Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation Events

With his effortless vocals, distinctive songwriting, and instrumental prowess, Mike Mitchell continues to capture audiences and carve out his own place in bluegrass. His latest single, “Calling Me,” spent five months on the Bluegrass Standard Video chart, and his most recent album, Small Town, debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard bluegrass chart. “Mitchell’s command of the fiddle is obvious and his tone is righteous,” wrote Bluegrass Unlimited Magazine of his debut release, Dead Center.

Bill and the Belles began as a project to explore the sounds between rural and urban music, between vaudeville and down-home roots, but they’ve arrived somewhere wholly their own. They revel in the in-between: deeply engaged with the stringband tradition and eager to stretch those influences to contemporary settings. The group’s 2021 release, Happy Again, isn’t exactly happy, but the delightfully deadpan album is full of life, humor, and tongue-in-cheek explorations of love and loss.

While Rissi Palmer made her mark in country music, she is equally at home in R&B, bringing the entire spectrum of popular music to bear on music she calls “Southern Soul.” She released her self-titled debut album in 2007, charting singles, “Country Girl,” “Hold On To Me,” and “No Air.” Since then, Palmer has independently released a Christmas single, a children’s album titled Best Day Ever, and an EP titled The Back Porch Sessions.

Originally from Florida, now making her home in the mountains of Virginia, Amanda Cook acquired a love of bluegrass from her father, who played banjo throughout her childhood. In 2007, Cook formed the bluegrass group High Cotton with her father and received her first taste of performing. That experience fueled a fire to record and tour professionally. Determined to create her unique sound, Cook stepped out on her own and released her first solo album, One Stop Along the Road.

The Steep Canyon Rangers are Grammy winners, perennial Billboard chart-toppers, and frequent collaborators of the renowned banjoist (and occasional comedian) Steve Martin. The band started in college at UNC-Chapel Hill, then dove head first into bluegrass in its most traditional form. The band has expanded their genres into country and Americana. They are often compared to predecessors The Band, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, and the modern Zac Brown Band.

Rooted in tradition, fearlessly creative, and possessing a bold, dynamic sound, The Slocan Ramblers are Canada’s bluegrass band to watch. Named the 2020 IBMA Momentum Band of the Year, the band has become a leading light of today’s acoustic music scene. With a reputation for energetic live shows and  impeccable musicianship, the group has been winning over audiences from MerleFest to RockyGrass and everywhere in between. 

The Steel Wheels have long been at home in the creative space between tradition and innovation, informed by the familiar sounds of the Virginia mountains where the band was formed, but always moving forward with their rootsy brand of Americana. 

One of the most compelling new voices in the roots music world, Northern California-bred artist Molly Tuttle is a virtuosic multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter with a lifelong love of bluegrass. On her new album, Crooked Tree, Tuttle joyfully explores her rich history with bluegrass, bringing her imagination to tales of free spirits and outlaws, weed farmers and cowgirls, resulting in a record that is both forward-thinking and steeped in bluegrass heritage.

It's time to start picking out your denim outfit! Join us on Thursday, September 15, for the 2022 Denim Ball, celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation and the completion of exterior repairs at Flat Top Manor at Moses H. Cone Memorial Park. The evening will be hosted in front of the manor,  where you can admire its renewed grandeur and the lovely views of the surrounding estate. We’ll enjoy dinner, drinks, and dancing to the sounds of Soul Benefactor. 

Save the date for a celebration of the Foundation's 25th anniversary on Thursday, November 17, at Highland Brewing Company in Asheville, N.C. More details are coming soon, but rest assured their will be plenty of great craft beer!   Premier Sponsor