Main Street
Explore our Downtown for the day!
Traveling? Make Elkin a stop along your journey!
Only minutes from I-77, downtown Elkin is the perfect stop while traveling. We're pedestrian friendly and also RV friendly. You'll find parking for RV's at our Heritage and Trails Center (257 Standard St) and up at the Elkin Town Hall parking lot (226 N Bridge St), both are one short block to Main Street. There are also 3 RV parks within minutes of our downtown, and the Heritage and Trails Center participates as a Harvest Host destination.
We're pet friendly too! Many of our restaurants offer outdoor seating, perfect for those traveling with their pets. We also have a new dog park in downtown, so your pups can run off some steam. Some downtown shops also offer dog bowls filled with water or pet water bars (at the Heritage & Trails Center and at The Barkery on Market St) and we have doggie waste stations on Main Street & Market Street if you'd like take them for a walk on a leash through downtown. Elkin does have a leash law, so please keep your pups on a leash (unless they are inside the dog park).
In 2023, Elkin celebrated 25 years as a NC Main Street Community!
THINGS TO DO IN DOWNTOWN:
- Variety of restaurants
- Coffee shops, ice cream parlor, baked goods.
- Shopping
- Local art / art classes / galleries / Yadkin Valley Fiber School
- Mural hike
- Trails (OVT, MST, Yadkin River Blue Trail)
- Live Music & wedding venues
- Heritage & Trails Center (visitors please drop in and say hello at 257 Standard St)
- Elkin Vine Line wine hopper based out of the Heritage Center (257 Standard St)
- Brewery (Angry Troll) and outdoor beer garden (Elkin Railyard)
- Wine tasting with Certified Sommelier (Wisdom Table)
- Outdoor Farmers Market Summer Market (Saturdays 9-noon) from April thru October at 101 E Market St, and a winter market from November thru mid-April at 257 Standard St.
- Dog park and pet-friendly restaurants and shops
- Boat ramp/launch (Crater Park) with nearby outfitters (kayak/canoe/float)
- Pickleball Courts (Crater Park)
- Kids park (Crater Park) and coming soon... a new splash pad.
- Public restrooms at linear park (115 W Main St)
- Library & post office
- Downtown lodging (3 Trails Boutique Hotel & Maggy's Place)
DOWNTOWN ELKIN IS FAMOUS FOR:
- Its charm & friendly shop owners.
- History beginning in the 1800's as a textile mill town (Chatham Manufacturing/Chatham Blankets which was known for making wool blankets for WWI & WWII soldiers, textiles and upholstery), and as a furniture town (Vaughan-Bassett Furniture).
- Monthly Cruise Ins & Explore Elkin music events (Food Truck Fridays and Downtown Block Parties)
- Murals throughout downtown (10+)
- Celebrating the arts (Foothills Arts Center, Reeves Music Theater, Downtown Music School)
- Centrally located in Yadkin Valley Wine Region (AVA) with over 45 wineries/vineyards within 20 minutes in any direction! Check out Elkin Vine Line for winery shuttles during your visit.
ELKIN IS A TRAIL TOWN:
- Here are some of the trails you can explore in downtown:
- Our Main Street is directly along the NC Mountains-to-Sea Trail (MST)
- Downtown Elkin converges with the NC MST, the Overmountain Victory Trail, and the Yadkin River Blue Trail with river access 2 blocks from Main Street (dock and enjoy lunch downtown)!
- Listed on the Blue Ridge Music Trail (Reeves Theater)
- Listed on the Blue Ridge Craft Trail
- Listed on the Appalachian Mural Trail
- Daniel Boone Trail marker next to Elkin Trail Town mural
- Civil War Trail marker near the library
- Surry Scenic Bikeway
- Lakes to Florida Highway (Hwy 21)
- Sonker Trail
- Local outfitters in downtown (River & Trails Emporium & American Aquatic)
- Nearby RV Parks (Byrd's Branch RV Park-Elkin, Riverwalk RV Park & Hometown RV park- Jonesville)
- Local trout fishing & bird watching - Elkin's Municipal Park (grab a pair of binoculars at Elkin's Public Library for bird-watching).
- For local Kayaking Outfitters & Outdoor (Hike/Bike/Paddle) Activities - click here
- The Heritage & Trails Center participates in Harvest Host for RV travelers.
DOWNTOWN ELKIN AWARDS:
- Downtown Elkin has also been recognized in the past by these organizations with awards or grant funding:
ANNUAL EVENTS & FESTIVALS HELD DOWNTOWN:
- Elkin Spring Fling (around Easter/Mother's Day)
- Monthly Cruise-Ins (4th Saturday, May thru November).
- NC Trails Days Festival, (first weekend in June)
- Roots Music Fest, (June)
- Take a Break from the Interstate 100-mile Road Market, (3-day event, last weekend in July)
- Reevestock Music Fest's Downtown Get Down, (first weekend in August)
- Yadkin Valley Pumpkin Festival, (4th Saturday in September)
- Trick or Treat on Main, (Halloween)
- Light up Elkin (1st Friday in December, unless otherwise stated),
- Yadkin Valley Christmas Parade (2nd Sunday in December).
Additional information about downtown:
- EVENT information, go to www.exploreelkin.com.
- OUR STATE Magazine article about Downtown Elkin, click here.
- SHOPS & RESTAURANTS list (printable) in downtown Elkin, click here.
- SOCIAL MEDIA links, please like/follow Elkin Main Street's facebook page, click here. You also follow downtown Elkin on Instagram at Elkin_Main_Street.
- Our downtown has been a NC Main Street Accredited Community (since 1998) with a dedicated Main Street Manager and Advisory Board, and our downtown district is listed on the National Register of Historic Places with the National Park Service.
- is wired for WiFi and Fiber Optics for businesses;
- has two L2 EV stations to charge your electric vehicle (at Town Hall and Heritage and Trails Center). Please enjoy a free charge at either location while you spend time enjoying a bite to eat, or shopping at numerous retail locations.
West Main St...
Mid-Main St
East Main St...