By Olivia Smith at Grayson Highlands State Park

The memory is vague, with snippets of twirling, dancing, laughing, and clapping inside a barn at a location I have long since forgotten while a man called out instructions in a twangy mountain drawl. 

Like many other people, I have always been enamored with the mountains. The cool breezes, dappled sunlight, and crisp summer mornings bring me an inner peace and invariably conjure up the joy of childhood. 

Traditional Barn Dance at Grayson Highlands State Park July 9, 2107

Whitetop Mountain Band will be playing live

When I was growing up, the mountains were the place my family went to have fun, from weekends at Grandma’s house to hiking adventures at the state parks to our church camp, nestled beside the New River. I have countless memories made in the mountains of Appalachia, but a few linger in steadily my mind.

One of these was made while my church group was spending a weekend at our church camp and took off one evening to experience a staple of mountain culture. I have always loved to dance, but this was different. It was just so….fun. I loved the community aspect of it, everyone dancing together, with so much happiness and abandon. I wanted the night to never end. Of course it did, but since that day it has stuck with me like the last green leaf on a tree before fall closes in.

Music is a huge part of Appalachian culture and a part that remains strong in the hearts of those who live here but seems to be fading from public consciousness.

This custom began with the first European settlers of this region, many of whom were Scots-Irish, with already strong traditions of music as an integral part of life. 

These people, already accustomed to hardship from poverty and the difficulty of reaching their new home, quickly found out that these mountains can be unforgiving. Music provided both comfort and distraction from the harsh realities of life. From slow mournful ballads to joyous hymns to twangy, upbeat bluegrass, the music (and the dancing that naturally comes with it) was passed down through generations.

Community dances developed as a vital form of entertainment for these people tucked away in the mountains, but with the rise of technology and shifts in culture, they are found less and less often.

When I started working as an Interpretive Ranger, I knew I had a unique opportunity to carry on this tradition.

I had dreams of the twirling and clapping of my childhood revived here at Grayson Highlands State Park, a place of abounding beauty full to the brim with mountain culture.

It seemed fitting to carry on a tradition that meant so much to me in this place, the heart of the mountains I cherish. I’m happy to say that it has been very successful, due in large part to the gracious participation of the Whitetop Mountain Band. We had two dances last summer, in June and August, and the attendance and participation was heart-warming. We danced the night away in Shelter 2, an open-air structured positioned in the Historic Homestead Area, surrounded by rustic 19^th century buildings, native wildflowers, and lightning bugs blinking lazily.

Light refreshments will be provided by the Friends of Grayson Highlands and admission is free with the payment of the GHSP daily parking fee. Bring a lawn chair to enjoy the music during a break from dancing. All ages welcome.

Barn Dance hospitality provided by Friends of Grayson Highlands

Join in on Barn Dance fun at Grayson Highlands State Park on July 9, 2017

Truly it is a labor of love, to attempt to honor and perpetuate the culture of the place I love so dearly, and I hope you will join us at Grayson Highlands State Park to celebrate it. If you can’t make it to our July dance, keep an eye out for dances later this year, and the continuation of this tradition in the summers to come. 

All you need is your dancing shoes

No partner or experience required