FloydFest ’18 Born to Be Wild

“Get your motor running.”

We are officially one day away from the official start of FloydFest ’18~ Wild, where more than 50 artists are set to perform on eight stages over the next five days. This long-established music festival draws some 15,000 plus people from across the country to converge on the Blue Ridge Parkway for fun, relaxation and southern soul vibe.

Photo from the FloydFest Dreaming Creek Main Stage

This year, the assorted blend of musical talent is immediately apparent in each night’s headliners alone. Former Allman Brothers’ guitar shredder extraordinaire Warren Haynes and his band Gov’t Mule will deliver classic rock to the Dreaming Creek main stage on Thursday night. Friday night features California Indie band Foster the People, whose upbeat tunes and 2011 single “Pumped Up Kicks” are always fan favorites. Saturday doubles down with back-to-back headliners starting with acoustic bluegrass quartet the Infamous Stringdusters on the Hill Holler stage, followed by alt-country act Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit on the Dreaming Creek main stage. Saturday also includes the third rendition of the Buffalo Mountain Super Jam, an amalgamation of artists and bands spearheaded by Leftover Salmon and Keller Williams. The festival winds down on Sunday with the return of Americana band Old Crowe Medicine Show to the FloydFest arena.

While the main headliners are often a big part of the draw, FloydFest regulars have come to appreciate the richness of the experience that comes from discovering new acts. While there’s plenty to choose from, including a host of regional bands, a few other highly anticipated sets include emerging young rockers Greta Van Fleet, the unmistakable voice of Lukas Nelson (son of Willie) & The Promise of Real, the masterful lyrics of singer-songwriter Langhorne Slim, and the return of a festival sweetheart Nicki Bluhm, minus the Gramblers this year.

Music isn’t the only thing this festival has to offer its loyal fans. Festival-goers also delight in healing arts and outdoor activities which range from mountain biking, trail running, river floating, and hiking. Starting tomorrow, milepost 170.5 will transform into a playground for kindred spirits to get outside and reconnect with their "Wild" side. Let the games begin.

For more information visit floydfest.com.

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FloydFest 18~Wild’s Complete Lineup

Foster The People, Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, Old Crow Medicine Show, Gov’t Mule, The Infamous Stringdusters, Leftover Salmon, Tyler Childers, ZZ Ward, Hiss Golden Messenger, Greta Van Fleet, Keller Williams’ Petty Grass featuring The HillBenders, Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real, Antibalas, Buffalo Mountain Jam, Langhorne Slim, Nikki Lane, The Steel Wheels, Son Little, Nicki Bluhm, The Lil Smokies, Horseshoes & Hand Grenades, NO BS! Brass Band, The Mother Hips, Devon Gilfillian, Lindsay Lou, Kaleta & Super Yamba Band, Songs From The Road Band, Mr. Jennings, South Hill Banks, Dharma Bombs, Mapache, The National Reserve, The Native Howl, The Broadcast, Erin & the Wildfire, Travis Meadows, Mama Said String Band, Che Apalache, The Harmed Brothers, Fireside Collective, Sol Searchers, Blue Mule, The Floorboards, My Radio, Black Mountain Revival, Dead Reckoning, OmegaWolfe, Morgan Wade & the Stepbrothers, Los Chupacabras, GOTE, Jordan Harman, The Jam, Mad Iguanas, The Wildmans, Einstein’s Monkey, The Change, Jefferson Center Music Lab, Community High School Band, Renaissance Music Academ of VA, Ferrum College’s Blue Ridge Institute Young Players (Ella & Mary, Blue Devil String Band, The Childress Family), Imagine Circus, Miss Kitty’s Cosmonauts, Gypsy Geoff, Magician of Life, Becki the Balloon Lady, Gravity Check Juggling, Ambrosia Farms and more.

Also, the FloydFest 18~Wild On-the- Rise Competition Class of 2018 — presented by Ferrum College and Peluso Microphone Lab — includes Andrew Scotchie & the River Rats, The Antecedents, Common Center, The Company Stores, Dalton Dash, The Dirty Grass Players, The Freeway Revival, Frenchie & the Holy Gems, Graham Stone Music, Gryzzle, Harwell Grice Band, The Highballers, The Hills & the Rivers, Jesse Daniel Edwards, Kendall Street Company, Kid Brother, Magnolia Boulevard, Metaphonia, Old Heavy Hands, Sid Kingsley, Stray Local, Striking Copper, Travers Brothership, Vintage Pistol, Virginia Ground and Willie DE Band.