People lucky enough to live in the quirky, charming, and close-knit community of Batesville are proud of their village every day, but once a year they show it in a big way. The Batesville Day Festival, scheduled for Saturday, May 6, celebrates Batesville’s rural nature as well as its reputation as a home for musicians, hippies, academics, athletes, artists, poets, environmentalists, animal lovers, and independent entrepreneurs.
All of that talent will be on full display from sunrise, when runners register for the 10K foot race, to sunset, when the Buzzard Hollow Boys finish their last set at the historic Batesville Market. In between, you can take a yoga lesson, exchange or buy spring plants, and enjoy an all-day line-up of music that’s as eclectic as the residents of Batesville themselves.
Children are not forgotten, with a children’s tent, 4-H demonstrations, a children’s parade in the Batesville field, face painting, free children’s books, a maypole dance, and the Fairy House River Trail––really a delight for all ages––that winds around whimsical houses constructed from natural items to shelter the woodland fairies that secretly go about their fairy business behind the scenes.
Besides the yoga practice and the 10K race, there’s another spectacle of extreme physical fitness to awe the crowd. Practitioners of Budokan, a Malaysian martial arts practice, will demonstrate their art with a Samurai sword presentation.
Want your own poem? Ask poet Charlotte Mathews, an associate professor at UVA, to create one just for you, right on the spot, using an old manual Underwood typewriter.
Batesville has always treasured its history, and its elders. A history tent will display photos of Batesville at the turn of the century and before, and long-time Batesvillians will tell a tale or two, and answer questions about the village over the years. Warm yourself at the wood stove, or make yourself comfortable in a rocking chair, both designed to honor the past and provide inspiration for your historical questions.
Batesville never forgets its animals. Houses of Wood & Straw (HOWS) is a volunteer-based nonprofit organization that works to improve the lives and well-being of outside dogs in Charlottesville and surrounding counties. Find them in the field, along with the Nelson County SPCA.
You’ll have a couple of chances to participate in a cake walk, and baked goods of all kinds will be for sale all day, along with the work of Batesville’s artists and artisans. Batesville-themed merchandise will be available, as will information about local non-profits. Be sure to sample the wonderful food prepared fresh at the Batesville Market, and listen to the music—much of it by local musicians––from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Festivities officially end at 4 p.m., but if you’re reluctant to leave, catch the Buzzard Hollow Boys at the Market from 6 to 9 p.m.
There’s a detailed schedule of events, sponsors and times at Batesville.org. The organizers remind us that times may change or be adjusted throughout the day. Runners can register beginning at 7 a.m., with the race beginning at 8 a.m.
