As Spring comes to life along the Blue Ridge Parkway, the first annual Floyd Herb and Plant Fest is scheduled to make its debut April 17-19th, 2020. A weekend of immersion into the herbal world through FREE workshops and exploring over eighty vendors, Herb Fest offers a wide array of activities and fun for the whole family!
A unique gathering, Floyd Herb Fest spotlights the natural world of SouthWestern Virginia, encourages healthy interactions with the land and celebrates small earth based businesses. At the Village Market, you will find a wide selection of locally grown plants, natural products, and artisan offerings. In addition, throughout the weekend you can join FREE hands on workshops and classes, enjoy the services at the Healers Oasis, take part in the drum circle, explore alongside your child in the Land of the Little Ones, and much more!
Come for the day or stay for the weekend, the festival's host venue, Chantilly Farm sits on 200 acres of woodlands, hiking trails and streams, providing the perfect backdrop to connect with nature.
Dinner and storytelling kicks off Floyd Herb Fest Friday evening. Renowned folklorist and naturalist Doug Elliott will join us for a journey into Woodslore, Weeds, and Wildwoods Wisdom; Stories; Songs and Lore Celebrating the Natural World and Useful Wild Plants. Known for his lively tales, knowledge of Appalachian plants, and lore of the Wildwoods, Doug carries generations of wisdom and has a unique flair for sharing it. - reservations required for Friday buffet dinner and storytelling
The weekend Village Market opens Saturday morning at 9:30 and will feature over eighty vendors offering plants, natural products, herbal remedies, artisan crafts, along with other unique offerings. Rain or shine, our village market will be a bustling place of quality shopping and learning experiences. In-booth demonstrations, hands-on workshops, and in-depth classes, will be taking place throughout the day.
You can join a plant walk with Doug Elliott Saturday morning or CoreyPine Shane in the afternoon, learn about Herbal First Aid, discover Native Plants, explore Botanical Farming, and much more are among the thirty five FREE classes being offered.
Health and healing comes in many forms, the Healers Oasis is a space to enjoy morning yoga, soak in a woods sounds bath, learn about Reiki and explore intuitive healing. Featuring local facilitators; massage, therapeutic touch, reflexology, sound healing, reiki, yoni care, herbal consultations and other services will be offered throughout the weekend.
Connection and community is at the core of Herb Fest’s weekend. In generations passed, the community fire was a place of gathering and the hub of storytelling. Our Sacred Earth fire burns throughout the event and Fire Keepers will hold this space while hosing facilitators. Saturday activities around the fire include, DragonFly Drum School leading a drum circle and sharing sacred songs. Then in the evening join us for ceremony, fire spinners and drum into the night with Cave Man Jones. Join us around the fire Sunday and get moving with Kyra Aulani who will be teaching African dance while sharing the history and stories behind the steps.
For the the youth and those young at heart, the Land of the Little Ones will be filled with opportunities for interactive learning and exploration all weekend long. Children can plant an herb garden, take part in nature discovery activities and enjoy eco-friendly crafts. An intentional Youth Program will also be offered Saturday, as well. This program offers interactive classes for each age group, young ones will explore nature through plant walks, songs, stories, a tea ceremony and other fun activities. - class size limited, registration required
Spring is in the air! Let’s celebrate with a Wagon Parade! Bring your wagon and get ready for the festivities, Ancient Mother’s will have supplies on hand for you to get crafty. For a donation to Floyd Herb Fest, decorate your nature themed wagon, and enter to win prizes. Once your wagon is decked out, stop by the Fairy Land tent and get a Fairy makeover. Taking place at Noon Saturday and led by our Grand Marshals, the Tuxedo Ducks, Plant Fairies from Ferrum College’s theatre group will also be joining us.
In addition to the Village Market, the final day of Floyd Herb Fest offers in depth immersions and free activities. Learn about the natural world and how to incorporate herbal medicine into your own home through one of the many hands on classes being offered. Explore growing mushrooms or farming and preserving Ginseng, take a tasting tour of Appalachian herbal medicine, or trek into the woods for wild foraging and cooking, are among the day’s offerings.
Come enjoy the plant sale, take in a class, enjoy the services offered in the Healers Oasis. The weekend at Floyd Herb Fest will be a fun and informative way to connect with the herbal community and the natural world around you. Nestled between Buffalo Mountain and the Blue Ridge Parkway, at this FREE family friendly event, there will be activities for people of all ages to enjoy.
Born out of the desire to highlight and share ancestral wisdom, Floyd Herb Fest is a wonderfully co-created event. Brought to life through a grass-roots movement of local individuals who have a deep connection to the ridges and hollers of the region, Floyd Herb Fest is a deep dive into the natural world of the Appalachian.
We hope to see you there! April 17-19th. Chantilly Farm, Floyd
Sponsored by Frontier Coop, Red Moon Herbs, United Plant Savers, Sacred Plant Traditions, HERBalchia, Seven Springs Farm and Sister of Mother Earth, I-Tal Acres and Bear Alchemy the Floyd Herb & Plant Fest is open to the public and FREE for the whole family.
Visit our website to find out more. www.FloydHerbFest.com
Interested 2020 vendors; our vendor spots for this year are filled. Please consider joining us next year 2021.
