There’s nothing quite like being in the wilds of Virginia. Like Johnny Cash said, “I’ve been everywhere, man” — but there’s a particular kind of comfort I only feel when I’m traveling within the Commonwealth. And it doesn’t get much more Virginia than heading up into the mountains and standing in the middle of the Shenandoah Valley.
Which is to say: I liked being back in Waynesboro.
The Virginia Street Arts Festival was rolling in, Sunset Park — once literally a landfill — was now alive and blooming, and downtown? Still growing. Still finding its voice. We got the invite to come back and see what’s changed since last year, and the short version is: a lot. The long version? Well, that’s this piece.
We’re talking to locals who believe in this place, artists turning brick walls into canvas, and business owners — many of them women — who are rebuilding a main street that used to be forgotten. No, this isn’t an investigative exposé. Every city’s got its mess. But this one? This one has momentum.
Waynesboro’s no longer just a place you pass through on your way to somewhere else. It’s becoming a destination — quietly, steadily, and with a little swagger. Perfectly placed between Staunton, Charlottesville, Harrisonburg, and Crozet, it’s drawing people in from all directions. They come for the trails, the murals, the wine. And more and more, they’re staying for the vibe.
It’s still a small town. But being small makes you more adaptable — and that’s what’s important here.
Quick thank you for the beautiful Airbnb that’s part of the Shenandoah Valley Art Center located at 126 South Wayne Avenue. If you’re coming to Waynesboro, this is the spot.
Now let’s dig in.
ed. note: You can read my writeup from last year HERE.
Waynesboro in Full Color
About a decade ago, I rolled into Waynesboro on a shot-in-the-dark email from Ian MacRae, local business owner and dreamer, who saw what we were doing with murals in Richmond and wanted to bring that energy to his town. You can read more about that HERE.
There was a gap of a few years, but Waynesboro eventually embraced street art as a way to revitalize downtown — and it’s been working. This year’s Virginia Street Arts Festival brought in new muralists, each of whom left their mark.
“Blossoming Within” by Jesse Jentzen – 131 + 141 N Wayne Avenue
Jesse came in from California and painted something soft, bold, and magnetic. It now lives above Adorn and Pyramid, amplifying the women-owned energy shaping downtown. The mural feels like a signature—marking what this revitalization is becoming.
“The Lure” by Humble – 180 Port Republic Road
Humble, originally one of Richmond’s own, has since been all around the world as an artist and model. He returned to Virginia with a mural of a massive trout leaping out of the side of a building. “Waynesboro is one of those towns you might overlook,” he told me. “But then you show up and people are out here, talking to you while you paint, bringing their kids by. Some cities you paint and nobody says a word — here, they bring you a sandwich. That’s different.”
“Native Osprey Hunting” by Andrew Davis – 126 S Wayne Avenue
Right outside our Airbnb, Andrew Davis was creating a gorgeous mural with sharp detail and a calm rhythm. “I kind of got my start in Richmond,” he said. “The RVA Street Art Festival there — it gave me some big opportunities early on. So to be here, in Waynesboro, doing something similar — it feels like a full-circle moment.”
We also wandered through the Russell Museum at 518 West Main Street — a tribute to the life’s work of Walter and Lao Russell. Sculptures. Spiritual philosophy. Big cosmic ideas housed in a quiet gallery. “Walter Russell was way ahead of his time,” curator Jeremy Boyer said. “Artist, sculptor, writer, philosopher — he did it all. This museum isn’t just about honoring his work. It’s about asking the bigger questions he was asking — about energy, the universe, the human spirit.”
If Waynesboro has a strange and beautiful heart, this is it.
And if murals are your thing, the Waynesboro Street Arts Trail now stretches across downtown. From Nils Westergard’s 100-foot-tall Kaiya w/Tulips to Sun, Moon, & Stars Ladies by Julia Chon to LOVEworks in Constitution Park — it’s a walking tour worth doing. Bonus points if you download the Visit Waynesboro app and collect the stickers like a grown-up scavenger hunt.
A Town Learning to Feed Itself Again
Let’s not oversell it — Waynesboro’s food scene is still small. Just a few walkable blocks and a brewery hub with multiple businesses at Basic City Beer Co. But the pieces are there. The restaurants and cafes that are open downtown are punching above their weight. What’s happening feels intentional — like a town learning to feed itself well again.
Royal India Palace – 309 West Main Street
We were treated to an incredible meal by owner Bijaya. He could’ve opened anywhere, but told us: “Why not go where Indian food isn’t already everywhere?” His uncle is a chef and it shows. The food stood up to any Indian spot in Richmond — maybe not Lehja or Tulsi — but the flavors were bold, the service warm, and it felt right.
