The story below is from our January/February 2019 issue. For the full issue Subscribe today, view our FREE interactive digital edition or download our FREE iOS app!
There’s no excuse to be bored here! Spend the year getting to know the region with our list of fun activities perfect for family and friends alike. No matter your speed, Roanoke has something for everyone.
Forty-five years ago, the Vietnam War was ending, the Dow Jones hovered around 850 and bell bottoms were big. It was 1973 and in a little city at the edge of Appalachia, big changes were under foot: the end of official racial segregation, the formal integration of city schools, the beginnings of new ventures such as the city’s civic center. In this year another new institution was born: a magazine that would hold a mirror up to its city, document its progress and setbacks, pen the stories of its citizens, highlight its places to eat and ways to play.
In the four-and-a-half decades since The Roanoker came to be, the city that gave the magazine its name has changed dramatically. No longer the Magic City, Roanoke is an outdoors town now, filled with trails and parks and river docks. It’s a land of craft breweries and innovation and award-winning artists. In honor of all that’s happening in Roanoke, we at The Roanoker have created a list of 45 things — for our 45 years of publication — that every reader should do. These are the events, the activities, the adventures that make Roanoke the city she is. Give them a go, you’ll likely discover something new about the place we all call home.
In Roanoke, We Do Outside Seriously.
There are more ways to enjoy the outdoors than hours in a day (or space on a page).
1. Take a Hike. Hundreds of miles of trails weave through our region, from steep overlooks to meandering creek beds. Hike with a group or choose a less-traveled path. Plan a multi-day backpacking trip on the Appalachian Trail or a two-mile loop at Roanoke County’s Happy Hollow Gardens. Each season has its standouts: In Giles County, Pembroke’s Cascade Falls can be enchantingly frozen in winter or offer a delightful summer dip; search for wildflowers at Montgomery County’s Bottom Creek Gorge and take in spectacular rhododendron spreads at Bedford’s Peaks of Otter. For fall foliage don’t miss Floyd’s Rock Castle Gorge or Catawba’s McAfee Knob.
2. Run for a Cause. Thirteen years ago the Rescue Mission of Roanoke planned its first Thanksgiving 5K. These days the Drumstick Dash raises some $290,000 and attracts more than 12,000 people. It’s not alone in its efforts to combine charity with a workout. Other notable fund-races: The Arthritis Foundation’s Jingle Bell Run; the Roanoke Valley SPCA Tail Chaser 5K; the Marine Mud Run, benefitting Toys for Tots and Camp Roanoke.
3. Bike a Trail. In 2018, the International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA) recognized Roanoke as one of only 15 Silver-Level ride centers in the world and the only one on America’s East Coast. What that means to you is: all the trails at all the levels. From the fairytale forests and steep switchbacks at Carvins Cove Natural Reserve, to the rocky, wooded uphills and bends of Mill Mountain Park, to a skills loop plus 10 miles of riding at Falling Creek Park in Bedford, there are so many places to take your fat tires. Want a buddy? Roanoke’s IMBA chapter leads weekly group rides.
4. Bike in Town. If gnarly’s not your style, no worries. With Roanoke’s greenway system, bike-able neighborhoods and Zagster bike share program, there are plenty of ways to tool around on skinny tires, too. Downshift Hand Crafted Bikes & Brews offers monthly historic bike tours, a Saturday morning inclusive group ride and a bike commuter happy hour at their downtown Roanoke shop. UnderDog Bikes and Roanoke Mountain Adventures both rent and service bikes from their shops along the greenway.
5. Experience Cyclocross. You might not have heard of CX biking (think: obstacle course on two-wheels). But it’s all the rage and Roanoke is front and center. East Coasters Bike Shop and Downshift Bikes each sponsor teams. Fallon Park boasts a course. Roanoke’s Parks and Rec runs a September series for juniors, beginners and advanced racers. But the real deal took place last Labor Day weekend when USA Cycling kicked off its ProCX season with a race at Fallon Park that attracted more than 1,200 professional riders gunning for a $10,000 prize purse. Watch, ride, you decide.
Want 40 more great suggestions for local things to do? Don’t miss #15 (Hear a Story at Hoot and Holler), #20 (Laugh Out Loud) and #38 (Celebrate Diversity) plus plenty more, all listed in our print issue, or for free in our digital issue using the link below.
… for the rest of this story and more from our January/February 2019 issue, Subscribe today, view our FREE interactive digital edition or download our FREE iOS app!
