Arts, Leisure and Sports
The company behind FloydFest has received its final permit approval to develop its new Festival Park – and has confirmed the music festival will be back next year at the site in Floyd County. It comes after the festival was shut down this year when revisions to its stormwater management plan were not made by the deadline set. Organizers say after a year of careful planning, they will be protecting wetlands at the new site near Check – and they did not find any Bog turtles on the property – which was another concern. McBroom says VDOT has also given the okay to get started on new roads into the Festival site as well. John McBroom is the CEO for Across the Way Productions; he says loyal FloydFest fans will return after the unexpected hiatus this summer.

Photo: “Oliver!” cast from Attic Productions Facebook page
A musical adaptation of a classic novel will hit a local stage this week. WFIR’s Emma Thomas has details:
The 13th annual Floyd Yoga Jam is gearing up for visitors from all over the country. WFIR’s Denise Allen Membreno has more on the 4-day celebration of music, yoga and healing arts.
ROANOKE, VA (August 9, 2022) – The Anthem GO Outside Festival (GO Fest) returns to Elmwood Park in Roanoke this October 13-15. Organizers are pleased to announce a new partnership with Explore Park to offer festival camping to attendees, as well as the return of favorite shows including the renowned Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour, and an opportunity to raise funds for regional outdoor initiatives through Project Outside.
GO Fest is celebrating its 13th year of building a better outdoor community, and the addition of Explore Park to the festival community showcases the Roanoke Region’s unique metro-mountain lifestyle, connecting the remarkable outdoor recreation area to the vibrant downtown core with a short shuttle ride. Attendees wishing to camp out during the festival can reserve camping spaces with Roanoke County Parks, Recreation and Tourism in early September.
These campers will be able to spend part of their day wandering Explore Park’s hiking and biking trails, accessing the Roanoke River, playing disc golf, enjoying an aerial adventure at Treetop Quest, or drinking craft beer at Twin Creeks Brewing. Then, they can hop on the courtesy shuttle to the festival where they will explore hundreds of outdoor activities, pro-athlete shows, gear demos, live music, and world-class adventure films.