Downtown Roanoke, Inc.

Downtown Rundown 1/20

2012-01-20T15:12:00.000-05:00

So, if you've made it this far, you're obviously interested in a comprehensive listing of the events that are about to take over Downtown this weekend. Well then, let's not waste any more time. Here's your Downtown Rundown:

Friday, January 20th:

-The Kroger Cabin Fever Series rolls back in town with the Craig Wollard Band at 6:30pm at the Roanoke Civic Center.

-Virginia Tech's Club Hockey takes on the University of Maryland-Baltimore County at 7:30pm at the Roanoke Civic Center.

-John Gorka and Mercy Creek come into Kirk Avenue Music Hall for a special show at 8pm.

-Talk is Cheap plays at Blue 5 at 9pm.

-The Allen Thompson Band and Relacksachian play a FREE show at Martin's Downtown Bar and Grill starting at 10pm.

Saturday, January 21st:

-Virginia Tech's Club Hockey team comes back early to take on Temple at the Roanoke Civic Center at 1pm.

-The Square Society is holding the annual Black and White Masquerade Ball at the Hotel Roanoke at 7pm. Don't have tickets but still want to go? Check out their website for information.

-Local favorites Will Hoge and Corey Hunley rock Kirk Avenue Music Hall at 8pm.

-The Ministers of Soul are at Blue 5 at 9pm.

-Barefoot West plays a FREE show at Martin's Downtown Bar and Grill starting at 10pm!

Sunday, January 22nd:

-The Souper Bowl III comes to the Taubman Museum of Art at noon for a special engagement. If you don't know much about this event, it features soup from 20 different restaurants, and all the proceeds benefit the Rescue Mission and Roanoke Area Ministries. Each paying customer gets a handmade, one of a kind bowl from local artists, and gets their pick of each of the 20 soups to eat. Interested? Check out our page for more information and be sure to get tickets!

So, there's a lot going on this weekend! We hope to see you Downtown! And have fun!!!

Downtown Rundown 1/12

2012-01-12T16:10:00.000-05:00

So it's been a little longer than anticipated since my previous Downtown Rundown, but I think Thursday is as good of a time as any to let you know what's going on Downtown this weekend!

First, a couple things to note:

-The construction on the sidewalk of Market Street has closed down one stretch, however, Horizon Bar and Grill is STILL OPEN for business daily. Check out their website and specials here.

-The construction on the pedestrian walkway over the train tracks that connects the Hotel Roanoke to Downtown is underway, and a trolley runs on 15 min intervals between Downtown and the Hotel, making a stop in front of the City Market Building.

Now, for the list of events Downtown this weekend!

Thursday, January 12

-Big Daddy Love is playing at 10pm at Martin's Downtown Bar and Grill, $5 cover charge at the door

-The Square Society, a group for young-minded professionals dedicated to networking and supporting the Center in the Square and its organizations, is hosting a Thirsty Thursday event at the Quarter at 6pm

Friday, January 13

-The Home and Garden Show is back at the Roanoke Civic Center! Starting at 2pm, come out and find everything you need for your home and garden needs, and maybe win a prize! Tickets are $8.50 per adult (17 and up)

-Rascal Flatts is coming to the Roanoke Civic Center at 7pm with Sara Evans and Hunter Hayes, and tickets are still available!

-Carbon Leaf, a band hailing from Richmond, will be making an appearance at Kirk Avenue Music Hall at 8pm with tickets at $20 for the standing room only show

-Sonny Skyyz checks in at Blue 5 starting at 10pm, giving you a chance to see the "Old School" R&B group

-P.B.R. (the Peoples Blues of Richmond) and the Blacksburg favorite Shack Band are coming to Martin's Downtown Bar and Grill for a free show beginning at 10pm as well!

Saturday, January 14

-The Home and Garden Show returns for day 2 at the Roanoke Civic Center, starting at 10am. Tickets are $8.50 per adult (17 and up)

-The Snuggie Bar Crawl starts in Downtown Roanoke at 3pm, and the only cost is a canned food donation for Feeding America

-Virginia Tech Hockey takes to the ice vs. Penn State at 7:30pm at the Roanoke Civic Center

-Another Reason to Celebrate: The Life and Music of Don Pullen comes to the Jefferson Center to celebrate the 70th birthday of one of Roanoke's greatest musicians. Tickets are $16-$26 and show starts at 8pm

-Abbey Road LIVE brings their Beatles tribute to Kirk Avenue Music Hall at 8pm, with tickets $10 for under 21 patrons and $20 for all others

-The Backtalkers roll into Blue 5 for a special show at 9pm

-The Charlie Hamill Group comes to Martin's Downtown Bar and Grill starting at 10pm with no cover charge

Sunday, January 15

-The Home and Garden Show concludes at the Roanoke Civic Center, starting at 10am. Tickets are $8.50 per adult (17 and up)

-VT Hockey is playing Maryland at 1pm at the Roanoke Civic Center

As you can see, a lot going on in Downtown, and we hope you'll check it out!!!

Shopping Differently, Pt. 2

2011-12-14T17:11:00.000-05:00

Alright, so I think everyone has a pretty good feel for exactly what I'm trying to accomplish here. So let's jump right back in. (I've been busy this week.)

First stop was Walkabout Outfitters. While taking the pictures of the Haiku purse for our Extended Holiday Shopping Hours, I noticed these really cool pink "Life is good" golf balls. My youngest brother plays quite a bit and constantly complains about losing his ball. Solution? Bright pink ball. If he loses this, I'd quit.

Plus, you just don't find a whole lot of pink golf balls lying around. So, he's going to probably regret mentioning the golf thing to me. Oh well, I'm great with positive reinforcement.

Next stop was Ladles and Linens. If you haven't been there, it has pretty much every single cool kitchen gadget that you could ever imagine. But I digress. I went in to check out the wine stoppers, because my Dad had mentioned that he wanted a nice set for when he opens a bottle of wine and doesn't finish it. I couldn't really relate to his situation, but I'm a sharer.

After checking out the extensive wine accessories collection, I was wandering through the store and found this apron. My Mom is an art teacher at an elementary school, so aprons are pretty much her wardrobe. She loves them, and can never seem to get enough. She also loves the beach. (I may be making that part up. I'm not really sure, actually.) Either way, this seemed to be a great fit.

I know. It's kinda hard to tell from the bag, but it's an apron. I promise. Moving along.

Next stop was SumDat Farm Market. I knew they had a great collection of VA wines and beers, but figured the wine stopper may be a long shot. Go figure, they had it. And a very nice one, at that. So I went ahead and grabbed a pair for my Dad. After all, if anyone deserves to enjoy wine, it's him.

After I got these, I figured I hadn't gotten anything for my girlfriend on this trip. (A travesty, I know.) So I had to remedy the situation. Into chocolatepaper I went. Saw this great mug for loose tea. You dump loose tea into the mesh strainer, pour hot water over the tea, and let it sit for about 5 minutes. How cool is that? And to think, I went in there for chocolate. (Added bonus? She has been drinking tea a LOT lately, meaning I pay attention to things. Extra points for me. We'll tally the scoreboard later.)

So now I have this great "Tea brewing system" but zero loose tea. Enter Native Grace. If you haven't walked through the store, take a minute the next time you're Downtown. Everything in this place is fair trade, some is one-of-a-kind, but it's all cool. And they have loose tea. Lots of it. So I picked out a few that I thought sounded good. Wound up with a cool mixture of bags. One green tea, one white tea, and one black tea. And I thought coffee was the only thing that was good once you pour hot water over it. My mistake.

So now, I've pretty much covered what I thought I needed to get. Apparently, I was wrong. Next stop was Ladles and Linens. (Yes, again.) I figured I should get my Dad some wine accessories. This one just stuck out at me, so I made the snap decision to grab it. It's this wine aerator. It's supposed to make your wine "open up and show its true flavor". I may have gotten it because it appeared to be a good strainer, and I hate accidentally drinking the cork.

Now we're done, right? Nope. I like Downtown. And it's not fair to only stay on Market Street. So I'm off to One Block East Gallery to see what Ms. Debbi Stump has. I walked in and looked around for a bit, and then I stumbled across the retro/handmade/one-of-a-kind jewelry case. Yes. Another mistake on my part. And that's how this little guy became a part of the holiday for me.

It's just a really small frog lapel pin, but I thought it was too cool to leave there! And now, I need coffee. Freckles, away! This is another really cool outfit in Downtown. Coffee shop in the front, retro store in the back. It's great. As I'm walking around waiting for my coffee (which is made per order, not using an old pot that has been sitting there all day), I went into the retro store. Another mistake. I just keep doing this. Find something cool, think it over, put it back, and then get it in the end. It's a long, exhausting process. I didn't feel like going through it. So we now have these handmade, one-of-a-kind dinosaur earrings. And if she doesn't wear them? Not a problem. Again, it shows I listened to her. Because when she was a little kid, she played with dinosaurs, not Barbies. See? I'm telling you, this holiday season, I'm just lighting up the scoreboard.

Ok, that's about all that I could get done this week. We still have the Cirque du Soleil ticket giveaway going on every Thursday from 4pm to 9pm, and we've got two weeks of Extended Holiday Shopping Hours left! If you haven't started, still need some items, or are just looking for that one great gift, Downtown Roanoke has something for everyone! Come Downtown and Shop Differently!

Haley Toyota's City of Roanoke Christmas Parade Winners and Shopping Announcement!

2011-12-13T12:47:00.000-05:00

For anyone wondering who won the Haley Toyota's City of Roanoke Christmas Parade, here are your 2011 winners!

1^st Place – Dickens of a Cheeseburger, sponsored by the Parrotheads of the Blue Ridge

2^nd Place – Puckett Family Christmas by Glenn Puckett and his family

3^rd Place – The Grinch by Wayne Corprew

Best Parade “Holiday” Theme – Praise and Celebrate Jesus by the First Baptist Church

Best Decorated Vehicle – Rooftop Christmas by the Roanoke Valley Mopar Club

Best Musical Performance – The Patrick Henry High School marching band

And we have a GREAT announcement about our Extended Holiday Shopping Hours!

Thanks to a partnership with Cirque du Soleil and the Roanoke Civic Center, Downtown Roanoke will be giving away a PAIR of tickets to Cirque's show "Quidam", which opens March 28th, 2012. (Feels weird to say 2012 already.)

At any rate, the only thing that we ask of you to be entered to win these great tickets is show up on our Thursday evening Extended Holiday Shopping Hours. That's it. Show up. Sign up. You could win. No purchase necessary. The registration begins at 4pm and ends at 9pm on the remaining Thursdays in December. Good luck!!!

Shopping Differently, Pt. 1

2011-12-05T12:10:00.000-05:00

So as many of you may know, I began my quest to "Shop Differently" this holiday season on Thursday, Dec. 1.

With extended holiday hours and FREE parking in the Towers, Market, and Center in the Square garages for folks entering after 4pm, there's no reason to miss a great chance to get a unique holiday gift for everyone on your list.

As promised, I was able to get some great shopping done on Thursday. I may have gone a little overboard, but I was in the spirit!

First stop was The Gift Niche, located right on Market Street. (Which meant I wasn't even required to walk that far!) They have all sorts of crazy cool stuff, and even Virginia Tech and UVA logo'ed merchandise.

After some serious browsing, I found the little frog wearing a hood. As you'll soon realize, my girlfriend LOVES frogs. The other nice addition is the wine glass in the background. It's hard to see in the picture, but it's similar to the clear insulated cups that are popular now. The great thing is it also has a lid and a straw. How many wine glasses can make that claim? Exactly. And that's why I had to get it.

Next stop was the Blue Ribbon Boutique. It's right next door to the Gift Niche, and it carries a great assortment of interior design things. I'm not much for putting out jars of decorative ceramic balls, but I was able to find something to suit my needs.

Ok, it IS ceramic, but I told you. She likes frogs. And the earrings were a great find! Reasonably priced and right at the cash register. I couldn't resist.

Then came polished by claire v. If you don't know much about this place, it's a nail salon/ retail store/ pretty much anything I could have imagined that I'd want to find. So, I figured it would make a great deal of sense to get her fingernail polish. Great idea for a stocking stuffer, right? Yea...you're supposed to actually paint it on to see if you like the color. Because "it changes once it dries," as I've been told. I think it was a rouse to get me to have my nails painted. I fell for it anyway.

They did have a great selection of nail polishes though.

And those were just the ones that they convinced me to try.

Yes. They did in fact paint my nails. And I guess I'm willing to admit that there was a color difference, but I still don't believe it warranted painting 7 of my fingernails 7 different colors.

At any rate, I got two of them. With really weird names. "Joust for kicks" and "You set my heart ablaze." So, I've got a good stocking stuffer now.

Final stop for the evening was Appalachia Press. It's a really cool antique/ oddities/ screenprinted/ embossed store on Salem Avenue. There were all kinds of great things in there, including homemade holiday cards, embossed Roanoke items, and more. I found two more fun things for this season that I couldn't leave the store without.

First, I found this.

Who doesn't need a Generic Winter Holiday Countdown Calendar? I thought it was great. And if you look closely, you get "six delightful non-offensive surprises." I couldn't resist.

Next was a little closer to my theme this year, which apparently is frogs. (Just to be clear, it wasn't until I got back to my office that I realized I had gotten a frog shaped something at every store I went into.)

This creepy little guy is a lighter. When you press his back, his mouth opens and the fire comes out. That was just too ridiculous for me to pass up. I mean why not light a candle with a fire-breathing frog?

So, I've gotten some great stuff, but I still have more people to shop for, and more stores to hit! Keep up with the blog and come down to "Shop Differently" with me!

I'll be going out on Thursday again, hope to see you then!

Dickens begins TONIGHT!

2011-12-02T11:34:00.000-05:00

The title says it all, but I feel compelled to actually write a quick "to-do" list for anyone planning to come Downtown for this year's SunTrust Dickens of a Christmas!

The big event of the evening is the City of Roanoke Christmas Tree Lighting. This event starts at 5:30pm with a special performance by the Mill Mountain Ringers. The countdown to the tree lighting will begin at 5:45pm, and the tree will be officially lit by Mayor David Bowers at 6:20pm.

In addition to all of this, this year's SunTrust Dickens of a Christmas will feature performances by the Mill Mountain Theatre, the Roanoke Children's Theatre, Miss Mona's School of Dance, and the Southwestern Virginia Ballet.

We will also have all of your old favorites, including a Strolling St. Nick, carriage rides, street actors performing scenes from "A Christmas Carol", a magician, a face-painter, a juggler, and even more.

And the SunTrust Kid's Zone will be open featuring a Winter Carnival, complete with games and prizes!

Of course, you can't forget about Santa's Workshop, which will be in the City Market Building on the Mezzanine level, sponsored by the History Museum of Western Virginia! Bring your kids out to make a gift that they can take home, all courtesy of the History Museum of Western Virginia.

As you can see, there is a ton going on, and I haven't even been able to touch the tip of the iceberg. We also have extended shopping hours in Downtown retail stores, food, and all of the great Downtown restaurant spots!

If you want a street by street timeline of events, click here to see our website, and make sure to come out and enjoy this year's SunTrust Dickens of a Christmas!

This Holiday Season, Shop Differently!

2011-11-29T09:08:00.000-05:00

So, as I attempted to explain on Facebook, this year, Downtown Roanoke Inc. is encouraging all holiday shoppers to take a look at their holiday shopping habits, and Shop Differently!

Going to the malls and big box stores is stressful, parking is a mess, and no one truly gets to enjoy the experience. The worst part is that you fight the stress and exhaustion to simply settle on the same gift you got them last year.

Downtown Roanoke offers an alternative shopping experience for people who want to break out of their old habits. Featuring over 50 retail stores that you cannot find anywhere else, handmade gifts, fair trade items, and one of a kind pieces, Downtown Roanoke has something for everyone on your list this year. And the best part is that the City of Roanoke has offered FREE parking in the Towers, Market, and Center in the Square garages after 4pm on each Thursday night in December. Even better is that our retail stores will be offering extended holiday shopping hours on Thursdays in December until 9pm. The list of stores, as well as a map, can be seen here.

It doesn't seem fair to ask other people to participate in something I am not doing, so this holiday season, I will be doing all of my shopping in Downtown Roanoke. I have made my list, checked it twice, and now I'm ready to begin my shopping! I've got a long list this year (lots of people have been extra good), so be sure to keep checking back as I work on getting the perfect gift and help keep my holiday dollars local. And if you see me Downtown, be sure to come say hi and tell me who you're shopping for! (I'll be the one with the video camera!)

If you're interested in who I'm shopping for, here's my list. I'll periodically check off people as I get their gifts.

Mom, Dad, my brother David, my youngest brother Mark, my girlfriend (who promised she wouldn't read this blog because I'll be sharing all the gifts I get), my awesome neighbors, my girlfriend's parents and step-parents, and my best friend Adam.

And don't forget, this year's SunTrust Dickens of a Christmas begins Friday with the City of Roanoke Christmas Tree Lighting! We'll all be down there helping out, so come out and enjoy the festivities! And we still need Kid's Zone volunteers, so if you love kids, love to volunteer, or just want to help out, click on the link here to sign up!

This holiday season, shop thoughtfully, shop locally, Shop Differently! See you Downtown!

Halloween Downtown Rundown

2011-10-28T15:53:00.000-04:00

Ok, slightly late start on things, but here's your Halloween themed Downtown Rundown!

Saturday's events:
-Downtown Roanoke Trick or Treat, 1pm-4pm, Downtown Roanoke

-"Captain's Quarter" Halloween Party, 6pm, The Quarter

-Roanoke Ghost Tour, 7pm, Downtown Roanoke

-Delloween, 7:30pm, Jefferson Center

-The Silver Screen Soiree: Revolutions, 7:30pm, The Patrick Henry

-K92's Boo Bash, 8pm, Awful Arthur's Downtown

-The Square Society Halloween Party, 8pm, Blue 5

-Halloween Scream, 9pm, Corned Beef & Co.

-DJ Oz and the Halloween Party,10pm, METRO!

Sunday's event:

-19th Annual Howl O'Ween, noon, Elmwood Park

Looking for more information on any of these? Check out our website here.

Think You Can Sell At Dickens of a Christmas?

2011-10-24T10:35:00.000-04:00

We're still accepting applications for vendors for the Suntrust Dickens of a Christmas!

If you have something you would like to try selling at the event, please fill out a vendor form here!

With 3 days of festivities that will include the City of Roanoke Tree Lighting, the City of Roanoke Christmas Parade, and the SPCA Pet Costume Contest, as well as new additions, this is a great place to bring your product in front of the people who would purchase it!

We're looking forward to a great Suntrust Dickens of a Christmas this year, and we look forward to seeing you there too! (Even if you won't be participating as a vendor, you should definitely come out and enjoy the event!)

