Emily Cooley will entertain at the Second Friday ArtWalk.
Emily Cooley will entertain at the Second Friday ArtWalk.
News
Bland Fair marking 100 years
The Bland County Fair is marking 100 years this season.
For generations, the Bland County Fair has been a place where families, friends and neighbors come together to celebrate the community, enjoy the sights and sounds of the fair, and make memories that last long after the midway closes. This year, the tradition reaches a remarkable milestone as the Bland County Fair celebrates its 100th anniversary.
As part of that historic celebration, music will take center stage with The Sideshow: 100 Summers, a special edition of the popular live music series that has become a favorite among concertgoers throughout the region.
The Sideshow was created to celebrate outstanding local and regional musicians while bringing communities together through memorable live performances. Built on four previous successful events, the series has established itself as the area’s most successful concert series by paid attendance.
The first four Sideshow events also served as charitable fundraisers, with proceeds benefiting local nonprofit organizations. This year, however, organizers are taking a different approach in honor of the fair’s centennial. The Sideshow: 100 Summers, as well as all Fair events, will be free to the public, giving everyone an opportunity to be part of the celebration.
For organizers and many of the musicians taking the stage, the event carries a special meaning. They grew up attending the Bland County Fair, where Saturday nights were about reconnecting with friends, enjoying the excitement of the fair and listening to great music.
Now, they hope to create those same memories for a new generation.
The Sideshow 100 Summers will take place Saturday, Aug. 22, at 7 p.m. at the Bland County Fairgrounds in Bland. The lineup includes The Central Pickers, The Bluzberrys, Wylee & The Coyotes and BURNOUT.
“This is a wonderfully collaborative event of more than thirty musicians from Wythe and Bland Counties,” said Randy Newberry, one of the Bland County musicians. “ and a mixture of members from all the bands will be on stage for a three-song finale that is lively and pertinent to summertime, which is always a big hit.”
Johnna Havens serves as co-treasurer of the Bland County Fair. She said the centennial fair will be its biggest and best to date.
“There are going to be more rides this year than we’ve ever had,” she said. “There are more entertainment options and vendors—several food trucks and the traditional loaded baked potatoes courtesy of Bland County 4-H—than ever before.”
Running Wednesday, Aug. 19, through Saturday, Aug. 22, there will be no gate admission for the entire fair, thanks to sponsorship from Venco, First Sentinel Bank and Hitachi Energy Arena. In addition to sponsoring the fair, Hitachi also purchased materials to build a new stage at the fairgrounds.
“Hitachi really stepped up when we needed help the most,” Havens said. “We are so grateful to all of our sponsors who have been so generous.”
Rock bands Dealers Choice and Heart on Fire will perform, and several craft exhibits will be held, including “Decorate Your Own Porch Goose,” “Decorate Your Own Cowboy Hat” and “Build Your Own Bouquet” bars. Bingo will be held, along with a parade, livestock weigh-in and show, ranch rodeo, fireworks, wrestling matches from Appalachian Professional Wrestling and a daily midway.
Gospel singing, a garden tractor pull, laser tag and a painting class hosted by Debi Weeks Gouge are also included among the festivities.
Unlimited ride bracelets for the 14 rides and five gaming stations can be purchased for $20 on Wednesday and Thursday and $25 on Friday and Saturday. Exhibit entries will be accepted following the parade, which begins Wednesday at 6:30 p.m., until 8 p.m., and Thursday from 8 to 11:30 a.m.
Food sales will begin within 30 minutes of the gates opening each night, except Saturday, when sales will begin at 11 a.m.
The Wytheville Training School Cultural Center celebrates its 4th Annual Youth Theater Week.
The Wytheville Training School Cultural Center celebrates its 4th Annual Youth Theater Week.
Ceremony to mark lynching death
A century after Raymond Arthur Byrd was taken from the Wythe County Jail and lynched by a mob, Wytheville will pause this week to remember his life, confront the injustice that claimed it and reflect on a painful chapter in the community’s history.
The Wytheville Training School Cultural Center and community partners will host a Centennial Commemoration of Byrd’s death Saturday, Aug. 15, marking 100 years since the 1926 lynching that reverberated across Virginia and the nation.
The commemoration will begin at 3 p.m. at the historical marker at the intersection of 4th and Monroe streets, the site of the ceremony’s flower-laying observance.
Patricia Austin, executive director of the Wytheville Training School Cultural Center, said the centennial provides an opportunity not only to remember Byrd, but also to examine the history surrounding his death and its meaning for generations to come.
“This Centennial Commemoration honors Byrd’s life, acknowledges the injustice that took it and reaffirms our community’s commitment to truth, remembrance, and restorative justice,” Austin said.
The program is expected to bring together Byrd descendants, historians, civic leaders, clergy, educators and members of the community for an afternoon centered on remembrance and learning.
The ceremony at the marker will include historical context, musical tributes and a special dedication recognizing ongoing reconciliation efforts in the region.
Following the flower-laying ceremony, the commemoration will continue at the Wytheville Training School Cultural Center at 410 E. Franklin St.
The afternoon program will include a review of John M. Johnson’s book, A Death Mob Gathered, as well as a presentation of research on Byrd by Dr. Thomas Edge. Members of the Byrd family also will share reflections and family history.
For Austin and organizers of the centennial observance, the gathering is about more than looking backward. It is an opportunity to ensure that Byrd’s story remains part of the community’s historical record and that future generations understand what happened 100 years ago.
“This centennial observance stands as a call to remembrance and a commitment to ensuring that the truth of Raymond Byrd’s story is never forgotten,” Austin said.
The story of Raymond Arthur Byrd remains among the most painful episodes in Wythe County’s past. On Aug. 15, 1926, Byrd was forcibly removed from the county jail by a mob and lynched.
A century later, the community will gather at the site of the historical marker bearing his name, offering flowers in remembrance and creating an opportunity for descendants, historians and residents to come together.
The commemoration reflects a broader effort to preserve local history while encouraging honest conversations about racial violence, justice and reconciliation.
Organizers are inviting the entire community to attend the centennial observance and participate in remembering Byrd, learning more about his life and legacy, and reflecting on the lessons his story holds for Wytheville and the region today.
The Raymond Byrd Centennial Commemoration will take place Saturday, Aug. 15, at 3 p.m. at the lynching marker at 4th and Monroe streets in Wytheville. The program will continue afterward at the Wytheville Training School Cultural Center, 410 E. Franklin St.
For more information, contact the Wytheville Training School Cultural Center at 276-625-0042.
Grant secures driving simulators for high schools
The Wythe County Sheriff’s Office received a $40,830 grant aimed at making better drivers.
The funding, according to Sheriff Anthony Cline, will place a driving simulator in Fort Chiswell, George Wythe and Rural Retreat high schools.
The sheriff noted that the project, which comes via a strong partnership between his office and the school system, will better prepare young driver before they ever get behind an actual steering wheel.
Cline said the idea is to give students a chance to practice skills in a safe environment before giving them the keys to a 4,000-pound automobile.
The simulators will also allow students to understand in a real way distracted and impaired driving, driving on snow and ice and other real-world situations, including driving on the interstate.
“With Interstates 77 and 81 running through Wythe County, giving our students the opportunity to experience interstate driving in a controlled environment just makes sense,” the sheriff’s office said.
