a success. We look forward to another great festival in 2012.
View our online edition of the Highlander Magazine
2011 marks the 63rd Virginia Highlands Festival. It began in 1949 by Robert Porterfield, founder of the Barter Theatre, as a simple one-week festival to showcase Appalachian arts and crafts. The festival has now grown into a two-week event offering a variety of venues. Every year hundreds of volunteers work to create exciting new “impressions” of our festival for you to enjoy.
The 2011 theme, "Impressions of the Highlands," is based on our signature artist scene "Festival Days" done in an impressionism style by Kyle Buckland. Known for his paintings about Abingdon and surrounding Southwest Virginia, Kyle is a self-taught artist and had his first show at 16. Also, he is a resident artist at the William King Museum. Kyle can often be found with his easel set on the sidewalk while painting in downtown Abingdon. As Kyle states, "I hope to give the viewer the feeling of joy that I get from the festival and its atmosphere. I believe that the success of the Virginia Highlands Festival is not based on just one aspect, but on the variety of elements it brings to our town."
Please enjoy our beautiful mountains, forests, and streams while here and all the activities planned for you throughout Southwest Virginia. There is something to “impress” everyone, old and young alike. An endless variety of activities and performances are planned for next year, July 28-August 12, in Abingdon, VA.
2011 Youth Festival T-Shirt Design Winner
The winner of the 2011 Youth T-Shirt Design Contest is Karissa Faust. Karissa is 13 years old and entering the 9th grade at Abingdon High School. Her Mother said, “When she is not talking on the phone she is doing art work -- one of her favorite things to do”.