Blacksburg Fork & Cork 2025
Venue: Historic Smithfield, Blacksburg
Organizations: Blacksburg Partnership, From the Edge, Kat Mills
Date: Saturday, April 26, 2025
Time: 1:00 - 5:30 PM
Event Types: Music, Food, Drink Specials, Miscellaneous
Cost:

Description:
Blacksburg Partnership presents the 15th Annual Blacksburg Fork and Cork which will be held on Saturday, April 26, 2025 at Historic Smithfield.

Schedule:
• VIP Access: 12:00-5:30 PM
• Regular Access: 1:00-5:30 PM

Take part in the Blacksburg Fork and Cork festivities as we celebrate our 15th year! Delight yourself in wine samplings from nine local & regional wineries and cideries along with three distilleries and breweries, food, creations from local artists & vendors and live music with Kat Mills and From the Edge. Sit back, sip, savor, and come enjoy an afternoon with us!

Music Lineup:
• 12:00-2:00 PM: Kat Mills
• 2:30-5:30 PM: From the Edge

Kat Mills performs soul folk music to soothe you and is based in Blacksburg, VA and tours throughout the East. She is a writer, singer, guitarist and seeker rooted in GenX habits, nodding and winking to 60s and 70s troubadour traditions, and openly commenting on the aches and triumphs of the moment. Any way you hear it, Kat's powerful vocal range, vintage Martin guitar, and mystic vibes combine to produce a clean honest sound that leaves audiences wanting more.

Kat Mills believes in the power of folk music, now more than ever, to transport and transcend. A troubled day, or world, can be soothed by a song. At a time when we have almost forgotten how to be still, to listen, to reflect and then engage, Kat Mills helps us remember.

She was a founding member of acclaimed newgrass band, Grass. Kat is currently based in Blacksburg VA and touring as a solo singer and songwriter throughout the East and beyond. Kat has been inspiring all with her music, her smoky voice and heartfelt lyrics for years.

Her vintage guitars and throwback threads remind you of another era, but her soulful original songs and stories are for the here and now. Kat Mills has made records, won awards, and worked with some of the big names, but she really just wants to use her voice for good.

Kat has proudly been involved in Clearwater’s Great Hudson River Revival (NY), Floyd Fest (VA), Solar Fest (VT), The Takoma Park Folk Festival (DC) and other events lining up with issues of social justice and environmental responsibility. Favorite opening sets have supported Levon Helm, Dar Williams, Dori Freeman and Sarah Lee Guthrie.

Songwriter series, in-the-rounds, and house concerts have been a mainstay. But Kat Mills is equally at home on a theater or café stage, having played notable songwriter venues including The Towne Crier, Rosendale Café, The Lyric Theatre, Caffe Lena, Jefferson Center, and Kirk Avenue Music Hall. She was a finalist in the 2015 NewSong/LEAF Singer-Songwriter Competition, has had original song placements in film and podcasts, and appears as a backing vocalist for other artists, most recently with super-group “Reelin’ in the Years: A Tribute to Steely Dan” at the Bearsville Theater in Woodstock NY.

Links:

• http://www.katmills.com/
• https://www.facebook.com/thekatmillsshow
• https://www.twitter.com/TheKatMillsShow
• https://www.reverbnation.com/katmills
• https://www.youtube.com/user/thekatmillsshow
• https://www.instagram.com/thekatmillsshow/

Get ready to dive into the electrifying world of From The Edge, where each member is a musical force to be reckoned with. This band is party rock and roll with a taste of twisted country and will get you and keep you on your feet dancing the night away! They hail from the mountains of Southwest Virginia and travel yearly doing over 120 shows from Pennsylvania to south Florida.

Audience members have described From The Edge as excellent musicianship combined with pitch perfect harmonies , entertaining stage antics, audience participation, upbeat cover songs with catchy lyrics that make people of all ages want to sing along and dance the night away. Their favorite cover song groups include Journey, Fleetwood Mac, a variety of 80’s hair bands, Little Big Town, Chris Stapleton, Miranda Lambert, Blake Shelton, and many other bands from their 200+ song catalog.

From The Edge is a contracted band with the Jason Aldean venues, Blake Sheton venues, Hard Rock Casino Chain, and travel the East Coast performing on famous stages, theaters, festivals, fairs, and town events. They have opened collaboratively for the likes of Sawyer Brown, Kentucky Headhunters, Jesse Keith Whitley, Corey Smith, Jon Langston, Exile, Aaron Tippin, William Michael Morgan, Confederate Railroad, Thompson Square and Clay Walker.

Together, From The Edge isn't just a band – it's a sonic adventure that pulsates with passion and unpredictability. From Eric's electrifying guitar solos, Chris’s magic fingers on the ivories, Jeremy and Jar coming in perfectly on percussion and bass, to Rhonda's powerhouse vocals, the stage is set for a musical explosion. Brace yourselves for a ride where every beat, riff, and note defies expectations and propels you to the edge of musical euphoria!

Links:

• https://www.fromtheedgeband.com/
• https://www.facebook.com/FromTheEdgeRocks

There are three level of tickets available including regular tasting, VIP and non-tasting tickets. VIP tickets are limited and will only be available in advance.

VIP tasting tickets allows ticket holders one hour early access to the festival beginning at 12:00 PM along with access to the VIP Tent which will include additional specialty tastings not available to regular tasting ticket holders, light snacks and select VIP amenities.

Regular tasting tickets allows the ticket holder access to festival grounds, wine samplings, food trucks, festival vendors and live music. Regular tasting ticket holders may purchase glasses or bottles of wine.

Non-tasting tickets include full access to the festival without the wine tasting. Children 12 and under are free.

Tickets will be available for purchase online at: https://blacksburgforkandcork.com/tickets/.

Tastings end at 5:15 PM.

Chairs and blankets are encouraged.

Ample parking is available in adjacent Virginia Tech lots. Shuttle services is complimentary from multiple spots within parking lots to festival entrance.

Bring your ID as everyone will be ID'ed. No exceptions.

Well behaved pets are allowed on a leash and provided owners clean up after them.

The event is rain or shine.

Nearly 150 volunteers are needed to help run the event. Volunteers receive a free t-shirt, free festival admission with wine tastings before or after your shift and a souvenir wine glass. To volunteer, visit: https://blacksburgpartnership.ivolunteer.com/forkandcork_2025.

Proceeds from this event benefit The Blacksburg Partnership, a non-profit organization working to enhance the quality of life in Blacksburg.

Historic Smithfield is located at 1000 Smithfield Plantation Road in Blacksburg, VA on the campus of Virginia Tech.

To view the event flyer, visit: https://i.postimg.cc/vmzKNkFx/image.png.

For more information, visit: https://blacksburgforkandcork.com/ or https://www.facebook.com/forkandcork or https://www.facebook.com/events/1362441034773441 or https://www.instagram.com/blacksburgforkandcork/ or email info@blacksburgforkandcork.com.