RADFORD – The Mary Draper Ingles Festival is set for this weekend, from Fri. July 29 – Sun., July 31. Events will be held at a variety of sites. Here is where and when to be to catch all of the action.
Schedule of Events
Friday, July 29—Festival Kick-Off Celebration
Glencoe Mansion, Museum & Gallery 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Glencoe open for tours 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Dedication of the Mary Draper Ingles Cultural Heritage Park 5 p.m.
The Park, home to the Ingles statue and the New River Train Observatory, overlooks the New River and an active Norfolk Southern rail line.
Opening Reception for Exhibit “Follow Her Journey,” a multi-artist show themed on the life and times of Ingles, 5:30 p.m.
Long Way Brewing 3 – 10 p.m.
Live Music: The Woogemen—serving up a hot helping of blues, jazz, folk, rock and some fine pickin! 6 -9 p.m.
Meet and Greet with West Virginia actress, storyteller and historian Karen Vuranch, portraying Mary Draper Ingles
Food Truck: Bluegrass BBQ 4 – 9 p.m.
MDI Pint Glass Night– Mary’s Journey Pint Release – The Mary, Mary beer will be re-released on Friday evening.
Historic Smithfield Plantation open for tours 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Just a 25-minute drive from Radford, Historic Smithfield is a plantation house built from 1772 to 1774 by Col. William Preston. For more info, visit www.historicsmithfield.org.
Saturday, July 30—Ingles Remembrance Day
Historic Ingles Farm 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Interpreters will be at the farm all day to share info on the ferry site, the family cemetery, and colonial farm life. The farm, which is on national and state historic registers, is still in family hands.
Glencoe Mansion 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Fincastle Company, 18th Century Living History Interpreters–All Day
Wool Spinning Demonstration 10 a.m.
Blacksmith Demonstration 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Period Clothing Demonstration by Dina Smith-Glaviana, Director of the Oris Glisson Historic and Textile Collection at Virginia Tech. 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.
English and Scottish Country Dancing Demonstrations by “The Inspired Scholar” 10 a.m.
Live Music—Common Thread–11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Jeff Levy and Randy Hylton have a unique eclectic blend of Classic Rock, Bluegrass, Classic Country, Americana and Folk, Gospel and a wide range of original compositions.
Live Music—Ricky Cox 12:30 p.m.
Petting Zoo 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
“Follow Her Journey” Gallery Exhibit continues inside Glencoe Mansion 10 a.m.- 4 p.m.
Exhibit and a video tell the Mary Draper Ingles story, and the Gift Shop features a good assortment of items themed on the frontierswoman.
Statue and train observatory open all day (dawn-dusk)
Long Way Brewing noon – 10 p.m.
Food Truck: Salty’s Lobster noon – 9 p.m.
Kids Zone
Live Music—“Committed To Monday” 1 – 3:30 p.m.
Live Music—Zan Armentrout 3:30 – 5:30 p.m.
Mary Draper Ingles Interpretative Performance 6:30 p.m. Features West Virginia actress, storyteller and historian Karen Vuranch.
Live Music—Fritz Schindler Group 7:30 -9:30 p.m.
Historic Smithfield Plantation open for tours 10 AM-5 PM
Sunday, July 31
Glencoe Mansion 1 – 4 p.m.
Art Show continues; exhibit and video on Mary Draper Ingles and other exhibits on Native Americans and the Civil War; Statue and New River Train Observatory sites open to visitors.
Wilderness Road Regional Museum, Newbern, Va. 1 – 4 p.m. Just a 15-minute drive from Radford, this museum offers “glimpses into the lives of those that lived along the main migration route west.” For more info, visit: www.wildernessroadmuseum.com
Fincastle Company, 18th Century Living History Interpreters
Interpreter on Indigenous History
Enslaved People’s History Exhibit
Performance by musician Ricky Cox
Onsite Scavenger Hunt
Long Way Brewing 1 – 7 p.m.
Food Truck: Bluegrass BBQ
Live Music