That Are On the Nice List

You don’t have to skip the sweets this holiday season to stay focused on your fitness goals. Local blogger Laura Miner, founder of Cook at Home Mom (cookathomemom.com), shares a few of her favorite diet-friendly desserts that are perfect for parties or after a weeknight meal at home.

Chocolate Pumpkin Protein Balls
paleo, grain-free, gluten-free

Who doesn’t love a good no-bake dessert recipe during a busy time of the year? These little bites of fall flavor are easy to whip up and are always crowd pleasers. But Laura prefers to savor them by herself with a steaming hot cup of coffee on a chilly morning. She also likes that they aren’t overly sweet and the pumpkin flavor is subtle.

Servings: 4 (16-18 balls)
Calories: 352

CLICK HERE FOR THE RECIPE!

Snickers-Stuffed Dates
paleo, vegan

These are an absolute must-try if you’re like Laura and love that classic combo of chocolate and peanut/almond butter. With just four ingredients, this no-bake dessert is also a fan favorite due to its convenience.

Servings: 8
Calories: 160

CLICK HERE FOR THE RECIPE!

Sweet Potato Chocolate Mousse
paleo, vegan

Laura came up with this recipe as a way to satisfy her husband’s post-dinner sweet tooth without derailing from their clean-eating habits. It’s a concoction that’s so delicious, no one—including the kids—will ever know it is made with vegetables!

Servings: 4
Calories: 246

CLICK HERE FOR THE RECIPE!

Chocolate Covered Apple Slices

With apples as a base and nuts providing protein, you won’t feel so guilty about snacking on this treat anytime of the year.

Servings: 4-6 (4 slices)
Calories: 198

CLICK HERE FOR THE RECIPE!

Not sure where to start with that holiday shopping list? You’ve come to the right place! Our annual Holiday Gift Guide is an overview of unique gift ideas, all found in local stores.

Spreading the Word

A local putt-putt group contacted us to say thank you after some new faces joined their fun. Willie Perry, a volunteer organizer of the Senior Putt-Putt League, told editor Shelley Basinger they had about five or six new people come out to play, all because they read the article in the July/August issue of Lynchburg Living, “Mini Golf, Big Benefits.” Perry says they typically average about
30 people every time they play.

Their 2021 season has ended but will resume in April at the Putt-Putt Fun Center on Timberlake Road.

Taste Try Outs

Long-time contributor Mikael Blido says he has never received so much feedback about one of his cooking articles. Since the release of our September/October issue, he says he has heard from four separate individuals—two men and two women—who made (and enjoyed!) the chicken pot pie from his “Dudes CAN Cook” feature.

Be sure to check out all of the year’s recipes at lynchburgliving.com and let us know how your meal turns out!

The Votes Are In

We want to once again thank you, our readers, for casting votes in our annual Best Of Lynchburg contest. Thousands of you went online to pick your favorite restaurants, businesses and more; we logged close to 43,000 total votes!

Look for the full list of winners in our January/February 2022 issue.

Send us an e-mail to shelley@lynchburgmag.com. Correspondents must identify themselves; names may be withheld on request. Lynchburg Living may edit or condense.

NEW STORES, GALLERIES POINT TO AN UP-AND-COMING MARKET FOR LOCAL ARTISTS

Anyone on the hunt for a new piece of local, original artwork is no longer limited to attending a festival or stumbling across something they like hanging in a restaurant. New niche fine art galleries are opening and thriving in Central Virginia, showing that the art industry is worth the investment.

Findings Art opened in the Boonsboro Shopping Center in March.

“We had [a full lineup of] artists before we even had a space for them to look at,” said owner Amy Calandra Davis. “So that tells you that people were craving this.”

While Davis says there have been small pockets in the region for artists to display their work, those stores sell other items.

“This is the first time we’ve had an actual retail gallery space solely dedicated to the display and selling of original artwork,” she said, adding that she hopes to offer an even wider variety of artists and artwork as time goes on.

Davis said there is actually a large artist community in Lynchburg, which people may or may not know about.

“We do have a very thriving, active art community,” she said. “And on the flip side, we don’t have enough outlets for artists to routinely display and sell their pieces.”

Artists would normally have to wait until they could get into a show at a gallery such as the Academy Center of the Arts or hang their work somewhere like a local restaurant.

“Being an artist myself, you want to get out there and create, but where are you going to put them once you’re done?” she said.

Findings won’t prevent artists from showing anywhere else; Davis said she wants her gallery to be a place where they can routinely count on having wall space for as long as it’s working for them.

