Spring Fling 2026
2026-04-18 11:00 - 14:00 (America/New_York) | Franklin Hall quad, Ferrum College, Ferrum, VA, United States
What: Don’t miss one of the biggest events of the semester for the college community at Ferrum College. Spring Fling Festival is happening on Saturday, April 18, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The Franklin Hall quad will be filled with music from DJ Hammer, great food, inflatables, and a full lineup of clubs and organizations bringing the energy all afternoon.
The Social Work Club will be participating in the “Kindness in Chalk” initiative, where students and community members can write motivational & encouraging words/statements to promote kindness and advocate for self-love on campus. The club will provide the chalk, and people can write whatever their heart desires on the sidewalk to promote kindness, send positive messages, and provide a welcoming environment.

With lunch provided by Metz Culinary Management, Kona Ice, giveaways, and something for everyone, it’s the perfect chance to take a break, connect with the community, and make the most of this beautiful weather together.

When & Where:
Saturday, April 18, 2026
11 a.m. until 2 p.m.
Franklin Hall Quad

Beyond Graduation: Alumni Journeys & Networking
2026-04-22 11:30 - 12:30 | Stanley Library, 150 Wiley Drive, Ferrum, 24088, United States
Members of the Alumni Board of Directors (ABOD) will gather at Inquiring Minds to discuss alumni engagement, staying connected after graduation, and their professional stories about the journey from college majors to current careers.
The speakers will include Brooke Gill ’05 , former theatre major, Alumni Board of Directors President; Scotty Bryan ’97, former student-athlete, ABOD Recruitment Committee Chair; and Corretta Patterson ’97, Director of Alumni and Family Relations.
Inquiring Minds offers lively, informal presentations and activities on various interesting topics for the entire community. Stanley Library at Ferrum College presents the series on most Wednesdays during the academic year, in the LEaP Studio on the library’s main floor during the campus’s community hour from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Mountain Magic: An Evening of Music and Storytelling
2026-04-22 19:00 - 20:30 | The Rex Stephenson Theatre – Schoolfield Hall, 215 Ferrum Mountain Rd, Ferrum, VA, 24088-2611, United States
Come on out to the Rex Stephenson Theatre for an intimate evening of music and storytelling. Orchestra Appalachia will kick off the evening with their eclectic mix of old-time, bluegrass, and gospel, followed by a program of Appalachian ballads and tales from Germany, South Africa, Polynesia, Ireland and more. This event features student performers from Performing Arts 230: Storytelling in the Oral Tradition, and Music 137: Appalachian Vocal Styles, taught by Emily Blankenship-Tucker.
The program is free and open to the public, in the Rex Stephenson Theatre (lower level of Schoolfield Hall), on April 22 at 7 p.m.

Click here for more information about programs in Music and Theatre: Professional Stage Performance.
Interested in hearing more Appalachian music at Ferrum College? The Crooked Road Monday music jam occurs every Monday of the year from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Currently being held in Grousbeck Hall, it will move to the pavilion at the Blue Ridge Institute and Farm Museum on Rt. 40 on April 27, whenever weather permits. Anyone is welcome to come at any time during the jam to play an instrument, sing, dance, or just listen and enjoy. Follow Appalachian Music at Ferrum College in Facebook for updates and many photos.

Chrysalis Reveal
2026-04-23 19:00 - 20:30 | Blue Ridge Mountain Room, 215 Ferrum Mountain Road, Ferrum, VA, 24088, United States
The magazine staff will reveal the Spring 2026 issue of Chrysalis Literary and Arts Magazine, and contributors will read from their works and discuss their submissions. Contest winners will be announced, and refreshments will be served! Everyone is welcome.
The editor-in-chief is senior Mattie Green.
The advisor is Dr. Katherine Grimes.
Click here to read past issues of Chrysalis.

Photo of contributors from fall 2025 Chrysalis reveal
Photo below by Mattie Green from a past issue.

