FloydFest 18~Wild is celebrating its 18th anniversary July 25-29, 2018, near Floyd, Virginia, and it’s offering one of the best music roots festival lineups and experiences in the South. But don’t just take my word for it. Blue Ridge Outdoors Magazine readers voted FloydFest “Best Festival” and “Best Kid-Friendly Outdoor Destination” in the 2018 Best of the Blue Ridge Competition.

“We are beyond honored, and it fuels our fervor to create the best FloydFest EVER,” festival organizers said in an email.

This year’s amazing lineup includes Foster The People, Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, Old Crow Medicine Show, Hiss Golden Messenger, ZZ Ward, Greta Van Fleet, The Infamous Stringdusters, Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real, Antibalas, Langhorne Slim, Nikki Lane, The Steel Wheels, Son Little, The Lil Smokies, Horseshoes & Hand Grenades, No BS! Brass Band, Devon Gilfillian, Lindsay Lou,Fireside Collective, Govt Mule, Tyler Childers, Leftover Salmon and 2017 FloydFest On-the-Rise Competition winner, South Hill Banks, and runner-up, Dharma Bombs. Learn more here: http://floydfest.com/lineup/

Tickets are available now at www.floydfest.com for five days of music, magic and mountains, featuring outdoor adventure, vibrant and varied vendors, quality brews and chews, healing arts, workshops and whimsy, children’s activities and a lineup featuring more than 100 artists on eight-plus stages.

The annual festival is held in the hills of southwest Virginia at the Blue Cow Pavilion at Milepost 170.5 off the Blue Ridge Parkway to be exact. More than 12,000 fans are expected to sample a wide range of musical genres: bluegrass, folk, world, jam, blues and more.

Ketch Secor, frontman for Old Crow Medicine Show, has ties to nearby Rockingham County, North Carolina, as well as being a frequent performer at FloydFest. OCMS is an alternative country group reminiscent of old-time string bands made up of five guys who caught the ear of Nancy Watson, Doc Watson’s daughter, while they were playing on the sidewalk in front of Boone Drug. That led to a gig at Merlefest in Wilkesboro, North Carolina, which led to a job in Nashville, where all the members of the group now reside.

The group’s biggest hit “Wagon Wheel,” is based on a chorus written by Dylan for the movie, “Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid.” “That one really spoke to everybody,” he said in an earlier interview.

The bluegrass and Americana musical wave is catching on with more and more young people, according to Secor, because the music is authentic.

“It’s the real thing, the genuine article,” he said. “People realize these old traditions really work and it’s so much richer and deeper than what they can get off satellite radio. Bringing this music back took hundreds of years and it tells stories. The way we’re playing it is kind of a rich blend of old music. The palate for song across America is the same three chords and the truth that it always was.”

In addition to the headliners, there will be a raft of under the radar acts including the 2018 FloydFest On-the-Rise Competition performers.

The weeklong celebration of music and art bridges the gap between genres, generations and cultures, according to organizers. The 80-acre mountain plateau offers camping, a progressive Global Village area of workshops and demonstrations, more than 100 artisans and crafters, food offerings ranging from pulled-pork barbecue to fresh sushi to hand-churned ice cream, a comprehensive healing arts area, and a Children’s Universe, featuring stage performances geared toward children, puppetry, workshops, playground equipment and babysitting services, according to a release.

For tickets and more information, visit www.floydfest.com.