Loose Leaf Notes

Note: The Floyd County Board of Supervisors is holding a public hearing regarding proposed amendments to the current county ordinance regulating musical or entertainment festivals or gatherings, Tuesday, October 11, 9:30 at the County Administration Building on Oxford Street.

The Floyd County Board of Supervisors had an opportunity to hear from Floydfest organizers about the festival’s relocation to the Check part of the county at a September 27th board meeting.  Floydfest CEO John McBroom and COO Sam Calhoun addressed concerns voiced by Check residents at previous board meetings and answered questions from board members.

Chairman Joe Turman introduced the scheduled Floydfest presentation, emphasizing that the board needed to hear both sides of the issue and asking citizens in attendance to remain respectful and quiet.

“We’ve listened to the public for about 3 months now. When we’re sitting up here, we’re neutral. This is the board’s time to listen to the presentation and answers to any questions we have,” Turman said.

McBroom began by thanking the board for the opportunity to speak and gave some background to his involvement in Floydfest since the festival’s inception in 2002 as a consultant, investor and production manager.

“By 2015 I started to buy into the company. By 2018, I became and remain 85% owner and Chief Executive Officer of Across the Way Production, which has the honor of producing Floydfest,” stated McBroom, currently a Locust Grove District county resident who previously resided in Roanoke.

“As our lease was coming to an end and some logistical issues arose, making it difficult to do our beloved Floydfest to the standard we had become accustomed to, we started to search for a new home,” said McBroom, stating that relocating to Floyd, the festival’s namesake, was the only location that the organizers had in mind.

McBroom reported that since the 2022 land purchase of approximately 200 acres in Check, the Floydfest team – which includes co-owner and Floydfest founding father Kris Hodges, Chief Operating Officer Sam Calhoun and Chief Financial Officer Jessica Taylor –  has been actively working with local public safety authorities, the town and county of Floyd, OmniBuild General Contractors, land and environmental engineers, traffic engineers, site planners, VDOT, the Army Corps of Engineers, the Department of Environmental Quality and a supporting crew on relocation plans.

“We reached out to neighbors when we moved onto the site,” McBroom said, noting that they sent out approximately 100 letters, talked with dozens of neighbors, gave site tours and even gave out complimentary tickets for a day at the festival.

McBroom, who credits his work ethic and interest in land stewardship to working as a young man in Floyd on his late brother Steve’s Horse Farm, noted his family’s long history of service. His mother, June McBroom, who lived in Floyd from the late ‘80s until her death in 1998, established a charitable trust that gave money to organizations all around the world. 20% of the funds distributed went to organizations in and around Floyd County, McBroom reported, including to The June Bug Center, Floyd Center for Arts, Floyd County Cares, Floyd Rescue and Sheriff Departments, Young Life, Floyd Social Services, Floyd County High School, Blue Mountain School, Apple Ridge Farm, VA Tech Foundation and Southwest Virginia Land Trust.

Although several reports published in the Floyd Press have given voice to citizens in Check who are opposed to the festival relocation, McBroom stated that no one has asked Floydfest for a response, to answer questions raised, or to counter “the claims and accusations that we consider to be misrepresentations.”  He described some of those claims as “pretty wild” and founded in speculation and fear of the unknown.

“We have proven ourselves over the last 20 years with our old neighbors and have shown how to bring communities together to display to the world that we have a special place that is worthy of sharing for a long time to come,” McBroom said.

Before turning the presentation over to Floydfest COO Sam Calhoun, McBroom closed by noting that the economic benefit of Floydfest to the community is real and “shows our long-term dedication to the community in which we live and do business.”

Calhoun stated Floydfest’s intention to be transparent, to be good neighbors and an asset to the community. He countered some citizen remarks that were published in The Floyd Press, emphasizing that the move of Floydfest to Floyd will represent no financial burden to the community. He referred to the idea that the festival will be increasing capacity as misinformation being circulated, noting that capacity will be reduced. Floydfest’s total attendance (estimated at 15,000) is never on site at one given time during the five-day festival in July, he explained. Estimated attendance at any given time is approximately 7,000.

Pointing out accolades the festival has received over the years, Calhoun said, “We are multi-year award winners for Best Family Friendly Festival, Best Outdoor Event and Best Festival. Time magazine ranked Floydfest one of 150 reasons to celebrate America.”

Calhoun outlined the environmental stewardship the festival has taken on as a core focus “since day one,” and the culture of the family friendly event, “Children grow up at Floydfest and bring their children to Floydfest. That’s who we are.”

He noted that Floydfest has developed a “Unified Command Center,” becoming an example for other festivals by bringing together the Virginia Department of Emergency Management, local sheriff offices, regional rescue teams, Virginia State Police, National Park Service, VDOT, Virginia ABC, the National Weather Service, Virginia state Fire Marshall, nurses and doctors, licensed security teams and mental health professionals. “And we pay for any and all security,” he said.

Calhoun stated that Floyd county based contractors will be used to develop and build the site.  The five-day yearly festival annually utilizes 400 paid staff members and 600 volunteers, the majority of which are from Floyd. They partner and fundraise with Floyd groups, such as the Floyd Rotary Club, Floyd Tourism and the Floyd County High School Band Boosters. They are a longtime member of the Chamber of Commerce and regularly donate dollars to local causes and non-profits and food to the Plenty Foodbank.

Supervisor Levi Cox, who represents the district where Floydfest has relocated, asked the bulk of questions at the end of the presentation, including those about traffic and noise concerns.

Noting that Floyd will receive the benefit of occupancy taxes with each camping ticket that the festival sells and meal taxes from local onsite food vendors, Calhoun stated that the new site will allow families to park and camp onsite, reducing the clogging of traffic with the shuttle systems needed at the previous site. He explained that the majority of festival patrons stay for the entire festival and that traffic “becomes a trickle by Friday, Saturday and Sunday.” Working with independent firms on traffic plans, Calhoun foresees the use of mandated traffic plans for the festival that will be posted on the Floydfest webpage once they are determined.

Calhoun reported that festival music will be more centralized than it has been in the past and with less stages. “When I walk away from the main stage to a secondary stage, I can’t hear that main stage,” Calhoun said, adding that there’s a lot can be done to manipulate sound these days. “Our main stage has never gone past midnight. Music after midnight will be centralized in smaller secondary stages with neighboring properties kept in mind.”

When asked whether the music will interfere with Sunday services at a nearby church, Calhoun responded that Gospel Sunday has been a big portion of programing for many years and suggested the possibility of interfacing their gospel acts with the church.

Supervisor Jerry Boothe of the Courthouse District suggested that organizers consider reaching out to the elders of the church to start a conversation.  “100%, I will,” Calhoun responded.

Supervisor Turman of the Burks Fork District recalled his law enforcement days when he worked during the festival in the parking lot and in town. “I never made an arrest,” he said.  He noted that the festival drew people from all over the world and how well attendees in tie-dye or three-piece suits integrated.

Supervisor Kalinda Bechtold of Indian Valley weighed in, saying, “I attended Floydfest for one day and I was amazed at the job you all do. I was there for a weather emergency and I was amazed at how organized and calm and well done it was.”

“I appreciate your openness and your willingness to take on this endeavor,” she continued, noting that the reviews she has read have been fabulous. “I think Floyd County should be really proud of having this.” __________Colleen Redman