How deep are your country roots? The Blue Ridge Folklife Festival in southwestern Virginia connects moonshiners, craftspeople, cooks, motorheads, mule jumpers, horse pullers, coon dog racers, antique tractor buffs, and makers of things for a celebration of country traditions on Saturday, Oct. 26.

Ferrum College's Blue Ridge Institute & Museum (the official state center for Blue Ridge folklore) coordinates the whole shebang. Horse and dog competitions include not only horse pulls and the Virginia State Championship Coon Mule Jumping Contest, but also working dogs herding sheep. There will be crafts and food galore, a farmers market with sales of chickens, turkeys, pigeons, and produce (carrying cages for fowl provided). Antique engines and their owners will demonstrate cornmeal grinding and wheat threshing to hay baling, rock crushing and corn shredding. Or check out how molasses and apple butter are made just a short stroll away.

Where else can you see tobacco twisting, lye soap making, or rail splitting? In addition, the festival features displays of heirloom apples and vintage canning labels from the region – and a whole lot more of country ways and just plain commonsense practical skills – with quilters, weavers, dyers, coopers – useful skills and artisans galore.
Don't miss the performance of “Amazing Grace” – a movie star mule.

Since this area is the center of true moonshining heritage (yes, indeed), sit in to listen to “Moonshiners, Drivers & Revenuers” storytelling sessions at Blue Ridge Farm Museum. Since a nimble car with a intrepid driver at the wheel could be key to the (er-hem) moonshining process, check out the car culture display. Or read about the exhibit and how that came to be in a story, linked here.

Rain or shine. Parking is free; admission is $10, $5 for children and seniors. Children 5 and younger, free. For information call (540) 365-4416 or e-mail bri@ferrum.edu. For advance tickets call (540) 365-4412.

Note: Should you need more reasons to see this area of the U.S., visit the Virginia Tourism site for a wealth of information. Personal picks include the scenic Blue Ridge Parkway (breathtaking this time of year) or Roanoke, the “Star City” offers lodging and good food, plus a visit to the Roanoke City Market (a farmers' market like you've never seen in the heart of the city) and the oldest continuously operating open-air market in the Virginia – it began in 1882. Not far away is Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University – better known as Virginia Tech, a public land-grant and sea-grant university. And don't get me started on the Civil War-era history this region contains.

All photos this page, Ferrum College’s Blue Ridge Institute & Museum.

Some of the finest old quilts and coverlets are on display as part of Ferrum College’s Blue Ridge Institute & Museum exhibit “The Great Western Virginia Cover-Up: Historic Quilts & Bedcovers” that showcases the region’s traditions from the 1700s to 1950 – now at the Virginia Historical Society in Richmond. (From Roanoke to Richmond is less than a three-hour drive.)