40th Annual Honaker Redbud Festival

The 4oth Annual Honaker Redbud Festival will be held April 14-16, 2023.

Redbuds & Bluegrass Concert

This year’s festival will include the return of the Redbuds and Bluegrass Concert on Friday, April 14. The concert will feature the legendary Ralph Stanley II and the Clinch Mountain Boys, as well as opening act Clinch Mountain Echo. Tickets are $10 for adult and $5 for students under the age of 18 at the door. The concert begins at 7 p.m. at the Honaker High School Auditorium.

A full day of fun in the sun has been planned for Saturday, April 15 at the festival grounds near New Peoples Bank in downtown Honaker. And it all begins with a hearty breakfast!

Redbud Festival Breakfast

From 7 to 10 a.m., the Bethany Baptist Church Relay for Life Team is sponsoring a Redbud Festival Breakfast at the Honaker High School Cafeteria. The fee for this All-You-Can-Eat buffet breakfast is $12 at the door. Children 5 years of age and under eat free. Get started on a full day of Redbud Festival fun with a big country breakfast, including biscuits and gravy, scrambled eggs, sausage, bacon, cooked apples, and hash browns.

Once you’ve got your fill, head over to the festival grounds for a full day of activities!

Fun Day Activities

Saturday events include an arts and crafts show, the community yard sale, kid’s games, the car and truck show, a pet show, and the Redbud Jam Tent. Forms for food vendors, arts and crafts vendors and yard sale spaces can be found on the festival website: www.honakerredbudfest.com. The first five (5) entries received from arts and crafts and community yard sale vendors will receive one (1) free space.

From 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., festival goers of all ages can enjoy games and entertainment on the grounds of New People’s Bank.

Free games this year include a cornhole tournament, a laser tag course, adult and children tricycle races, bouncy houses, and a goldfish pond for the kids. Kids ages 2-8 who catch a fish can take them home while supplies last. In addition, a Kiddie Train and carnival games will be available for a charge per ticket. Tricycle races will begin at 9:30 a.m., and participants can sign up for a time slot by texting (276) 730-4534 or by signing up in person that day. Participants must be at least 10 years of age.

Redbud Festival Arts & Crafts Show and Community Yard Sale

The Redbud Festival Arts and Crafts Show will be held from 9:30 a.m. until 5 p.m. In its 34^th year, the arts and crafts show will be held alongside a community yard sale. Both events will be held outdoors on the bank grounds. Bring lawn chairs to spend the day. If you enjoy crafts and unusual gift items with good food available, this is the place to be. Non-food vendor and food vendor guidelines and a menu of set-up fees are available on the event website. Early applications receive lower set-up fees, so send them in soon. Vendors should bring their own tents, table, chairs, and cooking source, if needed. No electrical or water supplies are available. All food vendors will need a food permit obtained at the Russell County Health Department.

Redbud Jam Tent

For a fourth year, the Saturday Fun Day will feature the Redbud Jam Tent. Local musicians are invited to bring their instruments for a jam under the Big Tent. It will begin at approximately 3:30 p.m.

Redbud Festival Car & Truck Show

Registration for the 33^rd Annual Honaker Redbud Festival Car and Truck Show will begin at 9 a.m. and close at 2 p.m. Entries after 2 p.m. will receive a dash plaque but will not be eligible for judging or trophies. Winners will be announced at 4 p.m. All model cars and pick-up trucks will be accepted and judged. Entry fees will be $20 on the day of the show.

Two other signature outdoor events will also be held – The Redbud Bird Walk on Saturday and the 40th Annual Redbud Canoe Race the following day on Sunday.

Redbud Festival Bird and Wildflower Walk

In its 19^th year, the Honaker Redbud Festival Bird and Wildflower Walk will begin at 7:30 a.m. Participants are asked to meet at Slate’s Campground, located on Route 672 between Honaker and Blackford off State Route 80, to register and begin the walk. There is no charge for this event. The walk takes place on the old Blackford Spur railroad bed along the Clinch River, North America’s most biodiverse river. The Russell County Birding Association will once again lead the walk. Over the years walkers have sighted several raptors, including a juvenile Bald Eagle, Osprey, an American Kestrel, and a Red-tailed Hawk, as well as a Scarlet Tanager, Great Blue Heron, Wood Ducks, a Pileated Woodpecker, Pine Siskins and Yellow-throated Warblers. And wild orchids, columbine, jack-in-the- pulpit, blood root, and wild asters added more color to the morning splendor. Bring your binoculars, cameras and bird and wildflower books and join the fun.

Redbud Canoe Race

The Redbud Canoe Race will begin on Sunday at 1:30 p.m. at Slate’s Campground as a Poker Run. Registration begins at 12 p.m. This 9-mile (river miles) Poker Run will end at Puckett’s Hole Canoe Access Area and will traverse a major part of the Clinch River’s State Scenic River designated area.

So, begin making your plans to attend this festival in Honaker, Virginia, the official Redbud Capital of the World.