Trail Days is the biggest event of the year in Damascus and the world’s largest celebration of the Appalachian Trail and hiker culture! Each year in May, the town swells to an estimated 25,000 people for the festival. You can expect a grand reunion of thru-hikers past and present, over a hundred vendors of handmade goods and some of the best outdoor gear in the industry, a packed schedule of live music and events, and a large crowd of trail supporters and hiking enthusiasts. Trail Days is always the weekend after Mother’s Day. The Town-wide Yard Sale is always the weekend before Trail Days.

Schedule of Events:

Saturday, May 11, 2024

7am-3pm: TOWN-WIDE YARD SALE… Bargains on every street

8am-2pm at Daisy Bell Children's Consignment: $5 Fill A Bag Sale

9am-noon at Laurel Creek Park: Stop by the Damascus Farmers Market for fresh and local produce, meats, eggs, baked goods, craft items, and more. Laurel Creek Park is located downtown by the Post Office and Damascus Old Mill Inn. The Farmers Market will also have official Trail Days t-shirts for sale on May 11th!

9am-noon at the Gazebo in the Town Park: Rabies Vaccine Clinic by Dr. John Roberts of VCA Highlands Animal Hospital. Other routine vaccines will also be available at a discounted price! Please bring dogs on leashes and cats in crates.

11am-2pm at the Damascus Senior Citizens’ Center: Bean Dinner & Bake Sale Fundraiser; all proceeds go toward replacing the roof at the Senior Center. Great dinner of pinto beans, mac and cheese, cole slaw, cornbread, apple cobbler with caramel sauce, tea/water/coffee.

Wednesday, May 15th, 2024

9am-3pm: “The Place” 11th Annual Work Day - Come and lend a hand in taking care of the oldest hostel on the Appalachian Trail. Free lunch is provided for the first 25 volunteers. Volunteers are welcome to stay the night before the work day and through Trail Days (Sunday morning).

6pm at the Town Park: Cookout & Music with the Trail Days Ministry Team. Everyone is welcome. (If it rains, this event will be moved under the tent at One Way Ministries.)

Thursday, May 16th, 2024

At One Way Ministries: OPEN 8:30am to 10pm with drinks, snacks, and charging station.

8:30-4pm: Haircuts (at One Way), Free Showers & Laundry (across the street).

12-4pm: “Porch Picking” on the Front Porch – come and play your favorite instruments!

At First Baptist Church: 8:30am-4pm: Free Showers at the Town Pool (behind First Baptist).

5:30-8pm at One Way Ministries: Hiker Feast. Free tickets are required – get them at Info Tents or One Way.

6-8pm at Laurel Creek Park: Backpacker’s 50th Anniversary Celebration with live music by Into the Fog and a beer garden by The Damascus Brewery. Chance to win great prizes from the Get Outside Tour too!

Friday, May 17th, 2024

8am at One Way Ministries: Prayer Gathering. Everyone is Welcome!

9am at the Blue Ridge Discovery Center booth in the Town Park: Join BRDC naturalist Olivia Jackson for a lesson on Birding by Sound. Take a stroll along the trail and listen for birdsongs as a method of identification. Although not required, participants are encouraged to bring a pair of binoculars!

10am-6pm at the Damascus Branch Library: Relax & Chill Zero Day - Offering refreshments, crafting stations with special crafts for hikers, board games, adult coloring, giant Jenga, croquet on the lawn, bubble guns, etc. There will also be popular movies, charging stations, free wifi, lounging inside and out, and public computers.

10am at One Way Ministries: Cornhole tournament

10am at the Damascus Trail Center: Bear Necessities with the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources. Learn more about native wildlife and how to recreate responsibly. Leave with a better understanding of Virginia’s unique wildlife and natural history!

10:45am at the Damascus Trail Center: ATC gear raffle! Stop by to toss your name in the raffle. Must be present to win.

11am at the Damascus Trail Center: BearVault Game - Visit the BearVault booth for a discussion on how to use a bear canister to properly store food while backpacking. Participants will have the chance to try out their skills in opening a BearVault canister, learn the best practices for food safety and storage, and compete in games to win a bear canister.

