The Blacksburger

Come see one of our Campus Emporium staffers at Blacksburg’s annual Art at the Market Saturday, July 16 from 9:00am-2:00pm.

Celebrate Blacksburg’s vibrant arts community with an outdoor showing of work from both new and established local artists. Booths and tents will line Draper Avenue offering a wide variety of fine art and sculpture. Most artists will have work for sale.
A brief awards ceremony will take place at 10:00 with ribbons for outstanding 2D and 3D art.
Festivities will kick off with the annual Breakfast at the Farmer’s Market.

Here’s a few samples of our staff member’s artwork:

See you there!

Summer has arrived in Blacksburg, and with it comes new students, great community events, and (mostly) beautiful weather. We at Campus Emporium want to make sure you have all the Hokie gear you need for a great summer.
With temperatures creeping into the 90′s, keeping cool is a must. Wearing lightweight and breathable clothing can help you beat the heat, like our VT Inferno Sleeveless Shirt for guys, or our adorable VT Ruffled Tank and Hokie Heart Tank for ladies.

Another great warm weather choice is Under Armour– its lightweight moisture transporting fabric keeps you dry, and some garments even offer UV protection. We’ve just received a shipment of Virginia Tech Under Armour Catalyst shirts, which are made from recycled water bottles! Hop over to our VT Under Armour shop to shop our latest men’s and women’s styles.

When dressing for the heat, don’t forget your feet! Keeping your feet cool can help you feel cool all over, so air out those piggies! We’ve got two great suggestions for you: our new VT Rhinestone Flip Flops and our insanely popular VT Piro Shoes. For men and women, Piro shoes offer super lightweight comfort and ventilation. A special mesh in the sole also prevents the growth of odor causing bacteria, keeping you feet fresh. After a summer of hitting the pavement, simply throw them in the washer to brighten them back up.

Although it’s important all year round, summer is definitely the time for protecting yourself from the sun. Wearing a hat, like one of our Virginia Tech Visors, and a pair of quality sunglasses is a great start to staying safe from the sun. The most effective form of protection is sunscreen. Doctors recommend you wear at least SPF 15 every day, but you should definitely increase your protection in the summer. Believe it or not, Campus Emporium’s got you covered there, too! We now carry small bottles of VT Sunscreen for summer festivals and game days so Hokies don’t go home with faces matching their shirts.

Our last bit of advice for beating the heat is to stay hydrated. Water is the best– add lemon if you need flavor– and drinking it cold can help lower your body temperature. Keep water handy all day long with our Virginia Tech Camelbak Water Bottle to help you remember to drink. CamelBaks are BPA free, spill-proof and dishwasher safe and feature an easy to use bite valve. They’re a little pricier than cheapo bargain bottles, but worth every penny.

Now that you’re ready for summer in Blacksburg, head out of the A/C for one of our great community events. On July 17th from 9-2 is Art At the Market, where local artists will be displaying and selling their artwork near our new Farmer’s Market. There will also be breakfast served– don’t miss it!
On August 6th and 7th is Steppin’ Out, our largest event of the year. Over 150 artists, crafters and countless food vendors flood the streets of downtown Blacksburg with amazing merchandise and munchies. This year is the event’s 30th anniversary, so it’s sure to be the biggest yet! T-Shirts are now available at select downtown merchants including Campus Emporium.

It looks like we’re finally going to get some sun here in Blacksburg. Thank goodness- we were all starting to get a little grumpy (and pale) around here! It’s amazing the effect weather can have on your mood. The warm nights are bringing people to the streets of Downtown Blacksburg, including many visitors from out of town. We have been staying open later than usual, glad for the customers and their cheery dispositions.

Our managers are wrapping up their major buys for the year, and with that comes a pile of purchase orders for new Virginia Tech clothing and gifts. We’re excited to offer some new lines this year, and are fine tuning some of our existing merchandise. We thank you for your suggestions and requests and have done our best to accommodate them all. We’ve added tall sizes in some of our VT menswear and plus sizes in our women’s department.

We are adding some fun new designs in clothing, like Hello Kitty, and are revisiting some of Virginia Tech’s vintage logos.

Of course adding new stuff means getting rid of old stuff. We’ve lowered prices on tons of our Virginia Tech merchandise to make room for our new arrivals. Check out our sale page for some great deals!

There are BIG things on the horizon for Campus Emporium in the next year or two. Stay tuned to see find out what we’re doing to be the best Hokie Gear store around town and online. Accept no imitations- we are your One Stop Hokie Shop, your Unbookstore, and your Hokie Heart of Downtown Blacksburg!

‘Til next time,
GO HOKIES!