Serving Boone, Blowing Rock, Banner Elk, and other towns of the North Carolina High Country
Founded 05-05-05
July 3, 2008 issue
Compiled by Kathleen McFadden
Rangers on the Blue Ridge Parkway have several special programs planned for the Fourth of July weekend.
The Blue Ridge Music Center, located at Milepost 213, is open daily, rain or shine, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. through October. Concessions are available onsite, but picnic fare is permitted. Alcohol, however, is not.
Inside the exhibit hall, memorabilia and interpretive exhibits tell the story of almost 400 years of string-band music history in Virginia.
Outside, on a sloping lawn—bring chairs or blankets—visitors can hear local and regional musicians play during the weekend summer concert series. In addition to the special weekend concerts, music is happening at the center every day between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. and visitors with musicians can join the jam.
Here’s the weekly schedule:
Mondays: The Buck Mountain Band and Friends
Tuesdays: Bobby Patterson and Willard Gayheart
Wednesdays: Bill and Maggie Anderson
Thursday: Scott Freeman and Friends
Fridays: Spencer Strickland, Stevie Barr, Josh Pickett
Saturdays: Blue Ridge Music Maker’s Guild and Junior
Appalachian Music (JAM) Students
Sunday: Stu Shenk and Friends
To purchase advance tickets for the shows that require an admission fee, call 276-236-5309 or click to www.blueridgemusiccenter.net.
Here’s what’s coming up this weekend:
Saturday, July 5 – High Lonesome, documentary film, museum auditorium, 5:00 p.m.
Saturday, July 5 – First Saturday Square Dance, music by Slate Mountain Ramblers Old-Time Band, museum breezeway, 4:30 p.m.
Saturday, July 5 – Hot Ladies Will Be Heard ($10/7:00 p.m.)
Carrie Hassler and Hard Rain meet Amber Collins and No Speed Limit. Two of the brightest young female singers in bluegrass, in front of two of the hottest young bands in bluegrass, will present what is certain to be a memorable program.
They Call Me Aunt Orlene
On three remaining Sundays this summer, actress Phyllis Stump will present this one-woman show about the life of southwest Virginia midwife Orlene Puckett at the site of the midwife`s cabin— Puckett Cabin (Milepost 190). Living to more than 100 years old, Puckett is known for delivering more than 1,000 babies in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Bring your own chair for this special presentation.
Dates are July 20, August 24 and September 21. Showtime is 2:00 p.m.
All programs are free and open to the public.
Patio Talks – The public is invited to attend ranger talks on the patio at Bluffs Lodge in Doughton Park (Milepost 241) on Friday and Saturday evenings at 7:30.
Campfire Talks – The public is invited to attend evening campfire talks at Doughton Park Campground (Milepost 241) at 7:30 on Fridays and Saturdays through August. For more information, call the Visitor Center at 276-236-5309.
Brinegar Cabin History – In the tradition of original resident Caroline Brinegar, visitors to the Brinegar Cabin can see flax growing in the garden and participate in the process of taking the fiber and spinning it into linen thread. The threads are then woven into linsey-woolsey fabric on the loom. The Brinegar Cabin is located at Milepost 238.5, and visitors are welcome Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. throughout the summer. For more information, call 828-236-5309.
Cone Upstairs Tours – Join park rangers for guided tours of the second floor of the home of Moses and Bertha Cone located on the Blue Ridge Parkway at Milepost 294. Tour times are Saturday and Sunday at 10:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m., 2:00 p.m., 3:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. Reservations are required and are accepted beginning at 9:00 a.m. on the weekend of requested tour only. To schedule a tour, call 828-295-3782 or sign up at the Park Service information desk at the Cone Manor House.
Cone Cemetery Hike – Every Sunday through October 26, join rangers at 7:00 p.m. for an evening hike to the final resting place of Moses and Bertha Cone. Meet at the Manor House (Milepost 294) for this two-mile hike. Call 828-295-6308 for more details
All programs are free and open to the public.
