...for making the 2008, 60th anniversary, Virginia Highlands Festival a huge success! For information on the events that took place in 2008, click on the links to the left. If you have any comments or suggestions for our board, please visit the Contact Information link and send those comments to “Marketing, Advertising and Sponsorship”. We would love to hear from you!
Our volunteer board is currently working to bring you an even better 2009 Festival. It will be held July 25 through August 9, 2009. New information will be added to the site as it becomes available for 2009, so check back often. Again, thank you for making 2008 a spectacular year, and we hope to see you at the Festival!
Join us for the 2009 Virginia Highlands Festival July 25 - August 9
Just west of the Blue Ridge Mountains, nestled in the foothills of the Appalachians, in a valley formed by the Holston River is Abingdon, a town rich in history and tradition. Daniel Boone once strode through the mountains of the Virginia Highlands. Eleanor Roosevelt's father walked the trails. The Barter Theater became world-famous as the place to trade produce for plays. Abingdon is proud of its history and rich heritage. Strolling down shaded brick sidewalks in the 20-square-block historic district, it's as if one has stepped back in time. Easily imagined are the nights spent here by Daniel Boone, ghostly sounds echoing in The Martha Washington Inn, and the applause of farmers at the Barter Theatre.
The Virginia Highlands Festival began in 1948 and, over the years, has grown and flourished. Today it is one of the top 100 tourist events in North America and one of the top 20 in the Southeast — offering plenty of entertainment, an enormous antiques market, juried art and photography competitions, and a juried arts and crafts show, as well as nationally-known writers, lecturers, and visual and performing artists.
Come see why Abingdon was named a "Virginia Main Street" destination in 2007 and an "American Dream Town" in 2006 -- and why the Virginia Highlands Festival is a Top 20 "must see" event (National Geographic Traveler, April 2005).
BACK TO THE TOP