On Sunday, June 4, the Orchard at Altapass held their first Pipes on the Parkway celebration. At noon, Gordon Warburton began his march across the Orchard fields playing the bagpipe. An overwhelming audience listened to its emotionally-charged hum being carried on the breezes into the pavilion—all in recognition of the region’s Scots-Irish heritage. The Mitchell County Historical Society was on hand to describe their work at the Society and their research for a new exhibit in the red barn. After a brief respite, the pavilion filled with the sounds of the Dollar Brothers playing bluegrass, one of the many Scots-Irish evolved musical traditions. And the people danced. The afternoon closed with a rollicking performance by Rewind Goodtimz and more dancing and applause. “It was a great day, a great beginning for a tradition on which to grow and engage our community,” said Beth Hilton, executive director. “Being the first, we had no way of knowing how it would play out. But all the notes lined up for us with the weather, the talent, the people and their appreciation. We look to gather more stories of generations past from our community and to many more first Sundays in June.”
The Orchard is now open from Wednesday-Sunday, 10 am to 5 pm. Located at 1025 Orchard Road near Spruce Pine at mile 328.3 on the Blue Ridge Parkway, it is a not-for-profit working orchard and educational venue, family- and pet-friendly. For information, please visit www.altapassorchard.org or the Orchard Facebook page. Photo courtesy of Brandi Morrow.
