The Birthplace of Country Music

Bristol Rhythm Green Team/HOKA 5K Plog
2022-08-13 09:00 - 12:30 (America/New_York)
Date: Saturday, August 13, 2022
Time: 9:00 a.m. EDT
Location: State Street Brewing (801 State Street, Bristol, VA)
Cost: Free to participate (beer and food not included)
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER
Plogging is a community and environmentally focused way to exercise. You pick up trash and recyclables as you walk/run. This event gives us the opportunity to call attention to the important of recycling and not littering and keeping our Downtown clean.
What to expect:
Meet us at State Street Brewing at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday, August 13. Participants will have two walk/run routes to choose from, each starting in Historic Downtown Bristol, and then branching out to nearby neighborhoods in Tennessee and Virginia.
HOKA and Mountain Sports, Ltd. will be set up at the brewery with shoes to demo during the run and to purchase. The Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion Green Team will be there to talk about volunteer opportunities at Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion music festival coming up September 9-11 in Historic Downtown Bristol.
The San Taco food truck will be on site at 11:00 a.m. so you can hang out with some good brews and food after helping make Bristol a greener place to live!
Participants will have the chance to take home some cool swag, and the person who brings back the most trash/recyclables will win a weekend pass to Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion!
Stick around after the plogging session for a raffle, where you’ll have the chance to win some cool prizes, including a pair of HOKA shoes and two passes to the Birthplace of Country Music Museum.
Special thanks to Appalachian Chiropractic Wellness Center for their sponsorship of the BRRR Green Team!
Itinerary:
9:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.
Arrive at State Street Brewery to get your maps for plogging route and grab a pair of HOKA shoes to test out during the plog! Demo shoe sizes are limited, and available on a first-come, first-served basis, so please arrive early to secure your size.
9:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
5K plog, walk or run. Pick up trash along your route.
11:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Raffle and prizes awarded
11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Food truck and beer available for purchase.
Click here for more information on HOKA event standards, event safety guidelines and to register.

VMFA on the Road Artmobile at Birthplace of Country Music Museum
2022-09-07 - 2022-09-11 | Birthplace of Country Music Museum, 101 Country Music Way, Bristol, VA, 24201, United States
Event: Virginia Museum of Fine Arts on the Road Artmobile at the Museum!
About: The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts is bringing traveling art exhibitions and educational offerings to audiences across the state with VMFA on the Road: An Artmobile for the 21st century! This state-of-the-art mobile museum and education studio will be at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum and open to school groups, drop-in visitors, and Bristol Rhythm festivalgoers for several days in September.
Dates: Wednesday, September 7–Sunday, September 11, 2022
Wednesday, September 7–Thursday, September 8 (for school visits and drop-in visitors)
Friday, September 9–Sunday, September 11 (for drop-in visitors and Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion festivalgoers)
Location: Parked on Country Music Way in front of the museum
Exhibit Description: This year’s VMFA on the Road exhibition is titled Revealing and Obscuring Identity: Portraits from the Permanent Collection. It examines the complex role of portraiture across cultures and time periods. Beginning with the Japanese artist Kitagawa Utamaro, and concluding with American artist Gordon Stettinius, the exhibit explores how artists have used portraiture as a means to both reveal and obscure their sitter’s identity. Traditionally, portraiture has been used to highlight the sitter’s wealth, power, beauty, virtue, and intelligence and has been reserved for the elite of society. Several of the works in this exhibition maintain this tradition while others employ it as means to explore truths about the nature of art, the way we perceive beauty, and the way culture influences and reflects personal identity.
Family Visit Guide: A Family Visit Guide is available online, and paper copies will be available at the Artmobile for visitors to use and take with them.
COVID Protocols: The VMFA on the Road Artmobile is following these protocols:
*Not requiring visitors to wear masks on the artmobile
*Have a maximum of 15-20 persons on board at the same time
*There’s no time limit on general visits
*30-minute school tour group visits
*Hand sanitizer will be available
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DROP-IN VISITORS
Drop-in visitors can view the Artmobile for free on Wednesday, September 7 and Thursday, September 8, 2021 at times when school groups are not booked, see below (BOOKED and OPEN FOR DROP-IN VISITORS times will be marked as such).
Drop-ins are also welcome Friday, September 9–Sunday, September 11 (see open times below) because the Artmobile will be just outside the Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion festival gates, but entry into the festival footprint requires a BRRR 2022 wristband.
Take an art break! Bring your friends, family, kids, grandma, or whoever you know who would enjoy a wonderful art experience and drop-in on the VMFA on the Road Artmobile. This is a FREE opportunity!
The Artmobile will be closed Wednesday and Thursday 11:50am–12:50pm for lunch.