Blue Ridge BBQ Cook Off and 11th Moonshine Heritage Car Show
2026-04-25 10:00 - 17:00 | Blue Ridge Institute and Museum, 20 Museum Dr., Ferrum, VA, 24088
The 3rd annual Blue Ridge BBQ Cook Off for backyard cooks will take place at the 1800 farm museum along with live music, moonshine tastings by Five Mile Mountain Distillery, Living Proof & Scuffle Hill Brewing beer garden, wineries, food, vendors, plus—an even bigger children’s area!
Henry Lee Law of “Moonshiners” fame will be in attendance. The 11th annual Moonshine Heritage Car Show will be held right across the road on the beautiful campus of Ferrum College. Vehicles that were used, or would have been used for hauling liquor, will be on display. This thoroughly authentic car show is FREE and open to the public! Many thanks to the Outlaw-cruisers Car Club for helping to coordinate this unique event.
Click here to register for exhibiting in the car show.
Registration is now closed for entering your cooking in the BBQ cook off.
Click here to read more about it.
Follow the Facebook event page to see updates and photos.

Das ist das Ende: A Senior Music Recital by Sarah Gallagher
2026-04-30 17:00 - 18:00 | The Sale Theatre – Schoolfield Hall, 215 Ferrum Mountain Rd, Ferrum, Virginia, 24088-2611
Senior Sarah Gallagher will present Das ist das Ende, her final recital before graduating with a major in Music Performance. Please join us in the Sale Theatre on the third floor of Schoolfield Hall on Thursday, April 30 at 5 p.m.
Sarah will present an eclectic program of voice, piano, and percussion performance drawn from art song, musical theatre, Baroque melodies, classic rock, and original composition.
This performance is free and open to the public.

Commencement and Baccalaureate Spring 2026
2026-05-01 - 2026-05-02 | Ferrum College
Commencement weekend May 1-2, 2026

Click here for information about commencement plans and ceremonies.
Click here for article about commencement speaker Dr. Belle S. Wheelan.

Fast Track Visit Day
2026-05-01 09:00 - 12:00 | Admissions, Spilman-Daniel House, 40 Stratton Lane, Ferrum, 24088, United States
Do everything in a day—come in for your Fast Track visit!
Schedule one day to come in and get your application done, your financial aid application finished, and everything else checked off the list. You’ll get your entire admission process completed in just a single day.
Register Now

Monday Music Jam
2026-05-04 19:00 - 20:30, 2026-05-25 19:00 - 20:30, 2026-06-01 19:00 - 20:30, 2026-06-06 19:00 - 20:30, 2026-06-15 19:00 - 20:30 | Blue Ridge Institute and Museum, 20 Museum Dr., Ferrum, VA, 24088
The Monday Music Jam at Ferrum College is a free weekly event on The Crooked Road: Virginia’s Heritage Music Trail. Every Monday of the year at 7:00, anyone can join in for an evening of authentic old-time and bluegrass music. You can play instruments, sing, dance, or just listen and enjoy.
Arrive any time between 7 p.m. and 8:30. Chairs are available for everyone and if you have mobility issues, or you’re carrying a big instrument, you can pull up right to the door. When the weather allows, the jam will move from the Blue Ridge Institute’s museum lobby to the Leo Scott Pavilion at the farm museum right across the road (Rt. 40).

Regional Alumni Tour
2026-05-09 17:30 - 21:00
The Panthers Are Coming to Richmond!

Join Us Friday, May 8, 2026! You’re invited to a special Ferrum College Alumni Engagement Event at President Mirta Martin’s home in Midlothian, VA, as part of our 2026 Regional Alumni Tour.
Event Details:
Friday, May 8, 2026
Ferrum College President Mirta Martin’s home (3910 Reeds Landing Circle, Midlothian, VA, 23113)
Check-in/Registration: 5:30 p.m.
Conversations With the President/Wine & Cheese Reception: 6:00 to 7:00 p.m.
Meet & Greet at O’Toole’s Restaurant in Midlothian (13919 Midlothian Tpke, Midlothian, VA 23114): 7:30 to 9:00 p.m.
Click here to register.

