Blue Ridge Parkway

More than 200 guests attended The Denim Ball on Thursday, Sept. 15, at Moses H. Cone Memorial Park in Blowing Rock, N.C. The event surpassed its previous fundraising record, garnering $240,000 in support for continuing improvements at Moses and Bertha Cone’s former 3,500-acre estate.

The Blue Ridge Parkway is celebrating 87 years this Sunday, Sept. 11. We could list hundreds of reasons to celebrate this amazing national park, but here are just a few adventurous ways to mark the occasion. Enjoy!

As part of our 25th anniversary celebrations, the Foundation honored seven special members of its community of stewards at a ceremony on Saturday, June 18, at the Blue Ridge Music Center.  “Our 25th anniversary is really a celebration of the people who bring our mission to life through their contributions to the national park they love,” said Carolyn Ward, CEO of the Foundation. “We are fortunate to count these honorees as members of our community of stewards.”

We were thrilled to honor special members of our community of stewards during a 25th anniversary reception on April 7 at the Virginia Museum of Transportation in Roanoke, Va..  Conservationist and retired attorney Broaddus Fitzpatrick was awarded the Pat Shore Clark Stewardship Award for exemplary individual service in the advancement of the Foundation.

This summer, the Blue Ridge Music Center is celebrating 20 year of hosting concerts in the hillside amphitheater at milepost 213 on the Blue Ridge Parkway near Galax, Virginia.  Taking the stage are fan favorites, including North Carolina-based acts such as the Steep Canyon Rangers, Kruger Brothers accompanied by Kontras Quartet, and Chatham County Line, and Virginia-based acts The Steel Wheels, Dori Freeman accompanied by a Winston-Salem Symphony String Quintet, and Bill and the Belles. 

From the National Park Service Tracy Swartout Named Superintendent of Blue Ridge Parkway 

Update: Stay tuned for an announcement about The Bluffs operator coming soon. The Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation is seeking a partner to operate The Bluffs Restaurant starting this spring and continuing through fall. The restaurant is located within Doughton Park at milepost 241 on the Blue Ridge Parkway. The Bluffs was a favorite among Parkway visitors and operated for more than 60 years before closing in 2010. Last year, the 80-seat restaurant underwent extensive interior renovations in order to welcome diners back.

Let’s not call them resolutions; let’s just say we’ve got lots of opportunities to start great habits and traditions in the new year. Here are suggestions for activities and ways to stay connected to the Parkway year-round.   Take a virtual hike

If you need a healthy way to put 2020 behind you, step into the new year with a First Day Hike on the Blue Ridge Parkway this January 1. And by “on the Parkway,” we mean on the road itself! 

We are thrilled to announce that the long-awaited transformation is underway at Flat Top Manor on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Last week, crews began repairs to the weathered exterior of the circa-1901 Colonial Revival home, the centerpiece of the 3,500-acre estate that is now Moses H. Cone Memorial Park.