The Historic Fincastle Festival coincides with the town’s 250th anniversary this year.
Every year, except for a break in 2020 due to the pandemic, the town of Fincastle comes together in September to celebrate its founding and history. This year’s Historic Fincastle Festival is a bit more monumental than most because 2022 marks the 250th anniversary of the town’s establishment.
Slated for 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 24 in downtown Fincastle, the festival will be expanded this year in honor of the anniversary.
“It is an incredibly exciting anniversary,” Lynne Bolton, a member of the Historic Fincastle Inc. Board of Directors and town native, said. The nonprofit organization is the organizer of the event.
This year’s festival will feature local crafters and artists, food, live music, a blacksmith demonstration at the Wysong Blacksmith Shop, a petting zoo and pony rides, Revolutionary War-era interpreters and Native American descendants at the Early Cabin, history talks, touch-a-truck and a classic car display.
The history talks will take place at the courthouse. Circuit Court Clerk Tommy Moore will dress up as the original clerk of the court to talk about Fincastle history. Former judge and state legislator Malfourd “Bo” Trumbo will discuss James Breckinridge. Peggy Crosson, a member of the Virginia Lewis and Clark Legacy Trail Board of Directors, will talk about the area’s connection to the famous explorers. Assistant County Administrator Jon Lanford will discuss details about the future of the courthouse square.
Original documents from the late 1700s that are housed in the courthouse will be on display as well.
Founded prior to the establishment of the country in 1772, Fincastle was established where a small settlement already existed.
Fincastle maintained its original boundaries until they were amended in 2018, which led to the enlargement of the town. The seat of Botetourt County, the town has fewer than a thousand residents.
“Fincastle’s past is rich in history, with ties that span from the earliest establishment of our Country to today,” Mayor Mary Bess Smith said. “Throughout the past 250 years, the Town’s residents have worked hard to preserve and maintain its historic resources – which are comprised not only of structures, but also of traditions and the stories and contributions of its citizens, both past and present. With its quaint homes, historic churches, and green spaces, clustered around the Jeffersonian-style Botetourt County Courthouse and Courthouse Square, Fincastle offers a glimpse into our past.”
Smith noted that the town’s 250th anniversary has served as a catalyst for the town, county and community to start considering what the future will hold. An example is the recent formation of the Botetourt Preservation Partnership, Inc., a nonprofit membership corporation that is committed to the protection, preservation and promotion of Botetourt’s cultural, natural and historic sites.
“Fincastle plays an integral role in the telling of these stories, and we are moving forward with a commitment to ensure that we are able to highlight and showcase our historical, cultural and natural attributes for generations to come,” she said.
Originally launched in 1968, the festival essentially faded out in the early 2000s. It was resurrected around 2007.