Hotels Near O’Toole’s Restaurant, Midlothian at 13919 Midlothian Turnpike, Richmond, VA:
Hampton Inn Richmond-Midlothian Turnpike, 800 Research Rd, Richmond, VA 23236, (804) 897-2800
DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Richmond – Midlothian, 1021 Koger Center Boulevard, Richmond, Virginia, 23235, (804) 379-3800
La Quinta Inn & Suites by Wyndham Richmond-Midlothian, 1301 Huguenot Rd, Midlothian, VA 23113, (804) 302-0195
Holiday Inn Express Richmond E – Midlothian Turnpike by IHG, 8710 Midlothian Tpke, North
Chesterfield, VA 23235, (804) 320-8900
Hotels Near 3910 Reeds Landing Circle, Midlothian, VA, 23113-1385:
Holiday Inn & Suites: Richmond – West End, 8008 West Broad St, Richmond, Virginia, 23294, (877) 666-3243
Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Richmond West at I-64, VA, 8010 W Broad St, Richmond, VA 23294, (804) 755-6605
Wingate by Wyndham Richmond Short Pump, 13991 N Gayton Rd, Richmond, VA 23233, (804) 381-0028
Best Western Plus Governor’s Inn, 9826 Midlothian Tpke, North Chesterfield, VA 23235, (804) 323-0007

Monday Music Jam
2026-05-11 19:00 - 20:30, 2026-05-18 19:00 - 20:30, 2026-07-13 19:00 - 20:30 | Blue Ridge Institute and Museum, 20 Museum Dr., Ferrum, VA, 24088
The Monday Music Jam at Ferrum College is a free weekly event on The Crooked Road: Virginia’s Heritage Music Trail. Every Monday of the year at 7:00, anyone can join in for an evening of authentic old-time and bluegrass music. You can play instruments, sing, dance, or just listen and enjoy.
Arrive any time between 7 p.m. and 8:30. Chairs are available for everyone and if you have mobility issues, or you’re carrying a big instrument, you can pull up right to the door, or near the pavilion. When the weather allows, the jam moves from the Blue Ridge Institute’s museum lobby (or sometimes indoors in Grousbeck Hall) to the Leo Scott Pavilion at the farm museum right across the road (Rt. 40).
See the Facebook page Appalachian Music at Ferrum College for more photos.

Black & Gold Open House
2026-05-15 | Admissions, Spilman-Daniel House, 40 Stratton Lane, Ferrum, 24088, United States
We’re thrilled to invite you to Ferrum College for our Black & Gold Open House—a special event designed just for prospective students! Spend the day exploring campus, meeting faculty and students, taking a guided tour, and learning what life at Ferrum is all about. You’ll even have the opportunity to apply and receive an admission decision on the spot. Plus, enjoy a complimentary lunch in our award-winning dining hall. For more information about attending, email admissions@ferrum.edu or call 540-365-2121. Click here to register.

Fast Track Visit Day
2026-05-15 09:00 - 12:00 | Admissions, Spilman-Daniel House, 40 Stratton Lane, Ferrum, 24088, United States
Do everything in a day — come in for your Fast Track visit!
Schedule one day to come in and get your application done, your financial aid application finished, and everything else checked off the list. You’ll get your entire admission process completed in just a single day.
Register Now
*Taking place during the Black & Gold Open House.

Camp Fincastle Living History Day at the 1800 Farm Museum
2026-05-16 10:00 - 16:00 | Blue Ridge Institute and Museum, 20 Museum Dr., Ferrum, VA, 24088
Fincastle Company will have a FREE living history display at the Blue Ridge Farm Museum of Ferrum College on May 16.
Fincastle Company is a group of dedicated living historians who portray both military and civilian roles during the American War of Independence. They conduct extensive research and documentation on all the clothing and equipment used in order to be as accurate for the period as possible. The group performs living history displays at various historical sites throughout the mid-Atlantic region.
All are invited to come by for an immersive interactive experience and see what life was like in 18th-century Virginia! And, our 1800 living history farm will be open for tours!

Blue Ridge Farm Museum Open on Saturdays
2026-05-30 10:00 - 2026-09-05 16:00 | Blue Ridge Institute and Museum, 20 Museum Dr., Ferrum, VA, 24088
Immerse your senses in 1800 rural Blue Ridge life at the Blue Ridge Institute and Museum’s Blue Ridge Farm Museum, a re-created Virginia-German farmstead. Join our costumed interpreters in a host of household and farm chores, including preparing meals over the open hearth, driving oxen, blacksmithing, and tending heirloom gardens and historic breeds of animals.
The living history farm on Rt. 40 in Ferrum is open every Saturday until Sept. 5, 10 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Group Tours are available by reservation April through November.
Click HERE for more information.
See the Blue Ridge Institute and Museum – BRIM in social media for more photos and updates.

