Check out these activities that are coming up in 2022*
*These are just SOME events. They are going to skew towards the weird and unusual because that’s what interests me. If you have an event to list, let me know and I’ll add it. If you want a more complete list of local events, check out the VisitMartinsville site. They’re awesome!
February 11 – Onesie/Pajama Party at Mountain Valley Brewing.
February 11 – Music Night at Spencer Penn Center. Gap Civil playing.
February 11 – 13 – Come Feel the Love Pop Up Art Sale. 20 Walnut Street, Martinsville Uptown.
February 12th – Homestead Hikers: Black Ridge Trail on the Blue Ridge Parkway. (Homestead Hikers is a members-only club for people who enjoy hiking all through the year. Connected with the College for Older Adults)
February 13th – 1 to 2 PM. Valentine’s Beer Pairing with Daintea (Martinsville’s bubble tea and pastry shop). Ticketed event.
February 20th – Sock Hop at Spencer Penn from 2 to 5 PM. Lots of dancing! Variety of music. $5 for admission. They are looking for volunteers to help and they get in free.
February 24 – March 6th – Disney’s Lion King is performed at Steven Tanger Center in Greensboro.
February 24 – Super Smash Bros [Video Game] Tournament. 6 to 9. I have no idea what this will be but this is at Scuffle Hill Brewing Company in Collinsville. Might have to go just to see how they are doing it. They were going to be putting in a lot of tvs when I was there in October. Maybe they are casting the participants?
February 26 – Succulent Brunch and Booze Workshop. Ticketed Event. Rocky Mount. I have no idea what this will be. From their Facebook event page: Desert Rose and Twin Creeks Distillery are teaming up to host a succulent brunch and booze workshop! Looks like this is at the Distillery but please confirm before heading out.
February 26 – Shaggin’ in the Vines. Mayodan. Autumn Creek Vineyard. 2 to 5. Beach Music. Hibachi food by Town Fork.
February 27 – Hike and Pint: Mill Mountain Star and Starr Hill Brewery. Roanoke Outdoor Adventure Group & Social (ROAGs)
March 2 – Gardening for Beginners. New College Institute. Martinsville. 5:30 – 7:00
March 4 – Spring Special Prom Night for Adults with Disabilities. 6 to 8. Virginia Museum of Natural History. Martinsville. Free to guests but pre-registration is required BY FEBRUARY 28th. Register with Infinity Acres or call/text (276) 358-2378.
March 5 – DRBA FSO Hike: Bear Slide in Eden, NC. Dan River Basin Association has announced their monthly First Saturday Outing. It is an easy guided out-and-back one mile hike in Eden, NC to view the Bear Slide, a Natural Heritage Area. Will meet at Salvation Army. 1:30 to 3:00.
March 5 – Hike and Pint: Read Mountain Preserve and Twin Creeks Brewery. Roanoke Outdoor Adventure Group & Social (ROAGs)
March 5 – Dancing for the Arts – Martinsville High School. Fundraiser for Piedmont Arts.
March 5 – Music in the Box: Danny Brooks & Lil Debi. Black Box Theatre. Uptown Martinsville. Doors open at 7 PM. Event starts at 7:30. Ticketed event. A limited number of advance tickets will be available at TWCP.net. Theatreworks Players & Move to Martinsville event.
March 10th – Art at Happy Hour – Piedmont Arts, Martinsville. Zoom call with the current exhibit artist. Sips and snacks.
ST PATRICK’S DAY IS ON THURSDAY, MARCH 17TH – Keeping an eye out for events
March 10th – St. Patrick’s Day Geocache. Martinsville-Henry County. Henry County Parks & Rec will put out a geocache on one of the county trails on March 10th. Use your phone to download a geocaching app and find it. Goodies inside will be St. Patrick Day themed. Coordinates will be announced on the HCPR Facebook page.
March 11th – First Friday Live Bluegrass. Spencer Penn Center. Band is Jus Cauz. Doors open at 5. Band takes stage at 6:15. $5, cash only. Concessions available.
March 12 – SPCA Woofstock Furball – Ticketed event. Chatmoss Country Club, Martinsville. Fundraiser for MHC SPCA. Live music, dinner, open bar, silent auction. 60’s music theme.
March 12 – Get Lucky St. Patrick’s Day Party. Forest Park Country Club. Martinsville. Ticketed event. Free for members. 5 PM.
March 12 – Freedom First St. Patrick’s Day Parade and Shamrock Festival. Roanoke. Budweiser clydesdales will be making an appearance. Parade starts at 11.
March 12 – St. Pat’s Street Party. Martin’s Downtown. Roanoke. Noon to midnight. Nine bands, two stages. Ticketed event.
March 12 – St. Paddy’s on the Dan, 2 Witches Wine & Brewery, Danville. 5 to 10. Ticketed event.
