Report on Floydfest Held In Patrick County, VA-July 2009
July 26, 2009
July 24-News Report – Floydfest 8, also called "Floydfest Revival" as reported by Tom Bishop, Patrick County Chamber of Commerce.
The 8th Annual Floydfest was held on Thursday-Sunday, July 23-26, near Milepost 170 South of the Blue Ridge Parkway, near the Rocky Knob scenic area.
Crowds were expected to top the 13,000 from last year. Weather cooperated to make this a very enjoyable summer event in Patrick County. The number of campers was on the increase with campgrounds set up in and around the music park at various sites.
The Chamber of Commerce provided Tourist Information for Thursday and Friday of the event and had a choice spot near the Main Entrance gate. Based on our guest register, we saw people from as far away as Spain, Asheville, NC, Marietta, PA, Snow Hill, MD, Blue Bell, PA, and Alexandria, VA."
This year’s festival’s theme was “Revival�, as a time to refresh, re-energize, rejoice, review and refresh.
The location of the festival, is also known as “Pickett’s Thicket�, given that name by property owner, Mr. Tom Pickett, who resides in Greensboro, NC. Many times the Floydfest campers find the rural hazards encountered in fields and woods, such as, poison ivy, briars, thorny vines, ants, ticks, mosquitoes and yellow jackets.
Music was provided on 7 stages, by over 50 musical groups. Some of the more notable ones were, Rev. Frank Newsome, giving the gospel songs from the Coalfields of Virginia, Virginia Crooked Road guitar makers and players, Gerald Anderson, Spencer Strickland and Josh Pickett, The Smart Brothers, mult-instrumentalists and giving powerful harmony, hailing from San Diego, CA, The Sadies, with embroidered suites from Toronto, Canada and Donna The Buffalo, one of the most loved Floydfest performances that return year after year.
Organizations and nearby businesses that were very much a part of this festival were Poor Farmer’s Market (Meadows of Dan), All Seasons Nursery (Patrick Springs)Villa Appalaccia winery, Chateau Morrisette winery, Patrick County Sheriff Department, providing Security, Josephine Porter Institute (Woolwine), The Crooked Road-Virginia’s Historic Music Trail, Safety Rope, Inc. volunteers doing trash and parking lot duty and Turman Log Homes
It’s amazing that such a remote area of Patrick County, VA has become so popular to draw people from all over the world, and operated by a very successful local festival organizer, Across The Way Productions, from Floyd, VA.
This is truly an Appalachian “mountain top� experience focusing on a variety of music, cultural experiences, and foods of a variety of choices, entertainment that brings out music and laughter and renewal of the soul.