Sherpa Guides > Virginia Mountains > Appendixes > Special Events, Fairs and Festivals

Special Events, Fairs and Festivals

General

• Friday Nite Jamboree—Traditional weekly barn dance at Cockram's General Store in Floyd. Phone (540) 745-4563.
• Galax Mountain Music Jamboree—Traditional mountain music and dance, third Saturday night each month in Galax. Phone (540) 236-0668 or (540) 236-2184.
• Virginia Horse Festival—Competitions in various styles of horseback riding held throughout the year at Lexington Equestrian Center, Lexington. Phone (540) 463-4300.

January

• Virginia Special Olympics—With the help of volunteers, Wintergreen resort in Nelson County hosts this annual snow-skiing competition for mentally challenged athletes. January. Phone (804) 325-2200.

February

• African-American Heritage Month—The Museum of American Frontier Culture hosts this examination of black contributions to early American growth. Held in February in Staunton. Phone (540) 332-7850.

March

• Highland Maple Festival—Tours to maple sugar camps to see both old and new methods of syrupmaking, Maple Museum, pancake breakfasts with maple syrup, craft show. March. Highland County Chamber of Commerce, PO Box 223, Monterey, VA 24465. Phone (540) 468-2550.
• Mountain Empire Fly-Fishing School—Three-day school for beginners on fly-fishing tackle, entomology, knots, wading, artificial flies, stream lore, and casting techniques. Held at Hungry Mother State Park in March. Phone (540) 783-3422.
• Whitetop Mountain Maple Festival—Festive event at Mount Rogers National Recreation Area features live country and western music, tours of maple tree tapping areas, pancake breakfasts where visitors can sample homemade syrups, arts and crafts, storytelling. Two weekends in late March. Sponsored by Mount Rogers Volunteer Fire Department and Rescue Squad. Phone (540) 773-3711.

April

• Kids Fishing Day—Stocked trout fishing for children at Elkhorn Lake, near Bridgewater. Sponsored by Dry River Ranger District, George Washington National Forest. April. Phone (540) 828-2591.
• River Run and Bicycle Ride—Athletes face-off against the rugged terrain near Breaks Interstate Park on the Virginia/Kentucky border. April. Phone (540) 921-1544.
• Shenandoah Valley Apple Blossom Festival—Dances, circus, luncheons, parades, band competitions, arts and crafts show in Winchester. April—May. Phone (540) 662-3863.

May

• Appalachian Trail Days—Hikers are invited to Damascus, "the friendliest town on the Appalachian Trail," during May festivities, including square dancing, mountain music, costumed town folk, hiker talent show, rubber duck races, barbecue, and parade. Phone (540) 637-6766 or (800) 446-9670.
• Delaplane Strawberry Festival—Celebrate the region's strawberry season at Sky Meadows State Park with strawberry sundaes, eighteenth-century dancing demonstration, Civil War brass band, crafts, hayrides, clowns, children's games, pony rides, and petting zoo. May. Phone (540) 592-3556.
• Mount Rogers Naturalist Rally—Participants study natural history and wildlife of southwest Virginia during workshops and interpretive hikes at weekend retreat at Mount Rogers National Recreation Area. Talks by naturalists, hikes led by college professors. Sponsored by Mount Rogers Interpretive Association, usually coinciding with Mount Rogers Ramp Festival, third weekend in May. Phone (540) 783-2125 or (800) 446-9670.
• Southwestern Virginia Pioneer Festival—Learn how southwest Virginia was colonized and developed at the Crab Orchard Museum and Pioneer Park. Demonstrations include basket weaving, wool spinning, and blacksmithing. Held at Tazewell in May. Phone (540) 988-6755.
• Wildflower Weekend—Wildflower hikes into the surrounding Blue Ridge mountains originate at the Hotel Strasburg. First weekend in May in Strasburg. Phone (540) 253-9622.
• Wildflower Weekend—Shenandoah National Park celebrates the arrival of spring with guided walks, exhibits, slide programs, and workshops during the third weekend in May. Park headquarters is at Luray. Phone (540) 999-3482
• Wintergreen Wildflower Symposium—Experts in botany, geology, herpetology, etc., conduct seminars and lead wildflower and bird walks at Wintergreen in Nelson County. Mid-May. Phone (800) 282-8223 or (800) 325-2200.

June

• Bluegrass Festival—Open-air concerts in June at Graves Mountain Lodge on scenic Robinson River in Virginia's northern Blue Ridge mountains featuring some of the nation's finest musicians. Lodge is near Syria in Madison County. Phone (540) 923-4231.
• Grayson County Fiddlers Convention—Music jamboree held at Elk Creek last weekend in June. Free camping. Sponsored by Elk Creek Valley Volunteer Fire Department. Phone (540) 773-3711.
• Wayne C. Henderson Festival—Music festival and guitar competition at Grayson Highlands State Park with prize of Wayne Henderson guitar. Sponsored by Rugby Volunteer Fire Department and Rescue Squad. Third Saturday in June. Phone (540) 773-3711.

June—July

• Appalachian Trail Conference—Activities include hikes, workshops, children's activities, and evening entertainment. The conference is held at James Madison University, Harrisonburg, for a week in late June or early July. Phone (540) 981-0693.

