Many of our area businesses have joined in the spirit by decorating their buildings. All-day activities on July 4th in Clifton Forge include a downtown parade at 11am and fireworks at night!
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Masonic Amphitheatre
The Clifton Forge of the future is once again “scenic, busy, friendly!” Come visit historic Clifton Forge!
Parade begins at 11am. Line up is at 10:45 at the Elks Lodge (306 Ridgeway). Causal and pet friendly. Bring the entire family! Need decorating supplies or ideas? The Alleghany Highlands Arts and Crafts Center will holding a FREE Easter Bonnet workshop on April 1st at 10am. Call 862.4447 to reserve a spot. Prizes donated by area merchants will be awarded for adults and kids in the following categories: most beautiful/handsome hat or bonnet, most fun, and most creative. Bring your favorite pet and enter them to win prizes as well. Take a picture with the Easter bunny under the beautiful balloon archway provided by Country Garden Florist at the finish line. #visitCFVA... See MoreSee Less
Our race begins at the Sharon Community Center in Clifton Forge at 4017 Nicelytown Road, Clifton Forge. It ends at the Masonic Amphitheatre on Church Street in downtown CF with music, a boxed lunch by Bartley's Meat Market, and an awards ceremony.
Packet pick-up and in person registration will be 5:30-7pm May 20th at Jack Mason's Tavern and 7:30am at The Sharon Community Center on race day.
The overall female and male winner will each receive a gift certificate for 2 for a one night get away to be pampered and spoiled by the Hillcrest Mansion Inn. Wine and cheese, southern sweets, and a 3 course candlelit breakfast all included!
Medals or trophies will be given for top finishers in multiple age groups as well as teams. We will also have awesome door prizes from Fleet Feet, Garth Newel, Tap House, and Salt Cave Spa!
The race begins at 9:00 am at the Sharon Community Center at 4017 Nicelytown Road and finishes at the Masonic Amphitheatre in beautiful downtown Clifton Forge, Virginia. Post race festivities include live music and great food!
You can participate in the event solo or in a team of 3 people.
Course Route:
The 5k begins and ends at Sharon Community Center. You will race to Lonestar Church at 4704 Nicelytown Road and back. The kayak portion begins at Sharon Community Center at ends at Steel Bridge in McKinney Hollow The bike route begins at 4881 McKinney Hollow Road, Eagle Rock and is as follows: Head Northeast on State Route 633 1.1 miles Turn left to stay on state route 633 0.4 miles Turn left onto VA-269 West 0.4 miles Turn right onto State Route 635 2.1 miles Turn left onto VA-42 South 1.4 miles Turn right onto State Route 632 1.8 miles Turn left onto US-60 Business W/US Highway 220 North 0.5 miles Turn right onto the US -220 ramp to Iron Gate/Roanoke 0.3 miles Merge onto US Highway 220 South 0.4 miles Turn right onto Verge Street 1.3 miles Turn left onto Church Street 0.3 miles The finish line and after party will be on the right 0.3 miles #visitCFVA www.visitcliftonforgeva.com... See MoreSee Less
Come join us at the Historic Masonic Amphitheatre for a festive ceremony complete with flag presentations, music, and a birthday cake to honor our great nation. Grab a friend and come celebrate with us. Kid friendly! Flag Day Etiquette www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_G-Wwqfzd4 #visitCFVA
Come down to the C&O Railway Heritage Center on July 3rd at 6pm where our local non profits will have plenty of great food for sale while you enjoy performances by the Celebration Choir. An awesome fireworks show will begin at dusk. Be sure to join us downtown Monday, July 4th for more festivities. Our Stars and Stripes parade will start at 11am followed by our ceremony honoring Veterans and First Responders in the Historic Masonic Theatre. Local vendors will also be set up offering a great variety of food and crafts. #visitCFVA... See MoreSee Less
9:30 AM Downtown Market till 1PM 11:00 AM CFVA Stars and Stripes Parade 12:00 PM Veteran Ceremony
Join us for our annual Clifton Forge Stars and Stripes parade beginning at 11am followed by a ceremony honoring our Veterans and First Responders at the Historic Masonic Theatre.
CFMS Downtown Market will be rolling all morning into the afternoon. Be sure to check out the great selection of hand made crafts and delicious home made food our downtown market vendors have to offer starting at 9:30am ( LIVE MUSIC 10 to 1PM MOBIUS STRIP from RVA).
10am to 12pm-Join us on Commercial Street (between Northwest Ace and former Primis bank ) for kids games, crafts, and music. We have 100 trick or treat bags for kids to decorate before making their rounds trick or treating downtown from 12-3pm. #visitCFVA
Saturday, November 18th at 6PM we will begin our community celebrations in Clifton Forge with an official lighting of the Town Christmas Tree. Enjoy festive dance performances. Then sing along with the Immanuel Baptist Church choir to some classic Christmas carols and watch as our special guest lights our town tree. Be sure to bring the kids by Santa's booth for a special visit and picture!
On Friday evening December 1st at 6:00 PM Clifton Forge Main Street invites you to be a participant or a spectator in our 2023 Christmas Parade.
As in past years, the parade will begin at the intersection of Ridgeway and Roxbury Streets and continue down Ridgeway Street through the historic district to the Clifton Forge Fire Station on D Street. Nice trophies will be given our for best religious float, best private and public vehicles, best marching unit, best dance entry, best clogging entry, most creative entry, best animal float, best overall float and judges favorite. Feel free to message our page should you have interest. #visitCFVA... See MoreSee Less
Clifton Forge Main Street, Inc. is a non-profit organization working to improve the historic downtown of Clifton Forge for economic and cultural reasons. It is affiliated with the Virginia Main Street Program, a division of the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development. In 1992 a group of local volunteers came together to create an entity that, with the support of the town, could obtain the technical assistance of Virginia Main Street toward preservation and enhancement of the downtown area. This effort has produced good results and has revealed many needs yet to be met…
Small towns are unique. They’re initially defined by geography, like the mountain ridges that surround Clifton Forge. They are also defined by the industry that helps the town to grow. Since the turn of the century Clifton Forge has been a major player in the development and growth of the C&O and the CSX railroads. Train tracks snake their way through town and connect Clifton Forge to big cities. Many have ridden the rails to faraway places to get an education, find love and fight wars.
For many years the town and the railroad both grew and prospered. Through those good times the people of Clifton Forge built homes, raised families and they built churches – lots of churches. And they were a patriotic bunch – still are. The local community college is home to a detachment of the 116th Infantry of the VA National Guard. Most recently they’ve completed missions in Kosovo and in Iraq, a broad calling for citizen-soldiers.
When the railroad slowed down in the mid-60’s, many workers lost their jobs and the City of Clifton Forge suffered like many small towns that rely on a single industry. The city became a town a few years ago just as the C&O Heritage Center was getting started. Today it’s the history of the C&O that is helping fuel the re-birth of the town. New businesses are springing up, there are major infrastructure renovations underway and it’s getting harder to find parking in the three block-long downtown area. Those who return to town for reunions, marriages and funerals just can’t get over how good things look. The number of folks retiring to the area or investing in second homes is a good measure of the hope and trust they have in the future of Clifton Forge.
There’s lots more that needs to be done but small towns like Clifton Forge tend to be built on solid cultural foundations: God, family, patriotism and a belief that hard work – and working together – will make a difference.
Chuck Almarez, Fire and Light Gallery, 2012
The Clifton Forge of the future is once again “scenic, busy, friendly!” Come visit historic Clifton Forge!