5.19–5.25

Happy Monday, Roanokers! One small housekeeping note: in the interest of saving space, I've removed the "registration required" note on all events. Chances are, if it's a ticketed event or an indoor event with limited capacity, registration WILL be required. 🎟️ But you're going to look at the event details before you go out because you're smart like that. (I know you are, because you read Nokeland.)

This week we've got 🎸 Festival at the Park, 🏳️‍🌈 the Miss/Mr. Gay United States Pageant, 🍺 the fourth edition of the Pinball Pub Crawl, 🐶 $20 dog & cat adoptions, and 🧨 a 20th anniversary celebration for Napoleon Dynamite!

Mon 5/19
✮ 6–7:15pm: The Power of Cultivating Joy (meditation) // Dharmapala Kadampa Buddhist Center // $10 ↝
📚 6:30–7:30pm: The Bookish (open-format review/show & tell club) // Belmont Library // free ↝

Tue 5/20
🌳 9am–noon: Roanoke Tree Tour // Fishburn Mansion parking lot // $10 ↝
♫ 5–8pm: Jeremy Davall (rock, country, cover) // Parkway Brewing - Salem // free ↝
✮ 5:30–6:30pm: Plawking in Southeast // Riverdale Village // free ↝
🎨 5:30–7:30pm: Memorial Day Craft Social // Hammer & Stain // $35–60 ↝
🎭 6–9pm: “A Galaxy of Spoken Word” (space-themed poetry open mic) // Big Lick Brewing // free ↝
♫ 9:30pm: Sky Dolphin (cover) // Martin's Downtown // free ↝

Wed 5/21
🐾 11am–1pm: Walk on the Wild Side: Mammals (educational program) // Mill Mtn Discovery Center parking lot // $20 adult, $18 child ↝
✮ 4:30–6:30pm: Beer & Biotech: Panel on Project VITAL (Q&A) // Big Lick Brewing // free ↝
♫🍔 5–8pm: Jazz Night // Six and Sky // reservations recommended ↝
✮ 5–8pm: Mid-Week Market (live music, vendors, food & drink specials) // Golden Cactus // free ↝
♫ 5:30–8:30pm: Sideshow Runaways (group show) // Parkway Brewing - Salem // free ↝
🏆 5:45pm: Urban Assault Race (mixed course bike race & festival) // Riverdale // $30 adult, $20 child ↝
🏆 6:30pm: Ride of Silence (commemorative rde) // Market Square // free ↝
🎭 6:30–8pm (sign-ups begin at 6): Open Mic Night // Ursula's Cafe // free; donations welcome ↝
♫ 7–9pm: William Seymour (Americana, country) // The Village Grill // free ↝
♫ 7–11pm: Open Mic Night // The Front Row // free ↝
♫ 7:30pm (doors 5:30): John Morgan (country) // Sidewinders // $25; 21+ ↝
♫ 8pm (doors 7): The Wood Brothers (folk, Americana) // The Harvester - Rocky Mount // $56+ ↝
♫ 9:30pm: Shmazz (jazz, funk, fusion) // Martin's Downtown // free ↝

Thu 5/22
🏆 4:30–5pm: Tai Chi // St. Elizabeth's Episcopal Church // free ↝
✮ 5pm: Roanoke Plawkers // LEAP Community Store // free ↝
🍔 5:30–7pm: Piedmont Wine & Cheese Tasting // Barrel Chest // $50, 21+ ↝
🎨 5:30–7:30pm: Boho & Floral Trays (workshop) // Hammer & Stain // $60 ↝
♫ 5:30–8:30pm: Father Sun (reggae) // Parkway Brewing - Salem // free ↝
🌳 6–7:30pm: Community Night: DIY Green Cleaning (workshop, kids' activities, and yoga) // Morningside Urban Farm // free ↝
🎨 6–8pm: Printmaking Workshop // Brambleton Rec Center // $80 ↝
🏆 6–8pm: Learn to SUP (materials provided) // TBD // $45 ↝
✮ 6:30–7:30pm: Mentor Meet & Greet // Humble Hustle // free ↝
🏆 6:30–8:30pm: Spelling Bee & Brews // Big Lick Brewing // free, 21+ ↝
♫ 6:30–8:30: Reggae in the Valley // Wasena City Taproom // free ↝
✮♫ 7–8pm: Guitars Under the Star Guitar Pull (open jam session) // Mill Mtn Star // free ↝
♫ 7:30: Jason Hostetter (cover) // Hanging Rock Tavern - Salem // free ↝
💃 7:30–8:30pm: Adult Ballet Class // Hope Center // $15 ↝
♫ 8pm (doors 7): Twitty & Lynn (Conway & Loretta tribute) // The Harvester - Rocky Mount // $66+ ↝
♫ 8pm–midnight: Creedence Clearwater Recital (tribute to CCR) // Martin's Downtown // free ↝

