Wednesday, May 31, 2017
Monday, May 22, 2017
Abingdon Recognized for its Appeal to Postgraduates Starting Their Careers
Abingdon
Recognized for its Appeal to Postgraduates Starting Their Careers
Abingdon ranked as one of the best cities in
the United States for postgraduates to move to and start a career according to
LendEDU’s new report.
Analyzing over 30,000 U.S.
cities based on factors deemed important to postgraduates such as cost of
living and age demographics, Abingdon ranked #84.
A number of other factors were
taken into account. The full report and methodology can be found here:
Friday, May 19, 2017
Tuesday, May 16, 2017
May 20 & 21 to “Paint the Town” in Abingdon!
May
20 & 21 to “Paint the Town” in Abingdon!
The Virginia Highlands Festival in partnership with the Abingdon Arts Depot and the William King Museum of Art announces their 2nd annual plein air paint-out and pop-up gallery to provide an opportunity for local artists to show their work, highlight all that downtown Abingdon has to offer, and build support for the Festival’s annual art prizes.
On Saturday, May 20 from 10am-3pm artists are invited to come and paint outdoors throughout Abingdon’s Main Street district. Historic architecture, quaint shops, and abundant natural beauty provide the backdrop for your imagination. Artists in all forms of media are welcome, and pre-registration is required. Please visit the Festival website for the registration link and detailed information. www.VaHighlandsFestival.org
On Sunday, May 21 from 2-4pm the WKMA hosts a pop-up gallery where the art created on Saturday will be available for sale. This fast and fresh work is sure to be one-of-a-kind. All proceeds from the art sale will be shared between the artist and the Festival in support of its Juried Fine Art prizes. Attendees will be able to vote on their favorite piece of new work to receive the event’s People’s Choice prize of $100.
"We are extremely pleased to partner with the Virginia Highlands Festival and William King Museum of Art in this new and creative project." said Susan Yates, Arts Administrator at Abingdon's Arts Depot. "The Arts Depot has proudly housed the Festival's Juried Fine Arts Exhibition each year since 1990. Future artists that are accepted in the Festival's shows will certainly benefit from additional prizes and awards generated through this activity. The entire arts community is strengthened when our organizations work together."
“We are privileged to give artists the time and space to create new work, and to give our town access to these artists and to the creative process,” said Festival Executive Director Becky Caldwell. “In my experience, when you help create something you’re excited to see it live on!”
In addition to the Arts Depot and the William King Museum of Art, the weekend event is sponsored by Necessities (266 W. Main St, Abingdon), Anthony’s Desserts and Zazzy’z Coffee Roasters.
Monday, May 15, 2017
Abingdon Garden Club’s 18th Historic Garden and Home Tour 2017
The Abingdon
Garden Club is proud to announce that their 18th Garden
Tour will be held on Saturday, June 17th, from 10 a.m. - 5p.m., rain or shine.
Tickets are $10.00 per person and will be on sale starting June 1st
at various downtown Abingdon businesses, including Greer Jewelers at 253 W.
Main Street, and Necessities at 266 W. Main Street. You can also pick up
tickets the day of the tour at the Visitors Center, 335 Cummings Street or at
any of the gardens on display.
This year
there will be seven gardens open to the public for a leisurely, self-guided
tour which will feature: outdoor kitchen entertainment centers, horse paddocks,
a pond with cascading waterfall, a running creek, hardscapes and patios with
specimen trees and an abundance of beautiful flowers, plus the butterfly garden
at Eberhardt Park. The home of William and Kristy Davis will also be open for
guests to view their first floor.
Proceeds
from the event will go toward purchasing plants and flowers for the community
to enjoy at Eberhardt Park, the Blue Star Memorial, the Shakespearean Garden at
the William King Museum of Art, and the Cancer Center at Johnston Memorial
Hospital.
The Abingdon
Garden Club was formed in 1927 and has continually been involved in community
education and beautification.
Please come
join us for an exciting day of simple beauty in the gardens of several homes for
our Garden Tour.
