As summer fades away and groups of students and teachers return to their classrooms, changes are taking place in our downtown. There is a certain liveliness brewing that could only exist outside of work hours, away from desks and deadlines.

After the closure of The Bakery months ago, many worried that hours spent sipping wine and sharing ideas with friends would go, too, but the Longwood Center for the Visual Arts (LCVA) refused to let that be the case. Thus the coveted “Wine and Brew” was born.

Now, with the ending of summer and the Summer Wine and Brew Series also nearing a close in September, there’s still no need to worry.

The Virginia Tasting Cellar, a new business in town, will provide that space for camaraderie, conversation and trying new things starting Sept. 10. The Cellar will bring wineries from across the state to one room in our town.

So often, it’s easy to get into a routine and dismiss ideas that seem too farfetched, too challenging. Lucky for our town, there are groups of people working to bring new ideas and businesses to our doorstep.

Third Street Brewing, a brewery coming next summer, has similar aspirations of adding to downtown’s atmosphere.

In each of these cases, the community and guests have an opportunity to come together. Inspired by pubs in England and wineries in the Napa Valley, these businesses will bring more than just beer and wine to our town.

Sitting on bar stools just feet from the High Bridge Trail and swaying on swings overlooking the Appomattox, we will have the opportunity to discuss those ideas we would normally dismiss. We will be invited to enjoy new music, good food and companionship.

I invite my fellow residents to embrace the change and to welcome the opportunities to come together.

Carson Reeher is a staff writer for The Farmville Herald. Her email address is carson.reeher@farmvilleherald.com.