Happenings: The Only Roanoke Events Calendar You’ll Ever Need. Week of 10/9 to 10/16.

A view of the Mill Mountain Star. PHOTO COURTESY OF AARON SPICER. Want to see your photo in our Happenings events calendar? Send us your best recognizably Roanoke shots to editor@roanokerambler.com.

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, 10/10 to Saturday, 10/12 — “In Bloom” presented by Hollins Theatre (8004 Hill House Ct., Roanoke). Through banter, brawls, and journal entries, “In Bloom” examines a pivotal year for this family and how they must stretch their deep love for one another in order to walk into this next chapter together. Visit this link for more information. ($)
Thursday, 10/10 to Sunday, 10/13 — “The Woman in Black” presented by Showtimers Community Theatre (2067 McVitty Rd., Roanoke). A lawyer enlists a young actor to coach him in retelling a haunting story plaguing him since visiting an isolated estate. Showing through Oct. 20. Purchase tickets at this link. ($)

Wednesday, October 9

11 a.m. to noon — Cupcakes with City Employees: Mackenzie Brocker at the Roanoke City Main Library (706 S. Jefferson St., Roanoke). Brocker is the water quality administrator of the city’s stormwater division.
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: Matthew Powell 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.

Thursday, October 10

5 p.m. — Meet the RAMP Fall 2024 Cohort presented by Virginia Innovation Partnership Corporation and National Bank of Blacksburg at the Shenandoah Club (24 Franklin Rd. SW, Roanoke). Meet this fall’s RAMP-in-Residence participants: Drivingo, DentAI, Accordium.AI, and Portcullis Research. Find more information at this link.
5 p.m. — Lecture: “Mechanisms of Longevity — From Mice to Whales” with Dr. Vera Gorbunova as part of the Mary Strauss Maury Strauss Distinguished Public Lecture series at the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC (2 Riverside Circle, Roanoke). Dr. Gorbunova will discuss her progress in understanding longevity mechanisms in species such as naked mole rats, whales, and bats and translating this knowledge into clinical interventions. For more information, visit this link.
5 to 6:30 p.m. — Day of the Dead Workshop: Honoring Our Pets presented by Carilion Clinic at Morningside Urban Farm (917 Morgan Ave. SE, Roanoke). Free and open to all ages. Take a photo of your pet, size 4”x5” or smaller; all other supplies provided. Visit this link for more information and to RSVP.
5:30 to 8:30 p.m. — Live music: Father Sun at Parkway Brewing Company (739 Kessler Mill Rd., Salem).
6 p.m. — Live music: Thomas Hinds at Big Lick Brewing Co. (409 Salem Ave. SW, Roanoke).
6:30 to 8:30 p.m. — “Hot Ones” Style Interview with Local Foodies presented by Fermented Fire Hot Sauce and Food Hut RKE at Golden Cactus Brewing (214 Fifth St., Roanoke). Watch the panelists suffer through six excruciating flavors of painful questions and sauces as they sweat out the details of life, love, and food for the audience’s pleasure. Visit this link for more information and to purchase tickets. ($)
7 p.m. — Gaymer Night at Roanoke Diversity Center (425 Campbell Ave. SW., Roanoke). Hang out with other local young adults in the lounge, watch the latest music videos, play board games, chat and mingle. Bring your controllers and play your friends with our Nintendo Switch or Playstation, or start an RPG, card games and board games.
7 to 9 p.m. — Line Dancing with Angela at Los Amigos Bar & Grill (3424 Orange Ave. NE, Roanoke). Whether you’re a seasoned pro or just looking to learn, Angela’s got the moves to get everyone out on the floor, so dust off your best western wear, round up your crew, and come on down for a boot-scootin’ good time.
7:30 p.m. (Doors open at 6:30) — Live music: Town Mountain with Christina Vane at 5 Points Music Sanctuary (1217 Maple Ave. SW., Roanoke). Find more information and purchase your tickets at this link. ($)
7:30 p.m. (Doors open at 7) — Live music: Ronnie Stone, Jaguardini, and DJ Night Terror at The Spot on Kirk (22 Kirk Ave. SW, Roanoke). Find more information and purchase tickets at this link. ($)
8 p.m. — Live music: Sara Evans at the Harvester Performance Center (450 Franklin St., Rocky Mount). Visit this link for more information and to purchase tickets for the first show of her two-night engagement. ($)
9 p.m. to 1 a.m. — Karaoke Night at Fork in the Market (32 Market Sq., Roanoke).
9:30 p.m. — Live music: Helene Recovery Benefit Show — Jared Stout Trio with special guests at Martin’s Downtown Bar and Grill (413 1st St., Roanoke). Proceeds will purchase supplies delivered directly to culinary teams feeding those in hurricane affected areas. Suggested donation of $10 (or more). For more information, visit this link. Purchase tickets at this link. ($)
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 11