March 13 – Hike and Pint: Poor Mountain Trail and Olde Salem Brewery. Roanoke Outdoor Adventure Group & Social (ROAGs)
March 13 – Homestead Hikers: Stuart’s Knob. (Homestead Hikers is a members-only club for people who enjoy hiking all through the year. Connected with the College for Older Adults)
March 17 – St. Patty’s Day Pub Sing-a-Long with the Pirates of the Piedmont. 7 to 10. Mountain Valley Brewing.
March 18th – Bingo. Spencer Penn. 6PM
March 19th – Group Tour to Highland Maple Festival. Meet up in Roanoke at Clearbrook Walmart at 6 AM. Roanoke Tours, (540) 366-2888, is going up to Highland County to see the process of tapping maple trees for syrup making. $89 per person.
March 19th – Ray Eanes Live/St. Patty’s Day Observed at Scuffle Hill Brewing, Collinsville.
March 19th – St. Patty’s Day. Hell on Horsecreek Brewing. Madison, NC. 5 PM (Hell on Horsecreek makes outstanding light beers.)
March 19th – St. Patrick’s Day Celebration. Homeplace Vineyard. Chatham. 4 to 9
March 20 – Hike and Pint: Hay Rock and the Town Center Tap House. Roanoke Outdoor Adventure Group & Social (ROAGs)
April ? – Uptown Farmers Market reopens.
April ? – Twin River Outfitters reopens. Will resume offering kayak/canoe services on the Upper James River. This is about an hour and a half from Martinsville, north of Roanoke. The Upper James River is absolutely gorgeous.
April 2 – Spring Craft Sale. 9 to 5. Bassett High School. Fundraiser by Bassett Band Boosters.
April 2 – Martinsville Half Marathon/10K/5K. The half is run on the Dick & Willie Trail. Miles in Martinsville and the YMCA have an annual series of runs in Martinsville but this is the BIG ONE.
April 2 – Ales for Animals. 2 to 10:30. Scuffle Hill Brewing Company. Collinsville. Fundraiser for the Martinsville-Henry County SPCA. $1 a pint goes to them.
April 5th & 6th – Roanoke Symphony Orchestra (RSO) Chamber Group performs music from the silver screen at the historic Grandin Theatre. Roanoke.
April 6 – 24th – Hamilton is performed at Steven Tanger Center in Greensboro.
April 8 – Music in the Box: T.C. Carter Band. Black Box Theatre. Uptown Martinsville. Doors open at 7 PM. Event starts at 7:30. Ticketed event. A limited number of advance tickets will be available at TWCP.net. Theatreworks Players & Move to Martinsville event.
EASTER IS ON SUNDAY, APRIL 17TH – Keeping an eye out for events.
April 9 – Homestead Hikers: Stiles Falls. (Homestead Hikers is a members-only club for people who enjoy hiking all through the year. Connected with the College for Older Adults)
April 9 – Back Door Market. Stuart. 10 – 3
April 11th – Henry County Adult Easter Egg Hunt – Find an egg at a local county park, bring the egg back to the Henry County Parks & Re office for a prize. Daily clues will begin being announced on the Henry County Parks & Rec Facebook Page on April 11.
April 13 – Tour & Wine Tasting at Hamlet Vineyards. This is a New College Institute class to be held at Hamlet Vineyards. It’s a Wednesday at 1:00. Free to attend. Must be 21. Wine can be purchased. MUST RSVP by April 6th.
April 14th – 17th – Freedom First Down by Downtown Music Festival. Roanoke. The Wallflowers headline.
April 15th – Henry County Easter Egg Hunt – Jack Dalton Park. 7,500 prize filled eggs. 3 different age groups in 3 different parts of the Park. Free event. Show up early as this is a fast-paced moving event.
April 15th – Deadline for submitting photos for Henry County’s Spring Photo contest. Free to enter, winner gets a gift basket. Winning photo will be in consideration as cover for one of the county guides. Photos must be taken in Henry County. Call (276) 634-4645 for rules and instructions on how to submit.
April 16th – Easter Train to Michie Tavern. Roanoke Tours charter bus picks up at Clearbrook Walmart at 7:55. Trip is by train from Roanoke to Charlottesville. A charter bus will pick up in Charlottesville to take you to luncheon at Michie Tavern. $109 per person. Call (540) 366-2888 to register.
April 22 – 23 – Annual Pig Cooking Contest at Spencer Penn. Pig Cooking is Friday night. Judging, craft fair and activities is Saturday.
April 23rd – Infinity 5K Ranch Run. Infinity Acres. Martinsville/Henry County. I’m not listing all the runs in the area because this list is already crazy but I’m listing this one because it is unique in that you will be running past llamas, zebras, camels, etc.
