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Upcoming Events
March 1
Voting opens for the 10th Annual Appalachian Mountain Photo Contest
April 14
Corkscrew 5K at Chetola Resort
May 4
Blue Ridge Music Center opens
May 25
TradFest! at the
Blue Ridge Music Center
June 10-13
Plates for the Parkway
June 14
Roseanne Cash and Wayne Henderson & Friends at the Blue Ridge Music Center
June 20
The Kruger Brothers at the Blue Ridge Music Center |
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Save the Journey�
Donate today and your tax deductible contribution will help preserve America's Favorite Journey� for future generations.
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"Springtime is the land awakening.
The March winds are the morning yawn."
- Lewis Grizzard and Kathy Sue Loudermilk, I Love You
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Save the Date!
The Second Annual
Plates for the Parkway event will be held at restaurants in communities along the Parkway June 10-13, 2013. Mark your calendars now and plan to support the Parkway by dining with one (or more) of our partners that week!
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 "No winter lasts forever; no spring skips its turn."
- Hal Borland
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Protect the Parkway
For each new or renewed specialty plate, $20 is given to the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation, and the entire specialty plate fee of $30 is tax deductible.
If you are a North Carolina resident,
Click Here to find out how you can help protect the Blue Ridge Parkway's historic, cultural and scenic resources today and into the future.
Already own a
NC Blue Ridge Parkway Specialty Plate?
Enter to Win a 2 Night Stay for two at a luxury accommodation on the Parkway, a gift certificate for dinner and a $100 gift card to the Mast General store!
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 "The March wind roars
Like a lion in the sky,
And makes us shiver
As he passes by.
When winds are soft,
And the days are warm and clear,
Just like a gentle lamb,
Then spring is here."
- Author Unknown
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"From crest to crest, blue and boundless space surrounds; on such soaring heights, a soundless grace abounds. In perfect lofty solitude, any troubled cares elude; here, mountain strength will fill your heart renewed."
- Excerpt from "Blue Ridge"
by Randall Diamond
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Your Stewardship in Action for 2013
 Thanks to your generosity, the Board of the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation has unanimously approved almost three-quarters of a million dollars in funding to the Blue Ridge Parkway for 2013 projects and programs. With the budget issues in Washington and the looming sequestration, the Parkway's needs were especially critical this year, prompting the Foundation to agree to pursue funding for a larger than normal list. Over 80% of the funding is for projects that are critical or are already in process, and these funds have been committed to the Parkway for 2013. The remaining projects will only be undertaken if external funding from public sources or private donations can be found to help offset the costs.
Committed projects for 2013 include:
Projects which will require additional funding to make them a reality include:
To see the full list and find out more information, please visit www.brpfoundation.org/CurrentProjects. To help make these projects a reality, please visit www.brpfoundation.org/Donate.
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The Next Generation of Stewards In The News
 | | WLOS-TV |
Your generosity has allowed the Foundation to fund the Parkway's "Parks as Classrooms" program since 1998, helping to introduce schoolchildren in counties along the Parkway to its resources and importance. Watch and listen to how the children gain an appreciation for America's Favorite Journey after Ranger Bob's presentation!
To support this program, please visit our website.
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Know Before You Go
The Parkway has implemented a new online, real time Road Closure Map! Visitors and local residents can plan their trip using a new mapping tool that alerts visitors to areas of the Parkway that may be closed due to weather or construction. Save this link to your favorites - maps.nps.gov/blri/road-closures |
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Sequestration Impacts on the Blue Ridge Parkway
The looming Federal sequestration that will take effect March 1st unless Congress takes action could have significant impacts on the Parkway if it goes through. According to an article in the Henderson Times-News "If sequestration occurs because of congressional inaction, the Blue Ridge Parkway would be forced to cut 21 seasonal interpretative ranger positions and close half of its 14 visitor centers, according to a National Park Service memo leaked Wednesday by the Coalition of NPS Retirees." Please call your legislators and let them know how much YOU care about the future of the Parkway. Stay updated by following us on Facebook.
