Happenings: The Only Roanoke Events Calendar You’ll Ever Need. Week of 10/2 to 10/9.

A mural at River's Edge Park with Carilion Clinic in the background, as seen in September 2024. PHOTO BY HENRI GENDREAU. Have a "recognizably Roanoke" photo for Happenings? Email us at editor@roanokerambler.com for a chance to be featured in this space.

We scoured 30 disparate community calendars (yes, 30) so you didn’t have to. Want to know when the next City Council meeting takes place? Curious about what there’s to do this weekend? We’ve got you covered. We encourage folks to contact the venue directly to learn of any last minute changes or cancellations.

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Want to know about regular weekly events, including bar trivia, bingo and yoga? Check out our new recurring Happenings calendar!

Have a Happening? Does your business want to sponsor a newsletter? Reach out to us at news@roanokerambler.com with “Happening” in the subject line. Have fun!

This Weekend

Thursday, 10/3 to Saturday, 10/6 — The Ghost Walk at the Salem Museum & Historical Society (801 E. Main St., Salem). Tour the historic graveyard and meet notable characters from Salem’s past on walking tours that are family-friendly, fun, and informative, but not scary. Tours leave the Museum every 15 minutes from 6pm to 8pm. An ASL (American Sign Language) interpreter will join the 6pm tour each evening. Find more information and purchase your tickets at this link. ($)
Friday, 10/4 to Saturday, 10/6 — Opening weekend: “Arsenic and Old Lace” presented by Exit, Pursued by Bear Community Theatre at Community High School (302 Campbell Ave. SE, Roanoke). Drama critic Mortimer Brewster’s engagement announcement is upended when he discovers a corpse in his elderly aunts’ window seat… playing on weekends through October 13. Find more information and purchase your tickets at this link. ($)
Friday, 10/4 to Sunday, 10/6 — Craftsmen’s Classic Art & Craft Festival at the Berglund Center Coliseum (710 Williamson Rd., Roanoke). All items are made by the participating artists and craftsmen- you won’t find any of these items in “big box” retail stores! Many exhibitors welcome custom work, and are eager to show just how creative they truly are. Visit this link for more information.
Friday, 10/4 to Sunday, 10/6 — Heritage Arts Tattoo Show at the Salem Civic Center (1001 Roanoke Blvd, Salem). Featuring talented artists, live entertainment and local brews. Find more information at this link. ($)

Wednesday, October 2

1 to 3 p.m. — Market on Melrose Hiring Event presented by Goodwill Industries of the Valleys at the Melrose Branch Library (2502 Melrose Ave. NW, Roanoke). Apply for job opportunities at Market on Melrose during this event. Find more information at this link, including a list of available positions.
5:30 to 8:30 p.m. — Live music: Whitney Lewis at Parkway Brewing Company (739 Kessler Mill Rd., Salem).
6 p.m. — Lecture: “The Natural Environment and Human Health” by Dr. Aruni Bhatnagar presented by Mill Mountain Garden Club at Virginia Western Community College’s Whitman Auditorium (3099 Colonial Ave. SW, Roanoke). Bharnagar’s Green Heart Louisville health research initiative investigates how trees affect air pollution, sleep, stress and anxiety, blood pressure and cardio health. During his presentation, he will address the question, Are Trees the Best Medicine for Healthy Neighborhoods? Free parking in lot 9, behind Chapman Hall. Find more information at this link.
6 to 8 p.m. — Ultimate Frisbee Pick-up League presented by PLAY Roanoke at River’s Edge Park (302 Wiley Dr., Roanoke). Informal, fun, ultimate frisbee pick-up league. Continues weekly on Wednesdays through November 6, some dates excluded. Visit this link for details and to sign up for this low-cost series. ($)
8:30 to 11:30 p.m. — Live music: Isaac Hadden and Josh Clark at Fork in the Market (32 Market Sq., Roanoke).
10 p.m. — Karaoke Night at Martin’s Downtown Bar and Grill (413 1st St., Roanoke). For more information, visit this link.

