Things To Do In Danville

During a customized or classic tour, you and up to two other city-curious tour-takers will cruise around town in a luxurious 2010 Lexus sedan while getting a cultural, educational, or nightlifeical perspective of the city. Prospective students or long-graduated parents can take the college tour to see major area institutions, plaque lovers can groove on the museum circuit, and those looking for a dose of the past can zoom out to the Mendenhall Plantation; 10 different tour options mean that there are sights to interest a jaded Greensboroian who thinks he's seen everything and the supercilious guest who needs but one tour to be wooed by the sights of the South. Each tour is fully narrated, and Spanish, Japanese, and Chinese translators are available for the foreign dignitary you may have met over a game of hopscotch.

Captain Josh Laferty channels more than two decades of experience fishing the local waters to help people find and reel in striped bass from Smith Mountain Lake. During his chartered trips, up to three fishermen hang out on an Angler center-console boat equipped with refreshments, safety gear, and fishing equipment such as Orvis fly tackle and Outcast planer boards. Since the boat comes stocked with everything needed for a day—or half-day—of fishing, participants only need to bring their Virginia freshwater-fishing license and arrive dressed in season-appropriate apparel and mermaid tails.

A Franklin Street icon, the recently renovated Varsity Theatre has entertained audiences and cineastes for more than 50 years with screenings of current blockbusters, cult flicks, indie films, and classics. A vintage marquee beckons audiences to file into comfy seats as 35mm and digital projectors project movies onto screens. Along with regularly scheduled showings, The Varsity also holds special events such as film forums, dinner-and-movie specials, or interviews with John Wayne's neckerchief. Groups can rent out the theaters for birthday parties, corporate functions, or special events, with multiple media services and catering options available.

Silence fills the forest as a masked paintball player creeps over logs and leaves, unable to find the opposing team he knows is there. Suddenly, a shower of colored paint spews from behind a nearby tree, and the battle begins. Such moments unfold daily at PBC Paintball Park's facilities during the regular season. Their staff, all of whom are paintball players themselves, have designed both wooded and concept fields at Greensboro, Charlotte, and Greenville. At Greensboro, wooded landscapes transform into a battlefield with bunkers, creeks, and large forts. Felled trees and dense foliage give players ample cover amid the undeveloped woods of Greenville's fields, while tournaments unfold across PBC Charlotte's level terrain. Additionally, PBC Paintball Parks are affiliated with Paintball Central, which runs two stores in North Carolina and one store in South Carolina where players can stock up on enough paintball gear to ready themselves for the inevitable cartoon-character rebellion.

On the scenic Smith Mountain Lake, run-about motorboats and WaveRunners create arcing, white-capped wakes atop the water. Nearby, slower-moving pontoons host anglers and picnickers. The captains of each of these vessels owe their enjoyable day to the family-owned Hales Ford Marina & Boat Rentals, which loans its equipment to locals and visitors alike. In addition to pairing clients with the right boat, staffers also perform repairs and maintenance, including winterization for a variety of vehicles.

The volunteer coaches at Greensboro United Soccer Association teach children and adults of all ages and skill levels how to sharpen their soccer skills during various programs. GUSA’s primary goal is to enrich the community, whether it's creating camps to prepare teenagers for their high-school soccer season, or outreach programs that bring pickup soccer games to nearly 150 children in area schools.