2023 Festival & Event Guide - July & August

Food and drink! Music and artworks! Seasonal celebrations galore! Pick your favorite festival theme and start planning.

JULY 

July 1 – Norton, Virginia, and Pennington Gap, Virginia, celebrate the Fourth of July.

July 1 – Bryce Fest comes to Bryce Resort in Virginia.

July 1 – Blowing Rock 4th of July Festival blows into Blowing Rock, North Carolina.

July 1-2 – Balloons Over Rockbridge Hot Air Balloon & Music Festival, Virginia Horse Center, comes to Lexington, Virginia.

July 1-2 – Historic Jonesborough Days arrives at Jonesborough, Tennessee. Dive into the Dillard July 4th celebration at Dillard, Georgia.

July 1-2 – Mountaineer Days comes to Thomas, West Virginia, and Celebration of the Arts arrives at the Canaan Valley State Park Resort and Conference Center in Tucker County, West Virginia.

July 1-2 – Ride the Rails Festival chugs into Blue Ridge, Georgia.

July 1-2 – Art on the Greene is back at the Historic Banner Elk School in North Carolina.

July 1-8 – Alderson’s Fourth of July Celebration spans eight days in West Virginia.

July 1-30 – Wintergreen Music Festival arrives in Nelson County, Virginia, just off the Blue Ridge Parkway at Wintergreen Resort.

July 2 – Freedom Fest fires up Roanoke, Virginia, with fireworks.

July 3 – Freedom Food Festival, Main Street, comes to Lexington, Virginia.

July 3 – Rockin’ Independence Eve comes to Winchester, Virginia.

July 3 – Sky Valley Independence Day Celebration electrifies Sky Valley in Rabun County, Georgia.

July 4 – You can find Fourth of July celebrations at towns all over the Blue Ridge Country region. Look in Virginia at Big Stone Gap, Tazewell, Strasburg, Woodstock, Luray, Salem, Bristol, Clintwood, St. Paul, Lebanon, Coeburn, Marion, Stuart and Wytheville.

July 4 – Go to Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. See the Red, White and Boom of Spartanburg, South Carolina.

July 4 – Head on down to Georgia Mountain Fairgrounds for their fireworks display over Lake Chatuge.

July 4 – Explore the Star Spangled Banner Elk in North Carolina.

July 4 – Witness the Old Timers’ Parade marching into Downtown Blue Ridge, Georgia, coinciding with Lake Blue Ridge Fireworks.

July 6-9 – Grandfather  Mountain Highland Games is being held at Grandfather Mountain in the High Country of North Carolina.

July 7-9 – Fanboy Expo Knoxville Comic Con comes to Knoxville, Tennessee.

July 7-16 – Go to the summer Gatlinburg Craftsmen’s Fair in Tennessee for a full day of perusing over 200 booths of unique handmade products.

July 8 – Horse and Hound Festival in Bedford County, Virginia, features wine tastings, food and games at the Peaks of Otter Winery near the Blue Ridge Parkway.

July 8-9 – Festival on the Square comes to Hayesville, North Carolina.

July 8-9 – Painted Fern Festival beautifies Clayton, Georgia.

July 13-15 – Master Musicians Festival. The 30th annual multi-cultural, eclectic festival features Wynonna Judd as headliner in Somerset, Kentucky.

July 14-15 – In Virginia, Tazewell’s Historic Crab Orchard Museum and Pioneer Park features the Annual Tazewell County Old Time and Bluegrass Fiddlers’ Convention.

July 14-15 – Chillin’ and Grillin’ in the Glades fires up at Wise, Virginia.

July 14-22 – FunFest comes to Kingsport, Tennessee, with music, food and games.

July 15-16 – The High Country Artisans’ Butternut Creek Festival in Blairsville, Georgia, is one of the finest juried arts and crafts shows in the region.

July 15 – Jazz in July gets groovy at Salem, Virginia.

July 15 – Grooves in the Garden comes to Knoxville, Tennessee.

July 15 – Art in the Park returns to Blowing Rock, North Carolina.

July 21-22 – Smoke on the Mountain Virginia State Barbecue Championship spices up Galax, Virginia.

July 21-22 – Hillbilly Jam comes to Maggie Valley, North Carolina.

July 21-22 – Main Street Moments Festival lands in Tazewell, Virginia.

July 21-23 – Hungry Mother Arts and Crafts Festival at Marion, Virginia, features bluegrass tunes, crafts and food at Hungry Mother State Park.

July 21-30 – Virginia Highlands Festival returns to Abingdon, Virginia, with art, antiques, culinary arts and much more.

July 21-22, 28-29; Aug. 18-19; Sept. 2-3 – The Shenandoah Valley Music Festival brings live music to Orkney Springs, Virginia, including Don McLean, Steep Canyon Rangers and The Steel Wheels.

July 21-22 - Hungriest Mother Food Challenge comes to downtown Marion, Virginia, with an eating competition and live music.