11am-1pm at the Black Diamond booth in the Town Park: Black Diamond Gear Blitz - Kit yourself out faster than your buddies. The top 10 fastest times to put on traction, a pack, z-poles, a rain shell, headlamp, and gloves will win cold, hard gear. Over $1,000 in prizes to the fastest times.

11:30am-1pm at the Rock School Auditorium: ALDHA’s Annual Hiker Feed. ALDHA is the Appalachian Long Distance Hikers Association. Come to enjoy the camaraderie and food.

11:30am at the Damascus Trail Center: Bear Necessities with the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources. Learn more about native wildlife and how to recreate responsibly. Leave with a better understanding of Virginia’s unique wildlife and natural history!

12 to 4pm at Wicked Chicken Winghouse & Tavern: Live music by Ed Main and RJ Smith.

12:30-2:30pm at the Town Park Stage: Live Music by Pierce Edens! Best known for powerful vocals and haunting, fiery music, Pierce Edens captivates listening rooms and excites dance floors in equal measure. He and long-time bandmate Kevin Reese create a hard-edged folk sound that is both intimate and gritty, atmospheric and raw.

12:45pm at the Damascus Trail Center: ATC gear raffle! Stop by to toss your name in the raffle. Must be present to win.

1pm at the Damascus Trail Center: I’ve Got a Trail to Tell - The Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail extends 330-miles across the Blue Ridge Mountains following a story from the American Revolution. What story could be important enough for its own National Trail? What does it mean to be a National Historic Trail and how is that different from everything else? Join the staff from the Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail to hear the story, learn how it works, and discover how you too can hike in the footsteps of Patriots.

1pm at One Way Ministries: Eating Contest - Great prizes! Registration starts at 1pm - eating starts at 2!

1pm at the Gregory booth in the Manufacturer Rep Area at Tent City: Raffle Drawing & Winner of the Guess the Weight Contest. Come visit Gregory where you can get your pack fixed, have a chance to win cool swag, participate in our raffle, and test your skills in our Guess the Weight game. The winner of Guess the Weight will walk away with a new Gregory backpack. Raffle & Guess the Weight hosted twice daily - winners announced at 1pm and 4pm on Friday and Saturday.

1:30-3pm at the Rock School Auditorium: Horsepower’s Calendar Year Triple Crown +. Come see a presentation of Brian “Horsepower” Weiss’s 8,292-mile traverse of the AT, PCT, CDT, and AZT in 2021.

1:30pm at Allyn ‘Fix it Man’ Morton’s Flyin’ Pig Repair Center in the Manufacturer Rep Area at Tent City - Musical Chairs with Crazy Creek. 1 winner and prize per event - 1 Crazy Creek Chair!

2pm at the Ripstop by the Roll booth in the Town Park: Cottage Gear Raffle. A daily raffle with prizes from Nashville Pack, Red Paw Packs, UGQ, FarPointe Outfitters, Walhalla Hammocks, and more! You can expect to see backpacks, quilts, accessories, and other one-of-a-kind items from the best names in cottage gear.

2pm at Tent City: Billville Leki Pole Throw Contest with prizes in field near Billville camp.

2:45pm at the Damascus Trail Center: ATC gear raffle! Stop by to toss your name in the raffle. Must be present to win.

3-5pm at the Town Park Stage: Live Music by Orbital Planes! Local singer/songwriter Jenna Greene is taking new heights, altitudes even, with her band Orbital Planes. Despite a bright and bubbly personality at the forefront, songwriting has always been an outlet for her heartbreak, loss, feeling unsure, and second guessing. Whether dancing or welling up, every audience will feel a connection to the songs of Orbital Planes.

3pm at the Damascus Trail Center: BearVault Game - Visit the BearVault booth for a discussion on how to use a bear canister to properly store food while backpacking. Participants will have the chance to try out their skills in opening a BearVault canister, learn the best practices for food safety and storage, and compete in games to win a bear canister.

3pm at the Big Agnes booth in the Town Park: Dirtbag Wheel of Prizes - Swing by the booth earlier in the day for a chance to spin the wheel and win great prizes. Sign-ups are limited to once per person and to the first 20 or so people per day. Everyone wins something and maybe even something BIG.

3:30pm at Allyn ‘Fix it Man’ Morton’s Flyin’ Pig Repair Center in the Manufacturer Rep Area at Tent City - Musical Chairs with Crazy Creek. 1 winner and prize per event - 1 Crazy Creek Chair!

