WA Fest 2023 Preview

WA Fest 2023 Preview
by Jason Jones

The second annual WA Fest commences Friday, August 25 and continues through Sunday, August 27, 2023, in New Castle, Virginia at Wilderness Adventure at Eagle Landing. The adventure camp has cultivated its grounds to create a plangent setting for live music and camping. Located on the banks of Craig Creek, the camp offers land and water advetures in addition to mutiple camping and lodging options. Tickets can be purchased for tubing, canoeing, kayaking, mountain biking, disc golf, and the giant swing! There will also be free yoga sessions, guided hiking and mountain biking, plus a variety of workshops, including smartphone photography, fly tying and casting, crafting felted flowers, block printing, bead working, and jewelry making. Festival goers will have access to all of the adventures and amenities on top of three days of music on multiple stages. Find tickets here!

Sol Driven Train, the brassy, goodtiming band from Charleston, SC is set to headline this year’s festival, with a Saturday evening set. The band has recorded nine full-length albums, dating back to 2000, and has toured widely, playing internationally and at festivals around the United States. While it will be their first WA Fest appearance, they have played locally before at Martin’s Downtown in Roanoke, VA and at this year’s Rooster Walk Festival in Martinsville, VA. 

Regional powerhouses Bella’s Bartok, Arkansauce, and the Isaac Hadden Organ Trio will also play headlining sets at this year’s event. Bella’s Bartok has established a local following with their frequent performances in Roanoke, Salem, and Blacksburg, VA. The band will treat WA Festers to their funky, weird theatrics at Friday evening’s headline event. Arkansauce has made a name for themselves locally by playing gigs at Parkway Brewing Co., and will bring WA Fest to a close with a featured set on Sunday afternoon. They released their fifth album, Ok to Wonder, earlier this year. Finally, the progressive fusion band, the Isaac Hadden Organ Trio, will play a featured set on Saturday evening. WA Fest Director of Marketing and Special Events, Tim Pohlad-Thomas, told us that Isaac Hadden, who hails from the Newport / Blacksburg, VA area, has been a staple of live music at Wilderness Adventure since the start of them hosting shows, with the 20 year old guitarist growing into a headlining set at this year’s festival. IHOT is slated to release their debut album, The Glue, later this month. 

A pair of locally connected fan favorites, Palmyra and Foster Burton, round out the bill. Palmyra is a folk trio from Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley, who have built a dedicated audience playing dynamic local gigs such as at 5 Points Music Sanctuary in Roanoke and FloydFest.  Foster Burton (Mad Iguanas, GOTE, Mountain Walrus) is a fixture at local venues, treating his solo show crowds to a catalog steeped in heady jams, originals, and classic ballads.

A couple of North Carolina groups will take the WA Fest stage this weekend. Asheville based funk rockers April B. & The Cool will play sets on Friday and Saturday. While another Asheville performer, Abby Bryant & The Echoes will play the 4 PM time slot on Saturday, bringing a soulful brand of Americana to life on the WA Fest main stage. 

WA Fest attendees will be able to enjoy the full host of amenities offered at Wilderness Adventure. The outpost kitchen and bar will be open from Friday evening through Sunday evening, serving homemade food and beverages. Tickets are available here! <>

See the full schedule below. Click here to learn more about the bands and here to jam the WA Fest 2023 Spotify playlist.  

Look for fresh interviews with Isaac Hadden and Foster Burton, coming soon to thecitysalt.com!

WA Fest 2023 Music Schedule

Friday | August 25

3:15PM-4:00PM: Logan Paone Acoustic (Creek Stage)

4:30PM-6:00PM: April B. & The Cool

6:30PM-8:30PM: Bella's Bartok

9:00PM-11:00PM: Captain Midnight Band

Saturday | August 26 

11:00AM-11:45AM: Foster Burton Acoustic (Creek Stage)

12:00PM-1:30PM: Bailey & The Mechanical Boulevard

2:00PM-3:30PM: April B & The Cool

4:00PM-5:30PM: Abby Bryant & The Echoes

6:00PM-7:30PM: Isaac Hadden Organ Trio

8:00PM-10:00PM: Sol Driven Train

10:30PM-11:30PM: Campfire Jam (Led by B&MB)

Sunday | August 27

10:00AM-11:30AM: Foster Burton Solo

12:00PM-1:30PM: Palmyra

2:00PM-4:00PM: Arkansauce <>