Arts❤️NRV Plein Air Event
Save the dates for a reimagined version of the Montgomery Museum’s classic Arts❤️ NRV event! Featuring both an en plein air painting component as well as art market, this event offers artists an opportunity to create, sell, and exhibit their artwork to the New River Valley community.
Plein Air Wet Paint Night at Eastern Divide Brewing Company
To celebrate the creativity of our Arts NRV Plein Air artists, we're holding a special Wet Paint Night reception! Held at Eastern Divide Brewing Company, this event is open to the public.
Join us to meet our Plein Air artists, to see their first day's work, which will be for sale, and to enjoy the atmosphere at Eastern Divide. Artworks will be of historic Montgomery County buildings and locations, in honor of Montgomery County's 250th anniversary.
Arts❤️NRV Market at Eastern Divide Brewing Company
Make sure your schedule is clear on Saturday, May 30th, so that you can attend the Montgomery Museum's ArtsNRV Market held at Eastern Divide Brewing Company! This event will be held from 12:00 - 8:00 pm.
Explore the ArtsNRV Market, featuring fine artists of all different mediums. Add to your collection, buy a gift, watch artist demonstrators, and enjoy delicious food and drinks! Demonstrations by Fire and Sky Pottery Studio and the Backyard Stonecarvers will be held at the event.
The Arts❤️NRV Market will be held on Saturday, May 30th at Eastern Divide Brewing Company located at 3175 Commerce St, Blacksburg, VA.
Artist Vendors Include:
Salty Feet Art
This event is sponsored by:
Heritage Day
Heritage Day 2026
Saturday, August 15, 2026 11:00 AM - 4:00 PM
4 E. Main St, along Main St, and at 300 Pepper St Christiansburg , VA
Join us for Heritage Day 2026 on Saturday, August 15, from 11:00am-4:00pm, in downtown Christiansburg! Hosted by the Montgomery Museum of Art & History, this annual community event is being reimagined with an expanded focus on Appalachian lifeways and food traditions, bringing even more energy, flavor, and hands-on experiences to the heart of town.
Throughout the day, Main Street, Roanoke Street, and our Pepper Street property will transform into a lively gathering space filled with local vendors, food, music, and activities for all ages. Browse over 40 vendors offering handmade crafts, artisan goods, and unique finds, and enjoy a wide variety of food options, including a pie competition bake-off and bake sale you won’t want to miss.
This year’s event builds on the traditions our community loves, with live music, family-friendly fun, and interactive experiences around every corner. Guests can enjoy expanded children’s activities, including carnival games, a hayride, and hands-on learning opportunities designed to engage and entertain.
Step into the stories of our region through art and history exhibits, including a special VA250 mobile museum experience and an accompanying VA250 exhibit that highlights Virginia’s role in the American Revolution. These engaging displays, along with themed demonstrations and interactive elements, bring history to life in meaningful and memorable ways.
Whether you’re a longtime history enthusiast or simply looking for a fun and meaningful way to spend the day, Heritage Day 2026 offers something for everyone. Join us as we celebrate our shared history, culture, and community in downtown Christiansburg.
Payment is due upon submission of this application. You will be notified via email that we have received your application and reserved a booth for you. In August you will be notified of the logistics such as booth and parking locations. A link to an online version of this application will be sent to you next week.
Notes:
You must bring your own tent, tables and chairs.
You may request the same booth space as last year, but it is not guaranteed.
Due to the family focus of this event, political booths or promotional materials will not be allowed
Mini Barn Quilt Painting Workshop
Want to learn about the history of barn quilts while you make your own? Come to the Montgomery Museum’s Barn Quilt Painting Workshop!
Beth Umberger Volunteer Retirement Celebration
After years of dedicated volunteer service at the Montgomery Museum Garden, join us in celebrating Beth Umberger on the occasion of her retirement!
Refreshments and light snacks will be provided.
Quilt History Exhibit, Sue Steele Thomas and Radford Thomas, and David Pearce Opening Reception
Join the Montgomery Museum for the opening reception of A Stitch in Time quilt history exhibit, Faces, Places, and Machines, showcasing the work of husband-and-wife painters Sue Steele Thomas and Dr. Radford Thomas, and Sculpture by David Pearce on April 9 from 5 - 7 PM!
Meet the artists, explore this history of quilting traditions, and enjoy light snacks and refreshments.
