Lewisburg, WV - Healing Appalachia - 2024
September 21st, 2024
Lewisburg, WV
West Virginia State Fairgrounds
Preface: Daniel made this trip solo, so he’ll be taking it away from here! This was an absolute insane trip for me! I went to Bourbon and Beyond on Thursday and Friday, then left to go to Healing Appalachia on Saturday, and made the way back to Bourbon and Beyond on Sunday.
Show Notes: This was well worth the trip! I woke up early Saturday morning and dropped my parents and brother off at Bourbon and Beyond and headed out to Lewisburg so I could catch Tyler Childers and the Food Stamps back to back nights.
Her and the Banks to open while I was standing solo wishing Chloe was with me got to me real quick. This is ‘our song’ and seeing it without her just isn’t the same. I quickly grabbed my phone like a fan boy and took videos to send to her back home.
Then, skipping way ahead, to end the show Tyler and the guys played Heart You Been Tendin’ which is one of Chloe’s favorite songs as well. I proceeded to fan boy again and call her this time to let her know what was going on!
Between the opening and closing the crowd was every bit as hyped as I’ve ever seen. And, this is the way it seems to be at each Healing Appalachia.
The set was pretty par for the course as it unfolded but with slight adjustments to where certain songs were played. Notably Two Coats moved toward the end of the set instead of it’s normal home toward the middle.
Cluck Old Hen led into the acoustic set and it seemed as if the Food Stamps were amped up more than usual for this one! It was possibly the best time I’d seen this played live.
The entire crowd at this Healing Appalachia was super amazing and welcoming. I was moving around from area to area and everyone was totally respectful all around and I was able to chat with some other fans in passing too.
Venue Notes: Much like last year the venue was setup in the shape of a “U” so that the stage was in the opening at the top and the fans in the middle, then surrounding the fans were walkways and vendors. This is an absolutely amazing setup and other festivals should take note!
The venue does a great job of making sure that there’s no way long lines will impact each other. What I mean by this is if you’re in line for merch there’s no other line that will cross paths with your line. It makes things so simple and much easier for fans to navigate.
These logistics and forethought are what separates good and great festivals and Healing Appalachia continues to be a GREAT festival.
Parking Notes: The same as last year parking was right across the street and FREE! It’s super simple to park here; you’re guided into a grass parking lot which can hold the entire festival worth of cars.
Once parked, even in the furthest away areas, you’re a short walk away from the entrance. Healing Appalachia has parking done right!
Travel Notes: My travels were FAST! I had to make it from Louisville to Lewisburg in time to catch all the acts I wanted so I pretty much only stopped to get food and gas. I also took the time to check into my hotel room on the way to the show instead of waiting until after so I could walk right in and go to bed once I got back at night.
Honestly this route was pretty awesome though. Kentucky has some of the best roads in the country and West Virginia is super beautiful this time of year. I wouldn’t recommend trying to do this as fast as I did but I also wouldn’t discourage it. Take your time and enjoy the nice roads and views.