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In Halifax County and Southern Virginia, we value our down time as well as our productive work time.  We are fortunate to live in a place that offers safe, healthy, fun activities for people of all ages and with varied interests.

Our natural beauty and assets, including wide open spaces, four scenic rivers, a large lake, and various state parks, offer opportunities for hiking, biking, camping, fishing, hunting, canoeing and kayaking.  Other similar opportunities exist by simply hopping in your car and driving a few short hours to the beach for fun in the sun, or to a musements parks like Kings Dominion and Busch Gardens, or to historic places like Williamsburg and Jamestown, or to the mountains for a hike on the Appalachian Trail.

Our towns offer many restaurants, from cozy cafes and small pubs to award-winning high-end dining.  We have various playhouses and live performing arts centers that offer shows throughout the year.  You can sit in the audience and watch or join any number of local theatre groups to act, dance, sing and wow your family, friends and neighbors with your special talents.

If you need a quick weekend getaway to a more urban setting, we are less than a three hours drive to vibrant cities like Richmond, Raleigh/Durham, Roanoke, Charlotte, and Washington DC, where you can find many restaurants, museums, performing arts venues, and college and professional sports including MLB, NBA, NHL and NFL top teams and minor league programs.

If going farther away for a longer trip suits you, then we have international airports less than two hour’s drive with direct affordable flights to London, Paris, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, and many other places.

Please follow the links below to learn more about the many things to do.

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Home » Regions » South » Virginia » Halifax » Things to Do in Halifax County

Things to Do in Halifax County

In Halifax County, you will find a little town with a big heart. It is a special place full of history, character and charm. Once the heart of Virginia’s rich tobacco-growing region, the rhythms of life rose and fell here with tobacco fortunes.

As you explore Halifax county, you will discover a lively American Main Street community, rich in Revolutionary, Civil War and Civil Rights history. Beautiful scenic byways and classic country roads will lead you to beautiful state parks and various attractions, including vineyards, historical landmarks, a renowned international road racing track, one of the nation’s premier NASCAR-sanctioned short track, a world-class equestrian ranch and a craft distillery.

With miles of shorelines and lush countryside to meander through, the outdoors and waterways of Halifax County invite you to discover nature and outdoor sports. The options are vast – hiking, biking, boating, hunting, fishing, paddling, and more await you.

Arts and Culture

Halifax County is home to the region’s preeminent performing arts and education center. The Prizery, located in historic downtown South Boston, is a 38,000-square-foot tobacco prizery warehouse transformed into a theater, art gallery, dance studio, classrooms and banquet hall. The 250-seat theater hosts more than 12 theatrical performances and concerts annually. Each summer The Prizery presents its summer stock theater with professional actors from across the country performing musicals. The Prizery is also home to the area’s community theater and offers classes for those looking to foster their artistic and musical abilities. The art gallery features local and regional artists of all mediums with rotating exhibitions.

Halifax County is home to locally-owned eateries perfect for every craving, from down-home country cooking to barbecue, vegan, American, Asian, Mexican and Italian fare. If you’re looking for an upscale dining experience, try Bistro 1888, Molasses Grill or venture out to Oak Tree Tavern at Virginia International Raceway.

For American fare, visit Four Oaks Restaurant & Lounge, Tailgators Sports Grill, Badeaux’s Seafood & Grill or Spainhour Diner. Satisfy your sweet tooth at KJ’s Cake Creations with cupcakes, ice cream and delectable pastries. At Southern Plenty Café, you will find sweet goodies, homemade dishes and gourmet sandwiches. If caffeine drinks bring you joy, The Busy Bean is the place for specialty coffees and morning conversation. They also offer breakfast and lunch sandwiches, and a daily salad bar.

For a taste of Mexico, look no further than Mi Carreta or Mexico Viejo. Looking for pizza, pasta, or subs? Head to Italian Delight for delicious eats. There are more than 30 restaurants in town serving up a variety of cuisine styles for every taste and budget. If you’re in a hurry, try one of the newly remodeled fast food restaurants such as KFC or McDonald’s.

