Want to learn the ancient art of cheesemaking? Or perhaps discover how to build a chicken tractor or improve your creative writing skills? At one of the area’s newest festivals you can do all this and more.
Hosted at Moonrise Farmstead in Aylett — roughly 30 miles northeast of Richmond — the inaugural Farmstead Fest debuts May 23-25 and celebrates homesteading, sustainability and creativity in a lovely, pastoral setting. The family-friendly event is designed to boost community and environmental connections while teaching interesting and sometimes bygone skills.
“It’s a place to relax, connect with new people, learn new skills and enjoy live music,” says Meg Oberhand. “It’s a new way to experience Memorial Day weekend.”
Farmstead Fest is the brainchild of friends Oberhand, Natalie Green and Eryn Alloway. They wanted to form a festival that would become a learning opportunity for homesteading skills while also promoting sustainable, creative and holistic living. “I have the farm to host it on, and the gals had the vision of creating this weekend of learning, live music and community,” says Oberhand. The trio spent the past year dreaming up what could become one of the area’s truly distinct events.
The three-day celebration features a packed schedule that includes live music from various musicians and bands, such as Dylan Wheeler, E 33rd and Richmond’s own Høly River, that will perform everything from calming folk music to lively psychedelic rock.
“We’ve had even more bands join the lineup in the last week,” says Oberhand. “The festival is just growing and growing.”
Tyrone Cherry III, executive director and founder of Petersburg is Growing as well as the Petersburg League of Urban Growers, serves as keynote speaker; numerous others will also be teaching throughout the weekend about topics such as soil health, crop planning, how to craft natural paint pigments and concoct herbal teas.
“We have an incredibly diverse lineup of speakers,” says Oberhand. “Presenters are coming from all over the state, [and a] few out of state, to share their knowledge. It’s a huge highlight.”
To kick things off, a potluck dinner will be hosted Friday evening. “It’s an opportunity to build a stronger community at the beginning of the weekend,” Oberhand explains. “We invite people to share their favorite dishes or those made with an ingredient from their homestead or garden.” Don’t worry if you can’t bring something, the meal is open to all attendees.
The Moonrise Market will run Saturday and Sunday with over 20 vendors selling products like handcrafted natural skincare and fresh flowers. Sauna Plunge RVA will also be onsite for the festivities.
For those looking for the full, immersive experience there is the option of on-site camping. Offering first-come, first-served tent, car and RV spots (sales of the latter are currently closed), campers get to experience an exclusive festival atmosphere Friday and Saturday evenings. While reservations are preferred, walk-ups will be accepted if there’s space. The camping area includes a composting outhouse and a nearby dishwashing and handwashing station.
For those interested in attending, there’s the $100 full weekend pass (which includes camping) or $35-$65 day pass which can include a camping add-on ($25). Children 17 and under are free. There is optional children’s programming, like the $50 toddler tickets where little ones (18 months to four years) can be dropped off and supervised during the day while you attend sessions. The youth program (ages 5-12) is completely donation-based and run by Youth Outdoor Workshops. There will also be a teen hangout area.
A work-trade volunteer option is available for a ticket discount. People can sign up to assist at the festival for four hours of work ($40 discount), eight hours ($80 discount) or, if inclined, just sign up to help out while paying the full price. It’s all done in a way to help make things as equitable as possible.
“If you want to be at the festival, we want you there,” says Oberhand.
The Farmstead Fest is held May 23-25 at Moonrise Farmstead, 2964 King William Road in Aylett, Virginia.
