The Virginia Street Arts Festival was awarded a $50,000 grant from T-Mobile to expand and elevate the annual event.
In recent years, colorful murals have been painted throughout the City of Waynesboro on buildings including the Waynesboro Y, the Ice Plant, the Wayne Theatre office and the fire station.
The 2025 event added murals on downtown buildings including above Pyramid and adorn and on the side of the Shenandoah Valley Art Center. A third mural was painted on Port Republic Road.
The city launched an app designed to take you on a tour of the completed street art with a scavenger-like hunt for all ages.
The dates for the 2026 festival have not been announced. However, it is typically held in May.
The city will host an event on Wednesday, Oct. 1 at 11 a.m. in front of City Hall to announce details of the spring festival. As part of the event, T-Mobile will take part in a formal check presentation for the Hometown grant to Destination Downtown Waynesboro.
Following the announcement and check presentation, the community will be invited to take part in a scavenger hunt designed to take participants on a tour of the street art. Prizes include gift cards for lunch, beverages and other small prizes, designed to encourage participants to support local businesses while in the city for the day.
“The T-Mobile Hometown grant will help Destination Downtown Waynesboro expand the Virginia Street Arts Festival and bring even more creativity into our downtown,” said Meghan Swanson, acting president of DDW. “We’re grateful for T-Mobile’s investment in small communities like ours. It truly makes a big difference.”
On Thursday, T-Mobile announced a total of 25 towns nationwide that would receive the Hometown grants. The Virginia Street Arts Festival was the only recipient in Virginia in this round of grant awards. Since 2021, the T-Mobile program has provided more than $400,000 to projects in Virginia.
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Crystal Graham
