Happenings: The Only Roanoke Events Calendar You'll Ever Need. Week of 9/16 to 9/23.

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

Special Roanoke Rambler Sponsored Upcoming Event: City Council Candidate Community Forum

Paid members, please submit your questions ahead of the 28th.

Want to know about regular weekly events, including bar trivia, city council meetings, and bingo? Check out our recurring Happenings calendar.

Have a Happening? Does your business want to sponsor a newsletter? Reach out to us at editor@roanokerambler.com with "Happening" in the subject line. Have fun!

Henry Street comes home this week. The 35th Annual Henry Street Heritage Festival takes Elmwood for nine hours on Saturday, Opera Roanoke opens its season with "La Traviata," the Violent Femmes turn up at the amphitheater Tuesday, and Terror Manors flips the switch on haunt season a full six weeks before Halloween. Add a glow run along the river, a Margaritaville block party on Crystal Spring, pirates at Big Lick, and dogs loose behind the Taubman, and you have a week that refuses to admit summer is over. Here is what's happening, day by day.

Wednesday, September 16

Life Essentials Pop-Up — 11 a.m. to noon, Elmwood Park, 706 S. Jefferson St. Free distribution of basic necessities in the heart of downtown. Details on the City of Roanoke special events calendar.

Thursday, September 17

U.S. Constitution Day Bell Ringing Ceremony — 3:30 p.m., Freedom Plaza. Free. Bells at the appointed hour, civics with your afternoon coffee. See the Downtown Roanoke calendar.

Fall Harvest Sunflowers Paint & Sip — 6 p.m., Well Hung Vineyard. Sunflowers on canvas, wine in hand. Registration through Downtown Roanoke.

Live Music on the Rooftop — 7 p.m., Corned Beef & Company. Free. The rooftop's weekly standby, and the nights are getting shorter. Via Downtown Roanoke.

Friday, September 18

Tartan 5K Glow Run/Walk — all day, River's Edge North. Neon, blacklight and 3.1 miles. Listed on the City of Roanoke calendar.

Watercolor and Tissue Paper Collage Workshop with Anne Schellenberger — 5:30 p.m., Art on 1st. Hands-on session; sign up ahead via Downtown Roanoke.

Shadowgrass — 6:30 p.m., 5 Points Music Sanctuary. Young-gun bluegrass in the best-sounding little room in town. Tickets via Downtown Roanoke.

Gather for Good: Roanoke — Dinner Meetup for a Cause — 7 p.m., Restaurant of the Month. Dinner with strangers, proceeds to a cause. Details on Eventbrite.

Terror Manors 8th Year Haunted House — 7:30 p.m., 805 and 806 Norfolk Ave. SW. Runs through Saturday night. Haunt season starts early on Norfolk Avenue. See the City of Roanoke calendar.

The Elevated Mixer & Launch Party — 8 p.m., Kirk and Soul. Tickets on Eventbrite.

Saturday, September 19

Taubman Museum of Art Pop PUPmuseum — 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Norfolk Avenue behind the Taubman Museum. A street closed for dogs. Bring yours. Listed with the City of Roanoke.

Fall Football Fest — 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Washington Park open space. Northwest Roanoke's football-season block party. Via the City of Roanoke calendar.

Radical Roanoke Scavenger Hunt — 11 a.m. (plus later start times), Sweet Donkey Coffee. Caffeine first, then the hunt. Tickets on Eventbrite.

35th Annual Henry Street Heritage Festival — 1 to 10 p.m., Elmwood Park Amphitheater, 706 S. Jefferson St. Free. Thirty-five years of celebrating Gainsboro's Henry Street: music, food and a full day of it. The week's marquee event. See the City of Roanoke and Downtown Roanoke calendars.

Opera Roanoke Presents Giuseppe Verdi's "La Traviata" — 2:30 p.m. Verdi's doomed romance, in town for the afternoon. Tickets via Downtown Roanoke.

Talk Like A Pirate Day Festivities — 3 p.m., Big Lick Brewing Co. Free entry. Yes, it's a real holiday. Act accordingly. Via Downtown Roanoke.

Roanoke True Crime Tour — 4 p.m., departs from Corned Beef & Co. The city's darker footnotes, on foot. Tickets on Eventbrite.

20 Years of Big Lick Conspiracy — 7:30 p.m., Mill Mountain Theatre's Waldron Stage. Two decades of local improv, celebrated the way improv celebrates. Tickets on Eventbrite.

Terror Manors 8th Year Haunted House — through 11 p.m., 805 and 806 Norfolk Ave. SW. Second night. City of Roanoke.

Sunday, September 20

Let's Dye A Little: Parfait Dyeing and Ice Dyeing Workshop with Meridith Entingh — 2 p.m., Art on 1st. Come prepared to ruin a shirt on purpose. Registration via Downtown Roanoke.

Jammy Buffet Margaritaville Block Party — 4 to 7:30 p.m., 2123 Crystal Spring Ave. and the 2100 block from 22nd Avenue to McClanahan. Street closed, steel drums implied. Details on the City of Roanoke calendar.

Monday, September 21

A rare quiet Monday on the public calendars. Check the Downtown Roanoke calendar and Visit Virginia's Blue Ridge for late additions, or take the night off. You've earned it after Saturday.

Tuesday, September 22

Violent Femmes — 6 to 10 p.m., Elmwood Park Amphitheater, 706 S. Jefferson St. "Blister in the Sun" outdoors on a September night in Elmwood. Listed with the City of Roanoke.

Move and Mingle Pub Run — 6 p.m., Big Lick Brewing Co. Free. Run first, mingle after. Via Downtown Roanoke.

Wednesday, September 23

Anne Wilson — World Vision Volunteers — 4:45 p.m., Berglund Center. Volunteer call for the Christian singer-songwriter's stop in town. Details on Eventbrite.

The Harry and Lavon Webb Education Center Presents Indian Folk Dance Workshop with Katrina Ji of Rajasthani Caravan — 7 p.m. Free. Rajasthani folk dance, taught rather than watched. Via Downtown Roanoke.

Thursday, September 24

Lt. Governor Hashmi Visiting Roanoke!
Lt. Gov. Ghazala Hashmi will be visiting Roanoke on September 24 as a part of her Energy Costs Listening Tour. Those concerned with rising costs for energy, including sources of energy, electricity utility companies, etc., are invited to attend. You can rsvp here.


Looking ahead

Next week brings the Bored Teachers comedy tour to the Berglund Performing Arts Theatre (9/24), Grandin Chillage shutting down Grandin Road (9/25), 311 with Beach Weather closing out the Budweiser Summer Series at Elmwood (9/25), and the Go Cross Cyclocross Race at Fallon Park (9/26–27), all per the City of Roanoke special events calendar.

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