A preview of Interesting things going on up, down and around the Parks and Drives. With the slowdown in the economy, our National Parks probably will see a pick up in visitations.So much to see and do and a lot of it free or at a very low cost.
Dear Traveler
This is the ELEVENTH issue of our events newsletter about things going on near the Skyline Drive and the Blue Ridge Parkway. They are separated into 12 sections to match up with the map sections on our web site.
http://www.BlueRidgeSkyline.com
Starting with the Northern Section of the Skyline Drive including Winchester and Front Royal and working our way south to the Southern end near Cherokee NC and then on to Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge Tenn.
You will see several . major events in some of the towns posted several months before the scheduled event. This is so you can make special plans early enough to make the trip work
THIS IS THE TIME FOR LEAVES TO BE IN THEIR GLORY From the northern front of the Skyline Drive: Mid October to late October, down around the Va/NC state line of the Blue Ridge Parkway: Mid October to early November, and more down south toward Asheville: late October to Mid November. This is all depending on the weather and when the frost arrives.Also there is a new Web Page for the 75th Anniversary of the Parkway
http://blueridgeparkway75.org This will occur next year 2010, plan to attend.
Winchester, Front Royal, Middletown and the Northern Section of the Skyline Drive.
Winchester
Fall FestivalCreekside; 40 + of the finest retail and dining venues in the Shenandoah Valley
11 am - 4 pm
Music by the Nodrama Band and Winchester Celtic Circle
Food
Live Raptors
Kids maze and games
Hourly drawing for prizes and sales galore.
**************************************
Front Royal
October 10,2009
Annual Festival of the Leaves
This year marks the 39th year of the Warren Heritage Society's annual fundraiser, the Festival of Leaves. Please mark your calendars and plan on joining us on Saturday, October 10, 2009, 9am - 6pm. The Festival takes place in historic downtown Front Royal on Chester and Main Streets.
Our county's beauty is not alone in beckoning you this Fall. Her sons and daughters too await your company for a downtown party that has aged all too well since the Festival of Leaves first debuted in October 1971. Come enjoy Front Royal at its best. Arts and crafts abound on Main and Chester Streets in the heart of our historic district. Bluegrass, blues, country, jazz, big band and choir music entertain at the Town Gazebo, reenactments and short plays at the County Courthouse. Listeners may relax on the grass and soak up summer's last sunny warmth and autumn's first cool breezes. Come Enjoy the Heritage Area at the Warren Heritage Society's Balthis Green, located behind the Society's 101 Chester Street museums, where reenactors, craftspeople, apple butter makers and many others will bring back the traditions of the Valley. Run the 5K race or Fun Walk in the morning and finish in time for the parade!
See the Web Page for the Festival here
Harrisonburg and Luray section of the Skyline Drive
Harrisonburg
White Oak Lavender Fall Festival
We will feature our Lavender mulled cider and Lavender Pound Cake all week end! Various events throughout the weekend!
Oct 23 2009,10:00am-5:00pm | White Oak Lavendar Farm
The event will run Friday, Saturday and Sunday. On Saturday, we will host Cathy Comer, a renowned basket weaver, who makes an exclusive line of lavender baskets just for our shop! You may watch her weave and pick up one of her beautiful works of art!
Call 540-421-6345
Web Page Here
Staunton and Waynesboro where the Skyline Drive and The Blue Ridge Parkway meet
Staunton
Guided Walking Tours of Historic Staunton
Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library
24 North Coalter Street
Staunton, VA 24401
Discover Staunton, the Queen City of the Shenandoah Valley, on a free walking tour guided by Historic Staunton Foundation volunteers. Tours last 2 hours and trace Staunton's development from frontier settlement to booming 19th century commercial center. Stroll through four of Staunton's five Historic Districts as your guide describes the town's history and its beautifully restored architecture.
See dates of Walking Tours
**************************************
Staunton
FALL FOLIAGE BIKE FESTIVAL
OCTOBER 16-18, 2009
Great Event!
see the web site
Road condition information from the National Park Service
Skyline Drive
Blue Ridge Parkway
Lexington, Natural Bridge, Bedford and Buchannan sections of the Blue Ridge Parkway
Natural Bridge
Natural Bridge Corn Maze
10am-6pm (Nov 1-8, 5pm close) every Friday, Saturday and Sunday, weather permitting. Off of US 11 South, on Golf Course Road. 1-800-533-1410.
Enjoy this favorite fall pastime with your family while enjoying breathtaking views of the Blue Ridge Parkway. Refreshments and retail items also available.
Tickets are available for purchase at the Natural Bridge Ticket Counter, the Natural Brige Hotel Desk, or the Maze entrance. Adults/$5, Children 5-12/$2.50, Student Groups/$2.
More Info Here
**************************************
BEDFORD
National D-Day Memorial
Imagine a place where the lessons and legacy of D-Day are remembered and preserved, a place where veterans of all ages are welcomed and honored, a place where visitors discover and recognize the worthy service of those who answer duty's call, a place where gravity and dignity are hallmarks. The National D-Day Memorial is such a place.