Thursday, May 11, 2017
Town of Abingdon Community Garden Update
Please
share!
The
Community Garden has lowered the cost to $25.00 for a 20X20 plot. Also, the
community garden is now open to Washington County residents.
THURSDAY JAMS BRING FREE CONCERTS TO DOWNTOWN ABINGDON THIS SUMMER
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
THURSDAY JAMS
BRING FREE CONCERTS TO DOWNTOWN ABINGDON THIS SUMMER
Abingdon, VA -- The Town of Abingdon has big
plans for its summer concert series, now in its fifth year. The Thursday
Jams summer concert series showcases a wide range of nationally recognized
bands at the Abingdon Market Pavilion each Thursday evening, May 18 through
July 20. Presented by Blue Ridge Beverages and the Abingdon Music
Experience, the concerts are free and open to the public; a beer garden will be
provided by Abingdon Main Street, and local food vendors will be on hand.
Beginning May 18th with the diverse
jazz sound of Polyrhytmics, the series includes well-known musical acts such as
Aaron Lee Tasjan, The Marcus King Band and many others. For a full
listing of musical acts and dates, visit www.abingdonmusicexperience.com.
This summer will mark the 5th annual
Thursday Jams series, which drew thousands of locals and visitors last year.
The series is sponsored in part by Virginia is for Lovers Eastman Credit
Union, Universal Fibers and First
Community Bank.
Music will begin 7:00 pm each Thursday at the
Abingdon Market Pavilion, with a beer garden benefitting Abingdon Main Street
opening at 6:30 pm. A variety of food truck and local vendors will be on hand
offering concessions. The events are family-friendly, and attendees are
encouraged to bring their chairs and or blankets to enjoy the shows. No outside
alcohol is allowed. In case of inclement weather, updates will be posted to
social media, and Wolf Hills Brewery will serve as the alternate venue, located
at 350 Park Street SE in Abingdon.
The series will host a variety of musical genres
including Americana, southern rock, bluegrass, indie folk, soul and roots.
Bands performing during Thursday Jams have also appeared at
internationally-recognized festivals like Rhythm and Roots Reunion, Floyd Fest,
and Bonnaroo as well as Conan, The Late Show and Music City Roots. Local talent
will open each Thursday for the headliners, who will start their sets at 8pm.
Abingdon Music Experience is now in its fifth
year of presenting live music in Abingdon. Other programs include January
Jams at Barter Theatre, Virginia Creeper Fest, Thursday Jams, Summer Lovin’
Concert June 10th, Independence Day Extravaganza July 1st
and the 3rd Annual Main Street Busker Fest September 2nd, a one-day
festival that will fill downtown Abingdon with street performers.
For a full listing of musical acts and dates,
visit www.abingdonmusicexperience.com. For more
information, call 276-676-2282 or email ssaavedra@abingdon-va.gov.
--continued--
Thursday Jams 2017 Lineup
May 18th: Polyrhythmics
For
fans of: TAUK, Pimps of Joytime, The New
Mastersounds
Creating vivid instrumental
imagery with complex rhythms and a unique precision that redefines the term
“funk” for 21st Century audiences, the 8-piece Polyrhythmics are proving to be
one of Seattle’s finest exports.
Founded from a
collective desire to make classic vinyl recordings, Polyrhythmics have been a
defining musical force and west coast institution for the better part of a
decade. With four studio albums under their belt as well as a growing
pile of limited-release 7-inch 45's, the boys are back at it in 2017 working on
a new full length that is scheduled for release later in the year.
2016’s LP release
‘Octagon’, as well as last summer’s blockbuster single collaboration with NW
Deep Funk Pioneer Lucky Brown entitled I Believe in Love, is evidence of
the band’s ever evolving studio prowess, but it is the seemingly non-stop live
performance schedule that has helped make the band quickly known universally
for their high energy and dance floor igniting performances. Fusing
elements of afrobeat, funk, psych rock, and world music, the unparalleled
musicianship and undeniable chemistry that Polyrhythmics exudes has earned the
band nation-wide recognition, and their stellar original songwriting and
impeccable analog album production has earned the dedication of music aficionados
and vinyl collectors the world over.
