Mount Airy North Carolina
“Mountains, Music, Mayberry, Merlot”
Town of Mount Airy North Carolina
Mount Airy is a small town located in the upper Yadkin Valley near the Virginia state line, surrounded by the Sauratown and Blue Ridge Mountains. Mount Airy takes you back to a simpler time. Actor Andy Griffith grew up in this community and Mount Airy’s Main Street is vaguely similar to the town of Mayberry from The Andy Griffith Show. You can hear traditional and bluegrass music jam sessions or listen to a live radio show every Saturday morning. Mount Airy’s WPAQ 740 AM radio station has been operating the nation’s second longest-running radio show, the Merry-Go-Round, (The Grand Ole Opry is the longest running show) since 1948. The live broadcast has featured bluegrass and old-time legends, such as Tommy Jarrell, Benton Flippen, and the Carter family. History buffs can enjoy the area’s colorful past at the Mountain Airy Museum of Regional History, or by visiting many of the areas historic sites. Take a day trip down the Blue Ridge Parkway or hike at Pilot Mountain State Park. Come visit the Andy Griffith Museum, the local wineries or check out one of the festival that are held annually! Whatever your interest may be, Mount Airy has something for everyone!
History of Mount Airy NC
The first settlers that came to Mount Airy arrived in the mid-1740s. Thomas Perkins is said to have named the town Mount Airy after purchasing a plantation home on the river. The US Post Office Department accepted an application for a Post Office in Mount Airy on July 1, 1798; the first Postmaster was Mr.John Lawrence. The town was incorporated in 1885 and was once among the state’s largest producers of tobacco, furniture, and textiles. Shortly after the granite quarry began large scale production.
Round-Peak Style of Old-Time Music
Mount Airy is home to old-time music legends Tommy Jarrell and Benton Flippen along with country singer Donna Fargo. Many musicians from the Round Peak community could play music passed down from the earliest English and Scotch-Irish settlers. This music eventually became known as Round Peak music, which was one of several distinct regional styles of a genre called “old-time” music. Old-time music was not only a form of entertainment, but a way to bring neighbors and the community together. Tommy Jarrell was enormously influential on the old-time music revival in the late 1960s and early 1970s.
Mayberry Days Festival
Come visit Mount Airy, the hometown of Andy Griffith and reflect back on a time when life was simpler! There is much to do at this festival such as watching the parade, meeting the Special Guests, laughing at Colonel Tim’s Talent Time, participating in a Silent Auction or hang out and listen to the same music that Andy Griffith grew up listening to! Come on down to Mount Airy and enjoy a blast from the past! […more info]
The Yadkin Valley Wine Region
The Yadkin Valley Wine Region, also known as “Napa of the East”, is a great place to explore you different wineries and taste the many distinct flavors of the area. There are 40 wineries in the Yadkin Valley wine region, which was established in 2002 as North Carolina’s first American Viticultura Area (AVA). The Yadkin Valley also has the addition of a new brewery and a moonshine/whiskey/brandy distillery. In the last few years, Surry County has become fertile ground for a booming vineyard and winery trade. This Yadkin Valley wine region has grown to over 40 wineries since 2002, with many wineries in close proximity to Mount Airy. Old North State Winery is located in downtown Mount Airy with many more vineyards within a short drive of Mount Airy. One of the Southeast’s largest vineyard estates, Shelton Vineyard is only 15 minutes from downtown Mount Airy.
