Abingdon, VA., — The Crooked Road: Virginia’s Heritage Music Trail has named musician and former consulting engineer Jack Hinshelwood as its new Executive Director. Mr. Hinshelwood, from Shawsville, Virginia, grew up in Christiansburg, and is no stranger to The Crooked Road and its communities. As an award-winning guitarist and fiddler, he has performed at many of The Crooked Road venues and festivals, such as the…

Bristol, VA- The Appalachian Cultural Music Association will re-dedicate and re-open their Mountain Music Museum at their new location on the upper level of the Bristol Mall on Thursday, April 1st starting at 5:00 pm. The public is invited to attend and admission is free to the event which will run throughout the afternoon into the evening ending on the ACMA’s Pickin Porch stage at 9:00 pm….

Hiltons, Virginia — A benefit concert for the Rita Forrester Family will take place at the Carter Family Fold in Hiltons, Virginia on Sunday, January 3, 2010 at 3:00 pm. The concert will be held to raise funds for the Forrester Family who lost their home and all their worldly possessions in a tragic house fire on December 6th….

Abingdon, VA — When Barter Theatre learned about the house fire and tragic loss of Rita Forrester the company knew something had to be done. Through the years Barter Theatre company members and staff developed relationships with Rita Forrester, director of The Carter Family Fold. Now, in this time of need, Barter asks the community to come together and support the recently widowed friend…

Early on Sunday morning December 6, 2009 flames destroyed the home of Rita and Bob Forrester on the A.P. Carter Highway near Hiltons, Virginia. Rita and her son Tyler escaped the flames but Bob did not make it out alive. Rita’s oldest son Justin, who lives nearby is safe as well. Everything the family owned was lost in the fire including both of the family automobiles….