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A Junior Ranger Journey  | | Hunter receives his Junior Ranger Medallion at Park Headquarters |
Last summer, Donna and her son Hunter spent part of their summer on a special End-to-End journey on the Parkway. Hunter spent the week completing the Junior Ranger activities on the Parkway at 10 different sites, earning not only his Blue Ridge Parkway Jr. Ranger badge, but also a special medallion reserved for those who complete all of the Parkway activities. According to Donna "It was such a wonderful experience for our family. Hunter is already asking about completing another Junior Ranger program at another National Park this summer."
Read other great stories on our website or share your own special Parkway story or memory. H ave you traveled the entire length of the Parkway? Our end-to-ender program is designed to celebrate those people who have traveled all 469 miles of the Parkway, whether done in one trip or many. To submit your story and receive your rewards package, please go to www.endtoender.org.
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An Exciting Season Ahead
For The Blue Ridge Music Center
The Blue Ridge Music Center at MP 213 will open in May and plans for the upcoming concert season are well underway. "It's going to be another exciting summer of music!" says Music Program Manager, Erynn Marshall.
Although there are still more concert surprises to be announced, we're giving you a sneak peek into who will be performing in 2013. Being a great, inaugural success last year, TradFest! will happen again on May 25th featuring many of the best young musicians in the area including the Iron Mountain Ridge Runners, Old Grass, and Junior Appalachian Musicians (JAM). There will be a family squaredance too so bring your family to BRMC on Memorial Day Weekend. Other concerts such as the Tennessee Traditions show, Mountain Duets Concert as well as special blues and gospel themed programs are also in the works. Some of the stellar artists to be featured this summer include: Roseanne Cash, the Kruger Brothers, Balsam Range, Big Country Bluegrass, Marshall Brothers & High Road, Wayne Henderson, Roan Mountain Hilltoppers, South Carolina Broadcasters, 84-year-old bluesman John Dee Hollman, Lightnin' Wells, Riley Baugus, dancer Ira Bernstein,the Stuart Brothers, Primitive Quartet,Easter Brothers, Easter Family,Slate Mountain Ramblers, and others. For the latest artist announcements, schedule information, or to donate to the Blue Ridge Music Center's traditional music series, please visit
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Can You Sip & Run?
On Saturday, April 13, Chetola Resort and Zap Fitness will be sponsoring the Corkscrew 5K. Held in conjunction with the Blue Ridge Wine & Food Festival, the 5K combines road racing and wine (or, if you prefer, walking and wine). Be sure to mark your calendars and join them for this all-new event - a portion of the proceeds will benefit the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation. Registration is open at Chetola's website.
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This Appalachian Mountain Photography Competition provides both amateur and professional photographers the opportunity to showcase their interpretation of the unique character, people, places, and pursuits that distinguish the Southern Appalachians. Categories for this year's competition include: Adventure, Blue Ridge Parkway - Weather on the Parkway, Culture, Our Ecological Footprint, Flora/Fauna, and Landscape. Voting for the 10th Annual Footsloggers People's Choice Award will begin on Friday, March 1st, 2013 @ 5:00 PM and will end on Friday, May 17th, 2013 @ 5:00 PM. Mark your calendars and visit www.appmtnphotocomp.org to vote!
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Parkway Place Challenge
Do you know the location of this photo taken on the Parkway? Submit your answer on our website by midnight, March 26th. Three winners will be drawn at random from those who submit the correct answer, and each winner will receive their choice of an array of prizes.
Last month's challenge proved to be an easy one - the correct answer was Brinegar Cabin (MP 238). If you submitted a correct answer, the randomly selected winners will be drawn this week, and you will be notified if you are one of the winners.
Do you have a photo that you think would be a great puzzler? Submit it here!
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