March 2023 is Downtown Harrisonburg Taste of Downtown Restaurant Month!
Celebrate Downtown Harrisonburg, Virginia’s first Culinary District, with culinary events, official dining guide, giveaways, exclusive social media content, and more this March! Be sure to follow us on Facebook for all the latest news and updates, including profiles on your favorite chefs, and daily celebrations of all things food and drink downtown.
Taste of Downtown Restaurant Month
is generously supported by:
Join the Eat Local Harrisonburg & Rockingham County Facebook Group
Get updates about Taste of Downtown Restaurant Month along with food and beverage updates and specials throughout the year when you join the Eat Local Harrisonburg & Rockingham County Facebook group!
QUICK LINKS
PASSPORT
RESTAURANT PROMOTIONS
RESTAURANT GUIDE
SOCIAL MEDIA
Taste of Downtown Passport Giveaway
Use the Taste of Downtown Restaurant Month passport to start your self-guided journey through Virginia’s first culinary district! Log your visits and test yourself with culinary challenges this March to be eligible for fun prizes, including gift cards, Downtown Dollars, and Rocktown Beer & Music Tickets!
GIVEAWAY PROCEDURES:
- Pick up a passport at participating locations or go virtual with the online passport linked here.
- Visit any restaurant, cafe, brewery, cidery, or other food destination in Downtown Harrisonburg from March 1 – 31, 2023, to participate in the giveaway. You will earn one entry per purchase (no minimum).
- Unlock bonus prizes and additional entries by completing the challenges below. Use the 2023 Dining Guide found on tasteofdowntownhburg.org to help plan your journey and find eligible establishments for each challenge. Visits may count for multiple challenges.
- Individual entries must be logged into the online form by 11:59 PM on March 31, 2023 to be eligible (unless otherwise noted).
- Winners will be randomly selected in April and notified via email with details about how to claim their prize.
Passport Pickup Locations
- Billy Jack’s Wing & Draft Shack
- Brothers Craft Brewing
- Cuban Burger
- Friendly City Food Co-op
- The Friendly Fermenter
- The Hardesty-Higgins House Visitors Center
- Hotel Madison’s Montpelier Restaurant & Bar
- Jack Brown’s
- Magpie Diner
- Outskirts Food Truck
- Restless Moons Brewing
- Sage Bird Ciderworks
- Taj of India
- Texas Inn
- Village Juice & Kitchen
2023 Passport Challenges
Complete these challenges to unlock bonus entries and additional prizes.
Visit all Downtown breweries & cidery (6 total) to earn 10 bonus entries.
Try five vegetarian or vegan dishes to earn 10 bonus entries.
Be one of the first customers to visit five coffee shops and win a Harrisonburg mug! See paper passport for details.
More Ways to Win
Share your food photos on the Eat Local Harrisonburg Rockingham Facebook page or tag @downtownharrisonburg in your Instagram photo or story to be entered in weekly giveaways. Photos must be posted between March 1 – 31, 2023 to be eligible.
Show your favorite Downtown Harrisonburg establishments some love and write a positive review on Google to be entered in weekly giveaways! Reviews must be made between March 1 – 31, 2023 to be eligible.
Harrison-BURGER Competiton
Cast your vote and help Harrisonburg Downtown Renaissance crown a champion for the first-ever Harrison-BURGER competition!
Each participating restaurant’s burger-entry is available as a menu special for this month only and is priced at $6 or under per serving (not including sides, taxes, or tips). Try as many entries as you can from March 1 – 31, 2023 and submit your ratings by 11:59 PM on Sunday, March 26, 2023.
Competition Voting Procedures
- Each burger will fall into one of 3 categories:
- Traditional Burger (meat protein)
- Vegan and/or Vegetarian Burger
- Non-traditional Burger (i.e. burger pizza, dessert burger, burger on a hot dog bun, non-beef proteins, etc.)
- After trying a competition burger, customers will be invited to vote online via online form.
- Voters will rate burgers on a scale of 1-10 for each of the categories listed below – 1 being the lowest and 10 being the highest:
- Level of Creativity
- Dining or Take-Out Experience
- Overall Rating
- Individuals may only rate a contestant once, but may submit ratings for multiple burgers
- Voters will rate burgers on a scale of 1-10 for each of the categories listed below – 1 being the lowest and 10 being the highest:
- Voting will close at 11:59 PM on Sunday, March 26th
- Votes will be tallied and winners will be announced by HDR on Monday, March 27, and featured on social media through the week leading up to the Sip & Stroll event on Friday, March 31 from 4 – 8 PM.
2023 COMPETITORS:
Traditional Burgers (meat patty with toppings)
- Billy Jack’s “The Billy Krystal” – Angus Patty on a toasted Brioche Bun, topped with American Cheese, Pickle Slices, Diced Onions, and Mustard.
