The Franklin News-Post
P. O. Box 250
310 Main Street, SW
Rocky Mount, Virginia 24151
540-483-5113
Fax: 540-483-8013
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| Event will feature musicians, area wineries and artisans |
Courtesy Photo:
Franklin County’s own Corey Hunley will headline a strong lineup of entertainers for the June 30 Strings & Spirits Festival. |
Monday, June 18, 2012
By CHARLES BOOTHE - Staff Writer
The first Franklin County Strings and Spirits Festival is ready to roll on June 30.
This one-day event will include a collaboration of local musicians, breweries, wineries and artisans from Southwest Virginia.
Wendy Webster and Matthew Funk, festival creators, are both Franklin County natives who wanted to bring a fun and unique event, suitable for the whole family, to their hometown, they said.
"We wanted to start a festival like Strings and Spirits because we have been to many types of festivals together and wanted to host one that contained the things we had enjoyed, or thought were missing, in the other festivals we've attended," Funk said.
"Once we had the idea, we realized that we had an amazing network of people who could help us put on a first-time festival."
That network led them to Gerry Brown, owner of The Hillbilly Shak in Boones Mill, who offered 60 acres of land off Springhouse Lane (a private drive off Grassy Hill Road in Rocky Mount) to use as the festival site.
"After planning weddings for 15 years, the idea of planning a festival didn't seem so far-fetched," Webster said. "My and Matt's desire to help the community we grew up in was one of the main reasons for really wanting this festival to be held in Franklin County. We also want to show people what a great time they can have at an event like this."
Webster is the president of Eleven Vines, an event planning company that handles weddings, birthdays, and festivals.
Funk is the owner of Community Vines, the non-profit organization behind Strings and Spirits.
"We are excited that we get to work in collaboration to create something wonderful and put the proceeds back into the community," Webster added.
Some of the local breweries and wineries attending the festival will include Roanoke Railhouse, River Company, Jefferson Street Brewery, Bull & Bones, Brooks Mill Winery, Peaks of Otter, White Rock Vineyards & Winery and Savoy Lee Winery.
Festival musicians include Corey Hunley, Erin Lunsford & the Smokey Bandits, Blue Mule, Grass Monkey, Rootstone Jug Band and Tara Mills With Strings Attached.
Food vendors, such as The Hillbilly Shak and Homestead Creamery, will also be on hand, along with local artisans.
Proceeds from the festival will go to Community Vines, the newly established Franklin County based non-profit organization, whose mission is to contribute to the community by providing tools that will support arts that can be enjoyed by the community, recreation that will benefit the health of the community, and education that will benefit the future of the community.
A cornhole tournament will also be held to raise money for charity.
The festival takes place on Saturday, June 30 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Springhouse Lane off Grassy Hill Road in Rocky Mount. Directions to the festival can be found at franklincountyfestival.com/about.
Tickets are now available for purchase online at franklincountyfestival.com/tickets. Tickets will also be available for purchase at the gate on the day of the festival.
Festival-goers will receive a $5 discount by purchasing tickets online. Tickets for tasters are $20 in advance and $25 at the gate. Non-taster tickets are $10 in advance and $15 at the gate. Children under 12 are admitted free, as are all teachers and military (active & non-active).
For all information regarding the First Annual Franklin County Strings and Spirits Festival, visit franklincountyfestival.com. Become a Facebook fan at facebook.com/Strings&Spirits. |
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