RALEIGH, N.C. (May 15, 2013) – The music traditions that led to bluegrass have rung out in the North Carolina mountains for hundreds of years. With Raleigh’s selection as host of the International Bluegrass Music Association’s World of Bluegrass in September, music lovers have more reason than ever to experience this living legacy in cities, towns and tiny communities across the state.
Start mapping your journey with this sampling of settings. Find additional stops on VisitNC.com, which lists festivals and other events as well as venues. And pick up the new Blue Ridge Music Trails of North Carolina (UNC Press) to discover even more dimensions, including history, lore and a 26-track CD.
Mount Airy: WPAQ AM’s Merry Go-Round has run longer than any other live radio show except the Grand Ole Opry. Visit this music-rich town for the pre-show jam and stay for the taping every Saturday morning. www.surrycountymusic.com Another live radio option: WKBC AM’s monthly Hometown Opry in North Wilkesboro. www.north-wilkesboro.com/HometownOpry
Brasstown: The John C. Campbell Folk School has tended to mountain traditions since 1925. Here, you can learn to play – or even make – a banjo or resonator guitar (Dobro), work on your fiddle and mandolin licks, test your skills in ensemble performance or just enjoy the music at the school’s Friday night concerts. www.folkschool.org
Asheville: At sundown on Saturdays (June 29-Aug. 31), bluegrass pickers, string bands, dancers and other performers assemble in Pack Square Park downtown for Shindig on the Green. Also in Asheville, Jack of the Wood holds jams (old-time Wednesday, bluegrass Thursday), the Asheville Event Centre stages the Blue Ridge Opry dinner show on Tuesdays, and The Grey Eagle and other venues include bluegrass in the mix. Down the road in Fletcher, Feed & Seed offers lively performances every weekend.
Robbinsville: In another era Lester Flatt, Earl Scruggs, Bill Monroe and the Carter Family performed at Stecoah Union School. In its new life as the Stecoah Valley Cultural Arts Center, the stone building presents the latest generation of greats in summer’s Appalachian Evening series. Dine in the Schoolhouse Cafe before the show. www.stecoahvalleycenter.com
Spruce Pine: The Orchard at Altapass tends to heirloom apples while nurturing mountain culture. Live bands perform bluegrass, ballads, country and other styles Wednesday-Sunday afternoons. Hayrides, storytelling and nature walks are also part of the Altapass experience. www.altapassorchard.org And down the road toward Burnsville, Young’s Mountain Music is a top-notch Saturday night destination.
Granite Falls: Enjoy two traditions in one at Sims Country Bar-B-Que, which sets out a buffet of pit-cooked pork, beef and chicken every Friday and Saturday night. Old-time and bluegrass are the musical specialty of the house, and there’s room on the dance floor for flatfooting or two-stepping. www.simscountrybarbque.com
Sparta: The old-fashioned community dance lives on at the Alleghany Jubilee, presented every Tuesday and Saturday in a 1930s theater. Ernest Joines, who co-owns the Jubilee with wife Agnes, performs with some of the bands that make music for dancing. alleghanyjubilee.com
Marshall: Zuma Coffee’s Thursday night bluegrass jam has become the stuff of legend in this picturesque town on the French Broad River. Fiddler Bobby Hicks, a 10-time Grammy nominee, is the event’s host when his schedule permits. As accompaniments to the music, Zuma serves creative comfort food, organic fair trade coffee and homemade desserts. zumacoffee.accountsupport.com
Blue Ridge Music Trails of North Carolina highlights other jams – some in unexpected places. Among the venues are Drexel Barber Shop in Drexel (Saturday afternoon); Silvermont Mansion, a 33-room Colonial Revival house in Brevard (Thursday); Jessup Mill, a century-old grist mill on the banks of the Dan River near Francisco (third Sunday); Phipps Old General Store near Lansing (Friday); Todd General Store in Todd (Friday); and Clay’s Corner in Brasstown (Friday).
For more inspiration plus details about lodging, dining and other things to do on a musical journey, go to VisitNC.com.
World of Bluegrass, which will be based in downtown Raleigh, includes an IBMA business conference Sept. 24-26, the IBMA Awards on Sept. 26 and the Wide Open Bluegrass Festival on Sept. 27-28. For information about tickets and nearby hotels, see worldofbluegrass.org. Learn more about the host city at VisitRaleigh.com.