FLOYD, Va. – Thousands of people representing 46 different states and three different countries are enjoying FloydFest together this year.
With plenty of singing and dancing, FloydFest returns with full volume.
Festival-goers struggled to find just one word to even define it as Blakeley Newbill, from Richmond, called it “phenomenal” and “stupendous.”
“It truly exceeded any expectation I could have had,” Sarah Sparkle, traveled from Massachusetts, said.
After taking a hiatus last year because of the coronavirus pandemic, Luke Smith, coming from Kentucky, said seeing people get together makes him happy.
“It’s definitely been great to actually see people and actually interact with people instead of having to stay at home,” Smith said.
The five-day festival sold out with about 11,000 people coming to join the fun.
But many of them are first-timers.
“Everyone here has been really amazing,” Newbill said. “We’ve made so many new friends. All the time, everywhere we go.”
Despite the rock climbing, hula hooping and all the food you can eat, nothing beats the more than 40 artists performing.
“The production part that people don’t see is amazing,” Gil Demari, from Williamsburg, said. “The people are great. And everyone seems so cool and laidback.”
Though organizers chose to reduce capacity by 20%, FloydFest COO Sam Calhoun said the week-long festival will rake in about $4 million for the local economy.
“Some of the stores around here are selling out because wherever they are shopping,” Calhoun said. “Our job is to put heads in beds in this community. To put gas in tanks in this community. We have done it for many many years now, 20 years now.”
The festival will wrap up on Sunday.