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March 2016 - In this Issue of The Scenic:
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We've revamped our website with a new design and features. We hope you'll enjoy it and find it easier to navigate on any device. Here's a little about the redesign and menus:
- Explore the Parkway: Check out this guide with handy links to Parkway travel information, interesting stats, and fascinating history.
- How to Help: This section explains the many ways you can support the Parkway, from purchasing a North Carolina specialty license plate to engaging your community by hosting events and guest speakers.
- Your Gifts at Work: Here we highlight the projects and programs you can support all along the scenic route, from historic restoration initiatives to improved amenities.
- Events: Mark your calendar for events hosted by the Foundation, concerts at the Blue Ridge Music Center, and other happenings, like guided hikes and centennial celebrations, along the Parkway.
- Blog! Our new blog is a hub for Parkway news, project updates, history flashbacks, and tales from the road. Send us your Parkway story, and you may just see it featured in the blog.
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Photograph by Vicki Dameron
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Time to make your travel plans! The Blue Ridge Parkway has announced its 2016 schedule. The official opening date is May 6, when all the campgrounds offer full services. However, there picnic areas, visitor centers, and attractions that open earlier.
Get details
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Project update: Vista clearing in progress
Have you ever wondered who clears downed trees after storms or restores the views at overgrown vistas along the Parkway? It's the National Park Service's Arborist Incident Response team. Last year, the Foundation began raising funds to supply an equipment trailer to travel with the team. We're happy to report that it saw its maiden voyage this month and is being used for vista clearing projects in Virginia. Read more
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Photo courtesy of the National Park Service
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Road to the past
The Linn Cove Viaduct may get most of the attention, but there are six viaducts (technically two are bridges because they traverse water) along the 469-mile route, including Laurel Fork Viaduct (pictured) at milepost 248.9. The Rocky Mountain Viaduct, constructed in 1937 at milepost 35, was the Parkway's first.
Learn more
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Order your North Carolina specialty license tag and help the Parkway. For each attractive Blue Ridge Parkway license plate sold, $20 funds important projects on the scenic route. Get one!
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Visit the Blue Ridge Music Center starting May 7
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| | Mipso plays the Blue Ridge Music Center on May 28. |
Signs of spring mean the Music Center will soon reopen for visitors to experience the heritage of mountain music. Beginning Saturday, May 7, the visitor center and Roots of American Music exhibit will be open Thursday through Monday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. You can also catch the Midday Mountain Music performances from noon to 4 p.m.
The Music Center will be open daily starting Thursday, May 26, through October.
The season kicks off with Junior Appalachian Musicians for JAM & Family Day on Saturday, May 21, from 1 to 7 p.m. Budding musicians in the JAM program will take the stage and there will be lots of fun activities for kids, including Junior Ranger presentations, workshops in fiddle, guitar, and banjo, an instrument petting zoo, and guided hikes. The first official concert welcomes Mipso and Shadowgrass on Saturday, May 28 at 7 p.m. Formed in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, Mipso's musical style blends classic four-part harmonies and traditional Appalachian country and folk sounds with jazz and pop to expand upon traditional old time and bluegrass music. Shadowgrass is a talented bluegrass group out of Southwest Virginia and Western North Carolina featuring a stellar lineup of young musicians, including fiddle player Kitty Amaral.
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Call for auction items
 Would you like to help us throw a fantastic party to benefit Moses H. Cone Memorial Park? We're looking for items and services for our live and silent auction during The Denim Ball on August 6 at Chetola Resort of Blowing Rock. Art, jewelry, gift certificates, golf or spa packages, vacation getaways, and dining experiences would be greatly appreciated. It's a wonderful way to show your commitment to the Blue Ridge Parkway and spread the word about your business. Ready to give? For a donation form,
click here. For more information, e-mail Mandy Gee at mgee@brpfoundation.org or call (866) 308-2773, ext. 364.
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Parkway road conditions
Before you set out for a drive on the Parkway, be sure to check the Real-time Map for weather and maintenance closures.
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Events
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| | Photo by Vicki Dameron |
Earth Day on the Parkway
April 16, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Peaks of Otter Lodge, milepost 86
The Blue Ridge Parkway is celebrating the start of National Park Week and Earth Day with a host of activities at Peaks of Otter in Virginia. Visitors can learn about the park's amazing plants and animals and enjoy guided hikes at this scenic recreation area. For more information, call (828) 348-3528 or click here.
Corkscrew 5K
April 16, 7:30 a.m. registration, 8:30 a.m. race
Blowing Rock, N.C.
Lace up your sneakers for the Corkscrew 5K at Chetola Resort. The run is part of the festivities during SAVOR Blowing Rock: A Celebration of Food & Drink, and blends a love for wine and running (or walking). Participants can choose to join the Wine Lover's Division and taste wines at the start, aid stations, and finish of the 3.1-mile race or go wine-free. Prizes are awarded in multiple age groups. Proceeds from this fun-filled event benefit the Foundation and Girls on the Run. Register today!
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Photo by Charles Perry Hebard
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High Pass Boogie
May 13-14
Asheville, N.C.
Join the members of the Asheville BMW Riders Club for the High Pass Boogie. This fundraiser has a route for every rider. Dual sport, sport tour, and endurance routes over majestic Appalachian high country and through hidden mountain valleys showcase world class terrain, sweepers, and twisties. Proceeds, minus basic expenses, will be donated to help preserve and improve Moses H. Cone Memorial Park. A silent auction and mixer on Friday night at Eurosport Asheville kicks off the event, with rides taking place on Saturday. For more information and to register, visit abmwr.org.
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Your support matters
Join our Community of Stewards
As the primary fundraiser and trusted steward of the Blue Ridge Parkway, the Foundation is forever committed to preserving the past, enhancing the present, and safeguarding the future of America's Favorite Journey™. Learn more about joining our Community of Stewards at BRPFoundation.org.
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