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School Information
School groups can visit the Artmobile on Wednesday, September 7 and Thursday, September 8, 2022. This is a FREE visit!
The VMFA on the Road Artmobile will be open to middle school, high school, and college groups on September 7–8, 2022. A field trip to the Artmobile exposes students to multiple art mediums and concepts using visual thinking, sketching, and writing. Admission is free to the Artmobile.
Several time slots are available for school group visits (please get in touch if you need another time than the ones shown below, e.g. later in the day):
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7
10:00–10:30am BOOKED
10:40–11:10am BOOKED
11:20–11:50am BOOKED
12:00 pm–12:30pm BOOKED
12:30–1:30pm CLOSED FOR LUNCH
1:30–2:00pm OPEN FOR DROP-IN VISITORS
2:10–2:40pm OPEN FOR DROP-IN VISITORS
2:50–3:20pm OPEN FOR DROP-IN VISITORS
3:30–4:00pm OPEN FOR DROP-IN VISITORS
4:30-5:00pm BOOKED
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 8
10:00–10:30am BOOKED
10:40–11:10am BOOKED
11:20–11:50am BOOKED
11:50am–12:50pm CLOSED FOR LUNCH
12:50–1:20pm OPEN FOR DROP-IN VISITORS
1:30–2:00pm BOOKED
2:10–2:40pm BOOKED
2:50–3:20pm OPEN FOR DROP-IN VISITORS
3:30–4:00pm OPEN FOR DROP-IN VISITORS
The Birthplace of Country Music Museum has some funds available to help schools with transportation costs on a first come-first served basis. Please contact ebarker@birthplaceofcountrymusic.org for more information.
Educators can pick from a variety of learning activities for their student visit, including Looking to Learn, Sketching to Learn, Moving to Learn, and Writing to Learn.
A tour of the Artmobile is a 30-minute experience. An optimum visit has 10–12 students (with one adult); larger groups will be divided into groups of 20 (with two adults). Teachers can also add a FREE guided tour of the Birthplace of Country Music Museum’s special exhibit 1968: A Folsom Redemption (also a 30-minute experience) to your visit to the Artmobile. 1968: A Folsom Redemption exhibit presents a collection of photographs and memories of two journalists lucky enough to be among a handful of eyewitnesses to the historic Johnny Cash concerts at Folsom Prison. Highlighting Cash’s golden era from the January 1968 Folsom Prison album recording to a March 1, 1969 concert in Anaheim, California, when he was getting ready to launch his network television show, the collection include a wide range of intimate photos with friends and family to a backstage meeting with country music legend Merle Haggard with the Man in Black., making it a wonderful companion to the Artmobile. If you would like to also book a tour of the museum’s permanent exhibits, our usual student group admission applies.
For further information about a VMFA on the Road Artmobile experience for your students and to book a tour, please contact Erika Barker at ebarker@birthplaceofcountrymusic.org, providing the following information: Date of tour, preferred time of tour, name of school, teacher’s name, grade level, and size of group.
Bookings must be made by September 1, 2022.

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Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion Information
Festivalgoers can visit the Artmobile on Friday, September 9– Sunday, September 11, 2022
The VMFA on the Road Artmobile will be free and open to festivalgoers on September 9—11, 2022, just one more way to make your Bristol Rhythm experience even more special! It will be open at the following times:
Friday, September, 9: 1:00–7:00pm
Saturday, September 10: 9:00am–6:00pm (closed 1:00–2:00pm for lunch)
Sunday, September 11: 10:00am–5:00pm (closed 1:00–2:00pm for lunch)

Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion Festival Kick-Off Concert
2022-09-08 17:30 - 21:30
Raise the rooftop with The Larry Keel Experience, Woody Woodworth & The Piners, and Old Line Skiffle Combo for the Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion pre-festival kick-off show at Lumac Rooftop Bar above The Bristol Hotel!
Date: Thursday, September 8, 2022
Time: 5:30 p.m. EDT
Location: Lumac Rooftop Bar, The Bristol Hotel
(115 Country Music Way, Bristol, VA)
Tickets: $25
BUY TICKETS
Getting in town early for Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion? Join us up on the roof at The Bristol Hotel for a spectacular kick-off to the main event with The Larry Keel Experience, Woody Woodworth & The Piners, and a big reunion of Old Line Skiffle Combo, presented by the Birthplace of Country Music and sponsored by The Bristol Hotel, Rabbit Hole Distillery, and Virginia is for Lovers.
Seating is limited for this performance, so purchase tickets early.
About The Larry Keel Experience
Larry Keel is an award-winning innovative flat picking guitarist and
singer/songwriter hailing from Appalachia. Raised in a musical family
steeped in the mountain culture of the region, Keel began from an early age to forge a distinctive sound, taking traditional music and infusing it with modern light. With the acoustic guitar Keel has brought the flat picking form to its highest level of sophistication and sonic power with his muscular, yet refined style of playing. As a composer and singer, Keel integrates raw honesty and charming grit to form a unique brand of music he calls ‘experimental folk’, songwriting that is filled with reality, imagination, imagery and mood. He has appeared on over 20 albums, 12 of which he produced, and has written songs that have been recorded and performed by distinguished artists including Grammy-award winners Del McCoury and The Infamous Stringdusters. Keel has collaborated and continues to merge creative forces with some of the greatest artists in modern roots music such as Tyler Childers, Billy Strings, Al DiMeola, Tony Rice, Keller Williams and Sam Bush, to name a few.
Woody Woodworth & The Piners
Hailing from Richmond, Virginia, Woody Woodworth & The Piners are part of the newest revival of country music in Virginia. Established in 2016, the Piners are named for the bygone expression to Pine – a deep longing for something or someone. Influenced by Virginia’s deep musical history and Appalachian culture, Woody Woodworth & The Piners fuse storytelling with country, bluegrass, and rock and roll to create a sound that can be described as Appalachian alt-country with a steady shot of southern rock.
Old Line Skiffle Combo
Members of the Old Line Skiffle Combo consider Bristol their second home. The Maryland-based sextet first performed at Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion in 2004 and was an event staple for many years. The group amicably disbanded following their final festival performance in 2015. Not missing a beat, the OLSC is reuniting its original members for a special, pre-festival kick-off show for Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion and bringing a fine batch of their signature high-energy, non-stop locomotive sounds to cut a rug to! Combining their love of old timey music mixed with hot jazz, western swing, vaudeville, rockabilly and the general zaniness of the 1920s and 30s, this sextet of creative and energized musicians will keep you on your toes! Not to be missed!

Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion
2022-09-09 - 2022-09-11
Dates: September 9-11, 2022
Location: State Street, Historic Downtown Bristol, VA-TN
Tickets: On sale now!
The award-winning Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion music festival celebrates 21 years in Historic Downtown Bristol, VA-TN, home to the 1927 Bristol Sessions, September 9-11, 2022!
Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion music festival is an electrifying music experience that features the very best roots music. Held annually in historic downtown Bristol TN/VA, the three-day music is amped to the beat of Appalachia’s past, present, and future. The festival digs down deep into the roots of the traditional Appalachian sound and lifts its branches to new heights. It all happens in the heart of the Birthplace of Country Music.
It’s an annual celebration of Bristol’s rich history as the place where the 1927 Bristol Sessions recordings created the “big bang” of country music; they were the recordings that brought early country music to the mainstream and were the first recordings of The Carter Family and Jimmie Rodgers.
The influence of the 1927 Bristol Sessions can still be heard in the soundtrack of today. It’s the roots and far-reaching branches of those seminal recordings that fuels the lineup of each Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion.
Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion takes place in Historic Downtown Bristol, VA-TN on State Street and the surrounding area. Located on the Virginia and Tennessee border with 20 outdoor stages and indoor venues and more than 100 acts of live music, Bristol Rhythm takes visitors on a journey through Appalachia’s musical past, present, and future.
Past performers at Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion include Dwight Yoakam, The Avett Brothers, Dr. Ralph Stanley, Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder, The Carolina Chocolate Drops, Doc Watson, Old Crow Medicine Show, Moon Taxi, Steve Earle & The Dukes, Patty Loveless, Wynonna Judd, Buddy Guy, Lucinda Williams, Emmylou Harris, Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, Béla Fleck & Abigail Washburn, Corey Harris, John Oates, Colin Hay, and many, many more.
Click here for more information.

Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion: Children's Day
2022-09-10 10:00 - 13:00
Children’s Day is back at Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion this year!
Date: Saturday, September 10, 2022
Time: 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Location: Anderson Park, 341 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd, Bristol, TN 37620
FREE EVENT!
Join us at Anderson Park for crafts, games, food trucks, and live music entertainment all for families and kids! Food trucks on-site include Bristol Berry Bowls, Brunch Box, and King of Pops!
Featured live entertainment schedule:
10:05 a.m. – Fairmount Red Hawk Musicians
10:35 a.m. – Sydney Grey
11:00 a.m. – Bristol Ballet
11:30 a.m. – Theatre Bristol Playtime at the Park
12:05 p.m. – Sullins Academy
12:25 p.m. – Bearcats Bluegrass Band

Radio Bristol's Farm and Fun Time at Bristol Rhythm
2022-09-10 19:30 - 21:30
Ticket holders to the annual Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion music festival will have the opportunity to be part of the “studio” audience for Radio Bristol’s Farm and Fun Time live variety show at Paramount Bristol, featuring special guests Del McCoury Band, Willie Watson, and the Green Grass Cloggers, with host Kris Truelsen and his house band Bill and the Belles!
Date: September 10, 2022
Time: 7:30 p.m. EDT
Location: Paramount Bristol (518 State Street)
Cost: Free to Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion music festival ticket holders
Radio Bristol’s Farm and Fun Time is a reimagining of the classic WCYB Radio program of the same name that aired in the 1940s and 1950s. The show broadcasts live before a studio audience and is recorded for television syndication on Blue Ridge PBS, East Tennessee PBS, and PBS North Carolina. Farm and Fun Time can be accessed on 100.1 FM in the Bristol area, or online at ListenRadioBristol.org and on Radio Bristol’s free mobile app. Viewers may also tune in to watch through Radio Bristol’s Facebook page.
About Del McCoury Band
Even among the pantheon of music’s finest artists, Del McCoury stands alone. From the nascent sound of bluegrass that charmed hardscrabble hillbilly honkytonks, rural schoolhouse stages, and the crowning glory of the Grand Ole Opry to the present-day culture-buzz of viral videos and digital streams, Del is the living link. On primetime and late-night television talk shows, there is Del. From headlining sold-out concerts to music festivals of all genres, including one carrying his namesake, there is Del. Where audiences number in the tens of thousands, and admirers as diverse as country-rock icon Steve Earle and jamband royalty Phish count as two among hundreds, there is Del.
About Willie Watson
For nearly two decades, Willie Watson has made modern folk music rooted in older traditions. He’s a folksinger in the classic sense: a singer, storyteller, and traveler, with a catalog of songs that bridge the gap between the past and present. On Folksinger Vol. 2, he acts as a modern interpreter of older songs, passing along his own version of the music that came long before him.
About Green Grass Cloggers
With feet flying and dresses swishing, the Green Grass Cloggers have been a force in traditional dance for over 50 years. Formed in 1971, they are a high-energy percussive dance team based in North Carolina that has preserved and added to traditional steps and routines reflecting those of folk tradition. Through national and international travel, they have captivated audiences at Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center Honors, the Philadelphia Folk Festival and countless other venues. In 2014, the group was inducted into the Blue Ridge Music Hall of Fame and America’s Clogging Hall of Fame.
About Bill and the Belles
With their enchanting debut album, “Dreamsongs, Etc.,” Bill and the Belles have captured the freewheeling, lighthearted approach to music that has endeared them to listeners of every generation. With a spirited sound that falls somewhere between old-time country and vaudeville, the group puts its own spin on a golden era of music, specifically the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s.

Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion Black Friday Sale & Holiday Hangout with 49 Winchester
2022-11-25 10:00 - 14:00
**Be sure and tune in to WCYB News 5 at Noon on Black Friday for a special announcement from BCM and 49 Winchester, live from the Holiday Hangout!
Date: Black Friday, November 25, 2022
Time: 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. EST (Photos with 49 Winchester 10:00 a.m. – 12:-00 p.m. only)
Location: Special Exhibits Gallery, Birthplace of Country Music Museum
Cost: FREE EVENT
You’re invited to a very special Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion Black Friday Holiday Hangout event, complete with a free hot chocolate bar, snacks, and crazy Christmas photos with members of one of Southwest Virginia’s favorite emerging Americana acts, 49 Winchester.
Weekend passes to the 22nd annual Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion music festival, slated for Sept. 8-10, 2023, will be available for purchase for $100 (plus tax/fees). The sale runs through Cyber Monday, Nov. 28; it is the lowest price available all year. New and exclusive Bristol Rhythm and 49 Winchester merchandise will also be sold – perfect for gift giving or for treating yourself.
The Holiday Hangout with members of 49 Winchester will be held in the Special Exhibits Gallery at the museum from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. EST where visitors are encouraged to don their flashiest holiday duds and pose for a free Christmas photo with the band amidst a mid-century mod set curated by Cherry Bombed Beauty of Bristol. Participants may use their own cameras or snap photos with their cell phones; a photographer will also be on hand to take digital pics. The hot chocolate bar and snacks will continue to flow until 2 p.m. EST, and visitors are welcome to take personal Christmas pics on the set.
Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion weekend passes will be sold exclusively online at BristolRhythm.com and in person at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum starting Black Friday. Please note the museum is closed on Mondays.
About 49 Winchester
Hailing from Russell Co., Va., 49 Winchester is taking the national music scene by storm with the critically-acclaimed, New West Records release “Fortune Favors The Bold,” the band’s fourth album. The band has been selling out venues across the country, made their Grand Ole Opry debut, and performed at major festivals including Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion, Red Wing Roots Music Festival, and Floydfest. In April the band will return to the Opry and also perform at California’s Stagecoach Festival.
49 Winchester has announced the band will be live in concert at Paramount Bristol April 1, 2023 at 7:30 p.m. EST. Tickets to the show will also be on sale to the public Black Friday. Tickets may be purchased at the Paramount box office and online at ParamountBristol.org.

VMFA on the Road Artmobile at Birthplace of Country Music Museum
2023-09-06 - 2023-09-10 | Birthplace of Country Music Museum, 101 Country Music Way, Bristol, VA, 24201, United States
Event: Virginia Museum of Fine Arts on the Road Artmobile at the Museum!
About: The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts is bringing traveling art exhibitions and educational offerings to audiences across the state with VMFA on the Road: An Artmobile for the 21st century! This state-of-the-art mobile museum and education studio will be at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum and open to school groups, drop-in visitors, and Bristol Rhythm festivalgoers for several days in September.
Dates: Wednesday, September 6–Sunday, September 10, 2023
Wednesday, September 6–Thursday, September 7 (for school visits and drop-in visitors)
Friday, September 8–Sunday, September 10 (for drop-in visitors and Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion festivalgoers)
Location: Parked on Country Music Way in front of the museum
Exhibit Description: This year’s VMFA on the Road exhibition is titled Revealing and Obscuring Identity: Portraits from the Permanent Collection. It examines the complex role of portraiture across cultures and time periods. Beginning with the Japanese artist Kitagawa Utamaro, and concluding with American artist Gordon Stettinius, the exhibit explores how artists have used portraiture as a means to both reveal and obscure their sitter’s identity. Traditionally, portraiture has been used to highlight the sitter’s wealth, power, beauty, virtue, and intelligence and has been reserved for the elite of society. Several of the works in this exhibition maintain this tradition while others employ it as means to explore truths about the nature of art, the way we perceive beauty, and the way culture influences and reflects personal identity.
Family Visit Guide: A Family Visit Guide is available online, and paper copies will be available at the Artmobile for visitors to use and take with them.
COVID Protocols: The VMFA on the Road Artmobile is following these protocols:
*Not requiring visitors to wear masks on the artmobile
*Have a maximum of 15-20 persons on board at the same time
*There’s no time limit on general visits
*30-minute school tour group visits
*Hand sanitizer will be available
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DROP-IN VISITORS
Drop-in visitors can view the Artmobile for free on Wednesday, September 6 and Thursday, September 7, 2023 at times when school groups are not booked, see below (BOOKED and OPEN FOR DROP-IN VISITORS times will be marked as such).
Drop-ins are also welcome Friday, September 8–Sunday, September 10 (see open times below) because the Artmobile will be just outside the Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion festival gates, but entry into the festival footprint requires a BRRR 2023 wristband.
Take an art break! Bring your friends, family, kids, grandma, or whoever you know who would enjoy a wonderful art experience and drop-in on the VMFA on the Road Artmobile. This is a FREE opportunity!
The Artmobile will be closed Wednesday and Thursday 11:50am–12:50pm for lunch.

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School Information
School groups can visit the Artmobile on Wednesday, September 6 and Thursday, September 7, 2023. This is a FREE visit!
The VMFA on the Road Artmobile will be open to middle school, high school, and college groups on September 6–7, 2023. A field trip to the Artmobile exposes students to multiple art mediums and concepts using visual thinking, sketching, and writing. Admission is free to the Artmobile.
Several time slots are available for school group visits, and schools can book multiple/consecutive time slots if needed (please get in touch if you need another time than the ones shown below, e.g. later in the day):
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 6
10:00–10:30am BOOKED
10:40–11:10am BOOKED
11:20–11:50am BOOKED
11:50–12:50pm CLOSED FOR LUNCH
12:50–1:20pm
1:30–2:00pm
2:10–2:40pm
2:50–3:20pm
3:30–4:00pm
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 7
10:00–10:30am BOOKED
10:40–11:10am BOOKED
11:20–11:50am BOOKED
11:50am–12:50pm CLOSED FOR LUNCH
12:50–1:20pm BOOKED
1:30–2:00pm
2:10–2:40pm
2:50–3:20pm
3:30–4:00pm BOOKED
The Birthplace of Country Music Museum has some funds available to help schools with transportation costs on a first come-first served basis. Please contact ebarker@birthplaceofcountrymusic.org for more information.
Educators can pick from a variety of learning activities for their student visit, including Looking to Learn, Sketching to Learn, Moving to Learn, and Writing to Learn.
A tour of the Artmobile is a 30-minute experience. An optimum visit has 10–12 students (with one adult); larger groups will be divided into groups of 20 (with two adults). Teachers can also add a FREE guided tour of the Birthplace of Country Music Museum’s special exhibit I’ve Endured: Women in Old-Time Music (also a 30-minute experience) to your visit to the Artmobile. This exhibit is a wonderful companion to the Artmobile experience, giving students and teachers the chance to explore women’s history and stories more deeply. Women have always been central to old-time music – in the home and on the stage, and as instrumentalists and singers, preservationists, activities, promotors, and cultural memory keepers. I’ve Endured highlights the many women who have been integral to this music, exploring the challenges they’ve faced making a career in the field, the ways they have impacted the genre, and their vision for the future of old-time. If you would like to also book a tour of the museum’s permanent exhibits, our usual student group admission applies.
For further information about a VMFA on the Road Artmobile experience for your students and to book a tour, please contact Erika Barker at ebarker@birthplaceofcountrymusic.org, providing the following information: Date of tour, preferred time of tour, name of school, teacher’s name, grade level, and size of group.
Bookings must be made by September 1, 2023.

