September 27, 2019
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Jenna Wagner
PR & Marketing Director
Friends of Southwest Virginia
Southwest Virginia Cultural Heritage Foundation
(276) 492-2400
marketing@friendsofswva.org
SWVA CULTURAL CENTER & MARKETPLACE ANNOUNCES EXPANDED HOURS FOR FALL AND HOLIDAY SHOPPING TO ENCOURAGE SHOPPING LOCAL
ABINGDON, VA – As the leaves begin to turn vibrant shades of color and thousands of visitors hit the highway to experience fall in Appalachia, the Southwest Virginia Cultural Center & Marketplace is expanding hours to allow visitors more opportunities to shop local and discover the authenticity of the region.
Beginning October 1 of 2019, the Cultural Center & Marketplace will be open from 9am – 6pm Monday through Saturday and 11am – 3pm on Sundays. The Center continues extended hours on Thursdays until 9pm for the region’s popular Crooked Road Jam Night.
The expanded hours will continue until December 31, 2019 to allow holiday shoppers to take advantage of local craft, music, food products, and more all sourced from the 19 counties, 4 cities and 53 towns of Southwest Virginia.
Visitors and locals alike are encouraged to use the additional hours to shop local this fall and holiday season. The marketplace is a soaring space retailing art and craft from over 180 expert Southwest Virginia juried artisans. From traditional pottery and quilting to modern paintings and glasswork, you’ll learn the stories of the region’s traditional craft while discovering over 5,000 pieces for sale.
Southwest Virginia’s exceptional regional cuisine will continue to be showcased for lunch daily from 11am-3pm in SWVA Cafe & Mountain Brew Bar. As the temperatures cool, look for seasonal favorites such as the award-winning Coconut Curry Butternut Squash Soup to return to the menu. Regional wines and food products from every corner of the region are always available as the perfect holiday gift to showcase the region.
The expanded hours will also allow the SWVA Visitor Center to promote the region to additional visitors and encourage even more to discover the hidden backroads and undiscovered treasures of Appalachia waiting to welcome the world warmly.
The SWVA Cultural Center & Marketplace is located at 1 Heartwood Circle in Abingdon, Va. just off of I-81 Exit 14. For more information, call 276-492-2400 or visit www.SWVACulturalCenter.com
What’s new: Expanded hours for fall and holiday shopping!
Where: Southwest Virginia Cultural Center & Marketplace: 1 Heartwood Circle, Abingdon VA 24201
New Hours: 9am – 6pm, Monday – Saturday; 9am – 9pm, Thursdays; 11am – 3pm, Sundays
When: October 1, 2019 through December 31, 2019
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Contact:
For more information, please contact Jenna Wagner with Friends of Southwest Virginia (276-492-2400). For more information and to stay up-to-date, subscribe to the Friends of Southwest Virginia Partner Newsletter and “Like” Friends of Southwest Virginia on Facebook.
About the Southwest Virginia Cultural Center & Marketplace:
Your welcome mat to this vibrant region, the Southwest Virginia Cultural Center & Marketplace {formerly Heartwood} is a 29,000 center that introduces Southwest Virginia (SWVA) to the world and serves as a visitor center, retail center for local crafts, music venue and community space.
- Discover our marketplace: a soaring space retailing the art and craft of over 180 artisans from Southwest Virginia who have been juried by fellow artisans. From traditional pottery and quilting to modern paintings and glasswork, you’ll learn the stories of our traditional art and explore over 5,000 pieces for sale. Two spaces feature rotating exhibits that showcase the best of Southwest Virginia’s masterpiece artisan network.
- Explore our visitor center: from a centerpiece hand carved wooden map weaving the stories of 19 counties and four cities, you’ll discover the hidden backroads and undiscovered treasures of Appalachia waiting to welcome you warmly.
- Indulge in our cafe: Sourcing 90% of all products from the region, the SWVA Cafe and Mountain Brew Bar serves up homemade fare representative of the region. Take a break a sip away on over 25 different award-winning regional wines and beers.
- Listen to the sounds of a region: Experience the birthplace of American Country music at the headquarters of The Crooked Road: Virginia’s Heritage Music Trail. Daily, you can view over 10 videos in our experiential theatre, pick away the day on our traditional porch stage, or learn the stories of music throughout the region through rotating displays. Every Thursday night and several other nights a week, live music takes the center stage and showcases the traditional and mountain music of the region.
About Southwest Virginia:
Tucked in the mountains of Southwest Virginia is a vibrant culture of music, craft and stunning natural beauty. It’s a region of spectacular views and rich natural resources. Time spent in the region adds up to something much more than a simple getaway. A different side of Virginia. And a great place to visit for a week’s vacation – or to make a home for a lifetime. Authentic. Distinctive. Alive.
About the Southwest Virginia Cultural Heritage Foundation and Friends of Southwest Virginia:
The Southwest Virginia Cultural Heritage Foundation is the coordinating body for cultural heritage tourism and economic development efforts fostering Southwest Virginia’s creative economy. Through a supporting non-profit, the Friends of Southwest Virginia, the combined entities help localities, businesses, individuals, artists, nonprofits and entrepreneurs mobilize and succeed.
A multifaceted plan identifies the cultural and natural assets of the region; coordinates initiatives, organizations and venues engaged in cultural and natural heritage toward more efficient operations for all partner organizations; and develops a comprehensive strategy and capital improvements plan to maximize the impact of state investments in this significant restructuring effort.
Key initiatives include:
- Branding and marketing Southwest Virginia to the world as a distinct culture and destination
- Developing and sustaining the Southwest Virginia Cultural Center & Marketplace
- Expanding outdoor recreation development initiatives and marketing throughout the region
- Planning and implementation of downtown revitalization throughout the region to instill a high quality of life within our communities and promote them to the world for a broad spectrum of economic development opportunities
Learn More About the Southwest Virginia Cultural Heritage Foundation and Friends of Southwest Virginia
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