The Crooked Road: Virginia's Heritage Music Trail
Concerts, bluegrass, and old-time music through the mountains of Southwest Virginia — and a natural companion to a day on the New River Trail.
Experience The Crooked Road
The Crooked Road is widely regarded as America's premier heritage music destination, a place where bluegrass and old-time traditions are not museum pieces but living, weekly practices carried on by musicians, dancers, and communities.
The route winds for roughly 330 miles through the mountains and valleys of Southwest Virginia, linking dozens of towns, historic venues, and festival grounds into a single scenic driving experience. Rather than a single attraction, it is a network — a way of organizing a region's music so that visitors can follow it from town to town.
For many travelers, The Crooked Road pairs naturally with a visit to New River Trail State Park. Several Crooked Road communities, including Fries and Galax, sit directly along the 57-mile rail trail, making it possible to spend a day cycling beside the river and an evening listening to a fiddle tune passed down through generations.
History of The Crooked Road
The Crooked Road was founded in 2003 as a coordinated effort to preserve and promote the traditional music of Southwest Virginia while supporting the communities that sustain it.
Its mission connects economic development with cultural preservation: helping small towns benefit from heritage tourism while ensuring that old-time and bluegrass traditions are passed on to new generations of musicians.
Today, the trail spans:
- 19 counties and 4 cities
- More than 50 towns
- 10 major anchor venues
- 60+ affiliated venues and festivals
The music itself reflects more than 250 years of Appalachian heritage, blending European ballad and fiddle traditions with African American string-band and banjo traditions — a distinctly American musical fusion born in these mountains.
The New River Trail & The Crooked Road
The New River Trail and The Crooked Road overlap in several communities, which makes it possible to plan a single trip around both outdoor recreation and traditional music.
Shared communities include:
- Fries, Virginia
- Galax, Virginia
- Pulaski, Virginia
- Draper, Virginia
- Ivanhoe, Virginia
- Foster Falls, Virginia
This overlap creates a natural combined experience: ride a section of the rail trail in the morning or afternoon, then attend a jam session, concert, or festival that evening. Few regions in the country pair an easy, scenic bike trail so directly with a living music heritage trail.
Why Fries Is an Important Stop
Fries occupies a unique position on The Crooked Road because it combines several threads at once: it sits at mile 0 of the New River Trail, it has deep mill-town history, and it has long hosted local performances and informal jam sessions connected to the region's musical roots, including its ties to early recording artist Henry Whitter.
Because the trail begins downtown, cyclists can access the trail directly on foot or by bicycle without needing to drive elsewhere first. That convenience, combined with lodging, dining, and riverside scenery, makes Fries a practical overnight base for visitors who want to spend a full day on the trail and a full evening exploring live music elsewhere on The Crooked Road.
Read more on the Old-Time Music in Fries page.
Major Crooked Road Venues
Ten anchor venues form the backbone of The Crooked Road, each with its own history and regular programming.
Home of the famous Friday Night Jamboree, a weekly gathering of old-time music, flatfoot dancing, and community spirit.
Built by the family of A.P. Carter, this rustic music hall hosts Saturday night concerts honoring the birthplace of country music. Read our complete guide to The Carter Family.
A Smithsonian-affiliated museum commemorating the 1927 Bristol Sessions, often called the "Big Bang of country music," where Jimmie Rodgers and The Carter Family first recorded. Read our complete guide to The Bristol Sessions and to Jimmie Rodgers.
A restored 1940s theater in downtown Galax hosting live regional and touring musicians.
A National Park Service site at Blue Ridge Parkway Milepost 213 dedicated to the music of the Blue Ridge.
A performance venue and heritage center celebrating the region’s music, craft, and culture.
A folklife museum and working farm preserving the traditions of Blue Ridge mountain communities.
Southwest Virginia’s regional gateway for artisan crafts, food, and live music showcases.
A museum devoted to the life and legacy of bluegrass pioneer Dr. Ralph Stanley.
A school preserving traditional Appalachian instrument-making and music instruction.
Annual Festivals Worth Planning Around
Galax Old Fiddlers’ Convention
Held annually at Felts Park since 1935, one of the oldest and largest gatherings devoted to old-time and bluegrass music.
Visit websiteBristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion
A multi-stage roots music festival held in downtown Bristol, birthplace of recorded country music.
Visit websiteFloydFest
A multi-day music and arts festival near Floyd, Virginia, blending Appalachian roots with a broader lineup of touring artists.
Visit websiteHoustonFest
A bluegrass festival in Grayson County honoring young musicians and the region’s traditional-music heritage.
Visit websiteCrooked Road Youth Fiddlers Convention
A convention dedicated to encouraging young musicians to carry on old-time and bluegrass traditions.
Visit websiteRegular Music Experiences
Beyond the major annual festivals, The Crooked Road offers recurring, weekly experiences that visitors can build a trip around:
- The Friday Night Jamboree at the Floyd Country Store
- Saturday night concerts at the Carter Family Fold
- Blue Ridge Backroads, a live radio broadcast from the Rex Theater in Galax
- Informal community jam sessions in general stores, parks, and courthouses across the region
- Old-time square dances and flatfoot dancing
- Gospel singings at area churches and community centers
Because these events recur on a predictable weekly schedule, they are often easier to plan around than a once-a-year festival.
Famous Musicians Connected to The Crooked Road
Learn more about the artist widely credited as the “Father of Country Music” in our guide to Jimmie Rodgers, discover the bluegrass legacy of Dr. Ralph Stanley, and read about the flatpicking guitar mastery of Doc Watson.
Suggested Two-Day New River Trail & Crooked Road Itinerary
See the Plan Your Visit page for a full trip-planning checklist.
Ride a section of the New River Trail from Fries or Galax, then explore downtown Galax, visit the Rex Theater, and attend live music if the schedule allows.
Drive The Crooked Road toward Floyd, visit the Floyd Country Store, and stay for the Friday Night Jamboree if your trip lines up with a Friday evening.
Why Music Lovers Should Visit Southwest Virginia
- Authentic bluegrass and old-time music, performed by the people who grew up with it
- Historic dance traditions, including flatfoot and square dancing
- Handmade instruments crafted by regional luthiers
- Scenic mountain drives along the Blue Ridge Parkway and Crooked Road
- Friendly, welcoming small communities
- Traditional Appalachian food
- Outdoor recreation, including hiking, paddling, and fishing
- Easy, scenic rail-trail bicycling on the New River Trail
- Historic small towns with railroad and mill heritage
Planning Your Visit
Schedules for jams, concerts, and festivals change, so always check current information before traveling. Helpful resources include:
- The official Crooked Road event calendar
- Virginia tourism event listings
- Individual venue calendars, linked above
- Local chambers of commerce in Galax, Floyd, Bristol, and Abingdon
- NewRiverTrail.com event guides, including our Plan Your Visit page
Also consider a scenic drive along the Blue Ridge Parkway, which connects several Crooked Road communities.
Plan ahead: concert schedules, jam sessions, and festival dates change seasonally. Confirm current details directly with each venue before your trip.
Frequently Asked Questions
Plan Your Day Trip to Fries
Fries sits directly beside the New River, where the trail begins downtown and forested ridges rise beyond the water. It is close enough for a day trip from Winston-Salem, Greensboro, High Point and Mount Airy, and rewarding enough to feel like a genuine mountain getaway from Charlotte and the wider North Carolina Piedmont. Combine your activity with time beside the river, a walk through town and a look at the mill and railroad history that shaped the community. Check current trail conditions, weather and park notices before you travel.
Follow the Trail to the Music
Combine a day on the New River Trail with an evening on The Crooked Road.