Good morning, Blacksburg.

MISSION BBQ will offer free sandwiches for Vietnam War & Vietnam Era veterans on March 29 at its locations to thank them for their service and sacrifice.

Veteran families are welcome to join the event as a gesture of appreciation.

The 2025 New Music + Technology Festival, hosted by the School of Performing Arts and the Institute for Creativity, Arts, and Technology, will run for four days with performances from April 2-4 at the Cube in the Moss Arts Center and on April 5 at the Taubman Museum of Art in Roanoke. The festival will feature guest artists including Wayne Horvitz, Sara Schoenbeck and October Sky who will premiere new works and require advance registration for free admission.

Virginia Tech agricultural trade policy analyst Xi He said that tariffs imposed by the U.S. on imports from Canada, Mexico, and China—and retaliatory tariffs by those countries—have raised costs for Virginia farms and may disrupt supplies for crops like tobacco, corn, and soybeans. She explained that small farms face higher input costs and planting uncertainty that could lower export demand for products such as soybeans, poultry, and pork.

Virginia Tech professor David Popham was named a fellow of AAAS’s 2024 class for his work on how bacteria build, break, and use their cell walls in both regular cells and spores+ he said he is very honored and thanked his family and colleagues for their support.

Through April 6, members of the Virginia Tech community can join the 2025 Book Walk at Duck Pond to read Laura Numeroff’s classic children’s books along a path that tells familiar stories.

The event is organized by the New River Valley Foundation’s First Steps initiative—sponsored by Early Childhood Education Initiatives—and will feature local resources for families.

Carilion Clinic has opened registration for summer camps for kids and teens.

Camp Carilion (June 10 to 13) will give rising ninth and tenth graders hands-on health care training with applications due by April 4, Camp Too Sweet (July 14 to 18) will offer a week-long camp for children with diabetes with registration closing on May 14, and Camp Treehouse (May 10) will provide a free one-day program for grades K-8 with registration by phone.

Virginia Tech has approved a 2.9 percent tuition increase for the 2025-26 academic year that will raise in-state undergraduate tuition to $16,526 and out-of-state tuition to $38,977.

University officials said the hike will support investments in faculty and programs by using budget savings.

At the University Club at Virginia Tech, a special two-night dinner served blue catfish to show how the invasive fish grew from 700 million to 1 billion and is hurting Chesapeake Bay life.

Michael Schwarz said the dinner showed a plan to start a sustainable fishery that will reduce the catfish numbers—helping the local seafood system.

Virginia Tech Hokies vs. Radford Highlanders

1 p.m. — English Field at Atlantic Union Bank Park — VIP tickets available — Witness the spirited matchup between these local college teams in a lively baseball atmosphere.

Spring Candle Making Workshop

6-8 p.m. — Beliveau Farm Winery — Ticket required — Craft two personalized soy candles while enjoying wine and treats in a spring-inspired setting.

Virginia Tech vs. Troy Baseball Match

3:30 a.m. — English Field at Atlantic Union Bank Park — Tickets available — Watch the Virginia Tech Hokies face off against the Troy Trojans in an exciting baseball matchup.

Florida State Seminoles at Virginia Tech Hokies Baseball

1-5 p.m. — English Field at Atlantic Union Bank Park — Tickets required — Come watch the Hokies face off against the Seminoles in an exciting afternoon of college baseball.

The Grass Is Dead: Bluegrass Tribute

8 PM – 12 AM — The Milk Parlor — $ — Experience America's original bluegrass tribute to the music of the Grateful Dead and beyond!

Bonsai Painting Night at Beliveau Farm Winery

6-8 p.m. — Beliveau Farm Winery — Ticket sales end March 21st, 2025 — Unleash your creativity while sipping wine and painting your own bonsai masterpiece.