As Harrisonburg continues to receive accolades for the continued support and development of becoming a leading bike destination and Top Adventure Town by Blue Ridge Outdoors Magazine, business owner Kyle Coleman has continued to find value in providing personalized service and customization for his clientele by expanding Bluestone Bike and Run to include a downtown location in Agora Downtown Market. Located at 165 S. Main Street next to Clementine, Ten Thousand Villages, and adjacent from the Massanutten Regional Library, Agora Downtown Market opened in June of 2017 featuring some of the most unique merchandise in the first collaborative retail space in Harrisonburg. more
This city's got a beat, and you gotta hook into it. And once you get the beat, you can do anything. -The Artful Dodger (Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens) more
Last Thursday, a cool show popped up in downtown Harrisonburg that united music lovers, beer drinkers, and concert goers alike. Sofar Sounds, a music organization reaching 376 cities across the globe, made its third appearance in the “friendly city.” A group of JMU Marketing and Music Industry students brought Sofar to Harrisonburg last March. The JMU seniors handle all of the logistics, including booking the artists, selecting the venues, promoting the shows, and hiring and managing a production team of photographers, videographers, and audio/sound engineers. more
The Friendly Fermenter is getting ready to open its doors in downtown Harrisonburg. This nanobrewery and homebrew shop will be the first Harrisonburg brewery that is open for lunch during the week. Located at 20 S. Mason Street, Suite B10 on the corner of Route 33 and Mason Street, next to Rocktown Bicycles and near Urban Exchange, Friendly Fermenter will be on the basement level of a three-story, newly renovated building which will also house LAFAH Café, a middle-eastern based restaurant, directly above. The third level will offer loft apartments which will also be ready soon. more
After much anticipation, Mossy Creek Fly Fishing is open in its new location on the corner of Rte 33 and Reservoir Street. The red brick building at 480 East Market Street received a complete renovation over the past year, and is now a haven for fisherman and outdoor enthusiasts alike. The fly shop was previously located near Kroger, but the owners decided to look downtown when they began considering an expansion. more
“I’d live to be 300-years-old, and I’d still never be able to read them all,” chuckled Bob Schurtz, Owner of Downtown Books. During our interview, I received the answers to the questions I’m sure many ponder as they pass by the shop: Why so many books? Why not clear some space? Why do you give some of your books away? The responses I received were gratifying. more
The Internet has forever changed retail. But it will never replace the personalized experience of walking into an independently owned bricks-and-mortar store and being greeted by a person who delivers superior customer service. That’s not to say that online companies aren’t trying. Subscription services such as Birchbox, Graze, Dollar Shave Club and Stitchfix are popping up everywhere. They’re bating shoppers with promises of a customized experience that is based upon their preferences. After you fill out a ‘quick’, one-size-fits-all survey, they send you a variety of products to try based upon your responses. more
It has been a few months since Magnolia's Tacos & Tequila Bar, located at 14 E. Water Street, opened downtown. They were a hit from the start, but their rooftop patio just opened making this a new go-to for summer! more
This Saturday, the artist formerly known as M. Fink will venture into a new partnership with her newlywed husband Vince Paixao (pronounced Pie-Shawn). Together, Vince and Morgan will open Meridian Books & Games in Larkin Arts at 61 Court Square in downtown Harrisonburg. The duo met while working together at local eateries and participating in the art and music scenes downtown. They quickly became friends and recently married in October. more
On the evening of Tuesday, April 11, every barstool, patio chair, and indoor table is occupied. There’s a friendliness in the air—the kind in which a stranger will scoot over so that you can have your own space at the bar, and the bartenders ask how your day was before taking an order. As bustling as the taproom is, it feels more like a community’s living room, filled with the laughter and chatter that you hear during a distant family’s holiday get-together. In front of most of the patrons is a pint glass; many ordering at the bar request Arrant (Pale Fire’s newest IPA), with it’s name descending from Shakespeare’s writing. In fact, even the establishment’s name derives from one of the founder’s favorite books, Pale Fire by Vladimir Nabokov and an excerpt of Shakespeare’s Timon of Athens, “[t]he moon's an arrant thief, And her pale fire she snatches from the sun.” more