Bedford Area Welcome Center

01/21/2025

❤️Valentine's for Vets❤️
Show your support and gratitude to the brave men and women who have served in our armed forces by creating a heartfelt Valentine's Day card!
Stop by and make a card now through February 7th.
This meaningful community project is brought to you by Bedford Public Library System, who will ensure the cards are delivered to local veterans.💜

📸 Pictured: A wonderful group from Harmony Day Support crafting Valentine cards for our vets!💖

01/16/2025

The display cases have many new items! Stop by when you're ready to shop, these items are all local! We can accept cash only for these purchases. We're open daily 9 to 5. 😊

01/11/2025

The Welcome Center will open at noon on Saturday, January 11, 2025. ❄️

01/08/2025

See below for local warming center information!

❄️ Winter Weather Brief: Jan. 8, 2025 ❄️

As of 11 a.m. on Jan. 8, 2025, approximately 4,200 addresses (2,700 with Southside Electric and 1,400 with Appalachian Power) in Bedford County remain without power. Thankfully, two larger churches in the area had power restored and are opening their doors to those who need help.

♨️ More Places to Get Warm

From Jan. 8-10, Palestine Baptist Church (9244 Smith Mountain Lake Pkwy, Huddleston) will be open from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. as a warming station. Showers are available. More times may be offered as needed. Call the church at 540-297-4442 if you need to come outside of these hours.

From Jan. 8-10, EastLake Community Church (1201 Timberwood Ln., Moneta) will be open from 5-9 p.m. (weather permitting due to snow expected Friday night). Showers are also available here. For both churches, please bring your own charging cords and toiletries.

Bedford's Winter Warming Shelter (112 Center St., Bedford) remains open and will stay open 24/7 through Monday morning. The shelter has cots/blankets, food, showers, and laundry facilities. Pets are welcome.

Another place to warm up/charge your phone if you are without power is at one of our Bedford Public Library System branches. Residents can warm up at these branches anytime during the week during normal business hours: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Big Island Library is closed on Wednesdays.

-Bedford Central (321 N Bridge St., Bedford)
-Forest (15583 Forest Rd., Forest)
-Moneta (13641 Moneta Rd., Bedford)
-Montvale (11575 W Lynchburg Salem Tpke, Montvale)
-Stewartsville (45 Cascade Dr., Vinton)
-Big Island (111 Schooldays Rd., Big Island)

🚓 Sheriff’s Office Patrols

Over the past 24 hours, Bedford County deputies patrolled 100 percent of the areas in our county that are without power. Most citizens are doing okay and are taking care of one another. During these patrols, there were approximately 15 citizens identified as needing more assistance and/or a follow-up visit.

If you know of someone in your area who has lost power and needs assistance, call our non-emergency dispatch line at 540-586-7827.

🗑️ Waste Management Services Mostly Restored

Bedford County’s Waste Management Facility and gated waste collection centers are operating on normal hours following the storm. Power has been restored at the Waste Management Facility, so they no longer have to use a generator.

Also, as of 10 a.m. on Jan. 8, 2025, only one gated waste collection center is without power and may have limited operations:

-Blackwater—2477 Blackwater Rd., Forest

01/07/2025

❄️ Winter Weather Brief: Jan. 7, 2025 ❄️

As of midday on Jan. 7, 2025, approximately 10,000 addresses in Bedford County remain without power, and we are looking ahead to more winter weather this weekend.

Below are several announcements and reminders. Subscribe to our email notices to receive information like this in your inbox: www.bedfordcountyva.gov/subscribe.

🚔 Sheriff’s Office Patrols

Residents in areas of Bedford County that are without power may notice more deputies in their communities. According to Sheriff Mike Miller, deputies are increasing patrols in these areas to see if any citizens need assistance.

If you know of someone in your area who has lost power and needs assistance, call our non-emergency dispatch line at 540-586-7827.

♨️ Places to Get Warm

Bedford's Winter Warming Shelter at 112 Center St., Bedford, is open all day today (Jan. 7, 2025) and will continue operations into tomorrow (Jan. 8, 2025). The shelter is able to stay open during the day thanks to Social Services staff.

The shelter has cots/blankets, food, showers, and laundry facilities. Pets are also welcome.

The warming shelter is typically only open Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays (dependent on volunteers) but is extending its hours due to the winter storm. This is a ministry by St. John’s Episcopal Church with the building provided by Bedford Presbyterian Church.

Another place to warm up/charge your phone if you are without power is at one of our Bedford Public Library System branches. All branches, except for Big Island, are open today (Jan. 7, 2024) from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

-Bedford Central (321 N Bridge St., Bedford)
-Forest (15583 Forest Rd., Forest)
-Moneta (13641 Moneta Rd., Bedford)
-Montvale (11575 W Lynchburg Salem Tpke, Montvale)
-Stewartsville (45 Cascade Dr., Vinton)

Residents can warm up at these branches anytime during the week during normal business hours.

