The Crooked Road features many festivals during the spring, summer and fall.
The most popular ones are listed first by county and then by city and date. Mark your calendar for the all-American vacations of a lifetime!
Franklin County
Ferrum - Oct. 26 - Blue Ridge Folklife Festival at the Blue Ridge Institute & Farm Museum on the Ferrum College Campus, which is transformed into an exciting place of folk traditions, music, foods and artisans. The institute chooses participants for their authenticity. Performers on multiple stages entertain with the rich balladry, blues, gospel and string band music. Authentic foods, too, no hot dogs!
Floyd County
Floyd - July 25-28 - FloydFest celebrates music and culture in the mountains on a beautiful 80-acre site off the Blue Ridge Parkway. This event includes every kind of music imaginable at various stages. This is truly one of the best family events in Virginia, with an entire children's village of fun. Campsites available.
Grayson County & Galax
Galax - May 17-18 - Fairview Ruritan's Old Fiddler's Convention features authentic old time and bluegrass music. Musicians compete for $1,100 in cash prizes in fiddle, banjo, dobro, dulcimer, guitar, mandolin, autoharp and flatfoot dancing. Great food, too!
Mouth of Wilson - June 15 - Grayson Highlands State Park is the site for the Wayne C. Henderson Festival & Guitar Competition. Named in honor of Wayne C. Henderson, an internationally known musician and luthier from the Blue Ridge Highlands region. Enjoy a day of music along with children's activities, good food, arts and crafts vendors.
Elk Creek - June 28-29 - Grayson County Fiddler's Convention features competition in bluegrass and old time music. Camping on the grounds is available as well as food and drink.
Washington County & Bristol
Bristol - Sept. 20-22 - The Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion provides quality national, regional and local music and entertainment to downtown Bristol in celebration of the musical heritage and culture of Bristol. The weekend will offer a wonderful blend of Celtic, Gospel, Country, Bluegrass, Americana and Old Time music which will definitely give attendees a strong choice of entertainment for the weekend.
Scott County
Hiltons - Aug. 2-3 - The Carter Family Traditional Music Festival is presented in honor of the original Carter Family — First Family of Country Music — and commemorates the historic 1927 Bristol Recording Sessions. Visit the Carter Family Museum in the old general store and the restored original cabin that was the birthplace of A.P. Carter.
Wise County
Coeburn - May 23-25 - Dr. Ralph Stanley Memorial Weekend Bluegrass Festival is a celebration of bluegrass and old time music and Grand Ole Opry legend Dr. Ralph Stanley at the Stanley homeplace. Nationally known musicians travel up the mountain to perform at this esteemed featival every year.
Norton - Sept. 14 - Dock Boggs Memorial Festival honors the lives of two local musicians, banjoist Moran Lea "Dock" Boggs and singer/songwriter Kate O'Heill Peters Sturgill. Musicians from the area as well as nationally known musicians perform. Other attractions include home-cooked mountain food and handmade mountain arts and crafts.
Dickenson County
Breaks - May 24-26 - Jubilee in the Breaks is a three-day gospel music event with some of the finest in southern and bluegrass gospel music. Admission is free for the popular event, but love offerings are taken daily. The park is beautiful, and this will probably be one of your annual favorites.
Breaks - June 15-16 - Father's Day Gospel Sing features performances by groups in the immediate and surrounding areas at the beautiful amphitheatre in Breaks Interstate Park.