News Category: Museum

BRISTOL, Va.-Tenn. (Oct. 22, 2025) – Family and friends are all invited to incorporate Community Day, the Birthplace of Country Music Museum‘s annual day of fun, into your Halloween activity schedule on Oct. 25 — the same day downtown Bristol’s favorite haunts will be gearing up for a spooktacular celebration! Visitors to the museum will enjoy free admission from open to close, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. EDT, with special activities for children in the morning and early afternoon. Community Day will take place in addition to Believe in Bristol’s “An Addams Family Halloween” events taking place that day along State Street in Historic Downtown Bristol.

During Community Day, everyone is invited to participate in a scavenger hunt around the museum where they may explore the exhibits. Children are invited to trick-or-treat at the museum all day and receive coloring and activity sheets while supplies last, so wear your costumes!

Kid-focused activities at the museum are scheduled for 10:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. and include the following:

• Instrument Petting Zoo: A chance to try out a wide variety of instruments from guitar to a washboard to a fiddle.
• Banjo Bingo: Play Bingo by guessing instrument sounds
• Semi-Spooky Story Time: Halloween-inspired stories will be read throughout the day, stories are suitable for kids of all ages. 
• 3D Printing: Our friends at the Bristol Public Library will be on hand with their 3D printer, creating a cowboy boot to accompany the museum’s new special exhibit “Boot Scootin’ History: The Craft & Stories of Cowboy Boots.”

Musicians of all ages are invited to bring their acoustic instruments and jam out with other local musicians from 3 p.m. – 5 p.m. as part of a partnership with East Tennessee Bluegrass Association. Play along, or just enjoy the music!

Community Day visitors are encouraged to take a full museum tour and check out the new special exhibit “Boot Scootin’ History: The Craft and Stories of Cowboy Boots,” on display now. Again, there is no cost to attend.

For a full schedule of Believe in Bristol’s “An Addams Family Halloween” events, visit their website at BelieveInBristol.org/Halloween. For more information about Community Day at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum, visit the Events page at BirthplaceOfCountryMusic.org.

BRISTOL, Va.-Tenn. (Oct. 14, 2025) – The Birthplace of Country Music Museum proudly announces the opening of a new exhibit, Boot Scootin’ History: The Craft & Stories of Cowboy Boots, on view now through April 6, 2026. This colorful, captivating exhibit explores the artistry, history, and cultural significance of cowboy boots — an enduring symbol of country music and Americana.

At the heart of Boot Scootin’ History is the work of renowned bootmaker Lisa Sorrell, whose handcrafted boots have redefined cowboy boot artistry. With over 35 pairs of Sorrell’s custom creations on display — each accompanied by her personal stories and insights — visitors will discover the intricate craftsmanship, unique materials, and rich heritage behind every stitch.

Sorrell founded Sorrell Custom Boots in 1996 in Guthrie, Oklahoma. Her work has been featured in books, magazines, and the PBS series Craft in America. Her accolades include being named Boot Maker of the Year by the Academy of Western Artists in 2020 and multiple international honors for her craftsmanship. From bold leather inlays to intricate overlays and topstitching, Sorrell’s boots exemplify how cowboy boots serve as both functional footwear and wearable works of art. The exhibit also includes select pairs of boots connected to country and bluegrass music legends, highlighting how this iconic footwear has marched hand-in-hand with the sounds and stories of the genre.

“Cowboy boots are a powerful symbol of the spirit and storytelling at the heart of country music,” said Museum Director Dr. Rene Rodgers. “Through Lisa Sorrell’s incredible work and voice, visitors will not only see the boots as beautiful objects but also understand the deep connections between craftsmanship, personal identity, and music history.”

 In addition to the exhibit, the Museum will host a series of complementary public programs and events that dive deeper into the subject matter. For upcoming programming announcements, folks are encouraged to sign up for the BCM newsletter and monitor the Events page at BirthplaceOfCountryMusic.org for more information. Boot Scootin’ History: The Craft & Stories of Cowboy Boots and its public programs are made possible thanks to the generous support of the Massengill-DeFriece Foundation and the United Company Foundation.

BRISTOL, Va.-Tenn. (Oct. 9, 2025) – The Birthplace of Country Music Museum is thrilled to announce a spooky Speaker Session with celebrated local author and journalist Joe Tennis, taking place on Tuesday, Oct. 14 at 7 p.m. ET. The event is free and open to the public, but pre-registration is encouraged as seating is limited and demand is expected to be high.

