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Join us at MidMountain Retreat for the Histories & Harmonies Hootenanny on May 17, 2025!
Join us May 17, 2025 at MidMountain Retreat (338 Arnolds Valley Rd, Natural Bridge Station, VA 24579) for the Histories and Harmonies Hootenanny - a day of storytelling, music, art installations, and craft workshops centered around uplifting songs and stories too often left untold in our region. Reserve your tickets here!
Three Stages of Performances - Featuring Ammonite, Harli Saxon, IONNA, Malcolm Davis, Jess Mullins Fullen, Betsy from Mars, Amelia Empson, Katrina Hope, FW Willis, puppetry from Hannah Burt+Torri Ashford, Andy "River" Peterson, Jam Sessions, and more!
Local History Programming - Including panels featuring W&L University's Dr. Nneka Dennie and archaeologist Donald Gaylord as well as Rockbridge Historical Society Executive Director Eric Wilson, an exhibit of 1700s-era pottery shards and metal objects excavated on site, an audio exhibit from MidMountain co-curator AnaMarie King, a historical walking tour with neighbor Bud Staton, an interactive puzzle-based history experience highlighting the story of Nat - an enslaved person who successfully sued early resident of the property and alleged "witch" Mary McDowell Greenlee for their freedom in 1778, and more!
Creative Workshops - There will be a puppet-making station operated by Torri Ashford and Hannah Burt, a visual arts workshop with Bobbi Guyton, writing workshops from Hoot and Holler's Lee Hunasaker and poet hanta t. samsa, and open craft creation spaces!
A Theatrical Debut - "Save from Oblivion" is an original MidMountain production about who we chose to remember that contrasts the popular legacies of Osborne Perry Anderson, the sole Black survivor of the Harper's Ferry raiding party, and the group's leader John Brown, a figure of near mythic status memorialized in the Union marching song "John Brown's Body" about his corpse, including their afterlives: The cemetery where Anderson, his near lifelong abolitionist printing partner Mary Ann Shadd Cary, and tens of thousands of other Black bodies were originally buried in Washington, DC was later displaced and is now the site of the Rhode Island Metro.
Save from Oblivion re-writes “John Brown’s Body” to focus on Anderson amid original songs that incorporate sounds from historical sites, readings from the source documents, and projections featuring photography of historical sites and original documents. This production stars Malcolm Davis (Affrilachian Arts Institute Founder, "The Slave, Monk Estill") as Anderson and Jess Mullens Fullin ("Effie Waller Smith Monologue") as Mary Ann Shadd Cary. It also features playwright/composer Andy "River" Peterson as John Brown's Widow Mary Ann Day Brown and musical arrangements produced and performed by Harli Saxon.
Want to volunteer and help make the magic happen? Reach out to info@midmountain.org.
$40 for a solo ticket with parking or $120 for four tickets and 1 parking spot
Children 12 and younger free with adult ticket purchase
But wait, there's more!
Upcoming Oral History Recording Sessions
May 14 at Lexington Farmers Market
Or email river@midmountain.org to schedule an individual session.
Free Indelible Appalachians Screening & Virtual Q&A with Director Frederick Murphy
May 15, 2025 at 5:30pm - Rockbridge Regional Library Lexington, 138 South Main Street, Lexington, VA 24450
Link to RSVP for 6:30pm Virtual Q&A via Google Meet.
This documentary delves into the complex interplay of race, identity, and geogra
phy, while celebrating the impact of Black Appalachians in our region.
About Frederick Murphy:
Since Frederick Murphy was young, he always enjoyed talking to his elders and hearing stories of family history. In 2016, he founded History Before Us, a project centered on capturing, preserving and advocating influential history. In the beginning of 2017 he started traveling the Southeastern region of the United States interviewing survivors of Jim Crow, the courageous individuals who didn’t make the headlines.
These untold stories prompted him to complete the award-winning documentary The American South as We Know It. Frederick, a Licensed Professional Counselor by trade, utilizes tactful questioning, empathy and reflection to obtain relevant information needed to produce a true narrative of African-American/American history. Frederick also has a Master’s degree in Transformative Leadership and serves as an educator in higher education.
Free Open Studios & Puppet-making Workshop with Torri Ashford and Hannah Burt
May 16, open house hours 4-8pm with puppet workshop 5-7pm - MidMountain Retreat, 338 Arnolds Valley Rd, Natural Bridge Station, VA 24579
Come meet the May MidMountain Fellows before the Hootenanny and create puppets with fellows Torri Ashford and Hannah Burt! Hannah and Torri will lead a 3 part workshop - come make puppets, discover your puppet character, and learn how puppets move, play and interact with sound. Participants of all ages are welcome! No prior experience is needed, just come ready to have fun and create. All participants are invited to attend Harmonies & Hootenannies the following Saturday (May 17th) where their puppets will be featured in a short performance!
Histories & Harmonies Hootenanny FAQ
Date: May 17, 2025
Location: MidMountain Retreat, 338 Arnolds Valley Rd, Natural Bridge Station, VA 24579
Grounds open to the public: 2pm
Outdoor musical performances: 3-9pm
Grounds close: 10pm
Full schedule is now available here!
