Thanksgiving Day is a wonderful holiday filled with food and love, but it can also be a stressful time between cooking and cleaning and hosting family and friends. But, downtown is here to make your life a little bit easier this season! Some downtown restaurants will be open for festive dinners on Thanksgiving Day, and some are preparing to take pre-orders for pick-up. With Thanksgiving also comes Black Friday, and there will be some amazing sales going on in the stores downtown that you won’t want to miss! Find out more about the Thanksgiving and Black Friday events/specials below. more
Harrisonburg will be bustling on Saturday, September 28, 2024, during JMU Family Weekend, the Harrisonburg Farmers Market, and the Harrisonburg International Festival. You can find local foods and goods, explore boutiques, enjoy the festival or just have a great meal out. Downtown is ready to welcome you! more
With loneliness and isolation reaching levels of epidemic proportions across the United States, many organizations have taken notice. From the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to Main Streets across the globe, people are working to band together to help members of their communities forge new and meaningful relationships. One such organization combatting loneliness in downtown Harrisonburg and beyond is James Madison University’s Lifelong Learning Institute (LLI) - an organization that encourages people around retirement age to become more engaged in their community through a variety of events and programs. more
Wondering what upcoming downtown events you need a ticket for? Look no further. more
Welcome to the Friendly Faces of The Friendly City! In celebration of Architecture Week April 14 - 20, today's interview is with Charles Hendricks, Principal Architect, Sustainability Director, Marketing Director, and Business Manager of The Gaines Group Architects located here in downtown Harrisonburg. more
With the Forbes Center of Preforming Arts and Downtown Harrisonburg being only a 5-minute drive apart, it only makes sense to elevate your night with both dinner and a show. This year, enjoy a wide variety of talented performances hosted by James Madison University and indulge in some of Downtown Harrisonburg’s best restaurants. more
They say laughter is the best medicine, and Dawn Davis Womack is healing the Friendly City. Davis Womack is the founder of X2 Comedy, the host of the Virginia is for Laughers podcast and an iconic face of local stand-up comedy. Having lived in the Valley for 17 years, Davis Womack said her goal has always been to unite the community while spreading laughter. more
Nestled within the vibrant Turner Pavilion, a space usually reserved for Harrisonburg’s bustling weekly Farmer's Market, a remarkable transformation occurred. Instead of rows of fresh vegetables and tempting local treats, an array of global flavors emerged, courtesy of Harrisonburg's finest local restaurants. Since its inception in 2018, Harrisonburg Virginia’s Downtown Dinner Party has become a cherished tradition, captivating the palates of locals and visitors alike. As we celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Harrisonburg Downtown Renaissance (HDR), it's only fitting to honor this milestone with an unforgettable evening filled with delicious delights. more
This Taste of Downtown Recap highlights some faces around Downtown Harrisonburg with a personal flare! We are so thankful for the participants, whether they are businesses downtown, people of Harrisonburg, sponsors, or anyone who contributed to this fantastic month of community! more
Get ready for a new movement to build Downtown Harrisonburg as a destination where dog-friendly businesses thrive and pets enjoy memorable experiences! On this twentieth anniversary year, we are delighted to announce a new focus for the future of Downtown Harrisonburg: developing programs and events that are dog-forward as well as welcoming new dog-focused businesses to the Downtown Harrisonburg community. We look forward to working on this new focus to make Harrisonburg known nationally as "The Dog-Friendly City." more