Joined by opening
act: Devon Gilfillian
For fans of: Tom Petty, Todd Snider, Drive By Truckers
East Nashville-based musician Aaron Lee
Tasjan has always considered himself a songwriter first and foremost,
writing his own off-kilter folk-inflected songs since he picked up his first
acoustic as a teen guitar prodigy. “A lot of the stuff I did previously was
never the main focal point,” Tasjan explains. “It’s all just been pieces along
the way.” His most recently released Silver
Tears offers a glimpse through the eyes of one gifted songwriter and
versatile musician. Whether playing guitar in the late incarnation of riotous
glam-rock innovators the New York Dolls, the gender-bending, envelope-pushing
sleaze n’ tease arena rock band Semi Precious Weapons, the Neil Young-signed
alt-country act Everest, British roots rock band Alberta Cross, Southern rock
stalwarts Drivin’ N’ Cryin’ or even as frontman of the devilishly
cleverly-named Heartbreakers meets Replacements rockers Madison Square Gardeners, offer a glimpse through the eyes of one
gifted songwriter and versatile musician.
While those stints may have never been his main
destination, each one has been a stepping stone that has uniquely informed his
songwriting and made him a compelling, singular artist. Tasjan’s songs, as
first heard on his debut solo EP, 2014’s Crooked River Burning,
are indebted to great American storytellers like John Prine, Tom Petty, Guy
Clark, Steve Goodman, Arlo Guthrie and Todd Snider. They are imbued with wry
wit, a sharp tongue and a lot of heart.
Last year’s self-released LP, In The
Blazes, received accolades from American Songwriter, Rolling
Stone, Nashville Scene and NPR and suggested
Tasjan was an artist to keep an eye on. While that album hinted at Tasjan’s
enormous potential, it’s his sophomore effort, his New West Records debut, Silver
Tears, that best realizes his artistic ambitions and solidifies him as
one of the most intriguing singer/songwriters to emerge in sometime. An
inspired and confident set of songs, the 12-track album, which features a cover
with Tasjan decked out in a reflective suit and Stetson, careens from woozy pot
paeans to brooding, cinematic observations to laid back ‘70s country-rock and
galloping anthems to introspective folk and rollicking honky-tonk. “I might
have made something that will surprise people,” Tasjan admits. “I didn’t
completely abandon the recipe, but I really stretched myself and pushed beyond
what people might expect from me. Being true as a musician, I’m not just one
thing – and a variety of styles is a way to accomplish that. “
Joined by opening act: Amythyst Kiah
June 1st: Jakubi
For fans of: Bruno Mars, Arrested
Development, Leon Bridges, The Suffers
Jakubi is a Melbourne-based band composed of
two brothers, two cousins and one friend whose love for producing music
brought them together and whose pure talent propelled them forward.
Jakubi’s unique flavor stems from an irresistible combination of jangly
guitars, hip-hop beats and sailing synth rhythms. Flawlessly melding the sounds
of a talk box one minute and reggae-inspired guitar the next, the band’s infectious
experimental songs are guaranteed to get everyone dancing.
2014 saw the band touring two continents and
three countries including Australia, the US, and Canada. Since the release of
their first single in 2013, the band’s music has been streamed on SoundCloud
almost 5 million times and has amassed over 4 million views across YouTube.
The band’s latest single, “Couch Potato,”
earned the praise of the king of pop culture commentary himself, Perez Hilton,
who says, "It's so dope! They've got a real laid-back, positive vibe
that's infectious.” The playful video for the track features a couch coasting
down the street and was filmed by dragging the couch behind a car, a stunt that
accidentally got the band featured on "Highway Patrol," a national
television show in Australia.
After
a whirlwind 18 months the band is excited to announce their second tour of
the US and will be celebrating with the release of their debut EP.