Event centers

If you’re looking for a rustic outdoor venue for your next event, Springfield Distillery’s rental spaces are beautiful. From an intimate affair to an elaborate wedding and everything in between, Springfield can make it happen.

Head to the northern part of Halifax County for a beautiful venue at Hunting Creek Vineyards – The Barn. The red barn, with stunning cathedral doors and hand-hewn woodwork, sits amidst the rolling hills of the vineyards and overlooks a pond. This idyllic location is the perfect spot for your next gathering to celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, or retirements.

Virginia International Raceway offers an unforgettable experience, thanks to thousands of square feet of space, both inside and out. With plenty of lodging accommodations, and restaurants all on-site, VIR has it covered, not to mention the world-class racing. All lodging rooms overlook the track with breathtaking views.

Berry Hill Resort and Conference Center is a historic landmark offering 92 guest rooms, a spa, fitness center, indoor pool and 650 acres of countryside, making for the perfect weekend getaway, wedding venue, corporate retreat or banquet location.

Spend time outside at Staunton River State Park. Grab a tub of worms, pack a cooler and hit the river for some fishing, relaxing and “dirt castle” building. Staunton River State Park is the first state park in Virginia to be designated as an International Dark Sky Park, which makes it the perfect place to stargaze. The staff is ready and willing to conduct interpretive programs, rent telescopes, and help with any questions you may have. It’s a beautiful and fun way to spend the night studying the stars with your whole family.

As with any hometown in the south, Friday nights are best spent under the stadium lights rooting on our Halifax County High School Comets Football team, watching our spirited cheerleaders and listening to the wonderful Marching Comets.

Have a “Family Fun Night” at the World of Sports where you can bowl a game or two, ride go carts, watch a movie or play laser tag at its 85,000-square-foot facility. The World of Sports offers a number of birthday party packages that can be customized to make a birthday experience the special day that it is. Find a little something for everyone to enjoy!

Special events & festivals

The Town of Halifax presents Earth Day Extravaganza every April at the Halifax Farmers Market. This event is a fun and educational day for the entire family with activities and demonstrations for adults and children.

The SoBo Brew Fest, presented by Halifax County Tourism and Destination Downtown South Boston, takes place early summer in Constitution Square. Patrons are invited to try new brews or their favorites and enjoy music and more.

Families gather for July 4 in Downtown South Boston for a spectacular show each year. Those in attendance enjoy an evening parade, music, family activities, food and a top-notch firework display to end the day.

The Virginia Cantaloupe Festival is Halifax County’s premier summer event. Held on the fourth Friday in July, the festival includes live music, Halifax County cantaloupe, local corn, food trucks and beverages, attracting over 1,500 familiar faces.

Foodies delight in early September as the annual Restaurant Week celebration highlights culinary excellence in Halifax County. Participating restaurants cook up tasty menus, with delicious options at wallet-pleasing prices for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Thousands crowd the streets for the South Boston Harvest Festival in the heart of downtown in late September to kick off the fall season. Main Street fills with live entertainment, food, fun, pumpkin painting and other activities for all ages.

For more than 100 years, the Halifax County Fair has been showcasing agriculture, music, and food. Enjoy rides, games and delectable treats every October while gathering with friends and family for the grandstand shows and perusing the exhibit hall.

Halifax County offers multiple family options to celebrate Halloween. The Downtown South Boston Trail of Treats event offers a daytime trick-or-treat event each October where businesses line the streets to hand out candy to ghouls and goblins. Halifax Village Association and the Town of Halifax host a trick-or-treat event complete with candy, games and a costume contest each year on Halloween night on Main Street.

Plan to celebrate the holidays with the South Boston Christmas Parade or the Children’s Christmas Parade in the Town of Halifax each December. Christmas Open House offers shopping, treats and a family tradition in South Boston and Halifax each year.

If you long to be outside, experience history, wildlife and the great outdoors, head to the Tobacco Heritage Trail. This 5.2 mile-long (roundtrip) trail offers a scenic walk, biking and riding.

Adams’ Total Fitness in South Boston is a fitness center with state-of-the-art equipment. The center features men’s and women’s gyms and also offers Zumba, Piloxing and other classes.

