Roll Out the (Marathon) Welcome Mat

Runners and residents are invited to the Foot Levelers Blue Ridge Marathon runner welcome party as part of Down by Downtown in Elmwood Park on Friday, April 20.

The party starts at 5 p.m. (and coincides with runner packet pickup) and features free live music from the Mad Iguanas and Dead Reckoning as well as noms from local food trucks and craft beer from Ballast Point and Parkway Brewing.

It’ll be a great way to kick off the weekend and welcome all the runners from outside the region to Roanoke, showing them what a great place this is.

The Free Friday Concert is part of the Down by Downtown Music Festival, a three day festival in downtown Roanoke from April 19-21, with music acts from all over the country at 12 different venues.

Down by Downtown starts Thursday, April 19, at multiple venues in downtown Roanoke, and includes headliner moe. on Saturday at Elmwood Amphitheater. You can find tickets and the full lineup here.