It happens only once a year, but the annual Land of the Loon Virginia offers plenty of fun for everyone all weekend-long. The event has a big impact on the community offering good food, great music new experiences.

For over four decades, people travel far and wide to visit Olcott Park to take in the sights, sounds, and smells culture. Luke Chopp helped co-coordinate this year’s Land of the Loon and he says the weekend long event couldn’t happen without the help of volunteers.

“It’s a little bit bigger than a lot of people think. So, if you like food or you like shopping, this is definitely your place to be,” Chopp said.  “We have a small group of 13 volunteers that help put this on. And the City of Virginia helps us at the end of it. I’ll put it all together. So, we really appreciate our Park and Rec Department for all the help. Especially after the storms that went through this week.”

Of course Land of the Loon brings in plenty of vendors throughout the Northland. One long time vendor is Steve Schulstrom, the co-owner of Wild Fern Herbal Soaps, has been going to event for nearly a decade. He says when it comes to summer festivals, land of the loon is the place to be whether the sun is shining or in the rain.

“If it looks like it’s going to rain, come anyway. Land of the Loon is a really neat festival. It’s not real big. It’s not real small. This is just right,” Schulstrom said. “You can go around. You can see everything. It takes a couple, three hours. Then you can see the booths, and you can interact with everybody. They’ve got some live entertainment, always a plus.”

But there’s also new vendors showcasing everything from art, to clothes, and even food! Tom lemon of Hagar’s Viking Seasoning says this is his first year at land of the loon festival and he plans on coming back next year.

“This is actually our first year in Land of the Loon. I would have to say that it is an excellent venue. We have been very busy, been treated very well by everybody, and I’ll be back,” Lemon said. “If you want some excellent food, excellent products, excellent crafts, excellent people, and a very well-run venue with entertainment, come to Land of the Loon. It is definitely worth it.”

Land of the Loon is the perfect opportunity to experience the melting pot of different cultures here in the Northland. Also for other stories happening in Virginia you can read more here.