As Roanoke emerges into its “new normal,” the Star City is strong, resilient, and ready for what’s next – home to a diverse set of entrepreneurs, creatives and community-builders from around the world … and right down the road. In each installment of our blog series, you’ll meet a new face who’ll share their spin on the Star City – their favorite places to eat, drink, connect or get inspired.
Ashley Fellers
Iris Park
Iris Park has a gift for keeping a lot of proverbial plates spinning.
When she’s not running the marketing side of Miss You Flowers – a family business she helped start in her in-laws’ basement – she’s volunteering with the Salem Kiwanis Club, attending board meetings with the Salem Museum & Historical Society, dabbling in photography and videography with her children … even singing at local restaurants while her husband deejays.
The common threads in those activities? A deep commitment to family … and a heart for the Roanoke Valley.
“Roanoke is such a special place,” says Iris. “It’s rich in history and diversity. There’s so many creators here.”
A Charlottesville native, Iris relocated to Roanoke to be with her college sweetheart, husband Joseph Park. Her yen for history soon drew her to the area’s many museums.
“When I moved here, I probably volunteered at every museum … the History Museum, Harrison Museum, Taubman Museum of Art, O. Winston Link,” Iris says. “Those organizations are really dear to my heart.”
And these days, Iris finds herself trying her hand at a new skill: floral design.
Ashley Fellers
Iris Park of Miss You Flowers
“I’m actively learning how to put together arrangements, but my mother-in-law is the expert,” she says of Hyon-ok Yu, the resident flower whisperer at Miss You Flowers. With her husband, James Riddle, Hyon-ok has over 30 years of industry experience.
“I love seeing what she can do,” says Iris. “She’s truly an artist.”
On busy holidays like Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day, Iris joins her in-laws at the shop, where it’s all-hands-on-deck for the entire family.
“I do customer service, I answer the phones, she does the floral design, and then my father-in-law and my husband deliver the flowers,” Iris says.
Here, we sat down with this busy, community-minded mom to talk about her favorite local spots.
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Q: As Roanoke begins to adapt to new rhythms, you’re probably excited to get back to a few special spots. What’s a restaurant or two you’re happy to visit again, perhaps for patio dining or takeout?
IP: We have a mission of supporting community restaurants, just like they support us. We particularly like to go to restaurants in the Grandin area, since we live near there – our children really like Grace’s Place Pizzeria. We also support our friends’ businesses, like Farmburguesa, and we have friends over at Café Asia 2 and Salty’s Lobster & Co. … I’m a pescatarian, so … I just like their lobster rolls!
Q: How about a great spot for something to drink?
IP: There’s Mill Mountain Coffee for catching up with friends for meetings -- we particularly like the one at Tanglewood. For social drinks with friends, we enjoy Billy’s. There’s [also] Shishka Mediterranean Grill downtown, and the 202 Social House. The thing about 202 Social House: my husband and I always enjoy a drink more when we can connect with the establishment and make friends. And there at the speakeasy part, my husband and I have performed on several occasions. I sing a little bit and my husband deejays on the side.
Q: Connecting with others has been a challenge in these past few months, but it’s been fun to see so many local community organizations and arts venues building online spaces to gather, hear great music, view great art and connect with others. Are there any you’ve enjoyed?
IP: Roanoke Moms Survive Corona is a safe place where we can come together and express our feelings about the pandemic and find great resources … It’s not just for mothers; it’s for fathers as well. The Williamson Road Business Association is another we’re involved in. It’s a great place for local small businesses to grow.
Q: Where do you go to feel creative and inspired?
IP: I meditate daily in my backyard -- that always provides an opening or a creative outlet for me – and also, watching my children play at any of the Roanoke City parks. …We like Fishburn Park – they like to play in the creek.
Q: Do you have any best-kept secrets in the city … special spots other Roanokers may not have discovered yet?
IP: My family and I enjoy hiking and swimming, and we discovered Fenwick Mines just this past summer. It’s awesome … It has this awesome waterfall and swimming hole. There’s something magical about [that.]
Q: Is there anyone locally who inspires you to be and do more … to hustle harder?
IP: There’s so many that come to mind, but I have two. Kat Pascal, of course, is a co-owner of Farmburguesa. She’s a good friend of mine. And Eboni Harrington is a teacher at Lucy Addison Middle School … They’re ambitious, and they’re innovators in their community. I’m not sure if you’ve seen Eboni Harrington’s music video about getting kids ready for virtual learning? It’s gone viral… My son and I watched it over and over. It made us so energized and ready for virtual learning!
Q: What’s keeping you encouraged during this challenging time?
IP: My family and friends. We immerse ourselves into art and music and nature and being creative … whether that’s my husband deejaying and singing, photography, videography… just anything to stay positive and be creative as a family.
Want to find out more about Iris’ family business? Visit her website here or her Facebook page here.
Stay tuned for our next installment of Roanoke According To …
About the Writer:
Ashley Wilson Fellers is a writer, educator, self-taught painter and contemplative photographer in Roanoke, Virginia. When she isn’t teaching writing at Virginia Western, she snaps photos of sidewalk cracks, rescues wet leaves from windshield wipers and leaves poems hidden under park benches. She has a Master of Fine Arts degree from Virginia Tech.