On the first Friday of every month, families, couples, groups and individuals stroll downtown’s sidewalks, rain or shine, in celebration of the current month’s art openings. With approximately 30 participating venues — each featuring a separate artist — there’s no lack of variety anywhere in sight during Harrisonburg’s First Fridays. What began, in 2009, as a partnership between Harrisonburg Downtown Renaissance, the Virginia Quilt Museum, and Harrisonburg Tourism, as a biannual event, is now organized by the Arts Council of the Valley and embodies the arts-related culture that downtown residents observe on a daily basis. more