Go Out, Have Fun & Enjoy Roanoke in a Sober-Friendly Environment

 

There is plenty of fun to be had in recovery. Some of these activities can be enjoyed for free, but make sure to look for discounts and coupons to save money for those that come with a price! Here is a list of sober-friendly things to do in Roanoke. Click on the links below for more details and let us know if there is an alcohol-free option we should add to the list.

 

Adventure

  1. **Grandin Village: Check out this historic village with shops, stores, restaurants, bakeries, a movie theatre, farmers market, local music performances, food trucks, and more.
  2. Green Ridge Recreation Center & Splash Valley Water Park: This public recreational facility comprises of 76,000 square feet and includes amenities such as a large wellness area for exercising, an indoor walking track, an indoor pool, a gymnasium, multipurpose rooms, child care, and more.
  3. Explore Park: The Explore Park offers a multitude of activities including disc golf, ropes courses and ziplines, camping, mountain biking, hiking, and boating.

Art

  1. The Little Gallery: The Little Gallery is open seven days a week and has several pieces of fine art on display including landscape, still life & abstract paintings, as well as photography and sculptures.
  2. Mill Mountain Theatre: Providing theatrical shows of all kind and theatre education for all ages, Mill Mountain Theatre strives to entertain, enrich, and educate, audience through high-quality productions.
  3. Taubman Museum of Art: Part of the lively metro mountain mix of arts, culture, and outdoor fun in Roanoke; It offers eleven galleries as part of the Fralin Center for American Art with 15-20 exhibits per year.
  4. Jefferson Center: Attend a concert, orchestra, ballet, comedy show, theater performance, and more at the Jefferson Center.

 

Food, Markets & Restaurants

  1. Cedar’s Lebanese Restaurant: Authentic, Lebanese cuisine based off family recipes passed down from generations. Half of their platters are meat based, and the other half are vegetarian based; both options come with fresh Lebanese spices and ingredients imported directly from Lebanon.
  2. Historic Roanoke City Market: Since 1882, their vendors have offered locally grown fresh fruits, vegetables, flowers, and plants, plus fresh meats, cheeses, baked goods, and artisan hand-crafted items.
  3. Evie’s Bistro & Bakery: Offers a delicious range of food prepped with fresh, seasonal ingredients with vegetarian and gluten free options as well. Their decadent desserts and baked goods are also very popular.
  4. **Shaker’s Good Food & Drink: Founded in 1986, Shakers Restaurant Corporation serves customers quality American cuisine ranging from steaks, fish, chicken, rice & pasta bowls, tacos, and more.
  5. **Hollywood’s Restaurant & Bakery: Hollywood’s Restaurant and Bakery offers a wide variety of food from house-made soups and sandwiches to steaks and seafood. They also have delicious desserts.

           

Museums

  1. Science Museum of Western Virginia & Hopkins Planetarium: Located in Downtown Roanoke, this museum features ten interactive exhibits that allow visitors to learn and explore a range of scientific subjects.
  2. Roanoke Pinball Museum: This interactive museum is dedicated to the science, art, and history of pinball. The games on display are playable and span a century of production from the 1930s through today.
  3. Harrison Museum of African American Culture: This museum is an educational institution committed to promoting, showcasing, and celebrating the art and history of African Americans for Roanoke Valley.
  4. Winston Link Museum & Roanoke History Museum: Intended to collect, preserve, interpret, and make available materials related to the history of the Roanoke region. They also sponsor research and publications in the field of regional history and provide educational services to people & institutions.
  5. Virginia Museum of Transportation: The Virginia Museum of Transportation is in downtown Roanoke’s century-old freight station and has been collecting and preserving the Commonwealth’s transportation history since 1963. Check out their interactive exhibits and artifacts.

 

Parks & Recreation

  1. Mill Mountain Zoo: Mill Mountain Zoo is a refuge for animals that are critically endangered, vulnerable, or otherwise non-releasable due to injury or captive at birth.
  2. Mills Mountain Star & Park: Home to the famous Roanoke Star, Roanoke Parks and Recreation’s Discovery Center, and Mill Mountain Zoo, this park is a popular attraction. It spans 568-acres and is also a great place to host events.
  3. Blue Ridge Parkway: The Parkway is 469 miles long extending through Virginia and North Carolina, and along the way there are several hiking and biking trails, picnic grounds, and camping grounds.
  4. Roanoke Valley Greenways: The greenway network includes over 400 miles of paved and natural surface trails for all types of visitors. It offers paths along a scenic waterway, parks to explore, several walking trails, and more.
  5. Carvins Cove Natural Reserve: This is the second largest municipal park in the nation and it holds a major water source within its 12,700 acres. Carvins Cove overflows with recreational opportunities including hiking, biking, fishing, horseback riding and boat rentals.
  6. Bottom Creek Gorge Preserve: Bottom Creek is a mountain stream that forms a stair-step of broad-basin waterfalls known as “The Kettles.” Many rare aquatic species live in it and it contains about 10% of all fish species know from Virginia. Fishing is not permitted.

 

BrightView wants to help connect people in recovery and help them enjoy life without drugs and alcohol. Contact us at 833.510.HELP for more information.

 

**PLEASE NOTE: This venue also serves beverages containing alcohol.
Photo Provided by Adobe Stock Images.