Best Annual Charity Event
First Place: Thanksgiving Drumstick Dash, Roanoke, DrumstickDash.net,540-343-7227
Now in its 10th year, more than 13,000 participants from across the region come to the morning Thanksgiving Day 5K run and Family Walk to raise funds providing more than 300,000 meals for individuals and families at the Rescue Mission.
Second place: Rooster Walk, Axton, RoosterWalk.com, 276-690-9255
Third place: Relay For Life of Wythe County, Wytheville, RelayForLife.org, 276-739-7780
Best Art Event
First Place: Virginia Highlands Festival, Abingdon, VaHighlandsFestival.org, 276-623-5266
In 1948 Robert Porterfield held the first Virginia Highlands Festival on the front porch of the Martha Washington Inn, in a bid to preserve the cultural heritage of the Abingdon area. Since that first show, the weeklong festival has expanded significantly featuring 550 artists from throughout the region and the U.S last year.
Second place: Art on the Lawn, Pearisburg, GilesArtsCouncil.org, 540-921-1221
Third place: Steppin’ Out, Blacksburg, BlacksburgSteppinOut.com, 540-951-0454
Best Charity
First Place: Roanoke Rescue Mission, Roanoke, RescueMission.net, 540-343-7227
Founded in 1948, Roanoke Rescue Mission sees itself as the Southwest region’s safety net, providing a wide range of crisis intervention services for men, women and children. Among its services for homeless adults and families are programs providing thrift store credit, adult education and even free haircuts.
Second place: Charity League of Martinsville and Henry County. Martinsville, CharityLeague.org, 276-734-0603
Third place: Grace Network of Martinsville and Henry County, Martinsville, GraceNetworkMHC.org, 276-638-8500
Best Family Entertainment
First Place: Barter Theatre, Abingdon, BarterTheatre.com, 276-628-3991
Established in 1933, Barter maintains its traditions—you can still see a show for a dollar during the theater’s Pay What You Can performances several times a year. The company continues to trailblaze in the 2016 season with the first professional production of Ray Bradbury’s Something Wicked This Way Comes.
Second place: Frank Theatres CineBowl & Grille, Blacksburg, Blacksburg.CineBowlAndGrille.com, 540-750-4588
Third place: Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion, Bristol, BirthplaceOfCountryMusic.org/Festival, 423-573-1927
Best Food Festival
First Place: Community School Strawberry Festival, Roanoke, StrawberryFestivalRoanoke.org, 540-563-5036
The Community School’s Strawberry Festival has been around so long that parents who participated in the festival 36 years ago as kids now watch as their own children volunteer. It’s tradition with a sweet twist—strawberry shortcakes, sundaes, slushies and chocolate-dipped strawberries are all on the menu. All proceeds from strawberry sales go to benefit the school.
Second place: Roanoke Greek Festival, Roanoke, RoanokeGreekFestival.com, 540-362-3601
Third place: Smoke on the Mountain, Galax, SmokeOnTheMountainVa.com, 276-236-2184
Best Movie Theater
First Place: The Grandin Theatre, Roanoke, GrandinTheatre.com, 540-345-6177
If the Grandin Theatre is one of the jewels in Roanoke’s crown, then the Grandin Theatre Foundation is determined to “keep it shiny”: Renovations to the historic building this year, including to the theater’s façade, guarantee that. The theater screens independent films, box office favorites and cult classics.
Second place: 21st Century Cinema (Abingdon Cinemall), Abingdon, Cinemall.com, 276-623-2121
Third place: Frank Theatres CineBowl & Grille, Blacksburg, Blacksburg.CineBowlAndGrille.com, 540-750-4588
Best Music Venue
First Place: Harvester Performance Center, Rocky Mount, Harvester-Music.com, 540-484-8277
Music lives at the Harvester, say the venue’s employees. Featuring diverse acts from country music to comedy, the 2-year-old venue has a state-of-the-art sound system and flexible performance spaces for almost any genre that will have you thinking the same way.
Second place: Rives Theater, Martinsville, RivesTheater.com, 276-403-0872
Third place: Elmwood Park Amphitheater, Roanoke, DowntownRoanoke.org/Go/Elmwood-Park, 540-853-2000
Best Museum
First Place: The Birthplace of Country Music Museum, Bristol, BirthplaceOfCountryMusic.org, 276-645-0111
On Bristol’s State Street in 1927, the Carter Family, Jimmie Rodgers and other country artists made recordings for the Victor Talking Machine Company. Those recordings became known as the “Bristol Sessions” and are today recognized as the basis for much of modern country music. The Birthplace of Country Music Museum celebrates that contribution with the Radio Bristol station and exhibits featuring the famous sessions.
Second place: The Taubman Museum of Art, Roanoke, TaubmanMuseum.org, 540-342-5760
Third place: Virginia Museum of Natural History, Martinsville, VMNH.net, 276-634-4141
Best Performing Arts Company
First Place: Barter Theatre, Abingdon, BarterTheatre.com, 276-628-3991
Seeing the next Gregory Peck before his big break is one reason to go to Barter Theatre, but so too are its top-notch shows like this season’s Mamma Mia!, the first regional non-commercial premiere of the classic musical, and the annual Appalachian Festival of Plays & Playwrights.
Second place: Mill Mountain Theatre, Roanoke, MillMountain.org, 540-342-5730
Third place: Art in Motion Dance Center Senior Company, Roanoke, ArtInMotion-DanceCenter.com, 540-761-8999
Best Special Event Venue
First Place: Bolling Wilson Hotel, Wytheville, BollingWilsonHotel.com, 276-223-2333
The Bolling Wilson Hotel commemorates its namesake, former first lady Edith Bolling Wilson, with references to her childhood and her favorite flowers—orchids—in almost every room. With touches like live canaries in the lobby, and with rooftop and private accommodations such as Graze on Main’s Vault dining room, an event hosted at the hotel is certain to have some flair.
Second place: Elmwood Park Amphitheater, Roanoke, DowntownRoanoke.org/Go/Elmwood-Park, 540-853-2000
Third place: Chatmoss Golf and Country Club, Martinsville, ChatmossCC.org, 276-638-2484