Trail Days, Damascus, Virginia

Trail Days 2011 will be May 13 – 15th.

It’s always the weekend after Mother’s Day.

Trail Days draws about 20,000 tourists, mostly hikers, every year. Here’s a photo from last year.

Damascus (pop. 981) is the home of the annual Trail Days festival, and is known as Trail Town USA due to the convergence of four scenic trails in the town, including the Appalachian Trail, U.S. Bicycle Route 76, and the Virginia Creeper Trail. …

For years I’ve been hearing about the biggest hiking party in the States, perhaps the world, from Tom Mangan.

He’s linked to another hiking festival:

VIRGINIA JOURNEYS 2011

THE APPALACHIAN TRAIL CONSERVANCY’S 38TH BIENNIAL CONFERENCE

July 1 – 8, 2011
Emory & Henry College – Emory, Virginia

Every two years, Appalachian Trail hikers, enthusiasts, supporters, and conservationists get together at an Appalachian Trail Festival and Biennial Conference to swap stories, take a hike or two, and attend workshops.

…All the details are at www.virginia2011.org.