Interesting things going on up, down and around the Parks and Drives
Dear Traveler
This is the second issue of our effort to bring to you interesting happenings, events and occurences on and near the Skyline Drive and the Blue Ridge Parkway. We will usually divide them into 12 sections to match up with the map sections on our web site BlueRidgeSkyline.com Starting with the Northern Section of the Skyline Drive including Winchester and Front Royal and working our way south the the Southern end near Cherokee NC
BlueRidgeSkyline.com is a directory of Services ( 24 different categories) available to the 20 million plus visitors to these parks each year. They are the most visited National Parks in the USA
This News letter is an extension of our web page to better enhance our visitors experience both with our Site and the Parks themselves.
We encourage anyone to send us information about an upcoming event in any of the towns within an hours drive of the parks.
Enjoy your visit
John Nunn
ps: We are sending this out early so you can see information about the Big Event in Hillsville over Labor Day Weekend.The Gun Show and Flea Market
Winchester, Front Royal and the Northern Section of the Skyline Drive.
Edinburg Ole Time Festival
Sept 19,20 & 21
On the third Friday of each September, this sleepy little town, nestled along US-11 (Exit 279 on I-81), comes alive with the Festival of music, arts, crafts, parade, entertainment and great food. The best part of the Festival, though, is our people. Our theme is that of another time. A time when things moved a little slower, a time when people took the time to visit with each other, but most of all, a time when everybody enjoyed the life they had and the friends they shared.
Link to Festival web Page
Harrisonburg and Luray section of the Skyline Drive
Like Books?
Then the Green Valley Book Fair is for you! Aug 16th thru Sept 1st and then Oct 11th thru the 26th.
Located just south of Harrisonburg, Virginia, in the heart of the beautiful Shenandoah Valley, the Green Valley Book Fair is a discount book outlet store featuring over 500,000 new books at incredible bargain prices. Save 60% to 90% off retail on over 30,000 different titles in more than 60 different categories - including fiction, history, health and self-help, children's books, religion, science, sports, cooking, gardening, crafts, art, reference, nature and outdoors, and more
Staunton and Waynesboro where the Skyline Drive and The Blue Ridge Parkway meet
Quilting Celebtration
All of September
Quilts: Past, Present & Future is a month long celebration of the artistic and cultural significance of quilts in our lives, honoring traditional, historical, and contemporary art quilts. The celebration begins the weekend of Sept. 4th with a two day Conference and the opening reception of a juried Studio Art Quilt Association exhibit called "Amazing Art Quilts" by the Staunton Augusta Art Center, A Virginia Museum of Fine Arts Partner. The Art Center and conference site is in the newly restored state-of-the-art R.R. Smith Center for History and Art in downtown historic Staunton, a national award-winning Main Street community
Information on the Quilting Event
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
Lexington VA
September 11-14
VA Quarter Horse Association Breeder's Futurity
Hundreds of Quarter horses from around the country will take part in a wide variety of AQHA-recognized classes during this four-day Quarter Horse show.
Click here for Virginia Quarter Horse Assoc.
And the Lexington September Events calendar
Buchanan VA
Oct 4th Saturday 10Am to 5PM
Mountain Magic In Fall Bluegrass, Antiques and Crafts Festival
Rediscover the charm of "small town America" during Buchanan's annual Mountain Magic In Fall Bluegrass, Antiques and Crafts Festival.
More Information here
Roanoke, Salem & Smith Mt. Lake
COLE BROTHER'S CIRCUS OF THE STARS!
Under the Big Top
Friday, September 12, 4:30 pm & 7:30 pm
Saturday, September 13, 1:30 pm, 4:30 pm
& 7:30 pm
Sunday, September 14, 1:30 pm & 4:30 pm
Click here for Free Child's Ticket and more info
Blacksburg, Christiansburg and Floyd
Floyd : Annual New Works at the Jackson Center
1st - 28th -Sept
-This is your chance to view the work accomplished over the past year in every medium by our talented regional artists. The Jacksonville Center for the Arts, 220 Parkway Lane South (State Road 8 just past downtown towards the Blue Ridge) For more information:
Click here to read more about the Center
Galax Hillsville and Independence
One of the largest Flea Markets and Gun Shows
Hillsville VA Aug 29th thru Monday Sept 1st Flea Market Crowd
Come to Hillsville, Virginia, just about any other weekend of the year and you will find a nice but sleepy town of just a few thousand folks.
But come to Hillsville on Labor Day weekend -- the first weekend in September -- and you will find that sleepy little town has become a bustling metropolis of flea market and gun show sellers and buyers half a million strong.
