We scoured 30 disparate community calendars (yes, 30) so you didn’t have to. From live music to theatre, to lectures, we’ve got you covered. We encourage folks to contact the venue directly to learn of any last-minute changes or cancellations.

 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!

Today

• Wednesday, May 13 — Magoo w. The Red Ferns, 5 Points Music Sanctuary
• 6:30pm - 11:30pm, 5 Points Music Sanctuary - A midweek bill with enough edge to feel like a real night out, not just something to fill the calendar. It sets the tone for a week where Roanoke’s music scene does the heavy lifting.
• Wednesday, May 13 — Teen Game Club, Roanoke Public Library
• This is the kind of event that quietly makes downtown useful to more than just diners and concertgoers. Low-pressure, free, and built for repeat visitors.
• Wednesday, May 13 —Boogie on the Mountain
• 6pm to 8pm, Mill Mountain Discovery Center - Mill Mountain is doing what it does best here: pairing a great view with a reason to stay awhile. With live music, good food, and a family-friendly setup that changes each time, this feels like an easy spring evening that turns into a small Roanoke memory.
• Wednesday, May 13 —Wednesday Night Disco Mountain Bike Race
• 6pm to 8:30pm, Discover Center and Mill Mountain Trail System - This is Roanoke at full tilt, part endurance test, part spectacle, and part only-in-this-town fun. Riders launch from the base of Mill Mountain and charge to the top in a race that brings serious energy to the trail system and makes Wednesday night feel a lot more alive.

Thursday, May 14th

• Thursday, May 14 — Live Music on the Rooftop, Corned Beef & Company
• 7pm-10pm, Corned Beef & Co - Rooftop music gives the whole city a little lift, especially when the weather starts acting like spring finally means it. It’s the sort of listing that makes a weekday feel opportunistic in the best way.
• Thursday, May 14 — Build & Brew: Tech, Startups & AI Networking, Big Lick Brewing Co
• A smart match of local ambition and local beer, this one gives Roanoke a modern, slightly scrappy, very current kind of social energy. It’s the rare networking event that sounds like people might actually want to stay for the second round.
• Thursday, May 14 — AudaTours Roanoke Audio Tour: Steel Rails, Towering Tales & Historic Echoes
• This has the appeal of a walk-and-listen history lesson without the museum hush. It’s perfect for readers who like their local culture with some movement in it.

Friday, May 15th

• Friday, May 15 — A Tour of Italy with the Roanoque Baroque Chamber Orchestra and Choir, St. John’s Episcopal Church
• This is the kind of elegant, high-culture event that gives the week range and makes the calendar feel smarter instantly. It promises atmosphere before the first note even starts.
• Friday, May 15 — Virginia Made @ The French Farmhouse
• A free, all-ages stop that plays to Roanoke’s love of local makers and casual browsing. It feels like a useful event for both shoppers and curious wanderers.
• Friday, May 15 — Member Hour: Meet Mindy Lam
• 9am - 10am, Taubman Museum of Art - Known for blurring the line between art and adornment, Lam transforms metal, crystals, and semi-precious stones into intricate, ethereal works distinguished by her signature metal facework and meticulous craftsmanship.
• Friday, May 15 - Sunday May 17— Grandin Theatre is Playing Mortal Kombat 2
• 12:25pm - 7pm, Grandin Theatre - The fan favorite champions—now joined by Johnny Cage himself—are pitted against one another in the ultimate, no-holds barred, gory battle to defeat the dark rule of Shao Kahn that threatens the very existence of the Earthrealm and its defenders.

Saturday, May 16th

• Saturday, May 16 — Virginia Made @The French Farmhouse WNRN Presents
• 11am-4pm, 9 Church Ave. SW - Weekend edition — more time to browse and more vendors to meet. A good Saturday move for shoppers who like a human, local touch.
• Saturday, May 16 — WNRN Presents: Dark Star Orchestra, Elmwood Park Amphitheater
• 5pm Elmwood Park Amphitheater - This is a marquee music listing with real regional pull, the kind that turns a simple Saturday into a destination night. Elmwood Park gives it the outdoor-concert energy Roanoke does especially well.
• Saturday, May 16 —Intercept Health Second Annual Foster Care Aware
• noon-3pm, Christ the King Presbyterian Church - This is a marquee music listing with real regional pull, the kind that turns a simple Saturday into a destination night. Elmwood Park gives it the outdoor-concert energy Roanoke does especially well.
• Saturday, May 16 —Paws for Mental Health, presented by Teen Ambassadors of Tudor House 
• 10am-1pm, River’s Edge Sports Complex - North
• Saturday, May 16 — Gainsboro Neighborhood Block Party 
• 11am-2pm, block of Patton Ave. N.W. in front of the Gainsboro Branch Library, exterior yard of the Gainsboro Branch Library, and the cul-de-sac at Old Gainsboro Rd
• Saturday, May 16 — First Fridays at Five  
• 5pm-9:30pm, Franklin Rd S.W. between Williamson and Jefferson
• Saturday, May 16 — Roanoke Rampage vs. Orange County Lawmen
• 2pm, Salem Football Stadium, 1008 Texas Street, Salem, VA 24153 -
  A hometown showdown under the lights: bring the family (and your loudest cheer) for a community-spirited night of football as the Roanoke Rampage take on the Orange County Lawmen at Salem Football Stadium. Expect tailgate energy, local vendors, and a field-level atmosphere that feels like small-town Friday-night football amplified for the region.

Sunday, May 17th

• Sunday May 17 —Tiny Tot Tri   
• 9am-11am, Elmwood Park - A toddler-sized triathlon that’s pure springtime delight: run, bike, splash. Come for the cuteness, stay for the cheers
• Sunday May 17 —Kids to Parks Day: Free Elmwood Movies 
• noon-7pm, Elmwood Park - Double-feature family movie day on the amphitheater screen, Zootopia 2 and The Great Outdoors, picnic-friendly and perfectly paced for a slow Sunday

Next Week

Monday, May 18th

• Monday May 18 —Monday Night Jam at Blue Ridge Institute & Museum  
• 9am-11am, Blue Ridge Institute & Museum - Jam at the Museum! (recurring each Monday)

Tuesday, May 19th

• Tuesday, May 19 —Dark Star Orchestra Concert 
• 5pm-7pm Elmwood Park - If you missed the Saturday show or just need a second helping of big-park music, this is your night. Same outdoor vibe, same night-out energy.
• Tuesday, May 19 — 2026 Roanoke Ride of Silence, Market Square
• 6:30-8pm Market Square Plaza - A quiet, solemn ride to honor riders injured or killed on public roads, it’s the week’s contemplative moment, a civic act that reminds us why we share streets and why remembrance matters.