The must-see, eat, experience in the River City: Eight years of fun, more to come

A few months ago, I wrote about how I came to live in Staunton as a journalist, and what is so wonderful about living in the Queen City.

Well, you didn’t think I’d leave Waynesboro out, did you?

I was talking with a community member on Friday, in fact, and mentioned that I have a bit of a history in Waynesboro. Then I realized how long I’ve lived and worked in the Valley, and that I truly do have a history now.

I moved to the Valley in September 2015 at which time I worked for a certain newspaper which shall remain nameless. Through my job as a local reporter, I met many community members and made friends.

I also met many business owners and had opportunities to share wonderful stories about the businesses and residents in Waynesboro.

I remember when a Waynesboro branch of the Virginia Museum of Natural History was just an idea, and on Friday I attended the ribbon cutting of a mobile exhibit for the branch downtown. Within a year, I will join city officials and community members at a ribbon cutting for a groundbreaking of the actual branch at the corner of Arch Avenue and Main Street.

Also on Friday, I interviewed Staunton Innovation Hub Director Hannah Cooper. I’ve been writing about the Hub since at least 2017, when Cooper was with the Greater Augusta Regional Chamber of Commerce, and now the Hub is working on a Waynesboro office space in the Virginia Metalcrafters building.

Happ Coffee is now in the Virginia Metalcrafters building, and owned by Aaron Mallory who owned Farmhaus Coffee on Main Street, which was my happy and safe place when I worked at the newspaper. I would escape the newsroom some afternoons and have a hot Chai with vanilla at Farmhaus. I still love a hot Chai with vanilla, but now at Happ, and I still love powerballs (read: healthy snack).

Speaking of Farmhaus, Crack O’ Dawn Bakery & Bistro is now at 908 West Main Street. Everything is gluten free, so if you have a friend or child or family member who is gluten sensitive, you want to check out Elizabeth Easter’s business venture made possible with grant funding from GROW Waynesboro.

I am thrilled that Scotto’s Italian Restaurant is open again. My coworkers and I had our monthly #teamAFP lunch at Scotto’s a few weeks ago and it was as wonderful as ever. I ate many a lunch there with newspaper coworkers when I first moved to the Valley. (If you’re wondering: the tuna hoagie was my go-to.)

Sometimes I pick up a friend who works in Waynesboro and we eat lunch at Silk Road on Rosser Avenue. Possibly the best Asian food in the Valley. I remember when Shoney’s was in that building.

I’m still writing about and loving shows at The Wayne Theatre at least once a month. If you didn’t see “Elf” the last two weekends, you missed out on an amazing show. I know. Life gets busy, but theater is where we learn about the human condition, what makes us all the same and yet all so different at the same time. You should check out the next show at The Wayne.

In the fall, again, I enjoyed Fall Foliage Festival: all the art and crafts on display and for sale. So much local talent, and talent comes from afar to enrich the River City.

Last, but never least, I have to mention Waynesboro Schools. I’ve been writing about the school system since 2018, and the staff, teachers and students never cease to amaze me. Waynesboro puts students and safety first. And they do it with not that much along the lines of financial support, yet they make it happen every day of every year.

If you are reading this and have never visited Waynesboro, Virginia, I encourage you to take a walk downtown, visit the local shops, have a slice (and a cup of gelato!) at Benny’s, walk along the Greenway, have dinner at Heritage on Main Street.

If you do live in the Valley and have visited Waynesboro, but have missed out on the Christmas Parade, Fall Foliage Festival, shows at The Wayne or performances of the Waynesboro Symphony Orchestra, get your iPhone out now. Start looking up dates for 2024 and put them in your phone.

Life is busy, but so much better with some River City culture and fun sprinkled in. (And a cup of gelato at Benny’s!)