The annual extravaganza called FloydFest kicks off at noon Wednesday for a five-day run just off the Blue Ridge Parkway — the 13th year for music and more in the mountains.

FloydFest has given me many storytelling, photographic and video opportunities over the years but this will be my final year chronicling the event for The Floyd Press and other media outlets.  After a decade of writing, photographing and filming events surrounding FloydFest I’m moving on to other things next year.  It’s hard to come up with new angles for coverage year after year and it’s time to move on.

FloydFest has become a mega-event among summer musical festivals in America.  It is now a full-grown summer commercial event.

The event brings national and international attention to the area.  Businesses benefit from increased sales.  It helps tourism in an area that needs all the help it can get.

The success of FloydFest has spawned growth of other festivals in the area – Bluegrass events at Chantilly Farms, Yoga Fest in Indian Valley and musical events in neighboring counties.

I will follow five days of covering FloydFest with 5 days shooting video at the Old Times Fiddler’s Convention at Galax in August — a bluegrass event that is 79 years old.