FLOYD, Va. – On Tuesday, crews cleared up after nearly a week of music in the mountains.
A FloydFest like no other has wrapped up, but its financial impact will be felt for a long time to come.
Eleven thousand people from 46 different states and three different countries attended the music festival held in Patrick County.
“Well I think everybody was hungry to get back up on the mountain,” said Floyd Mayor Will Griffin.
He said all those people needed somewhere to eat and sleep.
“You can’t find a room in Floyd or Floyd County during that time,” said Griffin.
While thousands of people enjoyed the music, food and vendors on the festival grounds, that’s just a taste of Southwest Virginia.
Local leaders hope those visitors return to the area to experience it all over again.
“We get them here once, we feel like we can get them here again,” said Griffin. “So that’s what FloydFest has allowed us to do.”
Festival organizers said that typically, FloydFest draws in 15,000 people and has a $2.5 million economic impact. This year’s economic impact is estimated to be $4 million.
Patrick County Economic Development Director Bryce Simmons said he’s not surprised by that estimate.
“It could very well be more than that just because of the size and scope and buy-in from the community,” explained Simmons.
Even though festival organizers limited capacity by 20% this year as a COVID-19 precaution, Griffin said it didn’t feel any different and that it was better to have a slightly smaller festival than none at all.
“The impact for the week itself is really big, but the lasting impact is even bigger,” said Griffin.