Clarksville is a town founded in Mecklenburg County and overlapping across Halifax County in the U.S. state of Virginia, near the southern border of the state. The population was 1,329 at the 2000 census. Since the town has numerous buildings of the 18th, 19th, and early 20th century architecture, the downtown area of Clarksville has been designated an Historic District on the National Register of Historic Places and Virginia's Historic Register. The town is located on Kerr Lake, which is also known as Buggs Island Lake. The 50,000-acre (202 km) lake is popular for boating and fishing; especially for catfish and many varieties of freshwater bass including largemouth bass, striped bass and crappie. The Virginia Lake Festival is held annually at Clarksville during the third weekend of July. The town often attracts approximately 80,000 visitors during this three-day event, formerly and colloquially known as "Lakefest". It culminates with a fireworks show on the lake. The festival has been named among the "Top Twenty Festivals In The Southeast" by the Southeast Tourism Society for many years.