Thursday, October 3

5 to 6:30 p.m. — Day of the Dead Workshop: Paper Flowers presented by Carilion Clinic at Morningside Urban Farm (917 Morgan Ave. SE, Roanoke). Free and open to all ages, all supplies provided. Visit this link for more information and to RSVP.
5:30 to 7:30 p.m. — Politic’n & Pig Pick’n presented by the Business Leadership Fund at the Virginia Museum of Transportation (303 Norfolk Ave. SW, Roanoke). This fundraiser brings together our region’s elected officials and members of the business community for an evening of food and conversation. Find more information and purchase your tickets at this link. ($)
5:30 to 8:30 p.m. — Live music: Circus Mutt at Parkway Brewing Company (739 Kessler Mill Rd., Salem).
6 to 7:30 p.m. — Ballroom History Meet & Greet at the Gainsboro branch library (15 Patton Ave. NW, Roanoke). Join Virginia Tech and Roanoke's House of Expression for an evening of Ballroom history and meet the Pioneers of Ballroom. For more information, call (540) 853-2540.
7 p.m. — Gaymer Night at Roanoke Diversity Center (425 Campbell Ave. SW., Roanoke). Hang out with other local young adults in the lounge, watch the latest music videos, play board games, chat and mingle. Bring your controllers and play your friends with our Nintendo Switch or Playstation, or start an RPG, card games and board games.
7 p.m. — Live music: Peace, Reflection, & Transfiguration at Salem Presbyterian Church (41 East Main St., Salem) featuring Roanoke Symphony Orchestra string principals with Akemi Takayama and Maestro Wiley at the piano. An evening of reflective and inspiring music, a musical meditation on peace and beauty. Find more information at this link. ($)
7 to 9 p.m. — Line Dancing with Angela at Los Amigos Bar & Grill (3424 Orange Ave. NE, Roanoke). Whether you’re a seasoned pro or just looking to learn, Angela’s got the moves to get everyone out on the floor, so dust off your best western wear, round up your crew, and come on down for a boot-scootin’ good time.
7:30 p.m. (Doors open at 6:30) — Live music: Kendall Street Company + Magnolia Boulevard at 5 Points Music Sanctuary (1217 Maple Ave. SW., Roanoke). Find more information and purchase your tickets at this link. ($)
7:30 p.m. (Doors open at 7) — Live music: Quivers, The Young Sinclairs, and Ranger Maid at The Spot on Kirk (22 Kirk Ave. SW, Roanoke). Find more information and purchase tickets at this link. ($)
9 p.m. to 1 a.m. — Karaoke Night at Fork in the Market (32 Market Sq., Roanoke).
9:30 p.m. — Live music: GOTE at Martin’s Downtown Bar and Grill (413 1st St., Roanoke). For more information, visit this link.
11 p.m. to 2 a.m. — Late Night Karaoke with DJ Marshall (AKA ParMar) at Los Amigos Bar & Grill (3424 Orange Ave. NE, Roanoke). Grab that mic and sing your heart out.

Friday, October 4

10:30 a.m. — Golf for Sound presented by 5 Points Music Sanctuary at Roanoke Country Club (3360 Country Club Dr., Roanoke). Visit this link for more information and to register. ($)
5 p.m. — Live music: First Fridays Season Finale with The Worx (Downtown Roanoke, Franklin Road between S. Jefferson St. and Williamson Rd.). This week’s benefiting nonprofits include Troutville Volunteer Fire Department, Captain Grimes, and Blue Ridge Literacy. This is a 21+ event. For more information, visit this link. ($)
5 to 9 p.m. — Live Music: Out of Spite at Daleville Town Center (90 Town Center St., Daleville). Find more information at this link. ($)
5:30 to 7 p.m. — Living with Grief Meetup: Happy HeARTS at the Taubman Museum of Art (110 Salem Ave. SE, Roanoke). Enjoy the galleries and take part in art-inspired activities on First Fridays at the Taubman Museum. Find more information at this link.
5:30 to 8:30 p.m. — Live music: The Blend at Parkway Brewing Company (739 Kessler Mill Rd., Salem).
6 p.m. — Music on the Corner: Silent Movie Night at St. John’s Episcopal Church (1 Mountain Ave., Roanoke). We are delighted to welcome back Dorothy Papadakos to accompany the first vampire movie ever made, the iconic 1922 German classic "Nosferatu,” based on Bram Stoker's "Dracula.” Feel the very rafters rumble and shake from the 5000 pipes of the St.John's pipe organ. Find more information at this link.
6 p.m. (Doors open at 5) — Live music: Trevor Hall & The Great In-Between with Yaima at The Coves at Smith Mountain Lake (301 Ivy Ln., Union Hall). Find more information and purchase your tickets at this link. ($)
6 to 9 p.m. — Hairfirmations Festival at the Taubman Museum of Art (110 Salem Ave. SE, Roanoke). Celebrate the beauty, art, and culture of hair in all its forms. Featuring hair art, food trucks, and a DJ. Find more information at this link.
7:30 p.m. — Live music: Jesse Milnes with Red & White at the 3rd Street Coffee House (305 Mountain Ave. SW, Roanoke).
7:30 to 10:30 p.m. — Live music: TJ Ellis at Olde Salem Brewing Company (315 Market St., Roanoke).
8 p.m. (Doors open at 7:30) — Live music: Ramona & the Holy Smokes with Jack Marion at The Spot on Kirk (22 Kirk Ave. SW, Roanoke). Find more information and purchase tickets at this link. ($)
8 p.m. — Live music: A Boy Named Banjo at the Harvester Performance Center (450 Franklin St., Rocky Mount). Visit this link for more information and to purchase tickets. ($)
10 p.m. — Live music: Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad at Martin’s Downtown Bar and Grill (413 1st St., Roanoke). For more information, visit this link. Purchase tickets at this link. ($)
10 p.m. — Live music: Britt Nix at Sidewinders (16 Campbell Ave. SE, Roanoke).

