James Madison University
- Local Atmosphere

5 Fun Facts about Harrisonburg:
• Harrisonburg residents’ smiling faces and warm handshakes match the city’s nickname: the Friendly City.
• Prior to 1916, Harrisonburg’s roads were unpaved and were only traversed by horses, buggies, and human feet. In those pre-taxi days, two dollars would buy a ride home from a local stable and save you a dusty walk home.
• Don’t be surprised if your jaunt around Harrisonburg is accompanied by an odor oddly reminiscent of dog food. Why? Harrisonburg is famous for its poultry production. The poultry’s feed, a mix of molasses, corn, and other organic materials, produces a dog food smell that is especially strong in wet weather.
?• Tourists from China, Japan, and elsewhere have trekked to Harrisonburg to gaze upon one thing—chestnut trees. Three of the last, largest chestnut trees in North America are located on JMU’s Quad, right outside of Jackson.

Fun Facts about Campus:
• The fountain adorning Newman Lake runs 365 days a year—rain, snow or shine.
• JMU is one of the only campuses in America to boast of having a stream, lake, bridge, tunnel, traffic light, railroad, and an interstate highway running through campus.

Local Slang:
Y’all – Virginia residents’ version of “you all “ or “you guys.“
The Valley – It’s really the Shenandoah Valley, but the Shenandoah gets dropped.
The ‘Burg – Nickname for the city of Harrisonburg.
Joke on – Another way to say “make fun of.”
Soda – Not pop or soda pop in Virginia.