Downtown Rundown 10/21

2011-10-21T12:24:00.000-04:00

Alright, it's been just a little while since our last update, but there is a lot happening Downtown this weekend, so I thought I should fill everyone in!

First off, some really cool new Downtown additions and announcements. Queso Southwestern and Firefly Fare in the City Market Building have both opened their doors. Great lunch spots for everyone to try out! Downtown Soul Roanoke has also opened up, featuring a wide variety of menu options, from gyros to flounder, and pretty much everything in between. First and Sixth has officially opened their spot at the Patrick Henry Building, as well. They've got a beautiful place with a great looking menu.

In addition to all of these great openings, some new restaurants have said they will be coming to Downtown Roanoke, as well! The Fork in the City/Alley owner, Dave Trinkle, has said it will expand to the Roanoke City Market Building, occupying one kitchen space and three retail spaces. The Louisiana-style shaved ice company, Bayou Snowballs has also claimed one outside retail space. Here is Lindsey Nair's article on it. In addition to this, Amanda Codispoti has written a great article about the two newest pizza places that will be meeting up head-on Downtown. Picasso's will be relocating Downtown, and Patrick Maggi, owner of Blue's BBQ, will be expanding his Downtown reach into pizza with Maggio's, a gourmet pizzeria.

Ok, I think we've hit all of the news, now let's get to the calendar of events.

Tonight:

-An Evening Among Stars with NS History at the O. Winston Link Museum at 7:30pm will feature 4 locomotives out for you to take pictures of and learn about. Here's the link to the listing.

-No Shame Theatre at 11pm at the Community High School June M. McBroom Stage will keep you on your toes and laughing out of your seat. Here is the info.

Saturday, Oct. 22:

-Roanoke Pagan Pride Day in Elmwood Park at 10am will seek to educate and provide fun activities for people who are or are interested in the Pagans. Here's your info.

-Princess Day at the Roanoke Children's Theatre is at 10am because "every princess needs a party". Interested? Check out the event here.

-Contra Dancing at the Kirk Ave YMCA at 7pm. Any idea what it is? No? Well go check it out. It's a free event and you don't have to have any experience. Here's the site.

-The Roanoke Ghost Tour is going on once again, starting at 7pm in Downtown Roanoke. Here's some more info.

-Big Lick Conspiracy, a live-action comedy show with audience participation, will be at Mill Mountain Theatre's Waldron Stage at 8pm. Here is the info on it.

And there's your weekend! Feel like these weren't the events for you? Here's a link to our website's listing of all of the events going on this weekend. Check it out, and see if anything strikes your fancy!

Downtown Rundown 9/30

2011-09-30T10:29:00.000-04:00

Lots going on this weekend, so here's your chance to stay up to date with it all!

Here's how Friday seems to be shaping up:

- 5pm- 7pm is your Pre-concert Party at Corned Beef and Co.

- 7:30pm Jason Aldean with Chris Young and Thompson Square hit the stage at the Roanoke Civic Center

- 8pm Bruce Cockburn is playing at the Kirk Avenue Music Hall

- 10pm Ten Dollar Sins are playing at Blue 5

- 10pm the Kings of Belmont (a Floydfest X performer) are playing a much more intimate setting at Martin's Downtown with special guest The Werks

- Post-concert party at Corned Beef and Co. with a special performance by Thompson Square! $5 cover and you're in!

And here is what you've got on Saturday:

- 11am is your Haley Toyota City Market Saturday, so come down and meet the people who picked your produce or made your product that day! It's hard to beat the turnaround time you can find on a City Market Saturday- orchard to table in a day or less? Oh yea, the grocery store can't beat that.

- 1:30pm is Kids on Bikes at the Roanoke Main Library, and it includes a bike parade!

- 2pm is your start time for the Big Lick Blues Festival, featuring a Grammy Award winner, Delbert McClinton, and many other great artists and food options!

- 7pm the Roanoke Ghost Tour starts, and keeps going every Saturday at 7pm in October! Come hear TRUE stories of ghosts in Roanoke!

- 8pm has Killborn Alley Blues Band playing at Blue 5

- 10pm is when Martin's Downtown will host the Shane Pruitt Band and the post show party, all in the same place!

With all this going on, it's a great time to plan out YOUR first weekend in October. Make it memorable, make it fun, MAKE IT YOURS!

Downtown Rundown

2011-09-19T12:21:00.001-04:00

Ok, I realize it's Monday, but everyone is looking forward to the weekend, right? And this weekend we have got a lot going on.

We did a brief run through about all the events last time, now let's get a little more in depth (And hopefully help you figure out how to hit all the hot spots):

8am - The Blue Ridge Rock and Ride is holding the poker run beginning at 8am today. $10 for admission gets you into the run, and if you've got a bike and never done it, you're missing out. It's the best way to have some fun and ride for a great cause!

9am - In preparation for October as the breast cancer awareness month, the Roanoke Civic Center is hosting Fired Up for a Cure, which will include a 5k/10k race starting at 9am. Fun doesn't stop
there. There will be exhibits open from 10:30am until 2pm, and FREE ice skating from noon until
3pm!

10am - Downtown Living Tour will start, showing you the new and exciting places you can stay, eat,
and play in Downtown Roanoke. If you have ever thought about moving downtown, this is a
great place to start. Tickets are $15 in advance, $20 at the gate, and a tent will be set up on the
City Market for you to purchase them at.

10am - Virginian Rail Day at the Virginia Transportation Museum celebrates the history of the Roanoke
Valley and its importance to the entire railway system. If you haven't been to the museum, check
it out. It's really interesting how deeply involved Roanoke is in its history! (And you can get a
coupon from here for your admittance fee, thanks to the Smithsonian Museum Day. And
everyone loves free!)

10am - The Star City Latin Dance Festival, hosted by the Jefferson Center, is going on all day long.
Really. All. Day. Long. Rolling until 1:30am, you'll be hard pressed to find a better way to learn,
dance, and enjoy authentic music.

11am - The Harvest Festival starts on the Historic City Market. Featuring live entertainment by Blue
Moonshine, the Jack Tale Players, and the Floyd Ward Cloggers, as well as all of our Saturday
vendors, and some new additions, you'd be remiss not to go and see what all the buzz is about.
And, back by popular demand, are the antique tractors. It's going to be a great time!

12 noon - The Blue Ridge Rock and Ride hits full swing, with live music from Tuesday's Gone, Untax't
Whiskey, the Phat Boyz Band, and the Gypsy Sons until 9pm, and beer and food for sale, all
for $10? This is gearing up to be a rider's dream!!!

3pm - The Taubman is holding an additional matinee performance of The Guru of Chai. Feel like
expanding your world view and possibly getting a little culture in, too? This one might be for you.

6pm - The Hotel Roanoke is hosting Count Down to Murder, a murder-mystery dinner theatre sure to
captivate the audience's attention and tastebuds!!! Tickets need to be purchased in advance, but
here's the place to do it: bit.ly/p0wHZx

7:30pm - The Civic Center once more plays host to Virginia Tech Hockey, as they play Villanova.
Tickets are free for Tech students, and only $5 for adults. Hey, it's getting cooler out. Hockey's
a totally acceptable pass time!!!

10pm - Paul Pfau and his Dimestore Band bring a special performance to Corned Beef and Co., ending
out a long, long day in Downtown.

Alright, I think that should just about cover the busiest Saturday Downtown has seen in a while. With all of these events going on, some FREE, some benefitting great causes, and all of them being a blast, there is absolutely no reason to miss this! I'll be Downtown. Hope to see you there!

Get Your Calendars Out!!!

2011-09-15T10:54:00.001-04:00

Ok, lots to mark down on the calendar, and we want you Downtown for all of it!!!

Here are the important dates, and we'll go from there:

Sept. 17 - Henry St. Heritage Festival from noon until 10pm

Sept. 18 - 22nd Annual Pride in the Park Festival from 11am until 6pm

Sept. 20 - Perspectives on Autism from 6pm until 8pm

Sept. 22 - 1st Annual Square Dance with Foghorn String Band from 6pm until it finishes

And that brings us to the busiest day Downtown has seen in a while-

Sept. 24 - Downtown Living Tour from 10am until 5pm

Sept. 24 - Fired Up for a Cure from 9am until 3pm at the Roanoke Civic Center

Sept. 24 - Harvest Festival presented by Haley Toyota from 10am until 4pm

Sept. 24 - The Blue Ridge Rock & Ride from 8am until 9pm

And those aren't even all the happenings for Downtown on the 24th! Check out our calendar of events website here to see everything going on that weekend, and start making your plans!!!

On a lighter note, the City of Roanoke Public Works has been honored by the Salt Institute for its environmental consciousness and effective management in its storage of winter road salt. This is the 7th time they have been honored by this, and the City of Roanoke Public Works is one of only two Virginia localities to have won the award! Congrats everyone at the City of Roanoke Public Works and please keep up the great work!

Ok, I think we're pretty well caught up, but if I missed anything at all, please make a comment and let people know! We want everyone to get Downtown in the coming weeks, so if you haven't yet, this is the best couple weeks to do it!

Cellar Door at the City Market

2011-09-07T10:25:00.006-04:00

Looking for something different to do on a Thursday night? Why not check out the Cellar Door at the City Market and the Thursday Night Farmers Market?

On Thursday, September 8, 2011, from 5pm until 8pm, you can taste a variety of local vineyards for $5, and that includes your keepsake wine glass!

The participants include Fincastle Winery, Peaks of Otter Winery, Virginia Mountain Vineyards, Villa Appalachia, Black Snake Meadery, and Foggy Ridge Cider.

Once you've had your tasting, walk over to the Thursday Night Farmers Market (it's just across Campbell), and check out our local vendors as they stay until 8pm to give you an after-hours opportunity to see what they have to offer!

For more information, check out the website at: http://bit.ly/oPPCG5

Kirk Ave Closure

2011-09-07T10:23:00.001-04:00

If you hadn't already heard:

Roanoke, VA - Thor Inc. will close Kirk Avenue east of Jefferson

Street from Tuesday, Sept. 6, at 9 a.m. through Wednesday, Sept. 7,

as work continues on the overhead bridge connecting the Center in the

Square properties. Through traffic will be restored by 7 a.m. on

Thursday, Sept. 8.

Thor Inc. will furnish, place, maintain and remove all signs,

barricades, etc. related to this closure. A detour will not be

established.

getdowntown August 19

2011-08-19T11:20:00.002-04:00

getdowntown

Friday! It’s time to let loose and live a little. Good thing Friday’s on Franklin (formerly First and third Fridays) is back and in full effect. It’s just about impossible to live in Roanoke and not have heard somebody talk about First Fridays. This is the night to finally see what you’ve been missing. And if you’ve been before you don’t even need to read this because I know, you’re going to be there tonight.

After Friday’s on Franklin is finished you’re going to need some dinner, you really can’t go wrong with any restaurant Downtown, (many offer discounts for coming with your F.O.F. ticket) but let’s go to Thelma’s Chicken and Waffles. I had never heard of chicken and waffles and didn’t even think they belonged in the same meal before I went to Thelma’s. I had definitely been missing out. Not only does Thelma’s have the best soul food in town they have a full bar with some very lively bartenders; you will not get bored here.

For a nightcap let’s go to a place that’s slightly off the beaten path, (yes there is more to downtown than Campbell Ave and Market Street) Macado’s. Some people make the mistake of forgetting about Macado’s when thinking of where to go Downtown on a Friday night. Don’t be one of those people. Macado’s has great prices on drinks, and even though there are now restaurants in four states, the Downtown Roanoke location was the first!

That’s probably enough for tonight, head home and get some rest because there’s a lot of weekend left.

Saturday- whenever you happen to roll out of bed would be a great time to peruse the farmer’s market. Why do your grocery shopping at Kroger or Wal-Mart when you can come downtown and have a conversation with the person who grew and handpicked that zucchini you just can’t wait to eat?

Just like most summer weekends there is a festival going on in Elmwod Park. The Festival of India might sound a little different from your typical Roanoke summer festival but there’s going to be great freshly cooked food, live music, and dancing. And it’s always fun to learn about a culture that you might not know that much about.

By now, it’s probably time for dinner; we’re going to head across Downtown to Fork in the City. A lot of you may be more familiar with Fork in the City’s older alley located counterpart, but if you haven’t been to their new location, you are missing out. Come enjoy their enormous music library on a digital jukebox and play some corn hole while you’re waiting for dinner!

After dinner let’s enjoy a show, Man with Wings is going into its last weekend of performance at Studio Roanoke. The show starts at 8pm, for more information about what you’re about to get yourself into read this fantastic review of the show prepared by the Roanoke Times.

For your late night enjoyment try out Awful Arthurs’s, awful’s is always a popular place to be. And with its location on the main drag of downtown grab a window seat and have a front row view to the best show of the weekend, your friends and neighbors stumbling down the street from one bar to another (bonus points if you spot your boss).

I hope your weekend was everything you could have hoped and dreamed for- and always remember to getdowntown!

Section of Kirk Avenue to Close 8/15

2011-08-12T14:38:00.000-04:00

Roanoke, VA - THOR Inc. will close Kirk Avenue east of Jefferson Street beginning Monday, Aug. 15, at 9 a.m. in order to upgrade the electrical service to the Center in the Square building. The project will continue into the week of Aug. 29, with periods requiring no pedestrian traffic in the work zone. Work will require the rear exit of the Center in the Square parking garage to be closed as well.

THOR will furnish, place, maintain and remove all signs, barricades, etc. related to this closure. A detour will not be established.

For more information, contact Gary Bowman, Traffic Engineer I, at 540-853-5834; or Mike Sexton, THOR Inc., at 540-563-0567.

getdowntown August 12

2011-08-12T08:14:00.004-04:00

getdowntown

It’s Friday! That means its time to have some fun, and after a little haitus, getdowntown is back to tell you just how to do that. It’s going to be a busy weekend Downtown so let’s get started.

Friday evening- you just got off work and you’re hungry; we need to do something about that. Not everybody hears “Downtown Roanoke” and thinks of delicious fresh seafood, but those people have never been to Horizon Bar and Grill. Horizon also has one of the best wine selections you’re going to find in Roanoke. For such high quality food, it’s very reasonably priced.

After dinner it’s time for Movies in the Park! Tonight is a double feature showing Gnomeo & Juliet and then Toy Story 3, both movies are rated G but these are two films that anybody can appreciate. The first movie will start at dark (around 8:45 for the less astronomically inclined).

Let’s continue our theme of great outdoor entertainment by taking a walk over to Century Plaza for No Shame Theater, starting at 11 pm. I recommend making a stop at Frogurt on the way, ($10 worth of yogurt for $5 with this week’s Groupon!). No Shame Theater is a place where anything can happen, and usually does. All perfomances are under five minutes so no matter how long you stay you’ll get to see a variety of acts.

Friday’s foul-weather back-up plan: Just in case it rains go to Shadowbox at 8 pm to see Troll Hunter, this Norwegian film tells the tale of toublesome trolls living in the mountians and the government’s attempt to cover it up.

It’s Saturday so lets start the day at City Market Saturday. There are a ton of fresh peaches on the market right now and they are absoultley delectable. Also 202 Market is doing a special cooking demonstration, so come out and learn how to cook something fancy.

It’s time to grab a quick lunch before this weekends marquee event. I recommend the Roanoke Weiner Stand, a downtown institution for over 95 years! If for some reason you’ve never eaten there you need to stop reading and go get a hot dog right now. .

Now it’s finally time for what you’ve all been waiting for… Microfestivus! This a micro and craft beer festival in Elmwood Park featuring over 35 regional breweries and more than 100 different beers. Also featuring some great food and live music, Microfestivus is one of the biggest things to hit Downtown every year. Go to the website for more information.

You might be a little hungry after an afternoon of beer and music so let’s go to dinner at one of Downtown’s newest restuarunts. The Quarter offers cajun style cuise and drinks (try the hurricane) in an atmosphere that makes you think you’ll step out the door and onto Bourbon Street.

By now the sun has gone down and its time to experience some of Downtown’s noteworthy nightlife. With all the live music to choose from every weekend its hard to know just where to go, but that’s what I’m here for. Sol & Funk Root takes the stage at Martin’s at 10pm. Sol & Funk Root creates a unique blend of energitic rock, raw blues, reggae, and funk; and they are definitley my pick for live music Downtown tonight.

You can easily spend the rest of your night hanging out at Martin’s but just in case you want a change of pace or get a little hungry, you can always stop by Texas Tavern and enjoy a cheese western. Roanoke’s Millionaires Club is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, so no matter how late you’re out you always have somewhere to go!

I hope this made your weekend a little more fun and always remmber to getdowntown!

Weekend Happenings August 5th

2011-08-05T12:27:00.004-04:00

So Alex is in Canada of all places so 72 Hours and/or "getdowntown" will be taking the week off.

If you are looking for what to do this weekend, start with our weekly e-blast with info on three outdoor concerts and great art events Friday and Saturday in Downtown (and if you are not on our subscription list, click here to start getting weekly events sent right to your inbox!).

You can also check out our events calendar for other events happening this weekend. But here are a few to check out:

The Virginia Mountain Peach Festival (Friday and Saturday)
Check out John Reburn's Antique Matchbook Art while you are at Art by Night (Friday)
No Shame Theater moves to Century Plaza (Friday)
"Seeking the Good Life in America" at the Shadow Box (Friday)
Relax with a La Flor Dominica Cigar and glass of port at Milan Tabacconists' in-store event (Saturday)
Pay a visit to the Historic City Market. Check out the Market's blog to see what's fresh this week!

Have a great weekend in Downtown and be sure to visit our Facebook page to tell us what you did!

getdowntown July 29

2011-07-29T10:09:00.005-04:00

getdowntown

It's finally Friday, you've worked hard all week and now you deserve to have some fun, follow this guide of what to do in Downtown and you will definitely make the most of your weekend.

The first step is dinner, you need a good meal if you're going to last all night. Let's start things off at Blue 5. They have one of the largest collection of draft beers you in Roanoke, a great atmosphere (how many other restaurants have an indoor balcony and guitars everywhere?), and the food isn't bad either. They serve a unique Southern cuisine that features some great seafood, pasta, and some amazing burgers. With all this and their live music it would be easy to spend all night here but we're just getting started.

With all the bar's to choose from Downtown it’s tough to pick just one, but you have to start somewhere. So let's try Flanary's Irish Pub. There's something about drinking a Guinness in an Irish pub that just feels right.

Friday night is now in full swing and it's time to turn things up a notch. Let's head over to 202 and do some mingling. They always have a great DJ and the feel of a big city club but without that exorbitant cover charge. And 202 is open till 2am so this is the perfect place to end your Friday night.

Saturday

We have a lot of leisure to fit into a short time so let's get started. First we're going to hit the Historic City Market. It's midsummer and the farmers have all kinds of fresh fruits and veggies; especially peaches. There will even be a steel drum band today. All that healthy shopping is sure to make you hungry so stay on Market Street and grab a sandwich at Ernie's, it'll be cheap and delicious.

