Kids & Family Fun Day
Kids & Family Fun Day
Saturday, May 16 | noon to 3 p.m.
Free
Visit the Blue Ridge Music Center for a a FREE, family-friendly celebration:
🎶 Enjoy performances from talented local youth bands
🎻 Try your hand at a new musical instrument at the instrument “petting zoo”
🔎 Get to know the Music Center with a themed scavenger hunt
🥾 Explore the trails on a self-guided hike with tips from Kids In Parks
🎨 Get creative with a music-inspired art project
*This event is free and open to the public – advance registration is encouraged, but not required! Register in advance for day-of information and event reminders.*
Performances:
12-12:45 p.m.: Denim & Plaid
1-1:45 p.m.: Mallie Belle
2-2:45 p.m.: Margo MacSweeney & Friends
The Bluffs Restaurant will be on site with food for purchase.
This event is supported by the generosity of a group of anonymous donors who advocate for youth engagement in traditional mountain music.
Denim & Plaid
Denim & Plaid
12-12:45 p.m.
Denim & Plaid delivers a hard-driving, high-energy bluegrass experience that blends powerful vocals with masterful instrumental performances. The band formed in 2022 when founding members Hollace Oakes and Berkley Stewart met for the first time during the Crooked Road Youth Music Contest. With just 15 minutes to come up with a name, inspiration struck — Hollace was wearing plaid, Berkley was in jeans, and Berkley’s dad suggested “Denim & Plaid.” The name — and the partnership — stuck.
The band features several award-winning young musicians: Hollace Oakes on fiddle, Berkley Stewart on banjo, Tucker Conner on guitar and lead vocals, Truett Wagner on mandolin and guitar, and Eliott King on bass and guitar.
Mallie Belle
Mallie Belle
1-1:45 p.m.
Mallie Belle is a 15-year-old singer/songwriter born and raised in Mount Airy, North Carolina. She began playing the fiddle at just four years old, quickly developing a deep love for music. At age five, after meeting Alison Krauss, Mallie discovered her passion for singing and storytelling—an experience that helped shape the direction of her musical journey.
Drawing inspiration from a wide range of artists, with a special love for country music, Mallie has been steadily growing as an artist. She began writing original songs at 13 years old and continues to grow as a songwriter. In June 2024, she released her first original song, “Half The Woman You Are,” alongside Nashville-based songwriter Dani Flowers. She debuted the song at the iconic Station Inn in downtown Nashville, marking a major milestone in her career. The track is now available on all streaming platforms.
Her aspirations include building a lasting career in music, writing songs that resonate with others, and traveling the world through her art.
Margo MacSweeney
Margo MacSweeney & Friends
2-2:45 p.m.
Margo MacSweeney is a young old time musician who lives in Floyd County, Virginia. Margo enjoys playing fiddle, banjo, and guitar and singing and dancing old time traditional music from Southwest Virginia. She is a part of The Handmade Music School at The Floyd Country Store.
