Business News - October 7th

🎃 Two Halloween Events + Upcoming Festivals 🎪

Author

Joya Garris
October 07, 2025

Happy Tuesday!

Today’s Top Three:

  • We’re bringing a free movie night to Market Square!

  • Get your costumes ready because the Downtown Employee Halloween Costume Contest is your chance to win cash prizes.

  • Save the date(s): GO Fest is October 17 - 19 this year!

Keep reading to stay informed!  

- Joya Garris, Director of Marketing & Communications

Get Involved

Small Business Saturday Registration 🛍️ 

Don’t forget to register for Small Business Saturday on Saturday, November 29, in Downtown Roanoke! All participating locations will be listed on DRI’s event webpage, calendar event, Facebook event, and feature post.

A few businesses had trouble registering, so we fixed the link. So far, the following stores have registered: Fruits & Roots, Left of Center, Serenity Treasures, Bison Head Cigar & Lounge, 310 Rosemont, Ladles and Linens, and Starr Hill Brewery.

Join us in promoting downtown shopping!

Win CASH Prizes this Halloween 🤑 

Get your ghoulish costumes ready because DRI’s annual Downtown Roanoke Employee Costume Contest is back! On October 31st at 12pm, dress to impress and compete for cash prizes (and bragging rights).

  • 1st Place - $200

  • 2nd Place - $100

  • 3rd Place - $50

  • Best group - $100

This contest is open to all employees within the Downtown Service District.

Dickens of a Christmas 🎄 

Delta Dental Dickens of a Christmas, the Roanoke Valley's largest holiday celebration, returns for its 43rd year, taking place on the first three Friday nights in December (5, 12, & 19)! Festivities include the tree lighting, Christmas parade, pet costume contest, live performances, kids’ zone, and so much more holiday cheer.

We’re asking businesses to stay open late to accommodate the increased foot traffic. All businesses that do will be included in our Roanoke Times insert (you can view last year’s here). Please submit any of your holiday events to our website so we can help promote those!

The Elf on The Shelf Adventure in Downtown Roanoke is returning as well. We will send registration information in the next week or so. Keep your eyes peeled.

City to Host a Public Meeting: Parking Study 🅿️ 

As part of a larger study, The City of Roanoke is hosting a public parking meeting on October 27th, 2025 at 5:30pm at the Berglund Center. Additionally, a survey will become available on October 15th on the City’s project website (click link below). If you were unable to attend the Retail & Restaurant Meeting and want to voice your opinions, we recommend participating in this session.

Stay Informed

DRI & 202 Social House Offering a FREE Movie 🎬️ 

Friday, October 24th | Activities begin at 6pm

DRI and 202 Social House are joining forces to bring a free movie to the market! Enjoy the original Ghostbusters (PG) movie, free popcorn, snow cones, and kids’ activities in Market Square. Activities begin at 6pm and the movie starts at dusk. Bring your friends and lawn chairs for a Halloween classic to perfectly kick-off the holiday festivities.

GO Fest Returns! 🚵 

October 17-19 | Elmwood Park, Franklin Rd, Jefferson St, & more

The annual Go Outside Festival (aka GO Fest) is an annual three-day celebration of everything outdoors in Virginia’s Blue Ridge. GO Fest is a collaboration between Roanoke Outside Foundation and Roanoke Parks and Recreation.

For an entire weekend, visitors can wander through Roanoke to try endless outdoor activities, like test driving a bike, demoing a stand-up paddle board, learning to fly cast, and more.

This event attracts a huge number of visitors to the downtown area, so make sure you’re fully staffed and prepared. Last year, the event had over 44,000 attendees!

Please review the Waze map and street closures linked below.

Holiday Market Coming Soon ❄️ 

Friday, November 14, 2025 | 5pm-8pm

After the Sidewalk Sale, we received several requests for another shopping day to help increase foot traffic. Join us for an enchanting evening Holiday Market, paired with a heartwarming Toys-for-Tots toy drive and a very special guest: The Roanoke Gri-NCH! Bring the whole family to meet the mischievous Grinch, enjoy his playful antics, and capture memorable photos. All we ask is that you bring a new, unwrapped toy to brighten a child’s holiday through Toys-for-Tots.

We highly recommend businesses stay open late to capture additional foot traffic.

Gift Guide Returns 🎁 

DRI’s holiday gift guide will return this holiday season to help small businesses promote their products. Start thinking about which items you want us to feature. Click here to check out last year’s gift guide.

The photoshoot will likely happen during the first week of November! Participating businesses will drop off their items to DRI, and we will have them professionally photographed. Then, we will return them. We will have your items for at least 2 days during the photoshoot.

Sections include:

  • Gifts for Her

  • Accessories

  • Gifts for Him

  • Gifts for the Home

  • Food & Beverage

  • Self Care

  • Gifts for Kids

  • Gifts for Pets

  • Gifts Under $20

  • Restaurants

  • Holiday Events

Are there other sections you’d like to see? Email Joya your suggestions.

Ambassador Update 💙 

Due to the nature of their work, we can’t always share what the Downtown Roanoke Ambassador Program has been working on (like biohazard cleanups). But we can share progress photos of cleaning trash, weed abatement, and scooter pick up. The team has also had their hands full with clearing planters for fall, offering hospitality assistance, and connecting with those in need of services.

Gain Knowledge & Network

Learn to Create Killer Fashion Ads 👗 

Let’s be honest. Fashion advertising has evolved in recent years, transforming from traditional print campaigns to almost entirely digital experiences, that both reach and resonate with global audiences. In this article, Shopify breaks down how to create a killer fashion campaign that helps you stand out! They even include successful examples.

Events, Street Closures, & Parking

Downtown Events and Street Closures 🚧

The following street closures and associated events may affect Downtown traffic and business for the week of October 6 - 12.

  • Straight Street Youth Night on Friday, 10/10 and Saturday, 10/11 on Luck Ave SW between 3rd St and 4th St

  • CROP Hunger Walk on Sunday, 10/12 on Downtown Roanoke Sidewalks

  • Jack Brown’s Renaissance Fair on 10/12/2025 on Market Street SE, between Campbell Ave and Church Ave

Additional closures:

  • Drainage Project — Find updates and closures here.

Upcoming Festivals, Concerts, & Events 🎉 

We’ve officially entered festival season! Whether you want to get involved or need to staff your business, mark your calendars for the following festivals and events.

Find Downtown Parking 🅿️

With more than 1,300 on-street spaces and 7,000+ off-street spaces, plenty of free or paid parking options exist.

DRI - Your Downtown Partner

Put DRI to work for you! 💼

Our mission is to make Downtown Roanoke the preferred place to Work, Live, and Play. As a Downtown business, you have a valuable FREE resource at your fingertips. Let us help share your story!

Website Listings on DowntownRoanoke.org - Our business listings often come up among the first in Google searches. Help us enhance your listing by providing us with vital information, including website, phone number, description, hours, menus, and images.

Job Listings on DowntownRoanoke.org - Downtown Roanoke is the most vibrant workplace around and a destination for job seekers. Let us help get the word out when you’re hiring!

Event Listings on DowntownRoanoke.org - Our Event Calendar is THE place people go to find out what’s happening Downtown. Get your event in front of the audience you’re looking for.

Important Contacts 👤

Often, businesses need phone numbers for government services, such as solid waste, permitting, etc., and other services, such as private parking and transportation.

Check out our list of frequently requested information!