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CARTER FAMILY FOLD
 Gov. Tim Kaine performs with Gerald
Anderson at the Carter Family Fold. Photo courtesy H William Smith Every Saturday night, the mountains of southwest Virginia come
alive with the sounds of some of the best old time and bluegrass music around at
the Carter Family Fold in Hiltons. Founded in 1979, the Carter Family Memorial
Music Center was established to honor the Original Carter Family and to preserve
the music which earned them worldwide recognition. The Carter Family � A.P.,
Sara, and Maybelle � first recorded in nearby Bristol, Tennessee, in 1927. The
trio went on to record over 300 songs, laying the foundation for what we know
today as country music.
The Carter Family Fold is a rustic music theater that seats nearly 1,000 indoors and more during the summer, when doors open onto the surrounding hillside. Only acoustic instruments are played. The dance floor fills as young and old alike clog and buck dance to hoe-down tunes. Audience members come from the surrounding area, nearby states, and from across the nation and overseas. Located next to the Fold, the old A.P. Carter Store houses the Carter Family Museum. Lots of family memorabilia is on display including awards, instruments, and personal items. Also located on the grounds of the music center, the A.P. Carter cabin birthplace gives visitors a glimpse of what life was like in the Appalachian Mountains when A.P. was a young man growing up in Maces Springs. A concession and souvenir shop are located in the music hall.  Flat-footing is fun for the whole
family.
Photo courtesy H William Smith Admission is $5 for adults, $1 for children ages 6-11, and free
for children under 6. Museum and cabin admission is $1 each. The museum and
cabin open at 6:00 p.m., and the music begins at 7:30 p.m. A festival is held
annually the first weekend of August to commemorate the 1927 sessions. The
festival is held on a Friday and Saturday, and music begins at 2:00 p.m. each
day.
Directions: From US Route 23, turn onto Route 58 and follow to Hiltons. Turn right on Highway 709; follow Highway 709 to Highway 614 (A.P. Carter Highway) and turn right. Follow 614 for three miles. The Carter Family Fold will be on the left. Click here to visit the Official Carter Family Fold website! Or call 276-386-6054 or 276-645-0035 for more information. |
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