A! Magazine for the Arts

Virginia Highlands Festival celebrates regional arts and culture

June 28, 2022

The 73rd Virginia Highlands Festival is back with a wide array of events that celebrate the arts, culture and history of the region. This year’s dates are Friday, July 22 through Sunday, July 31.

The Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center continues to be the hub of festival events. These include the Juried Antiques Market and Vintage Show, Writers & Readers Day, and a series of lectures on antiques and local history. The live music concerts will also be on the grounds at the Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center, outside under a giant tent.

The Juried Arts & Crafts show has always been a downtown Abingdon attraction and continues in its traditional spot on the Barter Square on Main Street. The show features hand-crafted pottery, jewelry and clothing, paintings, unique home and garden decorations, specialty foods and soaps. It was recently named “Best Art Show in Region” by Virginia Living Magazine. The show is open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Admission is free.

For many attendees the Juried Antiques Market & Vintage Show is the highlight of the festival, and the move to the Grand Hall at the Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center has become an escape from the mid-summer weather. Antique lovers can browse through booths filled with formal and primitive furniture, silver, jewelry, porcelain, china, rugs, vintage clothing, linens, paintings and many other collectibles. The event is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. Admission is $5.

The Juried Fine Arts supports regional artists with their annual show, competition and sales. This year the event returns to the Abingdon Arts Depot and will accept all types of two-dimensional visual arts and photography, all in one show and competition. Intake days are Saturday, July 16 and Sunday, July 17 at the Arts Depot.

This year’s concerts under a tent at the Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center feature several bands paying tribute to varied musical groups: Journey, Fleetwood Mac, the Band of Oz, plus Thomas Taylor paying tribute to the music of Conway Twitty. Ticket prices vary.

Culinary Arts feature the Nicewonder Farm and Vineyard’s chef Travis Milton in two events with celebrity chefs from around the country. Wednesday, July 20, Milton chats on the Barter Gilliam Stage with his friends, Ronni Lundy and Chef Ian Boden. The next evening at Hickory he teams up with Lundy, Boden and Chef Edward Lee for a special “Appalachian Supper.”

Performing Arts events sponsored by the Virginia Highlands Festival this year include an encore Abingdon performance of Eugene Wolf’s autobiographical “Book of Mamaw” and a one-woman performance of Lee Smith’s “Fair and Tender Ladies,” renamed “Ivy Rowe” after its main character.

Writers & Readers Day is highlighted by workshops with Cherokee novelist Annette Saunooke Clapsaddle. It is held at the Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center Friday, July 29, beginning at 9 a.m. Clapsaddle is joined by Robert Gipe, Jesse Graves, David Alford, and Steven James. The cost for Writers & Readers Day is $40.

Local History events are always central to the festival. There will be an “Abingdon Historic Homes Tour,” downtown walking tours, ghost tours, a Sinking Spring Cemetery Living History event, “Life in the Backcountry” living history events at the Abingdon Muster Grounds, and several lectures on topics related to regional history and culture.

Outdoor Adventures highlight the natural beauty and recreational opportunities of the region. There will be guided nature hikes, bike rides and vineyard tours. The focus this year is on Hungry Mother State Park near Marion, Virginia. Some activities require advance registration on the festival website.

This year a wide variety of daily Youth Activities return to Barter Green and the adjacent Martha Washington lawn.

Finally, Community Related Events complement the events organized by the festival itself. The Friends of the Library has its annual book sale. William King Museum of Art has a special “Long Rifle in Virginia” exhibit. The Historical Society presents two performances of the living history event, “A Conversation with Jefferson & Hamilton.”

For a complete listing of Virginia Highlands Festival activities, including registration requirements, advance ticket purchases to most paid events, parking and shuttle info, and more, visit www.vahighlandsfestival.com.

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