Jennifer Heaslip Herald News Editor

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Concerts aren't the only events that can draw a crowd in the Valley.

About 3,000 cyclists will fill county hotels and streets June 26 and 27 as Bike Virginia, an annual five-day event held every June in which cyclists tour Virginia scenery, history, culture and hospitality, ventures out of the state this year and comes to Halifax County.

The event will be a big boost in the economic arm as the cyclists will sleep and eat in Roanoke Rapids after visiting tourist and historical attractions in several towns.

“Our hotels are completely booked for those days,” said Christina Gordon, Roanoke Canal Museum and Trail/Eco-heritage Tourism director.

Bike Virginia usually stays in Virginia, but organizers heard about the county's tourism efforts and contacted the Roanoke Valley Chamber of Commerce before deciding to come here, Gordon said.

The tour begins Saturday, June 24, in South Hill, Va., and continues to Emporia, Va. Cyclists will travel to Weldon on Monday, June 26, for music and lunch at River Falls Park. Monday night, the Roanoke Canal Museum will play host from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., and cyclists will be invited to browse displays of local attractions such as Medoc Mountain State Park while listening to live bluegrass.

At 7 p.m., a First For Freedom performance will be staged at the museum for the cyclists, who will end their night by heading to local hotels or the T.J. Davis Recreational Center to camp out.

Also Monday night, those cyclists who do not go to the museum will probably be found at Roanoke Rapids High, where a Bike Virginia talent show will be held.

On Tuesday, cyclists will take either a short route of about 100 miles or a longer route of 150 miles across the county, visiting places such as Sylvan Heights Waterfowl Center in Scotland Neck, Historic Halifax and Hobgood. Others will choose from guided canoe trips, hot air balloon rides and more.

As the sun sets, cyclists will attend a concert by The Embers at Kirkwood Adams Community Center, which is also open to the community. They leave Wednesday.

This Bike Virginia tour has a “Your de Love” theme, Gordon said. Two of the cyclists will get married in Valentines, Va., Wednesday or Thursday for the last leg of the journey. The couple met through Bike Virginia.

Gordon said local cyclists can join the event and she has heard some interest. They are also looking for volunteers to ride along on bikes and show support.

“It's just really a great partnership,” she said. “We are really calling upon the entire county to support these cyclists.”