Thursday, July 2 – Healthy Family Program: Just a Walk in the Woods. Join the ranger at the comfort station in the Linville River Picnic Area (Milepost 316) at 11:00 a.m. for a one-hour nature walk. The walk will be wheelchair accessible.
Friday, July 4 – Healthy Family Day: Lost! ...But Found Safe and Sound. Would you and your kids know what to do if your children were lost in the woods? Join a ranger to learn the simple techniques that are proven to bring kids home. Bring the whole family and meet at the footbridge Julian Price Picnic Area (Milepost 296) at 10:00 a.m. for this 45-minute program.
Friday, July 4 – Nature’s Fabulous Fireworks: Lightning Bolts and Lightning Bugs. It snaps; it crackles—what makes lightning flash across the sky? They sparkle; they glitter—these are the mating rituals of the gentle firefly. Talk about fireworks! Join a ranger Price Park Amphitheatre (Milepost 297) at 8:00 p.m. and see some fascinating video clips in this 40-minute program.
Friday, July 4 – Junior Ranger Program: Snakes! Have you ever been curious about what kinds of snakes you might run into out on the trail? Join the ranger at the table outside the Linville Falls Visitor Center (Milepost 316) at 11:00 a.m. to find out about our slithery friends during this 30-minute program.
Friday, July 4 – Death on the Long Hunt. Pushing deep into the wilderness, William Linville and his son gave their lives near the river and the spectacular waterfall that bear their name today. Join the ranger at the Linville Falls Campground Amphitheater (Milepost 316) at 7:00 p.m. to learn how they met their tragic end.
Friday, July 4 – Dangers and Delights While Camping. Seeing animals while you’re camping can be fun, but also frustrating. Join the ranger at the Crabtree Meadows Campground Amphitheater (Milepost 340) at 7:00 p.m. to learn some tips on how to enjoy the wildlife and how to protect them as well as yourself.
Saturday, July 5 – Scottish Tunes: Jamie Fish on Bagpipes. Join a ranger to welcome Jamie Fish, a local Scottish bagpiper, at the Price Park Amphitheatre (Milepost 297) at 8:00 p.m. Enjoy her Scottish tunes and learn fascinating tidbits about the Scot language and heritage, the bagpipes and local Scottish settlements in this 45-minute program.
Saturday, July 5 – Junior Ranger Program: Nature Photography for Beginners. Learn what to look for to take beautiful photographs in the great outdoors. The program includes a short hike to Duggers Creek trail. Meet the ranger in front of the Linville Falls Visitor Center (Milepost 316) at 11:00 a.m. and bring your own camera.
Saturday, July 5 – Why the Possum’s Tail Is Bare. The Cherokee tribe once populated much of this region and had their own system of beliefs on how things in the region came to be. Join the ranger at the Linville Falls Campground Amphitheater (Milepost 316) at 7:00 p.m. to learn some of their myths that explain our natural world during this 40-minute program.
Saturday, July 5 – More Than a Photograph: Exploring the Forests of the Blue Ridge Parkway. Join the ranger to take a closer look at the forest beauty surrounding the Blue Ridge Parkway and discover what the green means to you.
The 45-minute program takes place at the Crabtree Meadows Campground Amphitheater (Milepost 340) at 8:00 p.m.
Sunday, July 6 – Junior Ranger Program: Beaver and River Otter—Mammal Masters of the Water World. How do beavers and otters survive in water? How are these animals different from one another? Join the ranger Linville Falls Visitor Center (Milepost 316) from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. to find out.
Sunday, July 6 – Strangers in the Mountains: The Crossnore Story—George Crossnore and Mary Sloop. One gave the town of Crossnore its name. The other made it world renowned. Meet at the Linville Falls Campground Amphitheater (Milepost 316) at 7:00 p.m. for this 45-minute program.
Sunday, July 6 – Wildflowers, Poisonous Plants and Medicinal Herbs. Find out what’s in bloom and what plants to avoid when hiking and also learn the medicinal wild herbs found in the forest. Meet at the Crabtree Meadows Campground Amphitheater (Milepost 340) at 7:00 p.m. for this 45-minute program.