ROANOKE, Va. – Dozens of people lined up for blocks in downtown Roanoke on Thursday to get free swag and celebrate Dr Pepper Day.
This the fifth annual holiday hosted by Dr Pepper Park. It always falls on Oct. 24 because “Drink a Bite to Eat at 10, 2 and 4” was the soda company's slogan. That's why Roanoke celebrates "10/24" as Dr Pepper Day.
The company's first Virginia bottling plant was in Roanoke. To this day, the city tops the list of places that drink Dr Pepper the most. "We were No. 1 per capita for Dr Pepper consumption for many years, so this is Dr Pepper's way of saying, 'Thank you' to Roanoke," said Waynette Anderson, the president of Dr Pepper Park.
Thousands of people attended the event. Those who waited in line received free limited-edition T-shirts and soda. Plus, there was live music.