Frequently Asked Questions

Admission & Parking

Parking cost is $10 per vehicle – required at Virginia state parks. Pay at the park entrance station. Festival admission is $20, payable as you enter the festival site. Ages 12 and younger are free. Please come early – the line of cars can get long after 9:30 a.m. Music starts at 10:30 a.m.

Travel Info

We cannot make recommendations but can offer regional travel bureau information.

In The Park

Camping is available in the park, but make reservations early.

Virginia

North Carolina

www.visitnc.com/places-to-stay
www.ashechamber.com (Ashe County)
www.sparta-nc.com/ (Alleghany County)
www.exploreboonearea.com (Watauga County)

Park Weather

The festival is on, rain or shine. Be prepared and bring a long-sleeve shirt, sweatshirt or jacket as it can get cool.

Festival Performance Schedule

CLICK HERE to see this year’s schedule.

Seating and Canopies

Bring chairs and blankets. NO high-back chairs, lounge chairs or chairs with attachments (foot rests, tables, umbrellas) allowed. The festival grounds have a special area for canopy set-up. Follow the signs.

Food

Visit our vendors to get your meals, drinks and snacks:

Galax SmokeHouse: BBQ, Ribs, Beans, Slaw, Potato salad, Salad, sandwiches and/or plate, chips, soda.
Lil B Shaved Ice: Shaved Ice, Milkshakes, Ice Cream, Hot Fudge Cakes. Taco Salads, Walking Tacos
Ignite Life Coffee: Coffee, Coffee drinks, Cold Brew Coffee.
Mayberry Concessions: Cheese Steak, Polish Sausage, Hamburgers, HotDogs, Chicken Tenders, French Fries, Funnel Cakes, drinks.

Feel free to bring a picnic cooler. Alcoholic beverages are not permitted. Please recycle glass, plastic and cans at the special containers placed throughout the area. Thanks to the Boy Scouts for collecting and recycling.

Facilities

Portable toilets and wash stations are available throughout the festival area. There are handicapped accessible facilities, too.

Pets

No pets at the festival site, please.

Pickers

Follow the signs to the designated area for guitar pickers to congregate – so you can play without disturbing those listening to the stage performances.

T-Shirts & CDs

Be sure to stop at our sales tent for official festival shirts along with long-sleeve denim shirts with the festival logo. You’ll find logo ball caps, fly swatters, stickers and magnets. Proceeds benefit the festival and the scholarship fund. We’ll also have a selection of Wayne’s CDs.

Authorized Sales

You’ll meet pencil artist Willard Gayheart with his fine art (www.willardgayheart.com), David Ziegele, author of Bluegrass Guitar, a tablature book of 10 of Wayne’s songs (http://fingerstyle2.com/); Allen St. John, author of Clapton’s Guitar: Watching Wayne Henderson Build the Perfect Instrument (http://www.allenstjohn.com/index2.php?p=bio). You’ll also find items and information from the Friends of Grayson Highlands State Park and the park itself.

Volunteer Opportunities

The festival succeeds thanks to the help of more than 100 volunteers. Most help out on the day of the festival and the day before, others throughout the year. We’re always happy to have new volunteers for Children’s Activities, Set-Up, Parking, Admission, Hospitality, and Sales (T-shirts, etc.). Volunteers receive free admission, lunch and a special T-shirt. CLICK HERE if you’d like to help next year.

Friends of Grayson Highlands State Park

A portion of the festival proceeds is donated each year to the Friends of Grayson Highlands State Park. Learn about their activities and how to join at http://www.graysonfriends.org/.