The Mountain Music Trail received an honor from the British Guild of Travel Writers last month, being named one of three finalists nominated for the 2016 British Guild of Travel Writers tourism initiatives international award for outstanding tourism development projects. The Mountain Music Trail received the HIGHLY COMMENDED Award as a finalist in the Wider World Category. They competed against Limalimo Lodge in Simien Mountains National Park, Ethiopia, and the winner, Egypt’s, Sinai Trail. “We’re very excited the Mountain Music Trail has been recognized internationally,” Commissioner of Tourism Amy Shuler Goodwin said. “Our Appalachian heritage is a blend of cultures from many different countries — so in a way we’ve come full circle by sharing our music and dance with the world.” This will provide a nice boost for tourism up and down the Trail (US 219 in WV), and we hope it will over time generate more income for local musicians. Check out this story on the Mountain Music Trail broadcast on “INSIDE APPALACHIA”: wvpublic.org/post/mountain-music-trail-then-and-now
Events along the Trail this month include:
Thursday the 8th at the Randolph County Arts Center in Elkins and Friday the 9th in the Old Stone Room of Carnegie Hall in Lewisburg- Born Old presents “From the Radio & The Ridgetop: Music of the New Deal Era in West Virginia”, part of a tour sponsored by Traveling 219 (FB) a project promoting historical and cultural tourism along our Two-Lane-Super-Highway.
There’s a square dance Friday the 9th at the Augusta Heritage Center of D&E College in Elkins.
The weekend of the 9th and 10th is packed with music in Tucker County, with the Hillbilly Gypsies at The Purple Fiddle Friday and Black King Coal from Lewisburg at Mountain State Brewing Saturday.
Every Wednesday there’s an open mic at the Fiddlehead, at the base of Snowshoe Mountain, and every Thursday starting on the 15th the Elk River Ramblers play the Inn at Elk River at Slaty fork.
On Christmas Eve, Rivers bring their acoustic sounds to the Purple Fiddle in Thomas. Check them out at www.youtube.com/watch?v=exRu3lcfi8c
And on New Year’s Eve local favorites Juanita Fireball and the Continental Drifters play at the Brazenhead, on US 219 in Mingo, Randolph County WV, just 10 miles North of the Snowshoe intersection.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from your friends along the Mountain Music Trail!
HASHTAGWV ART & ENTERTAINMENT Publisher/Editor-in-Chief, Christina Entenmann-Edwards has been a WV resident since September 2008. She was born and raised in Fairfield County, Connecticut, and is no stranger to hard work and the entrepreneurial spirit. In 2006, she graduated from Quinnipiac University (Hamden, Connecticut), Cum Laude, with a B.A. in History. In 2010, she graduated with an M.B.A. from Liberty University (Lynchburg, Virginia). In February 2012, Christina launched HashtagWV as the area’s first full-color, free arts and entertainment tabloid + online platform. Christina completed the Leadership West Virginia class of 2021, which is an innovative program that grows, engages, and mobilizes leaders to ignite a life passion to move West Virginia forward.