Here are some of the top events around Southwest and Southside for the coming week. Check out our new events calendar. Got an event? You can add it there for free. Want to keep up with what’s happening? Sign up here for our free weekly events newsletter.
Aug. 19: Tribute to Doc Watson at Blue Ridge Music Center
The Blue Ridge Music Center is presenting a tribute to Doc Watson with the show “Doc at 100” at 7 p.m. Saturday in the outdoor amphitheater.
The Music Center is at milepost 213 on the Blue Ridge Parkway, just south of Galax.
“Doc at 100” explores the history and legacy of Doc Watson, who was born in Deep Gap, North Carolina, in 1923, and went on to become one of the most influential acoustic guitar players in the world of folk music.
Hosted by author Ted Olson, the concert program celebrates what would have been Watson’s 100th birthday. The program features T. Michael Coleman, Jack Lawrence, Wayne Henderson and Jack Hinshelwood.
“Doc at 100” was recently named one of five nominees for the 2023 “Event of the Year” award presented by the International Bluegrass Music Association.
Tickets are $25 in advance, $30 day of show, $10 for children 12 and younger. Advance tickets are available at BlueRidgeMusicCenter.org. Tickets also can be purchased on the evening of the show at the admission gates.
Parking opens at 5:15 p.m. and is free. Admission to the amphitheater begins at 5:45 p.m.
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Aug. 19: ‘Virginia’s Lost Appalachian Trail’ talk and book signing
Mills Kelly, a historian and Appalachian Trail enthusiast, will talk about the massive 1952 rerouting of the iconic trail and will sign copies of his book, “Virginia’s Lost Appalachian Trail,” on Saturday at the Salem Museum.
Kelly is a professor of history at George Mason University and a lifelong hiker on the Appalachian Trail whose podcast, “The Green Tunnel Podcast,” explores the history of the trail.
In his talk, Kelly will describe the changes that occurred in 1952, when the Appalachian Trail Conference moved 300 miles of the trail more than 50 miles to the west, moving it away from such features as the Pinnacles of Dan and Fisher’s Peak.
The event, which will begin at 11 a.m., is free and open to the public.
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Aug. 19: Heritage Day in Christiansburg
The Montgomery Museum of Art & History presents its annual Heritage Day Festival from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Aug. 19 in downtown Christiansburg.
Food trucks and more than 40 vendors will be on hand, offering arts and crafts, native plants and baked goods. The street festival also will feature antique cars, kids’ events, a hay wagon ride, historical reenactors and a beer/wine garden, as well as live performances by Amelia Empson, Virginia Hollow, Pathway, The Panjammers and Appalachian Space Train.
For more information on the event, visit https://montgomerymuseum.org/events/heritage-day.
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Aug. 19: Bluegrass and Old-Time Jamboree in Wytheville
Wytheville Community College will host its monthly Bluegrass and Old-Time Jamboree from 7 to 9 p.m. Saturday.
The jamboree will feature the Larry McPeak Tribute Band and Leftover Biscuits and will be held in the college’s William F. Snyder Auditorium in Grayson Hall.
The music begins at 7 p.m., and seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis. The event
is free and open to the public. Donations will be accepted to help defray the travel expenses of
the bands.
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Aug. 19: Meadows of Dan Folk Fair
The Meadows of Dan Folk Fair will run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday throughout the Patrick County community.
The fair will include music, a fish fry, a history talk and vendors. A full schedule is online.
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Aug. 20: The McKenzies at Humpback Rocks
The McKenzies will perform from 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday at Humpback Rocks, milepost 6 on the Blue Ridge Parkway.
The free outdoor concert is one in a series of Milepost Music sessions offered at popular destinations in the national park. Visitors are invited to bring a camp chair.
Milepost Music concerts showcase regional musicians playing traditional music at Humpback Rocks, Peaks of Otter, Mabry Mill, Doughton Park and the Blue Ridge Parkway Visitor Center Sunday afternoons. The programs are a collaboration between the Blue Ridge Music Center, Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation, and National Park Service.
The final Milepost Music session at Humpback Rocks will feature Uncle Henry’s Favorites from 2 to 4 p.m. Sept. 17.
For more information, visit BlueRidgeMusicCenter.org.