FloydFest

Last updated
FloydFest
Floyd Fest Enter.jpg
The entrance to FloydFest
GenreVarious: rock, bluegrass, reggae, folk, Yiddish, Cajun, or Zydeco, African, Appalachian, world music
Location(s) Blue Ridge Mountains
Floyd, Virginia
Years active2002–19, 2021–present
Website floydfest.com

FloydFest is a Music and arts festival held annually near Floyd, Virginia, in the Blue Ridge Mountains

Contents

History

The event began in 2002, and spans five days each year with on-site camping and multiple stages featuring rock, bluegrass, reggae, folk, Yiddish, Cajun, or Zydeco, African, Appalachian, and world music performers. The event was cancelled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic; the 19th edition was deferred to 2021.

After the 2022 festival, organizers moved the festival to a site in the community of Check, VA, in Floyd County a dozen miles northeast of the town of Floyd. However, due to environmental concerns about the site, it could not be used for the 2023 festival, which had to be canceled. [1]

In addition to music, the festival features local arts and crafts, dance workshops, morning yoga lessons, story telling, poetry readings, and a "Children's Universe" tent. In March, 2024,

Each year, FloydFest features a theme:

Performers

Each of the following sections has a list of notable performers for that year.

2002: Floyd County World Music Festival

2003: Out Of This World Music

2004: Midsummer's Dream

2005: Rock of Ages

2006: Roots Alive

2007: It's in the Mix

  • Carolina Chocolate Drops
  • DeVotchKa
  • North Mississippi Allstars
  • Red Stick Ramblers
  • Rose's Pawn Shop
  • Sons of Bill
  • The Duhks
  • The Hackensaw Boys
  • Andy Palacio & the Garifuna Collective
  • Sam Bush
  • Donna the Buffalo
  • Cat Empire
  • Railroad Earth
  • Midnite
  • Waybacks
  • Toubab Krewe
  • Blue Highway
  • Langhorn Slim
  • Kusan Ensemble
  • Feufollet
  • Lil' Brian and the Zydeco Travelers
  • 3 Fox Drive
  • Erik Mongrain
  • Appalachian Roots
  • Scythian
  • American Dumpster
  • Church
  • Infamous Stringdusters
  • Carolina Chocolate Drops
  • Spiral
  • Jan Smith
  • Sol Creech Band
  • Strut
  • The Seed
  • Morwenna Lasko & Jay Punn
  • William Walter & Co.
  • Devon Sproule
  • Paul Curreri
  • The Wiyos
  • Smooth Kentucky
  • The Old Ceremony
  • Possum Jenkins Band
  • Wild Turkeys
  • Kat Mills
  • Kill Basa Bills Roadshow
  • Carbon Culture
  • Blue Mule
  • Anya & Jackson
  • Scott Perry
  • Bombadil
  • Musicians from the Crooked Road
  • Telepath
  • The Barrel House Mamas
  • Mood Cultivation
  • Hope Massive
  • Capoeirista

2008: Family Affair

  • Amos Lee
  • Rusted Root
  • Avett Brothers
  • Railroad Earth
  • Tea Leaf Green
  • David Grisman Quintet
  • Oliver Mtukudzi
  • Ivan Neville's Dumpstaphunk
  • Donna the Buffalo
  • New Monsoon
  • Crooked Still
  • Chatham County Line
  • Golem
  • Tony Trischka & Double Banjo Bluegrass Spectacular
  • The Rev Peyton's Big Damn Band
  • Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper
  • Laura Reed & Deep Pocket
  • Jamie McLean
  • DJ Williams Projekt
  • Yo Mama's Big Fat Booty Band
  • The Superpowers
  • Bombadil
  • Giant Panda Guerrilla Dub Squad
  • Gokh-bi System
  • Blueground Undergrass
  • The Speckers
  • Cadillac Sky
  • Kill Basa Bill's Roadshow
  • Ananda
  • 3 minute Lovin'
  • Blue Mule
  • Mr. Mojo
  • Wild Turkeys
  • Jan Smith Band
  • Spiral
  • The Blue Fairy & Prince of Pipes
  • Indigenous Gourd Orchestra
  • Oneside-Bucktown Kickback
  • Lynx
  • Sons of Bill
  • Junior League
  • Katie Pearlman Band
  • Buzz Universe
  • Segway
  • Kristi Emmons
  • M02
  • Stop Drop & Roll
  • Kat Mills
  • Eli Cook & Electric Holy Firewater
  • Paleface
  • Jordan Harmon Band
  • Izzy & Chris
  • The Aliens
  • Curious Strange
  • Shane Gamble & the Gentlemen
  • the everybodyfields
  • iRon Lion
  • Thunderdrums
  • Blind Corn Liquor Pickers
  • Cashmere Jungle Lords
  • My Radio
  • Jennie Arnau
  • Turbo Project
  • David Shultz
  • Kings of Belmont
  • Sci Fi
  • Moossa
  • HuDost
  • Stephanie Rocker
  • William Walter & Co.

