Roanoke officials have spent the past five years promoting the Star City as an outdoor community.
Pete Eshelman is the city’s Director of Outdoor Branding, and says Virginia Tech is seeing a trend for new graduates wanting to stay in the area particularly because of the variety of outdoor amenities.
In fact, Roanoke will showcase its outdoor activities Friday through Sunday with the annual “Go Outside Festival.” The free event will include a BMX stunt show, dogs jumping off a dock into a tank of water, and a scavenger hunt. People can also try out new equipment such as stand-up paddle boards and kayaks.