Fri 5/23
🎨🧸 4–6:30pm: Eraser Stamps Workshop // Dragon Bite Books & Crafts // $10–15; 12+ ↝
♫ 6–9pm: Ella Folk Duo (country) // Twisted Track Brewpub // free ↝
♫🍔 6–9pm: Friday Food Truck n' Tunes with Kinnfolk // Sweet Donkey // free ↝
✮ 6:30pm: Group Sound Bath // One Community Now // $15 ↝
♫ 6:30–9:30pm: Caleb Carpenter (Appalachian indie pop/rock) // Big Lick Brewing // free ↝
♫ 7–10pm: Becki & the Boom Booms (blues, jazz, rock) // The Village Grill // free ↝
♫ 7–10pm: Big Daddy Ray Band (rock, cover) // The Hangout // $10 ↝
♫ 8pm (doors 7:30): Bending Genres: A Live Musical Event by The Biscuits & Gravy Music Collection (SWVA music podcast) // The Spot on Kirk // $12.50 ↝
🎨 8–10pm: TrapxCanvas (trap music paint night) // Holiday Inn Roanoke // $42, 21+ ↝
♫ 10pm: GAK! (90s covers) // Martin's Downtown // $12.50 ↝

Sat 5/24
✮ 8am–2pm: Community Yard & Bake Sale // Life Church // free ↝
🏆 8:30–11am: Keystone Community Center 5K // Fallon Park // $30 ↝
🍔🐾 10am–noon: Brunch w/ Turtles & Tortoises // Mill Mtn Zoo // $10+ ↝
🎨 10am–noon: Figure Drawing Class // Appalachian Arts Hub // $15 ↝
🐾 noon–4pm: Adoption Event // Angels of Assisi // free ↝
🏆 1–5pm: The Great Roanoke Pinball Pub Crawl 4 // Golden Cactus // $15 ↝
✮🍔 15pm: Memorial Day Community Cookout // Hope Center // free ↝
♫ 1:30–4:30pm: The Jive Exchange (funk, soul, cover) // Parkway Brewing - Salem // free ↝
✮ 2–4pm: Soulful Breaths (breathwork for moms) // Motel Studios // $55 ↝
🎨 2–4pm: Bubbly & Beautiful (bottle painting) // Taubman Museum // $45 ↝
🎨 5–7:30pm: Blaze & Glaze (glaze your own pipe or bong) // Motel Studios // $40–80 ↝
♫ 5:30pm: John Neal (country) // Sidewinders // cover ↝
♫ 5:30pm: Seedpicker (soul, funk, blues) // Parkway Brewing - Salem // free ↝
♫ 6pm: Hairball (tribute to arena rock) // Dr. Pepper Park // $26+ ↝
♫ 6–9pm: Five Dollar Shake (rock, blues) // Twisted Track Brewpub // free ↝
🎨 7–9pm: Slow Jamz Under The Stars Paint & Sip // Golden Cactus // $50 ↝
♫ 7–10pm: Whispering Dream (rock covers) // The Hangout // $5 ↝
🎭 7:30pm (doors 6:30): Napoleon Dynamite LIVE! (screening, cast appearances, interactive show) // Berglund Center // $35+ ↝
💃 7:30–10:30pm (group lesson at 7:30): Hello Summer Salsa Social // Fables & Feathers Winery - Goodview // $10 ↝
♫ 9pm–2am: StarCity DJs All-White Birthday Bash // Holiday Inn Roanoke // $12.50+ ↝
♫ 10pm: RADO (funk, psych rock, fusion) // Martin's Downtown // $12.50 ↝

Sun 5/25
🏳️‍🌈🍔 noon–2:30pm (doors 11): Downtown Divas Drag Brunch (fundraiser for Planned Parenthood) // Evie's Bistro // $18 ↝
🎨 2–4pm: DIY Doormat Workshop // Board & Brush // $43 ↝
🌳 3pm: Plant & Mushroom Foraging Hike // Read Mountain Preserve // free ↝
✮♫ 7–8pm: Guitars Under the Star (open jam session) // Mill Mtn Star // free ↝
♫ 5–7pm: Troublesome Blues Band // The Village Grill // free ↝
♫ 5–8pm: Mason Creek (bluegrass) // Parkway Brewing - Salem // free ↝

Ongoing/Multiple Dates

🏳️‍🌈 May 23–25: Gay United States Pageant // Park Dance Club // Come out and support your favorite queens and kings as they compete for the title of Miss, Mister, or ICON! "All are welcome as we continue to offer equal opportunity, fairness, high quality & premier concepts in today’s competitive world of pageanty and entertainment. // $27+ ↝

🎸 May 23–25: Festival in the Park // Elmwood Park // "Get ready for Festival in the Park 2025 with performances by LANCO, lovelytheband, and 1964 The Tribute! Enjoy country-rock, indie-pop, and a Beatles tribute all in one unforgettable weekend of music and fun!" // $28 GA, $53 weekend ↝

💎 May 23–25: Salem Gem, Mineral and Jewelry Show // Showtimers Theatre // "Shop vendors from across the country and find gems, minerals, jewelry, fossils, beads and meteorites from around the world. " // $8 adult, <10 free ↝

🕵️‍♂️ thru May 25: The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes // Attic Productions - Fincastle // "Adapted from four of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s most iconic tales, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes whirs to life in a thrilling fusion of deduction, danger, and steam-powered suspense—a reminder that some legends are too finely wrought to ever rust." // $20 adult, $15 child ↝

🎭 thru May 25: A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder // Showtimers Theatre // "...impoverished young Englishman Monty Navarro is down on his luck. His mother just died, he doesn't have a dime to his name, and the girl he loves is about to marry someone else. Just when all seems lost, a mysterious stranger appears revealing dark family secrets...how far is he willing to go to gain power, wealth, and the woman he loves?" // $13.50–19.50 ↝