Unfortunately, you do not meet all the requirements to view this site.
Please make sure you have installed the Flash Player. If you still experience problems after that, ensure your browser has Javascript enabled.
The State Center for Blue Ridge Folklore
For over 30 years Ferrum College's Blue Ridge Institute & Museum has documented the folkways of the people living in and around the Blue Ridge Mountains. Through gallery exhibits, the Blue Ridge Folklife Festival, the Blue Ridge Farm Museum, the Blue Ridge Heritage Archive, the BRI Recordings series and innovative outreach programming, the BRI promotes a special understanding of regional folklife for all ages and audiences. At the same time the Institute's focus adds a unique element to Ferrum College's modern academic programs.
Learn More...
Ferrum College is a four-year liberal arts, residential college affiliated with the United Methodist Church. For more information visit our web site.
Like a teacher pushed to the edge, rockabilly grabbed teenagers by the ears in the early 1950s and kept shaking for nearly a decade. With Elvis Presley leading the charge, the music was powered by a driving bass, sharp up-front guitar licks, catchy teen-scene lyrics, and stage antics gushing with attitude. The rock ‘n’ roll revolution was officially underway.
Virginia Rocks: A History of Rockabilly in the Commonwealth explores the careers of dozens of 1950s rockers from across the state. Most of them barely got beyond cutting a couple of 45s and playing the high school dance, but a few—such as Norfolk’s Gene Vincent and Halifax County’s Janis Martin—held center stage on the rockabilly scene in the U. S. and abroad. John Lennon, Jim Morrison, Jeff Beck, and Bob Dylan have all paid tribute to Virginia’s rockabilly greats.
So slick back that hair, put on those bobby sox, and cruise down to Ferrum for Virginia Rocks. Learn more...
The Roaring History of Hot Rodding, Drag Racing, and Stock Car Racing
in Southwest Virginia