WDBJ7 Roanoke News and Weather NRV Lynchburg Danville | Blue Ridge Folklife Festival celebrates 35 years

Blue Ridge Folklife Festival celebrates 35 years

On Saturday, thousands will return to Ferrum for the Blue Ridge Folklife Festival.

This is the 35th edition of the popular event which has become a regional tradition in its own right. 

This week, the crew from Fence Builders is planting the final posts for the new horse ring, and landscapers are tending trees nearby.  Come Saturday, the Blue Ridge Farm Museum and the entire Ferrum College campus will be teeming with activity.

Thousands have made an October visit a tradition since the college hosted the first Blue Ridge Folklife Festival in 1974.

Regulars will recognize many of the exhibits, from the horse pulling contest and vintage cars, to the regional foods like blackpot chicken.

But Blue Ridge Institute Director Roddy Moore says the traditions are changing with the times.

"I think the music is still very, very much alive," says Moore.  "The old-time and bluegrass music is probably healthier today than it's ever been since we started."

And music will be a centerpiece of this year's festival with a performance by the Dazzlers, a rockabilly band from central virginia popular in the 50s and still playing today, as well as a nod to the royalty of the Crooked Road with Carter Family descendant Dale Jett.

The October winds can be unpredictable, but the crowds that flock to Ferrum can count on a celebration of regional traditions come rain or shine.