Roanoke

Show Pony: Jeff Farmer’s Roanoke Hit

Few have done more to help put Star City on the culinary map than veteran chef and restaurateur Jeff Farmer. He launched and helmed Italian standout Fortunato; legendary fine-dinery Lucky Restaurant; and the Scandinavian-style Stock Bistro & Bar. Never one to sit still for long, Farmer has once again shifted directions to open a new, […]

by Eric J. Wallace

Roanoke’s Taubman Museum of Art Celebrates 75 Years

Roanoke’s Taubman Museum of Art turns 75 this year—and is celebrating the milestone in a big way. The diamond jubilee kicked off with a New Year’s bash, but the celebration is all year long. The festivities include commemorative exhibitions and a slew of special events intended to highlight the museum’s ongoing impact in the region. […]

by Eric J. Wallace

North Cross Launches New Summer Internship Program

Veteran North Cross School teacher Malcolm Douglas watched Roanoke transform into a hub for outdoor recreation lovers and related businesses and felt inspired. He thought, ‘What if students could gain real-world experience and reap the benefits of that economic dynamism?’ The idea blossomed into a forward-thinking summer internship program that plugs 10th–12th graders at the […]

by Eric J. Wallace

bloom: Chef Nate Sloan Makes Seasonality the Star in Roanoke

A group of girlfriends strolls Roanoke’s Wasena neighborhood in their best floral dresses. A neon sign outside flickers “bloom,” and once they walk in, they know they’re in for a treat. Nate Sloan, chef-owner, opened bloom just shy of the pandemic. He proudly sets beautifully plated dishes under the warm light at his restaurant, with […]

by Amy Brecount White

Beers and More on Virginia Blue Ridge Cheers Trail

Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains aren’t just home to the Moonshine Capital of the World— the region is also where you can find dozens of breweries, wineries, and distilleries. Case in point: The Virginia Blue Ridge Cheers Trail invites visitors to discover all of the area’s boozy offerings, which extend over five cities and counties. “You […]

by Erica Jackson Curran

Holiday Recipes: Glühwein and Æbleskiver in Virginia

If you asked me about magical Christmases, one place comes to mind: Copenhagen, where I studied abroad. For four months, I lived like a Dane, savoring Nordic art, cuisine, and culture. Even the dark skies and bitter cold enchanted me, a native Michigander. Christmas time there meant streets strung with lights, hygge on every corner, […]

by Hope Cartwright

Hotel Roanoke’s Christmas Tree Showcase Returns

Winter fashions of furs, burgundy, and leather boots are the rage, but who rolls out the runway when it’s trees getting decked out? Hotel Roanoke does. The landmark’s annual Fashions for Evergreens runs from Thanksgiving through New Year’s, showcasing more than 35 Christmas trees decorated by local businesses, schools, and organizations—done up in both wacky […]

by Hope Cartwright

Meet the Fine Furniture Makers of Southwest Virginia

Furniture shopping may be the most frustrating yet rewarding form of retail therapy. Finding a piece that speaks to your own character as well as your home’s is like completing a complex puzzle—fortunately, the artisans of Southwest Virginia are here to help. Custom Wood Creations, Pearisburg: Specializing in rustic, live-edge furniture handmade from alluring burl […]

by Hope Cartwright

Cheese Slaw: A Roanoke Classic Lives On

What happens when you take Dutch-rooted coleslaw and marry it with the South’s beloved pimento cheese? You get Roanoke Valley’s most treasured culinary mashup: cheese slaw. Renowned caterer and longtime Roanoke resident Lib Wilhelm didn’t just serve food—she created edible folklore. Her signature cheese slaw graced tables throughout the region for decades, becoming so deeply […]

by Gabriela de Camargo Gonçalves

Celebrate Dr Pepper Day in Roanoke

Although mystery shrouds its origins, Dr Pepper’s connection to Virginia runs deep. Roanoke is recognized as the Dr Pepper Capital of the World: it was home to the first bottling plant east of the Mississippi River in 1936, and Star City of the South also broke the world record for Dr Pepper consumption from 1957–1959 […]

by Gabriela de Camargo Gonçalves

Virginia Urban Trails & Greenways to Get You Outside

Connecting green spaces with urban trails to bring more natural beauty to U.S. cities isn’t new: Landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted pioneered the concept in the 1860s when he designed Boston’s now-legendary Emerald Necklace. The revolutionary system used landscaped “greenways” to link 1,100 acres of metropolitan parks across 7 miles and 16 neighborhoods. The […]

