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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