Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, September 15, 1995 TAG: 9509150037
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-3 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: KENNETH SINGLETARY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CHRISTIANSBURG LENGTH: Medium
The festival will feature crafts, music, food, a petting farm, a race and antique car show, raffles and demonstrations. Norman Rockwell and Thornton Wilder couldn't do a better job of creating a slice of Americana.
The event will have "something for every member of the family," said Rebekah Stump, an accountant with Lester & Gillespie and chairwoman of the festival. Organizers have tried to put together a festival that isn't geared solely toward college students, but rather toward all members of the community, she said.
It's a celebration that highlights the "neighborliness of a small-town community," said Kathy Mantz, executive director of the Christiansburg-Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce, one of the event's sponsors. Also sponsoring the festival is WPSK Eagle Country 107.
In previous years, as many as 14,000 people have turned out. Last year rain was forecast, but the crowd was still big. Many people came out before the weather turned bad, Mantz said. This year's event may be the biggest yet - weather permitting - as six blocks of the downtown area will be reserved for the festival.
One reason the festival is so popular, Mantz said, is the quality and variety of the vendors. This year almost 200 will be coming from up and down the east coast. Many of them specialize in hand-crafted wares, she said.
Another reason the festival is so popular, Stump said, is that it is a showcase of local businesses, many of which will have booths.
Sponsors have been working on the festival for months and have received help from many organizations, businesses and volunteers.
Originally begun as "Country Square Day" 22 years ago, the festival was reincarnated as the Wilderness Trail Festival in 1984. The Wilderness Trail, as all Christiansburg residents by now know, ran down what is now Main Street. The famous trail led settlers west, and Hans Meadow, as Christiansburg was known in the 18th century, was an outpost where travelers could stop for supplies. Daniel Boone and Davy Crockett were residents of the town for a while.
Today, of course, the town may be better known for its large retail shopping centers, but festival organizers have been able to tap into its small-town qualities.
A big part of the celebration will be the music. Festival-goers will get a chance to enjoy country, blue grass, gospel, and other types of music. The Uncalled 4, a barbershop quartet, will wander through the crowd.
The Two Town Trolley, the bus that travels between Blacksburg and Christiansburg, will offer free rides during the festival. Parking behind First National Bank and the Old Town Mall will be closed to the public.
by CNB