Two Safety Centers equipped with first aid kits will be maintained by at least one staff or volunteer wearing nametags, reflective vests, and MidMountain gear and with 911 access via cell phones at all times – one in the Post Office Community Center near the entrance, water station and another in the small barn at the back of the main audience area.
We welcome supervised minor guests with parental discretion and will have a variety of arts and crafts experiences suitable for all ages, children under aged 12 may join for free with a ticketed adult. We also welcome friendly, leashed dogs as long as their owners clean up after them!
Community Code of Conduct
Community Code of Conduct
We ask all visitors to take responsibility for creating a safe community experience for everyone and follow this code of conduct:
Although there will be discussions of serious topics, this will be a family friendly event with activities available for a range of ages.
Please prioritize the functionality of our space as an inclusive environment regardless of race, gender, sexuality, disability, or other differences. Hateful behavior will not be tolerated.
Assume positive intent and bring positive intention into your interactions with others, acknowledging that we all come from different life experiences.
Ask clarifying questions if you are unsure about something. Communicate your boundaries as necessary. If you need help, look for a MidMountain volunteer or staff member in a reflective vest.
Avoid shaming or belittling each other and ourselves as we approach these hard topics. Embrace self-care or take space if overwhelmed. We will have a designed calm area for for if visitors get overstimulated as well as multiple opportunities to process feelings through craft creation.
Accessibility Information
Accessibility Information
A water station and two ADA-accessible porta potties as well as Accessible Parking will be available near the road entrance and we are happy to work with folks who need additional accommodations as needed. We will have a shade-covered, designated accessible audience area with spaced out seating for the main stage as well as a designated calm space with pillows and blankets in a separate part of the property for guests who may become overstimulated or overwhelmed. Please reach out to river@midmountain.org with any accessibility questions.
COVID-19 Policy
We will be strongly encouraging masking inside and ask all attendees to be up to date on COVID-19 vaccination. We will also be asking all performers, staff, volunteers and Backstage Pass holders to rapid test prior to the festival. We are working on our final COVID-19 mitigation plans, including prioritizing airflow in the backstage and green room areas.
Parking
Parking
Solo tickets include one parking spot and we strongly encourage carpooling among attendees to reduce traffic congestion and help protect our local environment. To incentivize ride sharing, we are offering Flock of Friend deals that come with access for four guests and one parking spot. Please note there is no public parking along Arnolds Valley Road near our space and parking alongside the road will put you at risk of ticket and towing.
Other information
Other information
You will be asked to show ID and your confirmation email at check-in. We recommend saving a screenshot to your device prior to arrival just in case you have any cell phone issues in our area!
Trash
We ask our community to embrace a leave no trace approach to our space and pack out their own trash or recycling, but will also provide a handful of trash and recycling stations on site as shown by the site map.
Smoking
This will be no smoking festival due to fire risks and we ask that visitors prepare accordingly. However, we will have a designated area being observed by staff/volunteers for art-related ritualistic burning where we will accommodate those who need to smoke for medical reasons.
Documentation Notice
Please note that we will be live-streaming and video documenting much of this festival. By purchasing a ticket, you consent to being filmed in the background and understand you may appear in future media productions from MidMountain. We will ask for affirmative consent before interviews or more substantive engagement with our documentation efforts.
Emergency Plan
Emergency Plan
In the event of a fire or other emergency, a staff point person will call 911 for assistance. The emcee will make an announcement for people to calmly make their way to an identified Safety Center. Parking attendants will keep roads on site accessible to emergency vehicles and meet them at the entrance to the property at 338 Arnolds Valley Road. The rest of staff and volunteers will join the public in a safety zone and keep them from interfering with emergency vehicles and personnel or blocking the ingress/egress.When first responders have safely contained the situation and it is deemed safe, volunteers and staff will guide the public in batches to leave the property.
Nearby Food and Lodging
On-site lodging will be limited to staff, performers, and volunteers for MidMountain Fest. But there are plenty of places to stay nearby!
The Glenwood-Pedlar Ranger District of Washington-Jefferson National Forest offers numerous free dispersed campsites up the road from on the Petite's Gap route to the Blue Ridge Parkway, along with great hiking, including the Devil's Marbleyard!
There is also a campground available at Cave Mountain Lake Recreation Area nearby in the National Forest.
Jellystone Park at Natural Bridge is a RV and camping resort with a variety of tent and cabin options just up the road.
ThunderBRidge is a nearby artist studio space and campground featuring cottages on Airbnb and rustic cabins and campsites in a developed, but natural, setting in what was once a Civilian Conservation Corp property.
Stanimals 328 offers very moderately priced hostel-style lodging and a limited number of private cabins, as well as camping spots, just up the road in Glasgow. A favorite of Appalachian Trail folks!
Nearby Hotels:
Nearby Bed and Breakfasts or unique lodgings:
The Histories & Harmonies Hootenanny is a community project of MidMountain, a 501(c)3 nonprofit arts collective and project in constant growth that believes in the power of people to reclaim space and caring for your neighbors. The majority (75%) of net ticket sales are being redistributed to performers and artists on a profit-share basis and we plan to use the rest to fund future programming.
This event made possible thanks to the generous support of Mid Atlantic Arts and their Central Appalachian Living Traditions Program, Virginia Humanities, and the Appalachian Community.
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