WildRoots Festival

Saturday October 10th, 2026 10am-5pm at Forrest Green Farm (Louisa, Virginia)

Free Event!

Reconnect. Rewild. Rediscover.

Step away from the everyday and reconnect with the natural world at the WildRoots Festival at Forrest Green Farm.

This free, family-friendly celebration is all about rediscovering the skills, knowledge, foods, and traditions that connect us to the land. Explore the world of wild foods, mushrooms, wildlife, hunting and conservation, wilderness skills, regenerative living, and outdoor adventure through engaging workshops, demonstrations, and hands-on experiences.

Meet educators, farmers, makers, conservationists, and local businesses who are passionate about living more intentionally and learning from the natural world. Get up close with birds of prey, discover the fascinating world of mushrooms and mycelium, learn about wilderness first aid and archery, explore fermentation, and gain practical knowledge you can take home and put to use.

When you're ready to relax, enjoy local food, craft beer, ice cream, and artisan vendors while soaking up the beautiful farm setting.

Whether you're an experienced outdoors person, a nature lover, or simply looking for a fun day on the farm, WildRoots is an invitation to get outside, learn something new, and rediscover your connection to the world around you.

Festival Events

Food Trucks & Beer Garden

Food Trucks & Beer Garden

BBQ • Local Brewery
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Artisan & Local Vendors

See the full list below
Healthy Living Workshops

Healthy Living Workshops

Scroll down!
Basic Archery Introduction

Basic Archery Introduction

Kids & Adults - More info below
Drawing Nature's Treasure: An Exercise in Mindfulness

Drawing Nature's Treasure: An Exercise in Mindfulness

11am @ the WildRoots Festival Join artist and art educator Vivian Blackwood for a casual, beginner friendly class to practice drawing from a collection of objects from nature: plants, mushrooms, skulls, bones, shells, fossils, feathers and more!
TICKETS

2026 Healthy Living Workshop Speakers

Kellie Hughes Jordan: Owl Spoon Water Kefir Co.

GUT HEALTH, FERMENTATION, AND REWILDING OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH FOOD - In a world that often pulls us away from nature, fermentation invites us back into relationship with it. Join Kellie Hughes of Owl Spoon for a discussion on gut health, ancestral ferments, and the remarkable partnership between humans and the microbial world. We'll explore how traditional cultures used fermentation to preserve food, increase nourishment, and thrive in harmony with their environment—and what those practices can teach us today. By understanding the living ecosystems both around us and within us, we can rediscover simple ways to support our health, strengthen our resilience, and reconnect with the wisdom of the natural world. This workshop offers a fresh perspective on fermentation as not just a food preservation technique, but a pathway to greater connection, stewardship, and wellbeing.
BIRD OF PREY DEMONSTRATION - Earthquest is here to provide wonderful education about hawks, owls, falcons, vultures and more! Join us are we lean about the birds and the world in which they live!
SUPPORTING THE EASTERN BLUEBIRD - The Eastern Bluebird, a secondary cavity nester indigenous to Virginia, will be discussed in terms of its nest box needs, lifecycle, and nesting schedule to aid conservation initiatives for it and other cavity-nesting birds. 

Mateo Rosefsky: MEDIC SOLO Disaster + Wilderness Medical School

RESCUE CASE STUDIES IN WILDERNESS FIRST AID - Come learn or check in with your first aid knowledge and skills, via case studies of actual wilderness medical rescues. Choose to watch & learn, or engage, as Mateo acts the role of the patient, and invites audience members to state what patient assessment they would perform and what treatments they would give ... and see if your patient gets better or worse!
MYCELIAL IMPLEMENTATIONS FOR A REGENERATIVE FUTURE: Whether you’re the backyard hobbyist, horticultural enthusiast, health and wellness specialist, or anywhere in between, Ryan Staab’s presentation “Mycelial Implementations for a Regenerative Future,” hopes to illuminate the expansive realm of mushrooms and mycelia, sharing practical knowledge to help anyone implement them into their lives. Whether by gardening, foraging, cooking, or supplementing, we can all have a deeper understanding of mushrooms and mycelia to add more health and meaning to our lives. Join us as we explore all of these topics and more!
Join artist and art educator Vivian Blackwood at 11am on festival day for a casual, beginner friendly class to practice drawing from a collection of objects from nature: plants, mushrooms, skulls, bones, shells, fossils, feathers and more!Drawing quiets the mind, anchors your attention in the present moment, and reduces stress. The goal is not to aim for perfection, or produce a masterpiece, it is to allow yourself this time to engage your mind and body with the ancient practice of mark marking, while being inspired by the beauty and wonder of nature. Close looking is a valuable skill for us all to practice, and especially those learning about herbalism, foraging and hunting. Tickets available below!!
THE ROLL HUNTERS PLAY IN WILDLIFE CONSERVATION
FRUIT ORCHARDING IN THE COMMONWEALTH - We’ll be highlighting orcharding in the Commonwealth by focusing on orchard design, fruit selection, pruning techniques, and environmental challenges.

