“The Crooked Road” is Virginia’s Heritage Music Trail, a driving trail through the Appalachian Mountains primarily following U.S. Route 58. From the slopes of the Blue Ridge Parkway to the Coalfield region of Virginia, the trail connects major heritage music venues in the Appalachian region.
The town of Floyd, in Floyd County, Virginia is home of County Records and the annual FloydFest. Clintwood, in Dickenson County, is at the other end of the music trail and is the site of the Ralph Stanley Museum and Traditional Mountain Music Center. The Crooked Road is a great opportunity to drive along beautiful mountain scenery, visit antique and merchant shops, and enjoy six major venues along the 227 mile route.
Near Galax in Grayson County is the new Blue Ridge Music Center, located on the scenic Blue Ridge Parkway at Milepost 213. The Blue Ridge Music Center was established by the U.S. Congress and the National Park Service to honor and commemorate an important strand of the cultural history of the United States. On the border of Carroll and Grayson Counties in Galax, Virginia is the home of the Moose Lodge #733 Old fiddlers Convention, the oldest and largest such convention in the world. Founded in 1935, the Old Fiddlers Convention attracts over 50,000 music fans from around the world during the six-day festival each August.
The Crooked Road takes you into Washington County through Damascus, where five major trails converge, including the Appalachian Trail. There are venues in Damascus and Taylor’s Valley that hold bluegrass and old-time music each weekend. Continuing along the route you will find yourself in Abingdon, Virginia, home of the Barter Theatre, the State Theatre of Virginia. Bristol, VA/TN has been named the official “Birthplace of Country Music” by the U.S. Congress. In August 1927, Ralph Peer, talent scout for Victor Talking Machine Company, came to Bristol to record musicians from the southern Appalachian region for commercial musical records. The recording session that transpired has been described as “The big bang of country music.” Bristol holds an annual Rhythm and Roots Festival featuring several bluegrass bands along State Street on the Virginia/Tennessee state line.
Just north of Bristol is Hiltons, Virginia. Since 1974, the Carter Family Fold has presented programs of old time and bluegrass music there every weekend. Formally established in 1979, the Music Center’s objective is to promote old time music and pay tribute to the original Carter family.
Many old-time and bluegrass sites are found in communities in Scott and Wise Counties as U.S. 23 passes near the towns of Big Stone Gap, Appalachia, and Pound. The Crooked Road western venue features the Ralph Stanley Museum and traditional Mountain Music Center in Clintwood, Virginia.
The Crooked Road route is identified by signs designating the trail along Routes 58, 23, 421 and 221. There are also listening points where travelers can listen to a radio broadcast that detail specific sites. The Crooked Road Guide Book and accompanying CD further details the importance of the musical heritage of the region and inform travelers of other attractions, events, and accommodations available along the trail.
It’s an opportunity for travelers to experience over 200 years of the heritage and music of this beautiful region of Virginia. For more information on The Crooked Road call 1-866-MTN-MUSIC (686-6874) or visit them on the web at www.thecrookedroad.org.