April 23rd – Grapes & Grains. Virginia Museum of Natural History. Martinsville. 6:30 to 10 PM. Wine & brandy tasing. Hors d’oeurves. Ticketed event.
April 23rd – 1st Annual BBQ Cookoff at the Early Inn. Ticketed event. Four local chefs competing for Smoke Master title. Live music 1 to 7.
April 23rd – Music in the Box: Violet Bell featuring Lizzy Ross and Omar Ruiz-Lopez. Black Box Theatre. Uptown Martinsville. Doors open at 7 PM. Event starts at 7:30. Ticketed event. A limited number of advance tickets will be available at TWCP.net. Theatreworks Players & Move to Martinsville event.
April 27th – Garden Week Home Tours. Martinsville. Ticketed event.
April 28 – May 1 – MerleFest Music Festival is two hours southwest of Martinsville but it’s worth a mention because it looks really extraordinary and I don’t want to forget about it. Wilkesboro is a neat place to visit.
April 30 – Buccaneer’s Bash in Roanoke. Museum of Transportation. Pirate Attire Optional. Tickets $25. Cash Bar. Silent Auction. Costume Contest. Call (540) 797-1511 for tickets. (I guess pirates can’t be bothered with event links). This event is put on by the Mystic Pirates of the Kazim Shriners.
May ?? – MadTown Tubing will begin running kayak and tubing shuttles on the Dan River. Madison, NC. (They have been updating their part of the river to make it more user friendly. Looks great!)
May ?? – Dick & Willie Bike Barn reopens. This is a YMCA program to loan bikes and helmets to anyone interested in biking the trail. Located at Doyle Street trailhead.
May 1st – Bike Awareness Ride, Henry County Bike Club, Jack Dalton Park. All bikes are welcome and encouraged to participate. Begins promptly at 10:30.
May 1st – Dan River Adventures, Stoneville, NC. Tubing shuttles for 2022 will resume on the Dan River.
May 6 – Music in the Box: Juliana MacDowell. Black Box Theatre. Uptown Martinsville. Doors open at 7 PM. Event starts at 7:30. Ticketed event. A limited number of advance tickets will be available at TWCP.net. Theatreworks Players & Move to Martinsville event.
May 8 – Homestead Hikers: Smart View Loop on the Blue Ridge Parkway . (Homestead Hikers is a members-only club for people who enjoy hiking all through the year. Connected with the College for Older Adults)
May 8 – Virginia Dare Mother’s Day Cruise. Smith Mountain Lake.
Mar 21 through May 21 – Senior Couch to 5K training program. Couch potato to 5K runner. 9 week FREE program sponsored by The Landmark Center and the Patrick County Chamber of Commerce.
May 15 – USAF Heritage of America Concert Band, 3PM, Free event, MHS auditorium.
May 21st – Bassett Hwy 57 Cruise In (Classic Car Show). Bassett.
May 22 – Stuart Strawberry Festival
MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND IS THE 28TH – 30TH OF MAY THIS YEAR.
May 26 – 29th – Rooster Walk Music & Arts Festival – Pop’s Farm, Martinsville/Henry County. Something like 47 bands? Wow.
May 30th – Abreu-Grogan Boat House opens in Danville. They rent canoes, kayaks and stand-up paddleboards. I have no idea what body of water they are on but I wouldn’t mind finding out.
June 4th – 7th Annual Spring Carnival at Infinity Acres.
June 4 & 5 – River Running Beginner Class in Salem. Roanoke Outdoor Adventures
June 4 -5 – Greensboro Symphony Orchestra performs Harry Potter & The Sorcerer’s Stone. Steven Tanger Center in Greensboro.
June 9th thru 11th – 40th Annual Beach Music Festival. Stuart. They are in the process up updating their web page now (2/15/2022). Tickets go on sale February 21st. Note that this is Thursday, Friday and Saturday. No Sunday! Plan accordingly.
June 11 – Homestead Hikers: Hanging Rock. (Homestead Hikers is a members-only club for people who enjoy hiking all through the year. Connected with the College for Older Adults)
June 17 – 19 – Bushels and Barrels Local Food, Beer and Wine Festival. This is like an open air concert with treats on the beautiful grounds of the Reynolds Homestead. This is a ticketed event. It looks like the dates have been set but the website has not been updated yet.
June 18 & 19th – River Safety and Rescue Class ACA L3 in Salem. Roanoke Outdoor Adventures
June 18th – Bassett Hwy 57 Cruise In (Classic Car Show). Bassett.
June 19th – Virginia Dare Father’s Day Lunch Cruise. Smith Mountain Lake. 11 to 1.
June 24th – Concerts by Canoe on Philpott Lake. 6:30 PM Twin Ridge Recreation Area. Seph Custer and Deep Creek playing.