The selections from Findings range from local to national, large to small, with various techniques, styles, mediums, and price points.

“It’s a one-stop shop for all your art needs,” Davis said. “So you don’t have to look online anymore. You don’t have to wait for a show or a festival.”

In Wyndhurst, above Montana Plains Bakery on Tradewynd Drive, Steven Coates has recently reopened his art gallery, Steven Francis Fine Art. He first opened the business in the fall of 2019 but closed it in March 2020 when the pandemic shuttered many businesses.

Coates says his gallery is more of an “art project” that he hopes will naturally evolve into a destination visit from travelers near and far.

He had the chance to hold one show in November 2019 and plans to hold two more this coming fall.

The fine art gallery has 50 percent local artists; the other half is national and international artists, some coming as far as Argentina and California.

Art can be found downstairs in the bakery, which Coates used to own, as well as upstairs in the gallery.

He says it’s new for Lynchburg to have these kinds of fine art stores.

“There was really no niche or specialty galleries, but the market is good for art galleries right now,” he said. “Especially with the pandemic, people want art on their walls. People connect with art and people who have had art for a while, it’s part of the family, it’s how they breathe. Art is like that.”

Coates said he isn’t so much worried about sales but wants to expose the community to art.

“I look for things that I like that I’m passionate about,” he said. “It’s a combination and so then the people come in here and they get excited about it too. I’m just trying to encourage people to get more involved with it.”

ElectricCoArt opened in Bedford this year and has a fine art gallery and bistro alongside a large store that features locally handcrafted items, such as pottery, metal sculptures and furniture. They have confirmed one artist, Felta of Floyd, Va., and are in talks with several more that they plan to announce in the coming months.

“The responses [from the artists] have been overwhelmingly positive,” said co-owner Wendy Witt. “Artists are happy to see us create this, so it is a win for both the artists and the art collectors.”

Witt believes the pandemic, with all of its challenges, really paved the way for a surge in the art market.

“Art is a release for emotions, regardless of what directions those emotions may be traveling in. The quarantining that has been happening for the last year and a half has elevated a lot of emotions—anger, confusion,” said Witt. “However, some people really enjoyed it! So, there needs to be an outlet to let those feelings go, whether you’re making [the art] or enjoying and interpreting the art for your needs.”

There’s No Place Like Home
As more aging seniors and their families opt for home care, local agencies answer some of your top questions

Even before the pandemic, the home health industry was seeing a slow but steady increase in demand. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, home health aide and personal care aide jobs are projected to grow 36 percent from 2018 to 2028, much faster than the average for all occupations.

The benefits of home care are fueling these numbers, from increased independence for an aging senior to relief for family caregivers. It’s also becoming a transitional option for seniors who don’t quite need full-time care, but would be safer and have a better quality of life if someone helped them a few times a week.

If you are considering this option for yourself or a loved one, read on to hear the most frequently asked questions three local businesses receive.

Never was there a more perfect storm for nonprofits than in the past two years. When the pandemic gripped our world, needs skyrocketed at a rate that no one could have predicted, pushing these steadfast organizations to their limits.

A LOOK BEHIND THE SCENES AND THROUGH THE DECADES AS THE VIRGINIA CHRISTMAS SPECTACULAR GEARS UP FOR ITS 50TH PERFORMANCE

In today’s age, you’re probably in one of two camps: jamming to Christmas music before Thanksgiving or strongly believing that those jolly tunes should only be played after Turkey Day.

Well, at Thomas Road Baptist Church there’s a third option: Christmas is an all-year production, at least for the Creative Team.

For the last several months, the church has been gearing up for the 50th anniversary of the Virginia Christmas Spectacular, which brings in thousands of guests from all over the area to get into the holiday spirit.

“The story goes that Dr. Falwell saw a church in California do a singing Christmas tree and he decided that he wanted [Thomas Road] to do something similar,” says Adam Lancaster, Chief Creative Officer at TRBC. “That was back in the ’70s. The Living Christmas Tree part was comprised of actual evergreen that they would spend weeks stringing together. They had to make sure it didn’t dry out between set-up and the end of performances.”

Since then, the show has become a staple of the Lynchburg area. In the early years, Lancaster says the production would run for two weekends with multiple performances in the original Thomas Road location. But after their move to Candlers Mountain in 2006, the size of the audience grew.

“In the mid-2000s, we would see between 25,000 to 30,000 people come through,” he says.

This year, TRBC will hold five performances Dec. 10-12.