The River Burger Bar – 137 North Wayne Avenue
Five years strong and still one of the best hangouts in town. They celebrated their anniversary by shutting down the street, throwing up a stage, and letting the bands roll. The owner Mandi Smack told us how proud she was to be part of downtown’s comeback — and you could see it all around her.
Delly Up – 421 West Main Street
Jason, the manager, said they’ve been open for three years and business is taking off. “We were already a destination for the outdoors crowd,” he said. “But now people are sticking around — for the food, the art, the scene. And the business owners? We’re all in touch. We help each other out.”
The French Press – 134 North Wayne Avenue
Woman-owned, packed all morning, and a calm, beautifully designed space. The sausage and gravy was top notch. One of those rare spots where everything feels curated — but still warm and inviting.
Happ Coffee – 1010 East Main Street, Suite 101
Large open space that morning was packed with a record/thrift pop-up and 60+ locals moving through, grabbing coffee, pastries, and vinyl. The food was great, but what struck me was the view across the street — an old trailer park. “You can see both sides of the story in one frame,” I wrote in my notes. “And you have to wonder if the people across the street come here for coffee too.”
Common Wealth Crush – Suite 110
Next door to Happ, we met Patrick Eagan. “Waynesboro made sense for a few reasons,” he said. “It’s central — Staunton, Charlottesville, Harrisonburg, Crozet. And there’s this creative energy building here. We didn’t want to be in a saturated space. We wanted to grow with the town.” Known for experimental blends, they’ve built a niche — and even this whiskey guy walked out with bottles.
Green Leaf Grill – 415 West Main Street
Chris, who’s been holding it down for two decades, gave us the history. “Back then, you’d close at 6. That was it,” he said. “Now you’ve got people out walking at night, checking out murals, going to shows. A lot of the new energy — it’s these young women opening places. It’s different now. Better.”
The Women Rebuilding Main Street
As we’ve seen throughout this piece, one thread keeps coming up: the backbone of downtown Waynesboro’s revitalization is a group of creative, determined women entrepreneurs. But it’s not just grit and vision — it’s also infrastructure. The city has helped build the foundation.
We had a long conversation with Katie Harris of Adorn, who spoke openly about how city-backed initiatives made the leap into business ownership possible. “The incentive packages were a big part of it,” she told us, “but honestly, it was the business training through the city that gave me the confidence. That, and the monthly downtown business meetings — those have been huge for creating a real sense of community and shared purpose.”
This is the kind of thing more cities should be paying attention to: giving artists, creators, and first-time business owners the tools — not just the pep talks — to build something sustainable. The result? Downtown Waynesboro is becoming a space that reflects the people shaping it. And more often than not, those people are women.
From Trash to Treasure: Sunset Park’s Second Life
In Richmond, we’ve seen firsthand what happens when you invest in your parks — it pays off. We wrote about that last week. But in Waynesboro, what was just a plan a year ago has now become a reality. Sunset Park, perched high on a ridge that used to be part of an old landfill, is now one of the best views in town — and a symbol of the city’s reinvention.
While we were up there, we met Dave Polce and Deborah Lazio, a couple who moved to Waynesboro after years of searching for the right kind of community. They told us they had lived all over — Pittsburgh, Los Angeles, D.C. — and were finally drawn in by Waynesboro’s scale, its geography, and its potential.
“We wanted mountains, we wanted small town, but we also wanted a place that was turning into something,” Deborah said. “This is a city figuring itself out, and there’s space here — not just physically, but emotionally — for people who want to be part of that.”
Dave added: “This park says something. A town doesn’t reclaim a landfill and turn it into a place like this unless it believes in itself again. We come up here to get perspective — literally and figuratively. And every time we do, we see more people discovering it too.”
Sunset Park isn’t just a place to take in the view. It’s a lens on how far Waynesboro has come — and where it’s heading. The kind of civic bet that speaks volumes without shouting.
The Quiet Blueprint for Revival
Waynesboro isn’t a foodie hotspot yet. It’s not a massive art district. But it’s something maybe more interesting — a small town getting it right, one mural, meal, and new business at a time.
With another major employer preparing to move in, and proximity to Staunton, Charlottesville, Harrisonburg, and Crozet, Waynesboro is perfectly positioned to punch above its weight. And if it keeps leaning into community, collaboration, and culture — this won’t be a temporary glow-up. It’ll be the new normal.
Maybe we’ll be back. Again. Thanks for having us.
Photos by Kimberly Frost
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