The Festy Experience returns to Nelson County

A music festival that drew more than 2,500 people to Nelson County last year is back for another round next weekend with more bands, more food and more time to party.

The Festy Experience will take place Oct. 7-9 at the Concert Grounds at Devils Backbone Brewery near Nellysford.

"It was really the vision of the Stringdusters," says Michael Allenby, one of the co-founders of the Festy. "They had done so much touring and festivals, (and) they had a distinct vision on what it took to put on the best of all festivals."

The Infamous Stringdusters, a Grammy-nominated bluegrass band, will be hosting the music portion this year, introducing the more than two dozen acts that are scheduled to take the stage. Allenby says the "high quality of music" was important to founders.

"We didn’t want the most popular bands or funniest, but were really going after musicianship and high-quality experience of bands," he says.

This year’s lineup includes acts like Railroad Earth, an Americana group that has been touring for more than 10 years; bluegrass and country singer Jim Lauderdale; and Sarah Siskind, an award-winning singer and songwriter.

The Festy Experience will also feature outdoor opportunities like biking, hiking and camping during the weekend and food and drinks from more than a dozen local vendors.

"We wanted to source as much of the menu as possible from Nelson County and the surrounding area," Allenby says. "We realized that there is no reason why people that come here can’t have a completely supplied Central Virginia experience."

Festival goers will also have a chance to participate in a 5K/10K run, a bike race, a family fun zone for children, and a quiet camping area for families, staff member Crissa Requaata says.

Performances start at 4 p.m. Oct. 7 and last until midnight on two separate stages. The last performance is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Oct. 9.

Allenby says another change they made this year was ending the performances earlier.

"We want to be respectful to all our neighbors in Nelson," he says.