24 Venues Offer Arts Experiences During First Fridays of the Valley June 5

HARRISONBURG, VA – Arts Council of the Valley (ACV) shares its June First Fridays of the Valley lineup, featuring a variety of engaging arts experiences at 24 venues throughout the City of Harrisonburg on June 5! Look through the full list of participating venues, interactive map, and additional details about June 5 events at valleyarts.org/first-fridays-of-the-valley/.

Thank you to Kathy Moran Wealth Group, 2026 First Fridays of the Valley Exclusive Sponsor.

The following First Fridays of the Valley venues plan to offer arts experiences Friday, June 5. Unless otherwise noted, events are free of charge and scheduled 5-7 pm.

● Asbury United Methodist Church (205 S Main St) features an opening reception for The Youth of Asbury’s mixed media exhibition, Asbury Youth Art, with a special Just Jazzin concert at 6 pm. Enjoy the visual and performing arts and partake of light refreshments. asburydowntown.org

● Being Financial (328 S Main St, Ste 101) features ICONS by Jenny Pearl, an exhibition of black and white hand-drawn caricatures in pencil and marker. jennypearlsportraits.com

● Bridgewater Retirement Community (210 Virginia Ave - Bridgewater) shares A Showcase of Local Artwork, featuring works in a variety of media by various area artists. Sample light refreshments. brcliving.org

● Community Counseling Center (96 Campbell St) exhibits Bird Photography by Terry Thiele, inviting you to partake in an opening reception - complete with refreshments and a chance to meet the artist - while you explore the featured photo works. facebook.com/events/2739312643115658/

● Court Square Theater (41-F Court Square) hosts the hilarious and talented crew of actors and improv artists, Rocktown Improv, for another First Friday of unscripted, improvisational live theatre. This unique show (recommended for ages 13 and up) begins at 7:30 pm (doors open at 7 pm). A $5 donation at the door is appreciated. actonetheaterco.org/

● Dart Resale and Trade (205 S Liberty St, Ste E) debuts The Quiet Aviary by Margaret Beebe. Check out the new works and enjoy light refreshments during the opening reception. dartresaleandtrade.com/

● Explore More Discovery Museum (150 S Main St) features a Summer Splash, an art activity for children. Enjoy an evening filled with creativity and fun when you stop by with the young artists in your world! Admission is free. iexploremore.com/

● Friendly City Food Co-op (150 E Wolfe St) celebrates a big birthday with 15 Years of Local Love, a mixed media group art show inspired by community, food, and connection. Visit the café gallery during this opening reception to meet the artists; sample light refreshments from the store; and peruse an exhibition of 10” x 10” works exploring how the Co-op feeds, grounds, and connects community members to each other, to local food, and to a shared sense of place. friendlycity.coop/harrisonburg-events-classes/

● Gaines Group Architects at the Depot (141 W Bruce St, Ste 201) opens Cassidy Walker’s newest exhibition, In Blue and Bloom: Washes of Memory from Lithuania. Meet the artist and connect with her watercolor paintings honoring resilience and reflecting the way memory accumulates over time. Light refreshments will be available. thegainesgroup.com/june-first-friday-at-the-depot-featuring-cassidy-walker

● Gift & Thrift (731 Mount Clinton Pike) hosts a night of music in the store, with Harrisonburg’s community choir, VOICE, performing live a cappella. facebook.com/events/1459078039590296/

● Harrisonburg City Hall (409 S Main St) celebrates Pollinator Month with an exhibition of photography by City Public Works and Parks & Recreation employees: Pollinator Friendly City. Check out the new works and meet the artists in the lobby of City Hall during this opening reception. harrisonburgva.gov/first-fridays

● Harrisonburg Dance Cooperative (2 N Main St) welcomes you to a special First Friday-exclusive event: Open Dance Rehearsal and Millennial Townie Summer Dance Party! Take a look behind-the-scenes and observe an open dance performance rehearsal (5:30-6:30 pm) by Harrisonburg Dance Cooperative (HDC) dancers. Then, from 6:30 to 8 pm, join HDC dancers in full “Townie Summer” mode with a 2010s dance party - both inside the studio and outside on the sidewalk (at the corner of N Main St and E Market St). Visitors of all ages are invited to take part in the fun; those who prefer to spectate (rather than dance themselves) are welcome to do so - no shoes inside, please. hburgdancecoop.org/

● Horizon Gifts and Board Games (60 W Market St) exhibits mixed media artwork by Painter Jinx. Stop by the opening reception to enjoy the show, chat with the artist, and partake of light refreshments. horizongiftsandgames.square.site

● Hotel Madison & Shenandoah Valley Conference Center (710 S Main St) continues Tranquil Moments in the Valley, an exhibition of photography in the mezzanine gallery by C. & J. Richmond Photography. Meet the artists and admire the works from 5 to 7 pm; then, from 6 to 8 pm, spend some time in the hotel lobby with live music by guitarist and singer-songwriter Gina Bretz (playing songs of the ‘60s, ‘70s & ‘80s). Food and beverages are available for purchase at Quills lobby bar and Monty’s Restaurant. hotelmadison.com/

