Today is Small Business Saturday, and local shops are hoping you spend your holiday shopping dollars with them, instead of big box retailers.

Our region is getting more colorful every day thanks to the addition of more and more murals.

Roanoke Valley’s largest Christmas celebration, Dickens of a Christmas, kicked off on Friday night with a Christmas tree lighting.

The heart of the Star City is continuing to grow.

Downtown officials had originally planned to keep the area open through Sept. 25, but effective on Wednesday, Sept. 7, DORA ended.

Here's a look at some of the stories we'll be following today as they make headlines in Southwest Virginia.

The area, also known as “DORA” allows people to walk outside with alcoholic drinks from bars and restaurants.

Roanoke’s tastiest week returns this Friday and goes until the 30th. This is a week where you can experience some of Downtown’s wide variety of lunch and dinner options.

Downtown Roanoke Inc. is making it easier than ever to shop for gifts this holiday season with their new gift guide. The Downtown Roanoke Holiday Gift Guide showcases local businesses and their products that would make great gifts this holiday season.

ROANOKE, Va. – Once again, due to the coronavirus, Roanoke has canceled its St. Patrick’s Day festivities. “It’s by far our busiest day of the year, I mean hands down,” said Jason Martin, the owner of Martin’s Downtown. Downtown Roanoke Inc. announced Monday that it’s canceling the city’s annual parade and Shamrock Festival, citing current restrictions. Business owners will be thankful for any kind of boost right now, but even more thankful when things return to normal. “I think our goal is to weather the storm,” Broyles said.

ROANOKE, Va. As students get ready to go back to school, one Roanoke company is hoping youll donate supplies to the second annual Park it on the Market event. On Aug. 7 and Aug. 14 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., ALCOVA Mortgage is teaming up with Downtown Roanoke Inc. to park a bus in the City Market. The goal is to fill it with school supplies for Roanoke City students. If you would like to donate, you dont have to wait until Friday to do so. You can drop off school supply donations at ALCOVA Mortgage Branches in Roanoke, The Kirk Family YMCA, the YMCA Express at Gainsboro or Kids Square.

ROANOKE, Va. – The Star City is about to get a lot more colorful with the start of a new initiative painting murals outside of downtown businesses. One artist painted a mural outside Downshift on Tuesday morning. The Downtown Mural Project is an initiative Downtown Roanoke Inc. started and more than 40 businesses quickly jumped on board. “Art is super important for the community and we’re always trying to find ways to bring art into downtown Roanoke and to share positivity in such a challenging time, of course is helpful. And we just want to get people downtown really,” said Jaime Clark, marketing and communications manager for Downtown Roanoke Inc.You can find more pictures of the murals by searching #DowntownMuralProject.

ROANOKE, Va. – If you have a green thumb, you can soon bring home a piece of downtown Roanoke for your garden. Downtown Roanoke Inc. is giving away the flowers planted throughout downtown next week as it prepares to plant a new batch. The flowers come from the planters at City Market and the Roanoke Amtrak station. Jaime Clark with Downtown Roanoke Inc. said it’s a way to make sure these flowers do not go to waste. We hope people enjoy it.”The giveaway times and locations will be announced on the Roanoke Farmers Market Facebook page.

ROANOKE, Va. – Roanoke’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade is right around the corner, but the city needs your help for it to run smoothly. Downtown Roanoke Inc. needs up to 70 volunteers to assist with parade operations. Volunteer jobs include lining up the parade floats, checking IDs and serving concessions. The organization does have some volunteers who help with the parade every year, but more are needed this year because of some special guests. The parade takes place on March 14.

ROANOKE, Va. - A brand new event aims to help Roanoke city school children. A school bus was parked in downtown Roanoke with the goal to fill the entire bus with donated school supplies for local students in need. Roanoke City Schools will give the supplies to students at an event called Back-to-School Extravaganza. The following school supplies are most needed: notebook paper, pens, pencils, crayons, colored pencils, pencil boxes, rulers, glue sticks, backpacks, copy paper and markers. The event coincides with Virginia's tax-free weekend to encourage shoppers to buy supplies to fill the bus.