It’s garden time, and the Buchanan Special Events Committee has gathered garden specialists, outdoor vendors and others for the fifth annual Garden Festival this Saturday, May 5 on the grounds of the historic Wilson Warehouse/Community House and Town Park.
There is a little bit of something for everyone at this year’s event, organizers say.
Activities include vendors offering plants, flowers and trees; home improvement goods and services, along with hand crafts, art, food, a wine garden featuring Blue Ridge Vineyard of Eagle Rock, guest speakers from the Roanoke Master Gardeners and the Virginia Western Community College Arboretum, as well as kids’ activities including “Touch A Tractor” sponsored by James River Equipment.
Volunteers from the Buchanan Special Events Committee will be offering festival T-shirts for sale as well as tickets for an opportunity to own garden spinners from Plow & Hearth.
Entertainment for the day includes music and sound by DJ Frank Arnold along with live performances by Rebecca Bryant, “The Singing Cowgirl,” and lead singers and songwriters of Acoustic Endeavors, Warren Amberson and Kelly Green.
Festival Chairperson Peggy Ramsey said the Garden Festival provides the opportunity to relax in the garden of the Community House on Lowe Street and a perfect place to find a gift for Mother’s Day.
The festival runs from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. and a new feature during the opening ceremony at 10 a.m. will be a presentation of the May Pole Dance.
Blue Ridge Vineyard will be set up the Wine Garden, and some of the vendors include Plow & Hearth of Roanoke, Rockingham Cooperative of Troutville, Piper Lane, Beaver Dam Farm, Botetourt Beekeepers Association, Gallery By The James and many more.
Kids will enjoy the “Touch A Tractor” sponsored by James River Equipment and the Kid’s Activity Area that will feature bowling, ring toss, bubbles, fishing in a barrel and an Art Wall.
The festival features guest speakers who will be offering programs on some of the latest gardening topics including:
- 11:30 a.m. – “Dividing Perennials– Free Plants” by Debbie Ray of the Master Gardeners
- 12:30 p.m. – Annual Garden displays – Utilizing All America Selections by Clark Be Craft of the Community Arboretum at Virginia Western Community College
- 1:30 p.m. presentation – “Why I Love Tomatoes” by Kathy Sink of the Master Gardeners.
Music of the Blue Ridge Mountains is being featured during the festival with live performance by “The Singing Cowgirl,” Rebecca F. Bryant. She loves playing the autoharp and singing the old cowboy, country and gospel songs. Bryant has been awarded the first place Female Vocalist of the (VFMA) Virginia Folk Music Association of 2016 and second place Autoharp Instrumentalist.
A Virginia native, she is married to a retired professional bull rider of the PRCA, and is a founding member of three Cowboy Fast Draw Clubs in Virginia. She has been Top Gun, Club and Event Champion in the Women’s Division.
Byrant sings at numerous churches, festivals and various cowboy gatherings – like the National Day of the Cowboy in Victoria as well as at the Peaks of Otter on the Blue Ridge Parkway.
Warren Amberson and Kelly Green are the multi-instrumentalists of Common Folk and the bluegrass powerhouse Acoustic Endeavors. They began playing together in 1991 in Germany. They returned to Tennessee where they attended the Bluegrass Music Program at East Tennessee State University. They have won awards at the SPBMA Band Contest and have been showcased at IBMA.
The duo formed their band Acoustic Endeavors in 1992 and have been playing together ever since. The group has performed throughout Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina and Tennessee. Fans enjoy the band’s personalized style of performance and heartfelt original bluegrass music. “We create, love and play original music,” Amberson said. “Bluegrass, folk, Americana and acoustic music is our passion.”
The music schedule follows:
- 10 a.m. – Opening Ceremony featuring the Buchanan May Pole Dance
- 10 a.m. – DJ Frank Arnold
- 11 a.m.-1 p.m. – Rebecca Bryant
- 1-3 p.m. Warren Amberson and Kelly Green
- 3 p.m. – DJ Frank Arnold
Volunteers from the Buchanan Special Events Committee are offering “Opportunity to Own” tickets for a $1 donation each. There will be three drawings for prizes. Prizes include colorful spinners from Plow & Hearth valued at $149, a second award of Plow & Hearth wind chimes valued at $49.99 and a third award of a Plow & Hearth evergreen garden glass bird feeder valued at $29.99. The drawing will take place at the end of the festival. You do not have to be present to win.
In addition to the activities taking place at the Community House and Town Park on Lowe Street, there will be complementary activities on Main Street including the Friends of the Buchanan Library Book Sale and a Merchant Sidewalk Sale. For additional information check the Town of Buchanan website at http://www.townofbuchanan.com/event/buchanan-garden-festival/.
