THE DOWNTOWN INSIDER
Chalk art by Sarah Hade during the first annual Chalk Fest at Brothers Craft Brewing.
The Downtown Insider
August is Virginia Craft Beer Month and a great time to get out and visit Three Notch'd Brewing Co., Brothers Craft Brewing, Pale Fire Brewing Company, and Wolfe Street Brewing in downtown Harrisonburg. Guest writer and HDR volunteer, Kirsten Moore, did the hard work for you of gathering refreshing summer recipe ideas and pairing them with beer from our four local breweries. Read More

Visit the Downtown Calendar to see Craft Beer Events that are happening downtown.
Inspired by withSimplicity, downtown's boutique in an Airstream, Kasey Fuller is bringing affordable, trend-setting women's fashions to Main Street. Check out her mobile boutique in the parking lot between Taj of India and Jacktown! Find her there on Thursdays and Fridays (and occasional Saturdays) from 11 a.m. - 7 p.m. She'll be there this Saturday to welcome JMU students during Block Party, too. Don't miss her grand opening party next week during First Friday - swing by to welcome her and enjoy snacks and refreshments. HDR is excited to see mobile retailing grow and that the owners of Jess' Lunch & this parking lot are helping to bring micro-retailers downtown! 
Block Party: Downtown is Open for Business!
Block Party in the 'Burg is happening this Saturday from 4-6 p.m. Downtown businesses will be open during their regular business hours & the shortened event duration will make having dinner and hanging out downtown easier than in previous years. Insiders know that getting a parking space and seated at restaurants has been a breeze during Block Party - students are not driving to the event and are participating in activities rather than enjoying sit-down meals. The municipal lot at Turner Pavilion will be open for parking and accessible from N. Liberty Street. Both parking decks will be open.
 
During the event, the downtown community will be welcoming 5,000 students to the city. We start with a procession from campus to Court Square down Main Street - with the Marching Royal Dukes for the first time! The mayor Chris Jones, JMU's President Alger, and HDR's Board President Andy Perrine will give brief welcomes on the Square and will be followed by a concert with Bryan Elijah Smith, a downtown scavenger hunt, safety demos, games, and more. Cheers to the start of a great year ahead and forming relationships with these new JMU students!

Round 2
Harrisonburg beat out Charlotteseville and now we  advance to round two in the race to becoming the Top Adventure Town. Voting begins today!
Show some local love
Nominate your favorite downtown attraction, restaurant, chef, bartender, and more! Learn more and submit your nomination (or self nominate) online by Sept. 16.
#1 Dinining App is coming to Friendly City
"The city's quaint downtown of great, local restaurants and engaged citizens, paired with JMU's large student population, is the perfect mix for Spotluck." 

The Downtown Scene

 

  • Mossy Creek Fly Fishing is moving to downtown Harrisonburg at 480 E. Market Street.
  • Congratulations to Cats Cradle on reaching their $50,000 fundraising goal.
  • Happy Anniversary to Shenandoah Yoga, celebrating 10 years downtown. Join them at an Open House on Sept. 10 from 9:30am to 1:45pm to celebrate with free classes, a reception and discounted class passes for future visits. 
  • Rosetta Stone and Massanutten Regional Library partner to bring free language instruction to library visitors. Learn more about this program.
  • Hot Yoga Harrisonburg is offering a new yoga scholarship to full and part-time students. Applications must be received by Sept. 30, 2016. 
  • The City is hiring. Find out more and apply here.
  • If you work in the tech industry, join us for First Tuesday Tech Meetup at Ruby's Arcade on Tuesday, Sept. 6 from 4:30pm-6:00pm and network with your peers.
Join HDR
  • Invest in downtown's future by becoming a Friend & joining other visionaries.
  • Like us on Facebook for instant updates on what's up downtown.
  • Share your love for downtown on Instagram: #downtownharrisonburg
  • Sign up to receive the monthly newsletter.
  • Email hdr@harrisonburgva.gov or call 540.432.8922
  • Visit the Harrisonburg Downtown Renaissance website.
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