Carson’s Courtyard, located on East Main Street, is the picturesque location of a new Friday night concert series in downtown Radford.
Heather Bell
RADFORD — Carson’s Courtyard is a well-known spot in downtown Radford and is recognizable by its iconic murals.
Now that picturesque setting is alive with the sounds of local musical talent, as Super Game Station and the Radford Visitor’s Center have teamed up to bring live music to this pocket park.
“Pocket parks are small outdoor spaces surrounded by commercial buildings for people to gather, relax or enjoy the outdoors,”explained Deb Cooney, Radford tourism director.
Super Game Station is a locally owned video store at 1109 West Main St. owned by the personable and upbeat John Yamine. The specialty store buys, sells and trades video game consoles and games and also has video-themed apparel and merchandise. “The shop hosts popular e-gaming tournaments that are attracting a large number of fans to Radford,”added Cooney.
Cooney says “one of the goals of the Radford Tourism Advisory Commission is to bring folks downtown to discover the restaurants and shops like Super Game Station.” “We feel fortunate to have this event space in our commercial district and free live music is a great way to bring folks to the historic district to eat, shop and visit our locally owned businesses,” Cooney said.
Cooney says the new downtown concert series is one component of the city’s revitalization efforts.
“The commercial districts in Radford are undergoing a revitalization initiative aimed to help Paint, Optimize and Plant – POP,” Cooney said. “The live music series is just one part of the plan to help with reinvestment in the commercial districts of Radford.”
Created by the Radford Economic Development Authority and sponsored by First NRV Federal Credit Union in partnership with Go! Radford, the POP program offers incentives to business owners to make improvements to their storefronts.
The live music series will feature a variety of music by locally and regionally loved bands. The line-up is as follows:
Friday, Sept. 13: Flannel Jukebox
Friday, Sept. 20: One Eyed Jack
Friday, Sept. 27: Rag Top
Friday, Oct. 4: Late Night Zero Friday, Oct. 11: TGTG
“The Friday Super Jam Sessions will culminate on Friday, Oct. 11 with an International Street Faire where cultural groups and performers will be sharing their talents as they bring a sense of history and place to our beloved city,” explained Cooney.
The music series is free and runs from 6-9 p.m.
For more information, please see VisitRadford.com or contact Deborah Cooney at info@VisitRadford.com or 540-267-3153.
