The Sky's The Limit at Abingdon's Virginia Highlands Festival, July 29 thru Aug. 13

The Sky's The Limit at Abingdon's Virginia Highlands Festival, July 29 thru Aug. 13

ABINGDON, Va. - After more than 50 years, Abingdon's Virginia Highlands Festival is still growing and changing.

New events include Mardi Gras on Main (which combines the Festival's annual Taste of Main Street with one of itts popular Friday Night Street Dances), a Skateboard Extravaganza, and Skipping Through History: A Kid's Stroll Through Old Abingdon.

"What has really taken off since last year are Fiber Arts activities. This year the Fiber Arts Committee has organized several exciting quilt exhibitions, plus a Merchants Mall where you can buy all you need to get started if you catch the 'crafting' bug while you're here!" Hoel continues.

"What will be happening when you visit? Much more than you'll have time for. Look carefully at the schedule on our Web site or in our publications so you don't miss a single concert, drama, exhibit, lecture, tour, or any of the fun!"

Year after year, the Festival has been named one of the Top 100 Tourist Events in North America and one of the Top 20 in the Southeast. And it's no wonder! The Festival boasts an extensive lineup of performers, artists, craftspeople and activities for all ages. Here are some highlights:

ANTIQUES MARKET. Each year more than 100 dealers from all over the eastern United States offer an impressive array of fine formal and country furniture, top-end collectibles, folk art, jewelry, accessories, books and primitives. The Festival's "Treasure Hunt," a spin-off of the successful PBS series "Antiques Roadshow," was so popular last year that it's been renamed and moved to another location. "Antiques Treasure Hunt: Identification & Informal Appraisals" will be held from 1-5 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 13, at the William King Regional Arts Center.

ARTS & CRAFTS. More than 125 exhibitors, half of which change over the course of the Festival, so visit the crafts area often. Stop by the Demonstration Tent each day to watch artists and craftspeople at work. Fiber arts are being re-emphasized with a Quilt Documentation, lectures, exhibitions, and workshops on weaving, quilting, stitchery, and wearables.

EXHIBITIONS Featured this year will be NASCAR photography, folk art, country music, and more. Lectures and workshops are also offered.

PERFORMING ARTS. Festival-goers can indulge their love of performing arts with Roadside Theater's "New Ground Revival," The Spencers: Theatre of Illusion, storytelling concerts, live radio theatre, living history portrayals, and comedy acts. The historic Barter Theatre will again be in repertory during the Festival. Theatre lovers will be able to feast on four plays in two days!

DANCE. This year the Festival will host the Egyptian Folklore Ensemble, African Dancers & Drummers, Native American Dancers & Drummers, and Abingdon's own Highlands Ballet performing classical and contemporary ballet as well as modern dance and jazz.

MUSIC. If you're a music lover, then the Virginia Highlands Festival is the place to be! There are several concerts each day, ranging from classical and handbells to jazz, blues and gospel to ethnic, folk and bluegrass. Don't miss QuinTango's Latin American concert one night and tango lessons the next! Or performances by Trout Fishing in America, Baaba Seth, John Battema, Patti Quarles Trio, The Magills, or Rachel Heard & Lynn H. Raley. Back by popular demand are local favorites Jimmy Fleenor, H.B. Beverly, Brim Leal, and Con Vivo. New this year is entertainment at the Antiques Market, featuring Michael Mulvaney and Tennessee Green.

FRIDAY NIGHT STREET DANCES. This year a special Mardi Gras on Main event will combine two of the Festival's popular events - Taste of Main Street and one of the Friday Night Street Dances. Savor authentic Cajun and Creole food while dancing to jazz and blues or the beat of Conga drums. Come in costume or we'll provide masks, beads and "glow" necklaces - plus magic, tarot card readings, face painting, and Paint The Town (Children's Street Art). Lots of fun!

CREATIVE WRITING. Every year the Festival sponsors one of the most prestigious literary contests in the nation. Winners are announced on Creative Writing Day, an event filled with lectures, readings, and book signings. On subsequent days, participate in writing workshops - this year led by poet Jon Davis and fiction writer Wendy Brenner.

HISTORY & CULTURE. Take walking tours of the historic downtown area, including Camberley's Martha Washington Inn, the Fields-Penn 1860 House Museum, Breckenridge Cabin, Sinking Spring Cemetery (dating back to the Revolutionary War), and nearby sites like Saltville's Paleontological Dig. Workshops and lectures include the Civil War, "The Forgotten Population: Free Blacks in Wash. County 1800-1850," and more. Learn about our Native American heritage through dance and craft demonstrations, a field trip to a pictograph site, or a lecture about the relationships between Native Americans and Europeans. Exhibits feature the area's country music heritage and NASCAR stock car racing. For kids, there's a Playground of the Past and A Kid's Stroll Through Old Abingdon.

HOME & GARDEN. Savor fine Virginia wines and hors d'oeuvres at the annual Wine Tasting or Virginia beef at a free Food Tasting. The Kitchen Tour, showcasing some of Abingdon's fine homes. Classes include a Gourmet Cooking Demo, Decorative Painting, Fall Landscaping, and Gifts from the Garden.

FAMILY ACTIVITIES. New this year: Skateboard Extravaganza and Skipping Through History: A Kid's Stroll Through Old Abingdon. Daily "Make, Take & Do" workshops (from dance to crafts), Face Painting, Children's Flea Market, Playground of the Past, Kid's Dig at Saltville, and more. Kids of all ages will enjoy entertainment like Tales & Tunes in the Tent, Mardi Gras on Main, a Puppet Show, Clowns, Stilt Walking, Children's Reading Hour, a Bike Parade, Petting Zoo, concerts by The Bubble Gum Machine, and Battle of the Bands, featuring StarTown.

NATURAL RESOURCES. The setting for the Virginia Highlands Festival could not be more breathtaking. Whether you want to relax, ride a bike, take a hike or explore a cave, there's plenty to do (and learn) in our beautiful mountains, forests and streams. Programs include Stargazing & Star-lore, Deep Space Viewing at a local observatory, a bird walk, fly fishing, treks in the Mt. Rogers area, tree and wildlife identification, and field trips to a Native American pictograph site, an Archaeological Field School, and more.

For more information about the Festival, call the Abingdon Convention & Visitors Bureau: 1-800-435-3440 or 540-676-2282, Washington County Chamber of Commerce: 540-628-8141, or visit: www.VaHighlandsFestival.org