At 126 N Main St., Magnolia + Moss Mercantile and Snickle & Fritz Candy Co. share one address. Between Nov. 7 and Dec. 12, shoppers stopping in at that address and the rest of downtown Roanoke will be taking part in a holiday calendar with a clear design. When someone wins something this season, the prize is credit at a local business. The winner of the $500 shopping spree gets five $100 gift certificates to participating merchants or restaurants. Each winning house in the lighting contest gets a $100 gift certificate from a list of select locations.
The calendar is put together by the Roanoke Chamber of Commerce, which Discover Roanoke describes as an all-volunteer organization that helps plan community events and holds monthly meetings open to anyone. So the season works as one loop. Holiday shopping on Main Street earns entries, and the entries pay out as more Main Street shopping.
The five weeks at a glance
Fall in town has already had its big weekend. The 19th annual Renaissance in Roanoke filled downtown on Oct. 10, and Three Rivers Dance Academy opened the event for the first time, as the Huntington County TAB reported. Up next is Trunk-or-Treat at Roanoke Park on Saturday, Oct. 31, from 4 to 6 p.m. The holiday events start a week later.
| Date | Event | Where | What it feeds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sat., Nov. 7, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. | Holiday Open Houses | Shops across town | Specials at decorated stores |
| Sat., Nov. 28 through Sat., Dec. 12 | Shop Small, Win Big | Participating merchants and restaurants | One entry per local shopping trip, $500 prize |
| Fri., Dec. 4, 5–8 p.m. | Christmas in the Village, night one | Main Street, Fourth to First | Lighted parade at 7 p.m., food drive |
| Sat., Dec. 5, 8:30 a.m.–5 p.m. | Christmas in the Village, day two | Seminary Church and downtown | Breakfast with Santa, Polar Express Trolley |
| Week after Dec. 5 | Discover the Lights judging | $100 gift certificates to winners |
Nov. 7 sets up the rest of the season
The Holiday Open Houses listing promises shops decorated for Christmas, holiday home décor and gifts. It also lists the kinds of things on the shelves: jewelry, art, antiques, furniture, clothing, wine, baked goods and gift certificates. Hours can vary by business, so the 10-to-5 window is the outer limit, not a promise from every door.
Downtown is compact, and the Chamber's directory gives every stop a street number. A route from the south end of North Main up to the old factory building could go like this:
- Magnolia + Moss Mercantile and Snickle & Fritz Candy Co., 126 N Main St.
- Lavender Valley Farms Roanoke, 142 N Main St.
- Heartstrings Lather Up, 164 N Main St.
- French-Deal Fine Art, 171 N Main St., across the street from Outdoor District at 159 and Man Cave Collectibles at 135
- Ellen's Bridal, 188 N Main St., next to the Roanoke Village Inn at 190
- Saving Grace Vintage, 212 N Main St., Suite 1A
- Jebi's Ice Cream Shoppe, 235 N Main St.
- Ella Chic Boutique, 247 N Main St.
- Old Coil Factory Vintage Shoppes, 314 N Main St., Suite 100
A few stops sit a block off Main. Paper Moon is at 188 E. 2nd St., and Moose and Mollie's Cafe & Gelato is at 171 E. 2nd St. The Parker Grace Tea Room and A. Shively & Co. share 138 1st St., and The Copper Still is south of the core at 165 S Main St.
The open house is a good day to scout, three weeks before the contest begins. On Nov. 7 you can see which shops carry what you plan to buy. Then you can do that buying after Nov. 28, when each trip counts toward the drawing.
Shop Small, Win Big rewards repeat trips
The promotion starts on Small Business Saturday, Nov. 28, at 10 a.m. and runs until 5 p.m. on Dec. 12. Under the event rules, you get a new entry every time you shop local during that window. One large shopping day earns less than several small trips spread over two weeks.
The payout keeps the money in town too. The winner gets up to one month to claim five $100 gift certificates from the participating merchants or restaurants of their choice. That means the $500 can be split across as many as five local businesses.
The Chamber hasn't posted which businesses are taking part yet. The event page says the list is coming in November 2026, so check it before you assume a favorite shop counts.
Christmas in the Village pulls the season into one weekend
The second week of the contest runs into the town's biggest holiday night. Christmas in the Village is Friday, Dec. 4, and Saturday, Dec. 5.
Friday, 5 to 8 p.m.
- The lighted parade starts at 7 p.m. and runs down Main Street from Fourth Street to First Street.
- The Chamber lists Mr. and Mrs. Claus, a tree lighting, live music, shopping and dining for the weekend.
- A Roanoke Food Drive trailer will be in the Eyecare Associates of Roanoke parking lot at 270 N Main St. from 5 to 8 p.m. Donors get one raffle ticket for every five items and one for every $10 given.
- Last year, Joseph Decuis, Moose & Mollie's, Parker Grace, the Lions Club and the Masonic Lodge handled food on Friday evening, according to the 2025 event page. The 2026 lineup hasn't been announced.
Saturday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Breakfast with Santa runs from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. at Seminary Church.
- The Visit Huntington Polar Express Trolley is coming to Roanoke on Saturday. Details and tickets are listed as coming soon.
The food drive is the one part of the weekend that sends value outside the shops, and it has its own wish list. The pantry asks for soup, canned meat, beans, canned fruit, powdered drink mixes, powdered milk, cooking oil, snack bars, popcorn, cake mixes, pasta, spaghetti sauce, cleaning supplies, laundry detergent and personal hygiene items. Checks go to the Roanoke Food Pantry, a ministry of the Inter Church Council that also helps with utility bills. Seminary Church, where Saturday's breakfast takes place, also hosts a Clothes Closet and Gary's Groceries, a 24-hour pantry in the church parking lot.
Families who want to walk in the parade instead of watching it can sign up online. The Chamber posts its parade rules and a hold harmless agreement to read first.
Discover the Lights pays out in local credit too
The loop reaches front yards after the parade. The Discover the Lights Holiday Lighting Contest has two categories. The Classic Christmas award is for traditional displays. The Clark Griswold award is for the biggest, brightest, most over-the-top ones. A Judges Award goes to the judges' overall favorite. Entries need a Roanoke address to be included in voting, and judging happens on Facebook the week after Christmas in the Village.
Each category winner gets a $100 gift certificate from a list of select locations. Add that to the five certificates from Shop Small, Win Big, and the season's prizes are worth hundreds of dollars, all of it spendable only at local businesses. That's why every event on the calendar, from the open houses to the parade route to the lights contest, ends up back on Main Street.
Dates to put on the fridge
- Sat., Oct. 31: Trunk-or-Treat, Roanoke Park, 4–6 p.m.
- Sat., Nov. 7: Holiday Open Houses, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.
- Sat., Nov. 28: Small Business Saturday, Shop Small, Win Big entries open at 10 a.m.
- Fri., Dec. 4: Food drive 5–8 p.m. at 270 N Main St., lighted parade at 7 p.m.
- Sat., Dec. 5: Breakfast with Santa 8:30–10:30 a.m. at Seminary Church, Polar Express Trolley
- Sat., Dec. 12: Last day to enter Shop Small, Win Big, until 5 p.m.
Every listing still says more details are coming. The participating merchants and trolley tickets should be the first to appear on discoverroanoke.org as December gets closer.
At Morken Real Estate Services, we pay attention to the small-town calendars that keep places like Roanoke's Main Street busy, because those blocks are part of what a home here is worth. If you're thinking about what your Roanoke home is worth heading into the new year, we'd be glad to give you an appraisal-informed number. Request Your Home Valuation.
