New signage is helping to put Surry County on the map as part of a regional marketing effort designed to attract visitors to sites deemed valuable from a cultural or natural history standpoint.
This involves Surry’s role as one of 25 counties included in the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area, especially as a Mecca for old-time music.
Through that designation, the Blue Ridge Heritage Trail recently was established among a conglomeration of affected counties — known as the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area Partnership — and the North Carolina Arts Council.
The trail is a collection of special places throughout the North Carolina mountains and foothills which embody the remarkable history and culture of the region, officials say.
They say the new signs installed as part of that collective effort contain words and photographs telling an illuminating story about each site and illustrate many aspects of the region’s natural and cultural heritage. This includes Cherokee history, traditional music, agriculture and crafts, and in Surry’s case its old-time music heritage is highlighted.
Plans called for 69 Blue Ridge Heritage Trail signs to be placed at strategic locations throughout the region.
Local signage
A sign recently installed in downtown Mount Airy draws attention to the Historic Earle Theatre and Old-Time Music Heritage Hall on North Main Street nearby.
The sign is located in Lowry Park, on the corner of Main and Pine streets, and prominently features the late Tommy Jarrell, who gained nationwide attention for his fiddle-playing talents.
Getting the sign placed there was a long time in coming, but an official of the Surry Arts Council, which oversees the theatre/musical heritage hall, believes it will bring benefits for many years to come.
“We’ve been working on that for four or five years in conjunction with the (local) Tourism Development Authority,” council Executive Director Tanya Jones said this week of the signage effort.
“And it’s been a long time in coming, but we’re really excited because it means that we’re a part of the marketing efforts for the Blue Ridge Music Trails,” Jones added of a key facet of the trails program overall. It is aimed at guiding the public to bluegrass, old-time and other styles of traditional music in the North Carolina mountains and foothills.
“So folks will be directed to Mount Airy, downtown Mount Airy and to the historical theatre, so we’re very excited to be a part of it,” Jones said. “It’s a big deal marketing-wise for the area.”
Another sign was installed in Surry County at the N.C. Welcome Center on Interstate 77 at mile marker 105. It encourages North Carolina visitors to explore the rich natural and cultural heritage of the region.
The 69 signs targeted for the region have showed up along main walkways at historic, natural and scenic sites; attractions; in towns and cities; in some state parks; along the Blue Ridge Parkway; in Great Smoky Mountains National Park; and at five state welcome centers within the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area.
People can enjoy a single stop or piece together several sites by theme or region. QR codes on each sign will enable those with smartphones to locate other nearby sites. The goal is to encourage both visitors and residents to discover places they might not know about. An accompanying map brochure and website also will help visitors get around the region and learn more about each site.
While the sign project is an initiative of the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area Partnership, it was made possible by Federal Highway Transportation Enhancement funding administered through the N.C. Department of Transportation and Haywood County.
“We are very grateful to the NCDOT and Haywood County for helping us develop this signage program,” Angie Chandler, executive director of the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area Partnership, said in a prepared statement.
“We believe the Blue Ridge Heritage Trail will be yet another cultural tourism product created by the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area to encourage the traveling public to learn more about our region, Chandler added.
“By visiting these and other heritage sites, we hope they will extend their stay or plan to return, and thus stimulate the regional economy.”
The Blue Ridge National Heritage Area was designated by Congress and the president in November 2003.
It serves to protect, preserve, interpret and develop the unique natural, historical and cultural resources of western North Carolina for the benefit of present and future generations, and in doing so stimulates economic opportunity in the region.
National heritage areas are locally governed institutions that encourage residents, non-profit groups, government agencies and private partners to work together in planning and implementing programs that preserve and celebrate America’s defining landscapes.
Tom Joyce may be reached at 336-415-4693 or on Twitter @Me_Reporter.
This sign recently placed in downtown Mount Airy highlights the Historic Earle Theatre and Old-Time Music Heritage Hall nearby and its inclusion on a trail highlighting culturally significant sites in western North Carolina. The sign contains information on local musical history and the theatre, along with an image of legendary fiddler Tommy Jarrell.
http://mtairynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/web1_Earle-Sign-1.jpg
This sign recently placed in downtown Mount Airy highlights the Historic Earle Theatre and Old-Time Music Heritage Hall nearby and its inclusion on a trail highlighting culturally significant sites in western North Carolina. The sign contains information on local musical history and the theatre, along with an image of legendary fiddler Tommy Jarrell.
Submitted photos
This is a street view of the new Blue Ridge Heritage Trail sign in Lowry Park at the corner of Main and Pine streets.
http://mtairynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/web1_Earle-Sign-2.jpg
This is a street view of the new Blue Ridge Heritage Trail sign in Lowry Park at the corner of Main and Pine streets.
Submitted photos
By Tom Joyce
tjoyce@civitasmedia.com