Joined
by opening act: Leeda “Lyric” Jones
June 8th:
The Broadcast
For
fans of: Grace Potter, Led Zeppelin, Fleetwood Mac
Three
decades from now, a documentary filmmaker in search of his next rockumentary
will come across The Broadcast and realize he’s hit gold. The story of the rock
and soul outfit not only comes with its own high-octane soundtrack, it hits on
all the key points: Challenges are overcome, miles are logged, performances are
slain and an oft-jaded music industry is enticed. There’s dancing. There’s a
love story.
Over
50 years ago, Bob Dylan traveled—as many would after him—from the American
heartland to New York City, singing his way to the stage at The Bitter End in
Greenwich Village. For Caitlin Krisko and her band The Broadcast, the story began at The Bitter End and wound up in the
Blue Ridge Mountains. Like Dylan in reverse, lead singer Krisko grew restless
in the city that never sleeps and dropped everything to move to Asheville,
N.C., in 2010. It was there Krisko met guitarist Aaron Austin spending the next
couple of years working as a songwriting duo releasing their debut LP, Dodge
the Arrow, in 2013 (recorded at famed Echo Mountain Studios with LA producer,
Eric “Mixerman” Sarafin). The record was an exploration of “bombastic,
larger-than-life” sounds which went on to sell over 10,000 copies independently
and ranked #4 on the college radio charts.
In
2015, The Broadcast got “the call” from producer Jim Scott (Tedeschi Trucks
Band, Tom Petty), and the band began recording their sophomore effort, From
the Horizon, which was released in June to rave reviews from Relix
Magazine, Paste, and Live for Live Music. From The Horizon embodies
a new sense of home, comfortably seating The Broadcast in the company of their
Americana contemporaries. With a mix of soul, blues and classic rock
arrangements, The Broadcast has shared stages with Mavis Staples, John
Prine, St. Paul & The Broken Bones, The Wood Brothers, Brandi
Carlisle, Keller Williams, Nicki Bluhm & The Gramblers, George Porter Jr.
(Funky Meters), Betty LaVette, Charles Bradley and Holly
Williams, among others.
Joined by opening act: David Earl
June 15th:
Forlorn Strangers
For fans of: Pokey LaFarge, Mipso, Gillian
Welch, Old Crow Medicine Show
Forlorn Strangers is a Nashville, TN based
Americana quintet, with members hailing from the great states of Florida,
Maryland, Pennsylvania & Minnesota. The band is comprised of five
songwriters, each having their own distinct sounds & styles that blend into
one cohesive voice. Their music is rooted in family harmonies & flavored
with guitars, banjo, mandolin, fiddle, dobro, & foot stomping percussion.
The band is comprised of sisters Abigail Dempsey (fiddle, percussion, vocals)
and Hannah Dempsey Lusk (mandolin, percussion, vocals); along with Chris Banke
(guitar, mandolin, vocals), Benjamin Lusk (banjo, guitar, vocals), and Jesse
Thompson (upright bass, dobro, guitar, vocals). Since 2013, Forlorn Strangers
has released two EPs (While the Grass Grows and American Magic Tricks) and has
toured continuously across the United States, playing for an everincreasing
group of appreciative fans. Forlorn Strangers recently wrapped up production on
their first full length release, which was recorded at John Prine’s Nashville
studio, The Butcher Shoppe and produced by Grammy winner Phil Madeira. In 2015,
Forlorn Strangers played over 180 shows, including dates with Anti Records’
Sean Rowe.
Joined by opening act: Missy Raines & The
New Hip
June 22nd The Marcus King Band
For fans of:
Tedeschi Trucks Band, Chris Robinson Brotherhood
Songwriter.
Guitarist. Singer. Bandleader. At only
20 years of age, Marcus King’s dazzling musical ability is evident throughout The
Marcus King Band, the young phenom’s 2nd full-length LP and
first for Fantasy Records. Operating
within the fiery brand of American roots music that King calls
"soul-influenced psychedelic southern rock," the album highlights
King’s gorgeous, rough-hewn vocals, soaring guitar work and heartfelt
songwriting all amidst a group of masterful musicians who, together, are quickly
becoming one of the country’s most sought after live acts.