Deliberately sited to rise above the community that experienced this country's severest per capita losses on D-Day, the National D-Day Memorial reminds all who enter it of the heavy price that heartland communities have paid, and still pay, for freedom.
Web Page Here
Roanoke, Salem & Smith Mt. Lake
Roanoke
George Warner: "A Few Things I've Seen"
A Photographic Exhibition
July 30 - October 22, 2009
"Each person brings their own perspective to the universe. We see the same objects before us, but we have our own emotional response to them. Photography lets me capture the moment as I experienced it and share it with you, the viewer. If only for a moment, you see and feel what I saw and felt at that moment in time." This exhibit brings the visitor close to George Warner's eye for color and detail and gives insight into a world that has aesthetic value. Join us for the brightly colored lights and tones of this local photographer's vision.
See info at the O.Winston Link Museum
Blacksburg, Christiansburg, Radford, Wytheville and Floyd
Floyd
Traditional Bluegrass/Mountain Music Jam
Oct 11th
Stop by the Floyd Country Store where musicians gather on Sunday afternoons for a traditional Bluegrass/Mountain Music Jam session. Enjoy the Store's comfort food, delicious ice cream and crafts. 206 South Locust St. (State Road 8) For more information: 540-745-4563
Web Site here
**************************************
Ft Chiswell
Fort Chiswell Animal Park
569 Red Hollow Rd
Fort Chiswell, VA 24360
276-637-6754,
www.fortchiswellanimalpark.com
jt@fortchiswellanimalpark.com
Before Memorial Day- After Labor Day, Friday, Saturday, Sunday 10am-6pm, Memorial Day thru Labor Day Open 7 days a week, Weekdays I-81/I-77 Exit 80 and turn away from Max Meadows onto 52 South. Follow approximately 2 1/2 miles, watch for Fort Chiswell High School on left, immediately past the high school turn Left on Red Hollow Road. The park is located about a mile down Red Hollow.
Bring the family and come on down! Cindy the Cappuchin Monkey lives in the petting zoo, where you can pet and feed goats, African crowned cranes, Bennett's wallabies and parrots. Hop on the Safari Bus go on an outback adventure where you'll meet a camel named Humphrey whose best friend is a zebra named Bindy, water buffalo, wildebeest,fallow deer, llamas and emus. Adults $10.00/ Children 2-12 $8.00 Under 2 Free
Galax Hillsville and Independence
GALAX
New River Trail Fall Foliage Bike Ride
10/17/09
11 am
11th Annual New River Trail Fall Foliage Bike Ride
The City of Galax Tourism Department will hold its 11th Annual New River Trail Fall Foliage Bike Ride on Saturday, October 17, 2009. In conjunction with this year's event, Chestnut Creek School of the Arts will be again offering a series of fun and entertaining nature related classes.
The Fall Foliage Bike Ride is an organized, leisurely ride that offers residents and visitors an opportunity to enjoy a scenic ride on the New River Trail. The ride is orchestrated with the help of area volunteers and local businesses. Riders will check-in at the Galax Farmer's Market and begin the ride at 11:00 a.m., travel North on Main Street, and enter the trail extension on Route 58. Riders will travel along Chestnut Creek, rolling farmland and, at times, will ride parallel with the scenic New River. A shuttle service back from Fries is also available.
The ride package includes and official t-shirt, rest stop snacks, lunch in Fries, dinner in downtown Galax and an evening bluegrass concert, all for $30.00 for adults and $10.00 for children. Advance reservations are required and the deadline for the ride package is October 1, 2009. Those who wish to participate in just the ride, or the day's events without pre-registration can simply pay for meals and the show ala carte and can ride at their own pace. "The weekend offers something for every member of the family," says Galax Tourism Director, Chuck Riedhammer." There's a ride package for those looking to have a day long adventure or numerous other activities for kids, friends and spouses to pick from like taking a class, hiking, biking, shopping, and exploring.
Click HERE to download the registration form ( PDA FILE)and mail a check. Call 276-238-8130 for more information.
*******************************
Rex Theater
Every Friday night in the City of Galax, Virginia WBRF 98.1 FM sends out 100,000 watts of live old-time and bluegrass music from the stage of the historic Rex Theater into five states and over the World Wide Web. Listeners may be in Virginia, North Carolina, West Virginia, Tennessee or as far away as Egypt enjoying the traditional music show from the comfort of their homes, or they may be sitting back in one of the 475 seats at the Rex. The show is called Blue Ridge Back Roads and thanks to a faithful group of volunteers has become the cornerstone for the revitalization of this 70 year old theater.
Now owned and operated by the City of Galax, the Rex continues to expand its offerings with vintage movie nights, Saturday concerts and community plays. The Rex is also available for special events and many non-profit groups have found it's a great venue for community oriented fundraising.
With its important history, and current place as a popular destination on the Crooked Road, the Rex remains the jewel in the crown of the City of Galax.