Saturday, October 5

9 a.m. to 6 p.m. — Star City Strong Fest at Elmwood Park (706 S. Jefferson St., Roanoke). This annual wellness festival & strength expo benefits the Partnership for Community Wellness. Find more information at this link.
10 a.m. to 4 p.m. — Longshot Comic & Toy Show at the Salem Civic Center (1001 Roanoke Blvd, Salem). Find more information at this link.
10 a.m. to 4 p.m. — GIRL Construction Experience presented by Branch Construction (3635 Peters Creek Rd., Roanoke). The event will give girls opportunities to explore future careers in the construction industry. At the event, she’ll experience real-life construction, engineering, and STEM concepts in a fun, safe, and judgment-free zone. Find more information at this link. Boys are welcome too.
10 a.m. to 4 p.m. — 29th Annual Mountain Magic in Fall Bluegrass, Antiques, and Craft Festival at Buchanan Town Park (485 Lowe St., Buchanan).
10 a.m. to 5 p.m. — AppleStack: A Flat-Out Funky Fall Fest at 16 West Marketplace (16 Church Ave. SW, Roanoke). Features a sexy overall contest, pepperoni rolls, hellbilly music, and vendors. Find more information at this link.
11 a.m. — Author event: Allan Wolf at Book No Further (112 Market St. SE, Roanoke). Children’s author and brand-new Roanoke resident Wolf will teach us “How to Tantrum Like a Champion.” Stay til the end to find out which Roanoker will be named temper tantrum champion in the Star City’s first-ever tantrum competition! Find more information and reserve your copy of Wolf’s book at this link.
Noon to 4 p.m. — Autumn Artisanal Faire at Golden Cactus Brewing (214 Fifth St., Roanoke). 20+ vendors.
1:30 to 4:30 p.m. — Live music: Chris Burton at Parkway Brewing Company (739 Kessler Mill Rd., Salem).
2 to 5 p.m. — Preservation Pub Crawl starting at Billy’s (102 Market St. SE, Roanoke). The pub crawl is a fun way to learn more about Roanoke’s historic landscape while helping the Roanoke Valley Preservation Foundation raise money to further their mission of preserving the valley’s most important architectural and cultural icons. Find more information and purchase your tickets at this link. ($)
3 p.m. — Oktoberfest Celebration at Starr Hill Pilot Brewery & Side Stage (6 Old Whitmore Ave., Roanoke).
5:30 to 8:30 p.m. — Live music: Oktoberfest Band at Parkway Brewing Company (739 Kessler Mill Rd., Salem).
6:30 p.m. — Live music: McFadden and Friends at Big Lick Brewing Co. (409 Salem Ave. SW, Roanoke).
7 p.m. — Live music: Mercy Me at the Berglund Special Events Center (710 Williamson Rd., Roanoke). Find more information and purchase your tickets at this link. ($)
7 p.m. — Live music: The Ultimate Elvis Concert at the Jefferson Center’s Shaftman Performance Hall (541 Luck Ave., Roanoke). Visit this link for more information and to purchase tickets. ($)
8 p.m. — Live music: “Destination Soultown” featuring The Sensational Soul Cruisers at the Harvester Performance Center (450 Franklin St., Rocky Mount). Visit this link for more information and to purchase tickets. ($)
9 p.m. to 1 a.m. — Karaoke Night at Fork in the Market (32 Market Sq., Roanoke).
10 p.m. — Live music: Lazy Man Dub Band at Martin’s Downtown Bar and Grill (413 1st St., Roanoke). For more information, visit this link. ($)
10 p.m. to 1 a.m. — Vinyl & Vibes with the Star City Soul Club at Sidecar (411 1st St. SW, Roanoke). Find more information at this link.