Raised in
Greenville, South Carolina, King was brought up on the blues, playing shows as
a pre-teen sideman with his father—bluesman Marvin King, who himself was the
son of a regionally-known guitarist—before striking out on his own. Going
beyond the sonic textures of his acclaimed 2015 debut album, Soul Insight;
The Marcus King Band broadens his sound, touching upon everything from
funky R&B to Southern soul and Americana in the process. His band gets in
on the action too, stacking the songs with blasts of swampy brass, a lock-step
rhythm section and swirling organ. Ever the multi-tasker, King bounces between
several instruments, handling electric and acoustic guitar — as well as pedal
and lap steel — while driving each track home with his soulful, incendiary
voice.
Having spent
the past year tirelessly playing ever-larger venues and festivals to a
burgeoning fan base, The Marcus King Band was written on the road and
recorded during a series of live takes at Carriage House Studios in Stamford,
CT. The album captures the energy of the band's blazing live show, as
well as the talent of a rising young songwriter reaching well beyond his years.
Joined by opening act: The Get Right Band
June 29th: Lindsay Lou & The Flatbellys
For fans of: Lake Street Dive, Jill Andrews
In 2009 The Flatbellys recorded Get ‘Round in
a house on Foster Ave in Lansing, MI. Flatbelly mandolinist, Josh and Spencer,
Flatbelly bassist, joined a local bluegrass band, and Lindsay left the country
for my last semester of college. When Lindsay returned she had an album’s worth
of material and convinced the two remaining Flatbellys, and a handful of other
Michigan musicians, to help me record it. We called it Lindsay Lou - A
Different Tune.
In October of 2013 they solidified the current lineup with PJ George on bass. His knack for harmony singing and playing soulful music on just about any instrument he choses has undoubtably had an effect on their music. PJ’s musical background spans from being a bluegrass bassist [Barefoot, Nora Jane Struthers] to a drum major to a jazz pianist to co-founder of an alt rock outfit [The Cheap Seats]. He’s toured extensively and has played a major role in recording a good number of albums.
The group has all up and moved south of their home state in the Great Lakes to make Nashville their home base. They tour so much that home is usually on their backs like the old bluegrass standard declares and the road is feeling more like home than ever.
In October of 2013 they solidified the current lineup with PJ George on bass. His knack for harmony singing and playing soulful music on just about any instrument he choses has undoubtably had an effect on their music. PJ’s musical background spans from being a bluegrass bassist [Barefoot, Nora Jane Struthers] to a drum major to a jazz pianist to co-founder of an alt rock outfit [The Cheap Seats]. He’s toured extensively and has played a major role in recording a good number of albums.
The group has all up and moved south of their home state in the Great Lakes to make Nashville their home base. They tour so much that home is usually on their backs like the old bluegrass standard declares and the road is feeling more like home than ever.
Joined by opening act: Jenni Lyn
July 6th: Eric Gales
For fans of:
Jarekus Singleton, Buddy Guy, Gary Clark Jr.
Blues guitar
phenom Eric Gales was born and raised in Memphis, learning to play at age four
from older brothers Eugene and Manuel in imitation of their upside-down,
left-handed style (a tradition actually passed down from their grandfather,
Dempsey Garrett Sr., who was known to jam with the likes of Muddy Waters and
Howlin' Wolf). Winning his first blues contest at 11, four years later Eric
signed to Elektra to issue his 1991 debut LP, recorded with Eugene on bass;
Picture of a Thousand Faces followed in 1993. Manuel (who previously performed
under the alias Little Jimmy King) reunited with his siblings for 1995's Left
Hand Band, credited to the Gales Brothers.
A newly matured
Gales returned in spring 2001 to release his debut for MCA, That's What I Am.
