Smoke in Chimneys lost nearly half of its winter crop of trout last month due to low water levels. The Roanoke Valley culinary community has rallied around the Walker family to help sustain them through this devastating loss.
Lindsey Hull
Lindsey Hull is a 2023 graduate of Hollins University, where she studied English, creative writing, and leadership. She is a published poet and is working on a creative nonfiction book about storytelling performances in and around South-Central and Central Appalachia.
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New marker will share the history of Roanoke’s Gainsboro Library — and of the librarian who saved its collection
The Gainsboro Library was the first public library for African Americans in western Virginia when it opened in 1921. Librarian Virginia Y. Lee made sure that its collection of Black history books remained intact, despite city opposition.
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Lee Hunsaker takes her ‘Hoot and Holler’ storytelling on the road
Since Lee Hunsaker launched Hoot and Holler storytelling events in Roanoke in 2016, she’s developed a reputation as a “story midwife” who helps bring out the best in her storytellers. Next month, she takes the show on the road to Bristol’s Rhythm & Roots Reunion music festival.
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Apprenticeship program brings the next generation into folklife traditions
Roanokers Bernadette Lark and Alanjha Harris are part of this year’s Virginia Folklife apprenticeship program. They will perform Gullah Geechee gospel music Thursday at the Taubman Museum of Art.
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Immersive documentary reveals Roanoke’s often-overlooked African American history
“Hidden in Plain Site: Roanoke” explores six sites in Roanoke that played key roles in the city’s African American community but are unknown to many residents.
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With autism certification, Lynchburg’s Amazement Square seeks to be more inclusive
The hands-on museum has taken steps to make things easier for families dealing with neurodivergent diagnoses. It offers quiet spaces, sensory-friendly toys and a staff trained in autism awareness.
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For longtime hot air balloon enthusiasts, Wytheville rally is about both soaring and connecting
Pilots from across the region converge on Wytheville for the Chautauqua Festival every year to fly their balloons and to see old friends. “First you get to know their kids. Then you hear about their kids’ weddings, and then you get to see their grandkids,” one balloonist said.
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Nature trail opens this week at D-Day Memorial
The National D-Day Memorial in Bedford will dedicate the trail on Tuesday, the 79th anniversary of D-Day.
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Roanoke ballet performance incorporates poetry, music — and sign language
“The end goal is to have a ballet performance where a hearing person and a person with a hearing impairment can both watch it and walk away thinking they saw a show just for them,” said Will Smith, the show’s producer/director.
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An archivist has spent 12 years working to return Native American remains and artifacts to their tribes. Success may be close.
In 2011, Stephanie Gardner discovered that some of Bridgewater College’s 4,000 Native American artifacts were federally protected and needed to be repatriated. Archivists across the U.S. have been involved in similar efforts.