Museum Story Time - "The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything: A Halloween Book for Kids" by Linda D. Williams
2024-10-04 10:30 - 11:30 (America/New_York) | Birthplace of Country Music Museum, 101 Country Music Way, Bristol, VA, 24201, United States
Date: Friday, October 4, 2024
Time: 10:30 a.m. EST
Location: The Learning Center, Birthplace of Country Music Museum
Cost: Free and open to the public
Join us in the museum’s Learning Center for our monthly Museum Story Time program. Aimed at toddler-age children and their grown-ups, we will gather on the first Friday of each month for a music- or Appalachia-related storybook, a tune or two by WBCM Radio Bristol show host Ella Patrick, and a related activity or coloring sheet. This month we will be doing a fun pumpkin craft!
About “ The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything: A Halloween Book for Kids”
“A splendiferous Halloween story.” —The Horn Book
“A great purchase for Halloween or any time of year.” —School Library Journal (starred review)
Once upon a time, there was a little old lady who was not afraid of anything! But one autumn night, while walking in the woods, the little old lady heard . . . clomp, clomp, shake, shake, clap, clap.
And the little old lady who was not afraid of anything had the scare of her life! With bouncy refrains and classic art, this timeless Halloween story is perfect for reading aloud.
A classic and fun Halloween read-aloud story that neither you nor the kids in your life will be able to resist, whether curled up at home or in a classroom or library setting.
About the Author

Linda D. Williams is a writer with expertise and experience in the fields of science, medicine, and space. She is a former lead scientist and technical writer for NASA, McDonnell Douglas, Wyle Labs, and Rice University. She writes for children and young adults, mainly about science, nature, and most recently 3D printing. A microbiologist by training in the biomedical sciences division at NASA, Williams also writes science and technology articles and books in easy to understand language so everyone can enjoy science. She also writes fiction as Quinn Cole.

Film Screening: The Library that Dolly Built
2024-10-04 18:30 - 20:00 | Birthplace of Country Music Museum, 101 Country Music Way, Bristol, VA, 24201, United States
Date: Friday, October 4, 2024
Time: 6:30 p.m. ET
Location: Birthplace of Country Music Museum
Cost: Free and open to the public (suggested book(s) donation, see details below)
RSVP HERE
Join us on Friday, October 4, 6:30 p.m. for a screening of The Library that Dolly Built, a documentary about the creation and impact of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.
The Library that Dolly Built—directed and produced by journalism professor and director of Land Grant Films Nick Geidner and narrated by Danica McKellar—goes behind the scenes of Dolly Parton’s literacy-focused non-profit, Imagination Library, to show how one of the most famous and beloved performers in the world has developed an efficient and effective program for spreading the love of reading. The 2020 film celebrates all the people who helped make Dolly’s dream come true and is 1 hour 30 minutes long.
This program is part of the NEA Big Read initiative themed on “Where We Live”; it is a partnership between the Bristol Public Library, Washington County (VA) Public Library, and the museum. The film screening is free and open to the public, but a donation at the door of a book (or books) aimed at 3rd-5th grade children is suggested. All books will be given to the Appalachian Literacy Initiative, based in Bristol, TN-VA.
You can use this link to see the full schedule of NEA Big Read programs at the museum, BPL, and WCPL during October and November 2024, including a book giveaway, book discussions, writing and family history workshops, author talks, and a storytelling evening!
Check out the trailer for The Library that Dolly Built:

About the NEA Big Read
The National Endowment for the Arts Big Read—a partnership with Arts Midwest—broadens our understanding of ourselves and our neighbors through the power of a shared reading experience. The goals of the NEA Big Read are to inspire meaningful conversations, celebrate local creativity, elevate a wide variety of voices and perspectives, and build stronger connections in each community.

Educator Workshop: Virginia History Day
2024-10-05 10:00 - 14:00 | Birthplace of Country Music Museum, 101 Country Music Way, Bristol, VA, 24201, United States
FULL! If you are interested in participating, you can reach out to Sam Florer to be put on the waiting list.
Date: Saturday, October 5, 2024
Time: 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. EST
Location: Birthplace of Country Music Museum
Cost: Free (space limited to 20)
REGISTER HERE
Join educators from the Virginia Museum of History & Culture, Virginia Humanities, and the Birthplace of Country Music Museum to engage with historical thinking skills through the project-based learning program Virginia History Day and the education resources of all three institutions.
Resources for grades 4-12 will be the focus of this event, but all Virginia grade levels and social studies educators, including from homeschools and private schools, are encouraged to attend.
This free, in-person workshop will be held on Saturday, October 5 from 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum, 101 Country Music Wy, Bristol, VA 24201.
Space is limited to the first 20 registrants, so register today! Participation in the workshop includes:

Coffee and light breakfast
$75 stipend
Certificate of participation for CEU points

This workshop is sponsored in part by National Endowment for the Humanities and Virginia Humanities.
Email Sam Florer if you have any questions.
About Virginia History Day
Virginia History Day is the state affiliate of National History Day, a project-based learning program for students grades 4-12. This interdisciplinary research project helps students develop historical thinking and literacy skills while making the study of history engaging, relevant, and most of all, fun!

Speaker Sessions: Cam Collins on "Old Gods of Appalachia"
2024-10-08 19:00 - 20:30 | Birthplace of Country Music Museum, 101 Country Music Way, Bristol, VA, 24201, United States
Date: Tuesday, October 8, 2024
Time: 7:00 p.m. ET
Location: Birthplace of Country Music Museum (in-person); YouTube (virtual)
Cost: Free and open to the public
RSVP HERE
Just in time for “spooky season,” join us for our October Speaker Sessions with Cam Collins, co-creator of the Old Gods of Appalachia, an eldritch horror fiction podcast set in an Alternate Appalachia, a world where these mountains were never meant to be inhabited. This world feels eerily similar to the hills and hollers we’ve grown up with, but there are some tell-tale differences. Names of towns and counties may be altered. Historical events slide forward or backward in time. And then, of course, there are the monsters… We will be talking to Cam about how she and her co-created built this Alternate Appalachia, the myths, legends, and folklore that inspired it, and so much more!
Please note: For those attending virtually via YouTube, the live stream will originate on the Radio Bristol YouTube channel after 6:50pm EST. If you load the channel page before 6:50pm, and the live stream does not automatically appear, please refresh the page after 6:50pm.
About Cam Collins
Cam Collins is a native of Wise, Virginia, where she cut her teeth on the creepy folklore of the region. A lover of all things that go bump in the night and dyed-in-the-wool spooky witch, Cam also produced and co-hosted Appalachian Arcana, a podcast featuring regional stories of folklore, true crime, cryptids, and other general weirdness. Before Old Gods of Appalachia took off, she provided graphic design and web development for numerous businesses in the Tri-Cities and beyond. She holds degrees in English (BA, University of Virginia at Wise) and Communication (MA, University of Georgia).

Old-Time Community Jam with ETSU
2024-10-12 14:00 - 17:00, 2024-11-09 14:00 - 17:00 | Birthplace of Country Music Museum, 101 Country Music Way, Bristol, VA, 24201, United States
Time: 2-5 p.m. EST
Location: Learning Center, Birthplace of Country Music Museum
Cost: FREE EVENT
The Birthplace of Country Music Museum, in partnership with the East Tennessee State University Old-Time Music Program, hosts a gathering of local musicians for a country jam session focusing on country, old-time and blues music. The jam events are intended to provide a space for local musicians to gather and pick, collaborate, share their experiences, and—most importantly—to have fun!
The Old-Time Community Jam is scheduled for 2-5 p.m., serving as a great warm-up for Saturday night gigs. Musicians are asked to bring their own instruments.
The jams are free and open to the public. All ages and skill levels are welcome. Those just interested in attending as a spectator are also welcome at no charge.
For more information call 423-573-1927.

Songwriters in the Round: Linda and David Lay, Sandy Shortridge, and Rafe Van Hoy
2024-10-17 19:00 - 21:00 | Birthplace of Country Music Museum, 101 Country Music Way, Bristol, VA, 24201, United States
Date: Thursday, October 17, 2024
Time: 7:00 p.m. EST
Location: Birthplace of Country Music Museum
Cost: $15.00 + tax/fees
BUY TICKETS HERE
Join us for a “Songwriter in the Round” evening at the museum on Thursday, October 17, 7:00 p.m. This event is in partnership with the Crooked Road and will feature three songwriter-musician acts from the Bristol area and the surrounding region: Linda and David Lay, Sandy Shortridge, and Rafe Van Hoy. Each artist/act will perform 3-4 songs in a “round robin,” while also sharing stories about the songwriting craft, their inspirations, and career. Audience members will enjoy great music and gain an insight into the craft of songwriting.
Attendees are invited to visit the museum’s special exhibit Songwriter Musician before the performance. Artist Rafe Van Hoy is featured in the exhibit, and his guitar and several items of memorabilia are on display.
This event is complementary programming to our current special exhibit Songwriter Musician: The Photographs of Ed Rode, on display through December 31, 2024.
Special thanks to the Crooked Road for their sponsorship of songwriters Linda and David Lay and Sandy Shortridge, and to the Massengill-DeFriece Foundation for their support of the Songwriter Musician exhibit and its complementary programming.
About Linda and David Lay
Bluegrass singer and bassist Linda Clayman Lay, better known as Linda Lay, grew up in Clayman Valley, a small community named after her family outside of Bristol, Tennessee-Virginia. She spent her early years with Janette Carter at the Carter Family Fold in Hiltons, Virginia. Linda performed with her family band before starting her own group, Appalachian Trail.
Linda met her husband, guitarist and singer David Lay, and they formed Springfield Exit together with David McLaughlin. Linda has toured the United States with the masters of the Steel String Guitar and was its featured vocalist and bassist. In addition, Linda is a master artist in traditional singing for the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities.
Together with banjo player Sammy Shelor, Linda recorded Taking the Crooked Road Home for the Virginia Folklife Program under the direction of Jon Lohman. Linda has performed with singers across several genres of music, including Vern Gosdin, Carl Jackson, Bruce Hornsby, Piedmont blues singer John Cephas, and master of the telecaster, Bill Kirchen. In the early 2000s, Linda recorded several albums for Cracker Barrel’s Heritage Series CDs.
About Sandy Shortridge
Sandy Shortridge, a guitarist and exceptional baritone singer, is from Buchanan County in the coalfields of Southwest Virginia. She began her musical career at 10 years old and is well known after performing on many area stages and beyond throughout the years. A songwriter and master storyteller, her original songs capture the cultural traditions of the region and can bring tears or a smile with equal ability. During her performances, the stories and her experiences are shared in her music in an almost magical way. No other performer in the region captures the heart, mind, and soul of the region’s people.
Shortridge has made multiple recordings, which feature her moving compositions in carefully crafted arrangements and presentation. She is also featured on a two-CD compilation recording of 50 current artists from the Crooked Road region called A Treasury of American Music, and her original songs have been recorded by numerous other artists.
Shortridge is also a radio broadcaster with her husband, Big Al Wheetley, and they can be heard on Radio Bristol’s “The Big Al & Sandy Show” on Saturdays at 1:00 p.m.
About Rafe Van Hoy
Rafe Van Hoy began his music career as a songwriter, landing his first publishing contract at 17. In the next seven years he would become one of Nashville’s new emerging songwriters with 10 number one songs and as many top 10 singles, along with nearly 200 cuts by other artists. In one three-year period, he had between 50 and 60 songs cut each year. During this early time Rafe also worked as a session musician on many hit records, and then began adding producer to his list of credits, with songwriting always as his first passion.
Rafe has been active and successful as both writer and producer over four decades with credits in several categories and genres of music, including a Grammy Nomination, 11 BMI One Million Airplay Awards, 3 BMI Two Million Airplay Awards and beyond. His songs have been recorded by George Jones and Tammy Wynette (including the classic “Golden Ring”), the Oak Ridge Boys, Michael Martin Murphy (“What’s Forever For”), John Conlee, Patti Loveless, Brooks and Dunn, Reba McEntire, Leann Rimes, Fleetwood Mac, Diana Ross, Issac Hayes, Paul Carrack, and a long list of others, including Trick Daddy (“I’m A Thug”). His songs have been on records selling well over 150 million copies. Rafe was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2023.
Rafe loves working in all styles of music and continues to stay current creating music in many formats.

CANCELLED! Monthly Museum Volunteer Orientation
2024-10-19 10:00 - 12:00 | Birthplace of Country Music Museum, 101 Country Music Way, Bristol, VA, 24201, United States
CANCELLED! Join us next month instead!
We want YOU to join our wonderful team of volunteers at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum!
Date: Every 4th Saturday except for June (no training), October & November (3rd Saturday) and December (no training)
Time: 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Location: Birthplace of Country Music Museum, Learning Center
If you have a passion for Bristol and its musical legacy and love helping others, our museum volunteer program is the perfect fit for you!
Museum volunteers play a vital role in a number of key areas behind the scenes and on the front lines, such as working as a gallery assistant or docent, helping out in The Museum Store, working with the public at events, concerts, and programs, assisting with behind the scenes administrative or collections work and so much more! Our Museum Volunteer Orientation session gets you acquainted with every aspect of the museum to help you find your area of interest. Volunteer schedules are flexible and fun!
If you are interested in coming to our Museum Volunteer Training, call 423-573-1927 or email Myrissa at volunteercoordinator@birthplaceofcountrymusic.org.

Weekly Music Lessons with JAM Kids at the Museum!
2024-10-19 10:30 - 11:30, 2024-10-26 10:30 - 11:30, 2024-11-02 10:30 - 11:30, 2024-11-09 10:30 - 11:30, 2024-11-16 10:30 - 11:30, 2024-11-23 10:30 - 11:30, 2024-11-30 10:30 - 11:30, 2024-12-07 10:30 - 11:30 and 4 more dates | VA
Date: Weekly on Saturdays
Time: 10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. ET
Location: The Learning Center, Birthplace of Country Music Museum
Cost: $5 per class or $45 for 10 lessons
Through a new partnership with Junior Appalachian Musicians (JAM), the Birthplace of Country Music Museum is a new affiliate location for the program, offering weekly music lessons at the museum for children grades 4-8 and beyond. JAM Kids introduces music through small group instruction on acoustic instruments common to the Appalachian region, such as guitar, banjo, and fiddle. Students may bring their own instruments, or they can be provided as a loan while your child is participating in the program. Other instruments may be introduced as to be determined by instructors. Weekly classes will be held throughout the year, and students can join the program at any point in the year.
Registration is required to participate in this program. You can download the Registration Forms and bring it with you when you drop off your child for their first lesson or complete it at the museum’s front desk upon arrival. Each week, lessons will be filled based on arrival and capped at 30 students. Registration allows you to participate but does not guarantee your spot each week.
We do not offer online registration or spot reservations for this program. Lessons can be purchased as-you-go for $5 or as a bundle of ten pre-paid lessons for $45. The bundle is a discounted rate and will expedite your check-in process, but does not guarantee your spot each week. The class will be closed if capacity is reached before your arrival. Scholarships are available upon request. For more information about signing up for JAM or to inquire about scholarships, email Erika Barker at ebarker@birthplaceofcountrymusic.org.
Registration Forms: Please bring all three forms with you when you arrive for your first lesson.

Registration Form
Student Contract
Media Release Form

Junior Appalachian Musicians is a non-profit and the parent organization for 50+ after-school programs for children in grades 4 – 8. We provide communities with the tools and support they need to teach children to play and dance to traditional old-time and bluegrass music. JAM introduces music through small group instruction on instruments common to the Appalachian region, such as fiddle, banjo and guitar. Each JAM program is individually operated and funded. By affiliating with the JAM organization, each program is eligible to receive support and resources for free and is licensed to use “Junior Appalachian Musicians (JAM)” to identify their traditional music education program.
Be sure to check out JAM Kids on Facebook and Instagram!

The JAM Program Model
JAM is an after-school program for children in grades 4 – 8 and beyond that introduces music through small group instruction on instruments common to the Appalachian region, such as fiddle, banjo and guitar. Each JAM program is individually operated and funded. By affiliating with the JAM organization, each program is eligible to receive support and resources for free, and is licensed to use “Junior Appalachian Musicians (JAM)” to identify their traditional music education program.
Junior Appalachian Musicians ® is a registered trademark of Junior Appalachian Musicians, Inc.
In JAM, instrument instruction is often augmented by dance and vocal instruction as well as string band classes and group enrichment lessons, which introduce children to additional Appalachian culture and history. The JAM program model provides children with opportunities to not only learn traditional music, but to also perform in small and large groups. Field trips, visiting artists and an introduction to the rich history of music unique to each local community further supplement program offerings. Each JAM program is encouraged to foster musical traditions by teaching local styles of traditional mountain music and dance to children. Instructors are also encouraged to teach students to learn music by ear, as to preserve oral traditions as much as possible. Other teaching methodologies and instructional skills are covered in regional professional development and training sessions held multiple times per year and hosted by JAM. JAM also encourages student engagement across programs with regional performance and learning activities throughout the year. For a full list of benefits to affiliates, click here.
JAM believes that all children should have access to traditional old time and bluegrass music. It is recommended that each program provide financial assistance through scholarships to children in need. The program model bases tuition fees on student lunch status: $10/week for full pay children, and $5/week for reduced pay children.
Class sizes typically have a student teacher ratio of 8:1 or less. JAM mandates that each affiliated program conduct criminal background checks on their instructors, directors, and other staff members and volunteers. Programs must be held in public facilities accessible to the community. Junior Appalachian Musicians, Inc prohibits discrimination against any persons on the bases of race, color, national origin, disability, sex, gender identity, religion, reprisal, political beliefs, familial or parental status, and sexual orientation.
For a full listing of affiliation requirements, click here.
History of JAM
Realizing the need to preserve a vital aspect of mountain culture as well as the need for positive activities to underserved youth, Helen White, then a guidance counselor at Sparta Elementary School, founded the first JAM program in Alleghany County, NC in the spring of 2000 with help from other local musicians and educators. Interest in the program spread rapidly with assistance from the National Endowment for the Arts, NC State Arts Council, Blue Ridge National Heritage Area and “The Crooked Road – Virginia’s Heritage Music Trail.”
In 2007, the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation provided funding to allow the development of a regional infrastructure. The Dana Foundation, Virginia Commission for Arts, the Virginia Foundation for Humanities, the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Harris and Frances Block Foundation and the Tides Foundation have provided funding for materials development.
“Junior Appalachian Musicians” was incorporated in 2008 as a non-profit 501(c)3 tax exempt corporation to promote a shared vision of JAM and to provide an umbrella through which to offer resources, training materials and activities to benefit programs individually and collectively. Currently in nearly 30 locations in North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia, JAM affiliates are providing access to the joy of music to thousands of youth while instilling renewed interest and pride in their heritage.
Interested in learning more about JAM? Click here.

Back by Popular Demand: The Library that Dolly Built film screening
2024-10-19 14:30 - 16:00 | Birthplace of Country Music Museum, 101 Country Music Way, Bristol, VA, 24201, United States
Date: Saturday, October 19, 2024
Time: 2:30 p.m. ET
Location: Birthplace of Country Music Museum
Cost: Free and open to the public (suggested book(s) donation, see details below)
RSVP HERE
Join us on Saturday, October 19, 2:30 p.m. for a re-screening of The Library that Dolly Built, a documentary about the creation and impact of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.
The Library that Dolly Built—directed and produced by journalism professor and director of Land Grant Films Nick Geidner and narrated by Danica McKellar—goes behind the scenes of Dolly Parton’s literacy-focused non-profit, Imagination Library, to show how one of the most famous and beloved performers in the world has developed an efficient and effective program for spreading the love of reading. The 2020 film celebrates all the people who helped make Dolly’s dream come true and is 1 hour 30 minutes long.
This program is part of the NEA Big Read initiative themed on “Where We Live”; it is a partnership between the Bristol Public Library, Washington County (VA) Public Library, and the museum. The film screening is free and open to the public, but a donation at the door of a book (or books) aimed at 3rd-5th grade children is suggested. All books will be given to the Appalachian Literacy Initiative, based in Bristol, TN-VA.
You can use this link to see the full schedule of NEA Big Read programs at the museum, BPL, and WCPL during October and November 2024, including a book giveaway, book discussions, writing and family history workshops, author talks, and a storytelling evening!
Check out the trailer for The Library that Dolly Built:

About the NEA Big Read
The National Endowment for the Arts Big Read—a partnership with Arts Midwest—broadens our understanding of ourselves and our neighbors through the power of a shared reading experience. The goals of the NEA Big Read are to inspire meaningful conversations, celebrate local creativity, elevate a wide variety of voices and perspectives, and build stronger connections in each community.

SOLD OUT: 1927 Concert Series with Special Guest Sam Grisman Project
2024-10-25 18:00 - 21:00 | Birthplace of Country Music Museum, 101 Country Music Way, Bristol, VA, 24201, United States
The Birthplace of Country Music proudly presents the intimate 1927 Concert Series experience featuring live music by Sam Grisman Project.
Date: Friday, October 25, 2024
Time: 6 p.m. ET
Location: Performance Theater, Birthplace of Country Music Museum
Tickets: $100
BUY TICKETS

The 1927 Concert Series is an intimate concert experience set in the “acoustically perfect” performance theater at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum. It’s more than a night of music, it’s a very personal event with some of the most renowned roots music artists performing today. Guests are asked to arrive promptly at 6:00 p.m. to enjoy heavy hors d’oeuvres and an open bar before the show (ages 21+ with valid ID), food and drinks included with ticket.
Members of the Birthplace of Country Music’s 1927 Society are given access to exclusive ticket pre-sales to the 1927 Concert Series before they go on sale to the public. To learn more about becoming a member of the 1927 Society and all its advantages, click here.
About Sam Grisman Project
A Note From Sam— The music that my father David Grisman and his close friend, Jerry Garcia, made in the early 90s (in the house that I grew up in) is not only some of the most timeless acoustic music ever recorded, it also triggers my oldest and fondest musical memories. What I find most inspiring about this material is the way their camaraderie and their love and joy for the music, simply oozes out of each recording. It is also impressive how deeply they get beneath their favorite songs—whether they are originals, covers or traditional/old time tunes—and how expertly that material was curated.
My goal in starting Sam Grisman Project is to build a platform for my friends and me to showcase our genuine passion and appreciation for the legacy of Dawg and Jerry’s music. By playing some of their beloved repertoire and sharing the original music that our own collective has to offer, we will also show the impact that this music has had on our own individual musical voices. Ultimately, there is nothing that makes me happier than playing great songs with my best friends and my hope is to share that happiness with audiences all over!”
For more information about Sam Grisman Project, visit SamGrismanProject.net.

Community Day at the Museum
2024-10-26 10:00 - 18:00 | Birthplace of Country Music Museum, 101 Country Music Way, Bristol, VA, 24201, United States
Date: Saturday, October 26, 2024
Time: 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
Location: Birthplace of Country Music Museum
Cost: Free and open to the public
The museum is holding its annual Community Day on Saturday, October 26. Admission is FREE all day long, and the following family-friendly activities will be offered from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.:
* Instrument Petting Zoo, a chance to try out a wide variety of instruments from a guitar to a washboard to a fiddle
* Spooky Story Time (every half hour)
* Dancing and music with Bailey George (30 minute sessions at 10:30 a.m., 11:15 a.m., 12:00 p.m., and 12:45 p.m.)
Scavenger hunts will be on hand to help you explore the museum’s exhibits all day long, and coloring and activity sheets will be available to take home! Plus trick-or-treating candy will be given out while supplies last. Join us for a fun and FREE day out!
Through our partnership with the East Tennessee Bluegrass Association, local jammers will be on site from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. – you can join in as a musician or just listen to some good tunes!
* You can also make a full day of it downtown with Pumpkin Palooza at the Farmers Market at 9:00am, a kids and youth costume contest in Cumberland Square Park at 10:30am, downtown trick-or-treating at 5:00pm, and a Halloween parade at 7:00pm!

Museum Story Time - "The Relatives Came" by Cynthia Rylant
2024-11-01 10:30 - 11:30 | Birthplace of Country Music Museum, 101 Country Music Way, Bristol, VA, 24201, United States
Date: Friday, November 1, 2024
Time: 10:30 a.m. EST
Location: The Learning Center, Birthplace of Country Music Museum
Cost: Free and open to the public
Join us in the museum’s Learning Center for our monthly Museum Story Time program. Aimed at toddler-age children and their grown-ups, we will gather on the first Friday of each month for a music- or Appalachia-related storybook, a tune or two by WBCM Radio Bristol show host Ella Patrick, and a related activity or coloring sheet. This month we will be doing a fun turkey craft!
About “ The Relatives Came”
The relatives’ station wagon: it smelled like a real car, looked like a rainbow, and was roomy enough for a crowd. Lucky! Because a big crowd in all shapes and sizes piled into that old wagon at four o’clock one summer morning and piled out of it the next day at their relatives’ place on the north side of the mountains. All in good moods. The visitors settled in everywhere throughout the house, laughing and making music and hugging everyone from the kitchen to the front room. And they stayed for weeks. Cynthia Rylant’s words and Stephen Gammell’s pictures take warm delight in the time the relatives came — when two sides of a family made one roomy middle.
About the Author

Cynthia Rylant is the author of numerous distinguished novels and picture books for young readers. In addition to her beginning-reader series: Henry and Mudge, Poppleton, and Mr. Putter and Tabby, as well as her Cobble Street Cousins early-chapter series, she is also the author of the Newbery Medal-winning “Missing May,” the Newbery Honor Book “A Fine White Dust,” and two Caldecott Honor-winning picture books.

At Capacity! Hoot and Holler "River Wide, Mountain High: Stories of Where We Live"
2024-11-02 19:00 - 21:00 | Birthplace of Country Music Museum, 101 Country Music Way, Bristol, VA, 24201, United States
Sorry, this event is currently at capacity. We are no longer taking reservations.
Date: Saturday, November 2, 2024
Time: 7:00 p.m. ET (doors open at 6:30 p.m.)
Location: Birthplace of Country Music Museum
Cost: Free and open to the public, donations welcome!
In partnership with the Birthplace of Country Music Museum, Bristol Public Library, and Washington County (VA) Public Library and as part of their NEA Big Read programming, Hoot and Holler Stories returns to the museum for this special night of true stories told live.
“River Wide, Mountain High: Stories of Where We Live” aims to delve into the deep bonds between people and the places that define our lives and shape who we become. More than just locations on a map, these places become characters in our stories—places of love and loss, hope and healing, birth and rebirth, sweetness and sorrows, and inevitable transformations. “River Wide, Mountain High” will remind us that our personal histories are inextricably linked to the communities where we live. Whether we’re from hills and hollers, a bustling city or a barren desert, our stories will forever be woven into the back roads and the front porches of where we’re from.
Attending a live storytelling event reminds us of our humanity. Sharing stories is the very best way to access deep compassion and to smash stereotypes and bias. The experience gives us permission to open our minds and our hearts. Through the voices of others, we are reminded that we are more alike than we know and that the healing power of story is undeniable.
We look forward to bringing our community together for this unforgettable evening!
Interested in sharing a story?
We encourage and welcome new voices, and we look for a diverse range of perspectives and experiences.
To submit a pitch for consideration, please inquire through Hoot and Holler’s Facebook Messenger or email hootlee540@gmail.com with the subject line “River Wide, Mountain High.”
Our themes are purposely broad and open to interpretation. For this show, we are looking to capture a sense of place that fits in with the NEA Big Read’s theme of “Where We Live.” We look for truth and conviction, humor and heart, surprises and plot twists, and all of the juicy details that give stories life. What compels you to want to share your story out loud?
If your story is chosen, you will be supported and coached throughout the process to shine and shape your words to jump from the page to the stage. Sharing a story out loud is one of the most profound and empowering experiences you can have.
*Time limit is 10 minutes.
About Hoot and Holler:
Hoot and Holler is Roanoke, Virginia’s only live storytelling platform. Structured in the vein of The Moth, storytellers are given a theme and invited to share stories based on that theme. Hoot and Holler has quickly become a cherished event in The Star City and beyond. We build up our community by encouraging all people to step up and share their stories in a supportive, diverse, and empowering format. We believe that all stories matter and that all people have thousands of stories within them to tell.
A little Vaudeville, a smidge of irreverent rock-and-roll, a dash of freak show, a heap of hilarity, and a massive infusion of soul, Hoot and Holler will restore faith in the way we, as humans, share and listen to stories.
Keep up with us via Facebook and Instagram!

Speaker Sessions: Lisa Sorrell on Boot Making
2024-11-12 19:00 - 20:30 | Birthplace of Country Music Museum, 101 Country Music Way, Bristol, VA, 24201, United States
Date: Tuesday, November 12, 2024
Time: 7 p.m. ET
Location: In-person and virtual via YouTube
Cost: Free and open to the public
RSVP HERE
Join us on Tuesday, November 12 for our Speaker Sessions with artist and bootmaker Lisa Sorrell as she explores “From the Saddle to the Stage: Country Music and the Evolution of Cowboy Boots.” This program is in-person at the museum and can also be enjoyed virtually via YouTube.
Cowboy boots have long been the standard footwear of country music, both for the performers and their fans. Exploring the history of the cowboy boot, examining how they evolved from plain black boots the cowboys of trail drives wore, to the brightly colored, high-heeled, pointed-toe footwear we recognize today, this talk will explore how this evolution happened alongside, and for the benefit of, entertainment. Given that there is little academic research on cowboy boots, and that the craft of cowboy boot making is traditionally passed along orally from master to student, primary sources are limited to historical photos, vintage boot catalogs, and the memories of aging boot makers. With over 30 years of experience as a cowboy boot maker, Lisa has access to the craft and its embedded knowledge, giving her unique perspectives into its history and traditions. This Speaker Sessions will highlight how cowboy boots, the most universal staple of country music fashion, contributed visually and aesthetically to country music from its beginnings to today.
Please note: For those attending virtually via YouTube, the live stream will originate on the Radio Bristol YouTube channel after 6:50pm EST. If you load the channel page before 6:50pm, and the live stream does not automatically appear, please refresh the page after 6:50pm.
About Lisa Sorrell
Lisa Sorrell (@sorrellcustomboots) is an award-winning artist working in the medium of leather. She makes shoes, cowboy boots, and leather art pieces in her shop in Oklahoma, working from flat pieces of leather and the client’s measurements, and using hand tools and vintage machinery. She maintains a portfolio of original designs and is well-known in the boot making world for her design skills. Sorrell enjoys speaking and writing about cowboy boots and cowboy boot making; her book The Art of Leather Inlay and Overlay is a textbook on the topic of creating art with leather

Monthly Museum Volunteer Orientation
2024-11-16 10:00 - 12:00 | Birthplace of Country Music Museum, 101 Country Music Way, Bristol, VA, 24201, United States
We want YOU to join our wonderful team of volunteers at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum!
Date: Every 4th Saturday except for June (no training), October & November (3rd Saturday) and December (no training)
Time: 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Location: Birthplace of Country Music Museum, Learning Center
If you have a passion for Bristol and its musical legacy and love helping others, our museum volunteer program is the perfect fit for you!
Museum volunteers play a vital role in a number of key areas behind the scenes and on the front lines, such as working as a gallery assistant or docent, helping out in The Museum Store, working with the public at events, concerts, and programs, assisting with behind the scenes administrative or collections work and so much more! Our Museum Volunteer Orientation session gets you acquainted with every aspect of the museum to help you find your area of interest. Volunteer schedules are flexible and fun!
If you are interested in coming to our Museum Volunteer Training, call 423-573-1927 or email Myrissa at volunteercoordinator@birthplaceofcountrymusic.org.

