FloydFest marks 25 years with new home, major economic impact on Floyd County
Festival draws attendees from 47 states, three foreign countries to Southwest Virginia
Jack Doherty, Community Journalist
Published: July 24, 2026 at 4:48 PM
Updated: July 24, 2026 at 5:11 PM
CHECK, Va. – FloydFest is underway in Check, Virginia, celebrating its 25th year — and its first at a brand-new permanent home. The five-day festival draws thousands of people to Floyd County each year, with more than 100 acts and hundreds of vendors filling the grounds
For Chief Operating Officer Sam Calhoun, the milestone feels earned
“Floyd Fest is unlike any other festival in America, truly,” Calhoun said
The move to a permanent site — Festival Park — was intentional, Calhoun said. Over 25 years, the festival has built a community that keeps coming back long after the music stops
“We have a lot of patrons over these 25 years that do own homes in Floyd now,” he said. “A big part of Festival Park and why we wanted a forever home was that people want to come back and commune with this site more than just FloydFest.”
That loyalty shows up in the data. Calhoun said the festival draws patrons from 47 states and three foreign countries on average
“It’s not one of these one-off events where they just come,” he said. “Yes, it is a family reunion every year, but these people truly come back to Floyd. We know the data that they come back and they stay in the boutiques and the Airbnbs down here.”
That return traffic carries real weight for Floyd County businesses. Martha Phillips, an attendee from Ferrum, Virginia, said a walk through the parking lot tells the story
“If you go through the parking lot and look at all of the different license plates, it’s amazing where our people are coming here from,” Phillips said. “I think it’s great for the whole Floyd County economy.”
Phillips has become such a fixture at the festival that she’s known as the “Queen of FloydFest.” Her advice to first-timers is simple
“If you love music, I say just pick one day — it doesn’t even matter what day — and just see what it’s like,” she said. “I guarantee that you’re going to get hooked.”
The draw extends well beyond Virginia’s borders. Robert Trout made the trip from Snowshoe, West Virginia, and said he has attended nearly every year since the early editions
“I think we’ve missed three — the one that closed and the first two,” Trout said. “We’ve been here ever since.”
Terra Alagna, a former volunteer and attendee from Roanoke, said the festival’s atmosphere keeps her returning year after year
“Amazing new music and old music that you’ve heard,” she said. “The family atmosphere honestly I think is what has kept me going all the time.”
Lucinda Davis and her family drove down from North Carolina — and this year, they signed up to volunteer. Fellow North Carolina attendees Sarah Kidd, Elly Luker, and Andrew Kutchma summed up the appeal simply: “Music, good vibes, good food, good people, good eats — good drinks,” they said, laughing
Kidd and Kutchma made one thing clear before leaving: “We will be back next year.”
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