For the fifth consecutive year, Daniel Sowers, owner of “On the Water Outfitters” and the Sowers family will play host at their family farm to a group of poets, musicians, and poetry lovers from around the state and beyond.
The farm is located on Thunderstruck Road in Floyd, and the event will take place June 12-14. During the weekend, many poets will accept the challenge of kayaking down the Little River, just across the road from the Festival location, while composing new poetry. The new poems will then be read aloud at a natural rock amphitheater to an appreciative audience, seated in chairs on the riverbank. These new poems will also be posted on the Poetry Bulletin Board in the Meadow Tent throughout the weekend.
Little River Poetry Festival founders, Jack Callan and his wife, Judith Stevens, are both poets from Norfolk, Virginia. And for the fifth year in a row, they are bringing a vibrant group of creative writers from the Hampton Roads/Tidewater area to cross-pollinate with the superb, home-grown, mountain poets of the Blue Ridge. Jack and Judith host a quarterly “Poetry at the Chrysler Museum” reading and Open Mic in Norfolk, as well as a bi-monthly “Fairmount Five” poetry reading, and a monthly “Fourth Friday Poetry Salon” at their home in Norfolk. They also conduct poetry readings, workshops, and poetry “happenings” in libraries, schools, and colleges throughout Hampton Roads.
Life members of the Poetry Society of Virginia, Jack is also a former Vice-President of Virginia’s Southeastern Region. The idea for the Little River Poetry Festival was conceived in Floyd, when Judith and Jack kayaked down the Little River and noticed a rock formation with an over-cropping roof which resembled an outdoor amphitheater. Intrigued, they tried reading poems they had written on-the-float and were gratified to hear their voices amplified by the mountain. In that moment, they envisioned a poetry festival on the banks of the river and in the field beyond.
When Jack and Judith approached their friend, Daniel Sowers, he encouraged them to give it a try. He and his family invited them to begin the next summer. That was 2016, and the rest, as they say, is history.
Finding excellent poets in Floyd and the surrounding area has been a continuing adventure. This year’s mountain poets include Colleen Redman from Floyd, Chelsea Adams from Riner, Erin McCarty from Marshall, Jim Best from the Meadows of Dan, Beth Huddleston from Winchester, and Floyd’s “Three Katherines:” Katherine Chantal, Katherine Sowers, and Catherine Pauley. They will be joined by Richmond poet Joanna Lee, Portsmouth poet Edith Blake, Yorktown poet Brian Magill, Virginia Beach poets Evangelina Poggi and Michael Link, Ohio poet/songwriter Kristi Paddock, student poets Coral Kendall from Radford and Cas Horne from Pennsylvania, as well as others.
Each of the three days will feature open mics, poetry readings, workshops, and poetry excursions which will include the kayak outing and a hike to a nearby mountain. Hikers can just enjoy the scenery, or they may choose to write a poem about their experiences on the trail.
Having explored Buffalo Mountain in prior years, this year’s hike will head to Rocky Knob. During the Festival, home-cooked, healthy meals will be provided on-site by donation. Primitive camping will also be available for those who wish to camp in the meadow. While some festival-goers choose to camp on-site, most opt to stay at the Floyd Hotel, Oak Haven Lodge, or any of a number of excellent Bed and Breakfasts to be found in Floyd and the surrounding area.
Music at the Festival will be provided by Cleveland recording artist, Kristi Paddock (keyboards and psaltery), local musician, Jim Best (hang drum), and Brian Magill (clarinet, gamelan, and didgeridoo). New musicians join the festival each year, and some poems will be read to musical accompaniment. It is anticipated that Riner guitarist, Bill Adams, will be accompanying his wife as she reads her poetry.
Festival-goers are encouraged to bring their musical instruments, as well as their notebooks and poetry, to share in some of the weekend’s five open mics. Since the festivities are outdoors, festival goers are also encouraged to bring lawn chairs, rain gear, flashlights, sunscreen, warm clothes for nighttime layering, and summer attire for sunny days.
“Yoga for Health” will be offered by certified yoga instructors each morning and during breaks throughout the day. The Festival begins at 1:00 pm on Friday, June 12 and ends at 3:00 pm on Sunday, June 14. The cost is $45 for the entire weekend, or $15 per day. Drop-ins are welcome. Add $35 for your kayak trip down the Little River. If you write poetry, would like to learn how to write poetry, or simply enjoy reading poetry or listening to poems and storytelling, this gathering is for you. All ages and abilities welcome.

Little River Poetry Fest • www.littleriverpoetryfest.com www.facebook.com/littleriverpoetryfest