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Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion Information
Festivalgoers can visit the Artmobile on Friday, September 8– Sunday, September 10, 2023
The VMFA on the Road Artmobile will be free and open to festivalgoers on September 8—10, 2023, just one more way to make your Bristol Rhythm experience even more special! A fun arts & crafts table will also be set up outside the Artmobile for anyone who needs a creativity break!
The Artmobile will be open at the following times:
Friday, September, 8: 1:00–7:00pm
Saturday, September 9: 9:00am–6:00pm (closed 1:00–2:00pm for lunch)
Sunday, September 10: 10:00am–5:00pm (closed 1:00–2:00pm for lunch)

Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion 2023
2023-09-08 - 2023-09-10
Dates: September 8-10, 2023
Location: State Street, Historic Downtown Bristol, VA-TN
Tickets: On sale now!
The award-winning Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion music festival celebrates 22 years in Historic Downtown Bristol, VA-TN, home to the 1927 Bristol Sessions, September 8-10, 2023!
Headliners include Nickel Creek, Margo Price, Bruce Hornsby & The Noisemakers, Watchhouse, The Mavericks, 49 Winchester, Larkin Poe, Marty Stuart & His Fabulous Superlatives, Allison Russell, Sierra Hull, Darrell Scott’s Electrifying Band, Amythyst Kiah, Brent Cobb, Daniel Donato’s Cosmic Country, Oliver Wood Trio, and many, many more!
Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion music festival is an electrifying music experience that features the very best roots music. Held annually in historic downtown Bristol TN/VA, the three-day music is amped to the beat of Appalachia’s past, present, and future. The festival digs down deep into the roots of the traditional Appalachian sound and lifts its branches to new heights. It all happens in the heart of the Birthplace of Country Music.
It’s an annual celebration of Bristol’s rich history as the place where the 1927 Bristol Sessions recordings created the “big bang” of country music; they were the recordings that brought early country music to the mainstream and were the first recordings of The Carter Family and Jimmie Rodgers.
The influence of the 1927 Bristol Sessions can still be heard in the soundtrack of today. It’s the roots and far-reaching branches of those seminal recordings that fuels the lineup of each Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion.
Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion takes place in Historic Downtown Bristol, VA-TN on State Street and the surrounding area. Located on the Virginia and Tennessee border with 16 outdoor stages, numerous indoor venues and more than 100 acts of live music, Bristol Rhythm takes visitors on a journey through Appalachia’s musical past, present, and future.
Click here for more information.

VMFA on the Road Artmobile at Birthplace of Country Music Museum
2024-09-11 - 2024-09-15 | Birthplace of Country Music Museum, 101 Country Music Way, Bristol, VA, 24201, United States
Dates :

For school visits and drop-in visitors:

Wednesday, September 11–Sunday, September 15
Wednesday, September 11–Thursday, September 12

For drop-in visitors and Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion festival goers:

Friday, September 13–Sunday, September 15

Scroll down for schedule
Location: Cumberland Square Park parking lot, corner of Cumberland & Moore Streets
(directly across from the Birthplace of Country Music Museum)
The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts is bringing traveling art exhibitions and educational offerings to audiences across the state with VMFA on the Road: An Artmobile for the 21st century! This state-of-the-art mobile museum and education studio will be at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum and open to school groups, drop-in visitors, and Bristol Rhythm festivalgoers for several days in September.
Exhibit Description: This year’s VMFA on the Road exhibition – Love, Laughter, Tears: An Artist’s Guide to Emotions – examines the complex relationship between art and emotion across various cultures and time periods. Despite their different backgrounds, the wide range of artists and cultures showcased demonstrate the unifying nature of human emotion.
Emotion and expression have always been integral to the creative process of art making. Artists convey emotions through their use of color, shapes, symbolism, and text. Artworks can reflect personal emotions or the wider mood of a culture or historical period, shedding light on significant events and their impact on people. The power of art lies in its ability to communicate these feelings and messages, fostering conversations and understanding among viewers and communities.
In the aftermath of the Covid-19 lockdown and amid growing societal divisions, emotions, empathy, and self-reflection hold great significance. We invite you to consider the emotions you experience throughout the exhibition. How does the artwork influence your emotional state? What can you learn about your reactions? Engaging with these emotions can lead to a deeper understanding of oneself and others, promoting dialogue and connection.
Family Visit Guide: A Family Visit Guide is available online, and paper copies will be available at the Artmobile for visitors to use and take with them.

