Blue Ridge Music Center Programming

The sounds of the fiddle, banjo, and guitar are woven into every Blue Ridge Mountain community. Cultural preservation is a core element of the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation’s mission, and we advance that goal by supporting projects and programs at the Blue Ridge Music Center in Virginia.

You can be part of this preservation effort by donating to these initiatives:

Milepost Music

Milepost Music is a series of free summer concerts hosted from June through September at popular destinations on the Parkway. These Sunday afternoon shows supplement educational programs for visitors as park staffing shortages continue and help support local and regional musicians. Because of the success of past seasons, the Music Center is increasing the number of concerts at Humpback Rocks, Mabry Mill, Doughton Park, and the Parkway Visitor Center in Asheville this year. You can share the joy of mountain music with a gift that supports artist fees, production costs, advertising and administration/coordination of this impactful cultural series.

Share a New Exhibit

With your help, the exhibition Half-Tone Folk Heroes: Traditional Musicians as Pop Art will go on display in the Luthier Shop at the Music Center. The collection of illustrations by Gina Dilg, a visual artist and musician from Radford, Va., pays tribute to the old time, bluegrass, early country, and blues folk artists who have inspired generations, including the Stanley Brothers, Bill Monroe, Joe and Odell Thompson, Samantha Bumgarner, and Etta Baker. Your donation will help share a fun and fresh perspective on the intersection of visual arts and music with thousands of visitors.

Light Up the Stage - FUNDED!

The Music Center’s stage lighting currently operates with outdated, high wattage lamps that are expensive to replace and difficult to source because the bulbs are no longer manufactured. This lighting is no longer sustainable. With a donation, you can fund LED fixtures and converters that will supply energy efficient lighting that will shine for years to come.

Ambassadors

The National Park Service faces many challenges when hiring staff for Parkway roles, including decreased funding and labor force shortages. To maintain enriching and engaging experiences at the Music Center, you can provide support for Visitor Experience Ambassadors and Event Logistics Coordinators who will share programs and information and assist visitors coming to Music Center programs and events from June through October. With one full-time and/or multiple part-time ambassador staff, the Foundation will supplement current National Park Service staff at this popular cultural destination.

Repair solar lights

After the sun sets behind the hills and the final round of applause fades, crowds stream out of the amphitheater. You can make sure the walk to their cars is just another part of a safe and enjoyable evening by funding repairs to solar lights used to illuminate the parking lot. Please help reduce the chance of injury or accident for concertgoers and the staff who are responsible for traffic control.

Keep Tunes & Tales Alive

At the Blue Ridge Music Center, the sounds of the mountains are preserved, interpreted, and celebrated through the annual summer concert series hosted in the outdoor amphitheater with beautiful Fisher Peak as the backdrop. However, concert ticket sales, grants, and sponsorships do not cover the costs of all the dynamic programs offered spring through fall. With a donation, you can ensure that the music of the mountains comes to life and a treasured aspect of the region's cultural heritage remains vibrant.

DONATE

Learn more about the Blue Ridge Music Center.