Collegiate Times

Starting today, July 23, FloydFest kicks off a four day music extravaganza that lasts until Sunday night. This is the eighth year of the festival that takes place right off the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Admission to the event can range from $40-$60 depending on the performances of the day, with weekend packages of $130 for Friday through Sunday and $140 for the full four days.

The festival features a wide variety of mixed music from over 80 bands that will perform over the four days.

The scope and diversity of this event is hard to describe. It's important to know that no band performing at Floydfest describes themselves with a single genre of music.

The bands featured combine various types of music including rock, reggae, folk, bluegrass, jazz, and even hip-hop to form unique sounds.

This gives FloydFest a mass appeal not seen by many festivals that usually cater to one or two musical tastes.

The bands that play here are strong performers that fly under the radar for the most part.

They are well known to locals and music enthusiasts of the bands' particular sound but their music won't be found playing on the local hits station.

There are a few exceptions to this rule this year.

The show seems to have found a few big time performers you might have heard that will draw a crowd.

This year's headlining band is Blues Traveler, a popular band best known for their hit song "Run-Around" from the mid-90s.

They will perform on the main stage on Saturday, July 25 at 9:30 p.m.

Grace Potter and the Nocturnals are also another big force performing at the show.

They have appeared on talk shows including The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.

The group will be performing Friday, July 24 at 9 p.m. on the main stage.

Among the lengthy list of bands littered with star-studded performers, two local bands based in Blacksburg will also be playing the event this year.

The Jugbusters are a well known name in the downtown bar scene and perform in the area regularly.

This is their first year to be performing FloydFest and they are excited to be able to perform for a big, outdoor crowd.

"We haven't played anything on this scale. It will be fun to be on a big stage," said band member Bill Richardson, a multi-instrumentalist who specializes in the fiddle.

The band describes themself as an old-time country band that isn't afraid to push the boundaries for this type of music. They won't be alone at this event either.

"Another great thing about this is we're teamed up with two other great old-time bands from Southwest Virginia," said Richardson.

The Jugbusters will be performing along side Hoorah Cloggers and Dry Hill Draggers on Friday.

This is an unusual opportunity to see some of the best old-time country bands in the area at one place.  The three groups start their set Friday, July 24 at 9:15 p.m.

 Three Minute Lovin' is another Blacksburg based band performing at this year's FloydFest.

Also a club and bar performer, this is their third year performing at FloydFest.

"It's certainly a different feel playing on a larger stage outside because the music we focus on is bar music.

 It's a little more challenging to play at a larger place," said Danny Ray Dunlap, electric guitarist for the group.

The band thoroughly enjoys the challenge though and likes to get Floydfest patrons on their feet and dancing.

"We always get a fairly decent crowd that loves to dance. We are in the dance tent and we feel our music is fairly well suited for that," said Dunlap.  

"We try to play the roots of rock and roll. We have an old school honky tonk, rock sound mixed with a little surf and rockabilly; that would best describe us," said Dunlap.

The band performs the event for free to showcase their musical style and ability to a large audience.

They will perform at 8 p.m. on Friday, July 24 inside the Blue Ridge & Beyond Dance Tent.

There is more than just music at FloydFest.

Local vendors will be on hand selling jewelry, decorative items and food to patrons of the event. FloydFest also has a children's tent with events designed to entertain children from karate to jugglers.

FloydFest 8 promises to be a big time music festival, offering a wide variety of music, food, and activities for everyone.