of acrylic and mixed media pieces opens with a reception and an opportunity to meet the artist! facebook.com/events/516978928086499/
• Mashita (105 N Liberty St) opens a display of collage and illustrated works by returning artist Jessa Kinney in What I Have to Work With. Visit the restaurant during open hours to have a look! eatmashita.com
• Northwestern Mutual (83 S Main St) features Agnieszka Elliott’s oil paintings with an opening reception; sample light refreshments as you enjoy Aga’s work. northwesternmutual.com/office/va/harrisonburg/86244590/

• North Wing Gallery at Sage Bird Ciderworks (325 N Liberty St) shares Parts of A Whole, a mixed media exhibition by artists of James Madison University’s chapter of the co-ed International Honorary Art Fraternity Kappa Pi. Chat with the artists, enjoy some complimentary charcuterie, and connect with the featured artwork during the 5-8 pm opening reception. Karaoke will follow! facebook.com/events/1616079549017607/

• OASIS Fine Art & Craft (103 S Main St) highlights 8X8, an exhibition of works by several local artists. Meet those artists and jam out to live music by The Nick Branson Continuum during the reception. There will be refreshments! facebook.com/events/1378886563475281/

• Rootstock Wine Bar and Provisions (86 W Gay St) hosts an opening reception for Perception, Justin Poole’s exhibition of vibrant oil paint and oil pastel pieces! Check out these works and meet the artist himself. facebook.com/events/1346520063015694/
• Smith House Galleries (311 S Main St) invites you to the opening reception for the ninth annual artVISION: Rockingham County Public Schools Youth Art Month Show! Supported by Rockingham County and Rockingham Educational Foundation, Inc, this exhibition features artwork by 100 students in Rockingham County Public Schools. Meet the awesome art teachers, enjoy the students’ creative work, and sample light refreshments. valleyarts.org/smith-house-galleries-current-exhibition/
• Stoney Run Artisans & Highland Designs (9945 McGaheysville Rd - McGaheysville) hosts an opening reception from 3 to 7 pm, featuring an array of oil and acrylic paintings, wooden works, and more. The evening features time with the artist as well as refreshments and live guitar music (4-6 pm) by Doug Gilbert. stoneyrunartisans.com/
• Ten Thousand Villages (181 S Main St) puts artist Jim Clymer in the spotlight; stop by to meet the featured maker and check out his handmade, wood-based art. tenthousandvillages.com/harrisonburg

Other 2025 First Fridays of the Valley participating venues are: Aristocat Cafe, Chestnut Ridge Coffee Roasters, Creative Art Studio and Event Center, Duke Hall Gallery of Fine Art, Fairfield Mediation Center, Friendly City Clay & Art Center, Harrisonburg Baptist Church, Pale Fire Brewing Co., Park Gables Gallery at VMRC, Rebecca’s Well Gift Shop (Bridgewater), Three Notch’d Valley Collab House, and The Wing Gallery at The Perch.

Arts Council of the Valley is located at 311 South Main Street in Downtown Harrisonburg, Virginia. Programs are supported in part by ACV 25th Anniversary Presenting Sponsor Kathy Moran Wealth Group, and 25th Anniversary Visionary Sponsor Riner Rentals.

A 501(c)3 nonprofit, ACV is dedicated to cultivating the arts, creating experiences, and connecting communities throughout the City of Harrisonburg and Rockingham County. Since it was established in 2000, ACV has grown into a multi-faceted community organization that fosters innovative partnerships among area businesses, civic organizations, schools, and artists. Today, ACV manages Court Square Theater and Smith House Galleries, funds local art projects through its Advancing the Arts grant program (awarding more than $510,200 since 2001), supports public art initiatives, and coordinates monthly First Fridays of the Valley community gatherings.
ACV is supported in part by the City of Harrisonburg, the Harrisonburg Redevelopment & Housing Authority, and the Virginia Commission for the Arts, which receives support from the Virginia General Assembly and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency. To learn more, visit valleyarts.org.

This press release was provided by Martha Hemingway at Arts Council of the Valley.