Noah Thompson shines on Inez stage

BY ROGER SMITH
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN

INEZ — This past weekend Inez came alive with a festival that will likely be talked about for years. The Martin County Harvest Festival, now in its 27th year, wrapped up Saturday night with a bang, drawing thousands to the streets for two days of pure fun.

“It was a historic weekend all around,” Melissa Phelps, president of the Kiwanis Club of Greater Martin County, beamed. Her group is behind the whole shebang, and this year’s turnout left her in awe.

Friday night alone saw between 2,500-3,000 people descend upon Court Street, thanks to a headline performance by none other than star Noah Thompson, the American Idol sensation.

Saturday did not disappoint either. The streets were once again packed as crowds came out for a day full of attractions, events and a musical lineup that included Sam L. Smith, Hillbilly Tradition, Eddie Jenkins & The 606 Sound, and plenty of local talent.

“Overall, the festival was a resounding success,” Phelps reflected. She pointed out how both locals and out-of-towners flocked to the event, including visitors from neighboring counties and even farther afield, some in town for reunions.

“People seemed to have a good time,” she said. “We had a variety of events that appealed to a lot of people.”

Year after year, the festival’s mission remains simple: bring fun to the community.

“We want to provide family-friendly fun for our community,” Phelps said, emphasizing the importance of keeping costs low to ensure as many people as possible can join in. We also want to draw people from other places to visit Martin County and Inez, to see the charm and beauty of it—maybe for the first time.”

This year’s biggest challenge? A new stage on Court Street.

“We could have never had an artist the caliber of Noah Thompson on our small stage,” Phelps admitted. The new stage, she said, was a game-changer—elevated and surrounded by the crowd, but also requiring a full redesign of the festival layout to make room for carnival rides and vendors. In the end, it worked perfectly.

The festival boasted more carnival rides, vendors and sponsors than ever, and feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. People especially appreciated the affordable carnival rides and free inflatables for the kids.

“The $10 wristband, you can’t beat that anywhere else,” Phelps noted.

Of course, Noah Thompson’s performance stole the show.

“The kids loved it,” Phelps smiled, adding that Noah’s grandmother even sent her a heartfelt thank-you for the warm hospitality.

There were plenty of memorable moments, including Sam L. Smith sharing the stage with local singer Mattie Amburgy on Saturday and Noah inviting kids onstage to sing with him on Friday—a moment Phelps says those children will never forget.

In true community spirit, Phelps made sure to give thanks to the many people who made the event possible—volunteers, law enforcement, emergency services, local businesses, and even her own husband Eric Phelps, for their support in pulling off this massive weekend.

“Thanks, everyone, for making this the most successful festival that we’ve had,” she said.

As the festival fades into memory, organizers are thinking about next year—growing the festival with more carnival rides for smaller children, increasing parking and communications, and organizing the vendor market more efficiently, among other ideas.

“We’d like to get the same quality of entertainment that we had this year,” said Phelps.

The 28th annual Harvest Festival is slated for Sept. 12-13, 2025.