Dancing in the Street-Sparta, NC

There's lots to celebrate in the NC mountains and fall is a great season for special events.  Last weekend the Blue Ridge Parkway remembered the early settlers along the ridge at Brinegar Cabin.
Volunteers brought sheep and wool, cooked Apple Butter and Ranger Abby demonstrated natural dyeing with local plants.  Lots of activities on a beautiful day!

What a face on this little yearling- too young to be sheared this season!

The town of Sparta is just below the Brinegar Cabin and some descendants still call Sparta home.  Each September Sparta celebrates with the Mountain Heritage Festival.  The main street is closed and filled with music, dancers, food and crafts.  Local school children are taught traditional mountain music at school.  The Festival usually includes a performance with some amazing skill on display.

The old movie theater is across the street from the Courthouse and just past our wonderful hardware  store.  Decades ago it was converted to Alleghany Jubilee, a local music and dance hall.  Every Monday night finds me there line dancing with a really fine performance group.  Here they come!  Ready to dance!

You can tell we have a great time!

I am so lucky to have such a fine group of friends who can share the joy of dancing each week and performing at home and across the state.

There are about 8 more dancers who come and go like I do and don't perform, but our shared fun glues us together.  Our annual Bar-B-Que (that means sauced pork) is Monday night at Helen's farm.  I've never been here for the event, so I'm excited!

The leaves are just beginning to turn yellow and blow about in the wind.  The geese were calling as they flew from the river to the lake.  More mornings are foggy than bright.  The hay has been cut and baled.  The pumpkins are being loaded in wagons to take to the trucks.  Fall is really coming to the mountains of NC.