2026 Vendors

Mr. Z's BBQ

Texas BBQ with a Twist, Made in Virginia! Voted "FAVORITE FOOD TRUCK" in the 2025 Daily Progress Readers' Choice Awards
Serving all things ice cream!

Patch Brewing Co.

We're your neighborhood brewery, regardless of your current neighborhood.  We've transformed the old "VFW" into your next favorite place.  Located in Gordonsville, VA, just 25 minutes north east of Charlottesville, its the perfect stop on your way to explore our quaint little town.
Owl Spoon is a Richmond, Virginia-based probiotic beverage company dedicated to helping people cultivate vibrant gut health through traditionally crafted water kefir and fermentation education. Rooted in the wisdom of ancestral foods and inspired by the connection between personal health, community, and the land, Owl Spoon empowers individuals to nourish themselves from the inside out and rediscover the transformative power of living foods and drinks.

Buttonwood Craftworks

Buttonwood Craftworks offers specialization in garden and orchard design, build, and maintenance.

Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources

The Virginia DWR is responsible for the management of inland fisheries, wildlife, and recreational boating for the Commonwealth of Virginia.
T shirts, Stickers, Prints of Nature/Hunting Illustrations
Handcrafted baskets made in Richmond, VA
“A scent for every adventure!” Hand-poured, thoughtfully crafted, soy candles and beeswax melts.
The Lit Bae Bookshop is a traveling pop-up bookshop based in Richmond, Virginia. They travel all over the DMV area offering new books, used books, blind date with a book, and blind date with an oracle reading! The Lit Bae Bookshop is passionate about reading literacy, building and strengthening community, and connection!
We are a family owned and operated mushroom farm established in 2018 that cultivates fresh, delicious, gourmet mushrooms with love, as well as handmade mushroom extracts, dried mushrooms, grow kits, and a wide variety of cultivation supplies. Our priority is to not only contribute to the health and wellness of our community, but also inspire, educate, and empower our community to cultivate their own food and medicine at home with their families. We provide our “beyond organic” mushrooms and products to several farmer’s markets, restaurants, CSA’s, grocers, local events, and our farm stores. We’d love to hear from you, or see you at one of our two locations! Give us a call at 7576986187!
All original cyanotypes and sun prints on everything from cards, prints, postcards, journals and jewelry to totes, tess and more. All handmade with love and the sun!
Wild Earth specializes in fermented vegetable products including Kimchi, Sauerkraut, Hot Sauce, Pickles, and more using local and organic produce.

MEDIC SOLO Disaster + Wilderness Medical School

Wilderness / Rural Homestead / Disaster First Aid for anytime, anywhere professional help will not be on scene within 10 minutes.
Earthquest is a non-profit organization that utilizes non-releasable Birds of Prey to educate people about how their daily actions affect these wonderful animals

Mike's Crafts

Hand made painted wooden items recycled fire hose items
Water Specialist offering well water testing, municipal water reports, customized water filtration, and Hydrogen rich water for health and wellness.

The Crying Rooster

We are a family business who enjoys sharing our individual interests and talents with others. Currently we sell various flavors of our favorite gourmet granola from Staat's Bakery and one-of-a-kind acrylic pour paintings on canvas.
Please fill out this interest form and we will get in touch shortly!
Drawing Nature's Treasure: An Exercise in Mindfulness (WildRoots Festival)
Drawing Nature's Treasure: An Exercise in Mindfulness (WildRoots Festival)

Drawing Nature's Treasure: An Exercise in Mindfulness (WildRoots Festival)

$25.00
Tickets
$25.00
Rendering loop-subscriptions

Saturday October 10th at 11am @ the WildRoots Festival

Join artist and art educator Vivian Blackwood for a casual, beginner friendly class to practice drawing from a collection of objects from nature: plants, mushrooms, skulls, bones, shells, fossils, feathers and more!

Drawing quiets the mind, anchors your attention in the present moment, and reduces stress. 

The goal is not to aim for perfection, or produce a masterpiece, it is to allow yourself this time to engage your mind and body with the ancient practice of mark marking, while being inspired by the beauty and wonder of nature. 

Close looking is a valuable skill for us all to practice, and especially those learning about herbalism, foraging and hunting. 

Family friendly ~ Beginner friendly ~ All Ages

Class length: 45 mins

Children under 5: Free

Children 6-18 years: $10

Adults: $25

Children under 15 must be accompanied by an adult

Basic Archery Introduction

Score some bullseyes with our free archery lessons and demos at the festival!

Open to mature, adventurous kids aged 6+ and adults ready to aim, release, and hit their target. 🏹