Roanoke Recap

Welcome to Roanoke Recap, a blog to keep citizens informed about city news and events! If you are reading this blog for the first time and wish to receive an email notification when a new blog is posted, please contact us at [email protected].

Christmas Tree Lighting Happens Friday

A great way to start the holiday season is by watching the City of Roanoke’s downtown Christmas Tree light up for the first time in Market Square (at Wells Fargo Plaza) at 6:15 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 6. This event kicks off Dickens of a Christmas, an annual holiday celebration held on the first three Friday nights of December every year in Roanoke. Click here to get all the details. Read about street closures related to this event here.

(Pictured below: City of Roanoke Christmas Tree, 2015)

Public Invited to Unveiling of New Neighborhood Sign

The City’s Office of Neighborhood Services and the Greater Grandview Neighborhood Association (GGNWA) invite the public to attend the unveiling of the new Greater Grandview Neighborhood Sign at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 11. The sign will be unveiled at the corner of Hershberger Road and Grandview Avenue (in between Carter Bank and Trust and the BP Station). The GGNWA will be the first neighborhood to erect a sign welcoming neighbors in both English and Spanish.

Roanoke Offers Ice Skating Fun

If you like to ice skate in the winter, there are a couple of great options in Roanoke:

• Elmwood on Ice, located in Elmwood Park, is a family favorite for some winter fun. The rink offers skating aids for beginners and there’s an awesome ice slide. There is also a picnic area for folks who want to bring food or purchase takeout from a downtown restaurant and bring it along. Skating will continue through Feb. 2, 2020. The list of fees and hours of operation can be found here. Watch this video to learn more.

• The Berglund Center offers public ice skating starting in December through the winter months. Skate alone or bring a group, and the rink offers “themed skates” like Carilion Children's Skate, Skate with the Dawgs, and Superheroes Skate. More details are available here.