AUGUST 13, 2009 ISSUE
Doc in Todd
Annual Doc Watson Concert at Cook Park August 22
National legend and Deep Gap resident Doc Watson has been a good neighbor to the folks in Todd the past several years, performing an annual concert to support the nonprofit Todd Community Preservation Organization since 2003.
This year’s concert featuring Doc Watson and Friends, Lost Ridge Band and Backstreet will take place Saturday, August 22, at the Walter and Annie Cook Memorial Park, located on Railroad Grade Road in Todd. Lost Ridge Band opens the concert at 3:00 p.m., followed by Backstreet at 4:00 p.m. Doc Watson will bring his world-famous flatpicking guitar skills and resonating vocals to the stage at 5:00 p.m., joined by grandson Richard Watson and friend Charles Welch, both on guitar.
“The Doc concert supports all of our projects in Todd,” said Emilie Enzmann, treasurer of the Todd Community Preservation Organization (TCPO). Those projects include the James “Crow” Parsons Memorial Fund, which has been established to finance the annual summer concerts series at Cook Park. About a decade ago, Parsons, a long-time employee at the Todd General Store, helped create the summer music series, insisting that the concerts be free to attend so that the entire Todd community could participate, Enzmann said.
“James Parsons was instrumental in getting the music series started here in Todd,” she added. “Right up until the very end, he was the one who was working on the music series. It was very important to him.” Parsons passed away in 2006.
This year’s music series featured Uncle Nave & the Cranberry Creek Boys, Amantha Mill, Buck Haggard Band, The King Bees, Laura Boosinger and Dave Haney and Lisa Baldwin. An additional concert featuring Wayne Henderson and Helen White will take place on Saturday, September 5—tickets to that concert are $5.
A pickle jar in the Todd Mercantile Bakery collects donations for the Parsons Memorial Fund, and the pickle jar is passed around during the Saturday afternoon concerts. TCPO also seeks larger contributions to permanently endow the fund. Other TCPO projects include maintenance of Cook Park and other community events.
Only 1,500 tickets to the Doc Watson concert will be printed. Last year, about 750 to 800 people attended the concert, Enzmann said.
“We should be about on par for the same crowd this year,” she said.
A limited amount of parking will be provided in Todd by the youth of South Fork Baptist Church, raising funds for a mission trip. Parking with a free shuttle service will be available in a nearby field, located at the entrance to Railroad Grade Road from Highway 194.
Attendees are encouraged to bring their own chairs or blankets and umbrellas in case of showers. Snacks and drinks are available at a tent in Cook Park and from the nearby Todd General Store and Todd Mercantile Bakery. Well-behaved pets are allowed. No alcohol is permitted at the event.
Tickets to the concert are $15 or $17 for credit card purchases. Children under 12 are admitted free. Purchase tickets at Todd General Store, Todd Mercantile (credit card orders accepted) and RiverGirl Fishing Company in Todd; the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce in Boone; and Ashe Visitor’s Center and BlueMoon Guitars in West Jefferson. Remaining tickets will be available at the gate. Sponsors have helped to underwrite some of the concert expense so that more ticket sales can be used for TCPO projects.
Volunteers are still needed to set up tents, park cars, collect tickets, sell food and clean up afterwards. Volunteers can attend the concert for free. Anyone who can volunteer can email info@toddnc.org or call 336-877-5401. Setup will take place on Friday, August 21.
For more information, click to www.toddnc.org or call 336-877-5401.
Want To Go?
Date: Saturday, August 22
Time: 3:00 p.m.
Location: Cook Memorial Park, Todd
Cost: $15 adults/$17 credit card orders/free kids 12 & under
The Todd Community Preservation Organization
The Todd Community Preservation Organization was established in 2000. Its original mission was to support Todd Ruritan Club in finding funding and support for various community projects. Since those early days, TCPO itself has grown and now produces many projects in the Todd community, such as the free summer concert series held each June and July in Cook Park.
TCPO is a nonprofit corporation. It has a 12-member Board of Directors and relies on other volunteers to maintain its viability. TCPO’s mission is to create a sustainable community while preserving Todd’s rich history, natural beauty and culture. As a nonprofit, TCPO achieves its purpose by helping find funds to support its own projects as well as those of other community organizations, notably Elkland Art Center and Todd Ruritan.
Through TCPO, Todd is an active member of HandMade in America’s Small Towns Program, established in 1999. This partnership has yielded grants from, most recently, the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area and the N.C. Rural Center’s STEP Program. In addition, TCPO is part of The Conservation Fund’s Resourceful Communities Program, funding several projects through its Creating New Economies Fund (CNEF).
In 2009, a CNEF grant enabled TCPO to open an office in the Todd Mercantile building. For more information, call 336-877-5565 or email info@toddnc.org.
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