3:30pm at the Six Moon Designs & Toaks booth in the Town Park: Allgood’s Gear Giveaway. Lucky winners will have a chance to win a variety of ultralight gear to help them get on down the trail. Sign up and get a ticket in advance at the Six Moon Designs booth. Must be present to win.

3:30-4:15pm at Laurel Creek Park: Head Outside Awards “Chassersize” - Join Head Outside Director Chas for a dance class with a fun twist. “Chassersize” is a unique blend of dance, inclusive fitness, and movement exploration. Perfect for everyone, regardless of dance experience. Just BYOBoogie.

3:30pm at the Damascus Trail Center: Two Thousand Miles to Happy reading, Q&A, and book signing with the author, Andrea Shapiro. Impossible! No one can hike the entire Appalachian Trail in one season. That’s what everyone thought back in 1948. Two Thousand Miles to Happy is a non-fiction children’s picture book based on Walking with Spring, Earl Shaffer’s own book about his historic hike.

4pm at the Granite Gear booth in the Town Park: Swing by anytime before 4pm on Friday to get entered into Granite Gear’s “Trail Name” raffle! 30 minutes of pure gear-giving-away! Simply stop by and pick up your “Trail Name” sticker and drop your name in the hat. It’s that easy! Participants must be wearing the corresponding Trail Name sticker at the time of the event and be present at the booth to win.

4pm at the Gregory booth in the Manufacturer Rep Area at Tent City: Raffle Drawing & Winner of the Guess the Weight Contest. Come visit Gregory where you can get your pack fixed, have a chance to win cool swag, participate in our raffle, and test your skills in our Guess the Weight game. The winner of Guess the Weight will walk away with a new Gregory backpack. Raffle & Guess the Weight hosted twice daily - winners announced at 1pm and 4pm on Friday and Saturday.

4:30-5:15pm at Laurel Creek Park: Head Outside Awards Yoga in the Park - Join us for a relaxing, re-energizing guided yoga session. Take this FREE opportunity to breathe deeply, stretch your body, and connect with nature and the hiker community.

4:45pm at the Damascus Trail Center: ATC gear raffle! Visit the Trail Center toss your name in the raffle. Must be present to win.

5:30-7:30pm at the Town Park Stage: Live Music by Late Night Special! Hailing from Charlotte, NC, Late Night Special brings a unique flavor to the funk rock genre. They are renowned for funky tunes that not only resonate but also get people on their feet and rocking out.

5:30pm at Laurel Creek Park: Head Outside Awards Free Giveaway Raffle. Your chance to win some sweet swag, gear and merch.

6pm at Tent City - Billville Soup and Chili Contest. Hikers, please come and taste and vote for your favorite of each: soup and chili. Entries, please bring your own table so we can spread out. In the field by Billville camp.

6-8:15pm at Laurel Creek Park: Head Outside Awards Ceremony to celebrate the individuals and organizations who harness the healing power of the great outdoors to improve mental health. Join us for a unique celebration filled with inspirational stories of recovery, hope, meaning, and community. Winners include the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, HIKE for Mental Health, and Triple-Crowners Jesse “Boston Mule” Cody and Will “Akuna” Robinson. Live music by Joey’s Van after the awards ceremony. Beer garden by The Damascus Brewery – free drink and souvenir cup to the first 200 people to show up!

7-10pm at One Way Ministries: Coffee House with LIVE band, dancing & food.

7-7:50pm at the Rock School Auditorium: Beginners’ Contra Dance Lesson. Warren & Terry Doyle (AT thru-hikers) will offer patient, fun instruction so you don’t look too foolish at tonight's dance. Don't worry, you don’t have to know your left foot from your right foot to contra dance.

