Waynesboro, VA: The Perfect Summer Getaway
Stuck at the office daydreaming about wide open spaces and cool mountain streams? Idling in traffic and wishing you were high above it all? Want to trade in that concrete jungle for a forest path? Hop in the car and set your sights on those Blue Ridge Mountains, and before you know it you’ll be in Waynesboro, VA, the playground of the Shenandoah Valley. Here are 6 reasons to plan your getaway now:
1. Good nature is a way of life.
Waynesboro is an outdoor lover’s paradise. The South River that runs through our Downtown Historic District attracts anglers from around the world. In addition to being a year-round fishing destination, our mountain waters provide an easily accessible opportunity to experience the Shenandoah Valley by canoe, kayak, or tube. Put in at Ridgeview Park and travel 4 miles along the Waynesboro Water Trail. Simply keep paddling if you’d like to extend your water excursion.
Waynesboro is perfectly situated just three miles from the junction of the Blue Ridge Parkway to the south and Skyline Drive heading north through Shenandoah National Park. It’s easy to decompress when you’re hiking a portion of the Appalachian Trail, enjoying a serene picnic, or reveling in a sunset over the mountain range.
2. Waynesboro is a Live Music destination.
For a City with a population of just 25,000, Waynesboro has an impressive amount of live music venues for all tastes.
The Foundry is Waynesboro's newest live music venue with an 800+ person capacity, an industrail-defunct wide-open warehouse feel, and an impressive talent line up.
You'll also find live music all week long at local pubs and restaurants. E&J's Deli Pub has live music every Friday and Saturday. Plaza Antigua has a impressive outdoor stage that brings in the best of the best regional bands. The Fishin' Pig has an outdoor bar and seating as well as the 'Pig Pen' where you'll find live music during the summer. These are just a few of Waynesboro's Live Music venues, but you can find a complete list of this weeks events here.
Waynesboro is also home to a couple of summer concert series. Groovin' at the Greenway offers a FREE concert every Thursday from mid-May to the end of July in Constitution Park. Bring your chair, enjoy the show, and grab some dinner at a different food truck each week. The Wayne Theatre also puts on a free show, Wayne on Main, every last Wednesday of the month from May-September in front of their historic theatre.
3. Explore Waynesboro's diverse local restaurants.
Pack your appetite! Waynesboro has over a dozen local dining destinations. One of Waynesboro's most delicious and unique restuarants is The Mill Yard Virtual Food Hall. With a Shomai Kitchen, Smoke Box, House Specials, a Pizza Shop, and more, all their food is fresh and delicious and there is definitely something for everyone.
Downtown Waynesboro offers a culinary experience with everything from homemade Gumbo at The Gumbo Hut to absolutely giant pizzas and everything in between. If you want a sit down soup to nuts dinner, check out The Heritage on Main or Green Leaf Grill. If you're looking for a sandwich and a drink The River Burger Bar, Delly Up, or The City Foxes Wine Bar + Market is right up your alley. Picky eater? Benny's Pizza or Sam's Hot Dogs will solve that problem. And if you're looking for breakfast Stella, Bella, and Lucy's, Weasie's, The French Press, or Farmhaus Coffee Co. have gourmet coffee, biscuits and gravy, pancakes, avacado toast, and anything else you can think of between them.
4. We’ve got space to savor Virginia’s best beer and wine.
Wide-open spaces isn’t just a reference to our beautiful surroundings. If elbow room and an unrushed meander through a flight of craft beer or wine tasting is your longing, Waynesboro is perfectly situated to leisurely explore and savor the Shenandoah Beerwerks Trail and the area's local wineries.
Basic City Beer Co. is Waynesboro's own destination craft brewery. Not only does Basic City have a tasting room with an industrial vibe and lots of fun, free games like skee ball, but it also has The Showroom at Basic City, a 21+ venue with a speakeasy, old-world tavern ambiance on campus. Enjoy Trivia every Tuesday and a free concert most Saturday's.
If you're more of a wine drinker, Barren Ridge Vineyards is a beautiful venue with amazing views that serves award winning wine and has live music every weekend.
5. You don’t have to leave your love for the arts behind.
Waynesboro has a very vibrant art scene. Shenandoah Valley Art's Center has two locations downtown with galleries, resident artists, exhibits, and a gift shop full of local artists' work.
You'll probably also notice large works of art adorning many of Waynesboro's buildings. Take a tour of all of Waynesboro's Street Arts with a scavenger hunt-style twist with the Traipse App as your guide.
Looking to learn a new art form? Waynesboro has plenty of opportunities. The Virginia Institute of Blacksmithing offers weekend classes where you can forge your own knife, hatchet, or unique piece of metal art through welding. Make Waynesboro Clay Studio offers day and private classes so you can learn of sharpen your pottery skills. SVAC also offers art classes for adults and kids, check out their calendar for a complete list of opportunities.
6. Play for kids of all ages is encouraged!
Waynesboro is a community that appreciates play! Family-freindly festivals like Petpawlooza are happening all summer long so be sure to sign-up for our weekly events newsletter so you always know what's happening!
Hiking is abundant in Wayneesboro's neck of the woods and if your a kid or just a kid at heart, DoahOutdoor's offers an awesome treasure hunt hike. While you're on this three-mile hike you will learn about compass navigation and trail-reading while you search for the 'treasure' at X marks the spot!
For more hikes in the Waynesboro area, click here.
So ditch your dress shoes for hiking boots and your briefcase for a walking stick. Stow your gadgets and silence the phone. There’s a different call coming in and you’re going to answer!