“We are excited to welcome Joe Tennis to the museum for what promises to be a fascinating evening of storytelling and local lore,” said Museum Director Dr. Rene Rodgers. “His historical research into local hauntings makes for some exciting tales for the Halloween season.”

Joe Tennis is known for his deep dives into the history, folklore, and ghost tales of Appalachia and beyond. The author has 11 books to his name, including “Haunted Highlands,” “The Marble and Other Ghost Tales of Tennessee and Virginia,” “Haunts of Virginia’s Blue Ridge Highlands,” and “The Ghostly Tales of Virginia’s Blue Ridge Highlands.” He brings a rich blend of fact and folklore to his work, offering audiences an entertaining, thought-provoking, and sometimes humorous, journey through the region’s haunted past. Tennis will have copies of his books available at the museum for purchase and will gladly sign them for attendees.

Tennis’ writing and photography have been featured in major regional outlets such as Blue Ridge Country, Bristol Herald Courier, Kingsport Times-News, The Appalachian Voice, The Virginian-Pilot, and The Roanoke Times. A gifted speaker, Tennis has captivated audiences from Kentucky to Virginia Beach.

To register for free to attend the Speaker Session in person, visit the Events page at BirthplaceOfCountryMusic.org. The program will also stream live on Radio Bristol’s YouTube channel.

BRISTOL, Tenn.-Va. (Oct. 7, 2025) – The Birthplace of Country Music Museum, in partnership with Songwriters of Highlands Appalachia, will host a Songwriters Circle Showcase, where regional songwriters take their turn in the spotlight to share their craft with the community. The Showcase will take place in the museum’s performance theater on Saturday, Oct. 11 at 2 p.m. ET. The event is free and open to the public, but donations to support future programs and the songwriters are appreciated.

Regional songwriters Gerald Sheppard, Mary Munsey, and Jennifer Gillenwater will perform their original songs in the round, sharing the inspiration and story behind each piece. Afterward, the songwriters will engage with the audience in a Q&A about their songs’ creation, structure, and emotional impact.

Northeast Tennessee native Gerald Sheppard is perhaps best-known for his work as a luthier. His high-end guitars are regarded as some of the finest in the world – one was even featured on the cover of the GRAMMY Award-winning album “Henry Mancini: Pink Guitar,” an instrumental guitar tribute to the legendary composer. Sheppard has actively played fingerstyle guitar since his teens, and is often spotted in local hotspots playing instrumental cocktail music or performing at special events. He began writing and composing his own songs in 2018, interested primarily in writing ballads and story songs that audiences find touching and heartwarming.

Mary Munsey, originally from Abingdon, Va., is a well-known multi-instrumentalist, educator, and founder of Songwriters of Highlands Appalachia. Munsey has been performing in the Tri-Cities region and nationally for decades, and has earned songwriting awards from the Woody Guthrie International Folk Songwriting Contest, Neuse River Songwriting Contest, and the Smoky Mountains Songwriting Competition.

Jennifer Gillenwater has been writing songs and performing with various bands in the Tri-Cities region for more than twenty years, including Family Ties, Turkey Tracks Trio, Nowhere Valley, the Playwrights, and more recently, Jen & Barb. The first song she ever wrote was inspired by the story of the reclusive hermit Nick Grindstaff upon encountering his memorial on a hiking trip along the Appalachian Trail. Gillenwater, along with Sheppard and Munsey, are proud contributors to the Songwriters of Highlands Appalachia collective.

The Songwriters Circle Showcase is held quarterly and serves as an extension of the museum’s monthly Songwriters Circle, a collaboration between the Birthplace of Country Music Museum and Songwriters of Highlands Appalachia. Each Showcase event features talented regional songwriters who are part of the monthly Songwriters Circle. The Songwriters Circle, held 2 – 5 p.m. every second Saturday, offers a supportive environment where participants share their songs, collaborate with peers, and enhance their songwriting skills. There is no fee to attend. The goal is to foster creative community, encourage storytelling through songwriting, and provide opportunities for artists to perform and network with others.

For more information about Songwriters of Highlands Appalachia, visit HighlandsAppalachia.org. For more information about the Songwriters Circle and the Songwriters Circle Showcase, visit the Events page at BirthplaceOfCountryMusic.org.