5th Street Station hosts back-to-school bash with Backpack Buddies

5th Street Station is hosting a back-to-school bash for families on Saturday, July 20 from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Along with face painting, crafts, food, games and giveaways from 5th Street Station’s retailers, live music will be provided by Z 95.1. Attendees are encouraged to bring school supplies or a backpack to donate to Backpack Buddies, a Charlottesville nonprofit that helps prepare students in need at the beginning of each school year by providing new backpacks filled with fun supplies. Founded in 2010 by Lucia Hoerr, the organization has filled more than 2,700 backpacks for children in need living in Virginia for the past eight summers.

“When I was a 9-year-old girl, I always wanted to donate a good portion of the money I made to nonprofit organizations,” said Hoerr, founder of Backpack Buddies. “The charities that appealed to me most were the ones that were located in my hometown. When I found out that many local kids started the year with little to no school supplies, I knew what I would do. That was when Backpack Buddies first started.”

Located at 149 5th Street Station Parkway in Charlottesville, the event will take place in The Yard at 5th Street Station. The first 65 people to donate an item at the event will receive a free movie ticket from Alamo Drafthouse Cinema for the screening of “The Neverending Story” at 2 p.m. on Saturday, July 20.

Strategically positioned on 5th Street and directly off Interstate 64, the retail center is comprised of 470,000 square feet of shopping and restaurants. The retail center also has a wide variety of retailers, restaurants and service providers while adding to the overall economic value and draw of southern Charlottesville area.

About 5th Street Station

5th Street Station is one of Charlottesville’s newest shopping districts. Strategically positioned on 5th Street, the retail center is directly off Interstate 64 in southern Charlottesville. It’s in close proximity to the University of Virginia and the affluent counties of Albemarle, Orange, Fluvanna, Madison, Buckingham, Louisa, Augusta and Rockingham, making 5th Street Station a convenient stop for dining, shopping and daily errands.

Comprised of 470,000 square feet of shopping and restaurants, 5th Street Station features first-in-market national retailers like Wegmans and Dicks Sporting Goods. The retail center also has a wide variety of retailers, restaurants and service providers while adding to the lively southern Charlottesville area. It’s the perfect place to for a quick stop by the bank and the grocery store or to take some time to relax by trying out a new hairstyle and enjoying a casual lunch.