5:30 to 8:30 p.m. — Live music: GAK! at Parkway Brewing Company (739 Kessler Mill Rd., Salem).
6 p.m. — Live music: Joe Nichols at Dr. Pepper Park at the Bridges (9 Old Whitmore Ave., Roanoke). Visit this link for more information and to purchase tickets. ($)
6:30 p.m. — Live music: The Oddfellows at Big Lick Brewing Co. (409 Salem Ave. SW, Roanoke).
7:30 p.m. — Live music: Hamilton De Holanda at the Jefferson Center’s Fostek Performance Hall (541 Luck Ave., Roanoke). Visit this link for more information and to purchase tickets. ($)
7:30 p.m. — Live music: Andy Burnette Trio at Olde Salem Brewing Company (315 Market St., Roanoke).
8 p.m. — Live music: Matt Hires Acoustic at Motel Studios (128 Albemarle Ave. SE, Roanoke). This is a pay what you can show. ($)
8 p.m. (Doors open at 7:30) — Live music: June Star with Valerie McQueen at The Spot on Kirk (22 Kirk Ave. SW, Roanoke). Find more information and purchase tickets at this link. ($)
7:30 p.m. — Live music: Ash Devine at the 3rd Street Coffee House (305 Mountain Ave. SW, Roanoke). The performance will feature a special set of music in the theme of relief, hope, and loss. Find more information at this link.
8 p.m. — Live music: Sara Evans at the Harvester Performance Center (450 Franklin St., Rocky Mount). Visit this link for more information and to purchase tickets. ($)
10 p.m. — Live music: Tin Can Locomotive at Martin’s Downtown Bar and Grill (413 1st St., Roanoke). For more information, visit this link. Purchase tickets at this link. ($)

Saturday, October 12

7 a.m. to 3 p.m. — Monster Flea Market at the Berglund Special Events Center (710 Williamson Rd., Roanoke). Find more information at this link.
8:30 to 11:30 a.m. — LewisGale Salem Half Marathon, 8k, and Kids Fun Run starting and ending at the Salem Farmers Market (3 East Main St., Salem). Find more information at this link.
10 a.m. — Punk Flea Market at Blue Ridge Indie Market (601 Salem Ave. SW, Roanoke).Featuring music, oddities, DIY, tarot reading, art, VHS, Halloween items, and more. Come get your art on and support our vendors. Find more information here.
10 a.m. to 1 p.m. — Grandin Court Fall Fest at the Grandin Court Recreation Center (2621 Barham Rd., Roanoke). Featuring DIY Fairy Houses presented by Arts Connect artist Molly Kernan, pie/cookie walk, live music, food. Find more information at this link.
10 a.m. to 4 p.m. — Vinton Fall Festival presented by the Vinton Area Chamber of Commerce in various locations in downtown Vinton, including live music on the Farmers Market Stage (204 W. Lee Ave., Vinton). Find more information at this link. ($)
11 a.m. — Community meeting to explore restoring The Strand as an operating theatre in Roanoke's Gainsboro neighborhood, at the Gainsboro Branch Library (15 Patton Ave. NW). Contact Charlie Finesilver at (803)932-8988 or jcfinesilver@hotmail.com
11 a.m. to 2 p.m. — Fall Fest Deadlift Competition at The Noke Training (711 Salem Ave. SW, Roanoke). Visit this link for more information and to register. ($)
11 a.m. to 2 p.m. — Saturday at the Station: Fall Edition at the O. Winston Link Museum (101 Shenandoah Ave., Roanoke). Find more information at this link. ($)
11 a.m. to 5 p.m. — SWVA Pride Fest 24 at the Salem Civic Center (1001 Roanoke Blvd, Salem). Features diverse vendors, petting zoo, family zone, a vibrant vendor marketplace, live entertainment featuring both local and national acts, and food trucks. Find more information at this link.
1:30 to 4:30 p.m. — Live music: Ben Trout at Parkway Brewing Company (739 Kessler Mill Rd., Salem).
5:30 to 8:30 p.m. — Live music: War Chile at Parkway Brewing Company (739 Kessler Mill Rd., Salem).
6 p.m. — Live music: Solacoustix at The Village Grill (1802 Memorial Ave., Roanoke).
6:30 p.m. — Live music: Bunco at Big Lick Brewing Co. (409 Salem Ave. SW, Roanoke).
7 p.m. — Miss Roanoke Valley Pageant at the Dumas Center (108 1st St. NW, Roanoke). Join us for the crowning of a new Miss Roanoke Valley and Miss Roanoke Valley's Teen, preliminaries to the Miss America and Miss Virginia competitions! Find more information at this link.
7 p.m. to midnight — SWVA Pride After Dark at the Salem Civic Center (1001 Roanoke Blvd, Salem). Featuring a Halloween-themed dance party with Spikey Van Dykey, DJ Volume Muszik and starring Blackberri from The Boulet Brothers Dragula. Participate in a costume contest featuring categories for best Halloween costume, best couples costume, and best new drag. 18+ event. Find more information and purchase your tickets at this link. ($)
8 p.m. (Doors open at 7:30) — Live music: Viv & Riley at The Spot on Kirk (22 Kirk Ave. SW, Roanoke). Find more information and purchase tickets at this link. ($)
9 p.m. — Live music: Pathway Band featuring Orenda at Corned Beef & Co. (107 S. Jefferson St., Roanoke).
9 p.m. to 1 a.m. — Karaoke Night at Fork in the Market (32 Market Sq., Roanoke).
10 p.m. — Live music: Memphis Lightning at Martin’s Downtown Bar and Grill (413 1st St., Roanoke). For more information, visit this link. ($)
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 13

