BRISTOL, Tenn.-Va. (April 24, 2025) – For lovers of music and art, the Birthplace of Country Music (BCM) celebrates southern Appalachian spring melodies with a packed calendar in the month of May. Each event takes place at the Smithsonian-affiliated Birthplace of Country Music Museum, located in the heart of Bristol’s historic downtown, with the exception of the spectacular Farm and Fun Time show, which will be held on the grand stage of Paramount Bristol at 7 p.m. ET, May 8. Musical guests The Dead South and Sunny War will perform on the popular WBCM Radio Bristol production, which is recorded live and edited for broadcast on PBS channels across the country. Tickets are on sale now at ParamountBristol.org.
Kicking things off May 1 at 6:30 p.m., travel through time to the Golden Era of radio and experience a rare, live recording of The Stanley Brothers & the Clinch Mountain Boys performing on WCYB Radio’s classic Farm and Fun Time program from the 1940s and 1950s. Thought to be lost forever, this historic gem has been digitally restored from a deteriorating transcription disc. There is no cost to attend the Listening Party and this glimpse into the early days of the group’s legendary career. If you plan to be there, please RSVP through the Events page at BirthplaceOfCountryMusic.org.
Artists and art lovers will have the opportunity to study under celebrated artist, muralist, and instructor Ellen Elmes during a hands-on music and art workshop May 3 at 1 p.m. During the workshop, Ellen will guide participants through the creative process to the accompaniment of live music by singer-songwriter and Radio Bristol show host Ella Patrick. Art supplies are included in the $20 (+tax/fee) registration. Class size is limited so don’t hesitate to sign up. Participants are encouraged to arrive early to take in a special exhibit of Elmes’ work, entitled Ellen Elmes: The Art of Music and Mountains, on display now at the museum.
Toddlers and their grown ups are invited to Museum Storytime on May 2 at 10:30 a.m., where they’ll read along to children’s books about “Highwaymen” Johnny Cash and Willie Nelson, followed by a sing-along with Ella Patrick. Held monthly every first Friday in the museum’s Learning Center, Museum Storytime is a “priceless” experience for families. Older children who are interested in learning an instrument may take part in weekly group music lessons with JAM Kids held Saturdays at 10:30 a.m. Lessons are priced affordably at $5 a class or $45 for 10 classes.
Local and regional songwriters commune and collaborate every second Saturday of the month at 2 p.m. during the Songwriters Circle, hosted by Mary Munsey of Songwriters of Highlands Appalachia. Every fourth Saturday the East Tennessee Bluegrass Music Association leads bluegrass musicians who just want to get together and jam. Songwriters Circle and Monthly Bluegrass Jams are both no-cost events.
May’s Speaker Session, entitled “Country Music, Comedy, and the Small Screen,” examines the cross-over careers of Tennessee Ernie Ford, Minnie Pearl, and Roni Stoneman and their characterizations of common Appalachian personas. The event is free to attend, but folks are asked to kindly RSVP. If you can’t be there in person, the program will stream live on Radio Bristol’s YouTube channel.
On May 17 eighth-generation Appalachian ballad singer Donna Ray Norton hosts “The Nest of Singing Birds Ballad Swap,” an evening where regional singers explore the legacy of this unique art form through story and song. The name of this program comes from early 20th-century song collector Cecil Sharp’s reference to Madison County, North Carolina’s rich ballad legacy as a “nest of singing birds.” Following Hurricane Helene’s devastation of their hometown, this group of ballad singers has been traveling their regular ballad swap at the Old Marshall Jail to raise awareness of the practice’s fragility and the region it depends on. Registration for the event is $15 (+tax/fee).
BCM May Events Calendar:
May 1 | 6:30 p.m. | Museum: Stanley Brothers Transcription Disc Listening Party
May 2 | 10:30 a.m. | Museum: Museum Storytime on The Highwaymen (Hello, I’m Johnny Cash by G. Neri, A Little Golden Book Biography: Willie Nelson by Jeffrey Ebbeler)
May 3, 10, 17, 24, & 31 | 10:30 a.m. | Museum: JAM Kids Weekly Music Lesson
May 3 | 1 p.m. | Museum: Music & Art Workshop with Ellen Elmes (for adults)
May 8 | 7 p.m.| Paramount Bristol: Farm and Fun Time feat. The Dead South, Sunny War
May 10 | 2 p.m. | Museum: Songwriters Circle hosted by Songwriters of Highlands Appalachia
May 13 | 7 p.m. | Museum/Online: Speaker Session: Country Music, Comedy, and the Small Screen w/ Erika Barker and Julia Underkoffler
May 17 | 7 p.m. | Museum: Nest of Singing Birds: A Ballad Swap “Love & Murder A Capella” w/ Donna Ray Norton
May 24 | 2 p.m. | Museum: Monthly Bluegrass Jam hosted by East Tennessee Bluegrass Association
For tickets and more information about BCM events or to RSVP to an event, visit the Events page at BirthplaceOfCountryMusic.org.