Sep 25 Friday
Join us on Friday, September 25, 2026, at On Sunny Slope Farm for an inspiring evening celebrating the power of human potential and community transformation.
The Awaken Human Brilliance Gala is more than a fundraiser—it is a celebration of the resilience, creativity, and dignity that exists within every person. At Our Community Place, we believe that by awakening human brilliance, individuals can become their best selves, and when individuals thrive, communities thrive.
Guests will enjoy an evening of fellowship, delicious food, moving stories of hope and transformation, and opportunities to invest in life-changing programs that provide housing support, nutritious meals, employment pathways, and meaningful connections for our neighbors facing adversity.
Whether you attend, sponsor, or invite others to join you, your support helps create a community where every person is valued and given the opportunity to flourish.
Sponsorship opportunities are now available. Partner with us as we celebrate the brilliance within every individual and build a stronger, more compassionate Harrisonburg and Rockingham County.
Save the date and join us for an unforgettable evening of hope, dignity, and community.
The Studio Big Band (Matthew Niess, director) celebrates the timeless music and unmistakable swing of Count Basie. From blues-driven grooves to explosive shout choruses, this concert highlights the elegance, power and rhythmic drive that made the Basie Orchestra one of the most influential big bands in jazz history. Enjoy an evening of classic swing, soulful solos and the enduring sound of Basie.
Sep 26 Saturday
Come join us for our sixth John Jackson Piedmont Blues Festival. This music and cultural heritage festival honors Woodville Virginia native John Jackson, recipient of the prestigious National Heritage Fellowship Award in 1986. There will be live music all day as well as historical displays. Enjoy a day of great music, family and friends in beautiful Rappahannock County.
Scheduled to perform, final order TBD:Erin Harpe Country Blues DuoFrank FotuskyJoe HerrmannThe PiedmonstersJunior Appalachian MusiciansBobby G and The HeaviesMike ParkerAristotle Jones
Named 'Best Group/Duo’ by the International Acoustic Music Awards, Ryanhood has spent more than 20 years engaging crowds with highly energetic, powerfully genuine performances. Having shared stages with Jason Mraz, Matt Nathanson, Train, Lifehouse and many more, Ryanhood's sound threads folk, rock and pop together with virtuosic guitar work and inquisitive lyrics.
Join the Wind Ensemble for an inspiring program that celebrates the expressive power and rich traditions of the wind band repertoire. Anchoring the performance is "Lincolnshire Posy", Percy Grainger’s beloved masterpiece inspired by English folk songs and widely regarded as one of the most significant works ever written for wind ensemble.
The program also features the joyful energy of Adolphus Hailstork’s "Celebration!", the lyrical storytelling of Jonathan Newman’s "Novel Romance" and Johannes Brahms’ timeless "Three Chorale Preludes" in a stirring wind ensemble setting. Together, these works offer an engaging musical journey that spans folk traditions, romantic lyricism and contemporary expression.
Now in its fifth year, Beats on the Bend has become an annual tradition bringing people together to celebrate the natural beauty of Seven Bends State Park. The event encourages people of all ages to experience the park and discover opportunities for recreation, volunteerism, stewardship, and community engagement. This year’s event will celebrate National Public Lands Day, an annual observance recognizing the importance of America’s public lands and the people who enjoy, protect, and care for them.
In addition to live music from Taylor LaFever and the Fever Project, attendees can enjoy food and refreshments from local vendors, including Rutz BBQ and Sugar Creek Snowy & Sweet Ice Cream.
Visitors will also have opportunities to learn more about the Friends of Seven Bends State Park and its work supporting the park.
Start your day with a hike before the music! Register for a hike here
Oct 02 Friday
TRAIN: Drops of Jupiter Tour — Live in Harrisonburg!
Get ready for an unforgettable night of music as TRAIN brings the Drops of Jupiter Tour to Harrisonburg, VA, on Friday, October 2, 2026, at Atlantic Union Bank Center!
