Celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Downtown Mall!

Join us in celebrating 50 years of the heart of Charlottesville with a community lantern parade, light show, and more!

July 3rd, 2026 marks 50 years since the Downtown Mall opened, as part of a movement of pedestrianizing Main Streets around the United States in the 1970s. Since then, most have closed in the intervening decades with only a few remaining as places where communities can come together to shop, dine, create, and enjoy. 

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Schedule of Events

4:00 PM - Mall Birthday Party with FREE ice cream & entertainment (Central Place)

5:30 PM - Baaba Seth Reunion Show at Friday's After Five (Ting Pavilion)

8:45 PM - Meet for the Lantern Parade leaving from Ting Pavilion

9:30 PM - 50th Light Show on the Code Building

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Downtown Lantern Parade

Gather with your lanterns at Ting Pavilion at 8:45pm. The parade will follow a route down the Downtown Mall led by the Elby Brass Band. Want to make a lantern? Check out this tutorial or join one of our FREE lantern workshops led by local artist Annie Temmink here. 

No pets, fire, or candle-lit lanterns please. 

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Join a Lantern Workshop

Friends of Cville is excited to partner with local artist Annie Temmink to lead FREE lantern workshops. Join a workshop to create lantern structures to be used in the community lantern parade to commerate the 50th anniversary of the Downtown Mall on July 3rd, 2026. 

Want to participate? Workshop dates coming soon!