Leftover Salmon is fronted by original members Drew Emmitt and Vince Herman. The band has been described as producing “one-of-a-kind polyethnic Cajun slamgrass. Leftover Salmon stepped in, with many other artists, to provide music in the Buffalo Mountain Jam when Gregg Allman became ill and was unable to perform at the festival.Many of the band names at FloydFest range from the crazy to the insane, but the Wood Brothers has a nice, down-home flavor (and no, they’re not the Wood Brothers of NASCAR fame). These Wood Brothers have been called “the masters of soulful folk.”Nahko and Medicine for the People was described by Nahko, its founder, as “a mix of hip-hop and folk rock with a world message.Stilt-walkers in lavish outfits demonstrated a difficult skill at the festival. Children and adults were also given the opportunity to learn to walk on stilts.A little girl named Emery, exhausted from the excitement of FloydFest, blocked out the noise and fell asleep in her stroller. The festival draws fans from across the United States and international visitors, and probably doubles the county’s population (around 19,000) for five days in July.A fireworks display brought even more color to the activities at FloydFest 2016.What’s high and hilly, magical and musical, and attracts thousands of people to Patrick County every year? FloydFest! This year’s theme was “Dreamweavin’” and was illustrated by these large, multicolored dreamcatchers. (Photos by Linda Hylton)All kinds of foods, from local to international, were available at FloydFest, but nothing was more mouth-watering than the homemade doughnuts created by this vendor. He also made delicious homemade pretzels.A makeshift tree presented colorful directions to the various stages and venues at FloydFest 2016. The festival grounds were full of things to do, people to meet and music to listen to—as well as new features every year. The theme of this year’s festival was Dreamweavin’.The famous musician Bruce Hornsby, best known for his piano expertise, played an accordion during his show at FloydFest and seemed to enjoy it as much as his fans. FloydFest draws thousands of music-lovers to its site at Meadows of Dan every July. The festival was founded and organized by Floyd residents but is actually just off the Blue Ridge Parkway in Patrick County. (Photos by Linda Hylton)Becky the Balloon Lady made balloon animals and other creations for excited children. There are always many things for children to do, from playing on the imaginative structures at the Children’s Universe to tightrope walking. For little kids, there were toddler-sized playground toys and a sandbox.