8-11pm at the Rock School Auditorium: Annual Trail Days Contra Dance. Enjoy dancing to some mighty-fine musicians and with patient, clear dance calling by Warren & Terry Doyle, and it’s FREE! For new dancers, please come to the beginner’s lesson at 7pm. “Contra dancing is the most fun you can have standing up!” No partner or fancy duds needed. Please attend sober. Damascus also hosts a quarterly contra dance, the Trail Town Twirl, in March, June, September, and December. contradancersdelight.com, visitdamascus.org/contra-dance-trail-town-twirl-quarterly

8-10pm at the Town Park Stage: Live Music by Fritz & Co! Based out of the Tri-Cities region in Southwest Virginia, rock and roll outfit Fritz & Co. consists of members Logan Fritz, McKenna Blevins, Matt Martin, Amanda Hollifield, and Josh Cavinder. Since the group’s inception, Fritz & Co. has performed extensively across the Southeast region with notable performances including numerous appearances at Bristol’s Rhythm & Roots reunion. With boots planted in the realm of rock and roll, Fritz & Co. delivers a high energy show fueled by their punchy songs.

Saturday, May 18th, 2024

8-9am at the Rock School Auditorium: Trail Epiphanies with Warren Doyle. Receiving the gifts the trail provides, IF you are aware and open to them. (no mention of ounces/pounds; equipment; Far Out; hostels/shuttles).

8am at One Way Ministries: Prayer Gathering - Everyone is Welcome!

9am-noon at Laurel Creek Park: Stop by the Damascus Farmers Market for fresh and local produce, meats, eggs, baked goods, craft items, and more. Laurel Creek Park is located downtown by the Post Office and Damascus Old Mill Inn.

9-10:15am at the Old Mill Conference Room: Appalachian High Route: Exploring Endurance. Come and hear about Meg Landymore’s AHR FKT during the summer of 2023. Learn how she put together an adventure to explore personal endurance and join a discussion on setting new records vs. chasing records. The Appalachian High Route is a new loop trail in North Carolina that incorporates the Appalachian Trail, Mountains-to-Sea Trail, and the Black Mountain Crest Trail.

9am-2:30pm at First Baptist Church: Blood Drive with Marsh Regional Blood Center

9:15-10:45am at the Rock School Auditorium: Going SOBO on the AT. Join Joe Gleason of ALDHA as he presents the ups and downs (i.e. physical/emotional) of hiking the AT from Maine to Georgia from the perspective of a hiker who decided to get off the couch one day and hike 2,194 miles.

10am at the Damascus Trail Center: BearVault Game - Visit the BearVault booth for a discussion on how to use a bear canister to properly store food while backpacking. Participants will have the chance to try out their skills in opening a BearVault canister, learn the best practices for food safety and storage, and compete in games to win a bear canister

10am at the Blue Ridge Discovery Center booth in the Town Park: Join BRDC naturalist Brendan Murphy for an AT Plant ID Walk on the trail identifying both native and non-native plants. Learn identification tricks, edible properties, and some history of the plants along the AT.

10:30-11:45am at the Old Mill Conference Room: Appalachian Trail RunVenture: The Busy Moms’ Guide to Adventure Logistics. An adventure tale of two mother runners (i.e. Celia Eicheldinger-Sweet Potato; Meg Landymore-Rock Dancer) taking on the entire AT without losing their jobs, their sanity, and family balance. We’ll take a deep dive into the planning and logistics, as well as the laughter and struggle of leading a double life.

10:45am at the Damascus Trail Center: ATC gear raffle! Stop by to toss your name in the raffle. Must be present to win.

11am-12:15pm at the Rock School Auditorium: Grandma Gatewood’s Walk. Come see actress Anne Van Curen transform into Emma Gatewood to describe what it was like to become the first woman to solo hike the AT in 1955. Based on the book “Grandma Gatewood’s Walk.”

11am at the Damascus Branch Library: Foraging for Edibles on the Trail with Ben Casteel - Walk with Horticulturist Ben Casteel and he’ll explain the kinds of plants you can forage and eat on the trail, and which you should avoid! (A very popular event – there will be books and displays on this subject in the Library.)

11:30am at Allyn ‘Fix it Man’ Morton’s Flyin’ Pig Repair Center in the Manufacturer Rep Area at Tent City - Musical Chairs with Crazy Creek. 1 winner and prize per event - 1 Crazy Creek Chair!

12-1:15pm at the Old Mill Conference Room: Women Endure: Realizing our female superpowers in the realm of endurance sport. Sarah ‘Gazelle’ Baker and Tara ‘Candy Mama’ Dower will talk about their thru-hiking experience, motivations for setting FKTs (Fastest Known Times), and how they hope to inspire a new generation of women to reach their full potential through endurance efforts.

