Downtown Harrisonburg, Virginia, transformed into a sea of blue on Thursday, Sept. 26, as about 270 EMU students, clad in matching shirts, participated in the third annual Royals Go Downtown, presented by Everence.
The event started in 2022 as a collaboration between EMU President Dr. Susan Schultz Huxman and Harrisonburg Mayor Deanna Reed, director of alumni engagement & community connections at EMU. It aims to familiarize EMU students with downtown restaurants and businesses in “The Friendly City,” recently named among The 10 Most Livable College Towns in America, and celebrate EMU’s presence in the community.
Watch WHSV-TV’s video coverage of Royals Go Downtown here!
Students arrived by the busload at Magpie Diner—owned by EMU alumna Kirsten Moore ’93—where they munched on chocolate chip cookies and received a welcome from President Huxman. “We love the city of Harrisonburg and we want to show you what it has to offer,” Huxman told students. “We want to show you that it’s friendly, it’s welcoming, it’s diverse, and it loves college students.”
From there, they strolled over to Sage Bird Ciderworks to enjoy refreshing sips of frozen lemonade.
Throughout the route, EMU faculty and staff were there to assist business owners with giveaways and crowd control. At Aristocat Cafe, Luke Litwiller, director of undergraduate admissions, poured iced pumpkin spice chai lattes for students, whose eyes were glued to the 15 cats inside the cafe, all of which are available for adoption.
Mashita, a restaurant handing out samples of pork and cabbage dumplings, was a popular stop for students. Many of the students interviewed mentioned it as their favorite treat along the route. Spencer Showalter, Mashita’s catering director, said the event helps introduce their offerings to students. “We love working with EMU,” he said.
At the Frame Factory & Gallery, students could pose for photos with a royal blue picture frame, custom made to match EMU’s primary color. Shop owner Rhoda Miller ’03, MA ’20 (restorative justice), said participating in Royals Go Downtown provides her an opportunity to give back to her alma mater.
Students at a stop in Court Square, in front of the Rockingham County Circuit Courthouse, energized by coffee from Broad Porch Coffee Company, danced to music played by EMU’s Rockin’ Royal Pep Band and joined in an “E-M-WHO? E-M-YOU!” chant.
Walking along Main Street, students savored a mango lassi from Taj of India, snacked on “sticky nuggs” (the name for Billy Jack’s Shack’s signature sauced chicken nuggets), and sampled popcorn from Shirley’s Gourmet Popcorn Company. EMU alumna Lisa Roeschley MA ’01 (education), who owns the Shirley’s store with her husband—and former EMU baseball coach—Rob Roeschley, said she enjoys welcoming the students each year. “They’re excited about visiting downtown and that’s so fun to see,” she said.
The waves of Royals stopped by OASIS Fine Art & Craft for EMU-themed lollipops and PULP in Shenandoah Bicycle Company for Japanese vegetable curry before wrapping up their food tour at Turner Pavilion. There, slices of pizza from Benny Sorrentino’s, ice cream from Klines Dairy Bar and treats from Ott Street Eats awaited them, in addition to a DJ-led dance party and greetings from Mayor Reed.
Thank you to the President’s Office, Advancement, Campus Activities Council, and the many Harrisonburg establishments and EMU donors for making this amazing event happen!
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