Elmwood Park Amphitheater Information
What is it about Elmwood Park Amphitheater that makes it stand out as South West Virginia’s premiere concert and festival venue? As it turns out, after the 2014 renovation, the venue became an exquisit space to offer high-quality live entertainment as well as further the goals of providing a space for the Downtown Roanoke community. Roanoke City Parks and Rec were proud to show off what the venue could do, especially in cooperation with the many other facilities, events, nad experiences available at the venue.
About Elmwood Park
The park is open for 12 hours a day from 11am-11pm every day of every week. In addition to the 4,000+ capacity Amphitheater and its cascading grass terrace seating, it’s also got a gorgeous illuminated fountain in front of the stage. The entire park is lined with walkways with decorative fountains through out and its famous “art walk” where visitors can explore the park while surrounded by decorative sculptures. It is also lined with magnolia trees that provide many scenic vistas perfect for nature walkers, photo takers, and nature lovers of all ages.
All year round, Elmwood Park plays host to a variety of events. Including Thanksgiving week through the end of January, where it partners with Downtown Roanoke, Inc to offer a public ice skating rink. Then, as the weather warms up, it becomes a destination for self-improvement and fitness with free outdoor morning yoga classes. And all throughout the year, it is home and host to a variety of concerts, festivals, and special events that keep guests coming back week by week.
And unlike many larger venues, Elmwood Park rents out space at affordable prices, which makes it a popular destination for visiting bands and musicians as well as local artists and community groups.
Park Design
When Elmwood Park designers sought to build a spot of nature in Roanoke, they meant it. The park is home to 35,000 trees and plants and uses a unique irrigation system that regenerates and reuses water to keep plants watered. It is famous for its majestic main corridors that feature magnolia tree-lined walkways and several examples of illuminated water fountains and stunning large sculptures.
And the kids haven’t been left out of the design either. As it features a one-of-a-kind playground designed to make younger guests and the young at heart feel like Peter Pan and the Lost Boys and all the classic storybook characters. The playground is fully accessible for ADA-compliance and has programs developed in partnership with Roanoke Parks and Recreation, Roanoke’s Libraries and Carilion Clinic Children’s Hospital.
But what’s more than that, is that the venue is within five-minutes from 3,800 parking spaces and is accessed by cars, buses, bikes, and walkers every day. And it even features the Roanoke Mill Mountain greenway that runs through the park connecting it to the Roanoke
River and Lick Run greenway. This makes it one of the most scenic and fully packed venues in the world.
The Amphitheater was designed to be a welcoming spot for guests with room for 4,000 guests in spacious seating for live shows and acts. Acoustics have been designed to make the best use of the design so that audiences can enjoy crisp and clear sounds from every angle and seat. And, on top of that, the carefully managed arrangement allows the best possible sightlines in amphitheater entertainment.
To top it off, the park’s downtown location is within a five-minute walk from 3,800 parking spaces, making it accessible by car, bus, bike or on foot. Roanoke’s Mill Mountain greenway also runs directly through the park, conveniently connecting the park to the Roanoke River and Lick Run greenways.
Elmwood Art Walk
The City of Roanoke and the Roanoke Arts Commission holds a regular arts event every few years. This event, the Elmwood Art Walk, is a temporary art exhibit with pieces displayed throughout the park. The pieces are chosen as part of the Art in Roanoke program with various themes during every exhibit. For example, in 2021, the theme for sculptures was “Reimagining Roanoke” which featured artist interpretations of that.
The initiative is an incredible collaboration between the two commissions to promote the arts and creative cultural enrichment in a way that’s open to all visitors and guests. And adding it as a part of the park walking experience makes it far more relaxed and approachable for many guests as compared to a standard museum setting.
If you have questions about this initiative, you can contact Doug Jackson at 540-853-5652.
For more information on the Elmwood Park Amphitheater see the pages below:
Elmwood Park Amphitheater Parking:
Read parking information and directions for the Elmwood Park Amphitheater.
Ticket Policies:
Read ticket policies, ticket verification and refund policies.
Elmwood Park Amphitheater Seating Chart:
View the Elmwood Park Amphitheater seating map and read related seating information.