ESSEX––In September, visitors are invited to Tappahannock for the inaugural Rise & Fall Festival, a three-day celebration of the history, culture, music, and natural beauty of Virginia’s Tidewater along the Rappahannock River.
The festival, hosted by the Essex County Museum and Historical Society, will be held September 25 through 27 at the museum and its adjacent Max Silver Memorial Courtyard, 218 South Water Lane, Tappahannock.
“Life in this region has always been shaped by the water,” said executive director and event organizer Timothy Manley. “The Rappahannock has influenced everything from commerce and transportation to music, food and storytelling. Even the name Tappahannock is said to mean ‘town on the rise and fall of the water,’ which reflects the community’s Indigenous origins.”
The Rise and Fall Festival takes its name from the natural cycle of the tides, celebrating the region’s history, its remarkable landscape and the enduring relationship between its people and the Rappahannock River.
Grammy Award-winning musician Dom Flemons will headline the festival. Known as “The American Songster,” Flemons is an interpreter of traditional roots music, blending folk, blues, country and Americana while preserving more than a century of American musical traditions. He will perform from 7-8:30 p.m Saturday under the festival tent in the courtyard. Gates will open at 6:30 p.m. General admission tickets are $40, chairs will be provided. For tickets, visit www.ecmhs.org.
On Friday, The Ship’s Company Chanteymen will perform sea chanties and maritime music celebrating the Chesapeake Bay’s nautical heritage. The concert will be held from 5-6:30 p.m. under the tent in the courtyard. Gates will open at 4:30 p.m. General admission tickets are $20, chairs will be provided. For tickets, visit www.ecmhs.org.
Free activities during the day on Saturday will feature a Book and Craft Fair, presentations by authors and historians, kid friendly activities and a Pirate Stunt Show by the Moravian Armory Stunt Team.
Free activities on Sunday will include music by the Good Hope Nu Generation Youth Choir and tours of the VA250 Mobile Museum, which will be on site for all three days of the festival.
Additional performers and activities will be announced.
The Rise & Fall Festival is sponsored by a grant from the National Park Service Chesapeake Gateways Program and support from Dominion Energy, the Tappahannock-Warsaw Moose Lodge, the 1710 Tavern, the Town of Tappahannock and other partners.
For the complete schedule and festival updates, visit www.ecmhs.org.