Gun Show and Flea Market Web Page
Mt Airy, Sparta, Elkins and Wilkesboro NC
18th Annual MAYBERRY DAYS
Thursday - Sunday, September 25-28, 2008
Celebrate the anniversary of The Andy Griffith Show in the actor's hometown of Mount Airy, N.C. Stars including Maggie Peterson as "Charlene Darling," Doug Dillard of the "Darlings," Howard Morris as "Ernest T. Bass," George Lindsey as "Goober," Betty Lynn as "Thelma Lou," LeRoy Mack NcNees of "The Country Boys" and George Spence as "Guest in the House" have made appearances during Mayberry Days. Andy Griffith has also been in Mount Airy during Mayberry Days!
More info about Mayberry Days
Pumpkin Festival 12th Annual Elkin NC
Saturday, September 27, 2008 marks the date for the 12th Annual Pumpkin Festival to be held in Historic Downtown Elkin. The festival brings more than 15,000 visitors to downtown Elkin to enjoy live entertainment, shopping, great food and gigantic pumpkins galore.
The festivities begin Saturday morning with the 3nd Annual Great Pumpkin Weigh-Off. at the former Smith Phillips Building Supply located at 257Standard Street. There will be pumpkins from growers located all over the East Coast. Some will weigh-in at an excess of 1,000 lbs with hopes of placing in the Great Pumpkin Commonwealth top ten.
The Main Street of Elkin will be lined with vendors of every description featuring everything from funnel cakes to functional pottery, canned green beans to gourmet coffees, wood furnishings to wine racks, BBQ to baked goods, sand art to sunrooms, pumpkin butter to polish sausages, plus a variety of live entertainment and the ever-popular pie-eating contest sponsored by Yadkin Valley General Store.
Blue Ridge Skyline & Parkway Drive
Yadkin Valley Events Calendar
Boone,Blowing Rock ,Jefferson and Banner Elk
Boone NC
September 13-14, 2008
11th Annual Farm Heritage Day and Country Fair
Held at the Historic Cove Creek School in Sugar Grove
Old-Fashioned family fun! Farm exhibits, live music, petting zoo, crafts, apple butter and more!
Admission charged for adults. Children 15 and under are free.
Boone Calendar here
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Avery County Agricultural & Horticultural Fair
P.O. Box 790, Newland, N.C. 28657
September 9th-13th 2008
5:00 PM until, Tuesday thru Friday
Noon until on Saturday
Come to the Avery County Agricultural and Horticultural Fair. It will be five days and nights of fun for the whole family! There will be blue ribbon contests in many categories, displays of livestock, trees, produce, arts & crafts, and much more
Flat Rock, Henderson and Black Mountain
The North Carolina Mountain State Fair
Sept 5-14 In Fletcher NC near Asheville
A 10 day family oriented Agricultrural Fair with Midway Rides, 200 vendors, 50 Heritage craftsmen. Competitions in Flower and Garden, Arts and Crafts, Baked Goods, Livestock and much much more.
Check out the Web Site
Asheville and Area
Bryson City , NC 28713
September 19,20 & 21
Great Smoky Mountain Railroad
Depots in Dillsboro & Bryson City
Three days of railroad fun! Visiting equipment, Motor car display and muscial performances. Special events this year marking the 20th Anniversary of Great Smoky Mountains Railroad
A festival celebrating arts and crafts of the Western North Carolina Mountains. Held in Bryson City in conjunction with Railfest and Bryson City's 27th Firemen's Day!
See More Here
Some special links to make your visit more worthwhile
The National D-Day Memorial Web Page
Bedford VA
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The Crooked Road
Craft
Virginia's Heritage Music Trail
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Friends of The Blue Ridge Parkway
Friends of The Blue Ridge Parkway web site
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Blue Ridge Music Center
The Center's Web Page
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Good crowd at the "Smoke on the Mountain" in Galax July 26th.
roclaimed the "The Bar B Que Capitol of Virginia" by Decree of the Governor of Virginia
ODDS and ENDS Some interesting things
Healthy Dining Menu Choices from Fast Food to Upscale Restaurants
A new web site that lists 55,000 locations that have at least four meals less that 750 calories and 25 grams of fat.
Click Here for Healthy Dining Website
Click here The Cars We Drove in the 50s & 60s
A neat web page of Cars in Days Gone By.
Click here for a Pixie Train Ride
Sweet acquaintances along life's way
Click here to see what happens from overusing your mouse
How do they do these things?