Waldensian Festival Kickoff with Southside Station on Aug. 7, 2026, 7 p.m.

Celebrate heritage, history, and hometown pride at the 51st Annual Waldensian Festival. A weekend-long event commemorating the heroic return of the Waldensians, founders of Valdese, to their home valleys in the Cottian Alps of Northern Italy after years of religious persecution and exile.

Friday Night Kickoff:

• Classic Car Show
• Great food & dancing
• Live music by Southside Station at 7pm

Who are Southside Station? A 5-piece band of talented vocalists and musicians who play all of the legendary hits from pop, rock, dance, country, and your favorites singer-songwriters with an eclectic instrumentation. Having performed with Charlie Daniels, ZZ Top, Styx, Foreigner, Jimmy Buffett, Sara Evans, Sheryl Crow, and many others, the veteran musicians of Southside Station are pros on the stage and know how to engage any crowd.

• Performance of the historic outdoor drama “From This Day Forward” at 8pm

Why we celebrate the Glorious Return: The Waldensians are a pre-reformation reformed sect of Christianity. They believed in the priesthood of all believers, translating the scripture into the "common" languages of the people of the day and encouraging education so that all people could read the Bible for themselves. A simple people, they were dedicated to taking care of the poor and justice for the oppressed. The Waldensian Community was excommunicated by the Catholic Church in 1184 at the Synod of Verona. Pope Innocent the 3rd went even further in 1215 declaring all Waldensians heretics. Forced to renounce their religious stances or flee, the small community of believers sought refuge in the Cottian Alps, where life was somewhat protected by the rugged landscape and isolation. Even so, the Waldenses were heavily persecuted by both the Catholic Church and the Reigning Monarchs throughout the region. Perhaps one of the bloodiest episodes in the history of their faith was in 1655 in a series of persecutions known as the Piedmontese Easter. In this series of massacres it is said that thousands of Waldensians were murdered for their faith. It is a mere 30 years later that our play begins. Total annihilation of the Waldensian Faith was the aim, yet throughout all the years of persecution, their faith remained and grew stronger. This is the backdrop to our story.

Tickets available at oldcolonyplayers.com