COVID Protocols: The VMFA on the Road Artmobile is following these protocols:
*Not requiring visitors to wear masks on the artmobile
*Have a maximum of 15-20 persons on board at the same time
*There’s no time limit on general visits
*30-minute school tour group visits
*Hand sanitizer will be available
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DROP-IN VISITORS
Drop-in visitors can view the Artmobile for free on Wednesday, September 11 and Thursday, September 12, 2024 at times when school groups are not booked, see below (BOOKED and OPEN FOR DROP-IN VISITORS times will be marked as such).
Drop-ins are also welcome Friday, September 13–Sunday, September 15 (see open times below) because the Artmobile will be just outside the Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion festival gates, but entry into the festival footprint requires a BRRR 2024 wristband.
Take an art break! Bring your friends, family, kids, grandma, or whoever you know who would enjoy a wonderful art experience and drop-in on the VMFA on the Road Artmobile. This is a FREE opportunity!
The Artmobile will be closed Wednesday and Thursday 11:50am–12:50pm for lunch.

The VMFA on the Road team gives a warm welcome to the new and improved Artmobile. Inside is the exciting new exhibiton, Love, Laughter, Tears: An Artist’s Guide to Emotions. The exhibition includes works from the museum’s permanent collection and the first video installation in an artmobile exhibition: “First Landings,” which was created by Ethan Brown (Pamunkey) and Federico Cuatlacuatl (Nahua, born in Coapan, Cholula, Mexico), and recently debuted to critical acclaim at the Pocahontas Reframed Film Festival at VMFA. Photo by Sandra Sellars © Virginia Museum of Fine Arts
******************************************************************************
School Information
School groups can visit the Artmobile on Wednesday, September 11 and Thursday, September 12, 2024. This is a FREE visit!
The VMFA on the Road Artmobile will be open to middle school, high school, and college groups on September 11–12, 2024. A field trip to the Artmobile exposes students to multiple art mediums and concepts using visual thinking, sketching, and writing. Admission is free to the Artmobile.
Several time slots are available for school group visits, and schools can book multiple/consecutive time slots if needed (please get in touch if you need another time than the ones shown below, e.g. later in the day):
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11
10:00–10:30am BOOKED
10:40–11:10am BOOKED
11:20–11:50am BOOKED
11:50–12:50pm CLOSED FOR LUNCH
12:50–1:20pm BOOKED
1:30–2:00pm
2:10–2:40pm
2:50–3:20pm
3:30–4:00pm
4:30–5:00pm BOOKED
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 12
10:00–10:30am BOOKED
10:40–11:10am BOOKED
11:20–11:50am BOOKED
11:50am–12:50pm CLOSED FOR LUNCH
12:50–1:20pm BOOKED
1:30–2:00pm BOOKED
2:10–2:40pm BOOKED
2:50–3:20pm
3:30–4:00pm
Educators can pick from a variety of learning activities for their student visit. You can access Artmobile educational resources HERE.
A tour of the Artmobile is a 30-minute experience. An optimum visit has 10–12 students (with one adult); larger groups will be divided into groups of 20 (with two adults). Teachers can also add a FREE guided tour of the Birthplace of Country Music Museum’s special exhibit Songwriter (also a 30-minute experience) to your visit to the Artmobile. This exhibit is a wonderful companion to the Artmobile experience, giving students and teachers the chance to learn about the artists who have written the soundtrack of country music. If you would like to also book a tour of the museum’s permanent exhibits, our usual student group admission applies.
For further information about a VMFA on the Road Artmobile experience for your students and to book a tour, please contact Hollie Moody at hmoody@birthplaceofcountrymusic.org, providing the following information: Date of tour, preferred time of tour, name of school, teacher’s name, grade level, and size of group.
Bookings must be made by September 3, 2024.

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Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion Information
Festivalgoers can visit the Artmobile on Friday, September 13– Sunday, September 15, 2024
The VMFA on the Road Artmobile will be free and open to festivalgoers on September 13—15, 2024, just one more way to make your Bristol Rhythm experience even more special! A fun arts & crafts table will also be set up outside the Artmobile for anyone who needs a creativity break!
The Artmobile will be open at the following times:
Friday, September, 13: 1:00–7:00pm
Saturday, September 14: 9:00am–6:00pm (closed 1:00–2:00pm for lunch)
Sunday, September 15: 10:00am–5:00pm (closed 1:00–2:00pm for lunch)

Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion Kick-Off Show
2024-09-12 17:00 - 19:00
Date: Thursday, September 12, 2024
Time: 5:00 p.m. ET
Location: Lumac Rooftop Bar, The Bristol Hotel
Tickets: $60 (+tax/fee)
BUY TICKETS
Kick off Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion with a little pre-game festivities high above Bristol on the rooftop of The Bristol Hotel with singer-songwriter Theo Lawrence and Kris Truelsen & The Farm and Fun Time Band!
Those in attendance will have the opportunity to print out their own letterpress show poster to take home, thanks to Sign of the George Press, a program within King University’s department of Digital Media Art and Design (DMAD).
About Theo Lawrence
For the past 10 years, Theo Lawrence has been making a name for himself as France’s favorite songbird.
A truly one-of-a-kind country singer and genuine keeper of the flame, Lawrence came into his own on his Austin-made 2023 LP release, Cherie, and on his latest all acoustic album, Pickin’ & Singin’.
​Lawrence pens classic love songs, and delivers with a croon straight out of the Charlie Rich and Ray Price golden years. In recent years, he has played a pivotal role in reviving an interest for country music in Europe, and with his recent move to Austin, Texas, Theo Lawrence is bringing his honed craft back to its American cradle.

Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion 2024
2024-09-13 - 2024-09-15
Dates: September 13-15, 2024
Location: State Street, Historic Downtown Bristol, TN-VA
Tickets: ON SALE NOW!
The award-winning Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion music festival celebrates 23 years in Historic Downtown Bristol, TN-VA, home of the legendary 1927 Bristol Sessions!
Headliners include 49 Winchester, Ashley McBryde, The Wallflowers, The Red Clay Strays, Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway, Sam Bush, Wilderado, The SteelDrivers, Brittney Spencer, Drayton Farley, Jaime Wyatt, Bella White, Silverada, Grace Bowers, and many, many more!
Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion is an electrifying, three-day music experience that features the very best roots music on more than a dozen stages. Established in 2001, the festival is an annual celebration of Bristol’s rich history as the place where the 1927 Bristol Sessions recordings created the “big bang” of country music and catapulted early country music into the mainstream.
Visit BristolRhythm.com for more information.

Earth Day 2025: Bristol Rhythm Green Team Plogging Downtown!
2025-04-19 09:00 - 12:30 | Axe and Ale House, 155 Moore Street, Bristol, VA, 24201, United States
Celebrate Mother Earth with the Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion’s Green Team plogging event!

Date: Saturday, April 19, 2025
Time: 9 a.m. EDT
Location: Axe and Ale House, 155 Moore Street, Bristol, VA 24201 (use Moore Street entrance please)
Cost: Free to participate (beverages and food not included)
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER
Plogging is a community and environmentally focused way to exercise where you pick up trash as you walk/run. This event gives us the opportunity to call attention to the importance of recycling, disposing of trash responsibly, and keeping our Historic Downtown clean.

What to expect:
Meet us at Axe and Ale House at 9 a.m. on Saturday, April 19. Participants will have two walk/run routes to choose from, each starting in Historic Downtown Bristol, and then branching out to nearby neighborhoods in Tennessee and Virginia.
The Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion Green Team will be there to talk about volunteer opportunities at Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion music festival coming up September 19-21 in Historic Downtown Bristol. And Bristol’s own Mountain Sports Ltd. will be on site with various running-related products available for purchase.
Axe and Ale House will have food and drinks to purchase so you can hang out while enjoying some time with old and new friends after helping make Bristol a greener place to live!
After the plogging session, we will hold a raffle with several cool prizes to be won, including Teva shoes, and the person who brings back the most trash (by weight) will win a trophy AND a weekend pass to Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion!!!
Itinerary:
9-9:30 a.m.
Arrive at Axe and Ale House to get your route maps for plogging, pick up trash bags, and get a trash picker (first-come, first-served).
9:30-10:30 a.m.
5K plog, walk or run. Pick up trash along your route.
11-11:30 a.m.
Raffle and prizes awarded.
11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Food and drinks available for purchase.
Image: Plogging volunteers pose with the trash pick-up results from a past event (left); winners of the BRRR wristband grand prize for the most trash gathered (right). Our first event in 2022 resulted in almost 150 pounds of trash picked up over one hour; our second event 2024 brought in 283 pounds!

Bristol Rhythm Kick Off Show w/ Emily Nenni, Brady Heck
2025-09-18 18:30 - 21:00
Join us at Lumac Rooftop Bar above The Bristol Hotel as we kick off the 24th annual Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion music festival with Emily Nenni and Brady Heck! All tickets include a limited edition show poster. Purchase your tickets early for a chance to receive a poster signed by the artists!
Date: Thursday, Sept. 18, 2025
Time: 6:30 p.m. (Doors 5:30 p.m.)
Location: Lumac Rooftop Bar, The Bristol Hotel
Cost: $64 – $74 (includes applicable taxes/fees)
GET TICKETS
About Emily Nenni
Emily Nenni has a confession: she didn’t always plan on being a performing artist. “I thought I was just going to be a songwriter,” she admits. Clearly, life had something else in store. The singer and guitarist has emerged as one of the freshest and most electrifying voices in Nashville, with a sound rooted in classic honky-tonk and spiked with serious country, soul and rock ‘n’ roll fire, and sweet-and-sassy lyrics that chronicle hard living, hot nights, heartbreak and other universal truths about the human condition. Over the past several years she’s enraptured audiences across Music City with sizzling sets in smoky bars and clubs, honing her command of the stage, perfecting her skills as a band leader and sharpening an already astute world view, all of which are on full display on her newest studio album, Drive & Cry.
About Brady Heck
Get ready to experience the soulful sounds of Brady Heck, the rising star of Richmond’s country music scene! In this exclusive Shockoe Sessions Live performance, Brady brings his unique blend of southern vibes and country charm to the stage, performing hits like “Ain’t It Cruel” and “Half a Mind”. With his rugged, rootsy sound and heartfelt lyrics, Brady is quickly becoming a favorite among fans of RVA music and beyond. From the Saddle Blanket to the Grey Fox, Brady’s music is infused with a deep love of southern roots and a passion for storytelling. Join us at Shockoe Records for an unforgettable night of live music in RVA, as we celebrate the best of Richmond’s country music scene.

Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion
2025-09-19 - 2025-09-21
Dates: September 19-21, 2025
Location: State Street, Historic Downtown Bristol, Tenn.-Va.
BUY WEEKEND PASSES

Celebrate the 24th annual Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion music festival with The Teskey Brothers, Shane Smith & The Saints, Lukas Nelson, Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder, The Band Perry, Joy Oladokun, Steep Canyon Rangers, Pigeons Playing Ping Pong, and many, many more!
Visit BristolRhythm.com for full lineup and details.