Good Bugs, Good Habitats, and How to Keep Them Happy: Garden Workshop
Join the Montgomery Museum Garden for a FREE special workshop! Learn about arthropods and their habitats - and how we can keep them happy.
MCPS Middle/High School Student Art Show Reception
Join the Montgomery Museum to celebrate the MCPS Middle/High School Student Art Show! Light snacks and refreshments will be served.
MCPS Elementary Student Art Reception
Join the Montgomery Museum to celebrate the MCPS Elementary Student Art Show! Light snacks and refreshments will be served.
Get with the Buzz: Insect Garden Seminar
Get ready to learn about the buzz behind insects - the good and the bad! Learn how to use native plants to attract native pollinators and to discourage invasive bugs.
Paint Night: Koi Pond Collages with Michele Walter
You are invited to don your paint smocks and join local artist Michele Walter for an evening of painting and mocktails at the Museum!
This paint night will focus on creating paintings of koi ponds using different collage techniques - no experience is necessary!
Tai Chi Gung in the Museum
Join the Montgomery Museum in the morning for a Tai Chi Gung class! Gentle physical movements of this practice promote balance, flexibility, and stress reduction.
Join local artist, photographer, and Tai Chi Gung practitioner, Jean Galloway as she leads you through warm-ups and standing exercises in the museum lobby.
$5 for Museum Members
$10 for non-members
18+ participants only. Wear comfortable clothing!
Gentle physical movements of this practice promote balance, flexibility, and stress reduction.
Join local artist, photographer, and Tai Chi Gung practitioner, Jean Galloway as she leads you through warm-ups and standing exercises in the museum lobby.
Personal Altars Workshop with Linda Hinson
Join exhibiting artist Linda Hinson to create a personal shadow box shrine to commemorate something or someone important to you. In Mexican and South American cultures, small, decorated boxes called “Nichos” are commonly found in homes and public places, displayed on walls or pedestals. Often painted with bright colors, they provide a stage-like setting for an object or collection of objects that have great significance. Most commonly functioning as an altar for a religious icon, a Nicho can also serve as a memorial to a loved one or as a reminder of an important event
What purpose will your altar/shrine/nicho have?
To memorialize someone, something, or some place.
To honor a special day or idea.
To help with a goal or some change you want to make.
To center yourself or make you feel at peace.
To honor a belief.
As protection or to help you face a fear.
Base materials and a glass of wine will be provided with entry fee. Please also bring personal items for your shrine. Try to decide ahead of time what your shrine will honor. Then bring items and objects to represent that idea. For example: photos, trinkets, and notions like beads, junk jewelry, charms, or mementos like ticket stubs, magazine pictures, maps, newspaper articles, or poem/song lyrics. Maybe even small rocks or keys. Whatever you bring should hold meaning for you.
Museum Members: Use code MEMBER to get $5 off your ticket!
Historic Holiday House Tour
Welcome the Historic Holiday House Tour to the Montgomery Museum's December's calendar!
Join us for a festive holiday house tour of some of the loveliest historic properties on East Main Street, Christiansburg! You’ll be invited into 8 historic properties (including the historic museum building) for the tour including both public buildings and private residences. This tour route can be walked or driven. Please note that not all properties are fully handicapped accessable.
Begin your tour by picking up or purchasing your ticket at the Montgomery Museum of Art & History in the historic Christiansburg Bank building at 4 East Main Street. Here you can enjoy light refreshments, peruse the gift shop and take in the many museum exhibits. Enjoy dinner at the Summit Restaurant as you tour this historic building and 20% of sales will be donated to the Museum!
A beautiful way to begin the holiday season - won’t you join us for an afternoon of elegant festivities?
Please note that credit card processing fees have been added to the price for this event - this allows the Museum to receive your full contribution.
Attention: There is no liability for injury or death of a participant in the Holiday House Tour. Participants are assuming their own personal risk of participating in this cultural activity.
Hinson & Galloway Art Reception
The reception for Linda Hinson’s Beings and Jean Galloway’s Christmas Santas art exhibits will be on December 4 from 5 -7 PM, with beverages and light hor d'oeuvres served. Come meet the artist and view these stunning artworks!
Small Business Saturday with Santa
Santa will be at the Montgomery Museum for Small Business Saturday! Bring your own camera and get a photo with him - professional photographer Charlie Whitescarver will be there to help you get the best shot!