June—July—August

• Bluemont Concert Series—This free outdoor concert series draws hundreds to the lawn of the old Frederick County Courthouse in Old Town Winchester. Features folk, Cajun, bluegrass, and other music under the stars on Friday evenings in June, July, and part of August. Phone (540) 665-0079.
• The Shenandoah Valley Music Festival—Long-running series of high-quality summer and fall concerts in rustic open-air pavilion at historic mineral springs resort hotel at Orkney Springs. Phone (800) 459-3396
• Theater at Lime Kiln—Memorial Day begins the summer season at Lime Kiln, an outdoor theater that is nationally recognized for presenting original plays and musicals relating to Virginia's culture and history. Plays and concerts take place under the stars in an enchanting setting: the ruins of an actual lime kiln built in the 1800s. Plays are performed Monday through Saturday until Labor Day. On Sunday nights, some of the best and brightest in the music business perform jazz, blues, folk, and bluegrass music. Lexington. Phone (540) 463-3074.

July

• Blue Ridge Heritage Festival—southwest Virginia's 19 counties celebrate mountain music, arts and crafts, and attractions of the Blue Ridge Highlands. Held at Fort Chiswell in July. Phone (540) 228-3111.
• Hungry Mother Arts and Crafts Festival—Longest-running state park art and crafts festival in Virginia featuring more than 125 artisans, musical programs, and children's programs at Hungry Mother State Park. Third weekend in July. Phone (540) 828-2591 or (540) 783-3161.
• Riverfest—Celebrate the great outdoors with a raft race down the New River. Other highlights are a barbecue cooking contest, craft show, and live music. Held at Radford on second Saturday following the Fourth of July. Phone (540) 639-2202.
• Shenandoah Valley Bicycle Festival—Bikers of all levels compete at Bridgewater in races ranging from 5 to 100 miles. Bridgewater College hosts the event, usually at end of July. Phone (540) 434-3862.

August

• Natural Chimneys Jousting Tournament—Horseback jousting where riders at full gallop attempt to spear series of tiny hanging rings. Event started in 1821. Third Saturday in August at Mount Solon. Phone (540) 350-2510 or (540) 249-5729.
• Old Fiddlers Convention—Oldest and largest in the world, the four-day Old Fiddlers Convention is held at Felts Park in Galax on second week in August, sponsored by Galax Moose Lodge. Phone (540) 236-2184 or (540) 773-3711.
• Riverfest—Sponsored by the Friends of the Shenandoah, this August festival takes place at the confluence of the north and south branches of the Shenandoah River at Front Royal. Activities include canoe races, fishing tournament, river rodeo with tug of war, centipede canoe race, obstacle course, and blindfolded canoe race. On shore are crafts, food, and live music. Phone (540) 636-4948.
• The Virginia Highlands Arts and Crafts Festival—Celebrates revival in old-time arts and crafts, streets filled with items by the area's finest artists and craftspeople. Held in historic Abingdon in Washington County, first two weeks in August. Phone (540) 676-2282 or (800) 435-3440.

September

• Apple Harvest Arts and Crafts Festival—Held at Jim Barnett Park in Winchester, festival features apple-butter making and pie contests, live music, arts and crafts. September. Phone (540) 662-4135.
• Claytor Lake Arts and Crafts Fair—Family Labor Day celebration with many artisans displaying handmade articles under the park trees. Held Labor Day weekend. Claytor Lake State Park, Pulaski County. Phone (540) 980-7363.
• Henry Street African-American Heritage Festival—Celebration of African-American culture in neighborhood close to downtown Roanoke. Ethnic food, music, entertainment, children's activities. September. Phone (540) 345-4818.
• "Spirit of the Indian" Pow Wow—Learn about the past and present culture of Virginia's Native Americans at this gathering at Claudius Crozet Park, 12 miles west of Charlottesville. Held in Crozet in early September. Phone (804) 929-0334.
• Taste of the Mountains Main Street Festival—Artisans demonstrate basket weaving, woodcarving, glass blowing, chair caning, furniture making, quilting, spinning, bark-basket making, and beekeeping. Hear Appalachian tunes on dulcimers and harps and watch the footwork of clog dancers. Petting zoo, mountain-inspired food. Held in Madison in September. Phone (540) 948-3645 or 948-4455.

October

• Blue Ridge Folklife Festival—Ferrum College hosts this popular event the last Saturday in October. Widely attended, the festival showcases regional traditions, with crafts workers showing time-honored skills, old-time musicians, and traditional Appalachian competitions. Ferrum. Phone (540) 365-4416.
• Mountain Foliage Festival—Celebrates humor of mountain folk with Grand Privy Race, the only outhouse race in Virginia. Contestants race privies on wheels down Main Street of Independence, sending winner to national event. Held second Saturday in October, sponsored by Town of Independence and 1908 Courthouse. Phone (540) 773-3711.
• Oktoberfest—German beer, Virginia wine, food, and an oompah band playing traditional German music make this a special festival. There's also a Bach Bash presented by the Mid-Atlantic Chamber Orchestra as well as arts and crafts displays. Held in Staunton in October. Phone (540) 886-2351.
• Virginia Fall Foliage Festival—Two October weekends of fine arts and crafts, apple-butter making, gem and mineral show, food booths, chili cook-off. Held in Waynesboro since 1973. Phone (540) 949-8513.

December

• Monticello Holiday Open House—In early December, at the former home of Thomas Jefferson, visitors are treated to candlelight tours of the mansion, which is decorated in period ornaments. Traditional music nightly. Refreshments in the gift shop. Charlottesville. Phone (804) 984-9828.

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