“We’re bringing back the [living] tree,” Lancaster says, though it won’t be made from real evergreen this time. “We began setting it up and pulling it out of storage mid-October.”

The tree isn’t the only thing the Virginia Christmas Spectacular is known for. Each year, the TRBC team brings a little Broadway to Lynchburg with an original production that is written by a creative team under the direction of Scott Bullman, executive producer—but it still includes classic Christmas songs.

It wasn’t always a high-tech production. Over the years, the technology and scale has evolved.

For one, the tree, which now has hundreds of thousands of lights, was originally operated manually. Behind the scenes, someone was in charge of flipping giant light switches in sync with the music.

“That was a big deal back in the day,” Lancaster jokes.

But the technology quickly evolved thanks to Jon Daggett, who began getting involved in the early ’90s.

“There was a couple by the name of Rich and Kathy who oversaw the lights,” Daggett says. “They were professors at Liberty and, along with their students, would program the PC and light boards to make sure the tree was syncing up to the music.”

A musician, Daggett had an idea to create his own system. Not for the Virginia Christmas Spectacular, though, but for a holiday party they hosted. In his basement, he composed his own outdoor lighting system that he planned to show off to guests.

It was an accidental hit. Soon, the Daggetts found themselves on the local news and people flocking from all over to check out their house.

“Nowadays, it’s a common thing. People do it on their houses all the time,” Daggett says. “But this was the ’90s, where it wasn’t so common.”

This all led to Daggett being nominated to help design a system for the iconic tree at TRBC.

“I knew nothing about lighting when I started,” he says.

Fast forwarding to present day, Daggett has worked with other churches around the country to create their own lighting systems for Christmas productions. He and his wife even own their own custom light and event company in Lynchburg.

Lancaster says everyone involved with the production sees it as not only a “spectacular” show, but a way to reach out to the greater Lynchburg community.

“This has always been a unique opportunity for a city our scale,” Lancaster says. “There are so many people who have been involved—some as far back as the ’80s. Our volunteers get such joy contributing to something like this.”

Approximately 400 people give their time to the production each year—and Don Brooks is one of those long-time volunteers. Since 1983, Brooks has served in various roles from writing to acting to directing.

“I was just in the choir [to start] in the tree,” he says. “I was in the second row from the top where it was hot, and the lights would get you. I did that for a few years, but then I started getting involved with theatre at Liberty and that’s when they started doing the drama portion of it.”

Brooks says after that, he continued to audition and even got his family involved.

But participating in the Virginia Christmas Spectacular is more than just another acting role for Brooks—it’s a ministry.

“Christmas is a time that really magnifies what makes you happy or if you’re in a bad spot, that gets magnified as well,” he says. “I like to do a Christmas program that speaks to where people are at. This time, we’re dealing with COVID-19, and hurt and pain. We all have a story.”

The Virginia Christmas Spectacular is a way to bring hope, says Brooks. He remembers one year where the story portion focused on infidelity. Brooks played the unfaithful husband.

“That’s a hard subject to do when you’re trying to celebrate Rudolph,” he says. “We had several people that came up to me after the show and said, ‘Hey, I saw you in the show and wanted to let you know what you guys were talking about in that storyline is exactly where we’re at.’”

Brooks says a couple even said they came to the show knowing it was the last thing they’d do as a family before heading to divorce court. They told Brooks they had decided to focus on counseling to try to save their marriage.

“We want you to walk away and realize there is hope,” Brooks says.

A FITNESS STUDIO ADDS FAITH INTO THE #WOD

Photos by Ashlee Glen

In a world where we always seem to be focused on appearances, sometimes the emotional, mental and spiritual aspects of our lives can get overlooked. When Kat Seay opened Live Move Be Fitness on Timberlake Road last year, she was on a mission to provide a well-rounded fitness experience that went beyond what you could see in the mirror.

“The name [of the studio] came from the Bible verse Acts 17:28, ‘For in Him we live and move and have our being’,” said Seay. “As soon as people walk through our doors, we want to help them live with purpose, move with joy, and be all that they were created to be. We want them to feel like they belong here.”

Live Move Be (or LMB for short) is a faith-infused fitness studio that offers exercise for the body, mind, and soul. There is a place for everyone, and there is a class for everyone—from cardio kickboxing to yoga.

LMB has many unique group class formats that are hard to find anywhere else. Want to get the heart pumping? There’s RW HIIT, a 30-minute high intensity class. Want to take it easy but still get a good workout? Try Rev and Flow, a movement-to-music class.

