Red Wing Roots Music Festival Named 2025 Recipient of the Circle of Excellence in the Arts Award

Wednesday, June 18, 2025 (Harrisonburg, Va.) – The Red Wing Roots Music Festival, a popular summer tradition held in Mount Solon, Virginia, has been named the 2025 recipient of the Circle of Excellence in the Arts Award that was presented at the Forbes Center for the Performing Arts at James Madison University (JMU) on Tuesday, June 17, 2025.

Since its founding by the acclaimed band The Steel Wheels along with Jeremiah Jenkins and Michael Weaver, the Red Wing Roots Music Festival has become a popular mainstay in the Shenandoah Valley cultural landscape. The festival has drawn tens of thousands of music listeners to Natural Chimneys Park and Campground every summer. Since its founding in 2013, the festival has hosted 368 bands, featuring more than 650 performances on its stages surrounded by the Park’s towering limestone formations. With an average of 45 bands annually, Red Wing continues to deliver their vision of a positive, inclusive, family-friendly environment celebrating roots music, camping and the great outdoors.

Celebrating its 12th year, the festival has greeted more than 55,000 patrons, assembled over 1,300 eager volunteers and welcomed many vendors who all contribute to creating the Red Wing Roots experience, fostering a strong sense of community through music, nature and togetherness in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley.

The Circle of Excellence in the Arts Award is co-sponsored by the Forbes Center for the Performing Arts, the Arts Council of the Valley, and JMU’s College of Visual and Performing Arts and recognizes individuals and organizations in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley, that enhance and strengthen the cultural community by promoting and advocating for artistic excellence. 

The Circle of Excellence in the Arts Award recognizes an Augusta or Rockingham County, Harrisonburg, Staunton, or Waynesboro visual or performing artist, arts administrator, arts educator, or organization whose significant and superior accomplishments in the arts have improved the cultural vitality of the Valley.  

“We are thrilled to be able to honor the Red Wing Roots Music Festival with this award. Their impact on the music scene in the Valley has been incredible, and they represent artistic excellence at the highest level,” said Regan Byrne, executive director of the Forbes Center.

Red Wing Roots Music Festival exemplifies this mission – bringing together world-class musicians, passionate audiences, and a dedicated team of organizers and volunteers to create an experience that resonates far beyond music. The festival not only celebrates the arts but also plays a significant role in enhancing the cultural vitality of the region, supporting environmental sustainability, outdoor recreation, and local economic development.

The 12th annual Red Wing Roots Music Festival will take place this summer on June 20 – 22, 2025, continuing its legacy of creating joyful, shared experiences through music, mountains, and memory-making. For tickets and information about Red Wing Roots Music Festival, visit redwingroots.com.

Past Circle of Excellence in the Arts Award Winners:
2024 – Waynesboro Symphony Orchestra

2023 – Heifetz International Music Institute, Staunton, VA

2022 - Earlynn J. Miller, Harrisonburg, VA

2021 - Harrisonburg International Festival, Harrisonburg, VA

2020 - The Shenandoah Valley Choral Society, Harrisonburg, VA

2019 - Staunton-Augusta Art Center, Staunton, VA, and Shenandoah Valley Art Center, Waynesboro, VA

2018 - Pamela McCray, Shenandoah Civic Dance Company and Staunton Academy of Ballet, Staunton, VA

2017 - Dr. Joanne V. Gabbin, Furious Flower Poetry Center, JMU, Harrisonburg, VA

2016 - American Shakespeare Center, Staunton, VA

2015 - Ken Nafziger, The Bach Festival, Harrisonburg, VA

2014 - OASIS Fine Art & Craft, Harrisonburg, VA

2013 - Stan Swartz - Harrisonburg High School, Harrisonburg, VA

About Forbes Center for the Performing Arts:
The Forbes Center for the Performing Arts at James Madison University is the premier performing arts center for world-class theatre, dance, and music entertainment in the Shenandoah Valley. Audiences of all ages are welcome to enjoy extraordinary performances from internationally recognized artists, renowned JMU faculty members, and emerging young talent from JMU's School of Music and School of Theatre and Dance. Located directly across from Wilson Hall on the west side of South Main Street in Harrisonburg, Virginia, the Forbes Center completes the historic “Quad” on the JMU campus and is comprised of five state-of-the-art performance venues with spaces ranging from 200 to 600 seats.

About the Arts Council of the Valley:
Arts Council of the Valley (ACV) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit dedicated to cultivating the arts, creating experiences, and connecting communities throughout the City of Harrisonburg and Rockingham County. Since it was established in 2000, ACV has grown into a multi-faceted community organization that fosters innovative partnerships among area businesses, civic organizations, schools, and artists. Today, ACV manages Court Square Theater and Smith House Galleries, funds local art projects through its Advancing the Arts grant program (awarding more than $498,300 since 2001), supports public art initiatives, and coordinates monthly First Fridays of the Valley community gatherings.

About Red Wing Roots Music Festival:
Red Wing Roots Music Festival began in 2013 as The Steel Wheels and friends, Jeremiah Jenkins and Michael Weaver, came together with a shared vision of a positive, family-friendly environment to celebrate great music and the great outdoors. Red Wing offers patrons an opportunity to explore the beauty of the Shenandoah Valley and roots music. ‘Roots Music' conveys both the depth of American musical traditions, like folk, blues, Cajun, old-time and bluegrass, and the breadth of its current iterations. Following the success of that first year, many families and friends have continued to prioritize the festival and eagerly gather at Natural Chimneys Park each summer. The three-day festival, currently in its 12 year, takes place the third weekend in June.