Mark Twain and Music
2026-06-16 09:30 - 13:00
This lifelong learning program about Mark Twain and music will include discussion by Professor of English Lana A. Whited, with musical selections performed by Fair and Austin Robey, followed by lunch.
While Mark Twain is celebrated for his razor-sharp wit and literary realism, less well known is his lifelong interest in music, spanning both American popular music and the European grand operatic tradition. Influences upon him and his writing included spirituals and the Delta blues, the Presbyterian church, contemporary songwriters, classical composers such as Richard Wagner, and the habits of piano-playing and singing that filled his household in Hartford, Connecticut.
Twain’s letters, personal journals, and novels such as Huckleberry Finn and Pudd’nhead Wilson reflect how Twain used music as a tool for social commentary, character development, nostalgia, and humor. Throughout Twain’s public career, his writing about music illustrates the same key tension existing between Samuel Langhorne Clemens and his famous persona, Mark Twain–between the serious writer/critic and the amateur, or “mucker” (as he termed it). For example, he both enjoyed opera and wrote, “I have attended operas, whenever I could not help it, for fourteen years now; I am sure I know of no agony comparable to the listening to an unfamiliar opera.” The evolution of Twain’s tastes and attitudes concerning music explain how his biographer Albert Bigelow Paine, who had earlier found the author “wanting in artistic taste,” could write that by age 70, Twain had “a passion for music.”
Presenter Bios:
Professor of English Lana Whited, the longest-serving full-time member of the faculty at Ferrum College, wrote her master’s thesis on Mark Twain and music at the College of William and Mary. She is the author and editor of essays and books on fantasy literature, and author of the scholarly book about true crime fiction, Murder, In Fact.

Fair Robey enjoyed a long career teaching music in the Franklin County Public Schools and currently serves as music director at Saint Peter’s-in-the-Mountains Episcopal Church. She is a member of her family’s popular local band, The Robeys. She has served as accompanist for many productions of the Blue Ridge Dinner Theatre at Ferrum College.

Austin Robey is Director of Admissions at Mountaintop Montessori School in Charlottesville and a member of his family’s popular local band, The Robeys.
Date: Tuesday, June 16, 2026Location: Phoebe Needles Center, 732 Turners Creek Road, Callaway, VA 24067Doors Open: 9:30 AMProgram Begins: 10:00 AMLunch Served: Noon
For more info: 540.483.1518 or events@phoebeneedles.org or visit the Adult Programs tab at phoebeneedles.org. Click ticket link for this event to purchase tickets!

Monday Music Jam
2026-06-22 19:00 - 20:30, 2026-06-29 19:00 - 20:30 | Blue Ridge Institute and Museum, 20 Museum Dr., Ferrum, VA, 24088
The Monday Music Jam at Ferrum College is a free weekly event on The Crooked Road: Virginia’s Heritage Music Trail. Every Monday of the year at 7:00, anyone can join in for an evening of authentic old-time and bluegrass music. You can play instruments, sing, dance, or just listen and enjoy.
Arrive any time between 7 p.m. and 8:30. Chairs are available for everyone and if you have mobility issues, or you’re carrying a big instrument, you can pull up right to the door, or near the pavilion. When the weather allows, the jam moves from the Blue Ridge Institute’s museum lobby (or sometimes indoors in Grousbeck Hall) to the Leo Scott Pavilion at the farm museum right across the road (Rt. 40).
See the Facebook page Appalachian Music at Ferrum College for more photos and video.