12pm at the Damascus Branch Library: Herbal First Aid & Remedies on the Trail with Megan Boissiere. Megan is a Flower Essence Therapy practitioner and herbalist and she will explain how to find and use herbal remedies and tinctures on the trail to help with blisters, tension, sore muscles, cuts, and more.

12pm at the Damascus Trail Center: Hardcore Reunion - Stop by for a reunion of past Hardcore volunteers with Tennessee Eastman Hiking and Canoe Club before heading to the Hiker Parade.

12pm at the LiteAF booth in the Town Park: Gather for the Ultimate Gear Giveaway! by LiteAF, Jolly Gear, and Deliberate Life Designs. 30 minutes of gear giveaways! Get your raffle tickets at any of the three booths.

12 to 4pm at Wicked Chicken Winghouse & Tavern: Live music by Ed Main and RJ Smith.

12 to 8pm at Appalachian Heritage Distillery & Brewery: Beer Garden. Enjoy draft beers from the newly opened Appalachian Heritage Brewery while listening to live music. Fat Daddy’s Chilli Dogs and Patriotic Pitmaster BBQ food trucks on-site.

12-2pm at the Town Park Stage: Live Music by The Well Drinkers! The Well Drinkers are a progressive, original bluegrass and Americana band based out of Western North Carolina whose range extends to festivals and venues across the Southeast. The group doesn’t shy away from the opportunity to bring experimental jams, jazz, Cajun, classical and reggae into their live performances.

12:30-1:45pm at the Rock School Auditorium: The Wonder of Woods Hole. Come hear about a special place along the trail just south of Pearisburg, VA. Find out what makes this spot like no other. Neville Harris, the guiding spirit/caretaker of this oasis, will share her thoughts/feelings on Woods Hole’s past, present and future.

12:30pm at the Granite Gear booth in the Town Park: Swing by anytime before 12:30pm on Saturday to get entered into Granite Gear’s “Trail Name” raffle! 30 minutes of pure gear-giving-away! Simply stop by and pick up your “Trail Name” sticker and drop your name in the hat. It’s that easy! Participants must be wearing the corresponding Trail Name sticker at the time of the event and be present at the booth to win.

12:45pm at the Damascus Trail Center: ATC gear raffle! Stop by to toss your name in the raffle. Must be present to win.

1pm at the Damascus Trail Center: BearVault Game - Visit the BearVault booth for a discussion on how to use a bear canister to properly store food while backpacking. Participants will have the chance to try out their skills in opening a BearVault canister, learn the best practices for food safety and storage, and compete in games to win a bear canister.

1pm at the Six Moon Designs & Toaks booth in the Town Park: Allgood’s Gear Giveaway. Lucky winners will have a chance to win a variety of ultralight gear to help them get on down the trail. Sign up and get a ticket in advance at the Six Moon Designs booth. Must be present to win.

1pm at the Gregory booth in the Manufacturer Rep Area at Tent City: Raffle Drawing & Winner of the Guess the Weight Contest. Come visit Gregory where you can get your pack fixed, have a chance to win cool swag, participate in our raffle, and test your skills in our Guess the Weight game. The winner of Guess the Weight will walk away with a new Gregory backpack. Raffle & Guess the Weight hosted twice daily - winners announced at 1pm and 4pm on Friday and Saturday.

1:30pm at Allyn ‘Fix it Man’ Morton’s Flyin’ Pig Repair Center in the Manufacturer Rep Area at Tent City - Musical Chairs with Crazy Creek. 1 winner and prize per event - 1 Crazy Creek Chair!

2:45pm at the Damascus Trail Center: ATC gear raffle! Stop by to toss your name in the raffle. Must be present to win.

3pm at the Damascus Trail Center: BearVault Game - Visit the BearVault booth for a discussion on how to use a bear canister to properly store food while backpacking. Participants will have the chance to try out their skills in opening a BearVault canister, learn the best practices for food safety and storage, and compete in games to win a bear canister

3:30-4:45pm at the Old Mill Conference Room: Building a new AT segment to Cheaha State Park, AL. Jeff Hayes proposes building a new, 21st century trail segment to connect Amicalola Falls State Park with Cheaha State Park in Alabama.

