FloydFest 2010

By Doug Thompson

Brian Lauder and Cathy Simmons happened upon the first FloydFest by accident nine years ago and have returned every summer since. As they packed up their tent and camping gear to head back to Greenville, South Carolina Sunday they judged FloydFest 9 “the best ever.”

“It is a full-fledged mature festival now,” Simmons said. “We will be back next year for FloydFest 10.”

During its four-day run at the Patrick County site just off the Blue Ridge Parkway, FloydFest 9 offered more of just about everything: more music on more stages, more vendors, more events, more places to eat and drink, and more crowds.

Event organizers expected a record 14,000 or more for this year’s festival, and while a final attendance count wasn’t available at press time, large crowds flocked to FloydFest from Thursday to Sunday and a capacity crowd packed the grounds Saturday to see traditional favorites like the Old Crow Medicine Show and new-to-the festival acts like The Levon Helm Band.

“This is the largest crowd I’ve seen here,” said Bill Bell of Bell Gallery & Garden as he stood in front of his vendor stand.

Helm, lead singer and drummer for legendary road group The Band, capped a Saturday that cooled down dramatically from oppressively hot and humid temperatures during the day. A nearly-full moon rose over the Dreaming Creek Stage as Helm’s band took the stage as Saturday’s showcase act and kept the enthusiastic crowd cheering during a rousing, two-hour concert.

But the heat of the day did not cool the enthusiasm of crowds that enjoyed a wide variety of musical acts on the festival’s musical stages. The music began with Roanoke’s My Radio on Thursday afternoon and played through early Sunday evening when FloydFest favorite Grace Potter closed out the festival on the Hill Holler Stage.

While a long line of motorcycles, cars, campers and trailers headed home on the Blue Ridge Parkway after 6 p.m. on Sunday, those with VIP tickets stayed behind for a final party on site.

The large VIP crowd served notice that the one-time “hippie festival” had blossomed into a full-fledged, commercial summer music event with an ever-growing, international audience.

Tom Bliley of New Zealand heard about the festival in Australia last year and came this year for his first visit. It won’t be his last.

“This place is something special,” Bliley said.

Andrew and Sarah Ozwald of Boone, NC, agreed. They arrived on Saturday and came back on Sunday.

“Next year, we’re bringing a camper and staying for the entire four days,” Mrs. Ozwald said.

Signs that FloydFest has become mainstream abounded: political campaign placards in the camping area, an appearance Saturday by Sen. Mark Warner, and lines at the ATM machines.

For many vendors, the large crowds for this year’s festival paid off.

“We reached our break even point on Friday (the festival’s second day),” said local potter Tom Phelps.

Others reported brisk business, as did area merchants who enjoyed larger than normal weekend crowds.

The festival survived a series of glitches – most beyond their control. A shifting load jackknifed a tractor-trailer south of Floyd and blocked Virginia Rte. 8 – a primary route to the Parkway and FloydFest – for several hours Thursday just as attendees began arriving.

Floyd County volunteer firefighters not only had to turn vehicles around as they headed both south and northbound on Rte. 8 but also had to give out-of-town visitors directions on how to reach the FloydFest site by alternative routes like driving south on U.S. 221 to Canning Factory Road and then using Black Ridge Road to reach the Parkway.

On Thursday, blown circuit breakers plunged much of the festival site into darkness just before the evening showcased a concert of Railroad Earth, but a generator provided power to the Dreaming Creek Stage so the show could go on.

On Saturday, a hit-and-run accident on the Parkway near Mabry Mill brought emergency vehicles speeding past the festival site along with a bulletin to Patrick County deputies to be on the lookout for a male suspect “without shoes or a shirt” who fled the scene.

“Yeah, right,” said one deputy as he looked over the crowd with dozens of men without shirts or shoes. The suspect was later captured as he tried to hitchhike on the Parkway.

The sheriff’s department reported only minor incidents, most involving public intoxication. Emergency medical personnel treated several people for heat-related problems as temperatures climbed into the upper 90s on Friday and Saturday.

“Yes, I was hot,” said Monica Mercer of Brandon, Florida. “But we get this kind of heat and worse in Florida all summer long. We don’t get the beautiful mountain views and great music at home so a little heat was worth it.”

Video by Doug Thompson