Youth Events
Hands-On Fun for Kids & Families
What’s a festival without fun things for kids?
The Virginia Highlands Festival Youth Events program is packed with hands-on activities, outdoor adventures, creative projects, educational experiences, scavenger hunts, art activities, and family-friendly fun designed to inspire curiosity, creativity, and exploration.
From crafts and nature discovery to live demonstrations, outdoor adventures, and interactive community events, there’s something for children of all ages throughout the festival.
Event Overview
Creativity, Discovery & Family Fun
The Youth Tent serves as a hub for hands-on creativity where kids can build, create, explore, and make unique projects using a variety of craft materials and found objects.
In addition to daily activities, the festival offers special youth-focused events throughout the week including outdoor exploration, scavenger hunts, educational workshops, art experiences, and family celebrations.
Daily youth crafts & activities
Family-friendly outdoor adventures
Interactive educational programs
Youth art experiences
Scavenger hunts & exploration games
Live entertainment & community events
Featured Youth Events
Youth Tent & Kids Activities
July 24 – August 2: 10am-2pm
The Youth Tent on the Barter Green offers daily opportunities for kids to create, learn, and play through hands-on art and craft projects.
Whether making keepsakes, exploring new artistic techniques, or participating in collaborative projects, children can discover their creativity while taking home something they made themselves.
Date(s): Jul 27 – Aug 1
Time: 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM
Location: Youth Tent on the Barter Green
Cost: Free
Features: Daily Hands-On Arts & Crafts Activities
Registration: Not Required
Kids Craft Schedule
Each day features a variety of hands-on projects designed to encourage creativity, problem-solving, and artistic exploration.
Sat. & Sun, July 25 & 26:
Meet us at the 18th Century Colonial Market & Fair, SWVA Higher Ed (Pick up Wolf Pup Hunt Cards at the Info tent or Abingdon Visitors Center)
Monday 7/27:
Pinwheels, Hot Air Balloon Collage, No Sew Plush, Weaving Mural, Rock Painting
Tuesday 7/28:
Family Crest Flag, Sun Catcher Butterfly, Rain Stick, Weaving Mural, Rock Painting
Wednesday 7/29:
Mini Yarn Weaving, Zipper Pull, No Sew Pouch, Weaving Mural, Rock Painting
Thursday 7/30:
Yarn Stars, Timeline Necklace, Felt Flower, Weaving Mural, Rock Painting
Friday 7/31:
Pinwheels, Hot Air Balloon Collage, No Sew Plush Weaving Mural, Rock Painting
Saturday 8/1:
Hot Air Balloon Collage, Rain Stick, Water Gun Painting, Weaving Mural, Rock Painting
Sunday 8/2:
Back to School Bash at The Meadows
Stream Discovery
Friday, July 24: 10am-12pm
Get your feet wet and discover what lives beneath the surface of a healthy Appalachian stream.
Participants will join volunteers from the Upper Tennessee River Roundtable to search for and identify aquatic insects and macroinvertebrates that help scientists measure water quality and stream health.
Date(s): Jul 24
Time: 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Location: White's Mill
Cost: Free
Rain Date: July 31, 2026
Registration: Required
Freshwater Snorkeling with Blue Ridge Discovery Center
Sunday, July 26: 12pm-2pm OR 3pm-5pm
Rain date is Sunday, August 2
Experience local waterways in a whole new way through this unique freshwater snorkeling adventure.
Participants will have the opportunity to observe aquatic life and learn more about the region's streams and ecosystems while exploring beneath the surface.
Date(s): Jul 26
Time: 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM
Location: Blue Ridge Discovery Center
Cost: $25
Capacity: Limited to 14 Participants
Registration: Required
Date(s): Jul 26
Time: 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Location: Blue Ridge Discovery Center
Cost: $25
Capacity: Limited to 14 Participants
Registration: Required
Toy Wolf Pup Hunt
July 24 – August 2
Join the hunt for hidden toy wolf pups throughout Historic Abingdon and the Virginia Highlands Festival.
Inspired by Abingdon's painted wolf statues, this family-friendly scavenger hunt encourages visitors to explore downtown businesses, festival venues, and community landmarks while collecting signatures and searching for hidden pups.
Date(s): Jul 24 – Aug 2
Time: 8:00 AM – 10:00 PM
Location: Historic Abingdon & Festival Locations
Cost: Free
Prize: Earn a Toy Wolf Pup
Registration: Not Required
Pick up scavenger hunt cards at the Youth Arts & Crafts Tent on the Martha Lawn, the Festival Info Tent, or the Abingdon Visitor’s Center.
Threads of Time: An 18th Century Market & Fair
July 25 & 26: 10am-5pm
Step back into the eighteenth century through hands-on historical experiences designed especially for families and young learners.
Held in conjunction with the Colonial Market & Fair, this program introduces children to the people, crafts, skills, and daily life of early Appalachia through engaging demonstrations and activities.
Date(s): Jul 25
Time: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Location: VHCC Field Adjacent to SWVA Higher Education Center
Cost: Free (donations accepted)
Features: Living History Demonstrations & Colonial Market
Registration: Not Required
Date(s): Jul 25
Time: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Location: VHCC Field Adjacent to SWVA Higher Education Center
Cost: Free (donations accepted)
Features: Living History Demonstrations & Colonial Market
Registration: Not Required
Back to School Bash Meets National Night Out
Sunday, August 2: 4pm-8pm
Celebrate the final day of the Virginia Highlands Festival with an evening dedicated to kids, families, community partners, and back-to-school fun.
Featuring live music, interactive activities, demonstrations from local first responders, food trucks, and community organizations, this family-focused event serves as the grand finale of the festival.
Date(s): Aug 2
Time: 4:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Location: The Meadows Sports Complex
Cost: Free
Featured Entertainment: Tuatha Dea & National Night Out
Registration: Not Required
Abingdon Outdoor Adventurer Activity Book
July 24 - August 2
Become an official Virginia Highlands Festival Outdoor Adventurer by completing activities throughout Abingdon using the Outdoor Adventurer Activity Book.
Participants will learn about local parks, wildlife, history, trails, and community landmarks while completing challenges and exploring the area.
Adventure Award
Completed activity books can be turned in at the Abingdon Visitor Center to receive an official Outdoor Adventurer button.
Our Leading Sponsors
We’re grateful for the partners who help make the festival possible.
Additional Sponsors & Community Partners
This project was supported [in part] by the Virginia Commission for the Arts, which receives support from the Virginia General Assembly and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.
Get Involved
Help Create Festival Memories
Interested in volunteering, sponsoring youth programming, supporting family activities, or helping inspire the next generation through the Virginia Highlands Festival?
We’d love to hear from you.