Option 22

Option 22 is an eclectic Americana ensemble with a revolutionary vibe. Dubbed by one listener a “new age jam band,” their broad style spans from newgrass to space-folk to roots-rock world funk and points in between. They are channels for the music, allowing it to flow through them and deliver it to whomever is present along with messages of hope, love and healing. On the fly collaborative dynamics, rhythmic muscle and thematic inventions shower you with sound that is sure to lift your vibration and unlock the doors of your heart, allowing you to groove freely and transcend. Based in Princeton, West Virginia, Lori McKinney (vocals, drums, djembe, spoken word) and Robert Blankenship (guitar, banjo, shamisen, hand-drums, didgeridoo) have been writing and playing music together since early 2004, forging songs from the creative blast furnace of the divine flow. Now infusing the mix are the funky, driving bass lines of Kayla McKinney (bass) the seasoned guitar stylings of James Hart (lead guitar) and the steady, intricate drum work of Ary'an Graham. Their work as healing artists and arts organizers (they founded and run Culturefest World Music & Arts Festival and The RiffRaff Arts Collective) is fueled by a strong desire to build and contribute to community. Their music reflects that passion. With backgrounds in theatre, performance, yoga/meditation, and visual arts, the group comes together with an artistic mind-set and a vision for a better world.      
 

Tim & Maggie

Tim and Maggie play instrumental folk music. They grew up with it; they have studied it and have traveled throughout the United States, England, Scotland and France looking for it. They teach music professionally, work on instruments every day and play music in their spare time.  They contribute their time and music to the local scene partly in hope that young people will get involved in music and the arts and find more joy in their lives and their communities.   Their instruments are flutes and frets and their arrangements are contrapuntal, line against line arrangements informed by the classic music of past masters.  Wherever they play, people are charmed by their wit and compelling melodies.  They can often be heard in our area (southern West Virginia) playing at restaurants, weddings, college programs, open mikes and local festivals.
 

Spiral Roots Sanctuary is a mobile Herbal Tea & Elixir Booth & Lounge that specializes in herbal concoctions for all event spaces. With a wide range of herbs, they make personalized tea blends and pre-blended tea blends, as well as specialty drinks such as herbal roots chai, golden turmeric coconut milk, herbal iced tea and yerba maté. Spiral Roots Sanctuary is a Living Lounge, where they incorporate their home grown plants and herbs that they grow in a plant nursery into the space to create a Sanctuary for people to relax, sit on comfortable seating, enjoy the beauty of the lounge, and enjoy a hot (or cold!) cup of tea!

Blue Ridge Bee Company is based in the heart of the Appalachian mountains of West Virginia. When we started hearing of the mass honey bee die-off we became interested in saving this valuable creature. After much studying, we started our honey operation in 2014 and have expanded each year since. One of our main interests was finding ways to mitigate the Varroa destructor mite. At first, we were using harsh chemicals to treat in the spring and fall, but we knew there had to be something better. Oxalic acid vaporization caught our attention when many European beekeepers said that it was hard on mites but easy on brood and bees. However, the vaporizers were very expensive, and we were confident we could engineer a less expensive but comparable product, so we decided to make our own. The vaporizer we came up with is made of high quality materials but did not cost a fortune. Some of the materials include aircraft grade aluminum, 12 gauge wire, and an oak hardwood we like to say it is the lowest costing, highest quality vaporizer out there. We know this vaporizer will be an essential tool in your arsenal against Varroa destructor and we thank you for visiting our site and for being a beekeeper.

Appalachian Beekeeping Collective

ABC trains displaced and underemployed Appalachians in beekeeping. Their Starter Hive Program will help trainees overcome the economic barriers preventing would-be beekeepers from getting started. Their staff will support new beekeepers, helping them learn and implement best practices to improve their output. Headwaters will process, market, and distribute products like honey to high-demand markets otherwise inaccessible to small-scale beekeepers, helping to earn top dollar for our members. The Beekeeping Collective has the potential to bring millions of dollars into the region, providing strong full time and supplemental incomes for hundreds of people throughout central Appalachia. Follow progress and find out about upcoming classes through their new Facebook page.

Superfoods Demo with Sherre Freed

Sherre's journey to Superfoods began from a Spiritual place and has led her to a lifestyle of healthy eating and Educating others to eat a rainbow of foods for optimum overall wellness and joy. At Saturday's celebration she will give a demonstration of her superfood approach and the result will be an amazing meal which we will all partake in. Servings will range from $5-$8. 

Upcycled Art Workshop

with Isaac Preston

Isaac Preston is a local artist native to Bluefield, WV. For more than six years he has repurposed what most would think to be junk, or worthless, items into stunning pieces of art. Specializing in wire trees, Isaac will scavenge for old TVs, computers, and various electronics others have tossed aside to create his pieces. By doing this, Isaac hopes he can show importance of the small and forgotten in his work. 

Live Painting with Leah Towler

Having spend most her adult years abroad in either England or Australia, Leah has found her way full circle back to wild, wonderful West Virginia. During the two years she spent in Australia, she became involved in the Macquarie Towns Art Society and was able to study under the ever inspiring Taryn Malzard whose art amazes her. She now travels country roads painting beautiful landscapes. She strives to share the beauty of the natural world with each piece of artwork she does. She paints along with live music in the evenings and weekends creating various surreal artworks.

Yoga with Joanie Lea Boyle

of The Gaia Den

Joanie Lee Boys is a talented yoga instructor and the founder of the brand new Gaia Den Yoga and Healing Arts Studio in the Historic District of Downtown Princeton.