Just because it's the weekend doesn't mean you're only going to be partying and picking out peaches. It's time to get a little culture in your life. Professional photographer Glen McClure will be at the O. Winston Link Museum to tell you all about what inspires him and to give you a few photography tips. You can even bring your own pictures and get his advice.

This small taste of art will probably make you want even more. Good thing you can get it for free at the Taubman Museum of Art between 10am and 5pm.

I'm sure all this fine art is going to make you want a very sophisticated dinner, time for some sushi at Formosa!

The possibilities of a Saturday night Downtown really are endless, but Corned Beef is looking like the place to be tonight. Polychrome is playing and they really are one (if not) best bands you will ever get the privilege of seeing in such an intimate venue. Polychrome plays a little bit of everything but it all sound great.

Just in case you don’t want to end your night at Corned Beef I’ll offer one more suggestion- Cornerstone. No cover charge, some great party music, and plenty of people. It’s the perfect late night spot. You’re guaranteed to run into someone you know, or make a couple new friends.

I hope this made your weekend just a little more fun, and always remember to getdowntown!

Market Street Gas Line Work to Begin August 1st

2011-07-26T13:43:00.005-04:00

DRI and Roanoke Gas have released an update regarding the planned gas line work on Market Street during the month of August. We have been working extensively with Roanoke Gas to develop a work plan that minimizes the impact of this necessary improvement on retailers, restaurants, market vendors and customers.

Work will begin on the 300 block of Market Street for approximately 1.5 work weeks. Work on this block will involve partial closures of the block to traffic, however traffic will still be able to travel from Campbell Avenue to Kirk Avenue during construction. Representatives from Roanoke Gas will be visiting impacted street level merchants over the next week and DRI will continue to coordinate space for market vendors. Work will occur during daylight hours, however major “cutting” activity will take place in early morning hours to minimize disruptions to businesses. Also, please note that no construction will take place on Fridays or Saturdays. Roanoke Gas’ contractors will also be utilizing special construction methods to ensure that construction dust is kept to a minimum; heavy construction work is not likely to occur during the week day lunch rush.

Work will move off of Market Street for a week before returning to the 200 block of Market Street for 1.5 work weeks. Other than during sporadic disruptions, all of Market Street will remain open to traffic during this period although. Representatives from Roanoke Gas will be visiting businesses impacted by this phase later in the month to coordinate construction activity. As with other work phases, major “cutting” activity will occur before business hours, no work will occur on Fridays or Saturdays, Roanoke Gas will employ special techniques to minimize construction dust, and heavy construction is not likely to occur during the week day lunch rush.

Work on Market Street represents one of the final phases of the Roanoke Gas Line renewal project. The timing of this particular phase will allow for work on Market Street to be completed in time for the opening of the Market Building on Labor Day Weekend.

Please visit our website for the full release.

Pedestrian Bridge to Close 7/25-31

2011-07-22T16:52:00.001-04:00

Announcement:

The City of Roanoke will close the pedestrian bridge connecting the Hotel Roanoke and the Market District beginning Monday, July 25 and concluding on July 31. The closure is related to required maintenance of the bridge structure.

Valley Metro will provide continuous shuttle service every 15 minutes from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. via a designated trolley from Hotel Roanoke (Wells Avenue entrance) to the Market District (Salem Avenue, in front of Wells Fargo Tower).

For more information, please contact Ken Cronin, Director of General Services/Sustainability, at 853-1805.

Jefferson Center Announces 10th Anniversary Season

2011-07-22T14:29:00.001-04:00

Jefferson Center announces it’s 10^th Anniversary Season celebrating 10 years of world class performances in Shaftman Performance Hall. Jefferson Center will be highlighting some favorites from years past as well as artists new to Southwest, VA. Of special note is the 10^th Anniversary Gala Celebration Concert by Grammy Award winning singer and guitarist George Benson on September 16^th at 8 pm. From a hero of Americana in John Hiatt to a legend of the blues, Buddy Guy, there is something for everyone in our Star City Series. With a jazz series that would be respected in any major city in the world, Jefferson Center continues to offer chances to experience the best in America’s original art form, Jazz. Do not miss the family series, featuring $5 tickets for kids 12 and under with a highly anticipated collaboration between Jefferson Center, SW Va Ballet, and the Roanoke Youth Symphony Orchestra. New to the Jefferson Center experience is the addition of a comedy performance by comedian Sinbad.

Complete List:

Featured in the Star City Series:

John Hiatt and The Comboand Big Head Todd and the Monsters: Friday, Sept. 9^th
The Blind Boys of Alabama: Thursday, October 20^th
Blues Legend Buddy Guy: Saturday, Nov. 19^th
Pancho Sanchez and Terence Blanchard: Saturday, Jan. 28^th
Punch Brothers featuring Chris Thile: Sunday, Feb. 19^th
Angelique Kidjo: Sunday, Mar. 25^th

Featured in the Jazz Series:

Jazz Club with Lionel Loueke: Saturday, Oct. 15^th
Jazz singer extraordinaire and Roanoke native Rene Marie: Friday, Nov. 11^th
A Celebration of the Life of Roanoke native Don Pullen: Saturday, Jan. 14^th
Jazz Club with Gretchen Parlato: Saturday, Feb. 18^th
SFJazz Collective plays the music of Stevie Wonder: Tuesday, Mar. 16^th
Jazz Club with Marc Cary Focus Trio: Saturday, March 31^st

Featured in the Family Series:

Shangri-La Chinese Acrobats: Sunday, Nov. 13^th
The Firebird and 3 New Works with the SW Va Ballet and Roanoke Youth Symphony: Saturday, March 24^th
Imago Theatre: Zoo Zoo: Friday, Apr. 20^th

Other shows not to miss:

Kathy Mattea: Friday, Nov. 18^th
World Renowned Comedian Sinbad: Saturday, December 3^rd
Star City Piano Competition: Saturday, Jan. 21^st
Bettye LaVette: Friday, Feb. 17^th
Darrell Scott: Friday, Mar. 30^th
Roger McGuinn: Friday, May 4^th

Individual tickets to shows can be purchased by the general public starting August 15^th at the Jefferson Center box office, by calling 540-345-2550 or online at www.jeffcenter.org.

72 Hours Downtown July 21-24

2011-07-21T08:53:00.013-04:00

72 Hours Downtown
July 21-24 2011

Looking for something to do this weekend? Here's a list to get your started! You can find more great downtown events at our websitehere. (And if you're hosting a downtown event, don't forget to submit to our online calendar!)

Thursday, July 21, 2011

Start your weekend a little early at Party in the Park! The Attractions take the stage at 5:30, tickets are only $5 and you're sure to have a great time

Friday, July 22 2011

PROject proJECT will be happening Friday night; this is one of the most unique events to come to Downtown. It's a a free, one night public outdoor event of projection and light based art. Projects will include interactive works, projection mapping, performance, video, film, slide shows and hand held projections.

It's kind of tough to explain this but you really do need to come see it. PRoject proJECT will take place on Kirk Avenue between the Shadowbox Theater and 2nd Street.

If you're planning a trip to the beach anytime soon this next event is not for you. But if you're not then come to the Shadowbox Friday at 7:00 PM for a special screening of Jaws.

Roanoke native and NBA star JJ Redick will be making an appearance at Corned Beef this

Friday for the JJ Redick Foundation Kick-Off Party. So come to Corned Beef and you can support underprivileged youth, win some great door prizes (Frankie Rowlands gift cards, Ray Allen autographed game worn shoes, and much more) see the hardest working rock band in America, Red Wanting Blue, and meet JJ Redick! The party starts at 8 PM.

Saturday, July 23, 2011

There are still all kinds of fresh picked fruits and veggies for sale at Haley Toyota's City Market Saturdays and this week will feature a special demonstration on how to can provided by the Virginia Cooperative Extension, so buy lots of food now and learn how to save it for later!

It's another Spectacular Saturday at the Taubman Museum of Art this weekend, with free admission between 10 am and 5 pm and family friendly activities from 11am to 3pm this should definitely be on your downtown to-do list!

Come together at Elmwood Park this Saturday from 3pm to 10pm to have a good time, enjoy some great live music, and help raise money for someone who made Downtown Roanoke what it is today. CarolFest benefit Carrol Williams who recently suffered a severe stroke. Please come out and help make this event a success.

Sunday July 24, 2011

Martin's is always a place to find some good live music and Sunday is no exception, Blame Sally takes the stage at 8:30 pm tickets are only $10, it's sure to be a great show.

72 Hours Downtown July 15-17

2011-07-12T10:32:00.006-04:00

Performing this week is The Lloyd Dobler Effect, they have played all over the world entertaining our troops as part of the Armed Forces Entertainment Tour and now they're coming Downtown!

The show starts at 5pm with proceeds benefiting Saint Francis Service Dogs among and other deserving charities.

The "Big Uneasy" is showing at the Shadowbox this Friday at 8pm. This film takes a new and in depth look at why the flooding of New Orleans was not a natural disaster and just who is to blame.

There will be another great live band at Corned Beef this weekend; Honor by August was the Grand Prize winner in Billboard's World Song Contest. This is one of the biggest name acts you will ever get to see at such an intimate venue.

Saturday, July 16 2011

There will be live music this week at Haley Toyota’s City Market Saturdays, and it looks like the heat will have finally let up so come Downtown and support the oldest continuously operating open-air market in the Commonwealth.

One of the tastiest festivals of the year is happening Saturday, the 6th Annual Blue Ridge Blues and BBQ Festival will be at Elmwood Park, gates open at 11:30 and the tunes start at noon. Tickets are $25 at the gate and the great music and food you'll experience is well worth the price.

After the blues fest head on over to Hotel Roanoke for the official after party. The Blue Ridge Blues & BBQ All-Star Jam starts at 10PM in the famous Pine Room and there's NO Cover Charge!! There will be even more great live blues here and you'll be able to mingle with the musicians that played earlier in the day.

There will be something a little different for Downtown this weekend at Corned Beef this weekend. Saturday night at 10 upstairs will turn into Gigglez Comedy Lounge featuring nationally renowned comedians Mo Alexander and Mike Stankiewicz.

Sunday, July 17, 2011

Just because it's Sunday doesn't mean the fun is over, enjoy some of the best dining Downtown and stop in at Norah's Cafe for brunch anytime after noon

72 Hours Downtown July 7-10 2011

2011-07-07T10:14:00.010-04:00

72 Hours Downtown
July 7-10 2011

Looking for something to do this weekend? Here's a list to get your started! You can find more great downtown events at our website here. (And if you're hosting a downtown event, don't forget to submit to our online calendar!)

Thursday, July 7, 2011

It's Thursday and that means its time to get your weekend started at Party in the Park. This week the Part Time-Party Time Band will take the stage at 5:30.

Friday, July 8, 2011

Come down to Elmwood Park Friday night for Movies in the Park. 'Karate Kid' will begin playing as soon as its dark, but come early for pre-movie festivities starting at 6:30pm. Make sure to bring a blanket or lawn chairs! This is dependent on the weather so if it looks like rain check our facebook page for updates.

Live at Corned Beef and Co. this Friday will be Corey Hunley, Corey is an emerging blues and folk singer from Roanoke, he'll provide some great entertainment while you're enjoying some of Corned Beef's new late night food specials!

Saturday, July 9, 2011

This Saturday (just like every Saturday) would be a great time to come check out Haley Toyota’s City Market Saturdays, this time of year the farmers have a huge variety of great fresh produce. And this Saturday will feature a cooking demonstration from Horizon Bar and Grill.

Shadowbox is hosting The 80's Sweded Film Fest, Saturday night at 8. Check out the website to find out more about this, but if you lived through the 80's or just wish you were cool enough to have been around then you need to be a part of this.

If the 80's just weren't your decade you are not out of luck, come see the Remembering the 90's Tour at the Roanoke Civic Center. This show features several top 20 Billboard artists. The show starts at 7 PM and after its done head back downtown and join the party at Cornerstone Bar & Grill!

Sunday, July 10, 2011

Celebrate the end end of another great weekend by rolling out of bed Sunday morning (or afternoon) and enjoying a delicious brunch at Thelma's Chicken and Waffles.

72 Hours Downtown - June 23-26

2011-06-23T11:06:00.007-04:00

72 Hours Downtown
June 23-26, 2011

Here is just a snap shot of what's going on downtown this weekend. You can find more great downtown events at our website here. (And if you're hosting a downtown event, don't forget to submit to our online calendar!)

Thursday, June 23, 2011

BB&T Party in the Park will be happening once again this week at the Franklin Road entrance to Elmwood Park, the band this week will be Superhold and tickets are only $6. To match the theme this 80's cover band will bring, anyone born in the 1980's or after gets half off admission!

Friday, June 24, 2011

The Shadowbox will have a showing of the French film Masculine Feminine at 8PM. This film tells the story of a group of youth in 1960's Paris. This a truly unique film that is well worth watching. And tickets are only $5, a lot less than any other movie theater in Roanoke.

There will be more FREE, live music downtown this weekend at Martin's with Sam Focthman & Tobacco Apache's CD release party at 10PM. Come on out and support the local music scene!

Saturday, June 25, 2011

Saturday would be a great day to come down and give your favorite farmers some business at Haley Toyota’s City Market Saturdays. This weekend will feature live tunes from the White Top Mountaineers Band, from 11am - 2:30pm.

This Saturday is the tenth annual Star City Motor Madness, and this humungous car show will feature over 500 cars, trucks, and motorcycles! The cars show will be held on Jefferson St. between Campbell Ave. and Elm Ave., on Franklin Road between Jefferson St. and Williamson Road and at Elmwood Park. Also there will be a silent auction in front of the library to benefit the Transportation Museum.

BUT... It gets even better, a Journey cover band at the Transportation Museum!!! The show, featuring the band Departure, starts at 7PM and tickets are $10

However if cars and Journey aren't your favorite things you still have something to do Saturday. The Hotel Roanoke will be hosting a special Dinner by Candlelight in its prestigious Regency Room from 6 to 10PM. This romantic evening will feature dancing, live music, and some of the best cuisine you'll find in the valley.

Sunday, June 26, 2011

The Jefferson Center will be hosting a Staying in Love Seminar this Sunday at 3PM. Let relationship coach, Broderick Walton teach you how to keep any relationship fresh and exciting. Tickets are $18.

Corned Beef & Co. is now open on Sundays! Stop by Sunday evening to celebrate California Sunday Funday. Experience some of the live music Corned Beef is famous for and take advantage of some great food and drink specials.

DRI Hiring Communications and Program Manager

2011-06-21T12:27:00.000-04:00

Release Date: Monday, June 20th 2011

The Communications & Program Manager develops and implements the annual marketing plan, oversees the development and production of advertising and promotional materials, coordinates media activities (including acting as the organizations official spokesperson) and is responsible for content management of the DRI website and related social media. Additionally, the Manager acts as the primary liaison to the organization’s membership and stakeholders.

The Communications & Program Manager will report to the President and work closely with all DRI staff to make the Downtown experience exceptional. It is the responsibility of the Communications & Program Manager to keep the President/CEO sufficiently briefed of all PR, membership, and electronic media related developments.

Click here for a complete job description and application details.

72 Hours Downtown - June 17-19

2011-06-16T15:32:00.006-04:00

72 Hours Downtown
June 17-19, 2011

Friday, June 17, 2011

Local favorite Burning Bridges will take the stage at this week's Fridays on Franklin! This is a 21 and over event, and tickets are only $5. This Friday's proceeds will benefit Clean Valley Council, Center in the Square, CHIP, and Brain Injury Connection.

After Fridays on Franklin head over to Martin's Downtown Bar and Grill for a FREE show! Relacksachian will perform at 10pm. "In creating and combining a relaxing atmosphere with Appalachian-inspired improvisational music, the quintet has managed to generate a sound that consistently stirs audiences into dancing mashes of country girls, city boys, young folk, old folk and most of what may be there between."

Saturday, June 18, 2011

This week at Haley Toyota's City Market Saturdays, you can Make a Mug for Dad! Kids can color their very own mug to give Dad just in time for Father's Day - for FREE! Also on the market will be LIVE MUSIC by The RagTop Band, so come on out, shop local, and enjoy a Saturday downtown! Don't forget - the market now accepts EBT and credit cards.

The Jefferson Center will host its first Tribute to Hip Hop Dance Party Saturday night at 9pm. This 21 and over event will be held in Fitzpatrick Hall and will include a night of old school Hip Hop featuring legendary DJ Mix Master Ice. Tickets are $15 and doors open at 8:30pm.

Sunday, June 19, 2011

You can still catch the final performance of Roanoke Children's Theatre's "If You Give A Mouse A Cookie!" The show will be held inside the Taubman Museum of Art at 2pm and costs $20 to attend, $15 for youth.

Fork in the City will feature some live music Sunday at 4pm. There's no cover charge to enjoy the sounds of the Rootstone Jug Band!

Downtown Roanoke, Inc. to Hold 51st Annual Meeting at The Patrick Henry

2011-06-14T10:29:00.005-04:00

Downtown Roanoke, Inc. will host its 51st Annual Meeting on Thursday, June 30, 2011, inside the newly renovated Patrick Henry. As part of this celebration, DRI is excited to welcome N.L. Bishop, President of Jefferson College of Health Sciences.

The theme of this year’s Annual Meeting is “A Celebration of Downtown” and the meeting will take a look at downtown developments that have taken place over the past year.

“The renovation of the Patrick Henry is the largest and most recent example of the continued evolution of Downtown Roanoke into a dynamic mixed-use neighborhood. There is over a quarter of a billion dollars worth of public and private investment announced or underway in Downtown and we are excited to celebrate all of it in this remarkable and historic landmark,” said Sean Luther, DRI’s President and CEO.

Taking place in the lobby of the Patrick Henry, the evening’s festivities will begin with a cash bar cocktail reception at 5:30 p.m. and the meeting program will begin at 6:00 p.m.

Tickets for the event are $25 a person. Admission price includes one drink ticket per person and heavy hors d'oeuvres. The RSVP deadline has been extended to June 24, 2011 and can be made online, by calling 540-342-2028 x11, or by emailing lyndsays@downtownroanoke.org.

This event is sponsored by BB&T, The Musselwhite Group, Glenn Feldmann Darby & Goodlatte, and Roanoke Gas.

WHAT: Downtown Roanoke, Inc. Annual Meeting

WHEN: June 30, 2011 (5:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.)

WHERE: The Patrick Henry

72 Hours June 9-12, 2011

2011-06-09T11:24:00.015-04:00

72 Hours Downtown
June 9-12 2011

Looking for something to do this weekend? Here's a list to get your started! You can find more great downtown events at our website here. (And if you're hosting a downtown event, don't forget to submit to our online calendar!)

