In the last half of the 20th century, Moon Pie went from humble beginnings to cultural icon. There are snacks, and then there’s the Moon Pie. It’s the kind of …

Southern Appalachian dialects are rooted in Gaelic. I’m not a hillbilly, but I can sure sound like one when I want to. I grew up around Washington, DC, in a fa…

Old Christmas celebrations continue for twelve days. Christmas Eve by Joseph Hoover and Sons, public domain In the heart of Appalachia, when winter settles dee…

As this 1918 poster boasts, corn has long been a staple in American homes. Imagine you’re in an Appalachian kitchen, the aroma of a hearty breakfast wafting th…

Okra is an African plant that has migrated around the world. There are few culinary divides in my home. But one is so large you could drive a truck through it:…

Willie Carter Sharpe’s booking photo by the Bureau of Investigation (later known as the FBI). When you think about Prohibition-era rum runners, the image of …

I don’t think about fences much. I was raised in suburbia, where each backyard was cordoned off by some sort of fence. They kept the dogs in and the neighbor…

The song “Shady Grove” was first written down in 1658 In 2012, I participated in the Heritage Tune competition at the Union Grove Old Time Fiddler’s Convention…

Go to any Old Time jam session in the area surrounding Galax, VA (“The World Capital of Old Time Music”), and the tune “Cripple Creek” will be played before ni…

Tobacco bag stringing was tied to productivity Amid the harsh economic strains of the Great Depression, the unassuming craft of tobacco bag stringing emerged a…

Welcome to Galax sign by Chestnut Creek School of the Arts Stompin’ 76 was a landmark festival that, for one long weekend in 1976, made Bluegrass the center …