Downtown Blacksburg, Inc. PRESENTS

37th Annual Steppin' Out^®

August 4-5, 2017. Steppin' Out is a "Rain or Shine" event!

The 36th Annual Steppin' Out Festival from Madison Hill on Vimeo.

Festival Hours

Friday August 4: 10am-11pm Community Connections closes at 8pm and other vendors close at 10pm. The Main Stage continues until 11pm.
Saturday August 5: 10am-10pm Community Connections closes at 8pm; all else at 10pm.

Steppin' Out, August 4-5, 2017

Steppin' Out features over 200 artists and crafts people from around the United States selling unique handcrafted items – jewelry, pottery, textiles, metal work, basketry, stained & fused glass, yard art, fine art, furniture, toys, artisan foods and so much more!

Downtown Blacksburg merchants also hold their much-awaited final clearance sidewalk sales during Steppin' Out. And those festival foods you love are provided by downtown restaurants.

Admission is free! Town of Blacksburg metered parking is all free and Blacksburg Transit provides free shuttles to get you there without the hassles. Bring your friends! Bring your family!

37th annual Steppin' Out t-shirt

The Steppin' Out t-shirt has become an annual collector's item and is part of the great Steppin' Out tradition! We are excited to reveal the design for this year's t-shirt and to introduce you to the designer- Andrew Hill. Andrew entered and won the annual t-shirt design contest held by Downtown Blacksburg, Inc. this year! The Steppin' Out t-shirt will be printed by downtown merchant, High Peak Sportswear, and will be available to purchase in early May from Mish Mish, Fringe Benefit and Blacksburg Hardware and t.r collection. Steppin' Out will take place on August 4 & 5 this year.

About Andrew Hill

Andrew is a working freelance artist and graphic designer and recent graduate of Virginia Tech's School of Visual Arts' Visual Communication Design program. He is honored to have his artwork selected to represent Steppin' Out and the rich arts culture of Blacksburg and the surrounding New River Valley! Throughout his years of study at Virginia Tech, and his art education within the Blacksburg community, Andrew has been continually inspired by the abundant detail of Blacksburg's buildings and architecture as well as the lush color palettes within the surrounding landscape.

His design for this year's Steppin' Out shirt draws heavily on these influences and is a heartfelt tribute to a town, its people, and an ecologically rich landscape he has grown to know and love. In his spare time, Andrew enjoys playing with his two new kittens, Essie and Oscar, and can frequently be found out for a leisurely bike ride through the rolling hillsides surrounding his country home. Andrew is excited to be involved in Steppin' Out this year as well as several other upcoming artistic opportunities within the Blacksburg community—he would like to thank his family, friends both new and old, and his professors for their unconditional support and continued interest in his personal and artistic growth.

PETS are NOT Allowed

If you must bring your dog, please leave him/her in the Canine Corral on the Henderson Lawn on College Ave.

Service provided by Prestige Pet Sitting Agencies, 540-961-1710. The Corral will be open 10am - 10pm on Friday and Saturday.

We're Virginia Green!

Steppin' Out has achieved Virginia Green status, with our recycling, efforts to reduce packaging, encouraging mass-transit and more. Details here.

FREE Bike Valet Service

Take advantage of our FREE Bike Valet Service Friday & Saturday, located on Main Street behind the Acoustic Stage. Hours of Operation: Friday- 12pm-8pm and Saturday 10am-8pm.

More Blacksburg Fun

Visit DowntownBlacksburg.com for news of upcoming downtown events.