Rex Events calendar here
Mt Airy, Sparta, Elkins and Wilkesboro NC
Mount Airy
Autumn Leaves Festival
October 9-11
The Autumn Leaves Festival is an event sponsored by the Greater Mount Airy Chamber of Commerce to celebrate our cultural music and craft heritage. This is the 43rd Annual year of the Autumn Leaves Festival and it will be held on October 9-11, 2009. This event is one of the longest running in-and most successful-events in the state. The Autumn Leaves Festival is always the second full weekend in October. We will host well over 170 craft booths and 25 food booths. The festival showcases our rich musical heritage, such as Old-Time, Blue Grass and Gospel performed by local musicians on the downtown stage. The unique arts & crafts of more than 170 juried craftsmen line the streets with many demonstrating their talents and skills passed down through the generations; then there is "Food for the Soul", ham biscuits, collards & cornbread, barbeque, hamburgers, ground steak and more served with hospitality by our local civic and service organizations. It's a walker's paradise with visual delights and mouthwatering treats at every stop. It's a toe-tapping, foot stomping, hand clapping kind of weekend where old friendships are renewed and new friendships are made. The Autumn Leaves Festival is a homecoming where guests become neighbors.
more info here
Boone,Blowing Rock ,Jefferson and Banner Elk
Sugar Mountain
SUGAR MOUNTAIN OKTOBERFEST CELEBRATION
SATURDAY & SUNDAY, OCTOBER 10-11, 2009
Grab your beer stein, put on your lederhosen and head to Sugar Mountain Resort for the 19th annual Oktoberfest celebration Saturday & Sunday, October 10 & 11, 2009. The weekend is packed with activities from 10:00am until 5:00pm. Admission and parking are free!
Over 40 artisan's and craftspeople open their stands at 10:00am each day. A sampling of this year's vendors include: chair canning, wooden toys, oil paintings, stain glass, handmade furniture, dolls, copper art, ceramics, honey, beeswax candles, bird houses, and much more.
Enjoy the beautiful fall foliage and a panoramic view of the surrounding area from the mile and a half long chairlift ride to Sugar's 5,300 ft peak. Everyone, even mountain bikers are welcome to ride the lift.
More info here
Flat Rock, Henderson and Black Mountain
Hendersonville
October 22 - 25
24th
Annual Fall Harvest Days-Antique Engine & Tractor Show (largest show in Western NC featuring crafters, demonstrations, farm tools, antique engines, antique tractor pulls & swap meet) Western North Carolina Agricultural Center, 8:00AM-5:00PM, rain or shine, Fletcher, 828-891-3223 or 828-692-9379
*******************************
Flat Rock
Oct 21-Nov 1st
Flat Rock Playhouse presents The Woman In Black, a keen young solicitor is sent to wind up the affairs of a recently deceased woman who lived a strange reclusive life alone in a remote and mysterious house, evenings 8:15PM, matinees 2:15PM, Flat Rock, NC (828)693-0731 or 866-732-8008
Flat Rock Playhouse
Web Site
Asheville
Asheville
62nd Annual Craft Fair of the Southern Highlands
Thursday, October 15th, 2009 - Sunday, October 18th, 2009
It's the 62nd season of the bi-annual Craft Fair of the Southern Highlands, October 15-18, 2009. The Craft Fair is an event where connoisseurs and novices alike come to craft a collection, connect with tradition, and invest in regional culture. The Craft Fair takes place in beautiful downtown Asheville at the Civic Center, 10am-6pm Thursday through Saturday, and 10am -5pm Sunday. Over two hundred craftspeople fill two floors with fine handcrafted items, while local musicians play live on the arena stage, and craft educators share their knowledge with children in hands-on projects.
Additional information about this event is available at 828-298-7928
Web Page
Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge and Sevierville,TN
Gatlinburg
34th Annual Fall Craftsmen's Fair
October 8th thru 25th, 2009
10am - 7 pm Daily
10am - 5 pm Sundays
Admission: Adults $6.00, children 12 and under, free
Colorful, breathtaking mountains, cool autumn freshness and the allure of nature's beauty. these are some very good reasons to visit the Great Smoky Mountains this fall. But if you need a little more coaxing, how about making plans to attend one of the Southeast's most popular events - the Gatlinburg Craftsmen's Fair at the Gatlinburg Convention Center!
Art, crafts and music lovers will find over 200 booths featuring some of the nation's finest work.
Artisans and craftspeople are on-hand to demonstrate their skill, answer questions and offer their unique art for sale.
Country & Bluegrass
music shows!
Web Page Here
Some special links to make your visit more worthwhile
2010 75th Anniversary Web Site of the Blue Ridge Parkway
Join us on an extraordinary journey through the stories of this remarkable route and the region through which it passes. Discover the opportunities the 75th Anniversary presents for us all!
**************************************
Chestnut Creek School of the Arts
Chestnut Creek School of Arts preserves and promotes the cultural heritage of southwest Virginia by fostering artistic and individual growth through classes in visual and performing arts, heritage and contemporary craft, and traditional music.
Visit the Web Site
**************************************
The Crooked Road
Craft
Virginia's Heritage Music Trail
**************************************
Friends of The Blue Ridge Parkway
Friends of The Blue Ridge Parkway web site
ODDS and ENDS Some interesting things
Carve the Pumpkin
it's that time of the year