July 25-Aug. 6 – Blowing Rock Charity Horse Show trots back to Blowing Rock, North Carolina.

July 26-30 – FloydFest brings music to the Blue Ridge Parkway with American sounds at Check, Virginia.

July 27-29 – Mountain Mayhem moves into Grundy, Virginia.

July 28-29 – Kuumba Festival comes to Knoxville, Tennessee.

July 28-29 – Big Rig Showdown lands in Lebanon, Virginia.

July 28-30 – The Mary Draper Ingles Festival returns to Radford, Virginia, with food, music reenactors and much more.

July 29 – Rural Retreat Heritage Day Festival rocks Virginia.

July 29 – Spend the evening at Cooks and Books in St. Paul, Virginia, to find authors and food plus beer and wine.

AUGUST

Aug. 1-5 – Pickin’ In Parsons arrives at Tucker County, West Virginia.

Aug. 3-5 – Join the Coal/Railroad Days in Appalachia, Virginia.

Aug. 3-6 – The 64th annual North Carolina Mineral and Gem Festival in Spruce Pine is the perfect event for all jewelry, gemstone, fossil and crystal lovers.

Aug. 4-5 – Mount Mitchell Arts & Crafts Fair blazes in Burnsville, North Carolina.

Aug. 4-5 – Reevestock Music Festival takes place in Elkin, North Carolina.

Aug. 4-5 – In Virginia, Blacksburg offers the Steppin’ Out Festival.

Aug. 5 – Carter Family Memorial Music Festival honors early country music history at the Carter Family Fold in Maces Spring in the Hiltons community of Scott County, Virginia.

Aug. 5-6 – Art on the Greene blossoms in Banner Elk, North Carolina.

Aug. 5-6 – The Dillard Bluegrass & Barbeque Festival gets going in Dillard, Georgia.

Aug. 7-12 – Galax Old Fiddlers’ Convention fills up Felts Park in Virginia.

Aug. 10-19 – State Fair of West Virginia spins into Fairlea, West Virginia.

Aug. 11-12 – Botetourt County Fair comes to Buchanan, Virginia.

Aug. 11-12 –The Newport Fair welcomes people and animals to Newport, Virginia.

Aug. 11-20 – Come to Virginia for the Staunton Music Festival in Staunton.

Aug. 12 – Wytheville Wine Festival offers sips in Virginia.

Aug. 12 – Beach Party rocks Lebanon, Virginia.

Aug. 12 – Irish Fest on the Hill comes to Knoxville, Tennessee.

Aug. 12 – Bluegrass Festival picks Tazewell, Virginia.

Aug. 12 – The Route 11 Yard Crawl lines the road in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley from Middletown to New Market.

Aug. 12 – Art in the Park draws into Blowing Rock, North Carolina.

Aug. 13 – Summer Breeze Festival at Rockbridge Vineyard & Brewery, comes to Raphine, Virginia.

Aug. 14-19 – High Knob Outdoor Fest in Norton, Virginia.

Aug. 15-19 – Blowing Rock Plein Air Festival stands at the easel of Blowing Rock, North Carolina.

Aug. 18-26 – Georgia Mountain Fair comes to Hiawassee, Georgia.

Aug. 19 – Travelers Restival arrives in Travelers Rest, South Carolina. Pickin’ in the Park offers bluegrass music at Salem, Virginia.

Aug. 19 – Great Smoky Mountains Hot Air Balloon Festival lifts off at Townsend, Tennessee.

Aug. 20-26 – West Virginia’s Jefferson County Fair rolls onto the grounds near Ranson.

Aug. 25-26 – AVibe Festival lands in Big Stone Gap, Virginia.

Aug. 25-26 – Asian Festival comes to Knoxville, Tennessee.

Aug. 25-27 – CreepyCon Halloween & Horror Convention comes to Knoxville, Tennessee.

Aug. 26-27 – Enjoy live music and fun for the whole family at Oak Ridge, Tennessee’s Secret City Festival.

Aug. 26-27 – Railroad Heritage Weekend steams into Tweetsie Railroad at Blowing Rock, North Carolina.

Aug. 26 - GermanFest comes to Knoxville, Tennessee.

Aug. 26 -Rockbridge Community Festival comes to Main Street, Lexington, Virginia.

Aug. 27 - Look in Virginia for the Roanoke Wing Fest at Dr Pepper Park.

Aug. 31-Sept. 3 – Front Porch Fest shows up at Stuart, Virginia.

Aug. 31-Sept. 4 – Take a trip to Oak Ridge, Tennessee, for the Appalachian Toyota Roundup.

Aug. 31-Oct. 6 – The fall series of Acoustic Sunsets at Hamilton Gardens hits Georgia Mountain Fairgrounds on Thursday evenings.

Discover More Great 2023 Mountain Festivals & Events:

The story above first appeared in our May / June 2023 issue. For more like it subscribe today or log in with your active BRC+ Membership. Thank you for your support!