<p>There is so much going on here that many students don’t even know about some of the restaurants,stores, and events that are wildly popular ([Fridays</a> After Five](<a href=“http://www.charlottesvillepavilion.com/fridaysafterfive/]Fridays”>http://www.charlottesvillepavilion.com/fridaysafterfive/), [First</a> Fridays](<a href=“http://www.readthehook.com/discovercharlottesville/art.aspx]First”>http://www.readthehook.com/discovercharlottesville/art.aspx), [Festival</a> of the Book](<a href=“http://www.vabook.org/index.html/]Festival”>http://www.vabook.org/index.html/), [Festival</a> of the Photograph](<a href=“http://look3.org/]Festival”>http://look3.org/), the [Vegetarian</a> Festival](<a href=“http://www.cvillevegfest.org/]Vegetarian”>http://www.cvillevegfest.org/), the [Virginia</a> Film Festival](<a href=“http://www.vafilm.com/]Virginia”>http://www.vafilm.com/),[The</a> Critter Ball](<a href=“http://www.spcacritterball.com/]The”>http://www.spcacritterball.com/) - our version of Dancing with the Stars involving local celebrities, the [Live</a> Arts Gala](<a href=“http://livearts.org/?pg=gala]Live”>http://livearts.org/?pg=gala), [Roseland</a> polo](<a href=“http://www.roselandpolo.com/]Roseland”>http://www.roselandpolo.com/), the [Crozet</a> Music Festival](<a href=“http://www.crozetmusicfestival.com/]Crozet”>http://www.crozetmusicfestival.com/)…the list goes on). Charlottesville is not a sleepy town. We wouldn’t draw students from around the country and we wouldn’t have such high retention rates if students weren’t happy here.</p>
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No. This is not a suitcase school in any way. In fact, there are plenty of students who don’t go home for more than a week or two for winter break and many who stay for the summer.</p>
<p>By the way, the music scene in this town is phenomenal. In the last five years alone, I’ve seen the Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton, The Police, The Eagles, Bruce Springsteen, The Dead, U2, and Phish on Grounds and there were major acts that I didn’t go see that the students loved (the students will have to name them…I know Lady Gaga is coming soon, right?). There is literally no college in the country that has drawn all of those acts.</p>