2009: Revival

2010: Breaking Ground

  • The Levon Helm Band
  • Old Crow Medicine Show
  • Grace Potter & the Nocturnals
  • Galactic featuring Corey Henry of The Rebirth Brass Band
  • Railroad Earth
  • JJ Grey & Mofro
  • Karl Denson's Tiny Universe
  • Soulive
  • Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni ba
  • Konono No1
  • Deer Tick
  • Tift Merritt
  • The Low Anthem
  • Hackensaw Boys
  • Cornmeal
  • Eric Krasno & Chapter 2
  • Pimps of Joytime
  • Mountain Heart
  • Flam Chen
  • Budos Band
  • Joe Pug
  • Bearfoot
  • Rockridge Brothers
  • WIYOS
  • Solas
  • Spiral
  • Rising Appalachia
  • Dangermuffin
  • Miss Tess & the Bon Ton Parade
  • Christabel & the Jons
  • Boulder Acoustic Society
  • Holy Ghost Tent Revival
  • Packway Handle Band
  • Alexis P Suter Band
  • Soulhound
  • Two Man Gentleman Band
  • Butch Robins
  • Imagicnation
  • The Mantras
  • Sol Driven Train
  • William Walter & Co
  • Thunderdrums
  • Papadosio
  • Folk Soul Revival
  • The Barefoot Movement
  • Kat Mills
  • 3 Minute Lovin, *Adrienne Young
  • The Steel Wheels
  • American Dumpster
  • Dirty Horse
  • Blue Mule
  • Scintillation Fire Troupe
  • Old Sledge
  • Kill Basa Bill's Roadshow
  • JP Harris & the Tough Choices
  • The Hot Seats
  • Dance Afire
  • White Top Mountain Band
  • My Radio
  • Sauerkraut Band
  • Danny Knicely
  • Farm Use Only
  • Hoorah Cloggers
  • JuggleThis!
  • Rocknoceros
  • Miss Kitty's Society for Wayward Cosmonauts
  • Charles Eisenstein
  • Dharma Rebel w/ Jason Murphy
  • James Justin & Co.
  • Musicians of the Crooked Road.

2012: Lovers Rock

2013: Rise & Shine

2014: Revolutionary

2015: Fire on the Mountain

2016: Dreamweavin'

2017: Freedom

2018: Wild

  • Foster the People
  • Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit
  • Old Crow Medecine Show
  • Gov't Mule
  • The Infamous Stringdusters
  • Leftover Salmon
  • Tyler Childers
  • ZZ Ward
  • Hiss Golden Messenger
  • Greta Van Fleet
  • Keller Williams Petty Grass feat. The Hillbenders
  • Antibalas
  • Buffalo Mountain Jam
  • Nikki Lane
  • Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real
  • The Steel Wheels
  • Nicki Bluhm
  • Langhorne Slim
  • Son Little
  • The Lil Smokies
  • Horses & Hand Grenades
  • The Mother Hips
  • Lindsay Lou
  • No BS! Brass Band
  • Devon Gilfillian
  • Songs from the Road Band
  • Mr. Jennings
  • Kaleta & Super Yamba Band
  • South Hill Banks
  • The Virginia Gentlemen
  • Dharma Bombs
  • Mapache
  • The National Reserve
  • The Native Howl
  • The Broadcast
  • Erin & the Wildfire
  • Travis Meadows
  • Mama Said String Band
  • Che Apalache
  • The Harmed Brothers
  • The Floorboards
  • Fireside Collective
  • Sol Searchers
  • Blue Mule
  • Black Mountain Revival
  • My Radio
  • Dead Reckoning
  • Omegawolfe
  • Los Chupacabras
  • Gote
  • Morgan Wade & the Stepbrothers
  • Jordan Harman
  • The Jam
  • The Mad Iguanas
  • Andrew Scottie & the River Rats
  • The Antecedents
  • Common Center
  • The Company Stores
  • Dalton Dash
  • The Dirty Grass Players
  • The Freeway Revival
  • Frenchie & the Holy Gems
  • Graham Stone Music
  • Gryzzle
  • The Harwell Grice Band
  • The Highballers
  • The Hills and the Rivers
  • Jesse Daniel Edwards
  • Kendall Street Company
  • Kid Brother
  • Magnolia Boulevard
  • Metaphonia
  • Old Heavy Hands
  • Sid Kingsley
  • Stray Local
  • Striking Copper
  • Travers Brothership
  • Vintage Pistol
  • Virginia Ground
  • Wille De Band
  • The Change
  • Miss Kitty's Cosmonauts

2019: Voyage Home

2020: No Event - Pandemic

2021: Odyssey

2023:~Forever~

2024:~Horizon~

Reviews

FloydFest

Voted "Best Large Music Venue in Southwestern Virginia" by Virginia Living

FloydFest '04

"Some larger festivals boast a similar peace, love and music philosophy, but Floyd actually lives it, not just for one weekend, but throughout the entire year." [3]

FloydFest '05

"Floyd sits in a timeless, beautiful section of Virginia, far enough from bigger cities like Roanoke and Danville to feel like it's truly in the middle of nowhere." [4]

"The only thing constant on the festival grounds was the flow of culturally powerful music and mud covered feet." [5]

FloydFest '08

"Floydfest is an epicenter of culture for Southwest Virginia" - Virginia Senator, Mark Warner[ citation needed ]

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References

  1. Dickens, Tad (April 6, 2023). "FloydFest cancels 2023 event". Roanoke Times. Retrieved 14 August 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 Berrier Jr., Ralph (22 July 2007). "FloydFest highlights: 2002-2006". The Roanoke Times. Archived from the original on 1 February 2013. Retrieved 30 September 2012.
  3. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2006-01-27. Retrieved 2006-01-14.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  4. [ dead link ]
  5. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2005-12-30. Retrieved 2006-01-14.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)