8 a.m. — VBR Gran Fondo starting and finishing at Fincastle’s Courthouse Square (1 W. Main St., Fincastle) and featuring three different routes – 33, 43, and 75 miles in length. Riders will enjoy the area's natural beauty including the rolling terrain, open farmland, forested mountains, and the James River. Visit this link for more information and to register. ($)
11 a.m. — Yoga with Blacie at Parkway Brewing Company (739 Kessler Mill Rd., Salem). ($)
2 p.m. — Author event: Lindsey Hull at Book No Further (112 Market St. SE, Roanoke). Roanoke’s 2024 Writer by Bus will read from her debut poetry collection “The Mountains Rumble.” Copies of her book will be available to purchase from Book No Further during the event.
2 to 5 p.m. — 16th Annual Founders Day Dinner with guest speaker Dr. Sarah McCartney presented by the Botetourt County Historical Society at Virginia Mountain Vineyards (4204 Old Fincastle Rd., Fincastle). McCartney will present on Lord Dunmore’s War and the Battle of Point Pleasant. Find more information and purchase your tickets at this link. ($)
3 to 5 p.m. — Forget-Me-Not Walk to Remember: A Perinatal/Infant Loss Remembrance Walk presented by Carilion Clinic at Green Hill Park (2501 Green Hill Park Rd., Salem). Attendees are welcome to bring a picture or ultrasound photo of their babies to attach to a string memorial. This event is free, though registration is required. Visit this link for more information and to register.
3 to 5 p.m. — Guitars Under the Star Guitar Pull presented by 3rd Street Coffee House at Mill Mountain Star (Prospect Rd. SE, Roanoke). Gather together outdoors with acoustic instruments in hand and celebrate music on the grassy area opposite the lower observation deck at Mill Mountain. Originals or covers are fine. Everyone is welcome. 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 14

6:30 p.m. — Live music: Irish Music Session at Big Lick Brewing Co. (409 Salem Ave. SW, Roanoke).
7 p.m. — Star City Secret Cinema presented by Justin Smith at the Grandin Theatre (1310 Grandin Rd. SW, Roanoke). What's the film? You won't know until you take your seat and the lights go down. Visit this link for more information and to purchase tickets. ($)

Tuesday, October 15

1:30 p.m. — Roanoke City Planning Commission meeting in city council chambers at the Noel C. Taylor Municipal Building (215 Church Ave. SW, Roanoke).
7 p.m. — Tina: The Tina Turner Musical at the Berglund Performing Arts Center (710 Williamson Rd., Roanoke). Find more information at this link. ($)
8 p.m. — Live music: Neko Case at the Harvester Performance Center (450 Franklin St., Rocky Mount). Visit this link for more information and to purchase tickets. ($)
9 p.m. to 1 a.m. — Karaoke Night at Fork in the Market (32 Market Sq., Roanoke).
9:30 p.m. — Live music: Christian Q & the Funky Truth at Martin’s Downtown Bar and Grill (413 1st St., Roanoke). For more information, visit this link.

Wednesday, October 16

1 p.m. — Board of Zoning Appeals meeting in city council chambers at the Noel C. Taylor Municipal Building (215 Church Ave. SW, Roanoke).
4:30 p.m. — Networking: Beer & Biotech with Dr. Bryan Hsu presented by Roanoke-Blacksburg Technology Council at Big Lick Brewing Co. (409 Salem Ave. SW, Roanoke). Find more information and RSVP at this link.
5:30 to 8:30 p.m. — Live music: Ben Trout Trio at Parkway Brewing Company (739 Kessler Mill Rd., Salem).
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. ($)
7 p.m. — Live music: Melissa Mesko at Brambleton Deli (3655 Brambleton Ave., Roanoke).
7:30 p.m. (Doors open at 6:30) — Live music: The Motet with LITZ at 5 Points Music Sanctuary (1217 Maple Ave. SW., Roanoke). Find more information and purchase your tickets at this link. ($)
10 p.m. — Live music: Dirk Quinn Band 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 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. ($)
Through October 20 — “The Woman in Black” presented by Showtimers Community Theatre (2067 McVitty Rd., Roanoke). A lawyer enlists a young actor to coach him in retelling a haunting story plaguing him since visiting an isolated estate. Purchase tickets at this link. ($)
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. ($)