Sunday, October 6

11 a.m. — Yoga with Blacie at Parkway Brewing Company (739 Kessler Mill Rd., Salem).
11:30 a.m. — Tottenham vs. Brighton Watch Party at Olde Salem Brewing Company (315 Market St., Roanoke).
3 p.m. — Family Matters: A Young Artist Performance presented by Opera Roanoke at Hollins University’s Talmadge Recital Hall (7916 Williamson Road). Find more information at this link.
5 to 7 p.m. — Dirt Church with Trek Roanoke at Carvins Cove – Bennett Springs (4300 Carvins Cove Road Salem). A fun-filled day of mountain biking at the cove; all levels welcome. Two rides will take place — one of around 15 miles and another of around 10. Pace will be for all riders and skill levels. Find more information at this link.
5 to 8 p.m. — Live music: Jive Exchange at Parkway Brewing Company (739 Kessler Mill Rd., Salem).

Monday, October 7

9 a.m. — Roanoke City Council informal meeting / Joint Meeting with the Economic Development Authority in city council chambers at the Noel C. Taylor Municipal Building (215 Church Ave. SW, Roanoke).
9 a.m. — Legislative Committee meeting in city council chambers at the Noel C. Taylor Municipal Building (215 Church Ave. SW, Roanoke).
2 p.m. — Roanoke City Council meeting in city council chambers at the Noel C. Taylor Municipal Building (215 Church Ave. SW, Roanoke).
6 to 7:30 p.m. — Week without Driving Debrief Party presented by BRRAG and PedalSafe ROA at Big Lick Brewing Co. (409 Salem Ave. SW, Roanoke). Join BRRAG and PedalSafe ROA to discuss experiences and lessons learned from a week without driving. Find more information at this link.
6:30 p.m. — N3* Book Club at Book No Further (112 Market St. SE, Roanoke). Find more details at this link.
6:30 p.m. — Live music: Irish Music Session at Big Lick Brewing Co. (409 Salem Ave. SW, Roanoke).

Tuesday, October 8

7:30 p.m. — Live music: Rickie Lee Jones at the Jefferson Center’s Shaftman Performance Hall (541 Luck Ave., Roanoke). Visit this link for more information and to purchase tickets. ($)
8 p.m. — Live music: Todd Rundgren at the Harvester Performance Center (450 Franklin St., Rocky Mount). Visit this link for more information and to purchase tickets. ($)
9 p.m. to 1 a.m. — Karaoke Night at Fork in the Market (32 Market Sq., Roanoke).
9:30 p.m. — Live music: Sky Dolphin at Martin’s Downtown Bar and Grill (413 1st St., Roanoke). For more information, visit this link.

Wednesday, October 9

1 to 3 p.m. — Market on Melrose Hiring Event presented by Goodwill Industries of the Valleys at the Melrose Branch Library (2502 Melrose Ave. NW, Roanoke). Apply for job opportunities at Market on Melrose during this event. Find more information at this link, including a list of available positions.
5:30 p.m. — Roanoke Neighborhood Advocates meeting (location TBA). For more information about the Roanoke Neighborhood Advocates, visit this link.
5:30 to 8:30 p.m. — Live music: Ben Trout Trio at Parkway Brewing Company (739 Kessler Mill Rd., Salem).
6 p.m. — Lecture: “The Natural Environment and Human Health” by Dr. Aruni Bhatnagar presented by Mill Mountain Garden Club at Virginia Western Community College’s Whitman Auditorium (3099 Colonial Ave. SW, Roanoke). Bharnagar’s Green Heart Louisville health research initiative investigates how trees affect air pollution, sleep, stress and anxiety, blood pressure and cardio health. During his presentation, he will address the question, Are Trees the Best Medicine for Healthy Neighborhoods? Free parking in lot 9, behind Chapman Hall. Find more information at this link.
6 to 8 p.m. — Ultimate Frisbee Pick-up League presented by PLAY Roanoke at River’s Edge Park (302 Wiley Dr., Roanoke). Informal, fun, ultimate frisbee pick-up league. Continues weekly on Wednesdays through November 6, some dates excluded. Visit this link for details and to sign up for this low-cost series. ($)
7:30 p.m. (Doors open at 7) — Live music: Rebecca Frazier at The Spot on Kirk (22 Kirk Ave. SW, Roanoke). Find more information and purchase tickets at this link. ($)
10 p.m. — Reggae Night hosted by The Ambassador at Martin’s Downtown Bar and Grill (413 1st St., Roanoke). For more information, visit this link.

