On May 17th and 18th, this Friday and Saturday, Charlottesville will face The University of Virginia Graduation Weekend 2008. If you haven’t noticed, zombie week is really just calm before all hell breaks loose. In fact, graduation weekend is such a hellish time, that UVA even has an office devoted to it called (cue deep scary voice) “The Office of Major Events.” I’m not kidding, check out the website. I heard they wanted to name it Office for Hell on Earth, but that offended the religious right.
Oh and if you want to graduate virtually, you can even watch a live internet broadcast run by the Office of Major Events.
So despite this impending nightmare, Charlottesville residents, future worker bees and their relieved parents all storm Charlottesville like it’s June 6th, 1944, only this time it’s May 17th, 2008 and we’re going to call it G-Day. Why do they do it? Who knows, but maybe we can help you out a little…
Parents and Family Members: You need the most help planning this weekend.
Hotel Rooms
Hopefully, you’ve reserved your Boar’s Head Inn room 365 days in advance. If not, there is absolutely no chance you will find a hotel room in Charlottesville. I’ve even heard of stories of people staying in Richmond because they couldn’t find a place to stay. You can always look on craigslist or just buy an RV.
Dining
If you haven’t made restaurant reservations for graduation weekend, you are royally screwed. Much like the Boar’s Head reservations, you will not find a place to eat this weekend. Sure, you can always read our restaurant reviews, but you need to seek out places that don’t take reservations. If you have already made reservations, you probably should cancel. Why? Because the dirty little secret about UVA graduation weekend is that the restaurants serve you the crappiest, highest margin food they can. They know you are a sucker and they will take full advantage of you. If you are looking for restaurants off the beaten path that probably won’t skimp on your meal (and won’t have huge lines) try, Aqui Es Mexico, Jarman’s Gap in Crozet and possibly Duner’s. I’m sure our readers will comment with some other good ideas for you.
Driving
Don’t drive around town. Drop off grandma close to grounds, but please try to walk around UVA. You will not find parking near grounds. Also, please refrain from doing stupid things like driving the wrong way up South Street.
Graduates: This is your last hurrah.
Drink
You need to drink like fish. Why? Because this is the last moment you have before you enter the real world. The real world means less drinking, working more than 15 hours a week and not being able to sleep past noon. Really, you shouldn’t be doing anything other than drinking because you have your family driving all over Charlottesville and planning everything for you. Enjoy it while you can.
cVillains: Get out of town!
Places
The weather is looking great this weekend, so go hike Crabtree Falls, go on a road trip to Lexington, go camping, do something outside of Charlottesville and by all means, DO NOT GO ANYWHERE NEAR UVA.
What are you doing on G-Day? How can we help you?
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Tagged as: Charlottesville, dining, eat, Food, graduation, plan, Restaurants, university, UVA, Virginia, Weekend
i always manage to accidentally leave town for this shitshow. i’m headed to trail days in damascus, va, which is a festival for appalachian trail hiking hippies who (like recent grads) are unemployed, but (unlike grads) don’t seem to care.
we eat funnel cake, drink sierra nevada, and pick the bugs out of our dreadlocks at the drum circle.
goddammit, i was planning on eating at aqui es mexico this weekend. now i have to stick to tiptop?!
this weekend is the ashlawn wine festival. seems like a nice way to spend sunday.
It’s always a good time to pratice your disaster readiness. Buy all your supplies and pretend there is a major snowstorm-fun for the whole family!. Also movies are uncrowded and during graduation it’s easy to find a place to eat that does not take reservations.
A little bit of pain for a summer of less crowded roads. As a bonus you can visit the corner that you have avoided since last fall
I plan on selling Chinese made lead Jefferson Cups and bootleg Rotunda shirts.
Sooo leaving town for Saturday and Sunday. You could not pay me to be around here on graduation weekend. Feeling particularly sorry for folks who will be stuck catering to the masses in restaurants around town. Mummy and daddy had better tip well!
I made like $400 in 3 hours working graduation weekend. It’s a good deal for servers when they have the really simple menus and the standardized seating times.
What am I doing on G-Day? Looking for that divine place known as the G-Spot.
/somebody had to say it
I though Jarman’s Gap closed. Like, years ago. amirong?
True cVillains would take this opportunity to go DT in ridiculous outfits…
True cVillains would take this opportunity to go DT in ridiculous outfits…
And your outfit would be?
Street, perhaps you shouldn’t quit your day job for your life in comedy. Oh wait. Sorry.
Chance has it that we’re leaving town. I wonder if we can rent out our house for the weekend?