JULY 4TH IS ON A MONDAY THIS YEAR – Keeping an eye out for events.
July ?? – Virginia Dare Fourth of July Dinner Cruise. Smith Mountain Lake. Fireworks by Saunders Volunteer Fire Department.
July 1st – Independence Festival. Rocky Mount. Cy Dillon Football Stadium at Franklin County High School. Crafts, games, entertainment, food. Fireworks by Rocky Mount Rotary Club
July 8th – Concerts by Canoe on Philpott Lake. 6:30 PM Twin Ridge Recreation Area. Alum Ridge Boys and Ashlee playing.
July 16th – Bassett Hwy 57 Cruise In (Classic Car Show). Bassett.
July 16th – 39th Annual Kibler Valley River Run. This is a bit of a drive from Martinsville but so worth it. It’s gorgeous there and, if you have a kayak and are up for a river race, they open the gates to let some water out for this race. I can’t find current links but people in the know (the Carolina Canoe & Kayak Club) have it on their calendar. The River Kings have some great video of the run.
July 15 – 17th – Pirate Days on Smith Mountain Lake. Throw a dart at the map. There will be fun to be had all over the lake.
July 16th – Virginia Dare Pirate Cruise. 11 AM. This is Pirate Days on Smith Mountain Lake so there will be other “pirate ships” on the lake. This is not something to be missed! Right now, the link on their site for this cruise doesn’t work. They’ve posted a phone number to call: (540) 297-7100.
July 27 – 31st – Floydfest Music Festival in Floyd on the Blue Ridge Parkway.
August ?? – MicroFestivus Craft Beer Festival – Roanoake. Put on by The Square Society, this is one of the largest craft beer festivals on the East Coast. Watching for dates. In the past, it has always conflicted with the Smith River Festival. My fingers are crossed that it won’t this year.
August 12th – Concerts by Canoe on Philpott Lake. 6:30 PM Twin Ridge Recreation Area. Bands to be announced.
August 20th – Smith River Festival at Smith River Sports Complex. Martinsville/Henry County. This is a big festival with a mud run, river races, demo pools, live music, and rubber duck race. Bring a chair.
August 2oth – Bassett Hwy 57 Cruise In (Classic Car Show). Bassett.
LABOR DAY WEEKEND IS SEPTEMBER 3RD THROUGH 5TH THIS YEAR.
September 3rd – 5th – Hillsville Labor Day Flea Market. Hillsville. About an hour and a half west of Martinsville, I’m told that this event is so big that a lot of people make the trip. It’s been on my must-see list for a while.
September 5th – Labor Day Jam. 2 to 5. Mitchell’s Marina. Smith Mountain Lake. Bit of a drive from Martinsville because you have to go around the lake (an hour and a half) but it would be a quick scoot up the lake in a boat.
September 14th – Outdoor & Wildlife Photography – New College Institute, Martinsville.
September 17th – Bassett Hwy 57 Cruise In (Classic Car Show). Bassett.
September 17 – 18th – Smith Mountain Lake Wine Festival. Mariner Landings Resort.
September 19 – 25th – Mayberry Days. Mount Airy, NC. (About an hour away, southwest). All things Andy Griffith. I hear it’s crowded normally. 2022 is going to be a doozy! See this link for ticketed events. Book ahead if you want a Mayberry Squad Car tour.
September ?? – Patrick County Agricultural Fair. Dates not released yet.
September 21 – 24th – Henry County Fair. 2nd year. It was a blast its first year despite half of us being terrified of Covid. I bet the turnout this year is going to be fantastic.
October 15th – Bassett Hwy 57 Cruise In (Classic Car Show). Bassett.
October 22nd – Wine by the River Festival, Smith River Sports Complex. 2 – 7 PM
October 22nd – Blue Ridge Folk Festival, Ferrum. Ticketed event. A lot like an old county fair with no Midway. Many, many things to see. Bring a chair for watching the draft horses and other animal presentations and a bag for buying handmade molasses and other jams, jellies, etc. Seriously well done festival.
October 25th – Weird Al Yankovic & Emo Philips. (If you know, you know. Otherwise, I can’t explain). Berglund Center. Roanoke. Ticketed Event.
November 5th – Smith Mountain Lake Chili Festival. Bridgewater Plaza.
December ? – Greensboro Greek Festival. I’m watching for this one. It’s a great festival.
December ? – Martinsville Christmas Parade. Normally held in the evening.
December ? – Greensboro’s Holiday Parade. Macy’s style parade in downtown Greensboro. 12 to 2.
December ? – Roanoke’s Dickens of a Christmas Parade. Huge, multi-day event but the parade is on … will keep an eye out for when … it’s early yet.
Life In & Around Martinsville-Henry County 