Arts Council of the Valley Opens Venue Registration for 2026 First Fridays of the Valley

HARRISONBURG, VA – Arts Council of the Valley (ACV) invites Harrisonburg-Rockingham venues
to register for the 2026 First Fridays of the Valley program, providing opportunities for local
artists, while offering participating businesses and nonprofits a chance to expand their audience
of residents and visitors.

Locations are asked to provide visual, literary, and/or performing arts experiences the first Friday of each month from 5 to 7 pm (hours may differ, depending on the needs of each site). Visual art displays are changed at least every other month, to attract repeat visitors by showcasing different artists. Kathy Moran Wealth Group is 2025 First Fridays of the Valley Exclusive Sponsor.

“We have 41 venues this year,” said ACV Executive Director Jenny Burden, “and we hope even more locations - including additional Rockingham County businesses - will join us in creating an exciting year of First Fridays arts experiences in 2026.”

Three Bridgewater locations are participating this year: Bridgewater Retirement Community, Creative Art Studio and Event Center, and Rebecca’s Well Gift Shop.

The online registration form is available at valleyarts.org/first-fridays-of-the-valley. Each participating venue is featured on the ACV website, an online map, and in monthly social media promotions. In addition, each location will receive the 2026 First Fridays of the Valley poster; 100 copies of the First Fridays brochure; listing in ACV’s Art in Your Inbox monthly e-newsletter; mention in a monthly press release; and access to an Artist Database. ACV uses the $175 registration fee to help cover promotional costs.

For more information, email firstfridaysdowntown@gmail.com or call 540.801.8779.

First Fridays of the Valley began in 2009 as a partnership between Arts Council of the Valley and
Harrisonburg Downtown Renaissance. Envisioned as an expansion of the biannual downtown
Art and Gallery Walk, the program - then called First Fridays Downtown - served to gather community members and businesses the first Friday evening of every month in support of Harrisonburg’s art and cultural district. In 2022, ACV changed the name to First Fridays of the Valley, as part of an enhanced effort to expand monthly arts opportunities to other locations in Harrisonburg and Rockingham County.

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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 $518,300 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. To learn more, visit valleyarts.org.

This press release was provided by Ann Leatherwood at Arts Council of the Valley.