The Gist: Top 10 Ways to Know it’s Summer Around Roanoke

Salem Red Sox Greets

#10. Cyclists in Halloween costumes riding four across on Blue Ridge Parkway, keeping traffic counts down.

#9. Butterflies at the Center in the Square display banging up against the glass to try to go outside and play.

#8. Low-water bridges along Wiley Drive earning their name.

#7. Salem Red Sox’s best players keep movin’ on up.

#6. The word “derecho” creeps back into everyday conversations.

#5. Star Trail and Mill Mountain summit transform from lonesome to lookin’ like a Walmart aisle.

#4. Salemites begin planning vacations timed to the Salem Fair.

#3. Forty-two bands playing at 42 different area wineries/breweries on any given weekend.

#2. I-581/Elm Avenue Exit: exactly the same field of orange cones as any other season.

And the number-one way to know it’s summer around Roanoke:

#1. Mmmm, Deb’s Lemonade.

To enjoy more articles like this, download our FREE iOS app or view our FREE web-based digital edition today!

Author

You Might Also Like:

New residential construction home framing against a blue sky.

Ask The Home Experts

Building a new house, tackling a renovation, or just looking to keep your current home in tip-top shape? Local experts answer common questions and share practical advice to help you make informed decisions with confidence.
The Vegabonds

The Vagabonds

Heads turned in August 1918 when Henry Ford, Thomas Edison, and Harvey Firestone arrived unexpectedly for lunch at Hotel Roanoke.
It’s Soup Season!

It’s Soup Season!

Time to cuddle up and enjoy some comforting soup.
Cindy Petersen

Do You Know…Cindy Petersen?

Cindy Petersen is the longest tenured executive director of Roanoke’s flagship museum, the Taubman Museum of Art.
The Roanoke Valley Children’s Choir

The Sound of a Legacy

The Roanoke Valley Children’s Choir celebrates 40 years.
Elbit Systems of America

Elbit Systems of America

A former telephone-era manufacturing site now supports night vision technology.
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.
10001126762663566___IMG_5928_CMYK

One Person’s Trash is Another’s Art Supplies

‘Creative reuse centers’ open across Roanoke.
rkr-faces-of

2026 Faces Of Virginia’s Blue Ridge

Welcome to the third edition of FACES of Virginia’s Blue Ridge!