The Gist

VBR Restaurant Week Returns

A region-wide event returns to cheerlead your favorite restaurants with special menus and pricing.

Ship Shape

Roanoke College retrofitted containers into dorms. The students are here for it.

One Person’s Trash is Another’s Art Supplies

‘Creative reuse centers’ open across Roanoke.

Pedal Power

New business strives to bring the joy of biking to young riders.

Wasena Will Come Full Circle Soon

The new bridge, skate park, and blueway will be welcomed by pedestrians, businesses, and customers.

Inspired by Nature

The celebration of a heralded book leads to ongoing community projects.

Where Everyone’s an Artist

Art Project Roanoke hosts community events on the first floor and artist studios above.

The Art of the Cigar

From rare cigars to curated pairings, Bison Head Cigar & Lounge connects aficionados and newcomers alike in a welcoming lounge.

Turning Up the Heat

Fermented Fire’s new shop, Hot Stuff, brings small-batch sauces, local makers, and deep community roots to Roanoke’s West End.

Stone Age Family

The Franciscos of Roanoke County have built generations of masterful stone works that have become their family’s signature.

Current Issue

VBR Restaurant Week Returns

VBR Restaurant Week Returns

A region-wide event returns to cheerlead your favorite restaurants with special menus and pricing.
Roanoke College alum and popular muralist Jon Murrill painted a red tail hawk (the school’s mascot) on the outside walls of the Maroon Village common space.

Ship Shape

Roanoke College retrofitted containers into dorms. The students are here for it.
Colorful cutout letters on cardboard spell SCRAP and CREATIVE above a pegboard of craft supplies.

One Person’s Trash is Another’s Art Supplies

‘Creative reuse centers’ open across Roanoke.
WeeWheel Roanoke began offering Learn to Ride classes last fall. Here, kids circle up at the end of a recent class in the parking lot behind Cardinal Bicycle in Grandin Village.

Pedal Power

New business strives to bring the joy of biking to young riders.
Bruce and Peggy Todaro on the deck of the Green Goat, with the Wasena Bridge behind them.

Wasena Will Come Full Circle Soon

The new bridge, skate park, and blueway will be welcomed by pedestrians, businesses, and customers. 
Artist Casey Murano discussed her watercolor, Come On, Surprise Me, at an artist talk.

Inspired by Nature

The celebration of a heralded book leads to ongoing community projects.
Artist Brian Counihan, Roanoke Arts and Culture Coordinator Douglas Jackson, and other artists and community members create people-centered floats for this year’s Daisy Art Parade in the main floor of Art Project Roanoke, located in the heart of downtown.

Where Everyone’s an Artist

Art Project Roanoke hosts community events on the first floor and artist studios above.
Bison Head Cigar & Lounge is open to the public, hosts education events, and will partner with local businesses to enhance customers’ experiences.

The Art of the Cigar

From rare cigars to curated pairings, Bison Head Cigar & Lounge connects aficionados and newcomers alike in a welcoming lounge.
Lisa Archer and Jesse Feldberg, owners of Hot Stuff, celebrate their new spot on Salem Avenue.

Turning Up the Heat

Fermented Fire’s new shop, Hot Stuff, brings small-batch sauces, local makers, and deep community roots to Roanoke’s West End.
Kelly Francisco, his dad, and brothers at a work site.

Stone Age Family

The Franciscos of Roanoke County have built generations of masterful stone works that have become their family’s signature.
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