3:30pm at the Ripstop by the Roll booth in the Town Park: Cottage Gear Raffle. A daily raffle with prizes from Nashville Pack, Red Paw Packs, UGQ, FarPointe Outfitters, Walhalla Hammocks, and more! You can expect to see backpacks, quilts, accessories, and other one-of-a-kind items from the best names in cottage gear.

4-5:30pm at the Rock School Auditorium: Untold Stories. Listen to Jennifer Pharr Davis (Odyssa) and Brew Davis share their adventures on the AT. There will be new content from Jennifer along with original songs from Brew’s latest ‘Brewgrass’ album and more!

4pm at the Damascus Trail Center: Journey to Kings Mountain - In the year 1780, 400 men from southwest Virginia joined a gathering army of Patriots from the mountainous frontier. These men journeyed hundreds of miles through extreme conditions and won a decisive victory during the American Revolution. Join the storytellers of the Overmountain Victory Trail Association for a dramatic retelling of this journey and how these men changed the course of American history.

4pm at the Gregory booth in the Manufacturer Rep Area at Tent City: Raffle Drawing & Winner of the Guess the Weight Contest. Come visit Gregory where you can get your pack fixed, have a chance to win cool swag, participate in our raffle, and test your skills in our Guess the Weight game. The winner of Guess the Weight will walk away with a new Gregory backpack. Raffle & Guess the Weight hosted twice daily - winners announced at 1pm and 4pm on Friday and Saturday.

4pm at the Big Agnes booth in the Town Park: Dirtbag Wheel of Prizes - Swing by the booth earlier in the day for a chance to spin the wheel and win great prizes. Sign-ups are limited to once per person and to the first 20 or so people per day. Everyone wins something and maybe even something BIG.

4 to 6:30pm at the Damascus Brewery: Live music by Shake It Like a Caveman.

4:45pm at the Damascus Trail Center: ATC gear raffle! Stop by to toss your name in the raffle. Must be present to win.

5-6:15pm at the Old Mill Conference Room: Navigating the Trail Within: Managing your mental health while hiking the Appalachian Trail. This is an interactive, discussion-based workshop that focuses on how to manage your mental health on the AT, facilitated by Stu Skinner, a mental health professional and seasoned thru-hiker who leads challenging hikes in remote environments all over the world.

5pm at the DryFoxCo booth in the Town Park: Adventure Towels Raffle for compact, lightweight DryFoxCo hiking towels. Enter to win before 5pm on Saturday. Winner does not have to be present at the drawing but must pick up their prize in person at Trail Days.

5:30-7:30pm at the Town Park Stage: Live Music by Jake Mosca & The Travelers! Jake has been immersed in his musical pursuit from age 15 and was featured on American Idol in 2022. Based in the blues, he is now chasing his honty tonk dreams and exploring country music with a classic Nashville sound. Jake Mosca was also the winner of the 2023 Trail Days Hiker Talent Show with his original song, Hiker Trash.

5:30pm at the REI Co-op Path Ahead Ventures booth in the Town Park: Enter to win the Founders Market Cottage Gear Giveaway anytime before 5pm on Saturday to win gear from Allmansright, Outdoor Element, and ANDA. Additional good vibes and free high-fives all weekend!

6-7:15pm at the Rock School Auditorium. Dream Big, Be Courageous with Anish. Stories of Adventure on America’s Long Distance Trails. Heather ‘Anish’ Anderson prolific/successful self-supported FKT long-distance hiker, author, speaker.

6:30-7:45pm at the Old Mill Conference Room: A Feat with our Feet (All 16 of them.) We made it! 6 kids, 1 job, 5 seasons. From Sept. 2020 to Sept. 2021, this family of eight (known on trail as the Perch Creek Explorers) completed an unconventional northbound AT hike. This all with six children, facilitated by two vans, while homeschooling and working full-time along the way. Come meet them and hear how they did it, along with what happened along the way.

7-10pm at One Way Ministries: Live music under the big tent with snacks and drinks.

7pm at Tent City: Billville Useless Gear Contest with prizes. Be creative and enter or just come and watch the fun.

7:30-9pm at the Rock School Auditorium. ‘Safe and Found’ film screening showcases the gripping world of search and rescue in the rugged Smokies and surrounding mountains of western North Carolina. The film dives deep into actual SAR operations, witnessing the intense experiences of rescuers and those in need of help, while highlighting how to stay ‘safe and found’ on a hike.

