Crooked Road (Virginia)

The Crooked Road is a heritage trail in Southwest Virginia, that explores the musical history of the region along southwestern Virginia's Blue Ridge and Cumberland Mountains. The Crooked Road winds through almost 300 miles of scenic terrain in southwestern Virginia, including 19 counties, four cities, and 54 towns.

Musical heritage

The Crooked Road celebrates the musical heritage of Western Virginia and Southwest Virginia with Appalachian music including Old-time music, Folk music, and Bluegrass music. It also celebrates traditional dance such as clogging, buck dancing, Square dance and other traditional dances, singing and music.
There are major venues to showcase The Crooked Road, including the Heartwood – The Southwest Virginia Artisan Gateway in Abingdon, Virginia, the Ralph Stanley Museum in Clintwood, Virginia, the Carter Family Fold in Scott County, Virginia, the Birthplace of Country Music Museum in Bristol, Virginia, the Blue Ridge Music Center off the Blue Ridge Parkway, County Sales and the Floyd Country Store in Floyd, Virginia, and the Blue Ridge Institute & Museum at Ferrum College.

Origins

The idea for Virginia's "Crooked Road" began to germinate in the minds of Virginians in January 2003. A number of public officials, musicians, and others were interested in an economic development strategy for the Appalachian region of Southwest Virginia, and they wanted to draw on the region's rich musical heritage. Over time, the project grew, and today The Crooked Road and its affiliated venues span 19 counties.

Route

The Crooked Road starts in and goes through Southwest Virginia from Rocky Mount, Virginia to Breaks Interstate Park on the Virginia border. The marked route passes through Franklin, Floyd, Patrick, Carroll, Grayson, Washington, Scott, Lee, Wise and Dickinson counties. Major venues along the route are located in Ferrum, Floyd, Galax, Abingdon, Bristol, Hiltons, Norton, and Clintwood. Affiliated venues are also located in nine neighboring counties and several independent cities.