🗑️ Some Waste Management Services Affected

Bedford County’s Waste Management Facility and gated waste collection centers are operating on normal hours today (Jan. 7, 2025). However, the Waste Management Facility is without power and using a generator to continue limited operations.

Also, as of midday on Jan. 7, 2025, four gated waste collection centers are without power:

-Blackwater—2477 Blackwater Rd., Forest
-Otter River—18668 Wyatts Way, Evington
-Stone Mountain—1832 Radford Church Rd., Moneta
-Bunker Hill—1833 Bunker Hill Loop, Bedford

Due to the inability to compact trash, there may be limited operations at these collection centers.

💨 Reminder for Individuals on Oxygen

Individuals who are on home oxygen are reminded to check their emergency supply and contact their provider immediately if their tanks are low.

01/06/2025

UPDATED: The Welcome Center will be CLOSED on Monday, January 6, 2025, due to inclement weather.

The Welcome Center will have a delayed opening of 10:30 a.m. on Monday, January 6, 2025, due to inclement weather. This is subject to change. ❄️

01/02/2025

Happy Birthday, Chris! We enjoyed celebrating with you and the pinata! (See earlier post for video.) 😂😎🎊

01/02/2025

Happy belated birthday to our employee Chris! He turned another year older on December 30th. He made the mistake of saying, "A piñata would be fun," during an unrelated conversation earlier in the year. 😆😊🤭🎈🎉🍬

12/31/2024

🎄🎉 Christmas may be over, but the magic isn’t gone! 🎉🎄 There's still time to visit the Festival of Trees in Bedford, VA — but hurry, it ends on January 5! ⏳ We're open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (closed on January 1st).

🌟 Explore 40 stunning trees, vote for your favorite(s) for just $1 per vote, and let the kids have fun with a festive scavenger hunt! 🎁✨

Don't miss out. We hope to see you soon! ❤️🎄🌟


Destination Bedford Virginia

12/23/2024

The Welcome Center will be closed on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. We wish everyone a safe and happy holiday season! We will resume regular hours on December 26, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Festival of Trees takes place through January 5. When you visit, don't forget to vote for your favorite tree(s) for only $1/vote!

12/23/2024

We had a wonderful time hosting the Bedford Area Chamber of Commerce's last networking event of the year on December 10. It was a morning of networking, food, door prizes, and enjoying Festival of Trees!

12/23/2024

The Welcome Center is open today (Monday 12/23) until 5 p.m. for Festival of Trees and last minute shopping! We have a gift store full of unique items, as well as display cases you can shop from. The Sedalia Center is also offering a "limited time" discount on 2025 season passes for only $100! You can purchase those at our front counter. What a great gift for someone (or yourself)! 😉🎄❤️

12/19/2024

Celebrating Christmas since 1925! 🎅

12/18/2024

Exciting news! Our Director of Tourism, Nicole Johnson, was the lucky winner of this beautiful Smith Mountain Lake blanket from Smith Mountain Lake Insiders! 🏞️

A special thanks to Andie Gibson, co-owner of the magazine, who stopped by to present the blanket. 🙌

Make sure to grab your FREE copy of the SML Insider magazine at the Welcome Center! 📚 You can also explore their website for more SML goodies and shop online. ➡️ https://smith-mountain-lake.com/

Stay updated on local events, shopping deals, and more by following them on Facebook! 📲 https://www.facebook.com/

12/14/2024

We're open until 8 pm on Saturday, December 14 and Sunday, December 15 for Festival of Trees Bedford! These are the last two nights we'll have extended hours so hope you'll come! 🎄❤️🎅

This is "Destination Bedford-Bedford Tourism__Festival of Trees 2024_30" by WFXR News Marketing on Vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the people…

12/13/2024

The Forest Farmer's Market "Christmas Market" will be held on Saturday, December 14, 9am to 12pm. Shop with more than 40 local vendors! Located behind the Forest Library.

The Christmas market on December 14, from 9 AM to noon, will be filled with unique handcrafted gifts, seasonal treats, and holiday decorations. Enjoy the warm atmosphere created by the aromas fresh baked goods . It's a great chance to find special presents while supporting local artisans. Don't miss this delightful holiday experience!

12/12/2024

We had such a wonderful time celebrating with a few of our amazing volunteers this afternoon! Huge thanks to Southern-Gypsy-Cakery for the delicious treats and to Andrea for making it extra special with a fun Christmas Sing-a-Gram.
We appreciate each and every one of our volunteers!
🎄❤️🎄

12/06/2024