This is a turnoff from the Blue Ridge Parkway. I was impressed that the commitment was made to the…read moremusic of the mountains. There are daily small-scale performances in an open section of the visitor center, which I stopped to listen to for a bit. An outdoor amphitheater offers larger scale performance opportunities, which I wish I'd found the occasion to come down for. Additionally, there are a couple of miles of trails on the site which run through bucolic hilly territory and offer a variety of sights and sounds. There is no charge to visit the site, and an abundance of reasons to be driving on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Note that the musical performances are seasonal.

This was a great place to stop while I rode through the Blue Ridge Parkway on my motorcycle. I…read moreneeded to take a break, and as somebody who likes to play the guitar (calling myself a musician might be a bit of a stretch) I couldn't pass this one by. They have a wonderful little museum on the history and development of Appalachian music and instruments. Some of it is interactive as well. I was there on a Saturday and they had local musicians playing some of the old Appalachian music outside in a little covered area, sponsored by the BLM I am assuming. In a smaller building they have a whole section pertaining to the old moonshiners of the region, explaining their craft and their inevitable run-ins with the revenuers. I didn't make too many stops along the way but I am very glad this was one of them as it was totally worth it!

Not a fan of big families for any number of reasons. I prefer the way plants reproduce, like by…read moregerminating seeds or even better by grafting. Seriously, or nearly so, think how much better, as compared to standard issue childbearing, grafting would work for humans, like first of all no more Lamaze breathing classes for dads (after all of which are done, many moms go for the drugs anyway). then as one generation runs out of things to do in life, rather than uproot the whole parent just insert the next generation into the trunk, thereby hopefully eliminating adolescence when most of the body develops. Fungi and molds are even better as they mature in hours, are much more resilient and easier to distribute plus they're totally anonymous: parents don't have to see how their best intentions didn't bear fruit, and their offspring have no one else to blame. the spores of these life forms are quite durable, even tolerate the conditions found in outer space. Future myco-human lifeforms could be launched by the billions from earth unceremoniously, hoping a few might land somewhere favorable to germinate rather than being sucked into and incinerated by a star. And no alphabet or arithmetic to learn in grammar school. Being a family mammal on the other hand has major downsides. an example being that if you're known to be ever-ready to venture wherever someone will buy your plane ticket, they call upon you to go see how cousin Luke or uncle Amos or whoever is doing. The boring relatives stay put back home but the black sheep migrate over the years to places you would likely not otherwise go. So it is that I was driving through central Virginia on a moonless night, on just such a family mission and frankly need a roadie, a restorative for my lagging spirits, which is why I turned off the state highway and onto a county road to see where it went, and came to this town which is how I happened onto rocky mount's finest establishment, The Alley Cat Bar. It's great to find places like this and is the reason I prefer to drive in unknown territories using old outdated AAA maps instead of gps. Not every side road exit brings you to an historic and quaintly cool town like Rocky Mount, but it's the occasional one that ends in Rocky Mount that keeps you in the wanderlust game. It' was just what I was looking for at this moment, a break from driving the dark rural Virginia roads, local music and a friendly beer crowd. I was ready. Most small towns, not much to do, so can't be too choosey but lucky here to have this place, among others by the way but none so much my kind, live music potentially a little rough around the edges crowd but, after all, it's central va. Incredible selection of beer. I missed the Tuesday nite trivia contest as well as a visit to the moonshine distillery but I had miles to go before I slept.

Awesome atmosphere with a heck of a drink/food menu! Live…read morebands, trivia nights! Worth a visit!

My wife and I went there Saturday 13 July. the building was nice inside and out. but that is as…read morefar as i can speak positively about the place. from the moment we stepped on under the porch roof we were treated like criminals. our bags were searched and told we couldn't have a large bag inside. if they are worried about a shooting taking place in that small building they have others things to worry about. like 4 dollar bottles of water. gouging people for a bottle of water is outrageous. will never go back there.

This place is crazy. By chance, my husband and I had chatted with a woman who works at the old…read morerailroad depot that's been converted into a community center/museum/welcome center and she said that they had had a lot of music performed there until The Harvester was built. So, later, we check out The Harvester. I don't know how you graduate from a renovated train depot doing community events to a center that has big name celebrities - frequently - but they did. The place is excellent. Great parking, great location, easy entrance, nice concession stand, not crowded. The stage is RIGHT THERE. In fact, we went to go see Colin Hay (lead singer of Men at Work with an impressive solo career since then) a few months ago and he made the comment on stage that he was glad that he had invested in a good nose hair trimmer and could flare his nose with confidence. Acoustics are great, tickets prices are reasonable. I could just go on and on...

this wasn't our original destination but like moths drawn to candlelight we stopped in for a bit,…read moreknocked back a couple of the advertised cheap rum and coke at the bar but anyway didn't like the vibe, the drinks or the music so no offense but moved on. hey this far out of town i'm a supporter of any nightlife. Marketing plan is basic: hire a few cute numbers working the bar, farm girls and coeds come in so more guys come in and they do the pool tables until the critical party mass happens and all go home with somebody: college town bar. Anyway Blue ridge rural virginia gets pretty dark after, you know... it starts gettin really dark. Something not right here at least for me... maybe too far from home.