VMFA on the Road Artmobile at Birthplace of Country Music Museum
2025-09-19 - 2025-09-23 | Birthplace of Country Music Museum, 101 Country Music Way, Bristol, VA, 24201, United States
DATES

For school visits :

Wednesday, September 17–Thursday, September 18

For drop-in visitors and Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion festival goers:

Friday, September 19–Sunday, September 21

Scroll down for schedule
Location: Cumberland Square Park parking lot, corner of Cumberland & Moore Streets
(directly across from the Birthplace of Country Music Museum)
The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts is bringing traveling art exhibitions and educational offerings to audiences across the state with VMFA on the Road: An Artmobile for the 21st century! This state-of-the-art mobile museum and education studio will be at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum and open to school groups, drop-in visitors, and Bristol Rhythm festivalgoers for several days in September.
Exhibit Description: This year’s VMFA on the Road exhibition – Love, Laughter, Tears: An Artist’s Guide to Emotions – examines the complex relationship between art and emotion across various cultures and time periods. Despite their different backgrounds, the wide range of artists and cultures showcased demonstrate the unifying nature of human emotion.
Emotion and expression have always been integral to the creative process of art making. Artists convey emotions through their use of color, shapes, symbolism, and text. Artworks can reflect personal emotions or the wider mood of a culture or historical period, shedding light on significant events and their impact on people. The power of art lies in its ability to communicate these feelings and messages, fostering conversations and understanding among viewers and communities.
In the aftermath of the Covid-19 lockdown and amid growing societal divisions, emotions, empathy, and self-reflection hold great significance. We invite you to consider the emotions you experience throughout the exhibition. How does the artwork influence your emotional state? What can you learn about your reactions? Engaging with these emotions can lead to a deeper understanding of oneself and others, promoting dialogue and connection.
Family Visit Guide: A Family Visit Guide is available online, and paper copies will be available at the Artmobile for visitors to use and take with them.

COVID Protocols: The VMFA on the Road Artmobile is following these protocols:
*Not requiring visitors to wear masks on the artmobile
*Have a maximum of 15-20 persons on board at the same time
*There’s no time limit on general visits
*30-minute school tour group visits
*Hand sanitizer will be available
******************************************************************************
DROP-IN VISITORS
Drop-in visitors can view the Artmobile for free on Wednesday, September 17 and Thursday, September 18, 2025 at times when school groups are not booked, see below (BOOKED and OPEN FOR DROP-IN VISITORS times will be marked as such).
Drop-ins are also welcome Friday, September 19–Sunday, September 21 (see open times below) because the Artmobile will be just outside the Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion festival gates, but entry into the festival footprint requires a BRRR 2025 wristband.
Take an art break! Bring your friends, family, kids, grandma, or whoever you know who would enjoy a wonderful art experience and drop-in on the VMFA on the Road Artmobile. This is a FREE opportunity!
The Artmobile will be closed Wednesday and Thursday 11:50am–12:50pm for lunch.

The VMFA on the Road team gives a warm welcome to the new and improved Artmobile. Inside is the exciting new exhibiton, Love, Laughter, Tears: An Artist’s Guide to Emotions. The exhibition includes works from the museum’s permanent collection and the first video installation in an artmobile exhibition: “First Landings,” which was created by Ethan Brown (Pamunkey) and Federico Cuatlacuatl (Nahua, born in Coapan, Cholula, Mexico), and recently debuted to critical acclaim at the Pocahontas Reframed Film Festival at VMFA. Photo by Sandra Sellars © Virginia Museum of Fine Arts
******************************************************************************
School Information
School groups can visit the Artmobile on Wednesday, September 17 and Thursday, September 18, 2025. This is a FREE visit!
The VMFA on the Road Artmobile will be open to middle school, high school, and college groups on September 17–18, 2025. A field trip to the Artmobile exposes students to multiple art mediums and concepts using visual thinking, sketching, and writing. Admission is free to the Artmobile.
Several time slots are available for school group visits, and schools can book multiple/consecutive time slots if needed (please get in touch if you need another time than the ones shown below, e.g. later in the day):
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 17
10:00–10:30am BOOKED
10:40–11:10am BOOKED
11:20–11:50am BOOKED
11:50–12:50pm CLOSED FOR LUNCH
12:50–1:20pm BOOKED
1:30–2:00pm BOOKED
2:10–2:40pm BOOKED
2:50–3:20pm
3:30–4:00pm
4:45–5:45pm BOOKED
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 18
10:00–10:30am BOOKED
10:40–11:10am BOOKED
11:20–11:50am
11:50am–12:50pm CLOSED FOR LUNCH
12:50–1:20pm BOOKED
1:30–2:00pm
2:10–2:40pm
2:50–3:20pm
3:30–4:00pm
Educators can pick from a variety of learning activities for their student visit. You can access Artmobile educational resources HERE.
A tour of the Artmobile is a 30-minute experience. An optimum visit has 10–12 students (with one adult); larger groups will be divided into groups of 20 (with two adults). Teachers can also add a FREE guided tour of the Birthplace of Country Music Museum’s special exhibit Ellen Elmes: The Art of Music & Mountains (also a 30-minute experience) to your visit to the Artmobile. This exhibit is a wonderful companion to the Artmobile experience, giving students and teachers the chance to learn about the artists who have written the soundtrack of country music. If you would like to also book a tour of the museum’s permanent exhibits, our usual student group admission applies.
For further information about a VMFA on the Road Artmobile experience for your students and to book a tour, please contact Hollie Moody at hmoody@birthplaceofcountrymusic.org, providing the following information: Date of tour, preferred time of tour, name of school, teacher’s name, grade level, and size of group.
Bookings must be made by September 12, 2025.

******************************************************************************
Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion Information
Festivalgoers can visit the Artmobile on Friday, September 19– Sunday, September 21, 2024
The VMFA on the Road Artmobile will be free and open to festivalgoers on September 19—21, 2025, just one more way to make your Bristol Rhythm experience even more special! A fun arts & crafts table will also be set up outside the Artmobile for anyone who needs a creativity break!
The Artmobile will be open at the following times:
Friday, September, 19: 1:00–7:00pm
Saturday, September 20: 9:00am–6:00pm (closed 1:00–2:00pm for lunch)
Sunday, September 21: 10:00am–5:00pm (closed 1:00–2:00pm for lunch)