“We kind of run the gamut of all the different types of classes you could be looking for in a fitness class,” said Seay. “I feel like we really do have something for everyone.”

One of Seay’s favorite workout formats is movement-to-music: “I just like moving with joy. I love movement. I love music.”

Seay got her first taste of this when she began teaching Zumba classes at the YMCA in Bedford in 2009. From there, she began a women’s fitness ministry at her church. In January 2020, she opened Live Move Be.

“I saw the positive results of addressing someone’s full person. Their whole body, not just their physical body but their spiritual and emotional needs, addressing all those needs in a fitness class.”

Seay and six other instructors have carried this positive impact into LMB, especially the spiritual and emotional aspects. At LMB, exercise is more than just a physical activity.

“You see these hashtags, #legday or #armsday. Here we have #everydayisheartday. Having a strong healthy body is important, but we want the heart to be the primary focus of our classes,” said Seay.

From their inspiring music choices to the intentional words that they speak, the instructors do everything they can to motivate participants. They want participants to leave the studio with full hearts and fewer burdens.

“It’s very important to us that we speak life over the people in our class. It’s a big responsibility to have people’s ears and hearts in your class for an hour. We want them to feel mentally and emotionally lighter than when they came in,” explained Seay.

Because they want everyone to experience a fulfilling workout, LMB offers a non-traditional membership format. Anyone can drop into a class for $5. For $40, 10 classes can be attended, and one month of unlimited classes is $70. Angie Coleman is on her third 10-class pass.

“I came out to my first class, and I just loved it. I’ve been coming for three months, twice or sometimes three times a week,” said Coleman.

Coleman was diligent about exercising her brain by playing solitaire and doing word searches, but she realized that her body needed exercise too. After coming to classes at LMB, Coleman has seen various improvements in her life.

“My attitude is better. My breathing is better. My clothes fit better. I feel so energized. People are starting to ask me what I do because they are seeing the differences,” she said.

Coleman is just one of many who faithfully attend LMB.

“We have people that are 20 years old and there’s a lady here that’s 80 years old. You don’t feel like you’re out of place. Everybody’s welcome,” said Coleman.

Learn more about Live Move Be Fitness at www.livemovebefitness.com.

Mark Your Calendars | November/December 2021

We compiled this Central Virginia Holiday Bucket List to help guide you through the region’s top events and activities. See how many you can check off this season!

Wave at a hometown parade.
After a very weird 2020, many of Central Virginia’s hometown parades are back with a bang this year in their traditional formats. The theme of the 2021 Lynchburg Christmas Parade is “A Stroll Down Gingerbread Lane” (Dec. 5). It will start at Bank of the James Stadium at 4 p.m. and end at E.C. Glass High School. Other local parades were still in planning stages as of mid-October but be on the lookout for confirmed dates!

Go on a tour of the best local lights.
It’s not officially Christmas until you’ve seen the spectacular light display at the Elks National Home in Bedford. Another easy drive-through option is Liberty University, where the campus trees are decked out with dazzling lights following Thanksgiving. Or, trade your car for a carriage as Lynchburg Parks and Rec hosts its Celebration of Lights event in the magically decorated Riverside Park
(Dec. 10-11, registration required).

Support local businesses at one-stop-shop events.
Step away from your Amazon cart! You’ll find diverse local businesses and makers at regional events such as the Holiday Maker’s Market on Commerce Street (Nov. 26-27), Mountain View Events’ CHRISTmas in the Country (Nov. 12-13), Christmas in Sedalia at the Sedalia Center (Dec. 11) and the Holiday Craft Fair at the Moose Lodge on Lakeside Drive (Nov. 13). Also, be sure to stop by the Lynchburg Community Market’s Mistletoe Markets on Saturdays leading up to Christmas (starting Nov. 27).

Create a Christmas craft with friends or family.
Check out the Academy Center of the Arts class offerings to make fun décor such as a Snowman Stocking Holder (Dec. 4) or Holiday Tea Towels and Sugar Scrubs (Dec. 18). If you’re stumped on what to get your friends, consider booking a painting session at Imagination Station, Board and Brush Forest, Blue Mountain Barn or AR Workshop. These local DIY studios offer holiday craft options every year!

Buy tickets to a festive show.
Returning in 2021 for its 50th anniversary is the Thomas Road Baptist Church Virginia Christmas Spectacular, a professional-level production that includes the iconic Living Christmas Tree (Dec. 10-12). Music lovers will cherish the Lynchburg Symphony Orchestra’s Happy Holidays with the LSO show at the Historic Academy Theatre (Dec. 4). The Academy is also hosting the Sara Evans Blue Christmas Tour (Dec. 9).

