By the time rock and roll legend Levon Helm took the stage at FloydFest 9 Saturday night,  a nearly full moon hung over the Dreaming Creek stage and  it was obvious that the annual music event that bears Floyd’s name had become a legend of its own.

FF founders Erica Johnson and Kris Hodges may remember 2010 as the year their music festival fulfilled their dreams. As the largest crowd anyone could remember seeing filled the festival site Saturday nothing — not the opresssive heat or a hit-and-run at nearby Mabry Mill — could dim the enthusiasm.

Sen. Mark Warner roamed the crowd — a sign that along with the ATM machines, cyber cafe and VIP area that the one-time “little hippie festival” has become a mainstream music event that draws thousands from around the world.

Helm’s two-hour show kept the crowd rocking and capped a day that included top-notch performances by regional and national bands throughout the festival site.

The festival ends today in what will no doubt be it’s best year even as promoters look forward to FloydFest 10.

Related articles

• FloydFest 9 is a mountain happening (blueridgemuse.com)
• Floyd Fest 9, Day 2 (blueridgemuse.com)

Hot weather didn’t cool the enthusiasm of those flocking to day 2 of FloydFest 9 Friday.

A power outage from a blown fuse threatened the action Friday night but Railroad Earth performed with generator power. Seems the same fuse circuit that put last year’s festival in the dark for a while blew again.

FloydFest continues today and Sunday. See you there.

FloydFest 9 kicked off Thursday amid the heat and humidity of the hills just inside Patrick County just off the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Now firmly established as part of the national festival scene, FloydFest is more than a four-day music event. It’s an instant community that brings another national spotlight on the area. The people who attend make the event as much as the artists who play, the vendors who sell their wares and the various attractions that provide an atmosphere that is part festival, part carnival and all fun.

FloydFest officials say they expect 14,000 to attend this year’s festival with the largest crowd predicted Saturday when Levon Helm headlines on the Dreaming Creek stage. Saturday is also predicted to be the hottest day with temperatures expected in the upper 90s.

We will be reporting on the festival over the next four days. See you there. Bring plenty of sunscreen.

Spotted on a rural road in North Carolina this weekend.