This is a special edition of Leah LOVES Virginia highlighting an official LOVE sign that is displayed during the annual FloydFest music festival..
As I sit on a blanket with my family, surrounded by thousands of others, I close my eyes and begin to sway to the melodies being played. It’s like I’m in a different world – where everything and everyone feels happy, peaceful and good. I love what I’m hearing, so I stand and put my arm around my husband’s waist, and we gently rock back-and-forth together. There is more than just music and mountains here, there is magic in the air and I can’t help but feel like I have found my way back home.
FloydFest is an annual five-day music festival held near the town of Floyd about 3.5 hours west of Richmond. The event is organized by Across-the-Way Productions, their mission “To be the best music festival experience of our time..” And this is obviously felt and seen if you’ve ever attended a FloydFest.
During the event, they have an official LOVE sign stationed on festival grounds. 2024 marked the first year at its new location, so I believe the LOVE sign is also new (it’s different from the LOVEworks page). My husband and I can never remember how many FloydFests we’ve been to (at least 12?) and our boys experienced their sixth Floyd this year. We were also joined by a couple of our ‘festival families’ this year, which always adds to the fun.
First let me tell you that FloydFest is a one-of-a-kind festival experience (and yes, I’ve been to other music festivals). Someone could write a book about all of the wonderful things that make up this music and arts gathering. For the sake of this blog, I’m going to bucket this festival into four categories: (1) the setting (2) the music (3) the vending and (4) the people.
The setting…
The Blue Ridge Mountains create the ultimate backdrop for FloydFest where the festival grounds and campsites come together in one glorious place. Let’s talk camping first – here, you have multiple options to consider. Whether you want to do traditional tent/ hammock camping, bring your camper/ RV, or try ‘‘glamp camp’, they’ve got you covered in one of their various sites.
And for most of these, there is a general admission or VIP option to consider. Regardless of what you chose, when you have a FloydFest camping ticket, you are on-site – Meaning you are sleeping on festival grounds and don’t have to wait in line to enter, you’re already there! This adds to the incredible unique experience that FloydFest strives to bring.
Now let’s talk about the setting for the music. FloydFest has strived to bring the majority of stages within a quick walk of each other (there are seven), where each platform creates a different setting and mood:
- The Devil’s Backbone stage is set behind an open tavern-like building that when you walk on the other side, you have an amazing view of the Main stage
- The White Claw Oasis stage is under a large white canopy that provides an awesome place to boogie
- The Country Store Porch Stage creates a more intimate setting to watch many of the featuring artists
- The Children’s Universe (yes, an entire section dedicated to your little ones!), provides music that anyone at any age will enjoy
- Bitchn’ Sauce stage is an exclusive place for those that have VIP tickets, can enjoy many of the artists
- The Canopy Grove stage is a bit off the beaten path (a short walk uphill), providing tunes on a small natural amphitheater surrounded by mountain trees
- And of course the Main Stage, where most of the headlining artists will be playing throughout the day and night
Regardless of the stage, you are sure to have an amazing experience listening to new or familiar bands.
The music…
I love Robert Fripp’s quote…“Music is the wine that fills the cup of silence.”. If your music cup needs filling, FloydFest may have the best barrel, tap or spout to fill it. Most may believe it’s just a bluegrass festival…but it’s so much more. It’s rock, reggae, folk, Yiddish, Cajun/Zydeco, African, Appalachian, and World Music performers (source: Wikipedia). You will be AMAZED by the different types of melodies you’ll hear while on the mountain.
FloydFest also strives to bring you artists that you’ll recognize, and some that you’ve never heard of. Meaning…they want to give you bands that add to the festival’s magic that will stay with you well after you’ve packed-up your camping gear. Over the years they’ve had bands like Billy Strings, Lumineers, Tyler Childers, and The Avett Brothers before they got big.
They’ve also hosted music legends like Melissa Etheridge, Larry Keel, Ann Wilson (of Heart) and Gov’t Mule. And they also strive to bring back familiar favorites such Old Crow Medicine Show, Leftover Salmon and Keller Williams. This year, we danced the nights away to headliners Joe Russo’s Almost Dead (JRAD), Black Pumas, Charley Crockett, and Sierra Ferrell.
In addition to headliner type bands they have “On-The-Rise Artists” – where up-and-coming bands compete for votes to be named the winner and invited back to next year’s festival. I have caught some of my new favorites by listening to these acts (please check-out House Plant and Grace Bowers!). FloydFest also invests in the community by making room on their stages for Local Love artists. These bands typically live near the area and add so much goodness to the festival.
And depending on the day, music starts around 11 am and will carry on well past midnight. Regardless of the type of music you listen to, you are bound to find something that will have you dancing in no time.