● JMU Collabratory at the Harrisonburg Innovation Hub (25 N Liberty St, Room 102) showcases From These Bricks - a mixed media exhibition transforming salvaged bricks and raw clay into shared acts of memory and repair. This installation includes components crafted by artists Tracile Wile and Renée Calway with participants during May’s First Friday event. Refreshments will be available. facebook.com/events/1595637888195689/

● Larson Wealth Management (124 Newman Ave, Ste 101) opens Virginia Views by landscape painter Debra Sheffer. Swing by for opening reception refreshments, energizing art, and great company. facebook.com/events/964447709503066

● Northwestern Mutual (83 S Main St) shares Whimsical View, a brand new exhibition filled with mixed media and digital works by Dandy Knopf and Phoenix Flaxman. Light refreshments will be available. northwesternmutual.com/office/va/richmond/20692048/

● North Wing Gallery at Sage Bird (325 N Liberty St) celebrates teachers with an education-appreciating group exhibition, The Art of Teaching. Visit between 5 and 8 pm to check out the works, meet the artists, and enjoy complimentary charcuterie. This opening reception takes place in conjunction with Sage Bird’s 6th Annual Cheers to Educators Appreciation Event (3-7 pm), featuring giveaways and festivity for current educators. facebook.com/events/951684273956379/951684287289711/

● OASIS Fine Art & Craft (103 S Main St) kicks off the month with a new exhibition by artists Barbara Camph and Stewart Mason. Enjoy fused glass and photography in Winged Visitors: Butterflies & Moths - as well as live music from Jane Cox and the Daves; time with both featured artists; and light refreshments - when you visit the opening reception. facebook.com/events/1887304805262994/

● Pale Fire Brewing Co. (217 S Liberty St, Ste 105) highlights portraiture by photographer Rudy Cox with an opening reception for The Unedit from 5 to 7 pm. Partake in refreshments, enjoy poetry by Kimberly Krogh, and get to know the artist. Stick around for live music by Tina Collins (7-9:30 pm). facebook.com/events/1506331411156016

● Park Gables Gallery (1491 Virginia Ave) shares the opening of its Annual Juried Art Exhibition with paintings, photography, mixed media, and more by selected artists all across the United States. Explore the works and partake of light refreshments during the reception at Virginia Mennonite Retirement Community. vmrc.org/events/juried-art

● Rootstock Wine Bar & Provisions (86 W Gay St) hosts two new art exhibitions: Enigmatic Faces - paintings by Stephanie Corn; and Just Imagine - paintings by Trisha Brown Leweke. Encounter heartfelt works inspired by personal connections, imagined stories, ethereal worlds, and more. Enjoy a complimentary wine tasting. facebook.com/events/1251536930112377/

● Smith House Galleries (311 S Main St) announces the opening of Selected Works by David Douglas, an exhibition featuring photo encaustic works that blend photography with drawing and painting techniques. Stop by during the kickoff reception to converse with the artist as you explore his showcased works and enjoy light refreshments. The First Friday excitement also features a visit from the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts Artmobile, VMFA on the Road, located in the parking lot just behind the Smith House. facebook.com/events/1544345957274768

● Ten Thousand Villages (181 S Main St) features Handmade wood pieces, a First Friday-exclusive event showcasing woodworks by Logan Halstrom. Meet the artist and peruse artwork crafted with various types of wood. tenthousandvillages.com/harrisonburg

Other 2026 First Fridays of the Valley venues are: 150 Franklin Street Gallery, The Arts at 131 W Grace, Broad Porch Coffee Co., Draime Fine Art Studio School, Duke Hall Gallery of Fine Art, Frame Factory & Gallery, Friendly City Clay & Art Center, Furious Flower Poetry Center, Harrisonburg Baptist Church, Hess Financial, Look West Gallery @ The Mark-It, Rebecca’s Well Gift Shop (Bridgewater), Rhythm & Vinyl, and Walkabout Outfitter.

Arts Council of the Valley is located at 311 South Main Street in Downtown Harrisonburg, Virginia. Programs are supported in part by 2026 ACV Strategic Partners Kathy Moran Wealth Group, Riner Rentals, and Virginia Mennonite Retirement Community.

A 501(c)3 nonprofit, ACV is dedicated to cultivating the arts, creating experiences, and connecting communities throughout the City of Harrisonburg and Rockingham County. Since it was established in 2000, ACV has grown into a multi-faceted community organization that

fosters innovative partnerships among area businesses, civic organizations, schools, and artists. Today, ACV manages Smith House Galleries, funds local art projects through its Advancing the Arts grant program (awarding more than $532,300 since 2001), supports public art initiatives, and coordinates monthly First Fridays of the Valley community gatherings.

ACV is supported in part by the City of Harrisonburg and the Virginia Commission for the Arts, which receives support from the Virginia General Assembly. To learn more, visit valleyarts.org.

This press release was provided by Martha Hemingway at Arts Council of the Valley.