Words of Cristina Byrne
With a plethora of festivals to choose from all across America this summer, the one DIBS will be packing up and driving 421 miles to take part in is FloydFest. We are excited to pitch a tent in the Blue Ridge Mountains (which is considered to be one of the most beautiful and iconic parts of American landscape ) of Southwest Virginia for the five-night festival in Floyd, Virginia that is promising to deliver a celebration of music and art from July 24th to July 28th.
What caught our eye was not only the location and it’s scenery, but also the varying music genres of Americana, roots, and rock and roll, sprinkled with bluegrass, R&B, soul, funk, country, newgrass, reggae, blues, and indie as well as a lineup that features over a hundred artists on more than 8 stages. Appearances will include The String Cheese Incident, Phil Lesh & The Terrapin Family Band, Grammy Winner Kacey Musgraves, Grammy Winner Brandi Carlile, Tyler Childers, Grammy Nominee Margo Price, Grammy Winner Fantastic Negrito, Lukas Nelson & Promise of The Real and a whole lot more. Check out the full lineup here.
“We care deeply about attention to details, and wait until you see our stages, timber-framed structures designed to meld with the high-mountain landscape,” explained Sam Calhoun, the COO of the Festival and treasurer of it’s non-profit arm, Blue Cow Arts. “Our foundation is live music, outdoor adventure, and craft beer, but we are so much more than that.”
With outdoor adventures such as on the water cool down, mountain biking, a trail running race, hiking trail, and disc golf and a vibrant and varied vendors, quality brews and grub, healing arts, workshops, art installations, and even activities for the kiddos. Calhoun says, “You should expect the unexpected.”
With this year’s theme as the Voyage Home, Calhoun explains, “We feature new onsite art installations and surprises built around that theme.”
“It speaks to the journey to this point and underscores the culture of community created on that mountain,” says Calhoun. “This really is a voyage home for many of our patrons. This really is their festival; this is their home; and that catalyzes our energy toward making this the most indelible FloydFest ever. To boot, this voyage is about the music, and how some of our headliners are ‘voyaging home’ to their roots … back to where it all began,” Calhoun continued.
With this event being nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains and the “home” vibe will have it’s own homage paid on the very stage the artists perform on. FloydFest centers around culture and community, and we look forward to seeing that cultivated by the picture-esque scene on the mountain. “Our culture is about family,” said Calhoun. “We have had our children grow up on that mountain, and, after 19 years, they are now adults and stewarding a new generation of FloydFest Family. FloydFest is a place where children can run free, and parents feel safe letting them roam, as there’s an unspoken collective responsibility for all. Our culture is also about camping and outdoor adventure, discovering new music and being one with nature. It’s about meeting new friends and having an annual sanctuary to reconnect with old friends.”
We hope to see ya’ll at the mountain for music and magic!
Want to partake in the “Voyage Home?” Purchase your ticket and get for more information about FloydFest here. Rules and packing list for FloydFest here. Also, if you want a preview of what to expect check out FloydFest19 Voyage Home on Spotify.
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