Daily
Roanoke
Friday, December 12th, 2025
Good morning, Roanoke. Here's your local news at a glance for Friday, the 12th of December.
COMMUNITY NEWS
- ➤ Market on Melrose celebrates one year of fighting food insecurity by offering fresh, affordable groceries and local jobs. The store, founded to serve Northwest residents and planning to expand its Henrietta's Cafe, employs mostly neighborhood staff (75% from the area). WDBJ7
- ➤ The Community Christmas Store is transforming an empty space into a festive wonderland for local families to shop for holiday gifts—volunteers have prepared it to serve 545 children and nearly 200 seniors from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. today through Saturday. WSLS 10
BUSINESS NEWS
- ➤ Hotel Roanoke was named one of USA Today’s Top 10 Hotels for the Holidays when the 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards were announced on Thursday. The recognition highlights the hotel’s long-standing dedication to creating a festive holiday experience for guests in the community. WSLS 10
- ➤ Fork in the Market reopened downtown Thursday after nearly 173 days closed because of a June fire+customers cheered its return as local business leaders supported the recovery. WSLS 10
GOVERNMENT NEWS
- ➤ Roanoke County unveiled ambitious development plans at Wednesday’s State of the County Address at Green Ridge Recreation Center, centering on the new acquisition of Explore Park to boost job creation and community events. Officials said the move will spur more infrastructure investments and local opportunities. WSLS 10
- ➤ Roanoke County now lets residents add cell phone numbers and extra details to RoCo Alert so recorded notifications reach homes during emergencies (alerts can be county-wide or neighborhood-specific). Roanoke County
HEALTH NEWS
- ➤ Psychologist Kia-Rai Prewitt at Cleveland Clinic outlined strategies to ease Sunday anxiety, including planning enjoyable activities + evaluating work conditions. Her advice helps those who feel stressed about the upcoming workweek. WSLS 10
- ➤ Nicole DeFoor, a third-year student at VTC working in Jennifer Munson’s lab at the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute, has received the Zeta Beta Tau Graduate Fellowship to study glioblastoma — her research explores how fluid flow affects tumor cell signaling and may lead to new treatment ideas. The Roanoke Star
-
Roanoke's Ugly Sweater Pub Crawl
4:30-9:00 p.m. — Martin's Downtown — Check Eventbrite for ticket pricing — Embrace the holiday spirit with contests, games, and cheers in your ugliest sweater at this festive pub crawl.
-
The Nutcracker by Southwest Virginia Ballet
3-5 p.m. — Berglund Center — Ticket purchase required — Experience the magic of The Nutcracker with a large cast and live orchestra in this beloved holiday classic.
-
Handel's Messiah Performance
7-8:30 p.m. — Jefferson Center, Roanoke, VA — Ticket info available — Experience the timeless power of Handel’s Messiah through choral and orchestral performance.
-
Roanoke Ballet Theatre Presents The Nutcracker
2-8 p.m. — Jefferson Center — $10 children's tickets — Experience the enchanting tale of Clara and her Nutcracker with stunning performances and holiday cheer.
-
The Santa Cares Experience
1 PM — 5 Points Music Sanctuary — Free entry — Enjoy seasonal songs with Santa and capture the holiday magic with Cloud Bobby.
-
Christmas Eve and Christmas Day Buffet Celebration
5-8 p.m. — The Regency Room — $56 adults, $28 children under 12 — Indulge in a festive buffet dinner in a historic setting this holiday season.
-
Illuminights Festival
Half-mile of stunning lights — Explore Park — Ticket details upcoming — Experience the magic of over 650,000 lights and festive activities for families.
-
Sicard Hollow Live Performance
6:30-10 p.m. — 5 Points Music Sanctuary — Check event site for cost — Experience fearless improv and psychedelic punk-grass rock as Sicard Hollow lights up the holidays.
-
Grace Potter Live at The Exchange Music Hall
8 PM – 12 AM — The Exchange Music Hall — Ticket prices TBD — Celebrate the opening of Roanoke's premier venue with an unforgettable New Year's Eve performance by Grace Potter.
No new real estate listings today. You can submit one here.
No new job posts today. You can submit one here.
No new community announcements today. You can submit one here.
TODAY'S FOOD FOR THOUGHT
Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage.
Know who said this? Send us an email!
Reveal the authorAbout Daily Roanoke
Welcome to the Daily Roanoke, your community newsletter that's anything but snooze-worthy, packed with positive, impactful local news + events across the Roanoke, Virginia community. If you like the Daily Roanoke, support us by subscribing to our email newsletter and sharing us with your friends and family in Roanoke.
Advertising Opportunities
Advertising with us will make sure you stay at the top of everyone's mind—in Roanoke and across Virginia. You can learn more here. We'll work together to build a custom plan to hit your goals this year.
Alternatively, you can submit events, announcements, real estate listings, and job postings. We'll include them in our newsletter on whichever dates you like.
Community, delivered
Our hyper-local media company activates communities through daily email newsletters that curate the most positive, impactful local news + events – all for free.
Subscribe to Daily Roanoke
A free Roanoke community newsletter.
- Daily local news
- We curate the most positive, impactful local news + events.
- 6AM City
- A publication of 6AM City, the nation's leading local newsletter-first media network. Nominate your city.
© 6AM City Inc. 2025. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy. Terms of Service. Questions? Contact us here
Sitemap: https://dailyroanoke.com/sitemap