Presented by the Birthplace of Country Music, the RTE 23 Music Festival combines great music with the very best in local food and craft beer vendors to provide a fun, family-friendly event for the people of Southwest Virginia as part of BCM's music outreach programming. The RTE 23 Music Festival has its origins back in February of 2009, when The Bristol Rhythm & Roots Concert Series at the Univers
ity of Virginia’s College at Wise in Wise, Virginia. UVa-Wise hosted its first show in the college’s student center. The goal then – and now – was simple: bring the best Americana bands possible to music lovers in Southwest Virginia. Since the series began, there have been several venues in Wise that have hosted an array of outstanding musicians including St. Paul & The Broken Bones, Folk Soul Revival, The Black Lillies, Yarn, The Corduroy Road, Holy Ghost Tent Revival, The New Familiars, Dave Eggar, Amber Rubarth, and Last Train Home. Today, the RTE 23 Music Festival has found a permanent home on the campus of UVa-Wise and invites families to take part in the celebration for free.
