It was a beautiful day Saturday at Taste of the Mountains.
The street festival, in its 31st year, brought thousands of visitors to the Town of Madison for food, entertainment, children’s activities, crafts, organizations and more. Madison County Economic Development and Tourism Director Tracey Gardner said this year’s event was exceedingly well attended.
“This was one of the best attended with the absolutely best weather,” she said. “We had thousands in attendance. It stayed very busy until just after 3 p.m.”
Vendors echoed those sentiments, noting they had a wonderful turnout with many being invited to other shows. Local vendors, Landslide Pickles and Sippin’ on Sunshine, both new to the show, sold out. Lauren Thompson, owner of Landslide Pickles, said the day was her biggest sell out event yet. In addition to selling all of her offerings, she also handed out more than 800 samples.
Winning awards for their booths were Nile Knives who won best crafter and Camp Shenandoah Springs who won best overall for encompassing the heart of the festival. Gardner said the camp had games for children with cornhole, archery lessons, campfire s’mores and more all while instilling kindness and fun.
Children also enjoyed magic shows and tricks by magician Wes Iseli and face painting by the Madison County High School Speech Team. Circle H Equine offered pony rides and Tammy Tatum and Daniel Thompson had their children’s books for sale. Tatum, who is the author of “Winslow Whiskerby” also offered prints and stickers from her book as well as photo opportunities with a cutout of Winslow.
Local organizations and churches were on-hand to share information about their offerings and missions. The Madison County Animal Shelter was in Beasley Park with its adoptable animals and MAD Cats sold its socks in the same area with several kitten friends. The Madison County Volunteer Fire Company, American Legion Post 157 and Project Linus all offered raffle ticket sales for their upcoming fundraiser raffles.
In the circle in front of the Kemper Mansion, The Bavarian Chef, Over the Top Chef, Catch the Chef, Smok Shak and Pop Pops Kettle Corn offered their delectable treats. Premier Baking Co had a line for its donuts and Brittney’s Kitchen offered baked goods and macaroons. Cake Krums and Los Brothers were open for business along with the Mountaineer Cafe which offered a sneak peek at its upcoming offerings. As in previous years, Madison 4-H served up ice cream at their booth across from the courthouse.
Leon Rector kicked off the live entertainment at 10 a.m. Silver Creek took the stage next followed by Austin Boggs. Nearby, folks took photos with the LOVEwork sign, viewed antique vehicles and tasted wine and beer from local wineries and breweries.
Plans are already underway for the 32nd Taste of the Mountains Street Festival Aug. 29, 2026. For more information, call the Madison Chamber of Commerce at (540) 948-4455, visit www.madisonva.com or email tourism@madison-va.com.
