Other mountain traditions are on display here, too: Past exhibits have explored quilts, pottery and the history of the “Moonshine Capital” right here in Franklin County, where thousands of stills were destroyed during Prohibition, though the trade continued into this century. (I’ve seen jars of moonshine at parties in Floyd County, though surely not of the illegal variety.)
During the summer months, a reconstructed 1800s-era German farm on the grounds of the Blue Ridge Institute & Museum attests to the immigrants who’ve populated these mountains. Costumed interpreters demonstrate open-hearth cooking, blacksmithing, oxen driving and other farm chores.
The best time to visit Ferrum, though, is during the October Blue Ridge Folklife Festival, when locals demonstrate everything from butter churning to dulcimer making, from mule jumping to molasses making. My favorite event involves coon dogs, which are still widely used for hunting. Hounds with names such as “Boone” and “Dixie” take turns howling at a raccoon-scented rag hanging from a tree. The dog that barks the most wins, though the loser who lifts a leg to the tree and then walks away still earns enthusiastic applause from the crowd.
On Day Three of my Crooked Road tour, I head toward Galax, 40 miles west of Floyd along U.S. Route 221, pausing at a few wayside exhibits—highway pull-offs where you can tune your car radio to The Crooked Road music station and read the posted information on the region.
When I finally arrive in Galax, I discover that the town shuts down for the day on Sundays. Most folks are at church, leaving only The Galax Smokehouse open. A burly young waiter there who calls me “Sweetheart” serves me “Brunswick stew,” a regional dish of chicken, lima beans, corn and tomatoes. It’s real good by itself, he tells me in a thick Southern accent, but it’s even better with one of the three hot sauces on the table. He’s right on both counts.
The Smokehouse, which also serves mountains of barbecue, is a popular choice for dinner before a show at the Rex Theater across the street. A major venue on The Crooked Road, the 450-seat theater hosts Blue Ridge Backroads Live, a Friday night radio program on WBRF (98.1 FM), and is the site of old-time music and dance on the last Saturday of the month.
A few blocks away, Barr’s Fiddle Shop attracts musicians who are looking for new or used instruments or an impromptu jam session. The Hill Billies, who are credited with popularizing country music radio, got their start at this one-time barbershop back in the 1920s.
