As originally broadcast October 22, 2025, on Blue Ridge PBS …
Usually on BUZZ we feature nonprofits that serve the plights and passions of people: #homelessness, disabilities, literacy and the environment.
But on today’s episode (our 75th by the way) we highlight … a road! It’s a stretch of asphalt that began more than 100 years ago as a meandering path of dirt. The businesses along it have had a similar evolution, from farmers to drive-ins to massage parlors to today being the most ethically diverse community in southwest Virginia.
Williamson Road was once the lifeblood of Roanoke, Virginia, home to families and much of the region’s businesses. Through the years that economic pulse began beating in other parts of the region. But today the nonprofit Greater Williamson Road Area Business Association seeks to resuscitate the district with a marketing boost from BUZZ veteran 5Points Creative. This episode is produced in partnership with Roanoke Valley Television (RVTV).