This was my spot 2006-08. A perfect dance club scene with great music. Very crowded but very funread more

We wanted to try a new place for lunch today and the Reeves Cafe is only open for lunch on…read moreSaturday. It's wonderful to see how this historic landmark building in downtown Elkin has been so beautifully preserved. The lobby of the old theater is the location of the cafe. You place your order at the bar and it's delivered to your table once it's ready. The lady working at the bar was very nice and helpful. Although the cafe was pretty busy we didn't have to wait long for our order to arrive. They offer a nice selection of sandwiches and sides. The soup of the day was pepperoni pizza soup...didn't give that one a try but it sounded intriguing. The bread used to make the sandwiches was better than most restaurants and the quality of the food was excellent. They have regular events with live performances each week inside the theater. More information can be found on their website.

Update: the cafe has closed in 2025. The bar and the music venue are still tops! There are a few…read moresnack and sweet treat items available.

Wandered in here after 9 hours on the road. Had a lovely evening dining in. We got the catfish BLT…read moreand a smothered chicken bowl. We were surprised by live country music. I'm a different man than I was before I walked though that door. This sandwich permanently changed me as a person. Absolutely incredible. The mashed potatoes are to die for. The chicken bowl was slammin. I might make a point to pass through here every time I make this trip.

Food was good nice flovor, service was friendly and on the spot, dinning was large and…read moreaccommodating.

I have never been to a bluegrass concert in my life, and this was a great first experience. I came…read moreon a Friday evening and it was packed. There wasn't any seating by the time my friends and I got there, but it was still a good time. The store has a ton of cool antique candies/other goodies. Also, the ice cream - I want to give them a shoutout for having multiple dairy-free options for my lactose-intolerant self. I went with the oatmilk chocolate chip, which was absolutely delicious. Would highly recommend giving this spot a visit!

Over the years we have watched this place really up their game. Then music has always been a big…read moredraw but it's also a great place to grab lunch or a sweet treat, and next door there is a soda shop type place as well! Barrels of candy, locally made items for purchase, including gorgeous cutting boards. Clean restrooms too, which is always a plus!

Great music venue -- really intimate, which was nice. Appreciate that the performers hung around…read moreand interacted with the crowd. Fast drink service too. One FYI: they charged an extra $5 for my brother at the door because he's under 21, which wasn't disclosed during online purchase or listed anywhere on the site.

GREAT place to hear music. Great atmosphere and stellar sound!! Drove over from Winston Salem and…read morewell worth the short drive.

Got to visit the Ramkat again recently for Somewhat Petty, a Tom Petty cover band out of Asheville…read more I really enjoy going to shows at the Ramkat. It's small, making for more intimate performances, but not too small, so they get some decent acts coming through. They offer a full bar with beer, mixed drinks and even THC seltzers. They've got some tables and seating, though you have to pay extra for the seating. Ramkat is located in a great part of town with several dining options, and breweries near by. There are paid lots for parking, but also plenty of free street parking if you arrive early enough.

Great small venue! I recently did generally admission for the Morgan Wade show. There were some…read moreissues with the sound equipment that produced some feedback for part of the show (not sure if that was due to the artist or the venue). However, the quality of the performance more than made up for it. There were a lot of specialty drinks available, but I just opted for some sodas. Service at the bar was friendly and they were making their way through the line quickly. The energy in the space was good and it seemed like a true music lover's haven. One challenge I had was that there didn't seem to be any seating options for general admission. Even offering a couple of off-to-the-side seats for a rest would be handy, since staying on your feet for a few hours straight can get a little tiring. Perhaps that was a possiblity and I missed it. There was seating in the VIP sections though and the price differential didn't seem too dramatic. Seriously, no bad view in the place due to the venue being so small. I'd absolutely recommend checking out a show here!

Great small-town local, but don't let the small space deceive you. Darrell Scott, Larry Keel,…read moreAcoustic Syndicate and many other great musicians have rocked the small stage. Solid local/regional beer selection and as I write this I'm jamming to some Jerry.

Great joint in an awesome town. Unfortunately no music happening since I stopped by at 5, but…read morefantastic beer selection. Great service and got to believe if a show was happening, the place would be beyond stellar. A gem of a place!