How it all started

It all started when…

What started as a need to raise money for the chamber in a fun, unique way has grown into a community event that brings thousands of people from across Virginia to celebrate all that Virginia and Powhatan have to offer: spirits, cider, beer, mead, handmade arts & crafts, food, and live music. 

Every year, the festival committee brings the community together to organize an extraordinary event. Local civic groups volunteer, local businesses sponsor, and local organizations offer their parking lots and resources. We are so proud of the spirit of camaraderie that is still apparent within the festival committee, volunteers, and even the larger Powhatan community.

“I am proud to have contributed in some small way to helping vendors earn income for their families; that the Chamber has funding; and honestly this festival has contributed to changing Powhatan. I can't prove that, of course, but I have heard comments and have watched our community grow. Our festival has brought 1000s of visitors into a community who may never have entered otherwise. My favorite memory by far is standing in the middle of the festival and watching the people dancing and smiling and being overwhelmed with the feeling that WE gave people this fun time by working so hard. Always a tear or two.” - Susan Ash, Co-founder, Powhatan’s Festival of the Grape