The story below is from our May/June 2021 issue. For more stories like it, Subscribe Today. Thank you!
Downtown Roanoke is the Platinum winner for “Best Spot for a Day Date” in the Best of Roanoke 2021 Reader Awards.
Downtown Roanoke
Platinum Winner: Best Spot for a Day Date
Maybe it’s your first date–or your fiftieth. Either way, downtown Roanoke is a clear winner for “Best Spot for a Day Date,” given the multitude of fun options to be had while there. Hundreds of readers shared that it was the ideal location for a date, and with someone for everyone, it’s easy to see why.
Starting the day early? Treat your date to brunch or lunch at one of the many restaurants before setting off to peruse the City Market. Local artisans and farmers showcase their wares each Saturday morning–and it might be a great way to pick up a few items to cook later that evening, should the date go on that long! Pop into shops to find gifts or fun things to talk about (a terrific icebreaker) and show your love of local businesses while you’re there.
Admirers of fine art can marvel at the exhibits at the Taubman Museum of Art, or peruse the galleries found throughout downtown, while history buffs can visit the Harrison Museum of African American Culture, the History Museum of Western Virginia, O. Winston Link Museum or Virginia Museum of Transportation (also fun for car enthusiasts!).
Show off your playful side at the Science Museum of Western Virginia, the Roanoke Pinball Museum or Roanoke STARCADE, where you’ll get hands-on fun with exhibits, pinball machines and plenty of games that’ll invoke nostalgia and make you both feel like kids again (as well as showcase your competitive side when you two face off at the air hockey table). And don’t forget that incredible view atop Center in the Square while you’re there! With views like that, romance will be in the air for sure.
Celebrate the fun you’ve had by cheers-ing a tasty craft beer at the many downtown breweries, including Big Lick Brewery (as suggested by the couple on our cover), with its dog-friendly patio and intimate fire pits on a cool evening. If it’s a night out you want, catch a show at the Berglund Center, Jefferson Center or The Spot on Kirk; or maybe you’ve already got tickets for live music at Elmwood Park or want to pair it with dinner at Martin’s Downtown Bar & Grill, Corned Beef & Company or Awful Arthur’s – in any case, don’t forget your dancing shoes!
There’s always fun to be had in our region, and downtown Roanoke provides plenty of opportunities to impress your significant other–here’s to the second (or sixtieth) date!
The story above is from our May/June 2021 issue. For more stories, subscribe today or view our FREE digital edition. Thank you for supporting local journalism!