Often billed as the second coming of Jimi Hendrix, Gales, an adequate singer at
best but a dynamite guitarist, suffered for the comparison. With Gales always
influenced by Hendrix and the power trio format, his next albums, 2006's
Crystal Vision and 2007's Psychedelic Underground, both released by Blues
Bureau Records, seemed like facsimile Hendrix albums, right down to the album
art. His next two releases from Blues Bureau, 2008's The Story of My Life and
2009's Layin' Down the Blues, found the Hendrix influence muted somewhat, but
Gales, a breathtaking guitarist at times, still seemed to be looking for a way
out of the Hendrix shadow and into his own voice. Gales returned in 2010 with
Relentless, a collection of 13 originals, and followed it with the passionate
Transformation a year later in 2011.
Eric Gales is a
very talented Blues-Rock guitarist and vocalist from Memphis, Tennessee, USA.
His music is a fusion of Hard-Rock, Blues and Funk. Eric Gales has released
nine studio albums so far, his latest being "Relentless".
Joined by opening act: Austin Aaron Band
July 13th:
Brent Cobb
For fans of: Chris Stapleton, Sturgill Simpson, Jason Eady
Just off of his tour in support of Chris
Stapleton, Brent Cobb and his band join us in Abingdon, VA for a free show
downtown at the Abingdon Market Pavilion. Brent Cobb didn’t set out to write an
album that feels and sounds like the place he grew up. But now that the grooves
have been cut in his debut LP, Shine on Rainy Day, there’s no denying the
people, the places and the vibe of his southcentral Georgia home infuse almost
every song.
“It just is Georgia,” Brent says in his musical
drawl. “It's just that rural, easy-going way it feels down there on a nice
spring evening when the wind’s blowing warm and you smell wisteria, you know?”
It’s quiet down there where he’s from in
Ellaville – “population 1,609” - laid back and forgotten in the shadow of
Atlanta and Savannah. The people have blue-collar values and believe in
treating your neighbor like you want to be treated. They believe in curses and
the dark finger of Fate and wield a sharp, dark sense of humor that sustains
them through the hardest of times. Distant radio stations, roadside honkytonks
made of cinderblock and back-porch picking sessions heavy on the backbeat
predominate under Spanish moss-strewn live oaks and loblolly pines. It was the perfect place to grow up.
Cousin, Dave Cobb, began building a reputation
as one of music’s most exciting producers for his work with Chris Stapleton,
Jamey Johnson, Sturgill Simpson and Jason Isbell. As part of his deal with
Elektra, he conceived of a concept album called Southern Family and thought it
only right his “little cousin” have a part. “So I was like, ‘I’ll be there,’”
Brent said. He contributed “Down Home” to the album and also mentioned the
project to Lambert, who wanted in and sang the Brent-written “Sweet By &
By,” a standout on an album full of them.
It was during these sessions that the Cobbs
began to notice a real connection in the way they would approach songs during
the recording process. “It just felt like home, you know?” Brent said. “I made
the comment, ‘Dude, let's just do it.’ So we did.”
From the Nashville slice-of-life narrative of
“Solving Problems” to the delicate and powerful interplay of acoustic and
electric guitars on the stunning closer “Black Crow,” the album feels like the
people, places and sounds of Brent’s life.
Joined by opening act: Logan Fritz
July 20th: Look Homeward
For fans of: Avett Brothers, Ballroom Thieves,
Humming House
Look Homeward is a band of brackish brethren
hailing from the piedmont of North Carolina. Lee Anderson (guitar, vocals),
Alex Bingham (upright bass), Evan Ringel (trombone, fiddle) and Wilson Greene
IV (banjo) pair the Appalachian drawls and passionate picking of venerated
field recordings with the soul tones of Atlantic beaches and boggy bayous.
Marrying banjos with brass, the quartet celebrates the American South in a
mingling of old and new, traditional yet surprising. Add honest folk
songwriting and the result is music that just might sound like home, wherever
you’re from.
Look Homeward’s first EP ‘The Hunger and the
Ghost’ was released in Fall 2013 and met with unexpected success. Their first
full length, studio album was released in May 2015 and is available on iTunes,
Amazon, and Spotify.