Between 10am and 4pm, come visit our gift shop, which has books, artwork, artisan goods, home decor, and so much more! By supporting the museum's shop, you're also supporting the local community artists, authors, and artisans.
Keepers of Appalachian Music Traditions
Experience traditional Appalachian musical heritage and tradition with the Montgomery Museum’s concert, performed at the Center for the Arts at Virginia Tech!
With major award winning names like Appalachian Road Show, the Junior Sisk Band, and Jack Hinshelwood, this concert embraces the music of Southwest Virginia and the Appalachian region.
This concert is partially funded by a grant from the Virginia Commission for the Arts.
Opening Act: Junior Sisk Band
Generously Sponsored By:
Generously Sponsored By:
Mary Ann Hinshelwood
Thomas Tillar - Judie and David Reemsnyder - Dr. Steve Jacobs - Collier and Ridinger - Appalachian Studies Program, Virginia Tech
Sharon R. Chickering - Ernie Wade Vickie & Mike Eggleston - Bruce Roulstone - Sue Hansen - Ponnie's Boutique - Rebecca Riley - Louise & Minnis Ridenour - The Katz Family - Mark Cox & Judy Goins
Mary Biggs - Jody Booze-Daniels - Jean Galloway - Bob & Salle Ann Gill - Jean Haskell - David Livingston - Helen A. Lyman - Lee Musgrave - Mary Osgood - Travis & Marge Poole - Jeff and Andrea Robinson - Richard and Laurie Shepherd - Jim & Margaret Shuler - Lu Merritt
Jewelry Wine & Design
Enjoy some wine and create your own one of a kind jewelry pieces to give as holiday gifts! Kevin Meredith will be leading this jewelry-making event. Participants will leave with a necklace and pair of earrings. All materials and one glass of wine are included with entry fee.
Participants have the additional option of purchasing a set of jewelry making tools to take home.
Museum Members: $40 (to apply discount, use code MEMBER)
Non-Members: $45
Game Night at Iron Tree Brewing Co.
Did you know the Montgomery Museum made a board game?
This November, the Museum will host a board game night featuring our own game, Trekking Montgomery County at Iron Tree Brewing Co.! In addition to Trekking Montgomery, play a game of history trivia and enjoy a pint! Make sure to stop by on November 13th from 5 - 8 PM for a fun night that supports our local community.
This event is free and open to the public - we look forward to seeing you there!
Member Art Show Reception at English Meadows
The Montgomery Museum is proud to announce a new art show in collaboration with and hosted by English Meadows Senior Living Retreat. The show, which will run from November 1 to the end of January 2026, is intended to provide new and interesting artwork to the public, and in particular the English Meadows senior community. The Museum is honored for this opportunity to support our community and assist in enriching the lives of the tenants of English Meadows.
Made up of artworks created by Museum Members, this exhibit celebrates their talent and allows them a platform for the presentation of their art to the wider community. Through a partnership between the Montgomery Museum and English Meadows Senior Living Retreat in Blacksburg, the exhibit will be housed in the activity room and outside hallway at English Meadows, and will be freely available for viewing by the public and residents of English Meadows. The artwork displayed in this exhibit provides a new location for the display of local community creative culture, and offers an opportunity for artistic appreciation to the residents of English Meadows.
The opening reception for the exhibit will be held on November 6, 2025, from 5 - 7 PM and will offer light hors d'oeuvres and wine. The exhibit will showcase more than twenty pieces of artwork from a variety of local community artists. The artwork will encompass a wide range of styles and mediums, including oil paintings, photography, pastel paintings, and sculptural works.
The exhibition will be held at English Meadows Senior Living Retreat, 3400 S Point Dr, Blacksburg, VA 24060. To support community artists, the Montgomery Museum, and the English Meadows community stop by the opening reception on November 6, 2025, or at the exhibit anytime through January 2026.
Night at the Museum Halloween Event
It's not too early to start thinking about candy! Bring the kids (and adults!) by the Montgomery Museum on October 31 from 5 - 7 PM for candy and a free family photo opportunity with Whitescarver Photography, LLC!
Our exhibits will also be open - break up the sweet treats with some wonderful art and history.
The Tales and Truth of the Sisters in Black
The Montgomery Museum's gearing up for spooky season - but of course, we have to add a historical twist!
