Crooked Road Dulcimer Festival

01/12/2023

The Crooked Road Dulcimer Festival has been canceled indefinitely. The enrollment for our festival has been too low in the past couple of years to cover our expenses so we have had to make this inevitable decision. We appreciate all of the outstanding instructors and students who we have worked with for so long. We hope to revive the festival in the future!

05/16/2022

The Crooked Road Dulcimer Festival has been canceled for 2022. We look forward to seeing you in 2023!

03/09/2022

Thanks to everyone who has registered so far! We're going to have a great time!

The annual Crooked Road Dulcimer Festival is May 26-29 at Come learn all about the mountain dulcimer and hone those skills with some of the very best teachers! Registration is open! https://ferrumcollege.wufoo.com/forms/qem8dgc005mrgi/ Pictured here is Uncle Ed Thomas of Bath KY with one of his beautiful instruments. Photo courtesy of Berea College.

01/06/2022

Ready to learn and play with some of the best dulcimer players in the country? Registration for the 2022 festival will be open on Friday, January 14! We are requiring all festival participants, workshop leaders, concert attendees, staff, and volunteers to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19 and wear a mask. We ask that you be prepared to show proof of vaccination when you arrive at the festival. See you in May at the Blue Ridge Institute and Museum at Ferrum College!

09/23/2021

Hey, Dulcimer enthusiasts--don't miss this 48 year tradition!

https://blue-ridge-institute-museum.myshopify.com/products/blue-ridge-folklife-festival

04/09/2021

Make your plans to attend in 2022! The dates are May 26-29!

03/25/2021

In case you dulcimer enthusiasts want to partake...

Auction item 'Moonshine Memorabilia Archives Tour' hosted online at 32auctions.

03/04/2021

Our sweet Klara has passed away.

Our beloved Klara the Donkey❤ has left us with big broken hearts but mountains of wonderful memories. Klara’s heart was as big as her stomach and she loved special treats from children, farm visitors, and especially from her lifelong caregiver, Rebecca Austin.
Klara was buried up on the hill from the barn where she will always keep a close eye on her flock. We want to thank everyone for loving this special donkey who was a community favorite.
If you feel so inclined, you may donate to help pay for Klara’s headstone and her medical bills. Please choose the designation for Blue Ridge Institute and Museum in memory of Klara❤
https://www.ferrum.edu/giving/give-to-ferrum-college/

02/11/2021

A rare dulcimer made by Tom Cobbs of Danville, VA.

Our musical archive🎶holds some real unknown gems💎like this dulcimer. BRIM Director, Bethany Worley, is holding a very rare dulcimer made in Danville, VA by Tom Cobbs, an African American—the only known African American dulcimer maker and player in the state. “According to his widow, Lucinda Cobbs, Tom was born in Milton, VA (Pittsylvania County) in about 1870. He moved to Danville sometime around 1900 and when she met him 20 years later, he was both making and playing dulcimers. Mrs. Cobbs is not certain where her husband learned to play or make dulcimers.” Tom died in the 1950’s. We are honored to have this special instrument in our collection. Ferrum College

01/05/2021

Dulcimer friends, we have decided to postpone the annual Crooked Road Dulcimer Festival until 2022. We surveyed past participants about an "in person" festival as well as a virtual festival, talked with instructors, and consulted with our wonderful CRDF manager, Marsha Harris, about the viability this year. Folks have decided it was much wiser to wait until 2022 when we can all gather face-to-face at Ferrum College! At this time, we will have a special tribute to Ralph Lee Smith and make his archived photos and documents available to all participants🧐. For more updates throughout the year, be sure to follow this page for special photos and videos!