The cultural scene in Virginia’s Blue Ridge has something for everyone.
Courtesy of Roanoke Parks and Recs | Sam Dean
Illuminights: Explore Park’s Winter Walk of Lights occurs every year between November and the end of the year.
As the cultural hub on the western side of Virginia, the greater Roanoke Valley has it all. Whether one is interested in sports, spending the day at a unique festival, experiencing different cultures or Broadway, Roanoke has something for everyone.
Although Salem offers a wide range of activities for residents and visitors to engage in, it is undoubtedly best known for its affinity for sports. The city hosts tens of thousands of visitors, who flock there for the roughly 50 annual athletic tournaments.
One of Salem’s largest sporting events is the annual Chance Crawford Benefit Softball Tournament, which brings 150 teams to the city. In addition to the various tournaments, the city hosts the Virginia High School League’s state championships in indoor track, wrestling, cross country, volleyball and football.
Salem’s preeminent status among athletes and sports fans didn’t happen by accident, but instead has been carefully cultivated over the past 27 years by the city.
John Shaner, director of Salem’s Department of Parks and Recreation, says, “We didn’t know how big sports would be for us when we first got into it. We started off with small-scale efforts, but things just ballooned to the point in which sports is one of the major economic driving factors we have in the City of Salem.”
The crown jewel among the Department of Parks and Recreation’s facilities is the James I Moyer Sports Complex. It is used an average of 230 days per year. Excitingly, the complex is slated to undergo a major renovation in 2022. “We’ve got to stay competitive with all of these other facilities that are being built,” Shaner notes.
Courtesy of Visit Virginia's Blue Ridge
Salem has multiple athletic fields, including the Haley Toyota Field at Salem Memorial Ballpark.
In addition to the James I Moyer Sports Complex, Salem has multiple athletic fields, parks, greenways, a senior center and a municipal golf course.
“We offer something in my department for when you’re a toddler to when you are 90-plus years old. We have something for everyone, which is something not a lot of parks and recreation departments can say. We try to get everyone involved and try to add to your quality of life,” Shaner says. His department is responsible for the Salem Senior Center and the various community events, including concerts and holiday events that the city puts on every year.
Salem is also home to the Salem Red Sox, a Minor League Baseball team that is affiliated with the Boston Red Sox. Games are held at the Haley Toyota Field at the Salem Memorial Ballpark.
One of Roanoke’s newest cultural events is the annual Star City Arts Festival. Started in 2019 by the Roanoke Symphony Orchestra, the event is a free one-day collaboration between local performing, visual, literary and cultural arts organizations.
David Crane, executive director of the orchestra, says that the festival “is designed to be a celebration of the community, for the community.” It was created after the realization that all of the arts and cultural organizations throughout the Roanoke Valley were holding separate events without much overlap or collaboration.
“It’s an exciting event,” Crane adds.
The event culminates in Symphony Under the Stars, a concert by the orchestra at the Elmwood Park Amphitheater.
Roughly 5,000 people participated in the festival and concert during its first year.
Courtesy of Visit Virginia’s Blue Ridge
The Star City Arts Festival culminates in the Symphony Under the Stars.
For anyone looking to relocate to Roanoke, Crane stresses, “There is a lot going on here for a city of our size. Roanoke is an arts town. For someone who might think that Roanoke is just a mountain town, we’ve got the outdoors, but we also have a great cultural arts offering.”
A more established annual event is the Local Colors festival, which takes place on the third Saturday of each May at Elmwood Park. Lisa Spenser, the executive director of the festival, says, “The highlight of the event is that you get a global taste in one location.”
Founded in 1991, the festival champions ethnic diversity by bringing together people from across the Roanoke Valley to learn about and celebrate over 50 cultures. Between 8,000 to 10,000 people attend the festival each year.
The festival includes a presentation of nations in which representatives from the 50 participating countries arrive wearing traditional clothing while carrying the flags of their native countries, displays, performances, vendor booths, a children’s area and an international beer garden.
Spenser herself is somewhat of a new arrival to Roanoke, having moved here from Dallas in 2019. “When I first moved here, I had the misconception that Roanoke wasn’t as diverse as it really is. I was pleasantly surprised,” she says. “The fact that we have so many different cultures represented in the Local Colors festival is a testament to the diversity that is here in the area.”
Roanoke County also offers a wide variety of festivals throughout the year, starting with the Blue Ridge Kite Festival in April. During the festival, activities include kite demonstrations from the Richmond Air Force Kite Club, crafts, kite showcases, contests, vendors, and food trucks. Free kites are typically given to the first 1,000 children.
“It’s a beautiful day in the park,” Wendi Schultz, tourism and event coordinator for Roanoke County Parks, Recreation and Tourism, says. “We normally have around 8,000 people show up for it.”
Courtest of Local Colors Festival
The Local Colors Festival introduces multiple cultures for all to enjoy.
Held every July, the county’s free Touch-a-Truck event, which is held at Green Hill Park, allows participants the opportunity to look inside, sit inside and climb all over a wide variety of vehicles and talk with their operators.
Each year, over 200 vehicles, including police cars, tractors, dump trucks, monster trucks, motorcycles, helicopters, school buses, cement mixers, cherry pickers, snow plows, ambulances, television trucks, tow trucks, small planes, Army vehicles, back hoes, postal cars, race cars, garbage trucks and fire trucks, participate in the event. The number of attendees each year fluctuates between 10,000 and 12,000.
“It’s an educational opportunity, but it’s also for fun,” Schultz says. “It’s a fabulous day.”
Attendees of the event can also expect to see a magician, petting zoo, and costumed characters. Food vendors are on-hand for the day.
One of the other major events that the county holds is Illuminights: Explore Park’s Winter Walk of Lights. Occurring from November through the end of the year, it is a partnership between Center in the Square and Explore Park that allows participants to view over 500,000 lights while walking down a half-mile wooded path. Marshmallow roasting around a campfire is part of the experience.
Schultz explains, “There is no other light show nearby on the scale that we have. It was started to bring something new and different to the families in the region.” The event, which began in 2019, had 43,000 attendees in its first year.
“The good thing about our events is that they’re focused on making memories. Families come back year after year,” Alex North, recreation marketing assistant for Roanoke County Parks, Recreation and Tourism, says. “Our events are not only a great way for us to show off our beautiful green spaces and parks, but to also engage the community.”
Broadway in Roanoke presents a slate of touring shows at the Berglund Center for those who are more inclined towards musical theatre. The Blue Man Group is scheduled to appear at the center on May 4, 2021. “At Blue Man Group, you’ll rock, laugh and party,” Broadway in Roanoke says.