Franklin County Future Builders Academy - Concrete Week
2026-07-06 09:00 - 2026-07-10 15:00 | Ferrum College
Ready to get your hands dirty and explore a career that builds the world around you?
Join us for a FREE, fun, hands-on week for high school students interested in construction, engineering, design, and skilled trades. Focusing on the world of concrete construction, youth will explore the skilled trades using real tools and materials, and gain jobsite safety skills, all while being taught by industry professionals.
Transportation will be provided each day from The Franklin Center to Ferrum College’s beautiful campus. Students will also be provided lunch each day of the camp experience.
The camp is free for high-school-age students thanks to the generous sponsorship of Procon Inc. and Ferrum College in collaboration with the Franklin County Office of Economic Development.
Sign up today at https://buildsmartinstitute.classe365.com/…/application.
Event by Build Smart Institute, Ferrum College and Franklin County Office of Economic Development.
Click here for information about Carpentry Week, July 15-17.
See also Build Smart web page about 2026 Camps.

Franklin County Builders Academy - Carpentry Week
2026-07-13 09:00 - 2026-07-17 15:00 | Ferrum College
Ready to get your hands dirty and explore a career that builds the world around you?
Join us for a FREE, fun, hands-on week for high school students interested in construction, engineering, design, & skilled trades.
Focusing on the carpentry trade, youth will explore the skilled trades using real tools and materials, and gain jobsite safety skills, all while being taught by industry professionals.
Transportation will be provided each day from The Franklin Center to Ferrum College’s beautiful campus. Students will also be provided lunch each day of the camp experience.
The camp is free for high-school-age students thanks to the generous sponsorship of Virginia Housing and Ferrum College in collaboration with the Franklin County Office of Economic Development.
Learn more and sign up today at https://buildsmartinstitute.classe365.com/…/application.
Event by Build Smart Institute, Ferrum College and Franklin County Office of Economic Development.
Click here for information on Concrete Week, July 6-10.
See also Build Smart web page about 2026 Camps.

Monday Music Jam
2026-07-20 08:00 - 17:00 | Blue Ridge Institute and Museum, 20 Museum Dr., Ferrum, VA, 24088
The Monday Music Jam at Ferrum College is a free weekly event on The Crooked Road: Virginia’s Heritage Music Trail. Every Monday of the year at 7:00, anyone can join in for an evening of authentic old-time and bluegrass music. You can play instruments, sing, dance, or just listen and enjoy.
Arrive any time between 7 p.m. and 8:30. Chairs are available for everyone and if you have mobility issues, or you’re carrying a big instrument, you can pull up right to the door, or near the pavilion. When the weather allows, the jam moves from the Blue Ridge Institute’s museum lobby (or sometimes indoors in Grousbeck Hall) to the Leo Scott Pavilion at the farm museum right across the road (Rt. 40).
See the Facebook page Appalachian Music at Ferrum College for updates and more photos.

Monday Music Jam
2026-07-27 19:00 - 20:30, 2026-08-03 07:00 - 20:30 | Blue Ridge Institute and Museum, 20 Museum Dr., Ferrum, VA, 24088
The Monday Music Jam at Ferrum College is a free weekly event on The Crooked Road: Virginia’s Heritage Music Trail. Every Monday of the year at 7:00, anyone can join in for an evening of authentic old-time and bluegrass music. You can play instruments, sing, dance, or just listen and enjoy.
Arrive any time between 7 p.m. and 8:30. Chairs are available for everyone and if you have mobility issues, or you’re carrying a big instrument, you can pull up right to the door, or near the pavilion. When the weather allows, the jam moves from the Blue Ridge Institute’s museum lobby (or sometimes indoors in Grousbeck Hall) to the Leo Scott Pavilion at the farm museum right across the road (Rt. 40).
See the Facebook page Appalachian Music at Ferrum College for updates and more photos and video.

2026-27 Opening Welcome for Faculty and Staff
2026-08-03 09:00 - 11:00 | Garber Hall 106, 80 Wiley Drive, Ferrum, 24088, United States
All faculty and staff,
Please save Monday, August 3rd from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. on your calendars for the fall semester Opening Welcome. We will plan to gather in Garber 106 to hear highlights and updates from the past year and summer. Afterwards, you are invited to lunch in the dining hall.
Kind regards,
Courtney Brown
Chief of Staff & Operations Officer,
Liaison to the Board of Trustees

Photograph of campus courtesy of Dr. Bob Pohlad