Sing along to the songs that have defined generations, including “Drops of Jupiter,” “Hey, Soul Sister,” “Drive By,” and more as TRAIN takes the stage for a night packed with hits. Kicking off the night is Nashville-based Moon Taxi, bringing their high-energy sound to the AUBC stage.
An electric night of live music you won’t want to miss. Tickets are on sale now at AtlanticUnionBankCenter.com.
The Virginia Mennonite Relief Sale is an annual, all volunteer event that raises money for Mennonite Central Committee (MCC). The 2 day event includes an auction of quilts, woodwork, handmade items, and more. A wide variety of homemade food is also a highlight for many people.
Award winning singer-songwriter Danny Schmidt returns to the Grill! Come join us for an amazing up close show full of soul & storytelling!
Named to the Chicago Tribune’s list of the “50 Most Significant Songwriters in the Last 50 Years,” Austin, TX-based singer/songwriter Danny Schmidt has amassed a cult following for his poetic, poignant lyrics. With a craftsmanship and emotional depth drawing comparisons to Leonard Cohen and Townes Van Zandt, Schmidt is considered a preeminent writer. Sing Out Magazine proclaimed that: “Schmidt is a force of nature: a blue moon, a hundred-year flood, an avalanche of a singer-songwriter. His songs are a flood of poetry, mythology, folk wisdom, and surprise. He is perhaps the best new songwriter we’ve heard in the last 15 years.”
Sandwiches and Down Home Plates Available!
Opening Act: Rachel Austin
Oct 08 Thursday
Please note that the platform forced outdated contact information above. The event organizer is Marti Eads in the English program (540.432.4165/martha.eads@emu.edu.)
Award-winning fiction writer and EMU alumna Patricia Grace King (1989) will read selections from her new book, THOSE WHO VANISH, and discuss her writing process with her former student Esther Harder (2003) at a university homecoming kick-off event in Martin Chapel at 7 pm on October 8, 2026. Q and A and book-signing will follow.
Winner of the 2026 Drue Heinz Literature Prize, THOSE WHO VANISH follows the stories of Guatemalan citizens and North American expats set on a collision course by war. Set in a world of daily disappearances, the collection addresses a vital question: When all certainties are snatched away, what remains of lives, of memory, of faith?
King, a North Carolina native who now lives in Durham, England, draws from her experience of having lived in Guatemala. Harder, who documented peace efforts in Uganda and Rwanda for a decade after graduating from EMU, now serves as a "book coach who helps writers with battered passports transform their far-flung lives into cohesive narratives."
Oct 15 Thursday
All are welcome to join in an inspiring evening of conversation with JMU alumna and author Rachel McRady ('11). This event, as part of JMU Homecoming, welcomes all for an engaging conversation exploring Rachel's journey from JMU student to award-winning journalist and novelist, the experiences that shaped her career, and the creative process behind bringing Sun Seekers to life. Enjoy light refreshments followed by a moderated conversation with McRady exploring her journey from JMU student to journalist and novelist. Inspired by her family’s experience with dementia, her novel is a moving story about love, loss, and hope that has resonated with readers nationwide.
Oct 28 Wednesday
What did the Revolution look like in the rear-view mirror for the founding generation? And what did the future hold for the young nation? Author Ryan L. Cole joins us on October 28 from 4:30 to 5:30 PM in conversation about his book The Last Adieu, which recounts the summer of 1824, when the aging Marquis de Lafayette returned to America for the first time in forty years. Once a young general in the Revolution, he now found a vastly changed nation—twenty-four states strong, thriving yet divided, and facing new political storms.
Experience this moment of transition through the eyes of Lafayette–and of ordinary Americans–as they witnessed elderly founding fathers, rising politicians, and reformers shaping the nation’s future.
Attendees will have the opportunity to purchase The Last Adieu and have their copy signed by the author after the program. This event is free and open to the public as part of Highland’s celebration of America’s 250th. Registration is requested at the link on our website.