🌱 First Taco Fest May Become Annual Event + Food Bank Friday!

Hello again, fellow Roanokers! I hope you're all enjoying your weekend. I'm out of coffee creamer this morning so it looks like there's a trip to Starbucks in my near future. Hopefully my lack of proper caffeination doesn't affect the outcomes of this newsletter. Let's find out...

First, today's weather:

A thunderstorm around in the p.m.

High: 82 Low: 69.

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Here are the top four stories today in Roanoke:

1. Local chef and businessman Quincy Randolph made an appearance on The Food Network last week to take on long time celebrity chef Bobby Flay on his show, Beat Bobby Flay. Quincy and his brother, Steffon, own and operate RND Coffee, a small-batch roastery and coffee lounge with locations in Vinton and Wasena according to the companies website. Quincy hosts his own YouTube Channel called Café With Q. A chef by trade before opening RND Coffee, Quincy chose to make a unique spin on chicken and waffles and while he didn't win against Flay, he said, "So many people reached out … means more than you or anybody else may know. So thank you." (WSLS, RND Coffee, Beat Bobby Flay)
2. The Salem Civic Center is the latest venue in the area to introduce a clear bag policy after Elmwood Park, the Berglund Center and Dr. Pepper Park earlier this year. The policy disallows people carrying bags over a certain size that are not see through to enter. Operators say it speeds up the security process. "This really doesn’t have anything to do with gun safety, this is really about the speed and just getting people in. The funny thing is in our industry people are always trying to sneak in food, which it sounds crazy but you know we’re here to make a profit as well," said Wendy Delano, director of civic facilities for the Salem Civic Center. (WDBJ)
3. The Roanoke area is filled with food banks including Feeding Southwest Virginia, The Agape Center and the Salem Roanoke County Food Pantry. Friday was National Food Bank Day, a day to remind others that no one should go to bed hungry and of the necessity food banks provide to the poor. Many food banks are currently struggling to keep up with the demand since a one-two combo of the pandemic and sharply rising prices have swelled their client lists. "Right now our clients are up. We have clients that haven’t been here in a couple of years that are now having to return because times are tight. So our clients are up but our donations are down," said Mickey Estienne, the executive director for the Salem Roanoke County Food Pantry. (WSLS, National Food Bank Day)
4. We Roanokers have long been known to celebrate our love of food by hosting festivals dedicated to specific dishes. Next weekend we're trotting out a brand new one, Taco Fest! The First Annual (here's hoping) Taco Fest will be held Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on the grounds of Elmwood Park. It will feature "an array of tacos and beverages that will be available for purchase from eleven on-site vendors, including local favorites like Cabo Fish Taco, Tuco’s Taqueria, Tacos Rojas and more. Entertainment will be provided throughout the day, including local favorites like JoJo Stockton & Solacoustix, Christian Q & the Groove, Salsa Nokeand others," said a press release. (WFXR)

Today in Roanoke:

• Classic Cars and Donuts at Duck Donuts (8 a.m.)
• End of Summer Block Party at the Roanoke City Market Building (Noon)
• Live Vinton Entertainment featuring The Thrillbilliez, etc. (2 p.m.)
• First Draft: A Generative Writing Workshop and Community Potluck at Ursula’s Cafe (3 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• Roanoke City Public Schools: "Meet Tyree. A senior at William Fleming High School, Tyree has always dreamed of scoring a touchdown for the Colonels. At the first home game, the Colonels and Albemarle High School made his dream come true!" (Roanoke City Public Schools via Facebook)
• Southwest Virginia Wildlife Center of Roanoke: "Time to hang! A young Virginia opossum got released last night and decided to put on a tightrope act in front of us. After climbing up a tiny sapling this opossum awesomely displayed why opossum tails are so important." (Southwest Virginia Wildlife Center of Roanoke via Facebook)
• Roanoke Fire EMS Department: "Our personnel have been hard at work keeping our city safe, and we are proud to share their accomplishments with you. Please join us in congratulating them on the commendation they were awarded for their outstanding contributions!" (Roanoke Fire EMS Department via Facebook)
• Roanoke Valley SPCA: "Please help us thank Alexis for raising over $400 through her lemonade stand to support the pets in our shelter! Alexis has been holding this lemonade stand each year and we know she works incredibly hard to make it happen." (Roanoke Valley SPCA via Facebook)

That's it for today! I will see you all bright and early tomorrow for the Labor Day edition!

— Ian

About me: Ian Graham is a novelist, screenwriter, and freelance contributing writer. He is a firm believer in being yourself… unless you can be Batman. Always be Batman.

Have a news tip or suggestion for an upcoming Roanoke Daily? Contact me at roanoke@patch.com