Join the Montgomery Museum on October 30 from 5 - 7 PM to explore the tall tales and true history surrounding Christiansburg’s infamous Sisters in Black. With the Montgomery Female Academy and murder trials, the stories of these sisters continue to fascinate to this day. They've become a subject surrounded by mystery and alleged hauntings - but we'll be examining the true history behind the Sisters in Black and their time in Christiansburg.
Limited seating is available for this event, pre-registration is required. Reserve your spot now! The fees for this program are $5 for Museum Members and $10 for Non-Members. Use the code MEMBER to get your discount.
MEMBERS ONLY Annual Meeting
All Museum Members are invited to the Montgomery Museum’s annual members meeting to be held on October 16 at 5:30 PM at our location at 4 East Main Street, Christiansburg, Virginia.
Tickets for the event are $20 and include one wine ticket, live music, and heavy hors d’oeuvres: pulled pork sliders, mini quiche, pimento cheese sandwiches, vegetable and fruit trays, and dessert.
Please RSVP for the annual meeting below. Kindly respond by Wednesday, October 8, 2025.
Tai Chi Gung in the Museum
Join the Montgomery Museum in the morning for a Tai Chi Gung class! Gentle physical movements of this practice promote balance, flexibility, and stress reduction.
Join local artist, photographer, and Tai Chi Gung practitioner, Jean Galloway as she leads you through warm-ups and standing exercises in the museum lobby.
$5 for Museum Members
$10 for non-members
18+ participants only. Wear comfortable clothing!
Gentle physical movements of this practice promote balance, flexibility, and stress reduction.
Join local artist, photographer, and Tai Chi Gung practitioner, Jean Galloway as she leads you through warm-ups and standing exercises in the museum lobby.
Where Color Sleeps - Zach Brodie Art Reception
Vibrant color takes center stage in Zach Brodie’s upcoming exhibit “Where Color Sleeps,” featuring macro photography.
Zack Brodie’s journey into macro photography began on a fateful day when his wife brought a coneflower into their home. Intrigued, he lit the flower with colored lights and captured its intricate details using a macro lens. The photograph showcased the remarkable detail that the naked eye often overlooks, complemented by the vibrant color artistry. This captivating work marked the beginning of the exhibit “Where Color Sleeps” at the Montgomery Museum of Art and History.
This exhibit will be on display starting September 9. The opening reception is on September 27 from 2 to 4 PM. Come enjoy some refreshments and meet the artist!
Understand Light and Take Better Photographs
Struggling to take quality photos with your camera? Get help from a professional!
Join the Montgomery Museum’s “Understand Light and Take Better Photographs” workshop, presented by professional photographer Charlie Whitescarver of Whitescarver Photography, LLC.
Charlie’s photography career has spanned almost 50 years including instruction, film processing, professional photography, contributing to magazines and newspapers, and presentations at national conferences. This workshop covers the qualities of light and how cameras can take advantage of it.
This workshop will take place in the Montgomery Museum Community Room, which is currently not ADA accessible.
Purchase your tickets now!
Museum Members: $15
Non-Members: $20
Use the code MEMBER25 while checking out to get your Museum Member discount
Struggling to take quality photos with your camera? Get help from a professional!
Charlie’s photography career has spanned almost 50 years including instruction, film processing, professional photography, contributing to magazines and newspapers, and presentations at national conferences. This workshop covers the qualities of light and how cameras can take advantage of it.
Tai Chi Gung in the Museum
Join the Montgomery Museum in the morning for a Tai Chi Gung class! Gentle physical movements of this practice promote balance, flexibility, and stress reduction.
Join local artist, photographer, and Tai Chi Gung practitioner, Jean Galloway as she leads you through warm-ups and standing exercises in the museum lobby.
$5 for Museum Members
$10 for non-members
18+ participants only. Wear comfortable clothing!
Gentle physical movements of this practice promote balance, flexibility, and stress reduction.
Join local artist, photographer, and Tai Chi Gung practitioner, Jean Galloway as she leads you through warm-ups and standing exercises in the museum lobby.
Vernon Dalhart: The First Country Music Star
With words and music, this program celebrates one of the most influential country music stars of the 1920s and 1930s – Vernon Dalhart. Dalhart was the first artist to record a million-selling hit, the two-sided 78 RPM disc featuring “The Wreck Of The Old ‘97” and “The Prisoner’s Song.” Both of those recordings are enshrined in the Grammy Hall of Fame, and Dalhart was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame. He was a prolific artist by any standard, making over 4,000 recordings between 1916 and 1939. Dolly Parton, Marty Robbins, Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Doc Watson, Bill Monroe, and Mac Wiseman are just a few of the many artists who have covered songs first recorded by Vernon Dalhart. But despite his significant impact, Dalhart has been overlooked for decades.