Fall Festivals and Halloween Horrors

Now through October 27 — Jeter Farm Fall Festival & Country Store (181 Blue Ridge Blvd., Roanoke). Enjoy a corn maze, hay rides, slides, barnyard zoo, games, jump pad, and a country store stocked with all locally made, VA Grown products and crafts. Enjoy ice cream, local apple cider, fresh kettle corn, grilled hamburgers, hot dogs, and roasted corn. Saturdays and Sundays through October 27. Visit this link for more information. ($)
Now through November 2 — Terror Manor (805 Norfolk Ave. SW, Roanoke). The events at Terror Manor may be too intense for young children, we require all children under the age of 16 to have a parent onsite. Open weekends through November 2. Visit this link for more spooky details. ($)
Now through November 3 — Sinkland Farms Pumpkin Festival (3060 Riner Rd., Christiansburg). Enjoy live music with beer & wine on the terrace, and food trucks on-site. Hayrides to the pumpkin patch, 5-acre corn maze, farm animals, horseback trail rides, pony rides, kid’s zone and family games. Fridays (limited activities), Saturdays, and Sundays through November 3. Visit this link for more information. ($)

Ongoing

Through October 6 — “To Kill a Mockingbird” at Mill Mountain Theatre (1 Market Sq., Roanoke). Set in a tranquil Alabama town during the Great Depression, the story revolves around Scout and Jem, growing up with their widowed father, Atticus Finch. Find more information and purchase your tickets at this link. ($)
Through October 11 — Watercolor artists David Ferrell and Ruth Lefko exhibit at Blue Ridge PBS (1215 McNeil Dr., Roanoke). Ferrell’s and Lefko’s art will be on display through October 11. Visit on weekdays between 1 and 4 p.m. Find more information at this link.
Through October 13 — “Arsenic and Old Lace” presented by Exit, Pursued by Bear Community Theatre at Community High School (302 Campbell Ave. SE, Roanoke). Drama critic Mortimer Brewster’s engagement announcement is upended when he discovers a corpse in his elderly aunts’ window seat… Find more information and purchase your tickets at this link. ($)
Through December 8 — Johnny Floyd “Child Be Free” exhibit at Roanoke College’s Olin Hall Galleries, Upper Smoyer Gallery (240 High St., Salem). The exhibit explores our relationship with time and how we define ourselves within its bounds delving into questions of purpose and identity, often through the lens of recursion theory, where repetition leads to revelation. Includes experimentation with paper, sewing, and digital manipulation, to intertwine archival imagery with themes of ancestry and connection, drawing inspiration from The Center for Studying Structures of Race’s project on naming unnamed enslaved individuals who contributed to Roanoke College's history. Find more information at this link.
Through December 8 — Sandy Williams IV “Freedom is Not a Metaphor” at Roanoke College’s Olin Hall Galleries, Olin Gallery (240 High St., Salem). The exhibition invites viewers to reconsider the construction and contestation of memory, intertwining family portraits with discussions on public space, while challenging conventional narratives and encouraging dialogue on agency and historical injustices. Williams prompts us to confront our shared consciousness and envision a more inclusive and just society built upon a deeper understanding of our history and identity. Find more information at this link.
Through December 13 — Altered Art – Making Art Your Own at Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine (2 Riverside Cir., Roanoke). Local artists have joined with Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine students, faculty, and staff to present their visions of creativity with discarded art by altering existing pieces to tell new stories.The exhibition is up until Friday, Dec. 13. To arrange for a visit, contact Courtney Powell (cbrakes@vt.edu).
Saturdays through December 28 — Downtown Roanoke Food & Cultural Tour starting at 11:15 a.m. from Hotel Roanoke (110 Shenandoah Ave., Roanoke). A walking tour that connects Roanoke's local food scene with the city's colorful history. Visit six food-tasting locations within the historic and vibrant downtown historic district. Delicious samplings, enough for a hearty meal for most, are served from locally-owned eateries at iconic historic locations. Find more information and reserve your spot at this link. ($)