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Floyd Fandango Wine and Beer Festival celebrates Independence Day with a salute to Craft Beverages
Sam Bush and Goose Creek Symphony to perform at the Blue Ridge Parkway Venue near Floyd, VA
Revived and reinvented in 2009 by merging the popular Wine Down the Music Trail Wine Festival and the funky Floyd Fandango Beer Festival, the new Floyd Fandango takes place over the 4th of July weekend at the beautiful 80 acre plateau adjoining the Blue Ridge Parkway (the home of FloydFest). What is unique about Floyd Fandango is the merging of the Wine and Beer tasting experience, as well as the top-notch music performances that are not commonly experienced in Wine-only or Beer-only events. Another unique trait of the festival is that overnight camping is available for patrons and their families, and is included with the Weekend ticket purchase.
For $25 per day (when purchased in advance), adult patrons may choose between Wine and Beer tastings. Wine lovers receive a free commemorative Wine Glass and free tastings until 6pm each day; Wine may be purchased by the glass throughout the day as well, and all wines presented during the festival are available for purchase by the bottle or the case. A wine-pick up tent is conveniently located on the way out of the festival so that purchasers may enjoy themselves and simply pick-up their purchase on their way out of the festival grounds.
The patrons who prefer to taste the brews throughout their day will receive a free beer mug and four pogs for tasting; additional pogs may be purchased inside the festival grounds. For those that can’t decide between the two spirits, wine or beer, additional glasses and beer pogs may be purchased at several locations inside the festival. Attendees who plan to relax in style throughout the weekend and who purchase a weekend pass will receive both wine glass and beer mug, as well as free on-site Saturday night Camping; “Most wine and beer festival goers are veteran tasters who know how to pace themselves throughout the day” says Erika Johnson, the festival director; “But it’s 4th of July weekend, and some folks just want to relax and not worry about driving back home after a day of enjoyment and tasting – that’s why we offer on-site camping so that patrons can just enjoy the fresh air of the Blue Ridge mountains and celebrate the Independence day in a relaxed atmosphere with their friends and family”
The festival will take place at the beautiful Blue Cow Pavilion, home of FloydFest, adjoining the Blue Ridge Parkway. Celebrating its’ 75th year in 2010, the Blue Ridge Parkway is one of the most-visited parkways in the United States. To accommodate the Parkway travelers, the festival organizers are making a limited number of RV passes available for purchase to those who wish to make a mini-adventure of their visit to the area. “We offered overnight camping for the first time last year”, explains Svetlana Nikic, one of the festival’s promoters, “with great success; we noticed a number of patrons claim the same camping spot as they do annually each year just a few weeks later during FloydFest; so Floyd Fandango is almost starting to feel like a smaller, more-relaxed FloydFest”.
Of course, veteran festival-goers know that one way to prolong the enjoyment of tasting of the many wines and brews offered is to pace oneself and nurture the body with a variety of tasty foods. The organizers are working with local and regional food vendors to offer a myriad of options worthy of an Independence celebration Feast. The festival will feature a fine tradition of southern and gourmet cuisine, including local pit BBQ from Due South Restaurant, brick oven pizza tossed fresh by hand from local favorites Dogtown Pizza, a variety of beer battered delicacies from Bull and Bones Brewery, plus long-standing favorite lobster mac-and-cheese and gator bites from Outback Kate's and much more!
With full bellies and hearts, there’s just one more thing needed to feed the soul – music! Known for its stellar annual musical roster, this year’s Fandango is no exception- the Grammy-winning multi-instrumentalist legend Sam Bush will perform on Saturday, with opening performances by Missy Raines and the New Hip, a dynamic quintet that bridges the musical worlds of new grass, jazz, and singer-songwriting. The Robert Jospé quartet plays a wide variety of funk, Latin and swinging instrumental jazz hits and classics, and My Dear Disco can only be categorized as “high-brow guilty-pleasure dance music”. Many of the same performers will play again on Sunday, with 70’s favorites Goose Creek Symphony headlining; Dangermuffin, The DJ William’s Projekt, Butch Robin’s Imagicnation and Blue Mule round up the roster.
Festival hours are 11am-9pm on Saturday July 3rd and 11am-7pm on Sunday July 4th. Known for producing eclectic and family-friendly events, folks at Across-the-Way Productions are making sure that there’s something for everyone at this year’s Fandango. Children’s activities, including a centralized play area and the fabulous stand-up comedy duo Juggle This, overnight camping, fireworks, even an old-school carnival ride as a central attraction, are all planned for the weekend. Discounted Designated Driver and Teen, as well as Kids’ passes are also available. All passes are available for purchase online at festival’s official website: www.FloydFandango.com, or by calling 888-VA-FESTS.
Floyd Fandango is a community supported event; the festival organizers would like to thank Blue Cow Arts Foundation, StreamLine TimberWorks, WROV, and Chateau Morrisette for their continued support of the event.
Complete list of Wineries and Breweries at this year’s Fandango: AmRhein Wine Cellars, Blue Ridge Vineyard, Chateau Morrisette, Cooper Vineyards, Fincastle Vineyard & Winery, Horton Vineyards, Kluge Estate Winery, Mattaponi Winery, Rockbridge Vineyard, and Villa Appalachia Winery, Big Daddy's Brewing Company, Blue Mountain Brewery, Bluegrass Brewing Company, Bull and Bones Brewhaus & Grill, Devils Backbone Brewing Company, Foothills Brewing Company, Highland Brewing Company, Magic Hat Brewing Company, Shooting Creek Farm Brewery, St. George Brewing Company, Starr Hill, The River Company Restaurant & Brewery, and Woodchuck Cider.
About Across-the-Way Productions
Across-the-Way Productions, Inc is a turn-key event management company located in the unassuming cultural hotspot of Floyd, Virginia. As SW Virginia’s leading event management company, AtWP promotes a community-based approach to event production, and prides itself in presenting unique, family-friendly, quality events. Their annual roster of events includes Vintage Virginia, the Floyd Fandango, FloydFest and the Virginia Wine Festival. For more information visit www.atwproductions.com
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Thu, May 13 
Sam Bush
My Dear Disco
