Southwest Virginia Alternative Living (SwVAL) Expo 2026

The Southwest Virginia Alternative Living (SwVAL) Expo 2026 returns May 30–31 at the Berglund Center in Roanoke, VA, bringing together local businesses, experienced educators, hands-on innovators, and curious community members for a weekend focused on practical, sustainable, and resilient ways of living. Whether you’re just getting started or have been building skills for years, SwVAL is designed to meet you where you are. Your entry includes access to a full lineup of introductory and advanced classes, demonstrations, and real-world learning opportunities led by experienced practitioners from across the region. This year's sessions include foundational topics like the basics of canning, hunting skills, medicinal plant foraging, herbal first aid, urban and small-lot farming, DIY skills, mushroom foraging, and navigating cottage food laws and farmers' markets. For those ready to go deeper, advanced sessions include underground home design, hay bale construction, agroforestry, acupressure, freeze drying, yoga for pain relief, zoning and code considerations for alternative construction, and hempcrete building. Some sessions are hands-on, others are informational, but all are led by people actively doing the work and sharing practical knowledge you can take home and apply. Beyond the classes, SwVAL is built around connection: meet local and regional businesses, talk directly with builders and service providers, and connect with others exploring similar paths. You’ll have the o...