The Blue Ridge Parkway Begins Celebration of Its 75th Anniversary with Special Events and Unique Concert
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – The Blue Ridge Parkway, a 469-mile scenic byway connecting Shenandoah National Park in Virginia with Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina, will celebrate its 75th Anniversary with a year of exciting events along its route throughout 2010.
A series of opening events will be held November 12-14, 2009, in Cherokee and Asheville, North Carolina. The weekend-long celebration will highlight specific areas of Parkway history related to Western North Carolina and introduce a new generation of stewards to caring for public lands, such as the Blue Ridge Parkway. Scheduled events include:
Thursday, November 12, 2009
An afternoon school program and an evening public program will highlight tribal legacies in national parks. Both events will take place at the new “green” school campus in Cherokee, North Carolina.
Friday, November 13, 2009
A ceremonial torch passing from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which is celebrating its 75th anniversary in 2009, to the Blue Ridge Parkway will occur at 10 a.m. on Friday, also in Cherokee, and will be highlighted by a performance of the Warriors of AniKituhwa dancers and remarks from both park superintendents and Eastern Band of the Cherokee Chief Michell Hicks.
Saturday, November 14, 2009
A panel discussion on the history of the landmark campaign to route the Blue Ridge Parkway in Western North Carolina will be held at 10 a.m. on Saturday, November 14 at the Folk Art Center at milepost 382 on the Parkway in Asheville. The event will also feature craft demonstrations, traditional music, and book signings. A second panel on the routing issue will convene at 1 p.m., also at the Folk Art Center.
The celebration weekend will wrap up with a benefit concert at Thomas Wolfe Auditorium in Asheville, NC, at 7 p.m. on Saturday, November 14. The performance, a musical tribute to the Parkway and its presence in Western North Carolina, will include award-winning singer/songwriter Nanci Griffith as well as a one-time only collaboration of bluegrass all-Stars showing their support for the Parkway – renowned musicians Doyle Lawson, Sammy Shelor, Bryan Sutton, Tim Surrett, and Jim VanCleve. The dramatic and colorful Warriors of AniKituhwa will also perform, and the entire evening will be hosted by Asheville's own Grammy award-winning musician David Holt.
Concert tickets are expected to be available by mid-August at the Asheville Civic Center Box Office or at Ticketmaster. For more information about the Blue Ridge Parkway 75th celebration, visit the Blue Ridge Parkway 75th Anniversary Web site.
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Contact
Elizabeth Sims
828-777-9493
elizabeth@blueridgeparkway.org
Leesa Brandon
828-271-4779, x 224
lbrandon@nccommerce.com