Stay fitness-focused by signing up for a local race.
While it’s not the peak 5K season, there are still several race options during the holiday months. The Lynchburg Turkey Trot (Nov. 25), a fundraiser for HumanKind, is an invigorating way to start your Thanksgiving Day. Bring the whole family to the Peaks of Otter Christmas Classic (Dec. 2) in Bedford, which includes a 5K, one-mile run and kids’ run. Runners are encouraged to “dress for the season” at the Reindeer Run 2 Mile Trail Race at Hydaway Outdoor Center (Dec. 4).
<brBinge on your favorite holiday movies.
No need to dig out those old DVDs—the Historic Academy Theater has you covered with its all-day Holiday Movie Marathon (Nov. 27). You can also enjoy your favorite festive flicks on the big screen at Venue Cinemas during the month of December as they feature some of the top films with holiday vibes.

Take a trip back in time to Christmases past.
The Holiday Candlelight Tours at Thomas Jefferson’s Poplar Forest give you a one-of-a-kind experience of his villa that’s fully decorated for the holidays
(Dec. 2-17). Or take a trip to Brookneal for the annual Christmas Open House at Patrick Henry’s Red Hill, which includes docent-guided tours and more (Dec. 6).

Local Openings & Closings

Hello! to new owners of Goode Country Store in Goode.

Hello! to a new location of Rookie’s on Norfolk Avenue in Lynchburg.

Hello! to Beauty Bar on 9th Street in Lynchburg.

Hello! to La Vida Coffee + Market on Langhorne Road.

Goodbye to MMG Burger Bar on Wards Road.

Hello! to women’s boutique Cashe’ on Enterprise Drive in Wyndhurst.

Hello! to new boutique Mosaic Collective on 5th Street in Lynchburg.

Hello! to Annie’s Indian Kitchen on Forest Road near Graves Mill Road.

Hello! to Relevant Law’s new location on Enterprise Drive.

Goodbye to Crown Sterling restaurant on Fort Avenue, closing after five decades.

Hello! to three new places to eat at River Ridge Mall: Grounded, Stonefire Pizza and Mein Bowl.

By Christian Weaner

On a rainy evening in mid-May, Andrew Padilla gathered to brainstorm with a few of his friends in the empty building that would soon become the newest coffee shop in Lynchburg. As they sat together and talked, the ideas started to flow.

“We didn’t have a name, we didn’t have an aesthetic, we had no idea what we were going to do with the shop,” Padilla said. “And then, we all just sat down for a couple hours…came here one night when it was super rainy, we turned off all the lights except for the string lights, just kind of getting inspiration of what we want this place to be. That’s how La Vida was born.”

With the help of his team, Padilla opened La Vida Coffee + Market in July with a vision of becoming not only a successful coffee shop but also a safe haven that’s open to anyone, breathing life into the Lynchburg community.

Padilla, 21, is the co-owner of the business and a Sacramento, Calif., native who moved to Lynchburg in 2012 with his family. Many of Padilla’s ideas for La Vida are inspired by California-based coffee shops, which frequently host concerts, movie nights and other events.

The coffee shop is located inside a 4,000-square-foot building on the corner of Langhorne Road and Memorial Avenue. With the help of some friends, Padilla built all of the tables and sourced the other furniture.

He also ordered state-of-the-art coffee equipment that is unique to coffee shops in this area. They offer a fairly traditional coffee menu—from an Americano to a latte—but add in some seasonal favorites and offer Mexican sodas (Jarritos) as well.

Despite doing minimal marketing online and preparing for a soft launch to help get prepared for the return of college students, Padilla said he was blown away by the immediate turnout of customers when La Vida opened its doors July 17.

“All the tables, all the couches were filled,” Padilla said. “The line was going around the tables and out the door by 11 a.m. and we opened at 10 a.m.”

With large windows spanning the majority of the building, Padilla said he loves to let the natural light flood in, prop open the doors and create a welcoming environment for anyone who wants to stop by.

“Here at La Vida, anyone is welcome,” Padilla said. “No matter their age, no matter anything, we welcome everybody with open arms no matter what.”

At a Glance:

La Vida Coffee + Market
2704 Langhorne Rd., Lynchburg
(434) 215-3332
lavidacoffeemarket.com

Hours:
Sun., 12pm – 7pm
Mon.-Thurs., 6am – 6pm
Fri., Sat.: 6am – 7pm