Let Marshall & Madison County Move You

Marshall is special, there is no doubt about it. From its location on the very edge of the French Broad River to its position as the center of preservation for one of the country’s oldest music traditions, ballad swapping, Marshall will appeal to all your senses.

The Western NC county of Madison bears a deep and rich musical tradition. Early Scottish and English immigrants to the region sang ballads from their homeland across the Atlantic, which were soon accompanied by a host of fiddle-based dance tunes. Before this time, the Saura, Shawnee, Catawba and Cherokee tribes lived and sang on the land.

Noted and globally influential Madison County folklorist and banjo player Bascom Lamar Lunsford started the county’s first folk festival, the Mountain Dance and Folk Festival, in 1928 in Asheville, just 25 miles away. The festival lives on to this very day. There are multiple decades-long festivals celebrating ballads, dance, and stringband music including the Lunsford Festival—hosted in Mars Hill, it is the second longest-running folk festival in Western North Carolina—and Bluff Mountain Festival, hosted in Hot Springs.

There has been a recent renaissance of the ballad tradition, which includes active seventh- and eighth-generation singers. Though the anchor venue in Marshall, the Old Marshall Jail, which had been renovated into a hotel, restaurant, and community gathering space, was destroyed during Hurricane Helene, it has recently reopened with swaps scheduled the second Wednesday of every month.

Suggested Music-Themed Day Trip Itinerary*

Morning

Main Street in Marshall is peppered with unique, locally owned businesses. What you will find here is the heart of a community that has come together in unison and collaboration to make this town sing—and sing it does. Start your day off at Zuma’s where you will find open mics and bluegrass jams. These regularly scheduled events, still ongoing, were previously hosted by bluegrass legend and NC Heritage Award Winner, Bobby Hicks (1933-2024).

Website and Address: Zumas Coffee, 7 North Main Street, Marshall, NC 28753

Midday

One of the most beautiful things about the North Carolina mountains is the proximity these small, tight communities have to each other, creating an easy flow from space to space. Wander over to Mars Hill for Blue Ridge Old Time Music Week at Mars Hill University, held annually in June. Catering to musicians of all skill levels, this inclusive music environment provides classes on fiddle, banjo, guitar, mandolin, singing, mountain dulcimer, and an all-instrument rhythm and repertoire ensemble. Be sure to check out the Mars Hill mural representing various themes from the region including music.

Websites and Addresses: 

• Blue Ridge Old Time Music Week, 100 Athletic St, Mars Hill, NC 28754

• Mars Hill Mural, corner of Mountain View and South Main Street, Mars Hill, NC 28754

Afternoon

Hot Springs was put on the map for the restorative powers of its natural mineral springs. Visited by many a celebrity and touted as having similarities to Switzerland, Hot Springs is also a hot spot for music. Home to Big Pillow Brewing and the Bluff Mountain Music Festival, in June on the grounds of the Hot Springs Resort + Spa, you are sure to find music in this majestic mountain town throughout the year. Add the unique cultural and ecological space, Rare Bird Farm, to your list and check their schedule for mini-festivals, concerts, and workshops.

Websites and Addresses:

• Big Pillow Brewing, 25 Andrews Ave N, Hot Springs, NC 28743

• Bluff Mountain Music Festival, 315 Bridge St, Hot Springs, NC 28743

• Rare Bird Farm, 91 Duckett Top Tower Rd, Hot Springs, NC 28743

Evening

The crown jewel of historic music preservation and performance awaits you at the Old Marshall Jail and Zadie’s Restaurant where ballad swaps featuring 7^th and 8^th generation ballad singers are held monthly. Performing a cappella, local ballad singers of all ages gather on the patio overlooking the French Broad to sing ballads, narrative songs passed down through generations. The youngest ballad performed by the anchor group of singers, the Nest of Singing Birds, is 150 years old. The Old Marshall Jail isn’t just the vibrant center of a community, it is an actual restored jail house where you can stay the night and fully immerse yourself in the cadence of centuries old ballad singing.

Website and Address: Old Marshall Jail, 33 Baileys Branch Rd, Marshall, NC 28753

Music