- Cuban Burger’s “Borracha Burger” – The traditional Cuban Burger patty with beer cheese and jalapeño
- Jack Brown’s “The When in Roam” – Burger topped with chipotle pimento cheese, American cheese, sweet jalapeño bacon jam, and crispy fried onions
- Montpelier Restaurant & Bar’s “Madison Melt” – 6oz dry-aged beef burger topped with pimento cheese, spicy jalapeño jelly, and bacon. Served on a brioche bun.
- Texas Inn’s “The HarrisonBurger” – Hot dog toppings on a cheeseburger! A Texas Inn burger topped with their secret recipe chili, coleslaw, mustard, and onions.
Veggie Burgers (vegan and/or vegetarian-friendly)
- Friendly City Food Co-op’s The Harris-Unburger – A gyro-inspired black bean veggie “unburger” in a pita pocket! Ingredients: Housemade Black Bean Burger Patties (black beans, onion, pimentos, garlic, chipotle chiles, roasted cashews, feta, panko bread crumbs, egg, mayonnaise, salt & pepper.) Cucumber, Pickled Red Onions, Feta Cheese, Housemade Tzatziki Sauce, Pepperoncinis, Pita Pocket
- Village Juice & Kitchen’s Housemade Black Bean Burger – Housemade black bean burger, avocado mash, romaine, slice of local heirloom tomato, red onion on a toasted bun. Suggested add on: Our housemade Spicy Cashew Cheese
Special Burgers (untraditional twist on the burger prompt)
- The Friendly Fermenter’s Pepperoni Rolls – Authentic rolls, straight from Southwestern PA mountains! Dinner style rolls, stuffed with pepperoni & pepper jack cheese (our little spin on this classic), brushed with olive oil and dusted with parmesan cheese. Then, after toasting, garnished with parsley flakes and served with organic marinara sauce.
- Outskirts Food Truck’s Outta this World Cookout Dog – Get the ultimate cookout meal all in one with the OUTTA THIS WORLD Cookout Dog: All beef hotdog (or vegetarian hot dog), topped with Gardein “Beef” Crumbles, shredded cheddar cheese, diced tomato, diced onions, ketchup, mustard, and barbecue potato chips! Gluten free bun available for an entirely gluten free meal
- Pale Fire’s Cheeseburger Pizza – Detroit-style pizza with ground beef, caramelized onions, iceberg lettuce, and a special sauce (serves 2)
Taste of Downtown Culinary Workshops & Events
Learn and interact with Virginia’s first culinary district with these special events all month long including workshops, talks, tastings, and more!
This Week’s Events:
MONDAY
March 27
Shirley's Easter Box
March 17 – 29
Shirley’s Gourmet Popcorn
Order a tasty treat for Easter. All boxes will ship or be available for in-store pickup on March 29. Order today and save $10!
TUESDAY
March 28
Arts & Drafts
1 – 10 PM
Brothers Craft Brewing
Tap into your artistic side with plenty of supplies to choose from, including colored pencils, coloring sheets, paint, and small canvases.
WEDNESDAY
March 29
Pride Night Social & Fundraiser
8 – 11 PM
Sage Bird Ciderworks
Monthly social & fundraiser to support the LGBTQ+ community in conjunction with the Friendly City Safe Space (FCSS).
THURSDAY
March 30
SINGO
8 – 10 PM
Pale Fire
It’s Bingo with a musical spin and you can play every Thursday for FREE!
FRIDAY
March 31
The Judy Chops + Andrew Scotchie & The River Rats
8 – 11 PM
Clementine
These two powerhouse acts are joining forces for a spring tour of VA & NC! Don’t miss their Shenandoah Valley stop at the Clementine Main Stage!
COMING SOON!
Culinary-themed events happening later this year.
Rocktown Beer & Music Festival
April 22, 2023
Turner Pavilion
These two powerhouse acts are joining forces for a spring tour of VA & NC! Don’t miss their Shenandoah Valley stop at the Clementine Main Stage!
Downtown Dinner Party
May 20, 2023
Turner Pavilion
An inspired celebration of the Valley’s love for downtown Harrisonburg and our culinary stars. Highlighting the exceptional array of restaurants in Virginia’s first Culinary District, the Dinner Party invites you to mix and mingle, enjoy more than a dozen delicious tasting stations, sip local beer and wine, bid in a live auction featuring unique local experiences you won’t find anywhere else, and join in the best outdoor dance party around.
Taste of Downtown Restaurant Month Promotions
Celebrate Restaurant Month with these special deals, menu items, and more from your favorite downtown establishments. More coming soon!
