Blacksburg Nightlife
By Tricia Sangalang
During the day, Blacksburg portrays the typical college town image, with thousands of students and faculty walking in and around town to get to class or downtown to enjoy the more than 160 businesses and restaurants available.
By night, the town transforms into a different world, bursting with crowds of people looking to partake in various festivities and activities on and around campus.
With a large variety of restaurants downtown, from the Mexican, Baja styled food at Cabo Fish Taco, to burgers and fries at Hokie House, to even vegetarian cuisine at Gillie’s Restaurant, it is easy to satisfy any craving.
On campus, Virginia Tech’s Student Programs’ Housing and Dining Services offers a variety of options, with 11 dining centers that are either or retail or all-you-care-to-eat. Some of these places, like DXpress that has a grab-and-go menu and Deet’s Place, that serves coffee, ice cream, and pastries, stay open late to satisfy those who have late-night cravings. Virginia Tech’s Student Programs also sponsors themed events throughout the year including the Chili Challenge, the Chef series, and various holiday meals.
For entertainment on campus, the Department of University Unions and Student Activities’ BreakZONE in Squires Student Center has 17 nine-foot pool tables, eight bowling lanes, three table tennis tables, and a variety of video games including Dance Dance Revolution Extreme Mix. They offer Moonlight bowling, Cosmic bowling, BINGO night, and tournaments (billiard, bowling, and Texas hold’em) on various nights of the week.
In addition, the student-organized Virginia Tech Union, aims to bring social and educational entertainment to the university, sponsors concerts, lively arts events, films, comedians, speakers, and many other special events throughout the year. The University Unions and Student Activities Ticket Office in Squires is the major ticket distribution center for social, cultural, and educational programs in Blacksburg, including plays, popular concerts, and lecturers.
Downtown, bars and clubs offer the typical college scene, with drink specials, late-night food menus, and various forms of entertainment. Many restaurants feature live bands or dancing on certain nights. Others offer pool, darts, air hockey, shuffleboard, Bonzini Fooseball, and NTN trivia. The town’s first hookah bar hosts acoustic shows and serves a variety of foods and drinks. Besides bars and clubs, there is also The Lyric Theatre downtown, which is a not-for-profit theatre and community center that features movies, plays, live music, and other special events.
If the bar and club scene does not appeal to you, there are over 600 clubs and organizations to join on campus, from academic and service organizations to special interest ones like the solely swing club, which has weekly dances on Tuesday and Friday nights. Many schedule meetings and events in the evenings, and with so many to choose from, it is easy to find one that suits your interests.
For sports enthusiasts, the Department of Recreational Sports supports 29 club and 26 intramural sports teams including basketball, volleyball and water polo. Most leagues hold practices, games and tournaments in the evening to accommodate the busy schedule of students, faculty and staff. The Virginia Tech Golf Course, Blacksburg Municipal Golf Course, and the Pete Dye River Course of Virginia Tech offer twilight golf where you can play in the evenings until it gets too dark. There’s also a driving range with 22 tee areas, an 18-hole putt-a-round course, and batting cages where you can hit softballs and baseballs at various speeds near campus that is open late every day.
If you would rather watch a game than play you could stay indoors to satisfy your sports loving needs. Many residence halls have student lounges with televisions and some dining halls have two big-screen projection TVs and sound that’s wired directly to each table. Fans can also enjoy the big game downtown at one of many restaurant establishments. Also, many varsity sports teams, like soccer and softball, have night games that fans can attend.
The town of Blacksburg has many nighttime activities including community programs, like arts and crafts, cooking and dance, and a community center that offers educational classes, has a fitness center, and also has social activities and clubs. There are also concerts, festivals, fairs, and various holiday celebrations throughout the year.
With diverse music entertainment, various sports and recreational activities, restaurants, events, and many venues both on and off the Virginia Tech campus, Blacksburg’s nightlife world has enough variety to satisfy anyone’s mood on any given night.
All About Blacksburg
- All About Blacksburg homepage
- 10 Interesting Facts about the New River Valley
- Blacksburg nightlife
- Blacksburg history
- The surrounding area
- Why Blacksburg?
Hear first-hand from students, faculty, and staff.
About the author
Tricia Sangalang, a senior from Springfield, Va., is pursuing a bachelor's degree in communication from the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences.