Did You Know?
Visitors spend over $2.3 billion annually in communities adjacent to the Parkway. Photo by Todd Bush
BRP75 Opening Weekend – Parkway History Day at the Folk Art Center
Asheville Area, NC • Near Milepost 377
Secretary of the Interior Harold Ickes
Dates
Sat, Nov 14, 2009
10:00 a.m.
Cost
Free
Contact
Blue Ridge Parkway 75, Inc.
Leesa Brandon
828.271.4779, x224
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Location
Folk Art Center
Milepost 382, Blue Ridge Parkway
Parkway History Day at the Folk Art Center will feature craft and music demonstrations, Parkway organization exhibits, a panel discussion at 10:00 a.m. examining the history and lasting impact of the decision to route the Blue Ridge Parkway through Western North Carolina, and even a 75th Anniversary Celebration Hike.
The routing decision panelists will include the following and will be moderated by Gary Everhardt, Parkway Superintendent from 1977 to 2000.
- Creating the Parkway Idea – Carlton Abbott of Abbott and Partners Architects in Williamsburg, VA, and Son of Stanley Abbott, the First Chief Architect of the Parkway
- The Great Route Debate and Saving Asheville Tourism – Dr. Anne Mitchell Whisnant, author of Super-Scenic Motorway: A Blue Ridge Parkway History
- The Story of the Parkway Routing through the Qualla Boundary to Cherokee – Mr. Ray Kinsland, Executive Director, Cherokee Boys Club
- The Parkway through The Biltmore Estate and the Great Park Movement – Mr. George Cecil, Chairman, Biltmore Farms, LLC
Craft demonstrations in the Folk Art Center lobby throughout the day will include artisans Marlow Gates demonstrating broom making and Nancy Darrell demonstrating printmaking. Musicians Brooke and George will perform in the auditorium at noon. Light refreshments will be served in the auditorium for people to enjoy before the symposium and during the break.
Join the Kids in Parks program for a guided hike celebrating the Blue Ridge Parkway’s 75th Anniversary at noon and again at 1:00 p.m. On this educational walk, children will discover the cultural, natural, and historic resources that will continue to make the Parkway worth celebrating for another 75 years.
After the break, at 1:00 p.m., join Parkway staff, Parkway partner organization representatives, and other professionals for an informal Protecting the Parkway Idea Interactive Session with brief comments and displays/exhibits examining:
- The Parkway From PLUMS to GIS
- The Scenic Experience Project
- Design Guidelines for Adjacent Lands
- Role of Parkway support organizations in the future of the Parkway
The November 13, 1934 edition of the Asheville Citizen said it all!
Fred L. Weede, Manager of the Asheville Chamber of Commerce, was instrumental in stirring up support among North Carolina civic organizations for the North Carolina route. His paper, Battle for the Blue Ridge Parkway, as well as a description of the North Carolina route and the Department of the Interior’s memo to the press regarding the routing decision, are included in this link. Credit: North Carolina Collection, Pack Memorial Public Library, Asheville, North Carolina
Grand Bohemian Hotel Asheville is the official hotel of the Blue Ridge Parkway’s 75th Anniversary Opening Weekend.