YMCA of South Boston/Halifax County attracts families with its wide variety of options. Members of all ages can attend health and wellness classes, enjoy swimming, a full updated gym, remodeled locker room and a host of sports activities throughout the year.

In Halifax County, you can be as busy as you choose with so many adventures to uncover. Whether you were born and raised here, or have decided to join us, you will be welcomed with open arms and plenty to do.

Contributors: South Boston Halifax County Tourism & Candace Baskerville

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Small Town Charm, Relaxed Rural Retreat, Wired to the World

Located in the southern piedmont of Virginia, this historic county seat Town of Halifax has been admired for its handsome houses, churches, and lush landscaping for over a century.  By incorporating fiber optic & wireless broadband technology, continuing a downtown revitalization project, and planning for economic growth in harmony with its natural surroundings, the town is preparing for a sustainable future.

Bounded by the shores of Banister Lake and the lower Banister River and surrounded by farmland and rolling woodlands, Halifax offers residents, businesses, and visitors the charm of a small town and the relaxed atmosphere of a rural retreat.

The Mountain Road Historic District is a tree-shaded road that stretches west from the courthouse square into the countryside. The road was built up slowly so that it now presents a range of buildings from the early 19th century to the present.

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Halifax County Trails

Put these amazing trials on your list. The entire 7.5-mile Roanoke Canal Trail follows the former Roanoke Navigation and Power Canal. See some of the most impressive and best-preserved early 19th-century canal construction, including hand-hewn stone culverts, locks, and an aqueduct that spans 35- feet in a single arch. Recently added to the NC State Park System, The Roanoke River State Trail offers northern access points in Gaston, Weldon, and Scotland Neck; experience the Amazon of NC. Medoc Mountain State Park stands on the 325-foot remnant of a once-mighty mountain range from 350 million years ago and offers 29 miles of trails.

2023 NC Year of the Trail  celebrates North Carolina’s vast network of trails, greenways, and blueways which showcase our diverse landscapes – grand mountain vistas, quiet rivers, vibrant urban greenways, coastal forests, and the rolling hills of the piedmont.

NC Year of the Trail is the largest statewide celebration of trails and outdoor recreation in North Carolina history.

North Carolina is the Great Trails State, where each of North Carolina’s 100 counties should be able to enjoy the proven benefits of trails, including health, safety, economic development, tourism, transportation, and environment. Trails are the backbone of our state’s growing $28 billion outdoor recreation economy.

Trails in Halifax County

Roanoke canal trail .

Along the entire 7.5-mile length of the trail that follows the former Roanoke Navigation and Power Canal, see some of the most impressive and best preserved early 19th century canal construction in the nation, including hand-hewn stone culvert, power canal bulkhead, locks, and an aqueduct that spans 35-feet in a single arch. It's one of the greatest engineering feats of the 18th century. The trail offers a free bike lending program as another way to explore! Pick up a bike at the Roanoke Canal Museum or at Riverside Mill in Weldon.

roanokecanal.com

Roanoke River State Trail

The Roanoke River State Trail is a paddle trail extending from Weldon to the Albemarle Sound. Despite meandering through the coastal plain of North Carolina, this paddle trail offers a unique wilderness experience to all who venture along its length. While there are some opportunities for day trips on the eastern end of the river, most paddlers need to be prepared for a multiday journey on this state trail. Bear, beaver, river otter, white-tailed deer, bobcat, and over 200 bird species will keep you company on your expedition. Overhead are ancient bald cypress and tupelo trees. Riverside camping platforms make spending the night along the river a true adventure.

trails.nc.gov

Medoc Mountain State Park

Find welcome tranquility at Medoc Mountain State Park, located in Hollister, NC, which has 20 trails, including 3 biking trails and 10 bridle trails.  They even have horse-friendly equestrian campsites. 

ncparks.gov

Halifax County 4-H Rural Life Center

The Halifax County 4-H Rural Life Center has 6-7 miles of trails to offer to the horse, cyclist, and hiking enthusiasts alike. There are various types of terrain that suit beginners to advanced. The trails wind their way through beautiful pines and skirt around fields, offering a chance to see nature at its finest.

halifaxnc.com

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