Joined by opening act: The Lords of
Liechtenstein
####
Tuesday, May 9, 2017
Town Talk With Mayor Lowe 6-12-17
Town
Talk With Mayor Lowe
On Monday, June 12, 2017, Mayor Cathy Lowe will hold
the next “Town Talk” event. She invites the public to discuss town initiatives,
share ideas, ask questions, and connect with others in the community. This FREE
event is in a casual, friendly environment and all are welcome.
“Please join us at Anthony’s for the next Town
Talk,” said Mayor Cathy Lowe. “It promises to be a “sweet occasion. We’re
listening!”
The June “Town Talk” event will be held at the Anthony’s
Desserts at 4:30PM. Anthony’s Desserts is located at 284 West Main Street,
Abingdon.
For more information on “Town Talk,” call
276-451-0439.
Monday, May 8, 2017
LIVING HISTORY AT THE ABINGDON MUSTER GROUNDS
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Leigh Anne Hunter
Tel.
276-525-1050
LIVING HISTORY AT THE ABINGDON MUSTER GROUNDS
Find Your Trail!
Find Your Ancestor!
Hear
ye! Hear ye! Overmountain Men and their families will come
to life at the Abingdon Muster Grounds, June 24, 2017 from 1:00 pm-4:00 pm. This event will highlight the importance of
the Washington County, Virginia militia and the Revolutionary War Battle of
Kings Mountain, 1780. There will be
demonstrations related to life in backcountry Virginia during colonial times. This event has activities for the whole
family! Join the Overmountain Victory
Trail Association, Blacks Fort Chapter-DAR, and General William Campbell
Chapter-SAR as we bring history to life.
Certified
by the National Park Service as the northern trailhead of the Overmountain
Victory National Historic Trail, the Abingdon Muster Grounds is a picturesque
9-acre park with significant history. When
a call was issued for militia to respond to British Major Patrick Ferguson’s
threat that, “he would march his army over the mountains, hang their leaders,
and lay their country waste with fire and sword,” men from all over the region
moved into action. Under the leadership
of Colonel William Campbell, 400 Virginians set out to join patriot militia
from modern-day Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. After a two week campaign, the Overmountain
Men fought the Battle of Kings Mountain with overwhelming success. Thomas Jefferson said it was “the turn of the
tide of success which terminated the Revolutionary War, with the seal of our
independence”.
The
Keller Interpretive Center, located at the Abingdon Muster Grounds, houses
southwest Virginia’s premier Revolutionary War exhibits. Artifacts associated with backcountry
Virginia and the Battle of Kings Mountain are on display.
If you would like more information about this topic, please
call 276-525-1050 or email lhunter@abingdon-va.gov.
Wednesday, May 3, 2017
BACKCOUNTRY COLONIAL DAY CAMP 2017
Contact:
Leigh Anne Hunter
Tel.
276-525-1050
Email: lhunter@abingdon-va.gov
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Life in Backcountry Colonial Virginia and the Battle of
Kings Mountain
The
Abingdon Muster Grounds will host a free day camp, June 26-30, 2017 from 9:00
am to 1:30 pn, for children ages 9-11.
Come learn about life in the Backcountry of Virginia in 1780 from
interpreters in period dress! Activities
will include educational presentations, fun and games, and hands-on crafts. Only 25 spots are available so sign-up
today! Snacks and lunches will be
provided.
Registration
forms can be picked up at the Keller Interpretive Center at the Abingdon Muster
Grounds. They can also be found online
at www.abingdonmustergrounds.com.
If you would like more information about this topic, please
call 276-525-1050 or email lhunter@abingdon-va.gov.
Business Appreciation Month
May is Business Appreciation Month, so a
shout out and great big THANK YOU
to all Abingdon business owners!
Thank you for choosing Abingdon!
Please see below a Proclamation signed
by the Mayor and read at the May 1st Council Meeting.
And a challenge for citizens to visit
Abingdon businesses to celebrate National Small Business Week.
Many retailers are open
until 5:30pm and several are open even later.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)