Museum Story Time - "Silver Packages: An Appalachian Christmas Story" by Cynthia Rylant
2024-12-06 10:30 - 11:30 | Birthplace of Country Music Museum, 101 Country Music Way, Bristol, VA, 24201, United States
Date: Friday, December 6, 2024
Time: 10:30 a.m. EST
Location: The Learning Center, Birthplace of Country Music Museum
Cost: Free and open to the public
Join us in the museum’s Learning Center for our monthly Museum Story Time program. Aimed at toddler-age children and their grown-ups, we will gather on the first Friday of each month for a music- or Appalachia-related storybook, a tune or two by WBCM Radio Bristol show host Ella Patrick, and a related activity or coloring sheet. This month, we will be doing a fun Christmas craft!
About “ Silver Packages: An Appalachian Christmas Story”
In Appalachia each Christmas, a boy named Frankie waits beside the tracks for the Christmas Train, which will bring presents to the children who live in coal towns and hollows. Year after year, Frankie hopes that one particular gift — one very special gift — will be tossed to him from that train. And it is this enduring hope that will guide him to the true meaning of the season.
About the Author

Cynthia Rylant is the author of numerous distinguished novels and picture books for young readers. In addition to her beginning-reader series: Henry and Mudge, Poppleton, and Mr. Putter and Tabby, as well as her Cobble Street Cousins early-chapter series, she is also the author of the Newbery Medal-winning “Missing May,” the Newbery Honor Book “A Fine White Dust,” and two Caldecott Honor-winning picture books.

CANCELLED Speaker Session: Dr. Randal Williams on "The Carter Family: A Representation of the Sacred Ideal in Early Country Music" - Virtual Only
2024-12-10 19:00 - 20:30 | VA
Due to unforeseen circumstances, this Speaker Session has been cancelled. We hope to reschedule the date sometime in the new year. Our apologies for any inconvenience.
Join us at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum on Tuesday, December 10, 7:00 p.m. for our monthly Speaker Sessions with Randal Williams on “The Carter Family: A Representation of the Sacred Ideal in Early Country Music.” The dichotomy of the sacred and the profane is intrinsic to early country music and its mythology of troubadours, the eternal struggle against evil, and damnation and redemption, all of which have become tropes of the genre and remain so to this day. These ideas were especially important in early country music and its evangelical Christian foundation. The dichotomy of the sacred and the profane is accepted as being real in an evangelical Christian context. The oppositional nature of the sacred and the profane has been fundamental to the development of country music, and more broadly, roots music in general. Early roots musicians who were enculturated in an evangelical, fundamentalist ideology intrinsically understood the sacred and the profane, good and evil, God and the devil. Life to them was an existential struggle against these opposing forces. The Carter Family, even though they had a wide repertoire of songs from various genres, are often remembered sentimentally as singers of sacred religious songs. They represent the sacred ideal in early country music, which can be heard in their music and discerned in their choice of musical material and in their collective public persona.
About Randal Williams
Dr. Williams was born at Fort Meade, Maryland, and has lived all over the country – however, his ancestry runs deep in Tennessee, and he considers himself a proud hillbilly. With a background in anthropology, history, and cultural studies, Dr. Williams has worked as an archaeologist, historic preservation planner, cultural resources manager, and university professor, among myriad other occupations, including everything from guitar builder to truck driver to chief cook and bottle washer. Dr. Williams comes from a long line of old-time and gospel musicians, and he grew up steeped in Appalachian musical traditions. Dr. Williams holds a Ph.D. from Tennessee Technological University. His dissertation is titled The Lost Highway: The Dichotomy of the Sacred and the Profane in Early Country Music, 1921-1957.

Museum Storytime - Dolly Parton
2025-01-03 10:30 - 11:30 | Birthplace of Country Music Museum, 101 Country Music Way, Bristol, VA, 24201, United States
Date: Friday, January 3, 2025
Time: 10:30 a.m. EST
Location: The Learning Center, Birthplace of Country Music Museum
Cost: Free and open to the public
Theme: Dolly Parton
Join us in the museum’s Learning Center for our monthly Museum Storytime program. Aimed at toddler-age children and their grown-ups, we will gather on the first Friday of each month for a music- or Appalachia-related storybook, a tune or two by WBCM Radio Bristol show host Ella Patrick, and a related activity or coloring sheet.
Books that will be featured at Storytime include:

My Little Golden Book About Dolly Parton by Deborah Hopkinson (Author), Monique Dong (Illustrator)
Dolly Parton: Coat of Many Colors by Dolly Parton (Author), Brooke Boynton Hughes (Illustrator)
I am Dolly Parton (Ordinary People Change the World) by Brad Meltzer (Author), Christopher Eliopoulos (Illustrator)
