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Find your journey. Then help protect it.
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September 2017 - In this Issue of The Scenic:
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With your help, the water flume at Mabry Mill will be repaired. |
We need your help to ensure these projects go forward. The Foundation must raise $287,358 to qualify for these federal grants. The great news is that every gift made toward that goal will be more than doubled by the matching funds.
At
Humpback Rocks Farm, your contribution will repair historical structures, which showcase the tough but rewarding life of early mountain pioneers.
At
Sharp Top Shelter, your gift will rehab the stone shelter that has been battered by weather and vandalized.
At
Mabry Mill, your generosity will shore up the leaking flume that keeps the waterwheel turning, and repair historical structures at nearby
Groundhog Mountain.
These places are historical touchstones that will allow future generations to connect with mountain history. Please give to help us reach our goal, and become part of the history of the Parkway.
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Presenting Sponsor |
You are invited to celebrate 20 years of protecting the Blue Ridge Parkway on Thursday, November 9,
at Lioncrest at Biltmore in Ashevillle, North Carolina. Tickets are on sale now for a delightful
evening with dinner, drinks, and an awards ceremony honoring members of our Community of Stewards, with special remarks by Carolyn Ward, CEO of the Foundation, and Chase Pickering, great-great-grandson of George W. Vanderbilt. We hope you will join us as we look forward to a bright future for the Blue Ridge Parkway. Tickets are $100 and seating is limited. Don't miss the party!
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Matching challenge raises more than $11,500 for trail rehab and exhibits
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You did it! Thanks to you, we exceeded the "I Love Craggy" Matching Challenge. You donated $6,195 to match $5,497 from
RomanticAsheville.com. That's a total of $11,692.
Your gifts, paired with funds raised by the
Asheville BMW Riders group and
Eurosport Asheville during the annual High Pass Boogie, put us over the top
to repair the Craggy Flats Bald Trail and help create new exhibits at the Visitor Center.
A crew with the
American Conservation Experience has just finished most of the repairs at Craggy Flats Bald Trail. Their work included creating new steps for easier trekking, filling in braided trails that contributed to erosion on the bald, removing encroaching vegetation, and building runoff areas to keep water from turning the trail into a stream. The work extends from the historical shelter built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1937 to the top of the bald.
Next up will be the installation of new exhibits at
Craggy Gardens Visitor Center to
tell the story of the plants and animals in this unique and harsh high elevation environment. Thank you for showing your love for Craggy Gardens.
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Road to the Past
On September 11, 1935, construction began on the Blue Ridge Parkway, and it was finally complete when the Linn Cove Viaduct at Grandfather Mountain opened in 1987. To learn more about the fascinating history of the Parkway,
click here.
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Fall is a wonderful time to raise a glass for the Parkway. Don't miss these chances to Find Your Pint and help. Proceeds from the sales of special beers will go toward projects and improvements all along the scenic route.
Breweries giving through the end of September:
- Booneshine Brewing Company, Boone, NC
- Ginger's Revenge Craft Brewery, Asheville, NC
- Lost Province Brewing Co., Boone
- New Belgium Brewing, Asheville
- One World Brewing, Asheville
- Oyster House Brewing Company, Asheville
- Pisgah Brewing Company, Black Mountain, NC
- Twin Creeks Brewing Co., Vinton, VA
Coming up:
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Phil Francis, Mike Molling, and Greg Brown cut the ribbon at the Communications Center dedication in March 2012.
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As the Foundation celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, we're reflecting on the projects you've made possible.
The Blue Ridge Parkway was once challenged by an outdated radio communications system, which led to delays in sharing important information between park staff. In 2012, your gifts helped fund a new state-of-the-art Communications Center at Parkway headquarters in Asheville and update the entire system. It is a vital resource for all staff, particularly during weather events like those caused by Hurricane Irma recently. Today, the Communications Center continues to not only serve Parkway staff, but also is equipped to serve as an Emergency Operations Center. Thank you for making the Parkway a safer place for visitors and rangers!
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Lend a helping hand in Roanoke
 We're looking for volunteers to spread the word about the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation at our booth during the annual
Anthem Go Outside Festival
, October 13-15, in Roanoke.
If you're outgoing and enjoy talking to new people, this could be a great opportunity for you! Multiple shifts are available. To learn more or sign up, e-mail Clary Pickering at [email protected].
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Fall in love with the music
Mountain heritage takes the stage with two indoor concerts at the Music Center
The Blue Ridge Music Center is wrapping up its season with two concerts in October that showcase musical heritage. So take a winding drive through the fall colors and make these music moments your destination.
Saturday, October 7, 5 p.m., $20
Indoor theater, seating limited
Saturday, October 21, 5 p.m., $20
Indoor theater, seating limited
The Foundation proudly supports programming at the venue at milepost 213 to preserve the cultural and musical heritage of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
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Order your North Carolina specialty license tag and help the Blue Ridge Parkway.
For each attractive license plate sold, $20 funds important projects on the scenic route,and $10 funds the N.C. Department of Transportation Wildflower Program. Get the plate today!
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You're invited!
Join us to cut the ribbon on these completed projects
1 p.m., Saturday, October 21
Blue Ridge Music Center, milepost 213
Thanks to your support, a new footbridge makes for a safe crossing over Chestnut Creek at the Blue Ridge Music Center. The original bridge was washed out in 2014. We're celebrating with a ribbon-cutting and short hike along the trek which is also a Kids in Parks TRACK Trail
. Children are encouraged to wear Halloween costumes.
10 a.m., Tuesday, October 24
Julian Price Campground,
milepost 297
Visitors can now enjoy a creature comfort thanks to your gifts for a new six stall shower house! Come celebrate the opening of this new facility at Julian Price Campground, which is only the second campground on the Parkway to offer showers.
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Join our Community of Stewards
As the primary fundraiser and trusted steward of the
Blue Ridge Parkway, the Foundation is forever committed to preserving the past, enhancing the present, and safeguarding the future of America's Favorite Journey™. Learn more about joining our Community of Stewards at
BRPFoundation.org
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