ABINGDON MUSIC EXPERIENCE ANNOUNCES A NEW COMMUNITY PARTNER FOR THURSDAY JAMS 2019

ABINGDON MUSIC EXPERIENCE ANNOUNCES A NEW COMMUNITY PARTNER FOR THURSDAY JAMS 2019

Abingdon, VA – Each Thursday evening in the summer, downtown Abingdon is filled with the sounds of live music as Thursday Jams hosts some of the hottest names in Americana and Roots music.  Abingdon Music Experience is pleased to announce a new community partner to run the Thursday Jams beer gardens in 2019: the nonprofit Virginia Creeper Trail Conservancy. 

Thursday Jams is presented by Blue Ridge Beverage and runs May 9 - July 18, 2019 at the Abingdon Market Pavilion in downtown Abingdon.  While the concert series is put on by Abingdon Music Experience, the beer gardens are always hosted by a nonprofit partner with all sales proceeds directly benefiting the organization.

The Virginia Creeper Trail Conservancy (formerly the Virginia Creeper Trail Club) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit volunteer organization dedicated to the maintenance and preservation of the Creeper Trail corridor. The VCTC partners with other trail stakeholders to support a safe and enjoyable experience for all trail users.

According to Event Coordinator Sara Saavedra, the Virginia Creeper Trail Conservancy was a natural partner for Thursday Jams.  “The goal of our music and festival programs is to get people out on the street and engaged in the community.  The Virginia Creeper Trail is one of our core attractions and many of the concert-goers have just come off a day on the trail,” said Saavedra.

Lisa Quigley, the Executive Director of the Virginia Creeper Trail Conservancy, said that the summer music events are appealing because they offer a way to reach new audiences with their message.  “Part of our mission is educating people about the value of the Creeper Trail and how important it is to invest in preserving and protecting it for the enjoyment of today’s users and future generations.” 

A new community partners brings with them a new campaign to ban single-use plastics. “With conservation in mind, we are eliminating plastic cups in the beer garden, replacing them with stainless steel pint cups that attendees can purchase once and bring back each week,” confirms Quigley. As recycling plastics has become more difficult around the nation, banning plastic cups at events and concerts has increasingly become the standard. The VCTC will also accept credit and debit cards and streamline the process by selling drink tickets at a separate table as you enter the beer garden area. “We are eager to see how VCTC’s organization of the beer garden area will enhance the experience for our attendees,” Saavedra says.

Each week of Thursday Jams includes free, family-friendly live music plus local food trucks and a beer garden.   No outside alcohol is allowed. In case of inclement weather, Wolf Hills Brewery will serve as the alternate venue, located at 350 Park Street SE in Abingdon.

Musical acts in 2019 include buzz-worthy young acts like Morgan Wade and the Stepbrothers (May 9) and The Happy Fits (July 11), plus popular names like Town Mountain (May 16) and Love Canon (June 27).   Closing out the series July 18 is acclaimed singer-songwriter John Paul White, who originally gained fame as one-half of the Grammy Award-winning duo The Civil Wars. For a full description of musical acts and dates, visit www.abingdonmusicexperience.com.

The series, which draws thousands of locals and visitors to downtown Abingdon each year, is presented by Blue Ridge Beverage, and sponsored in part by Eastman Credit Union, Universal Fibers, First Community Bank, Bank of Marion, Food City, State Farm Agent Jamie Barger and Ballad Health, with media and hospitality sponsorship from WEHC, 99.3 The X, and JJ’s Restaurant and Sports Bar.

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