This concert is made possible due to a grant from the Virginia Commission for the Arts.
Drawing on five years of extensive research, music historian Dr. Ted Olson shares the story of Dalhart’s diverse and influential recordings and discusses the reasons for his relative obscurity today. Multi-instrumentalist and singer Jack Hinshelwood provides the live soundtrack for the program, rendering faithful versions of Dalhart classics like “Wreck of the Old ’97,” “The Prisoner’s Song,” “Home On The Range,” “Jesse James,” “The Freight Wreck at Altoona,” “The Big Rock Candy Mountains,” and other traditional and original songs that formed the core of early country music.
This program will additionally be joined by special guest, old time music master Mac Traynham.
Tickets are $25 each.
Generously Sponsored By:
Mary Ann Hinshelwood
David Reemsnyder
Tai Chi Gung in the Museum
Join the Montgomery Museum in the morning for a Tai Chi Gung class! Gentle physical movements of this practice promote balance, flexibility, and stress reduction.
Join local artist, photographer, and Tai Chi Gung practitioner, Jean Galloway as she leads you through warm-ups and standing exercises in the museum lobby.
$5 for Museum Members
$10 for non-members
18+ participants only. Wear comfortable clothing!
Gentle physical movements of this practice promote balance, flexibility, and stress reduction.
Join local artist, photographer, and Tai Chi Gung practitioner, Jean Galloway as she leads you through warm-ups and standing exercises in the museum lobby.
Seeking Justice History Presentation with Daniel Thorp
Come join the Montgomery Museum's upcoming history presentation, with presenter Daniel B. Thorp, a Virginia Tech Associate History Professor! He'll be talking about an extraordinary freedom suit that took place right here in Montgomery County - which you can learn more about in his newly published book "Seeking Justice: The Extraordinary Freedom Suits of an Enslaved Virginia Family."
Before the Civil War brought emancipation to the South, some enslaved people managed to use the legal system— the same one that had concocted and long perpetuated their bondage — to sue for their freedom from owners who unlawfully held them in slavery. Daniel Thorp will tell the story behind Unis v. Charlton’s Administrator, one of the most extensive freedom suits in all of American history. It began when a woman, known only as Flora, was born in Connecticut and sold into slavery in Virginia. Her children sued, and over more than thirty years, four cases involving almost fifty plaintiffs moved through the Virginia court system before finally reaching a conclusion in 1855.
Visit the museum and listen to this presentation - it will take place at 5 PM on Thursday, September 18. This talk is free and open to the public!
Tai Chi Gung in the Museum
Join the Montgomery Museum in the morning for a Tai Chi Gung class! Gentle physical movements of this practice promote balance, flexibility, and stress reduction.
Join local artist, photographer, and Tai Chi Gung practitioner, Jean Galloway as she leads you through warm-ups and standing exercises in the museum lobby.
$5 for Museum Members
$10 for non-members
18+ participants only. Wear comfortable clothing!
Gentle physical movements of this practice promote balance, flexibility, and stress reduction.
Join local artist, photographer, and Tai Chi Gung practitioner, Jean Galloway as she leads you through warm-ups and standing exercises in the museum lobby.
Heritage Day Football Raffle
Buy raffle tickets for a chance to win 4 tickets to the November 1 Virginia Tech v. Louisville football game at Lane Stadium!
The drawing for this raffle will be on Monday, September 1. Raffle tickets will be for sale on all month online as well as on site during Heritage Day!
History of the Autoharp
Have you heard an autoharp before? If you like traditional Appalachian music, you've likely heard one and not realized it!
On Heritage Day, August 23rd at 1 PM, John and Kathie Hollandsworth will be offering a fascinating presentation on the history and production of the autoharp instrument. The autoharp was developed in Philadelphia in the 1880s, so it is somewhat unique as an American invention. Come learn about it’s history and see the various parts and tools used to create these instruments!
This presentation is free and open to the public! Come join the presentation in the Montgomery Museum's Community Room to celebrate traditional Appalachian music!