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February 18, 2014

5th Annual Down By Downtown To Host First Show in Newly Renovated Elmwood Park

DxDT-header

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Organizers Promise Full Festival Experience with Additional Venues Expanded Musical Line-Up

February 18, 2014 - Organizers of the 5th Annual Down by Downtown (DXDT) Festival and the Foot Levelers Blue Ridge Marathon, in conjunction with the Jefferson Center, held a press conference in Elmwood Park today announcing the expansion of the music and cultural event to be held in downtown Roanoke, Virginia Thursday, April 24th through Saturday, April 26th, 2014.

G.-Love--Special-Sauce

The diverse musical offering spanning over 40 performances at nearly 20 venues throughout the city will be highlighted by a full day of outdoor music on Saturday, April 26th in conjunction with the running of the Foot Levelers Blue Ridge Marathon, Half Marathon and the first ever Anthem StarK - 10k race. Sponsored by Member One Federal Credit Union and Foot Levelers, the DXDT main stage will be the first major event held at the amphitheater in the newly renovated Elmwood Park and will be headlined by nationally acclaimed and wildly popular G. Love & Special Sauce of Philadelphia.

"There are so many exciting new things about this year's festival from a deepened relationship with the Foot Levelers Blue Ridge Marathon to the partnership with Jefferson Center who will serve as our official ticketing agent - ensuring a streamlined and organized experience for festival-goers," said organizer Bruce C. Bryan of B2C Enterprises. "We have nearly doubled the number of participating venues which speaks to Roanoke's growing role as a vibrant musical hub in the region," he continued.

Music enthusiasts are sure to be thrilled by the smooth Garrett "G. Love" Dutton, one of the nation's funkiest performers of laid back, alternative hip-hop blues -- a genre he helped define. G. Love, who has recently toured with Jack Johnson and The Dave Matthews Band, explains his sounds as, "a nod back and a step forward" where he returns to the roots of blues and folk while venturing into the contemporary world of hip-hop.

"There is something special about DXDT hosting the first show in the new Elmwood Park amphitheater," said City Manager, Chris Morrill. "It brings the Creative Connectors initiative full-circle and serves as successful example of how cities and regions can benefit by thoughtful public/private partnerships," he continued.

DXDT grew from the 2009 CityWorks/Roanoke City sponsored Creative Connector's initiative based on Richard Florida's book on The Creative Class - and has become a large collaboration of music venues, community leaders and downtown businesses. While the organizing board is still comprised of several members of the original Creative Connector class, the group has grown to include a wide range of community voices and newcomers to the area including Bruce C. Bryan of B2C Enterprises; Jason Martin of Martin's Downtown; Dylan Locke of Jefferson Center; Betsy Whitney of the Carilion Foundation; Robert Johnson of First and Sixth Restaurant; Shannon Naff of WSLS TV; Cory Campbell of Kirk Avenue Music Hall; Andrea Milliron of Member One Federal Credit Union; Bruce Houghton of Skyline Music; Dave and Ann Trinkle of the Fork Restaurants; Larry Landolt of Roanoke Food Tours; Rob Ruthenberg of WVMP radio, and other venue representatives.

The Blue Ridge Marathon was created by the Roanoke Regional Partnership to showcase the region's commitment to making outdoor recreation and environmental stewardship a core component of the Roanoke Region lifestyle. Originally boasted as "America's Toughest Road Marathon" it has more than lived up to the reputation. Not for the faint of heart, the Foot Levelers Blue Ridge Marathon features the most challenging and breathtaking course of any road marathon in the country and was recently named to The Weather Channel's "World's 15 Toughest Marathons" list (#8). Beginning in downtown Roanoke, Virginia and ascending four miles along the Blue Ridge Parkway to the summit of Roanoke Mountain this race will put you in the zone...and all before mile 10!

DXDT Festval tickets go on sale March 4, 2014 at 10am through the Jefferson Center box office and online at www.JeffCenter.org. General admission is $20 plus fees and special discounted rates will be available to marathon participants through their race registration process. Participating venues include Kirk Avenue Music Hall, Jefferson Center, Martin's Downtown, Corned Beef & Co., Awful Arthurs, Blues BBQ, Fork in the City, Fork in the Market, Blue 5, Billy's, The Quarter, Flannary's, Cornerstone, 202 Market, Penny Deux Lounge, The Pine Room at Hotel Roanoke, METRO! and 16 West Marketplace. The full musical line-up for each venue and the main stage will be announced over the coming weeks.

Media Contact: Bruce@b2cEnterprises.com | 540.986.8766

For more information or to volunteer:

DownByDowntown.com | Facebook/DownByDowntown | Twitter@DownByDowntown | BlueRidgeMarathon.com | Facebook/BlueRidgeMarathon

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