Thursday, June 9, 2011

An event for children of all ages, The Roanoke Children's Theater proudly presents If you Give a Mouse a Cookie. This performance based on the classic children's book will have multiple showtimes this weekend from Thursday to Sunday at the Taubman Museum of Art with tickets ranging from $5 to $20. Go to the event website for lists of showtimes and prices.

Tonight's BB&T's Party in the Park is still on! Featured tonight is Chairmen of the Board.

Friday, June 10, 2011

Come down to Elmwood Park Friday night for Movies in the Park. 'Despicable Me' will begin playing as soon as its dark, but come early for pre-movie festivities starting at 6:30pm. Make sure to bring a blanket or lawn chairs! This is dependent on the weather so if it looks like rain check our facebook page for updates.

Martin's Downtown Bar and Grill is living up to their reputation of being one of the best venues in the valley to see live music with Friday night's performance by Velvet Truckstop. The band comes on at 10PM but come early and stay late. And best of all... There's no cover charge!

Saturday, June 11, 2011

This Saturday (just like every Saturday) would be a great time to come check out Haley Toyota’s City Market Saturdays, not only will you be able to pick up some of the best fresh fruits and veggies available, but this week the market will also be host to a special cooking demonstration by Norah's Cafe, there are going to be some free samples that you just do not want to miss.

Milan Tobacconists is hosting a microbrew & cigar pairing event in their store. This unique cultural affair will provide an afternoon full of sophisticated leisure and, more importantly, afterwards all your friends will think you're an expert on beer AND cigars. The event runs from 2 to 4PM - tickets are $15 and can be purchased online.
Microbrews provided by Roanoke Railhouse Brewery.

Sunday, June 12, 2011

Table 50's Five Year Anniversary Party is going to have fine dining, lots of fun, free Mohawks (that's right!), and it will be supporting Locks For Love. Just because it's Sunday night doesn't mean the weekend is over. This is a great excuse to have dinner at one of Roanoke's best restaurants and have more fun than is usually allowed in public.

Downtown LIVE! - Wednesday night event series

2011-06-07T14:53:00.003-04:00

Below is a message from EventZone about an exciting new event:

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A new and exciting event is coming to Market Square! Starting Wednesday June 8th, Valley Bank Presents Downtown Live! A FREE Wednesday night summer concert series. We'll feature some of the finest musical talent the Valley has to offer. It is our hope that this event will bring more people to Downtown on an otherwise slower business day. For more information please check out our website, www.downtownliveroanoke.org.

Please be aware of the following measures that will take place to accommodate the set up of the event:

Both sides of Market Square, Campbell Avenue along the square and Kirk Avenue between Market Street and the rear of 202 Restaurant will be "No Parking" zones after 2 pm
Market Street will close to through traffic at 3 pm Trash pickup will be moved from 5 pm to 3 pm each Wednesday of Downtown Live. Trash needs to be placed at the curb no later than
2:30 pm for pick up. The city will do another pick up in the evening after the event. Trash for this later pick up can be set out after 9pm.

2011 Downtown Live Schedule

June 8 Grass Monkey & PolyChrome

June 22 Funk Punch & Madrone

July 13 Half Moon & Bad Casper

July 27 Fat Daddy Band & Triscale

August 10 Savannah Shoulders & Mafia Track Suit

August 24 Barefoot West & Shorefire

If you have any questions or concerns please contact Larry Landolt at

EventZone, 540-342-2640.

72 Hours Downtown - June 3-5, 2011

2011-06-03T08:40:00.005-04:00

72 Hours Downtown
June 3-5, 2011

It's another busy weekend downtown, and here's a list to get your started! You can find more great downtown events at our website here. (And if you're hosting a downtown event, don't forget to submit to our online calendar!)

Friday, June 3, 2011

First Fridays on Franklin is back this week with the rhythmic sounds of Domino. The festivities start at 5pm at the Sun Trust Plaza on Franklin Road. With tickets at only $5 this is probably the most fun you can have while supporting local charities.

Art by Night - The monthly “gallery crawl” among art galleries in Downtown Roanoke takes place this Friday from 5-9pm. Don't miss out on this change to peruse Roanoke's finest art galleries, including the Taubman Museum of Art! There will be refreshments, demonstrations, live music and the opportunity to meet and support and local artists. And best of all... It's FREE!!!

While you're out visiting the galleries, make sure to stop by POParazzi Studio*Gallery; Roanoke's newest gallery is making its first appearance on the Art by Night Circuit and is having an opening reception.

Saturday, June 4, 2011

Stop by Haley Toyota's City Market Saturdays for a live demo by the City of Roanoke Parks and Recreation Department, who will be showing you all about container gardening! And it's FREE! They'll be there from 11am - 2:30pm.

There will be a special (and delicious) treat this week downtown! The Double Tree by Hilton Cookie CAREavan will be in the market area from 10am to 2pm handing out their signature chocolate chip cookies.

After you leave the market make sure to stop by the 5th Annual Woofstock Dog Festival at Elmwood Park between 10am and 5pm. With special performances by the Mid-Atlantic Disk Dogs this is a function you and your furry four-legged friends won't forget.

Sunday, June 5, 2011

While strolling around downtown make sure to walk by the Taubman Museum and take in the scenes of the 2011 Sidewalk Art Show. Works from over 150 artists will be on display and awards will be given in eight different categories. The show is free and will be open to the public Saturday 10am to 5pm and Sunday 11am to 5pm.

Hollywood’s Star Cars steal the show at the Virginia Museum of Transportation this summer

2011-06-02T15:44:00.000-04:00

Don't miss this summer sizzler! For a very limited time, the Virginia Museum of Transportation presents Hollywood’s Star Cars, a never before seen exhibit of some of the baddest moonshine-running, bad-guy-chasing, paranormal-busting racing cars to ever scream across the screen. Come see this collection of unforgettable vehicles that opens with the Star City Motor Madness 10th Anniversary Celebration Party on Saturday, June 25 at 6pm and continues through July 31, 2011.

Special cars on display include:

The moonshine-running General Lee, a 1969 Dodge Charger, driven by Duke cousins Johnny Knoxville and Seann William Scott, plus the
Boss Hogg, a Cadillac driven in hot pursuit of the Dukes by Burt Reynolds in the 2005 movie The Dukes of Hazzard. When not racing through Georgia, the General Lee also provided a perch for sexy cousin Daisy Duke (Jessica Simpson). Also featured in the movie are A.J. Foyt, IV, Willie Nelson, and Lynda Carter.
The tricked-out 2000 Ford Crown Victoria taxi driven by Queen Latifah and Jimmy Fallon as they recklessly chased criminals through the streets of New York in the 2004 movie Taxi. Jeff Gordon—married in real life to one of the actresses playing a sexy Brazilian bank robber—also made an appearance.
Jeff Gordon’s 1993 Dupont-sponsored Chevrolet Monte Carlo (reproduction) featured in the 2003 movie Looney Tunes Back in Action. The live and animated cast included Brendan Fraser, Jenna Elfman, Steve Martin, Timothy Dalton, Heather Locklear, Joan Cusack, Roger Corman, Jeff Gordon, and the whole Looney Tunes gang on a mission to save a mythical diamond from the clutches of The Acme Corporation. The Monte Carlo is on loan from Warner Brothers Studios.
Sylvester Stallone pursued a serial killer with an army of psychopaths in a souped-up 1950 Mercury in the 1986 Rambo-style movie Cobra. The ruthless, leather-jacketed LAPD lieutenant is the “strong arm of the law.” Cobra also starred Brigitte Nielsen.
The 1959 Cadillac ambulance Ecto 1 used in the promotion of the 1984 movie Ghost Busters. Dan Aykroyd and Bill Murray careen through the streets of New York in the Ectomobile in search of pesky poltergeists, ghosts, and other spirits. They save not only the desperate metropolis, but also Sigourney Weaver, Rick Moranis, Annie Potts, and William Atherton who also star.
The distinctive red and white 1974 Ford Gran Torino from the second season of the crime-fighting TV drama “Starsky & Hutch,” which premiered in 1975. The popularity of the two streetwise cops’ signature ride led Ford to market 1,000 special edition Gran Torino hardtops with the Starsky & Hutch paint job during the 1976 model year. In addition to the Gran Torino, David Soul, Paul Michael Glaser, Bernie Hamilton, and Antonio Fargas had starring roles.

The exhibit is courtesy of The Lindisfarne Collection and is sponsored by Grand Home Furnishings.

For more information, visit www.vmt.org.

72 Hours Downtown - May 27-30, 2011

2011-05-26T09:04:00.007-04:00

72 Hours Downtown
May 27-29, 2011

Memorial Day Edition

It's a busy weekend downtown, and here's a list to get your started! It all starts tonight and extends through Memorial Day on Monday!

You can find more great downtown events at our website here. (And if you're hosting a downtown event, don't forget to submit to our online calendar!)

We wish you all a safe holiday weekend!

Taking place Friday through Monday this weekend is the widely popular Festival in the Park! There's a great line up this year, so grab the whole family and be sure to head to Elmwood Park.

Thursday, May 26, 2011

BB&T's Party in the Park kicks off tonight with Atlanta Rhythm Section in Elmwood Park! The cost for tonight's opening event is $10, and the fun takes place from 5:30 - 8:30pm. Bring your lawn chairs and come on out - it's perfect weather for a 'classic southern rock' dance party!

Friday, May 27, 2011

Festival in the Park - Evening concerts from 6:30 - 10pm.

It's Bike to Work Month and you can ride your bike to the Fork for a great discount! Ride your bicycle to Fork in the City, show your helmet, and receive a 15% discount.

In the mood to get dressed up? 202 Market is having a Little Black Dress Party Saturday night from 8-11pm. Cost is $5 for women and $10 for men. A $25 gift certificate will be given for the best little black dress!

Saturday, May 28, 2011

Festival in the Park - FREE day time activities from 10am - 5pm. Evening concerts from 6:30 - 10pm.

This week's activity for Haley Toyota's City Market Saturdays is Family Day! We'll have a rock climbing wall on the Historic Roanoke City Market, sponsored by Roanoke Outside, and free to you! You can also get your face painted on the market for a nominal fee.

The Roanoke Main Library will present "Kids on Bikes" this Saturday from 10am - noon. Bring the kids and their bikes if they have one, but some bikes will also be hand for those who don't. They can decorate their bike, customize their helmet, and more!

Sunday, May 29, 2011

Festival in the Park - FREE day time activities from 11am - 5pm. Evening concerts from 6:30 - 10pm.

Monday, May 30, 2011

Dr. David W. Buyck will speak the the Roanoke Valley Veterans Council Memorial Day Ceremony that will be held at Lee Plaza, located at 2nd and Church Street. Call 798-4111 for more information.

Festival in the Park - FREE day time activities from 10am - 5pm. Evening concerts from 6 - 9pm.

Five Roanoke museums to offer free admission to military personnel and their families this summer

2011-05-24T09:03:00.001-04:00

The History Museum of Western Virginia, O Winston Link Museum, Taubman Museum of Art, Virginia Museum of Transportation, and Eleanor D. Wilson Museum at Hollins University are among more than 1,300 museums across the country to offer free admission to military personnel and their families this summer as Blue Star Museums.

Five Roanoke museums announced they will offer free admission to all active duty military personnel and their families from Memorial Day, May 30, 2011, through Labor Day, September 5, 2011, as Blue Star Museums. The program is a partnership of the National Endowment for the Arts, Blue Star Families, and more than 1,300 museums across America.

The free admission program is available to active-duty military and their immediate family members (military ID holder and five immediate family members). Active duty military include Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, and active duty National Guard and active duty Reserve members. Military personnel or their families must present a CAC Geneva Conventions ID or a DD 1173 active duty military family ID to receive free admission for the bearer and up to five family members.

Since World War I, the Blue Star has been used to designate families which have a member who is serving in active duty during a time of combat. Blue Star Families was founded in 2008 with a special focus on the nearly one million children who have had at least one parent deployed during the combat in Iraq and Afghanistan.

“We are proud to partner with our colleagues at home and across the nation to provide free museum admission to our service men and women, so that they can experience art and culture in the Roanoke Valley,” said Jeanne Bollendorf, executive director of the Historical Society of Western Virginia on behalf of all the participating museums. “Those who serve our country and protect our freedoms deserve special recognition and the opportunity to create memories with their families.”

“Military families work hard for this country,” said Blue Star Families Chairman Kathy Roth-Douquet. “There have always been wonderful examples of partnerships between museums and military installations, but the scale of this gift from the museum community to military families is thrilling.” More than 1,300 museums in all 50 states and the District of Columbia are taking part in the initiative. For the full list of participating museums, visit www.arts.gov/bluestarmuseums.

In Roanoke, the following museums are honored to participate in the program:

The History Museum of Western Virginia is home to the largest collection of artifacts devoted to tracing the human history of western Virginia, a compelling story of a crossroads of migration that harkens back to our development as a nation. Historical artifacts offer a glimpse of life in southwest Virginia in times past, creating a vivid cultural and educational experience. Special exhibit this summer:

Hometown Stars: Southwest Virginia’s Recording Legacy, 1923-1943 opening August 3

Closing at Center in the Square on May 29, and reopening August 3 in the Hotel Shenandoah at 128 Campbell Avenue (the former Twists & Turns downtown location). Open Tuesday – Friday 10 am-4 pm; Saturday 10 am-5 pm; and Sunday 1-5 pm. For more information, call 540-342-5770 or visit www.history-museum.org.

The O. Winston Link Museum features the work of the famed photographer. Between 1955 and 1960, Link created unforgettable black and white images that documented the last days of Norfolk & Western’s steam giants and the people and places along its lines. The Museum's collection features more than 300 stunning photographs, audio listening stations, a documentary film, artifacts and recreations of Link’s photographic settings. Special exhibits this summer:

Dominion Derby Girls: Portraits by Glen McClure, through July 29
This Great Nation Will Endure, Images from the New Deal, opens August 10.

Located in Downtown Roanoke at 101 Shenandoah Ave. Open Monday-Sunday 10 am-5 pm. For information, call 540-982-5465 or visit www.linkmuseum.org.

The Taubman Museum of Art showcases American art, modern and contemporary art, design and decorative arts, folk and visionary art, and works on paper, and features a changing array of both national and international exhibitions. Tours, gallery talks, musical performances, films, classes, camps, and special events are part of the museum’s diverse offerings. Special exhibits this summer:

Beverly Buchanan & Lillian Blades : Recollection: The Past is Present, through August 28
Nature and the Non-Objective Realm, through October 2
Tim Tate: The Waking Dreams of Magdalena Molière, June 3 – August 14
Kay Rosen: On the Off Ramp, June 3 – August 28
Kiel Johnson: One Thing Leads to Another, June 3 – August 28

Located in Downtown Roanoke at 110 Salem Avenue SE. Open Tuesday – Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday 10 am-5 pm; Fridays 10 am – 8 pm; and Sunday 12-5 pm. For information, call 540-342-5760 or visit www.taubmanmuseum.org

The Virginia Museum of Transportation is home to two of the most powerful steam locomotives in existence today, the Norfolk & Western Class A 1218 and the Class J 611. Through exhibits, artifacts, and an outstanding collection, the Museum tells the rich story of Virginia’s transportation heritage. The Virginia Museum of Transportation is the Official Transportation Museum of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Special exhibit this summer:

Hollywood’s Star Cars, a collection of memorable vehicles that have starred in favorite movies. June 26-July 31

Located in Downtown Roanoke at 303 Norfolk Avenue SW. Open Monday-Saturday 10 am-5 pm; and Sunday 1-5 pm. For information, call 540-342-5670 or visit www.vmt.org

The Eleanor D. Wilson Museum at Hollins University, a premiere arts destination in the Roanoke Valley, features the work of nationally renowned artists, emerging figures, and regional names. The Museum mounts exhibitions that explore currents in modern and contemporary art, as well as presenting work from the permanent collection. Special exhibit this summer:

Goodnight, Hush: Classic Children's Book Illustrations, opening June 23. The exhibit features original artwork by Clement Hurd (illustrator of Goodnight Moon and the Runaway Bunny), Thacher Hurd (Clement's son and also a writer and illustrator), Ashley Wolff (illustrator of the Miss Bindergarten series and Baby Beluga books) and Ruth Sanderson (writer and illustrator of many children's story and picture books)

Located at Hollins University at 8009 Fishburn Drive. Open Tuesday – Friday, 10 am to 4 pm; and Saturday, 1 – 5 pm. For information, call 540-362-6532 or visit www.hollins.edu/museum.

72 Hours Downtown - May 20-22, 2011

2011-05-19T14:14:00.005-04:00

72 Hours Downtown
May 20-22, 2011

Looking for something to do this weekend? Here's a list to get your started! You can find more great downtown events at our website here. (And if you're hosting a downtown event, don't forget to submit to our online calendar!)

Friday, May 20, 2011

First Fridays at Five continues this Friday on Franklin Road with 7 Mile Ford and Super Hold! Join the cause and party with a purpose as this week's proceeds benefit the Conflict Resolution Center, Children’s Trust, Mental Health Association, Ronald McDonald House, and Saint Francis Service Dogs.

Head over to the Mill Mountain Theatre stage in Center in the Square for No Shame Theatre! Shows start at 11pm and admission is $5. Have your own piece that you'd like to perform? Show up early and bring it with you!

Saturday, May 21, 2011

Enjoy live music by The Poison Bottom Boys on the Historic Roanoke City Market from 11am - 2:30pm this Saturday! It's all part of Haley Toyota's City Market Saturdays.

It's time for the Local Colors Festival! Travel around the world without leaving Elmwood Park. This year's featured country is Egypt - and there is so much to see and do throughout the day! It all takes place from 11am - 5pm, and is FREE to attend!

The Taubman Museum of Art will host Taste for the Cause, a benefit for Susan B. Komen for the Cure Greater Roanoke Valley. Tickets for this wine tasting and silent auction are $25, or $40 per couple. The event will be held from 5pm - 9pm.

Sunday, May 22, 2011

Catch he final performance of "This is My Office," at Studio Roanoke. This is a story following playwright Andy Bragen as he is granted a 9-month residency in an abandoned office space near Wall Street. Show starts at 2pm - tickets are $20 at the door, or $15 in advance.

Market Minutes

2011-05-13T15:10:00.008-04:00

Market Minutes

Spring has sprung!

And what exactly does that mean? Well, aside from lots of pollen and an annoying chance of rain every...single...day it also means the Market is back in full swing! Hooray!

Although there is not a whole lot of produce in season yet, one thing you will find plenty of is plants. Whether you are looking for bedding plants or cut flowers, we've got quite a selection to choose from.

Variety of plants, Walter's Greenhouse

Also, this season we are excited for a few new additions to our Market family! First we have The Dancing Chicken (also known as The Muffin Man). Mitchel Creasy and his family reside in Vinton and have been gracing the Market tables with delicious baked goods and fresh farm eggs since the beginning of the year. Once ready to pick, he will also be offering a variety of produce. His muffins are mouth-watering and are becoming a quick breakfast favorite amongst downtown workers. You can usually find him on the Market Thursday - Saturday and don't forget to try a FREE sample while you're there!

