New Festival and Concert Space Coming to Roanoke

Artist Rendering of Bridges Concert Venue Music fans in Roanoke will soon have a new spot to catch the best music, festivals, and entertainment in the region. A venue at the new, mixed-use Bridges development was recently leased by Roanoke marketing company Sponsor Hounds.

The site off Walnut Avenue next to the Trolley Barn will be another unique addition to the entertainment scene in Roanoke. The venue will feature a covered stage, space under the Walnut Bridge for vendors, and capacity for events of up to 8,000 people. Sponsor Hounds, hopes to have the site ready by May 2, 2015 for their Cinco de Mayo festival.

“Having a permanent home for events, concerts and community engagement offers us more flexibility to create memorable events and book additional musical acts,” Sponsor Hounds President Waynette Anderson said in a news release. “With our site at The Bridges, we won’t be bound by dates at other venues and we can provide musical acts with additional schedule flexibility.”

The venue will also host Roanoke Wing Fest, Woofstock Dog Festival and other events managed by Sponsor Hounds. Those events were held at the recently renovated Elmwood Park, which is only a mile away from the Bridges, but city officials and others do not see the two as competitors, but rather as compliments.