Appalachian Trail Days Festival in Damascus May 17-19

Damascus is celebrating its 37th year of the Appalachian Trail Days Festival on May 17-19 as the town gears up for another busy season of hikers on the Appalachian Trail. The title sponsor again this year is Hyperlite Mountain Gear, a company popular among hikers for its ultralight backpacks, shelters, tarps, and accessories.
Known as “Trail Days” by locals and hikers, it’s the biggest event of the year in Damascus and the world’s largest celebration of the Appalachian Trail and hiker culture. Each year, the town swells from 700 residents to an estimated 25,000 people for the festival. Hikers often catch shuttles in from towns a couple of hours away. Past-year hikers return to Damascus to reunite with friends from the trail. Residents of Southwest Virginia and the Tri-Cities come to be a part of the experience, whether for the weekend or just for a day. Volunteers travel from across the Southeast US and beyond to support the Trail Days Ministry Team. The event is so large that the town hosts a campground area, known as Tent City, to help accommodate the crowds.

The Appalachian Trail Days Festival is family-friendly, free to the public, and packed with activities. The town park fills with over a hundred vendors of handmade goods and some of the best outdoor gear in the industry, as well as nonprofit trail partners and a busy schedule of lectures, workshops, and live music. Local businesses offer event specials throughout downtown. Fan favorites include the hiker talent show at the Town Park stage, hiker parade and water fight along Laurel Avenue, drum circle at Tent City, and abundant “trail magic” free services offered throughout the town.