We are also very pleased to welcome Local Seafood Delivery, LLC to the Market. They are a small business based in Salem and they bring fresh (never frozen) seafood up from Surf City, NC. That's right- fresh seafood on the Market. What's even better is that they make it really easy for you to know what the "catches of the week" are. Click here to be taken directly to the "Selection" page of their website. This page is updated weekly, so you can know exactly what is available before you make your trip downtown. Check out what's on the table this week:

Dry Pack Scallops
Jumbo Lump Crabmeat
Lump Crabmeat
Mixed Crab
Claw Crab
Oysters (shucked)
Flounder
Trigger
Yellowtail Tuna
Mahi
Mutton Snapper
Gag Grouper

Come see Charlie Thursday - Saturday for all your Seafood needs!

Dry Pack Scallops and varieties of Crabmeat

Here's a great recipe right from the Local Seafood Delivery cookbook:

Famous Crabcake Recipe

Ingredients:

1/2 cup mayonaise
1 egg slightly beaten
1 Tbsp dijon mustard
1 Tbsp worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp hot sauce
1 lb lump crab
1 cup crushed saltines (about 20 crackers)

Directions:

Stir first 5 ingredients together in large bowl. Fold in crab meat and saltines. Let stand 3 mins. Place into crabcakes (generally makes 8-10). Place in wax papered baking sheet. Cover and chill one hour. Fry over medium-high heat 3-4 mins (or longer depending on size of patties), each side. Drain in paper towels. Let cool, enjoy!

72 Hours Downtown - March 13-15, 2011

2011-05-12T14:59:00.000-04:00

72 Hours Downtown
May 13-15, 2011

Friday, May 13, 2011

Movies in the Park kicks off this Friday with "Toy Story 3!" Join us in Elmwood Park for FREE family fun - with preshow activities starting at 6:30pm - the show starts at dark. Bring your chair or blanket, and come on in! Concessionaire will be onsite.

Studio Roanoke presents "This is My Office," a story following playwright Andy Bragen as he is granted a 9-month residency in an abandoned office space near Wall Street. Show starts at 8pm.

Saturday, May 14, 2011

Enjoy a live cooking demonstration right here on the Historic Roanoke City Market from 11am - 2:30pm this Saturday! Blues BBQ will be whipping up something delicious using ingredients from the market as part of Haley Toyota's City Market Saturdays.

It's Roanoke Rail Day! Virginia's Rail Heritage Region celebrates with special events at the O. Winston Link Museum, C&O Railway Heritage Center, and the Virginia Museum of Transportation. You can purchase discounted joint ticket for just $12 for adults, $10 for seniors, and $8 for children. Visitors can also purchase admission to each museum separately.

The Dance Centre of Southwest Virginia presents "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs!" Join them at the Jefferson Center this Saturday at 2pm. Tickets are just $18 for this live performance.

Sunday, May 15, 2011

Catch the Sunday show of "And Then They Came for Me: Remembering the World of Anne Frank" presented by Community High School. The performance will be held at the Jefferson Center Sunday at 3pm (as well as 7:30pm on Saturday, May 14th), and tickets are $5 at the door.

72 Hours Downtown - May 6-8, 2011

2011-05-05T09:01:00.004-04:00

72 Hours Downtown
May 6 - 8, 2011

Looking for something to do this weekend? Look no further! You can find more great downtown events at our website here. (And if you're hosting a downtown event, don't forget to submit to our online calendar!)

Friday, May 6, 2011

Community School's Annual Strawberry Festival takes place this weekend! It takes place in Elmwood Park from 10am - 5:30pm on Friday, and 10am - 4pm on Saturday. Come out for some sweet delicious goodness!

First Fridays moves to Franklin Road! The "party with a purpose" kicks off this Friday night with the Worx in the SunTrust Plaza. It starts at 5pm and costs only $5 to attend - proceeds benefit local non-profits. (Must be 21 or older to attend.)

Art by Night will be held this Friday night, and the horse-drawn carriages are back! Visit downtown art galleries on this free self guided tour, and hop on a carriage that will take you to the galleries - free of charge!

Saturday, May 7, 2011

The Haley Toyota City Market Saturdays series continues on the Historic Roanoke City Market with live music by The Downing Brothers Band from 11am - 2:30pm! And just in time for Mother's Day, kids can plant a flower pot for Mom, for free! Stroll through all the wonderful homegrown, handmade items as the farmer's market is back into full-swing! (And bring your credit cards, as they are now being accepted! EBT cards are also being accepted on eligible items!)

Time for chili! The 32nd Annual Virginia State Championship Chili Cookoff will be held this Saturday from 11am - 5pm in the Railside Plaza.

Grab your bicycle and join Mayor Bowers for the The Mayor's Bike Ride which will begin in the Vic Thomas Park for a short ride along the Roanoke River Greenway. The ride will end at the Mayor's Monument in Elmwood Park, and stick around downtown for all the other fabulous events taking place!

Bring out the hats! 202 Market will host a Derby Party Saturday. There are prizes to be won, photos to be taken, and fun to be had by all! There will also be a silent and live art auction for these beautiful painted ponies. Proceeds benefit the non-profit Unbridled Change.

Sunday, May 8, 2011

Happy Mother's Day!

Treat Mom to a special Mother's Day brunch at the Hotel Roanoke's Mother's Day Celebration. Call ahead to make your reservations for this luxurious event!

The Jefferson Center will host a Mothers Day Serenade, brought to you by Opera Roanoke, at 2:30pm. Hear the beauty of lyrical poetry and mythology in the Opera's season finale. This program celebrates music with Britten's Serenade andRicky Ian Gordon's 21st-century take on the ancient tale of Orpheus and Eurydice.

News for the History Museum - May Free Admission

2011-05-03T08:09:00.004-04:00

History Museum of Westen Virginia Announces FREE Admission for May and kicks off Capital Campaign!

(Roanoke, VA) – The History Museum of Western Virginia is pleased to announce the final phase of its Capital Campaign: Crossroads of History! To celebrate this momentous occasion and prepare for relocation in June, the History Museum will be FREE to the public from May 3 - May 29, 2011. Take the opportunity to check out the “old museum” one last time before it relocates to Hotel Shenandoah on Campbell Avenue (the former Twists & Turns location downtown) in preparation for renovations at Center in the Square. The History Museum will reopen in August at Hotel Shenandoah with a new exhibit, “Hometown Stars”. Upon completion of renovations in 2013, the History Museum will return to the third floor of Center in the Square.

When Center in the Square opened in 1983 in a renovated 1914 warehouse (the McGuire Building) in the old city market, the History Museum became one of five nonprofit “anchor tenants” of this revitalization project. Commencing in 2007 the Historical Society of Western Virginia began a capital campaign to renovate the History Museum with the goal of increasing accessibility to collections and exhibitions in order to better fulfill the Museum’s education mission and reconnect with new audiences in a more meaningful way. To date, they have raised $1.2 million and renovated the Museum’s research facility (Watts Library), education workshop (Barbara and E. Wilson Watts Education Gallery), and administrative areas. Additionally, they have created the Virtual Museum, an online research resource available through the world-wide web.

They are now seeking an additional $1.5 million to renovate the exhibition galleries in the History Museum and upgrade the collections and archival storage areas. A new continuing exhibition will incorporate the best in interpretive and technical standards while revealing 10,000 years of our region’s cultural heritage through artifacts that span the whole human experience from prehistoric times to the present day. Modified collections storage will allow the History Museum to better house and care for its collections; the organization is a repository for the material culture southwestern Virginia and is entrusted with the care of the region’s memory in perpetuity.

The first three phases of the campaign have been completed and paid for and remaining unexpended funds have been transferred to the fourth and final phase of the campaign. In 2011, during the museum's silent campaign, it had raised a significant amount of new campaign pledges – including a $50,000 gift from an anonymous donor to pay for the Crossroads Central Timeline Exhibit. They invite you to make a gift to the campaign today and help be a part of history!

About the History Museum of Western Virginia

The History Museum of Western Virginia is the oldest museum within the Historical Society of Western Virginia’s operations. The collections of the History Museum include “A Crossroads of History,” which interpret southwestern Virginia’s heritage through artifacts that span the whole of peoples’ known experience throughout the region. A full schedule of rotating exhibits and programs allows the Museum to focus on a variety of people, industries and events that have influenced the development of western Virginia. Find them on Facebook!

The History Museum of Western Virginia is located at

Center in the Square, One Market Square, Third Floor, Roanoke VA 24011.

Tel: (540) 342-5770 E-mail: info.hswv@cox.net; Website: www.history-museum.org

Hours: Tuesday – Friday 10am-4pm, Saturday 10am – 5pm, Sunday 1-5pm

Generous donation from First Fridays to Center in the Square

2011-04-29T14:26:00.000-04:00

Center in the Square is pleased to announce that it will receive a $50,000 donation from First Fridays at Five. First Fridays at Five has been Roanoke’s “Party with a Purpose” for 22 years with overwhelming success. This year the event will continue to have a positive impact on the downtown community, as well as Center in the Square and 21 other nonprofits. Jim Sears, Center in the Square’s President and General Manager, says that he has always been impressed with the event’s success and widespread impact to the nonprofit community in the Valley. “We are so thankful for this generous donation and look forward to using the money to develop the educational programs for our new aquariums being built as a part of the renovation of Center in the Square. These programs will benefit over 400,000 children and adults who will visit Center’s free aquariums.”

The gift from First Fridays at Five is a result of years of cumulative success and growth of the concert series. In addition to donating to 21 other nonprofits this year, First Fridays is able to make this significant gift to Center. David Camper, First Fridays at Five President, said that after careful consideration by their Board of Directors, Center in the Square was selected as the recipient of this meaningful gift. Camper stated “First Fridays and Center in the Square share the same core purpose and mission -- both downtown nonprofits serving multiple nonprofits in the region. This donation to Center ensures our purpose of maximizing the impact of the gift.” Center supports seven of the region’s arts and cultural organizations, and has served over 9 million children and adults in the community.

To announce and celebrate this amazing donation Center in the Square will hold a press conference on the Historic Downtown Market this Tuesday, May 3, 2011 at 12:30 p.m. Center will give the first 100 people who come to the celebration free admission tickets to this year’s First Fridays at Five events.

First Fridays is a not-for-profit organization that has touched many charitable organizations in the Roanoke Valley through monetary donations. Organized in 1989 as a way for young professionals to meet, the events have seen two decades of success and in the process have donated over 1.2 million dollars of revenue to nonprofit organizations in The Roanoke Valley! First Fridays has an amazing group of professionals who make up their Board of Directors and who are dedicated to creating great entertainment, fun, and networking all while supporting non-profits and charities in the community. First Fridays is in its 22nd season and will make a change to a new location: SunTrust Plaza at Franklin Road! The first event kicks off May 6 starting at 5 p.m. The move to the SunTrust Plaza at Franklin Road in Downtown Roanoke will provide the downtown community and businesses with additional visitors and a more enhanced experience for the attendees.

More information about Center in the Square and First Fridays at Five can be found on their websites. www.centerinthesquare.org www.firstfridaysroanoke.com

72 Hours Downtown - April 29-May 1, 2011

2011-04-28T09:29:00.003-04:00

72 Hours Downtown
April 29 - May 1, 2011

Need ideas on what to do this weekend? Here's a quick list to get you started! You can find more great downtown events at our website here. (And if you're hosting a downtown event, don't forget to submit to our online calendar!)

This weekend is Roanoke's annual Open Studios Tour, where you are invited to get an inside look at where local artists create their art! Don't miss two stops right here in Downtown Roanoke at the 110 West Campbell Galleries with Annie Waldrop, Ann Glover, Diane Patton, C.J. Phillips, and Steve Mitchell; as well as Chris Gryder who will be located in Ann Bondurant Trinkle's studio at 110-B Kirk Avenue!

Friday, April 29, 2011

Elizabeth Cook will perform at Kirk Avenue Music Hall. Show begins at 8pm, and costs $20, or $10 for students.

Corned Beef & Company and Quest presents their "Enter to Win" party, where you'll get a chance to win a cocktail party, 2 tickets to the next Gigglez Comedy Lounge show, or a $25 gift card! Lloyd Dobler Effect will perform.

Saturday, April 30, 2011

The Haley Toyota City Market Saturdays series continues on the Historic Roanoke City Market with live music by Barefoot West from 11am - 2:30pm! Stroll through all the wonderful homegrown, handmade items as the farmer's market is back into full-swing! (And bring your credit cards, as they are now being accepted! EBT cards are also being accepted on eligible items!)

METRO! has a special edition doubleheader with two undisputed crowd favorite DJs – Stylus Chris and Dirty Hands! Stylus Chris is a living legend in his hometown of DC where he’s the resident DJ for the Washington Nationals and gigs regularly at the local hotspots in Georgetown. Dirty Hands practically invented the current nightlife scene in DC when he opened Fly Lounge, and he’s opened for national acts like the Black Eyed Peas and Kanye West. Don’t miss your once-in-a-lifetime chance to see these two phenomenal DJs side-by-side.

Sunday, May 1, 2011

The Roanoke Symphony Orchestra presents Out of This World this Sunday at the Jefferson Center. Show starts at 3pm and will feature selections from "The Planets," plus "Helios" Overture & Brahms Symphony No. 3. This performance will also be held at 8pm on Monday, May 2.

Antique Blue will host a Songwriting Workshop with the Waymores, who will give a short presentation followed by song critiques from 2-5pm. Bring one song, along with three copies of the lyrics! Call 384-7770 for more information. $10 donation.

72 Hours Downtown - April 22-24

2011-04-21T09:16:00.003-04:00

72 Hours Downtown
April 22-24, 2011

Don't miss the newly established Downtown Eater Egg Hunt this Saturday!

Friday, April 22, 2011

Samantha Farrell, a sparkling young singer-songwriter who’s been criss-crossing the country and wowing audiences from the left to the right coast, will perform at Blue 5 Friday night.

Pat McGee, with special guest Schiavone McGee of Fighting Gravity, will rock the house at Martin's. Show starts at 10pm and tickets at $15 at door, or $12 in advance. Learn more about Pat and purchase tickets here.

Saturday, April 23, 2011

The Haley Toyota City Market Saturdays series kicks off this Saturday on the Historic Roanoke City Market! This year is something new with a Downtown Easter Egg Hunt and Photos With the Easter Bunny! Children 10 and under are invited to the Easter Egg Hunt which begins at 10am inside Center in the Square and is free! The Easter Bunny will be on the farmer's market from 11am until 2pm, and photos can be made for a nominal fee.

Join some of our community’s and the nation’s most fascinating people for engaging, candid and provocative discussions on contemporary art and the role of the arts in all facets of our community at the Taubman's "Conversations" lecture series. Event starts at 6pm, and costs $10, or $5 for members.

Sunday, April 24, 2011

Happy Easter!

Enjoy a wonderful experience at the Hotel Roanoke's Grand Easter Buffet. If you haven't been to this yet, start a new tradition! With delicious entrées, accompaniments, desserts, and more (including live entertainment), there is something for everyone to enjoy. Call ahead to reserve your space now!

Downtown Roanoke Inc. and Haley Toyota Kick Off “City Market Saturdays” on the Historic Roanoke City Market this Week

2011-04-20T12:34:00.005-04:00

This Saturday, April 23, Downtown Roanoke, Inc. will kick off “City Market Saturdays,” sponsored by Haley Toyota and supported by Stellar One Bank, on the Historic Roanoke City Market! Free activities will be offered every Saturday on the Market through October 1, 2011.

DRI is excited to begin this series with a NEW event, a Downtown Easter Egg Hunt & Photos with the Easter Bunny. The FREE Easter Egg hunt will be held inside Center in the Square for children 10 and under. The hunt begins at 10am and will last until all the eggs are found. The Easter Bunny will be on the Historic Roanoke City Market from 11am until 2pm, and photos can be made for a nominal fee.

Other April and May events are as follows:

April 23 Downtown Easter Egg Hunt & Photos with the Easter Bunny
April 30 Music by Barefoot West
May 7 Downing Brothers Band & “Plant a Pot” for Mom for Mother’s Day
May 14 Norah’s Café Cooking Demo
May 21 Music by the Poison Bottom Boys Band
May 28 Family Day, featuring an Outdoor Climbing Wall sponsored by Roanoke Outside

A full schedule can be found here. City Market Saturdays sponsors include Haley Toyota, Stellar One, City Magazine, WYYD, Steve FM, Sunny FM, WROV, and WDBJ7.

Also, starting this Friday, April 22, 2011, EBT cards will now be accepted for eligible items on the Historic Roanoke City Market. Credit cards will also be accepted on many market items. The terminal will be available for card purchases during the following hours:

Friday & Saturday: 9:00am-2:00pm on the Market
Monday-Thursday: 8:00am-4:30pm, available on demand in the DRI office at 213 Market Street (elevator entrance on the corner of Market St. and Kirk Ave.)

Visit www.downtownroanoke.org for more information.

City to host informational sessions on recommended changes to downtown residential parking program

2011-04-18T08:52:00.000-04:00

On Thursday, April 21, the City of Roanoke will host two informational sessions regarding recommended changes to its downtown residential parking program to become effective July 1, 2011. Sessions will be held in the Emergency Operations Center, Room 159, located on the first floor of the Noel C. Taylor Municipal Building, 215 Church Avenue, in downtown Roanoke. The morning session will start at 9 a.m. and the evening session will start at 5:30 p.m.

Both sessions are open to the public and will include an overview of the program, administrative changes, recommended residential parking rates, and how residents can qualify. A question-and-answer session will be held as part of each session.

For more information, please contact the city's Parking Administrator, Debbie Moses, by phone at 540-853-8285 or by email at Debbie.Moses@roanokeva.gov.

Down by Downtown Relocation

2011-04-16T11:32:00.000-04:00

MEDIA ALERT

2nd Annual Down By Downtown Festival Relocates Live Stage Performances
Due To Forecast of Severe Weather

April 15, 2011 - Due to the forecast of severe weather, the Down By
Downtown LIVE stage performances scheduled Saturday,
April 16 have been moved to participating indoor venues in downtown
Roanoke. The original outdoor stage was to be located on Salem Avenue
behind the Market Building near the finish line of the Blue Ridge
Marathon. No admission will be charged for any of the relocated
performances. The NEW schedule will be as follows:

Noon The Music Lab's Suite 325 Awful Arthur's Downtown

2pm Jamie McLean Band Awful Arthur's Downtown

3pm Savannah Shoulders Fork In The City
FREE 8 passenger Fork2Fork Cab will run between downtown and Fork In The City

4pm My Radio Awful Arthur's Downtown

Additionally, two originally scheduled bands from out of town --
Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors and The Coal Men -- canceled their
performances due to unmanageable travel schedules related to weather
delays. "This has been a tough call," said Larry Landolt of EventZone
and member of the Down By Downtown organizing team. "But we really
felt this was the best way to ensure the safety of everyone involved
and still provide an awesome musical experience."

