The Orchard at Altapass is pleased to welcome the inaugural Pipes on the Parkway day on Sunday, June 4th, from 10 am to 5 pm. The day will recognize the Scots-Irish heritage of the Appalachians. At noon, Gordon Warburton, the Pipe Major of the Grandfather Mountain Highlanders, the host band of the Grandfather Games, will begin the first day of the season’s music at the Orchard. He’ll be marching in step with his bagpipes echoing through the fields. Following a short presentation, the Dollar Brothers step up at 1 pm to continue with heritage bluegrass, also rooted in Scots-Irish heritage. Then from 3 to 4:30, folks can kick up their heels and perhaps sing along with the good ol’ country to rock to clogging tunes and waltzes with Rewind Goodtimz.
Through a grant from the Community Foundation of Western North Carolina–Fund for Mitchell County and a partnership with the Mitchell County Historical Society, visitors will learn about the “Great Migration” from Ireland to the Americas, this region, in the late 1700s, in a new exhibit. “With Pipes on the Parkway, we recognize the thousands of immigrants who left their homelands for a better life and made their mark on the Appalachians of Western North Carolina,” said Beth Hilton, executive director. “Across our region, you’ll find families with surnames that harken back to those early times in these mountains. 2023 is just the beginning. We hope to grow this event over the years and have it be the welcoming of heritage music every first Sunday in June.”
In addition to the music and the exhibition, woodworker Steve Duncan will show his intricately hand-carved walking sticks, themed for the event—Scottish Highlander, Leprechaun, and mythical Celtic. The Historical Society will on premises to discuss their work in preserving the region’s heritage. And, all are urged to donate a non-perishable food item to Neighbors Feeding Neighbors, a local community food bank that will be set up.
Orchard hours are 10 am to 5 pm, Saturday/Sunday, through May 28th; then through October, Wednesday-Sunday. The Orchard welcomes you to experience the heritage of the people, their music, their idioms, and learn about their struggles and triumphs. For more information, please visit the website, altapassorchard.org. For updates, please visit our Facebook page. And to stay in the loop, email marketing@altapassorchard.org and write, “I want to sign up for the monthly e-newsletter.”
