Inside the Star City

By Kathleen H. Kinsey

Discover a different kind of outdoor treasure within walking distance of The Hotel Roanoke! Roanoke’s concentrated downtown offers a variety of attractions for visitors to the Star City of the South, from shopping to eateries to a bustling nightlife.

The historic Roanoke City Market is often the first place visitors experience in downtown, and what a wonderful welcome it provides, offering history, tradition, friendly faces and timeless beauty.

The 125-year-old farmers’ market spans several blocks of Roanoke’s central downtown district. On the market’s tables you’ll find fresh vegetables and fruits in season, flowers and bedding plants galore, and a huge variety of artisan crafts – all surrounded by eclectic shops, dining options, museums and art galleries. 

Browse the specialty shops and boutiques for that perfect memento for yourself or someone special. Orvis offers a downtown retail shop, and there’s everything from fly-fishing gear to outdoor clothing. 

Dining options range from international selections to the basics at the Roanoke Weiner Stand. Whether it’s Thai, Indian, Mexican or Italian, or just a great steak, crab cake or sandwich, you’ll find it in the more than 60 downtown restaurants. Outdoor dining is particularly pleasurable in June, so take advantage of the lively parade of people as you sip and snack. Roanoke’s coffee houses welcome you with their brews of the day, too.

If it’s a cultural adventure you seek, Center in the Square houses a mix of museums – art, science and history – plus live theater. Also in downtown are transportation and railroad photography museums, heralding Roanoke’s past as a rail town. 

Don’t deny yourself the pleasure of a stroll through downtown – it’s the place to be, day or night. Take a walking tour and explore Roanoke’s historic and modern architecture cohabitating side by side, and enjoy the 400 hanging flower baskets that decorate the city’s streets each year. Festivals, music and events happen year-round in downtown. Nightlife is abundant and vibrant. 

Please join us to play or just to experience Roanoke’s heart – the downtown district. For details, visit www.downtownroanoke.org or stop by the Roanoke Valley Visitor Information Center, which is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily and is located just across the street from The Hotel Roanoke.  

Kathleen H. Kinsey is marketing and business recruitment manager for Downtown Roanoke Inc. Contact her at kathyk@downtownroanoke.org.