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October 3, 2024 Updates on the Blue Ridge Parkway and Surrounding Areas: The Blue Ridge Parkway remains closed through North Carolina as crews continue their initial assessment of the damage from Hurricane Helene. The Blue Ridge Music Center remains closed as of today. Power was restored yesterday but the fire suppression systems need to be assessed before any operational decisions can be made. This means Midday Mountain Music is canceled through at least Monday, October 7.

The Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation and Waypoint Adventure are partnering to offer adaptive kayak training for volunteers and adventures for individuals with physical or mental disabilities in August at Price Lake, milepost 297 on the Blue Ridge Parkway, near Blowing Rock, N.C.

  The Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation welcomed guests to celebrate the release of the new Blue Ridge Parkway license plate and discuss plans for improvements to the national park on March 21 at The Hotel Roanoke & Conference Center. The nonprofit’s CEO Carolyn Ward and Whitney Brown, Chair of the Foundation’s Board of Trustees, welcomed the audience to share their ideas for supporting the country’s most-visited national park.

  Great news! Virginia drivers can now order the Blue Ridge Parkway specialty license plate online and request the plate at DMV offices. The tag depicts a colorful scenic view of the Parkway and is the only specialty plate in the commonwealth solely dedicated to funding projects and programs within the country’s most visited national park. 

The Blue Ridge Parkway license plate is the perfect example of how a community of supporters can make a big impact. In 2023, North Carolina drivers raised $574,461 to enhance the national park by purchasing or renewing their Blue Ridge Parkway specialty license plate. That is the largest amount raised through the program in more than a decade.  Thank you, North Carolina plateholders! Your support allows us to rehab trails, restore historic buildings, train volunteers, monitor wildlife, and do so much more for the park you love. 

On February 6, the Blue RIdge Parkway/National Park Service released the following release concerning Request for Expressions of Interest for Otter Creek Restaurant, Rocky Knob Cabins, and Bluffs Lodge

Need a thoughtful present for a loved one? Here's a list of great gifts for people who love music, photography, puzzles, getaways, and especially the Blue Ridge Parkway! Happy Holidays❄️

Beginning Monday, Oct. 23, a contracted crew and volunteers will start reconstruction of the viewing platform atop Mount Pisgah in Pisgah National Forest off the Blue Ridge Parkway at milepost 407.6. The project is funded through the generosity of our Community of Stewards.

Rick Lotz loves to drive the Blue Ridge Parkway, and not just from behind the wheel. His support drives enhancements within the national park. He wants more Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation donors to know about the tax advantages of qualified charitable distributions (QCDs) from individual retirement accounts (IRAs).