You’re hilarious, Gobstopper.
@9: Well, I’ll be b-tending at the O, so something tiny and black. The dads will lub it.
@*, jareth, it did close down, but now it is part of the Capshaw empire with the same name.
@13 Trolling for sugar daddies?
@ 14 It was always part of the capshaw shanty town, even as Jarman’s Gap. The management changed hands and it is now Three Notch’d Grill and is even more spectacularly mediocre than before.
/the more you know!
arg, I’m stupid.. sorry slice o’ b
She’s probably just trolling for tips. ‘nanigans, do you have Van Gogh vodka at OXO?
@18: Yes, and no but we can order it for next weekend.
Mmmm. Van Gogh coffee vodka is yummy.
Van Gogh vodka? Eerie.
@19: People have been telling me about that stuff for weeks now. If you order it, that’ll be 2 specialty items you’ve gotten for me. You might be my new favorite.
I got a tip for ya!
…i’m working g-day, starting at 6am. anyone who wants to meet me somewhere near the lawn with a couple of shots of jack daniel’s will earn my eternal gratitude…
Yeah, Van Gogh White Russians for all the Bosnians that come in.
with a couple of shots of jack daniel’s
Why think so small? I think you should work the ceremonies on ketamine.
I would love the “cvillains in the news” follow up post.
shen: I’m assuming you guys have booked out your weekend (I ate at OXO for my graduation and it was amazing). What time is the last sitting on Friday and Saturday (aka. what time can we come in and go wild without being judged by the out-of-towners?)
Um, I don’t know, I don’t do the restaurant stuff, just the bar. Let me ask the A and get back to ya.
that road trip to Lexington looks sweet
you should have done a bondage themed graduation dinner party
If you want to run away from cville on saturday, you can always go here:
Xtremefest ‘08
Locality: Waynesboro City
Ridgeview Park
700 South Magnolia Avenue
Waynesboro, VA 22980
Xtreme Fest has become a Waynesboro tradition! Event goers will enjoy free climbing on 25′ mobile climbing wall, canoe/kayak skills challenge in the South River, a Skate Park, a Giant Bicycle team demonstration, and Stunt kite demonstrations just to name a few. Come out for great food and fun at Xtreme Fest ‘08.
I heard they were gonna have one of those big plastic balls you can ride around in (like a gerbil basically…) dunno for sure though.
@31 The Zorb will be there … human gerbils welcome.
/But no crapping as you run around please.. it’s a devil to clean.
// Really cool cars will be there too.
@30: We still can! And last seating is 8:30 on Friday and 9:00 on Saturday. Late night will happen Friday as usual but not on Saturday.
No late night Saturday at all?
Nope.
Too busy. And need that staff to help out with dinner. But you can come in Friday.
I’m sure I’ll end up there at some point on Friday
indicative of how the interwebs destroy your brain: i had a dream last night that it was graduation sunday and i met up with a bunch of folks at aqui es mexico for dinner. except it was at pantops, and the name of the restaurant was written on the ground in mosaic tile in front of the door, and in order to get in we had to dance the can-can across it.
…yeah…
Word has it that Zydeco is opening on Sunday morning at 6am for some pre-graduation festivities.
Nothing like being blackout when you finally get that diploma.
I’m spending graduation week(end) working 13-15 hour days! SO MUCH FUN.
I heard a rumor(from a certain pricey hotel) that a restaraunt in town had been taking graduation reservations for a while now, but has all of a sudden told all the reservers that they’re not going to be open — is somebody closing their doors? Who knows the scoop?
Thor - totally ignore the post i just submitted for review - can you tell i’ve been out of town and was behind? You have it covered right here. Sorry!!!
@8, @16:
jarman’s gap> became
three notch’d >became
far downer’s. not in part of coran’s empire.
(cheers).
Funny graduation things I saw this weekend:
People getting out of a limo to go to Cassis
Two cars pulling up the street right by The Box at the same time, realizing it was a one way much too late
Way overdressed people on the mall
Funny thing overheard at Graduation dinner:
This Father to his family,
“It is important to ALWAYS order Top-shelf liquor. Waiter, I’ll take a Patron…Margarita.”
Yeah, enjoy your $11 dollar/shot tequila, drowned in cheap-ass sour mix.
/Lilith would never have allowed this to happen…
Spent my Sat. at the Preakness in the infield.
HOLY MOTHER OF GOD!
@45 did you get smeared by Big Brown?
you could say that
/totally jealous of batesville
@46 I thought I had