Jul. 25-The 11th Annual Floydfest begins officially on July 26 adjoining the Blue Ridge Parkway at about Milepost 170.5. Attendance is expected to reach 18,000 for the Thursday-Sunday Weekend. (July 26-29)

Photo by Tom Bishop, Executive Director, Patrick County Chamber. The photo is the Virginia Tourism display emphasizing "Virginia Is For Lovers." Foods for the weekend include, Wild Bills Old Fashion Soda, Dogtown Pizza (wood fired pizza), Goatocado (vegetarian), Lemoines Crepes (pancakes filled with sweet things), Oddfella's Cantina (local organic), Poor Farmer's Market (fruits, tea, baked goods) and many more. Bands include, Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder, Allison Krauss and Union Station, Jackson Browne, Wayne Henderson, Whitetop Mountain Band, Blue Mule, Big Daddy Love, The Mighty Wonders, The Rogues, Spirit Band Reunion, plus many more bands, up to 100 bands. New things this year, is a portable Verizon Cell Phone Tower, new VIP viewing porch at Hill Holler Stage, Outdoor Adventures, bike rides, field games, guided hike of Rock Castle Gorge, river float trip, naturalist guided hike, disc golf contest, and more. Floydfest prides itself in recycling, composting and landfill trash. Usually you will find 3 different trash bins to accomodate the sorting of garbage. Major advertisers include: Blue Ridge Yurts, Dreaming Creek Timber and Frame Homes, Inc., Danny Weeks Excavating, Food Lion, Best Western of Roanoke, Blue Ridge PBS, Linda DeVito Realton, Camping World RV's of Roanoke, WSLS 10 TV-Roanoke, Sunbelt Rentals, Citizens Telephone Coop, Courtyard-Marriot (Blacksburg), Southwestern Virginia Gas Service, Ferrum College and Sylvan Sport Go.