The vending…
What goes well with a beautiful setting and amazing music? Why good food, cold drinks and fun shopping of course. FloydFest works hard to bring you a multitude of different vendors to add to your festival experience that is spread out across the grounds.
When it comes to festival fare, imagine some of the best food-truck food you’ve ever had, served to you in a picnic-style way. And the variety of foods that span across, breakfast, lunch and dinner, will have your belly satisfied for hours to come. Some of our favorites were Goatocado, The Grilled Cheese Incident, and Bearly Edible (“one-of-a-kind homemade food with love put in!”).
Others we have enjoyed in past years include Sexi-Mexi, The Sugar Shack, King of Pops and Red Rooster Coffee Roasters. And it wouldn’t be FloydFest without our favorite Two Roosters Kettle Corn. So no matter what your stomach is craving, you’ll have fun trying all of the amazing food that’s available there.
Beverages is another palette pleaser that FloydFest brings to its attendees. For those beer lovers, Devil’s Backbone Brewing Company takes center stage by providing their various brews on tap. Looking for something lighter? WhiteClaw is also served here by the can in several of their favorite flavors. And if vino is your thing, Childress Vineyards serves a white, red, rose’ by the bottle and my favorite, a chilled red sangria on tap. If you’re looking for non-alcoholic drinks, there are a number of options to include Boro Beverage, Fro-Zen Smoothies, and water is available free throughout the site.
What also makes FloydFest special is the awesome craft vendors where you can shop to your heart’s content. There is jewelry, clothing, camping accessories, artwork, wood carvings, leatherworks, fragrances and everything in between. You can also find henna tattoos, face painting, tarot card readings, and massage tents. Some of our go-to spots are Tarpestry, Then, Now, Always, Trails & Shores, and Black Gore Miniature Art. They also sell artist merchandise and official FloydFest clothing/accessories so you can support the bands and festival.
And what might be overlooked by some, but equally important are the non-profit/ informational booths. A few that we stopped by were Appalachian Voices (“Grassroots advocacy for clean energy, environmental protection and healthy communities”), Virginia Hemp Coalition (“Diligently protecting the inherent rights of hemp commerce, cultivation & consumption”) and Floyd County Parks and Recreation (“Ensure that Floyd Count children had access to a safe, fun and informative atmosphere in which to compete”).
The people…
If FloydFest was a word in the dictionary, the first line would read “a gathering of unique people that are kind, fun and peaceful, where there are no strangers and the dance circles always have room for more”. I can’t say enough about the people who attend FloydFest – they are some of the best I have experienced in my life. Everyone is SO HAPPY – Happy to meet you, happy to dance, happy to talk, happy to share or listen to a story, happy to help you in any way…and the list goes on. And this isn’t just the attendees, it’s the staff and volunteers that also make FloydFest so special.
To help bring this point home, I’ll tell you a story of the first year we brought our sons to FloydFest. We had just gotten dinner and sat at a picnic table where a young woman was sitting with beautiful fairy wings. She didn’t speak at first, so we introduced ourselves and started small-talk. She seemed shy but began opening up as the conversation continued.
As my husband and I shared stories of our previous FloydFests, she shared in a hushed tone that she has agoraphobia (an extreme fear of entering open or crowded places, of leaving their own home, or of being in places from which escape is difficult). Let me remind you, we are in the middle of a music festival, surrounded by thousands and thousands of people. She then shared quietly that FloydFest is the only place where she feels comfortable being around people – because everyone here is so open and accepting. That she felt safe.
Ya’ll, I will never forget this moment as long as I live. I knew and understood my own experiences with the people at FloydFest. However, hearing it from someone with a fear like this, was awe-inspiring. We continued to talk while we ate and when we finished up, we said our goodbyes. To this day, when people ask me if they should attend FloydFest, I always think about the young woman in fairy wings and her story, and enthusiastically respond ‘yes’.
FloydFest is a place to love…
Regardless of the type of tunes you listen to, FloydFest will give you one of the best music festival experiences out there. There is so much goodness here that once you attend, you will want to come back year after year (just ask anyone in my family 🙂 It’s where “music, magic and mountains” come together to create the ultimate festival adventure. Whether you’ve been to large music gatherings before, or are considering your first, make sure FloydFest is at the top of your list next year – you’ll LOVE every minute of it.
*LOVed going to this year’s FloydFest with the Raigins and Keogh families. You are the music family we chose and we love you 💕.
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Important note: I always do my best to ensure everything I include in my blogs are factual and that I also give credit and use quotations when pulling information from sources. If you believe there is something included here that needs to be addressed, please email me directly as I want to be sure it is fixed. Thank you and happy LOVE sign hunting.
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