ROANOKE, Va. – Starting Thursday, downtown Roanoke is going to be filled with music for the first outdoor festival of the season -- Down by Downtown.
The festivities start around 7:30 Thursday night and continue into the weekend.
"People love live music here," said Dan Mock, whose restaurant Wall Street Tavern hosted one of the first concerts. "The shows at Elmwood Park are getting bigger, the shows here at the smaller local venues are getting bigger, and there's other venues around town that are really experiencing more of a growth."
Roanoke Outdoor Foundation event planned Julia Boas says this could be Roanoke's answer to the South By Southwest music festival in Austin, Texas.
"One day I envision it as having multiple stages throughout the Market Building area and having all these different block parties," said Boas. "People come from all over the state and throughout the region to celebrate our culture and our music."
Some of the bands who will be making an appearance include Tank and the Bangas, the 2017 winner of NPR's Tiny Desk Contest, the band Spafford, which played Bonaroo and Rubblebucket, which is set to play Bonaroo shortly after their stay in the Star City.
Some of the events are free, but some of them do cost money.
For $25, you can see Spafford, Tank and the Bangas and Rubblebucket. For $60, you can see every Down by Downtown show from Thursday to Sunday.
For more information on events, times and bands, visit the Down by Downtown website.