Loose Leaf Notes

The following first appeared in Floyd Times on October 15, 2025. Downtown Floyd was a hub of activity on Saturday for the sixth annual Floyd Americana Fest. Four stages – at Outer Space, Dogtown Roadhouse, Warren Lineberry Park and Cocoa Mia – hosted an ongoing roster of performances by local and regional musicians throughout the day.

Some attendees perched on the Dogtown porch to watch the park activities. Others browsed in and out of downtown stores. There were art and craft vendors in the park and a volunteer-staffed Kid Zone.  Cocoa Mia/ Pantoufle’s Bistro, Outer Space and Dogtown Roadhouse served food and refreshments all day.

Fest founder Alan Graf spoke of the idea behind the festival during his Cocoa Mia set with his band Rock While Rome Burns (listen HERE).  “I wanted to bring value and attention to Americana music,” he said. “Floyd is centered on a lot of Old Time and Bluegrass, which I love and moved here to do, but there is a whole Americana scene too.”

When asked how he would describe Americana music, Graf didn’t miss a beat, answering with the name of a Floyd County musician he’s a fan of, “Stella Trudell. She’s the ultimate princess of Americana, and one of the reasons I wanted to do a festival was to give Trudell a place to play.”

Trudell joined Graf during his band’s performance of covers and originals and played an early evening set of her own music at Cocoa Mia. Graf had high praise for Cocoa Mia’s owner, Grayson Rudd, for being one of the first enthusiastic supporters and funders of the Fest.

Floyd County High School senior Will Ellis sat in Cocoa Mia’s outdoor café listening the Rock While Rome Burns performance and spoke about liking the variety of music at the Fest. “It’s amazing. There are so many people, so much community and people coming from other places to see the Floyd community.”

His friend Robert (Dish) Disharoon added, “I think it’s a great opportunity to get local businesses out there. They deserve it. And to get people to really appreciate what Floyd has to offer.”

There was a strong contingency of out-of-town visitors for the Fest. When Lineberry Park Stage performer Barry Lenoir asked for a show of hands of people who came from out of town, he reported that about half the crowd raised their hands.

Newlyweds From Martinsville, Jessica and JoVan Millner, discovered the Fest while honeymooning in an Airbnb in Pilot and were pleasantly surprised to be part of the Floyd scene.

They reported that they enjoyed watching main stage dancers moving to the Grateful Dead tunes of the Rosebud Band, which included the Floyd Chrysler Dodge Jeep and Ram giant rubber duckie, Ms. Quacksalot.

When Graf and his wife Eleanor Ingram moved from their home in Floyd to Asheville by the 3rd annual Americana Fest, Jake Retting and Jake Rauer kept the Fest going.

This year Jake Retting and his family moved out of state, and so the organizing went to Rauer.  “It’s been good,” Rauer said. “I brought in little more help.”

At the Fest merchandise tent, Rauer gathered up some of his staff crew, which he refers to as “the dream team,” for a photo.  “Are they volunteers?” Rauer was asked. “They’re more like family,” he answered.  Colleen Redman

PHOTOS – 1. Paul Lemay and the Renegades play on the Lester Floyd Gillespe Stage at Outer Space. 2. Some Fest goers enjoyed the festivities from the Dogtown porch overlooking Lineberry Park. 3.Floyd Americana Fest founder Alan Graff performed with his band Rock while Rome Burns at the Cocoa Mia stage. 4. Musicians Stella Trudel and Ash Devine performed at the Fest. 5. Downtown was busy with visitors. 6. Will Ellis and Robert (Dish) Disharoon enjoyed a music performance at Cocoa Mia’s outdoor café stage. 7. Lineberry Park audience applauds for a performance.

8. The Rosebud band played Grateful Dead tunes that got some attendees up dancing. 9. Newlyweds From Martinsville, Jessica and JoVan Millner. 10.  Dancers take to the front of stage. 11. Floyd Chrysler Dodge Jeep and Ram’s Ms. Quacksalot was available for Meet and Greets. 12. Betse Dunham’s pottery was a popular vending draw. 13. Fest organizer Jake Rauer and some festival crew volunteers. Pictured left to right are Samantha Rauer, Jake Rauer, Jay Gardener, Carly Villegas and Crosby Piolatto. 14. Stillhouse Rounders play some Old Time tunes on the Dogtown stage. 15. Some in the audience sang along to Barry Lenoir’s cover of Bob Dylan’s Like a Rolling Stone (listen HERE).