Editing Roanoke, Virginia (section)

===Festivals===
[[File:Roanoke_Local_Colors_Festival_with_Kenya_Represented_in_Photo.jpg|thumb|Parade of Nations at the Local Colors Festival]]
Roanoke features several annual festivals and events of various types. A parade for [[Saint Patrick's Day|St. Patrick's Day]] occurs every March,<ref name=Sampson1>{{cite news |last=Sampson |first=Anne |date=March 10, 2022 |title=Hooves o' the Irish: Budweiser Clydesdales to march in St. Patrick's Day Parade |work=The Roanoke Times |page=2T}}</ref> and Pride in the Park is an [[LGBT|LGBTQ+]] community celebration that draws thousands of visitors every April.<ref name=Sturgeon6>{{cite news |last=Sturgeon |first=Jeff |date=April 15, 2018 |title=Thousands show Pride, colors at spring festival |work=The Roanoke Times |page=1C}}</ref> Several events occur in May, including the Local Colors festival celebrating the cultures of the area's diverse ethnicities,<ref name=Weir1>{{cite news |last=Weir |first=Luke |date=May 22, 2022 |title=Flags, food downtown for Local Colors Festival |work=The Roanoke Times |page=1A}}</ref> the city's Strawberry Festival,<ref name=Strawberry>{{cite news |date=May 3, 2018 |title=Standouts include Strawberry Festival, Great Strides fundraiser |work=The Roanoke Times |page=1D}}</ref> the Down by Downtown music festival which coincides with the Blue Ridge Marathon,<ref name=Dickens4>{{cite news |last=Dickens |first=Tad |date=April 7, 2019 |title=Down by Downtown, Blue Ridge Marathon celebrate 10 years next week |work=The Roanoke Times |page=1E}}</ref> and Memorial Day weekend's Festival in the Park, which brings music and vendors to downtown Elmwood Park.<ref name=Dickens5>{{cite news |last=Dickens |first=Tad |date=April 28, 2023 |title=For boomers about to rock: Festival in the Park goes the all-tribute route for '23 |work=The Roanoke Times |page=8B}}</ref>

Later in the year, Elmwood Park hosts the Henry Street Heritage Festival, the primary fundraiser for the Harrison Museum of African American Culture.<ref name=Mouketo2>{{cite news |last=Mouketo |first=Julia |date=September 16, 2022 |title=Henry Street Festival returns to Elmwood in full force |work=The Roanoke Times |page=8B}}</ref> The event's popularity necessitated the move from its eponymous location.<ref name=Mouketo2 /> The Go Outside Festival, also known as GO Fest, is a free three-day event every October that celebrates the region's outdoor recreation opportunities,<ref name=Wall2>{{cite news |last=Wall |first=Sam |date=September 21, 2021 |title=GO Fest ready to rock, roll at new downtown location |work=The Roanoke Times |page=8B}}</ref> and the city holds the multi-week Dickens of a Christmas each December. This [[Victorian era]]-themed event includes a Christmas tree lighting, parade, and [[Carriage|horse-drawn carriage]] rides through downtown.<ref name=Berrier4>{{cite news |last=Berrier, Jr. |first=Ralph |date=December 3, 2021 |title=Dickens of a Christmas returning to downtown |work=The Roanoke Times |page=10B}}</ref>