Ever wondered what it would be like to go the distance on the Appalachian Trail? To spend six months in the woods, hauling all your gear? We'll have a panel of A.T. hikers (past, present and future) talking about what inspired them, what challenged them and what kept them going.

The panel will be moderated by thru-hiker Kathryn Herndon Powell of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy. Based in Roanoke, VA, Kathryn works with Trail Clubs and Appalachian Trail Communities in Virginia to support programs such as Leave No Trace workshops, the Konnarock Volunteer Trail Crew, and Ridgerunners along 400 miles of the Trail in the Central and Southwest Virginia Region.
 
In addition to thru-hiking the A.T. in 2006 and the PCT in 2010, Kathryn "Dinosaur" Herndon spent five years working seasonally on the A.T. in the summers and working with youth as an after-school teacher in the winters. In her current position, Kathryn is thrilled to combine her love of the Trail and her passion for education and community engagement to introduce new audiences to the rewards of A.T. stewardship.

Come hungry! We'll have three food trucks at the festival serving wood-fired pizza, BBQ and down-home meals.

Wood Fired Foods prepares artisan-style pizzas in an old-world, wood-fired brick oven. Cooking at about 800 degrees has a transformative effect on a pizza, lending it a slightly smoky flavor, a char around the edge, and a crust that’s perfectly crisp. You'll find a full range of pizzas for everyone’s tastes. http://woodfiredfoods.com

Hog-It-Up BBQ is a professional competition BBQ team located in Bluemont, Virginia. Grand Champions in their field, Hog-It-Up smokes in different BBQ styles—with the most popular being their Texas Brisket (available four ways) and BBQ Bowls. Bowls start with corn pudding and sweoke beans topped by your choice of meat and tropical coleslaw. http://www.hogitup.com

​Main Streatery Scratch Kitchen focuses on celebrating Appalachian-American style food created with the freshest ingredients available in the Shenandoah Valley. At the festival, a seasonal menu will feature Grilled Beef Tips w/ Sweet Onions, Seared Herb Pork Tenderloin, Fire Mountain Spiced Apples and Sautéed Brussel Sprouts and Rustic Taters. https://www.facebook.com/MainStreatery/​

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​Bring your fiddle to the fest. A Celtic jam session starts at 12:15 pm, with an Old-Time session beginning at 2:30. We'll supply the tent and some chairs; you supply the tunes!

It's only appropriate that a Round Hill festival host jam sessions, as Round Hill made a name for itself with a long history of popular jam sessions. The longest running: the Bluegrass Jam the last Friday of every month at the Old Furniture Factory in town. Started in 2003, these jams have attracted musicians from across the region. 

When the Old Furniture Factory building went on the market, the future of the Round Hill Bluegrass Jams was in doubt. Step in B Chord Brewing (host of our AT Festival). These days, the brewery hosts regular jam sessions for both Celtic and Old-Time players.

The festival is pleased to celebrate this tuneful town tradition.

Yes, we want to bring people together for a good time at the festival. But we have another mission in mind, as well: To spread the word about the work of some amazing organizations who protect and support the beautiful mountains beside us. These partner organizations will be on hand at the festival, and we hope you'll stop by to speak with their representatives.

Click on the logo below to learn a little about these organizations. 

Gina Furtado's innovative and unique musicianship and songwriting, although based in traditional music modalities, breaks free from the assumed constructs and makes a new musical statement that's expressed with emotion and played with the highest skill.

Using the banjo as a medium of personal expression, Furtado moves through varied modes of musical treatments. Although she's known mainly known for her work as the banjo player for Chris Jones and the Night Drivers, she has a long history with her banjo. Born and raised in Front Royal, Virginia, Gina began touring up and down the east coast in her tween years with her siblings, earning countless ribbons from fiddlers conventions,  a strong reputation in the regional bluegrass scene, and a stamp from Bluegrass Today as “absurdly talented.”

Her latest album, True Colors, was released in September 2017 and debuted at #13 on Bluegrass Billboard Charts, and boasts two #1 songs on Bluegrass Today charts. Gina was featured on the cover of Banjo Newsletter in the December 2017 issue, along with her original tune "Saylor's Creek". She was a nominee for the 2018 International Bluegrass Music Association's Banjo Player of the Year.

Joining Gina in the Gina Furtado Project will be her sister, Malia Furtado, on fiddle; Corey Wells on guitar; and Stefan Custodi on bass.

Justin Trawick has been performing in the Washington DC area and along the East Coast since 2006. In June of 2015, Trawick released his first single, “Goodbye”, under the band name “Justin Trawick and the Common Good”; written about the search for direction and belonging in a world that constantly feels one step ahead of you.

With instrumentation consisting of acoustic guitar, upright bass, fiddle, mandolin, and pedal steel, the band’s live performance plays fast and loose with the “Americana” genre, performing heartfelt ballads followed by raucous bluegrass melodies and even moments of hip hop verses.

Justin Trawick and The Common Good’s debut record, “The Riverwash EP”, exemplifies the raw emotional live sound Trawick and the band have cultivated over the years. The record introduces the listener to Trawick’s unique brand storytelling with five original songs about love, loss, longing, resilience, and time pulling heartstrings of listeners young and old.

Hear Justin Trawick and the the Common Good at the festival on the B Chord stage at 1:45 pm.

Taking kids out on the trail is good for them—and the planet. Really.

A hike is the perfect opportunity to teach kids so many things about nature, and it exposes them to wildlife. The number of things you can teach a child outdoors is limitless—like caring for the environment, basic survival skills, foraging for food and practicing the principles of leave no trace.  

Taking kids hiking on the Appalachian Trail is the perfect educational adventure. Just plan ahead—know how far they can hike comfortably, know the stretch of trail where you'll take them, have them dress appropriately for the weather, bring plenty of water (and food) and let someone else know where and when you're hiking.

Get your children excited about an AT hike at the Round Hill Appalachian Trail Festival on  June 15th. We'll have long-distance hikers sharing their stories, outdoors groups sharing tips, fun activities and more. 

We're a Virginia non-profit! We're an IRS tax-exempt 501(c)(3) charity! 

And now we're ready to accept sponsorship offers. What can we offer you? In addition to a great festival, we'll broadcast our thanks to you, your organization or your business, reaching out to let the public know all about you.

All donations are welcome; sponsorship tiers include:
"Day Hiker," $100+
"Section Hiker," $250+
"Thru Hiker," $500+
"Trail Blazer," $1000+

The festival has already gotten a lot of buzz and we have great partners signed on to speak and host activities. Please contact us to take part in our inaugural fest.

Round Hill's second annual Appalachian Art Show features the work of 45 artists, from elementary-school painters to professionals. The show remains at the Round Hill Arts Center through March 31, 2019.

​A March 10th reception featured showcased prize winning artists, with refreshments (thanks, Savoir Faire) and an Appalachian Trail Conservancy speaker (thanks, Sandi Marra).

(P.S. Some of the awarding-winning pieces from the show are featured on this website.)