All other performances will go on as originally scheduled - including
the wildly popular Southern Culture on the Skids at the Jefferson
Center at 7:30pm.

For more information contact bruce@b2cEnterprises.com or visit:
Facebook/DownByDowntown

Official Carb-Loading Sites Tonight

2011-04-15T13:22:00.003-04:00

We've been informed by the folks at the Blue Ridge Marathon that the following restaurants will have official carb heavy specials tonight (4/15/2011) just for runners:

Of course, these are just a selection of the 40+ restaurants Downtown Roanoke has to offer. Check out the full list here and make your plans!

Good luck tomorrow!

72 Hours Downtown - April 15-17

2011-04-14T09:13:00.003-04:00

72 Hours Downtown
April 15-17, 2011

Need ideas on what to do this weekend? Look no further - there are so many things happening downtown this weekend! You can find more great downtown events at our website here. (And if you're hosting a downtown event, don't forget to submit to our online calendar!)

Down by Downtown is already progress - a fabulous celebration of LIVE music taking place across eight great venues! Follow them on facebook, and check here for the schedule.

Friday, April 15, 2011

Down by Downtown continues with performances at Kirk Avenue Music Hall, Blue 5, Awful Arthur's, Corned Beef, Blues BBQ, Martin's, and Fork in the City!

The Blue Ridge Bike Fest kicks off Friday night, and festivities run through Sunday! The event takes place at the Roanoke Civic Center, so head downtown for a delicious dinner and maybe even a few drinks before the action begins!

Saturday, April 15, 2011

The Blue Ridge Marathon is here! The race begins at 7:30 a.m. on Salem Avenue by the Taubman Museum of Art. Come cheer the runners on as they begin America's Toughest Road Marathon! There will be lots of activities surrounding the event, including an inflatable Kids Zone, so be sure to stick around.

The Kirk Avenue YMCA is hosing their Healthy Kids Day from 9am until noon. This is free fun for the whole family, so be sure to head over to Downtown West for the activities! The YMCA Kids Marathon is also taking place Saturday in conjunction with the Blue Ridge Marathon. The kids have been working hard and tracking their mileage over the past few months, and will join together at 8am to walk their final mile! Cheer them on as they cross the same finish line as the Blue Ridge Marathon athletes!

Down by Downtown continues with great music at all their venues, and on Saturday they add the Outdoor Stage on Salem Avenue behind the Market Building! The rockin' live music will begin at 11am and lasts through 6pm. The outdoor venue is FREE and is right in the middle of all the great Blue Ridge Marathon activities. A beer garden will be also be close by!

Later that evening is the first ever Roanoke Twilight Downtown Criterium! These high-speed bicycle races begin at 5pm (last one begins at 9pm) in front of the Texas Tavern. These should be a lot of fun to watch, so come check it out!

The Blue Ridge Bike Fest continues, and on Saturday they will have a shuttle from the Elmwood Park Garage on Williamson Road, which runs from 11am - 9pm.

Sunday, April 16, 2011

The Blue Ridge Bike Fest continues with it's final day.

The Roanoke College Children's Choir presents "A Little Sping Music" at the Jefferson Center. Show starts at 3pm and tickets are between $12 -$18. This spectacular performance will feature classical, folk, gospel, and patriotic musical selections.

The Hotel Roanoke will host a Spring Tea Dance in the Regency Room from 5pm - 7pm. Cost of $25 includes a day of dancing, dinner, tax and gratuity. End your weekend by treating yourself to this special event!

72 Hours Downtown - April 8-10, 2011

2011-04-07T09:31:00.002-04:00

72 Hours Downtown
April 8-10, 2011

Need ideas on what to do this weekend? Here are a few to get you started! You can find more great downtown events at our website here. (And if you're hosting a downtown event, don't forget to submit to our online calendar!)

Friday, April 8, 2011

Some live music this Friday night includes Inner Spirit at Blue 5, Barefoot West at Corned Beef, Michael Glabicki at Martin's, and Robin and Linda Williams at Kirk Avenue Music Hall.

No Shame Theatre will feature "Best of No Shame," with their best skits from the past 6 months! This special performance begins at 8pm and will take place over two nights - April 8th and 9th. Show takes place at Mill Mountain Theatre inside Center in the Square and costs $10.

Saturday, April 9, 2011

Get ready to laugh with the Big Lick Conspiracy Saturday night at the Jefferson Center! This is Roanoke's only interactive improv comedy group. Show starts at 8pm at costs $10, or $7 with a student ID.

Hamill Trout Hill performs at Fork in the City. Free to attend, but come hungry! Show starts at 9pm.

Sunday, April 10, 2011

From 11:30am - 2pm, enjoy a delicious Grand Buffet at the Hotel Roanoke's Regency Room. With fabulous breakfast and lunch items, a made-to-order omelet station, and a live-action carving station - all accompanied by live music - this is a dining experience sure to please!

Spend a day downtown and bring your friends to Glazed Bisque-It in the afternoon. Sunday hours are from 1pm - 5pm. Check out their facebook album with the beautiful mosaics you can make!

Downtown Roanoke, Inc. Announces New Payment Options, Grant Awards, and Event Line Up on Historic Roanoke City Market

2011-04-06T11:11:00.004-04:00

The Historic Roanoke City Market has recently been approved by the USDA to participate in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Through this program, the market will be able to accept EBT (Electronic Benefit Transfer) cards for eligible items. Debit cards will also be accepted market-wide on any item.

The Historic Roanoke City Market, affectionately known as the Roanoke Farmer’s Market, was a recipient of a grant from the Virginia Farmers Market EBT Program, which is a program offered by the Virginia Department of Social Services (VDSS). They are working to reduce chronic food shortages and increase access to healthy food options for all Virginians. The grant will be applied towards the following:

One wireless EBT POS device
First installment of SNAP EBT tokens
Signage, flyers, posters, and/or other promotional items
Inclusion in statewide marketing plan
Technical and programmatic assistance

DRI’s goal is to begin the program on the farmer’s market on April 22, 2011. However, that date may be pushed back due to some unexpected delays with the Department of Social Services. Media outlets will be notified once the date is solidified.

Once implemented, the hours the terminal will be available are as follows:

Monday-Thursday: 8:00am-4:30pm, available on demand in the DRI office at 213 Market
Street (elevator entrance on the corner of Market St. and Kirk Ave.)
Friday & Saturday: 9:00am-2:00pm on the Market

City Market Saturdays

Also announced were details on the upcoming Haley Toyota City Market Saturdays event series. On Saturday, April 23, the series, also supported by Stellar One Bank, will kick off on the Historic Roanoke City Market with a Downtown Easter Egg Hunt and Photos with the Easter Bunny. The Easter Egg hunt will be held inside Center in the Square and is free for children 10 and under. The hunt begins at 10am and will last until all the eggs are found. Additionally, the History Museum will host a scavenger hunt, with free admission. The Easter Bunny will be on the Historic Roanoke City Market from 11am until 2pm, and photos can be made for a nominal fee. Free activities will be offered every Saturday on the Market through October 1, 2011.

Other April and May events are as follows:

April 23 Downtown Easter Egg Hunt & Photos with the Easter Bunny
April 30 Music by Barefoot West

May 7 Downing Brothers Band & “Plant a Pot” for Mom for Mother’s Day
May 14 Norah’s Café Cooking Demo
May 21 Music by the Poison Bottom Boys Band
May 28 Family Day, featuring an Outdoor Climbing Wall sponsored by Roanoke Outside

City Market Saturdays sponsors include Haley Toyota, Stellar One, City Magazine, WYYD, Steve FM, Sunny FM, WROV, and WDBJ7.

New Vendors

The Historic Roanoke City Market is pleased to welcome back many of its growers now that Spring is in full swing! There will also be some new faces, including Local Seafood Delivery, LLC, based in Salem, VA, and will provide fresh seafood including shrimp, scallops, salmon, lobster, snapper, lump crab, flounder, and more. Their seafood is delivered on ice and never frozen. Also new is The Dancing Chicken from Vinton, and will feature fresh eggs, produce, and baked goods on the market. The market also boasts other locally grown fresh produce, bedding plants, home- baked goods, and homemade arts and crafts.

Visit www.downtownroanoke.org for more information.

Keep Virginia Beautiful Awards $1,000 to Downtown Roanoke, Inc.

2011-04-06T08:22:00.002-04:00

Keep Virginia Beautiful Awards $1,000 to Downtown Roanoke, Inc.

* One of 30 Grants in 30 Days Being Distributed *

Richmond, Virginia (April 6, 2011) – In honor of Earth Month, Keep Virginia Beautiful (KVB) is awarding “30 Grants In 30 Days” in April, 2011. Downtown Roanoke Inc. has been awarded a $1,000 grant in the Cigarette Litter Prevention Category. The KVB grant program focuses greater resources and attention on individual localities throughout the Commonwealth and how they are addressing the issues of litter prevention, recycling, waste reduction, beautification and education.

KVB provided the opportunity for government, non-profit and/or service organizations in Virginia to apply for one of (30) $1,000 grants in three different categories: 10 grants for plastic bag reduction and recycling, 10 grants for cigarette litter prevention, and 10 grants for community greening and beautification. These grants are made possible by KVB’s partners, Walmart and Waste Management.

Downtown Roanoke Inc (DRI) will partner with the City of Roanoke, and AAF Roanoke to create a Cigarette Litter Prevention Signage Campaign. DRI's litter prevention program was established 2 years ago with the installation of cigarette butt receptacles throughout Downtown Roanoke. In order to continue to create awareness of this program, they hope to further educate the public about the hazards of cigarette litter through creative signage at various hot spots and merchant locations. Their initiative meets the intent of the grant by raising awareness about cigarettes as litter, and encouraging the public to keep our streets clean. For information Downtown Roanoke Inc. and their project, contact Lyndsay Smith, lyndsays@downtownroanoke.org or (540) 342-2028.

The mission at Keep Virginia Beautiful is to engage and unite Virginians to improve our natural and scenic environment. Our goals include becoming the leading statewide voice, providing a framework for improved communication and collaboration, cultivating and supporting sustainable programs, and engaging citizens by linking them to volunteer opportunities and information through these 5 impact areas: Litter Prevention, Waste Reduction, Recycling, Beautification, and Environmental Education. For more information on KVB, go to http://www.keepvirginiabeautiful.org.

Downtown Utility Work

2011-04-04T11:41:00.004-04:00

APCo Vault Replacement

Appalachian Power will begin work this week to further upgrade part of its underground electricity distribution network in downtown Roanoke. The company will upgrade an underground transformer vault located in front of the Roanoke Public Library on Jefferson St. Work is scheduled to begin Monday, April 4 and is projected to be completed before May 1.

• Working hours to be 6pm-6am.
• Right-hand lane of Northbound Jefferson will remain closed for the duration of the project.

Roanoke Gas Company Downtown Renewal Project

In April 2011, Roanoke Gas Company will begin an upgrade project to the natural gas distribution system in downtown Roanoke. The project will be performed in six (6) phases with each phase taking approximately 4-6 weeks to complete. The downtown area impacted by the project is from Campbell Avenue to Bullitt Avenue, and 2nd Street to Williamson Road. (See Roanoke Times article with map here.)

The planned phases and construction timelines are as follows:

Phase 1-Kirk Avenue (2nd Street to Jefferson Street)
Start: April 2011 Projected Completion: Mid May 2011
Phase 2-Jefferson Street (Campbell Avenue to Bullitt Avenue)
Projected Start: Mid May 2011 Projected Completion: June 2011

Phase 3-Campbell Avenue, 2nd Street, and 1st Street
Projected Start: Late June 2011 Projected Completion: July 2011

Phase 4-Market Street, Church Avenue, Kirk Avenue
Projected Start: Late July 2011 Projected Completion: August 2011

Phase 5-Campbell Avenue (Jefferson Street to Williamson Road)
Projected Start: Late August 2011 Projected Completion: September 2011

Phase 6-Church Avenue, Luck Avenue, 1st Street
Projected Start: October 2011 Projected Completion: Early November 2011

Roanoke Gas Company representatives will be on the project site and are available to address questions or concerns.

This project will require temporary street closures and short periods of gas service interruption for customers. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and will work to minimize the impact for downtown residences and businesses.

DRI Supports Efforts to Propel Elmwood Park Forward

2011-04-04T08:11:00.001-04:00

Much has been written lately in the media that no improvements to Elmwood Park are necessary at this time. While attendance continues to be strong at events produced spectacularly by our partners at EventZone, Local Colors and others, our concern is that the park’s potential is not being realized on the 300+ days a year when formal programming does not occur in the park.

To that end, the DRI Board of Directors supports the City Manager’s efforts to improve and propel Elmwood Park forward. Elmwood Park needs enhanced and expanded performance space to host the current slate of events, community performances and touring acts; it should be enjoyable and used by the community throughout the year; its natural beauty, green space and function as downtown’s “green lung” should be nurtured and improved. DRI encourages the City to begin to invest now in this work so that Elmwood Park will be enjoyed by generations of Roanokers to come.

We look forward to providing whatever support DRI can provide in this process and thank City Council for continuing to keep the improvement of this important asset at the top of the City’s priorities.

Most importantly, investments in Elmwood Park will serve as another driver of economic growth in Downtown. We are already seeing signs of great success at the Patrick Henry development site. Imagine the catalyst that an enhanced urban park will play on the many vacant parcels surrounding Elmwood Park. The City of Roanoke’s investment in the Market Building will provide a significant jolt of energy in the Market District this June. A similar investment in Elmwood Park can do the same for the Williamson Road and Jefferson Street corridors as well.

72 Hours Downtown - April 1-3

2011-03-31T08:53:00.005-04:00

72 Hours Downtown
April 1-3, 2011

Friday, April 1, 2011

Art by Night has moved to the first FRIDAY of each month! And as a new element, there will be horse drawn carriages to take to you to each destination on the self-guided tour! It's all free!

You're in for a treat with Julia Haltigan who will perform at Blue 5 this Friday night! Enjoy your evening with music that arouses nostalgia for the classics, evoking the likes of Tom Waits, Nancy Sinatra, and Betty Boop.

This is the final weekend for Studio Roanoke's live performances of "Booth." Written by OBIE winning playwright W. David Hancock, "Booth" is like overhearing the strangest, most moving, and at times most deeply disturbing conversation you will ever have the opportunity to eavesdrop on. Directed by Todd Ristau. Advance tickets are $15, or $20 at the door. Performances will also be held Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

Saturday, April 2, 2011

Everybody's a kid at the Virginia Museum of Transportation's Birthday Celebration! To celebrate the VMT's 49th birthday, all visitors will be admitted at the children's rate of $6.

The Gigglez Comedy Lounge is back at Corned Beef & Co.! Comedians Tony Deyo and Ken Evans will perform two shows only this Saturday - one at 7pm and one at 9pm.

Sunday, April 3, 2011

The Fine Art Series continues at Greene Memorial United Methodist Church. The choir will perform Mack Wilberg: Requiem, under the direction of Richard Cummins. Performance begins at 4pm, and attendees are invited to a meet-the-artist reception following the concert.

Órla Fallon, former singer/harpist with Celtic Woman, will perform at the Jefferson Center Sunday at 7:30pm.

Horse Drawn Carriages to be Part of Friday’s Art by Night

2011-03-30T15:30:00.002-04:00

Downtown Roanoke, Inc. is excited to provide horse drawn carriages during Friday night’s Art by Night event, which has now been moved to the first Friday of each month. The carriages, run by Lexington Carriage Company, will be available at five stops throughout the Market District and the Arts District from 5pm until 9pm, and will run on roughly 15 minute intervals. Carriages will be free to use.

The carriages will continue to be part of Art by Night throughout the spring on an experimental basis. The goal is to provide a convenient and fun way to get people moving further throughout downtown concurrent with this great event showcasing downtown galleries and studios.

DRI President and CEO Sean Luther said “This will offer a great way for visitors of the Market Area to reach all the participating galleries in Art by Night, and it’s also a great way for Art by Night attendees to experience all the dining options that downtown has to offers.”

Stops include intersections of Market St. and Salem Ave., Campbell Ave. and Wall St., Jefferson St. and Kirk Ave., Kirk Ave. and First St., and in the 200 block of Campbell Ave. SE.

A map with galleries and stops can be found here.

Learn more about Art by Night here.

Downtown WiFi off-line April 7

2011-03-30T09:10:00.002-04:00

The downtown WiFi system will be taken off-line next Thursday, April 7, 2011, from 1:00 to 5:00 PM to permit the changeover to new infrastructure installed as part of the City Market Building renovation project. Cox Communications will be disconnecting the existing system, relocating panels and reconnecting the system that afternoon. The City's Department of Technology will be available to assist as needed.

The 2nd Annual Down By Downtown Festival in Roanoke Offers Expanded Musical Line-Up + Exciting New Partnerships

2011-03-29T10:56:00.003-04:00

Celebrating the culture and diversity of the exploding music scene in Roanoke, Virginia -- organizers recently released the band line up and details for the 2^nd Annual Down By Downtown festival running Wednesday, April 13 through Saturday, April 16, 2011. This year's expanded event will feature four days of live music at eight downtown venues and an outdoor stage coordinated with the second running of the successful Blue Ridge Marathon. There is no cost to attend most events – including the outdoor stage.

"There has been outstanding support from the downtown businesses and a great partnership with the marathon," said Bruce C. Bryan, owner of B2C Enterprises and member of the Down By Downtown organizing team. "Each participating venue from last year is on board and we've added three new stages, so we’re hoping to offer 50 live acts in four days."

For a second year in a row, Blue 5, Martin's Downtown, Kirk Avenue Music Hall, Jefferson Center and Fork in the City will be featuring a strong line up of musical experiences from rock, pop, and hip-hop to classical, bluegrass and Americana. As newcomers to the 2011 Down By Downtown event, Awful Arthur's Downtown, Blues BBQ and Corned Beef & Co will make it truly a downtown-wide event.

From 11am to 5pm on Saturday, April 16 the festival will host a FREE outdoor stage located directly behind the City Market Building near the finish line of the 2^nd Annual Blue Ridge Marathon. Offering an exciting lineup for the thousands of runners, spectators and festival-goers -- the afternoon will reach a fevered pitch with sets from the Jamie McLean Band, The Coal Men, and Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors followed by a performance from My Radio – the popular Roanoke based band who has enjoyed national acclaim with their hit “Yeah Yeah Yeah”.

