Interview Excerpt Excerpt selection: Advice, Observations, Experiences Missy RainesSinger, songwriter, and bass player, GRAMMY® nominated Missy Raines was the first woman to win IBMA’s Bass Player of the Year award in 1998, and has gone on to win this honor eight times, more than any other bass player in the history of the organization. Raines…
Interview Excerpt Excerpt selection: New Basement Tapes and Our Native Daughters Rhiannon GiddensRhiannon Giddens is Greensboro, NC native, and a celebrated artist who excavates the past to reveal truths about our present. A MacArthur “Genius Grant” recipient, Giddens has been Grammy-nominated six times, and won once, for her work with the Carolina Chocolate Drops, a…
Fairview Ruritan2265 Fairview Road, Galax, Virginia The mission of the Fairview Ruritan is to create a better understanding between people and make the area a better place to live and work through volunteer service. In support of that mission, the group raises funds by hosting monthly bluegrass music concerts.
Reeves Theater & Cafe129 W. Main St., Elkin, North Carolina The Reeves Theater and Café is nestled at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains and in the heart of the Yadkin Valley wine region. The art deco theater was renovated in 2013, and features a state-of-the-art live music venue and cafe. It is also…
Willingham Theater at the Yadkin Cultural Arts Center226 E. Main St., Yadkinville, North Carolina The Yadkin Cultural Arts Center is a location for creativity, arts, and community in Yadkin County. It is a privately owned facility, open to the public six days a week. The center was created to provide a home for the arts…
The Alleghany Jubilee562 N Sparta Parkway, Sparta, North Carolina Alleghany Jubilee is a hub for the traditional music and dance of its namesake county and surrounding mountain counties. If you love to flatfoot, clog, square dance or just tap your foot to old time mountain music, the Alleghany Jubilee is where you want to be! The…
The Floyd Country Store206 S. Locust St., Floyd, VA The Floyd Country Store plays a central role in this mountain community as a supplier of all sorts of sundries and community meeting place, where folks would gather round the wood stove to exchange stories and the local gossip. The Floyd Country Store is a renowned…
The Earle Theatre and Old-time Music Heritage Hall142 Main St., Mount Airy, North Carolina Originally known as simply as The Earle, the theater was built in 1938 by Earl Q. Benbow and Percy A. Boone. The theater is the home of the Old-Time Music Heritage Hall with exhibits and artifacts honoring many of the giants…
The Rex Theater113 E. Grayson St., Galax, Virginia The 475-seat historic Rex Theater hosts bluegrass and old-time music concerts. The Rex Theater is a major venue on The Crooked Road: Virginia’s Heritage Music Trail. Check their website for upcoming events.
Cumberland KnobMilepost 217.5 Located in North Carolina just across the Virginia state line, Cumberland Knob is the birthplace of the Blue Ridge Parkway. Parkway construction began at Cumberland Knob in 1935, and it was the first public Parkway attraction to open. A popular picnicking spot, you can also take a leisurely walk or a more…