Sweet Surrender Ice Cream Co.

08/18/2026

A discounted ticket means more money for tacos!

08/15/2026

Bluegrass and milkshakes—name a better Saturday night! 🎻🥤

Join us tonight at Longwood Park from 5:30–8:30 for live music, food trucks and Sweet Surrender ice cream. Admission is FREE!

08/14/2026

It’s coming back. 🥭🌶️🍦

The Mangonada Swirl returns to Roanoke Taco Fest on August 29! Sweet, tangy, creamy and finished with just the right kick—it’s available only at Taco Fest.

If you’ve had one before, you already know. If you haven’t, this is the year.

08/14/2026

We’re back again! Get ready for tacos, treats, and tunes!

08/14/2026

Bluegrass sounds better with ice cream! Join us this Saturday at Longwood Park for live music, food trucks and plenty of Sweet Surrender. Admission is FREE—come pick, grin and dig in!

08/11/2026

07/23/2026

JUNIOR SISK IS RETURNING TO PICKIN' IN THE PARK WITH HIS BRAND NEW BAND
Bluegrass legend Junior Sisk is returning to Salem’s annual Pickin’ In The Park summer concert event this August and he is bringing his brand-new backup band.

“My longtime band, now known as Red Camel Collective, will be touring on its own starting this July, so I have put together a new bunch of talented young men to help me finish out 2026 and accompany me on my farewell tour for 2027,” said Sisk. “I'm very excited to be bringing back some old material from my catalog, and I know this is going to be fun.”

This year’s FREE event takes place on Saturday, August 15, and it also features local favorites Wound Tight and Southern Rail Express. This will mark the sixth straight year Sisk has headlined the Longwood Park Amphitheater show.

The Ferrum native has been making traditional Bluegrass music for decades, and his 2026 single “Brand New Whippoorwill” is proof that he can still pick and sing with the best of them.

“When I first heard this song, I knew it was written just for me,” Sisk told Bluegrass Today. “I’m an old country boy who spends most of my time in the mountains, or on the lake, when I’m not on the road. The whippoorwill is a very special bird for me. It’s so calming to hear one late in the evening.”

Sisk is a bona fide bluegrass icon. In January of 2022. Sisk’s “Load The Wagon” album earned Album of the Year honors and his “Just Load The Wagon” single was named Song of the Year from the Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass Music of America. The album spent six months at the top of the bluegrass charts.

In 2013 and 2017, Junior was named the IBMA's Male Vocalist of the Year, and he has been honored numerous times by the IBMA for producing the song of the year and an album of the year.

His new band features a wide variety of musicians including Glade Spring’s Carter Lester on banjo, fiddle player Mason Wright from Wi******er, Canada’s Gabe Hebert on upright bass, and Connecticut native Sam Zolla on guitar.

Pickin’ In The Park attendees are encouraged to bring lawn chairs or a blanket and enjoy the complimentary performances. Food trucks from Bootleg BBQ, Dale’s Diner, The Tailgate, Sweet Surrender Ice Cream, and Star City Sips will be onsite selling a variety of concessions.

Patrons are permitted to bring in outside food, but no alcohol is allowed to enter the premises from the outside. On-site vendors will be selling adult beverages. Children’s games will be set up for that age group, but please remember that pets are not allowed at this event.

The annual event is presented by the Salem Parks and Recreation Department and sponsored by Skyline National Bank and Renewal by Andersen. Thanks to the efforts of Sisk and our local musicians, Pickin’ In The Park has become one of Salem’s most popular events.

07/12/2026

It's baaaaaaaaack....ONLY at Roanoke Taco Fest! 8.29.26