The idea for Down By Downtown grew from the 2010 CityWorks/Roanoke City sponsored Creative Connector’s initiative based on Richard Florida’s book on the Creative Class – and has become a large collaboration of music venues, community leaders and downtown businesses. Sound equipment for the live stage is provided by Sound Stage and EventZone has partnered with P.A. Short to supply the beverages for Saturday’s outside events. Additional volunteer support is being provided by area organizations including Habitat for Humanity, Skyline Music, City Magazine, 101.5 the music place, Viziworx Creative and the Roanoke Symphony Orchestra.

"Everyone is teaming up to promote the cultural and economic importance of a strong downtown music scene," said Bruce Bryan. "It worked well last year and gave us something to build on. The momentum – alongside a great team of volunteer organizers -- has really allowed us to showcase Roanoke in an exciting and collaborative way.”

For more information or to volunteer contact bruce@b2cEnterprises.com or visit: http://www.facebook.com/Downbydowntown

Click here for event line up.

Virginia Museum of Transportation names Andy Fletcher Artist in Residence

2011-03-25T11:38:00.000-04:00

The Virginia Museum of Transportation has named Andy Fletcher its first-ever rail artist in residence. Fletcher’s work—technically accurate renderings of historic and contemporary locomotives and rail cars—has a national following. He recently moved from California to Roanoke because of Virginia’s rich rail heritage which is preserved and retold at the Virginia Museum of Transportation.

The Museum has converted former office space into a studio where Fletcher can concentrate on his work while modern trains roll by. “We believe having Andy here really brings a wonderful, new dimension to the Museum,” said executive director Beverly T. Fitzpatrick, Jr. “He captures the railroad heritage of this great country so beautifully, both of modern railroads and those which have ceased to exist. Seeing his work brings back great memories for so many people, especially of family members long gone who worked proudly in the rail industry.”

Meet the Artist: March 26-27

Andy Fletcher will be available at the Museum to meet visitors and sign prints on Saturday, March 26 from 10am-noon and 1-3pm, and on Sunday, March 27 from 1-4pm. All visitors on those days will be eligible to enter a drawing to win an original work, a drawing of the N&W GP9 locomotive 641 completed this week at the Museum. The drawing will take place on Sunday at 4pm, but the winner does not have to be present at that time. Regular admission rates apply both days.

Fletcher plans to participate in the Museum’s upcoming special events. Because the technical aspects of his art require uninterrupted attention, other availability will be by appointment only.

About Andy Fletcher

Fletcher began drawing trains as a teenager, and quickly developed a following in the executive offices of many rail lines. When he was just 18, the then Burlington Northern commissioned him to design a paint scheme for its new fleet of SD70MAC freight locomotives based on the color palette of its executive train. In all, Burlington Northern painted 350 locomotives per Fletcher’s design.

Just as his career was beginning to take off, Fletcher began to develop major seizures. His epilepsy prevented him from drawing for a decade. Today, he has been seizure-free for nearly ten years and his popularity is again building as railfans rediscover his work.

Fletcher has been invited to participate in rail events at museums, train shows, and corporate functions around the country. “I live the most fulfilled life, being around trains and drawing trains,” said Fletcher, who was recently diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome. “All the rail sites and all these trains are so rich to me, they all have stories. My drawings help people appreciate those stories.”

Fletcher focuses on accuracy and historic integrity to produce drawings of locomotives, freight and passenger cars, and cabooses that were and are a part of railroads across the country. He uses watercolor pens on hot press illustration board to enable him to blend colors authentically. He estimates he has completed 2,500 drawings to date and is looking forward to drawing many more trains here in Roanoke.

“This location by the tracks inspires me,” said Fletcher. “This building, an old freight station, inspires me,” His studio at the Museum overlooks the active Norfolk Southern mainline tracks that run through downtown Roanoke. “This is the perfect location for railfanning,” he said. “A variety of NS and other locomotives, so many different types of freight cars, old equipment still painted with historic logos, and even cabooses are going past all the time.” A web cam over the tracks shares Fletcher’s view of the NS mainline: http://www.nwhs.org/cam/vmt/.

Fletcher offers his art in a variety of forms for all to enjoy: commissioned and original works, prints, posters, magnets and children’s sticker books. Several of Fletcher’s original artworks are on display in the Museum Store. To purchase his work, visit the Museum Store, the Museum’s Online Store http://shop.vmt.org or Fletcher’s web site, http://www.customtrains.org to order from the complete catalog.

About the Virginia Museum of Transportation

Home to two of the most powerful steam locomotives in existence today—the N&W Class A 1218 and the N&W Class J 611—the Virginia Museum of Transportation regularly attracts visitors of all ages from across the U.S. and the world. Through exhibits, artifacts, and an outstanding collection of rail equipment, cars, trucks, airplanes, and more, the Museum tells the rich story of Virginia’s transportation history.

The Virginia Museum of Transportation is the Official Transportation Museum of the Commonwealth of Virginia, but receives no state funding. In 2010, the Museum was named Non-Profit Arts & Culture Small Business of the Year by the Roanoke Regional Chamber of Commerce. The Museum is located in the historic N&W Freight Station at 303 Norfolk Avenue SW, Roanoke, VA 24016. Open Monday-Saturday 10-5 and Sunday 1-5. 540/342.5670. www.vmt.org

72 Hours Downtown - March 25-27

2011-03-24T10:59:00.005-04:00

72 Hours Downtown
March 25-27, 2011

Need ideas on what to do this weekend? Here are a few to get you started! You can find more great downtown events at our website here.

Friday, March 25, 2011

Drop in at Christy's Apparel & Accessories on Jefferson Street and celebrate their 28 years in business with a great discount offer!

Another Roadside Attraction will put on quite a show at Blues BBQ. This is an eclectic group that has a fabulous stage presence and energy that's sure to please!

The Jefferson Center welcomes The High Kings, Ireland's Platinum Folk Band of the Year! Presented by Madstone Productions, the show starts at 8 pm and costs $25 (plus fees) at the door. Make it a date night and grab dinner downtown before the show!

Saturday, March 26, 2011

The Square Society presents it's March to the Madness Cocktail Crawl this Saturday night. The fun begins at 2pm at Table 50, and you'll make your way around some fabulous bars in Downtown Roanoke. Event lasts through 9pm, so if you can't make the whole round, you can meet up with them along the way. $10 pays your way and includes heavy hors d'oeuvres!

Join the Taubman Museum of Art for the second installment of Conversations, which features engaging discussions on contemporary art. This Saturday will include guest speakers John Biewen and Alan Trachtenberg. Event lasts from 7:30pm - 9:30pm, and costs $5 for members, $10 for non-members.

Celebrate Earth Hour, a global sustainability movement with more than 50 million people across 35 countries/territories participating. The Hotel Roanoke will promote this movement by providing dinner and drinks by candle light in The Regency Room and The Pine Room Pub, and will also light the lobby and Palm Court by candles.

Sunday, March 27, 2011

Enjoy a 2pm live theatre matinée at Studio Roanoke. "Booth," by OBIE winning playwright W. David Hancock, is like overhearing the strangest, most moving, and at times most deeply disturbing conversation you will ever have the opportunity to eavesdrop on. Directed by Todd Ristau. Advance tickets are $15, or $20 at the door. Performances will also be held Wednesdays through Sundays from March 23 - April 3.

Catch The Farewell Drifters at Kirk Avenue Music Hall this Sunday night at 7:30pm! Tickets are $14, or $7 with student ID. This group creates harmonic roots music that draws influence from the traditions of folk, bluegrass, film scores, 60's revolutionary pop, and their young Nashville peers.

Art By Night Moves to Friday Nights

2011-03-21T10:23:00.003-04:00

Event moves from Thursday to every first Friday of the month!

Roanoke’s monthly premier art event, Art by Night, will open the 2011 season with a new night to better accommodate the schedules of its art loving public. The kick-off is Friday, April 1, with galleries opening from 5:00 – 9:00 p.m. Art-lovers enjoy gearing up for the weekend and what better way to celebrate the First Friday of each month than with Art by Night. This Roanoke favorite, which began many years ago, showcases the thriving local arts community and features diverse art galleries and artist’s studios in the downtown area. The welcoming informality of Art of by Night attracts crowds of casual browsers as well as serious buyers to each of the venues.

Art by Night evenings feature artist openings, demonstrations, refreshments, live music and face-to-face interactions with local artists. This no admission event is one of Roanoke’s most well-attended cultural amenities, brings together the community and is an opportunity to support and purchase the artwork of Roanoke’s amazing talent. Over 120 artists participate in Art by Night with their works found in the 10 downtown Roanoke galleries.

A self-guided walking tour is encouraged for individuals not familiar with the galleries. A brochure of this tour is available at all galleries, as well as tourist locations which include the Roanoke Valley Convention & Visitors Bureau, local hotels, and businesses. Visit the website at www.roanokeartbynight.com for a printable brochure and map.

The event is organized by local artists. Free Friday evening parking begins at 5 p.m. and is available in the Warehouse Row Lot on Salem Avenue, the Williamson Road Lot, and the Elmwood Lot and Parking Garage. Reduced parking fees are available at all other parking lots and garages on Friday nights starting at 4 p.m.

For more information, please contact Suzun Hughes at 540.529.8455 or by email at suzun@suzun.com.

72 Hours Downtown - March 18-20

2011-03-17T11:24:00.005-04:00

72 Hours Downtown - St. Patrick's Day Edition!
March 18-20, 2011

Happy St. Patrick's Day! The weather is beautiful for downtown festivities! Lots of establishments are hosting parties, and don't miss the Roanoke Times' list of St. Pat's specials. Downtown is where it's at, and many storefronts are all decorated and are selling some fabulous seasonal items so be sure to check it all out!

You can find more great downtown events at our website here.

Start your weekend early - it IS St. Patrick's Day, after all! Corned Beef & Company, Awful Arthurs, Flanary's Pub, Cornerstone, and Blue 5 all have parties going on tonight that you won't want to miss!

Friday, March 18, 2011

Rock out at Kirk Avenue Music Hall with the Niki Barr Band! Tickets are only $14, and $7 for students with an ID. Show starts at 8pm.

At 10pm, stroll over to Martin's Downtown Bar and Grill for Skydog - an excellent Allman Brothers Tribute Band. This Richmond powerhouse is quickly becoming one of the most sought after ABB tributes in the nation. Catch them right here at Martins, with no cover charge!

Attend Toast of the City, sponsored by City Magazine, and support the Roanoke Ballet Theatre. This fundraiser will be held at Schaal's Metamorphosis on Jefferson Street. For $10 at the door you'll be entered to win some great prizes, and can indulge yourself on unlimited delicious heavy hors d'oeuvres. There will also be a cash bar.

Saturday, March 19, 2011

Attend the Carnivale at the Hotel Roanoke Saturday from 7pm - 11pm! Enjoy unique culinary creations presented in street fare style, a cash bar, steel drums, and dance floor. Tickets are $25/person in advance, or $30 at the door. Bring non-perishable food items to be donated to Feeding America Southwest Virginia!

The St. Patrick's Day fun still isn't over, so keep all your green gear ready! Corned Beef & Co. will host the Quest Entertainment's St. Patrick's Day Party on Saturday night.

Are you a UFC fan? Awful Arthurs will be showing UFC 128 on the big screens, so bring all your friends!

Sunday, March 20, 2011

Opera Roanoke presents a Sunday matinée of the beloved Madama Butterfly at the Jefferson Center Sunday at 2:30pm. There will also be an Opera Insights pre-curtain talk beginning at 1:30, so come early! Tickets are between $20 and $90. (Will also be held on Friday, March 18th)

The Roanoke Children's Theatre's final performance of Tuck Everlasting will take place at 2:00pm on Sunday. $15 for adults, $12 for youth. Show takes place at the Taubman Museum of Art. (Performances will also be held on March 17, 18, and 19.)

72 Hours Downtown - March 11-13

2011-03-10T08:54:00.006-05:00

72 Hours Downtown
March 11-13, 2011

Let the St. Patrick's Day celebrations begin! It all kicks off this weekend, and don't miss the big event (Celtic Festival, parade, and more!) this Saturday - details below. Furthermore, lots of downtown establishments are hosting parties, and the Roanoke Times has a great list of St. Pat's specials. Downtown is where it's at, and many storefronts are all decorated and are selling some fabulous seasonal items so be sure to check it all out!

You can find more great downtown events at our website here.

Friday, March 11, 2011

Roanoke Children's Theatre opens "Tuck Everlasting" on Friday night. Based on the book by Newbery Award-winning author Natalie Babbitt, Tuck Everlasting is the touching tale of young Winnie Foster and her adventure with the immortal Tucks. Friday night's show begins at 7pm in the Taubman Museum of Art.

Mercy Creek, an Indie Folk Duo, will perform at Fork in the City. Don't forget to come hungry and enjoy a delicious pizza from their wood-fired oven!

Check out Kirk Avenue Music Hall who will be featuring Megan McCormick - a talented singer/songwriter/guitarist out of Nashville. Tickets are $15, or $8 with a student ID.

Saturday, March 12, 2011

It's here! The Roanoke St. Patrick's Day Celebration! Downtown is the place to be this Saturday. The Celtic Festival kicks off at 10am and will feature great activities through the day until 5pm. Don't miss the much anticipated McDonald's St. Patrick's Day Parade which begins at 11am. Activities are FREE!

Later that evening, Celtic Crossroads will perform two shows at Mill Mountain Theatre, at 6pm and 8:30pm. Tickets for this high energy show are between $28 - $35.

The fun doesn't stop there. Head over to Martin's Downtown for their St. Patrick's Day Celebration. Their event begins at 10pm, and will feature Bebop Hoedown (who will be marching in the parade earlier that day!). No cover charge.

Sunday, March 13, 2011

Spoil yourself with a Sunday Grand Buffet Brunch at The Hotel Roanoke's Regency Dining Room. This delicious spread will be served from 11:30am - 2pm, but call ahead to make your reservations.

You're in for a special treat at Flanary's this Sunday night! Ciaran Dwyer and The Mighty Stef stop in on their way to Austin. These guys are straight out of Dublin, and their sounds include storytelling with elements of folk, blues and country, fused with rock n roll and some poppy hooks. Don't miss this!

ApCo plans 3 enhancement projects to it's Downtown Roanoke electrical network this summer

2011-03-09T11:53:00.004-05:00

ApCo plans 3 enhancement projects to it's downtown Roanoke electrical network this summer. The City of Roanoke is working closely with ApCo, and has provided the following summary:

1. Jefferson St @ Elmwood Library Electric Vault Replacement:

• Work to begin as soon after 3/14 as possible with estimated 30 day completion, but permission granted until 5/1.

• Working hours to be 6pm-6am.

• Right-hand lane of Northbound Jefferson will remain closed for the duration of the project.

2. Church Av @ Jefferson St Electric Vault Replacement:

• Work to begin either mid-June or preferably late-July with estimated 30 day completion.

• Working hours to be 9am-5pm

• Potential closure of Westbound Church Avenue

3. Third St @ Luck Av Manhole Sealant:

• If use epoxy, might be in and out within several hours

City of Roanoke Seeks Proposals for Redevelopment of Former YMCA

2011-03-03T09:38:00.001-05:00

The City of Roanoke is accepting proposals for the purchase and redevelopment of the former YMCA building at 425 Church Ave. SW, located at the corner of Church Avenue and Fifth Street. The property includes a 52,276-square-foot commercial building built in 1956 and parking for approximately 70 vehicles all on 1.2 acres, and is located in an up-and-coming part of Roanoke’s downtown. The location is within sight of the new and recently expanded Kirk Family YMCA, as well as the thriving Jefferson Center cultural venue. Other recent developments in the immediate vicinity include the Cotton Mill Lofts residential complex and Fork in the City restaurant. Proposals should include a concept plan for redevelopment and intended use, proposed terms and conditions of purchase, and a proposed purchase price. The city desires to convey the property with the building in as-is condition regardless of the proposed reuse plan. Proposals should be submitted no later than May 2, 2011, at 3 p.m. to:

Rob Ledger, Economic Development Manager

117 Church Ave. SW, Roanoke, VA 24011

or by e-mail to rob.ledger@roanokeva.gov.

For more information, contact the Department of Economic Development at 540.853.2715.

At a Glance:

Premier location in Downtown Roanoke
1.2-acre site (including parking)
338 feet of frontage on Church Avenue
52,276 square feet; fi re-resistant construction
On-site parking for approximately 70 vehicles
Public water and sewer service
Convenient to City Market District, nearby residential areas, recreation and cultural amenities
Located in Enterprise Zone 1-A
National Register of Historic Places eligible

72 Hours Downtown - March 4-6, 2011

2011-03-03T09:32:00.004-05:00

72 Hours Downtown
March 4-6, 2011

Need ideas on what to do this weekend? Here are a few to get you started! You can find more great downtown events at our website here.

Start your weekend early with Roanoke's Art by Night, which takes place tonight. And don't miss the Marginal Arts Festival which kicks off tonight and lasts through Tuesday, March 8th - offering many unique exciting things to see and do! Be sure to check out their website for the full schedule of activities.

Friday, March 4, 2011

Grab some dinner at your favorite spot downtown (or try something new!), and head over to the Roanoke Civic Center for the final installment of the Kroger Cabin Fever Series. Dance the night away with award winning Jim Quick and Coastline. Furthermore, there will be a silent auction with many great items to benefit the Festival in the Park Scholarship for the Arts Program.

Mindspin, a 311 Tribute Band, will take over Martins' Downtown this Friday night. Music starts at 10pm, but come early and come hungry for some of their delicious food! No cover charge.

Grab some friends and hang out at 202 Market Friday night for DJ Night & Steve FM live! The fun begins at 9:30pm.

Saturday, March 5, 2011

On Saturday night, the Jefferson Center will present Step Afrika! Like a tap dance without shoes, or a band without instruments, stepping is percussive dance that uses kicks, stomps, claps and chants. You wont want to miss this high-energy show. Tickets are $18, and half off for students with ID. Show starts at 8pm.

Motor City Josh, with some pretty funky blues, will perform at Blue 5 at 9pm. No cover charge.

Sunday, March 6, 2011

Step Afrika! will perform a family show at the Jefferson Center at 2pm. Tickets are $16, and admission for children under 12 is only $1 for this special family show! See Saturday's listing for more information.

Kirk Avenue Music Hall will welcome the band Enter the Haggis. This group blends pop and rock with traditional Celtic Fare. Show starts at 7:30 and tickets are $18 ($9 for students with ID).

72 Hours Downtown - February 25-27, 2011

2011-02-24T09:01:00.004-05:00

72 Hours Downtown
February 25-27, 2011

Need ideas on what to do this weekend? Here are a few to get you started! You can find more great downtown events at our website here.

Friday, February 25, 2011

Abbey Road LIVE returns to Kirk Avenue Music Hall! This is a high energy Beatles cover band that you won't want to miss. Tickets are $15, and show starts at 8pm.

If blues is more your style, head over to Blue 5 for some great harmonica and exciting blues by Kurt Crandall. Show starts at 9pm - no cover charge!

Center in the Square's Trinkle Main Stage will be taken over by No Shame Theater. Come ready to perform, or ready to be entertained! Performances begin at 11pm, and admission is $5.

Saturday, February 26, 2011

The Taubman Museum of Art has a lot going on this Saturday! Attend a free lecture series, decorate your ladder to be part of a collaborative art installation, and attend "Conversations" featuring biographer Patrick McGilligan!

Contra Dance, anyone? Visit the Kirk Family YMCA to learn everything you need to know! Open to everyone, no experience or partner necessary. This event takes place from 7pm to 10pm, and they just ask for an $8 donation.

Dance the night away at Corned Beef & Co. with 10 Seconds to Bliss! This band took the stage at our Cellar Door event this past fall and really rocked it!

Sunday, February 27, 2011

Enjoy Dinner Before Sunset at the Hotel Roanoke's Regency Dining Room. Served Sunday through Thursday from 5pm - 7pm, this delicious dinner features three courses as well as a sampling of award-winning Virginia wines!

Spend a day visiting the Virginia Museum of Transportation. Adult admission is $8, $7 for seniors, and children are $6. Sunday hours are 1pm - 5pm.

72 Hours Downtown - February 18-20, 2011

2011-02-17T09:35:00.002-05:00

72 Hours Downtown
February 18-20, 2011

Need ideas on what to do this weekend? Here are a few to get you started! You can find more great downtown events at our website here.

Friday, February 18, 2011

This month's Cheers for Charities will be held at Martin's Downtown Bar and Grill, with partial proceeds benefiting the American Heart Association. Enjoy a fun night out, all while supporting a great cause! Event goes from 5:30 to 7:30 - but stick around for Allen Thompson who takes the stage at 10pm!

EventZone's Kroger Cabin Fever Series continues with the Band of Oz this Friday night at the Roanoke Civic Center! Show starts at 6:30, tickets are $19 at the door, and you must be 21 or over to attend. Why not make an evening out of it and have a pre-show dinner downtown, and a post-show beverage later on? The weather is going to be just right for some beach music!

24 Church will welcome back Wayne "Range" Hancock for an Open Mic Poetry Jam, featuring Duality Soulhop Band, DJ Logician Mike, Nefateria Hash, and Dyshon Penn. Starts at 8pm, and charge is $10.

Saturday, February 19, 2011

If Valentine's Day weekend was a little too hectic for you, you can still celebrate it with a romantic Candlelight Dinner at the Hotel Roanoke. Dinner is served between 6 and 10pm, and features live entertainment, dancing, a delicious meal, and beautiful ambiance.

Enjoy some BBQ, brews, and live tunes at Blues BBQ this Saturday. Local favorite Grass Monkey will perform this Saturday at 10pm. No cover!

It's warming up outside! Spend a day Saturday strolling though all of the great shops, galleries, and museums in Downtown Roanoke!

Sunday, February 20, 2011

Breakfast at Thelma's Chicken and Waffles anyone? If you haven't already, be sure to check them out at their new location at 315 Market Street! Open 10am-5pm on Sundays.

Grab some friends and head over to to Glazed Bisque-It for paint-it-yourself pottery! This is a fun activity for kids and grownups alike. Sunday hours are 1pm - 5pm.

National Entrepreneur Week Celebrated in Roanoke

2011-02-17T08:50:00.000-05:00

National Entrepreneur Week Celebrated in Roanoke
Entrepreneur Workshop Planned Targeting Current and Potential Restaurant Owners

In celebration of the 2011 National Entrepreneurship Week February 19 – 26, an Entrepreneur Express workshop, “The Business of Restaurants” will be offered in Roanoke on Friday, February 25, 2011 from 8 am until noon. The FREE event will be held on the 2^nd Floor of The Jefferson Center located at 541 Luck Avenue, S. W. in downtown Roanoke. Event sponsors include People inc., the City of Roanoke, County of Roanoke, Roanoke Regional Small Business Development Center, Virginia Department of Business Assistance, Virginia Tourism Corporation, and Wells Fargo.

The 2011 Celebration of National Entrepreneurship Week recognizes the heritage of entrepreneurial leadership in America, and encourages support for the growth of entrepreneurship education as a lifelong learning process at the local, state and national level.

“Our economy prospers as the result of entrepreneurs and their creative thinking, states Sandy Ratliff, Business Services Manager, Southwest Office of The Virginia Department of Business Assistance. Through this educational opportunity for entrepreneurs, we can send a positive message and encourage prospective restaurateurs and small business owners to strive, meet their goals and be the best they can be.”

While owning or managing a restaurant can be rewarding, 60% of restaurants fail during their first year. And, the current economic environment makes business even more challenging. Participants attending the workshop will learn:

Why restaurants fail
Steps & resources for launching a successful restaurant in Virginia
Preparation of a market analysis – is there a need for the restaurant?
Finance preparation & sustaining a restaurant
Tips from panel discussions and business owners testimonials
Tax requirements
Liability and Insurance information
Marketing, promotion and customer service ideas from successful restaurants

Advanced registration for this free workshop is required by visiting www.vastartup.org or by contacting Lisa Soltis at the City of Roanoke Department of Economic Development at 540.853.1694.

For more information contact:

Sandy Ratcliff, Business Services Mgr.
Virginia Department of Business Assistance
Phone: (276)-676-3768
Cell: 276-274-9740
Email: sandy.ratliff@vdba.virginia.gov

72 Hours Downtown - February 11-13, 2011

2011-02-09T14:33:00.004-05:00

72 Hours Downtown
February 11-13, 2011

Need ideas on what to do this weekend? Here are a few to get you started! You can find more great downtown events at our website here.

Friday, February 11, 2011

The Hotel Roanoke begins its Four Days of Romance, which runs from Friday through Monday. Choose from four different packages to receive star treatment!

Touring group The Black Lillies are heading to Kirk Avenue Music Hall from Knoxville for their CD Release Party! Enjoy this country/roots/rock/blues group for $16 ($8 for students). Show starts at 8pm.

In cyberspace, a few grainy videos depict a charismatic healer, lay preacher, and budding Internet phenomenon. Is the man a charlatan, or... something else? A young researcher travels to the Virginia mountains to make a name for himself and to uncover the truth about the famous Bobby Pence. It all happens in Studio Roanoke's "The New Testament." Advance tickets are $15, $20 at the door.

Saturday, February 12, 2011

If you are a train fanatic, then Train Lovers Saturday is for you! Visit the Virginia Museum of Transportation from 10am - 5pm and receive discounted admission at $5 for all ages. Don't miss this rare opportunity to see three of America's steam locomotive powerhouses!

Join Danny, Zack, and Monica at the K92 Bitter Mixer! This event will be held at Awful Arthur's in Downtown Roanoke from 8pm - 11pm Saturday night and will feature games, giveaways, and more!

The Gigglez Comedy Lounge returns to Corned Beef & Company. Saturday's show will feature Dave Stone with headliner "The Fryman." Catch the early show at 7pm, or the late show at 9pm! Must be 21 and over to attend.

Sunday, February 13, 2011

Enjoy the romance of the Roanoke Symphony Orchestra with Romantic Strings, part of their Masterworks Series. There will be a Sunday show at 3pm, and again on Monday at 8pm. Tickets range from $21 - $49.

Goof rap-act The Illbotz will host their CD Release Party at Martin's Downtown Bar & Grill Sunday at 9pm. No cover charge to attend this fun and crazy way to send off your weekend!

Marginal Arts Festival to be Held March 3-8, 2011

2011-02-09T11:46:00.000-05:00

What kind of festival has a rubber chicken for a mascot? And crams vaudeville, jazz, printmaking, contra dancing, fashion, regional composers, international performance artists, film, contemporary art exhibitions, a parade, a symposium, a kids’ street carnival and Mardi Gras all in the space of six days?

The Marginal Arts Festival celebrates its fourth year March 3-8, 2011, with a range of venues almost as diverse as its media, including Jefferson Center, the Taubman Museum of Art, WVTF public radio art gallery, Mill Mountain Theatre, Metropolitan Community Church, Kirk Avenue Music Hall/Shadowbox Cinema, Hollins University and the Eleanor D. Wilson Museum, Roanoke College, Studio Roanoke and the O. Winston Link Museum.

This year’s lineup includes a reading and workshop with Malcolm Jones, Newsweek journalist and author of the memoir Little Boy Blues; appearances by U.K.-based performance artists Zierle & Carter and musical groups including Fight the Big Bull and No Strings Attached.

The festival opens and closes with parties at Jefferson Center – on March 3, a masquerade contra dance called by Shawn Brenneman; on March 8, Fat Tuesday, a Carnivale celebration that raises money for Community High School, the independent school that founded and now coordinates the Marginal Arts Festival. This year’s community initiatives include the Vexilloid Project, combining visual art and oral history, using art as a voice for Roanoke’s southeast neighborhoods.

Marginal art is inclusive, engaged, that pushes perimeter and builds community from the grassroots. The Marginal Arts Festival strives to bring people together through art that is accessible and available to every age. Most events are free to the public; some are ticketed. Marginal Arts passports ($20 each) allow admission to all MAF events, discounts to some events at Jefferson Center and admission to the Taubman Museum and the O. Winston Link Museum during the festival.

A big night at the corner of Kirk Ave and First Street in downtown Roanoke!

2011-02-03T11:08:00.001-05:00

Tonight, February 2, 2011, from 5pm - 9pm, Attend The Public Opening of the Jane Lillian Vance Gallery

309 First Street, SW
Roanoke, VA 21011

Excitement has been building in recent weeks as passers by have watched the downtown gallery space come to life with nearly 100 brilliantly colored paintings and a festoon of Buddhist Prayer Flags. Several of the 8ft x 10ft signature works featured in the gallery have never been shown in public and several others from private collections will be on display for this special evening.

The gallery opening follows a flurry of international interest in Vance’s paintings after her work was featured in the widely acclaimed documentary A Gift for the Village produced by Jenna Swann and Tom Landon. The film chronicles seven friends as they traveled from the Blue Ridge Mountains to a village in western Nepal to deliver a painting by the artist about Tsampa, a Tibetan amchi-lama-doctor and mind-healer. Jane Lillian Vance is the first woman and first westerner to be granted permission to produce such a piece. The team was welcomed with an elaborate festival celebrating the artist, the work and the man it honors. A Gift for the Village documents the remarkable story of their trip -- offering unprecedented access to a vanishing tradition. The film’s US premier was held at the Taubman Museum of Art in September of 2010 where it received standing ovations at both sold out screenings.

Vance lives in Blacksburg, Virginia where she is currently adjunct faculty of The Creative Process through the Department of Religion and Culture at Virginia Tech, as well as a public school aide for middle-school-aged children with special needs. She adores her two children, daughter, Iris Lillian Vance and son, Emerson Arthur Siegle. When they were young, she spent a year in New Delhi, India, and another year in Kandy, Sri Lanka, home-schooling her children and researching South Asian art. Vance continues to create paintings with brilliant detail, vivid iconography of Tibetan Buddhism, Hinduism, and the folk arts of the Subcontinent as well as the Appalachian Blue Ridge Mountains. Her paintings are in private collections on four continents.

6-9pm Ann Bondurant Trinkle offers Studio Tours and unveils new works

110b Kirk Ave, SW

Roanoke, VA 24011

Ann Bondurant Trinkle is interested in creating forms and images that evoke contemplation and observation beyond the work itself through the use of painted images, mundane materials and objects both found and manipulated. The painted image is juxtaposed with these forms, each possessing it's own history and story. Her work resists strict interpretation, and instead functions as physical poetry, defined and formed by the viewer's own interpretation.

Trinkle received her M.F.A. From Virginia Commonwealth University and a B.A. From Randolph-Macon Woman's College. She has exhibited in Chicago, throughout Virginia, and most recently at the Lubeznik Center for the Arts in Indiana and the Flood fine Arts Center in Asheville, N.C. She has won numerous awards including a Virginia Commission for the Arts Grant Award, winner of Pier Walk Show in Chicago and City Art Show in Roanoke. She has several pieces displayed in her studio at 110b Kirk Avenue in downtown Roanoke, many in private collections nationwide and often works on commissions. For more information visit: www.annbonduranttrinkle.com

Starting at 5:30pm...

The Fork to Fork Checkered Cab's secret celebrity driver will offer FREE RIDES from Kirk Ave/First St area to & from South Roanoke (Fork in the Alley) and Downtown West (Fork in the City).

Advance Auto Parts Monster Jam Trucks, Drivers and Grave Digger Experience to Downtown Market prior to show

2011-01-25T11:26:00.004-05:00

Advance Auto Parts, Inc., a leading automotive aftermarket retailer of parts, batteries, accessories and maintenance items, announced the Advance Auto Parts Monster Jam show will come roaring through the Roanoke Civic Center Friday, January 28^th at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, January 29^th at 2:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. In addition, the Grave Digger Experience will appear in the Historic Roanoke City Market.

Now in its second season as title sponsor, the Advance Auto Parts Monster Jam is committed to enhancing and bringing greater value to the fan experience. Advance Auto Parts and Monster Jam have a long-standing relationship dating back to 1997.

Historic Roanoke City Market Event

WHERE/WHEN: Friday, January 28^th from 11:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.
1 Market Square, Downtown Roanoke
*Grave Digger Experience

VISUALS: The Grave Digger Experience, Team Members, and the public coming out to experience Monster Jam up close.

Fans can purchase tickets to any of the Roanoke Civic Center shows at www.monsterjam.com/Tickets/2011/01/28/Roanoke,_VA/

*If you would like more information on these Advance Auto Parts Monster Jam events, contact Shelly Whitaker at 540-561-8452 or log on to www.monsterjam.com

*In case of severe weather, event appearances may be subject to change.

Acclaimed Artist Jane Lillian Vance To Premier New Works at Gallery Opening in Downtown Roanoke

2011-01-25T08:57:00.002-05:00

Artist, Jane Lillian Vance, announced plans to premiere several recently completed works at the February 3^rd public opening of her new gallery located at 309 1^st Street in Roanoke, Virginia. Excitement has been building in recent weeks as passers by have watched the downtown gallery space come to life with nearly 100 brilliantly colored paintings and a festoon of Buddhist Prayer Flags. Several of the 8ft x 10ft signature works featured in the gallery have never been shown in public and several others from private collections will be on display for this special evening.

“Over 400 people attended the reception at the US premiere where I shared several paintings that appeared in the film,” said Jane Vance. “Following that evening, there were so many requests to view the larger body of my work – a gallery seemed the most logical next step.”

Jane Lillian Vance's highly narrative, Tibetan-focused and studiously detailed oil paintings have always been concerned with bridging the space between East and West but went largely without public notice, until several years ago when internationally acclaimed art critic Suzi Gablik visited Vance and began their great friendship, writing about her paintings in Satish Kumar's Resurgence magazine, and in Images of Earth and Spirit, an English anthology of spiritual contemporary art.

"They are gorgeous and spectacular and they are powerful,” says Gablik. “Engaging and alluring".

The February 3^rd Jane Lillian Vance Gallery opening invitation list is a “who's who" of the art and cultural world – including The Honorable Scott DeLisi, Ambassador to Nepal who hosted the World Premiere at his home in Katmandu in the summer of 2010.

“Ambassadors are charged, among other things, with building bridges between cultures and societies,” wrote Ambassador DeLisi in remarks offered at the Taubman Premiere. “Jane and Jenna and the others who created A Gift for the Village are true Ambassadors.”

Vance lives in Blacksburg, Virginia where she is currently adjunct professor of The Creative Process through the Department of Religion and Culture at Virginia Tech, as well as a public school aide for middle-school-aged children with special needs. She adores her two children, daughter, Iris Lillian Vance and son, Emerson Arthur Siegle. When they were young, she spent a year in New Delhi, India, and another year in Kandy, Sri Lanka, home-schooling her children and researching South Asian art. Vance continues to create paintings with brilliant detail, vivid iconography of Tibetan Buddhism, Hinduism, and the folk arts of the Subcontinent as well as the Appalachian Blue Ridge Mountains. Her paintings are in private collections on four continents.

What: Jane Lillian Vance Gallery Public Opening
Where: 309 1^st Street in Downtown, Roanoke (between Kirk Ave. & Church Ave.)
When: Thursday, February 3 from 5pm – 9pm

Aligning with the Art By Night Gallery Tour series in downtown Roanoke, the public is invited to attend the gallery opening where they can visit with artist, Jane Lillian Vance, and filmmakers, Jenna Swann & Tom Landon during the hours of 5-9pm on February 3rd. Additional tours will be offered by appointment only.

For information about Jane Lillian Vance visit: http://www.janevance.com

For information about the film visit: http://www.agiftforthevillage.com

Hall Associates, Inc. Announced As Market Building Management Firm

2011-01-24T10:33:00.001-05:00

Press Release Announcing Hall Associates, Inc as the Market Building Management Firm

The Market Building Foundation has selected Hall Associates, Inc. as the General Management Firm in charge of leasing, marketing and managing the newly renovated Roanoke’s Market Building. This team will also manage the much anticipated event space located on the top level of the building.

The newly renovated and up fitted Market Building will serve as a catalyst for culture, community events, and commerce in Downtown Roanoke. Imagine our Market Building as a true Marketplace where the community gathers to buy local meats and cheeses, dine at unique local eateries, savor delectable sweets, enjoy coffee, WIFI, fresh baked goods, international delights and much more. The Market Building will be teeming with people throughout the day and evening; live musicians and art will be available on the mezzanine with a delicious mix of aromas and sounds filling the senses. The dramatically remodeled event space is an incredible and unique addition to our city’s choice of venues. With a maximum capacity of 500 standing or 250 seated and featuring a state of the art audio visual system, the building can host concerts, movie nights, lectures, weddings, receptions, dinners, expos, conferences and parties.

Hall Associates was chosen not only for their extensive real estate experience but also for their commitment to local business and community. “We are pleased to be given the opportunity to lease and manage such an historic and iconic building”, says Roger Elkin, Managing Partner of Hall Associates. “Our company is thrilled to work with the Market Building Foundation to restore the building to its former role as the heart of Downtown Roanoke. It will truly be a centerpiece for the entire Roanoke Valley.” Jim Deyerle, Hall Associates Leasing Agent, has already been in contact with many of the former tenants to provide them with an opportunity to return to the building. “Over the next several months we will be seeking additional restaurant and retail tenants”.

Tommy Hendrix P.E., Director of Commercial Services for Hall Associates, is working with the Market Building Project Team from the City of Roanoke to provide the professional property management services required to maintain the investment the City has made in the Market Building. His staff will actively monitor all facets of the Market Building through an onsite Building Manager assigned to oversee that both Tenant relations and customer service are held to the highest standards.

According to Doug Waters, Market Building Foundation Chairperson, “The Market Building is an anchor for downtown as well as the region. This building creates tremendous opportunities for the region’s locally owned restaurants and retailers, as well as being a catalyst for continued downtown revitalization.