Rain or shine, there will be a groundbreaking ceremony for the Edith’s Barn Project on June 1st at 11:00 a.m. Guests for the event include NC State Grange President, Jimmy Gentry; the Barn Project architect, Darren Latham and Whippoorwill Board member Cam Finley, who will offer commentary about the history and legacy of Edith Carter’s vision and Whippoorwill Village. A community picnic will follow the ceremony along with music by Nashville songwriter and musician, Tim Hall and Buffalo Country. Tim Hall has written music for the television series, Yellowstone and has also published one of the late Lisa Marie Presley’s songs with the help of her mother, Priscilla Presley. There are plans in the works for Tim to record the song with Wynonna Judd. His song “Big Sky Little Bullet” will be used for an upcoming Warner Bros. movie. Tim Hall and Buffalo Country still travel the east coast and love to perform in North Carolina as much as possible. Check out Spotify and other areas where music is sold to hear more of his songs. Guests to the June 1 event are asked to bring a covered dish to share and also a chair.
Whippoorwill Academy and Village is a non-profit 501-C-3 that promotes and celebrates local history, the arts and agriculture. The village was established in the 1980’s by the late, Edith Ferguson Carter on the Ferguson family farm. Ms. Carter was a community and church activist as well as an art educator. She was the founder of the Blowing Rock Art in the Park festival. Before her death in 2014, she expressed her desire for the village to add a barn to expand activities and current programs. The farm is also on the NC Birding Trail. She and her husband, Hill Carter farmed this land during their lifetime and now it is shared with others.
Throughout the years, the village has given guided tours to school groups, churches, and other community organizations. It has also welcomed both local and international tourists from around the world. The village been the setting for numerous festivities such as weddings; reunions, the James Larkin Pearson Poetry Competition; Veteran’s events; Literary events; art exhibitions; collector car shows; the Daniel Boone Festival; Tom Dooley and Appalachian Culture Festival; Scottish themed events and the Scottish Christmas Evening Market. There are plans to add a poetry/nature trail at the village that will make a one-mile round trip to the Yadkin River and back to the village. The Whippoorwill board of directors are: Dave and Tina Baker (from Lenoir); Zela Beckett (from Taylorsville); Trip Ferguson (from Newport News, Va); Cam Finley (from North Wilkesboro); Renee Frost (from Taylorsville); Bob Powell (from Fleetwood, NC); Tim Larson (from Blowing Rock); Dick and Margaret Martine (from Ferguson); Amanda McLean (from Lenoir) and Matt Snyder (from Blowing Rock). The village is open every 3rd Saturday from 1-5:00 for tours from April – October and also for private tours throughout the week when arranged in advance.
