AUGUSTA COUNTY, Va. (WHSV)— The Red Wing Roots Music Festival started on Friday and thousands of people are camping out to enjoy the festival.
The festival enters its seventh year with a new stage and a new camping area. | Credit: WHSV
Festival co-producer Michael Weaver said the goal is to improve the festival every year and this year’s improvement is something they’ve wanted to do for a while.
“One of the things we’ve been trying to do for years is add more camping,” Weaver said. “A lot of folks who want to buy weekend passes and come for the whole experience, camping sells out very early on.”
After purchasing nearby land, organizers were able to add more camping areas as well as a new stage. The fifth stage and the camping area nearby allows more people and more bands have been able to come to this year’s festival.
Sheryl Beckwith is camping in the new area with her family this year.
“It’s amazing,” Beckwith said. “It’s friendly people, it’s music, there were a bunch of kids out this morning with fiddles and banjos.”
Weaer said many have not had the opportunity to camp, but it’s an experience they want more people to have.
“You kind of just enter a different universe,” Weaver said. “You kind of go to a different speed and it’s a very different life experience for a weekend.”
Weaver said about 3,000 people are camping and even more will be coming throughout the weekend on day passes. Most of the festival is sold out, but there are still Sunday passes available.