by Eric J. Wallace

Roanoke Gala Supports Wildlife Rehab and Conservation

ROANOKE – Night Owl on the Town Hotel Roanoke An Eastern box turtle named Rio; Elv-hiss, an Eastern rat snake, and Zombie, an Eastern screech owl, were just some of the special guests at Southwest Virginia Wildlife Center’s Night Owl on the Town gala on Sept. 28, 2024. The event at Hotel Roanoke raised $60,000 […]

by Staff

Try Virginia’s cocktail of the year from Hotel Roanoke

Want to taste the official best cocktail in Virginia? The Hotel Roanoke can now claim that title, thanks to lead mixologist Henry Hill, Jr. The longtime bartender won the inaugural Virginia Cocktail Games in 2024 with his cocktail called “No Place Like Home.” The boozy concoction was inspired by the prompt: Why do you choose […]

by Erica Jackson Curran

No Place Like Home: Virginia’s Cocktail of the Year

Try this recipe that won the Virginia Cocktail Games in 2024.

by Erica Jackson Curran

Shining a Spotlight on Local Flora

The 2-acre educational garden at Roanoke’s Virginia Western Community College welcomes its newest addition: the Sunny Meadow Native Garden. The carefully curated space, transformed from a former conifer patch, showcases Southwest Virginia’s native plant species. After extensive research and planning, students, staff, and volunteers brought the vision to life in spring 2024, creating a vibrant […]

by Madeline Mayhood

Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day at Virginia’s Best Festivals & Parades

It’s not just the luck of the Irish that Virginians are so passionate about St. Patrick’s Day. So many Irishmen settled in Virginia in the 1700s that the Shenandoah Valley was once known as the “Irish Tract.” Whether you’re tracing your Celtic roots or just in it for the Guinness, cities across the Commonwealth have […]

by Hope Cartwright

Elevate Your Cocktails with Next-Level Garnishes

Garnishes can be so much more than aesthetic afterthought. “Garnish with” this or that is the standard end step in a cocktail recipe. Though last, garnishes certainly shouldn’t be considered the least, providing both added adornment and taste. Olives bob at the bottom of a dry martini, and a leafy celery stalk juts out of […]

by Hope Cartwright

Fun Garnishes to Top Off Your Cocktail

Spirited and unique, these cocktails come with oddly inventive garnishes that make them stand out at any party. Tomato Water Martini Sometimes less is more, and it certainly is in this case. Let tomatoes take over your taste buds in this terrific treat, thanks to The Vault at The Liberty Trust in Roanoke. 5 ounces […]

by Katie Farthing

Roanoke’s Vibrant Energy

Roanoke beckons with biking trails and more. For most of my life, Roanoke has been a bit of a mystery. Growing up at the opposite end of the state, I knew it only vaguely, as a railroad town on the edge of Appalachia, easy to zoom by on I-81 without blinking. (Photo by […]

by Staff

Pages: 1234567

Buc-ee’s Opens Its First Virginia Location

If you happened to be standing near the I-81 exit for Mt. Crawford in the early morning hours of this past June 30, you’d have witnessed a spectacle. Shoppers flooded into the parking lot and shuffled into block-long lines in hopes of being among the first through the doors of Virginia’s first Buc-ee’s travel station. […]

by Eric J. Wallace

Sail250 Virginia Brings Tall Ships From Around the World

When more than 60 tall ships and military vessels from 30 countries glide into Virginia waters this June, they’ll carry centuries of seafaring history—and usher in one of the most ambitious celebrations America has ever staged. Sail250 Virginia, the Commonwealth’s landmark commemoration of the nation’s 250th anniversary, runs June 12–23, transforming Norfolk and 11 affiliate […]

by Madeline Mayhood

All Aboard: Virginia’s Summer of Steam Celebrates America250

This summer, the legendary Norfolk & Western 611 steam locomotive is firing up her wheel—and she’s bringing history along for the ride. Built in 1950 in Roanoke, Virginia, the 611 is the last surviving member of the “J-Class” fleet, widely regarded as the pinnacle of steam technology. With her iconic bullet-shaped nose, Tuscan Red stripe, […]

by Abby Borgeson

Roanoke

Show Pony: Jeff Farmer’s Roanoke Hit

Current Issue

Most Popular

Buc-ee’s Opens Its First Virginia Location

Sail250 Virginia Brings Tall Ships From Around the World

All Aboard: Virginia’s Summer of Steam Celebrates America250

Roanoke

Show Pony: Jeff Farmer’s Roanoke Hit

Current Issue

Get our most popularweekly newsletter: VL Today

Most Popular

Buc-ee’s Opens Its First Virginia Location

Sail250 Virginia Brings Tall Ships From Around the World

All Aboard: Virginia’s Summer of Steam Celebrates America250

Get our most popularweekly newsletter: VL Today

Get our most popular
weekly newsletter: VL Today

Get our most popular
weekly newsletter: VL Today