They Feed Me on Cornbread and Beans
From bluegrass‚ blues‚ and old-time mountain music, to brass bands‚ steel drum bands‚ and mariachi groups, you can experience a jam session at a barber shop, dance at a barbecue, take a musical workshop for harp and Scottish fiddle players, hear shape note singing, or join cloggers and flatfoot dancers while celebrating the opening of a wood-fired pottery kiln.
Counties featured on this trail include Alexander, Avery, Burke, Caldwell and Watauga.
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Spotlight on Area Artists
Burke County's George Shuffler is one of the pioneers of bluegrass music. His long career as a professional guitarist included 20 years as a member of Ralph and Carter Stanley's band, where he developed a unique style of "cross-picking" that has been widely emulated by bluegrass musicians. Shuffler was a winner of the N.C. Arts Council's 2007 North Carolina Heritage Award.
Watauga County storyteller Orville Hicks brings the Beech Mountain Jack Tale tradition to life, making the stories relevant to today's audiences with his own personal creativity and delightful spirit. Hicks learned many tales from his mother and from his neighbor, renowned storyteller Ray Hicks, a recipient of the NEA's National Heritage Fellowship. Orville Hicks performs his stories at festivals, schools and universities, family reunions and conventions throughout North Carolina and the South. He was a recipient of the N.C. Arts Council's 2007 North Carolina Heritage Awards.