FloydFest 18 kicks off on Wednesday of next week, kicking off five days of music, games, food, camping and more on the site just of the Blue Ridge Parkway at the Floyd-Patrick County line.

I’ve covered nearly all of these annual summer events since arriving back in Floyd County in 2004.  This may well be my last one.  At age 70, the legs don’t last as long now.

FloydFest has evolved from what many considered a “hippie gathering” in 2002 into a large extravaganza for festival fans of all ages, backgrounds and income strata.  VIP attendees shell out fees that can run into thousands of dollars for special seats on stage, a special tent for drinks and food and other treats.

Bands play on multiple stages, vendors offer a wide variety of goods and food runs from simple to unique concoctions.

I’ve shot a lot of photos and video over the past years.  A roundup of previous events created a few years ago tried to capture what is FloydFest and is presented above.

See you there, starting on Wednesday of next week.