8-10pm at the Town Park Stage: Live Music by Gents & Liars! It’s time for a road trip, destination unknown. The needle has landed on the Gents & Liars, a band of groove engineers based out of Johnson City, TN.

9:15-11pm at the Rock School Auditorium. My 56 y.o. Love Affair with the AT

Sunday, May 19th, 2024

8-10:15am at the Rock School Auditorium: How to Successfully Complete the Entire AT. Dreaming of doing the AT either as a thru-hike or a section hike? There doesn’t have to be a decades-old 70-75% failure rate and all that waste of people’s time and money. Come and get some time-tested, field-proven wisdom by an elder who has ‘walked the walk’ and has earned the right to ‘talk the walk.’

10am-4:30pm at the REI Path Ahead Ventures booth in the Town Park: allmansright Gear Clinic is offering basic repairs, modifications or alterations to your gear for FREE! as well as sharing the know-hows and tips to keep your gear going strong. Limited spots available; secure yours at the booth on Friday and Saturday.

10:30am-12:30pm at the Rock School Auditorium: Walking Home film screening featuring a father/son duo who hiked the AT in 2016. Winner of the Maine Outdoor Film Festival Award in 2018.

10:30am-noon at One Way Ministries: Praise & Worship Service under the big tent with the Ministry Team.

10:45am at the Damascus Trail Center: ATC gear raffle! Stop by to toss your name in the raffle. Must be present to win.

11am on the Virginia Creeper Trail by the Damascus Town Park: Osprey Packs Trail Days 5K & Run Happy Kids’ 1K - The course is a certified out-and-back 5K on the Virginia Creeper Trail with electronic B-tag timing by We Run Events. Awards for 5K overall winners and by age group. All Kids 1K participants will receive a medal and t-shirt. 11am start for the 5K with the Kids 1K to follow.

11am at the Damascus Trail Center: Book Discussion & Signing for Walk, Ride, Paddle: A Life Outside by Tim Kaine - In his memoir, Senator Tim Kaine shares his epic 1,228-mile journey into the “faraway nearby.” Kaine hiked 559 miles on the Appalachian Trail, cycled 321 miles through the Blue Ridge Mountains, and paddled 348 miles on the James River—creating the Virginia Nature Triathlon in the process. The Appalachian Trail Conservancy will sell copies of the book on-site.

11:30-1:30pm at the Town Park Stage: Live Music by Noah Spencer! Noah started singing in church when he was 5 years old and picked up his first guitar at 11. This Southwest Virginia artist was a contestant on Season 24 of the NBC television show, “The Voice,” but is most comfortable strumming and picking tunes on an acoustic and singing songs that make people smile.

12pm at the Ripstop by the Roll booth in the Town Park: Cottage Gear Raffle. A daily raffle with prizes from Nashville Pack, Red Paw Packs, UGQ, FarPointe Outfitters, Walhalla Hammocks, and more! You can expect to see backpacks, quilts, accessories, and other one-of-a-kind items from the best names in cottage gear.

12 to 4pm at Wicked Chicken Winghouse & Tavern: Live music by Ed Main and RJ Smith.

1pm at the Damascus Trail Center: Book Discussion & Signing for Walk, Ride, Paddle: A Life Outside by Tim Kaine - In his memoir, Senator Tim Kaine shares his epic 1,228-mile journey into the “faraway nearby.” Kaine hiked 559 miles on the Appalachian Trail, cycled 321 miles through the Blue Ridge Mountains, and paddled 348 miles on the James River—creating the Virginia Nature Triathlon in the process. The Appalachian Trail Conservancy will sell copies of the book on-site.

1:30pm at One Way Ministries: Free Shuttles North and Southbound leave for Erwin and Bland - sign up at One Way Ministries to reserve your spot

2-4:30 at the Town Park Stage: Live Music by Phantom! Perennial favorite Phantom will fill the air with its energetic renderings of ’70s & ‘80s rock and roll. The band has maintained a “dance and party” playlist over their time on top and appeal to a garden salad of musical tastes and social circles.

Fest Date: May 17 - 19, 2024

Location: Various Locations in Damascus, VA

Click here for more information.