8/11/2021
New to this year’s festival, the BRIM is offering a $5 discount for every festival ticket pre-sold online. Purchase tickets online here. If bought in-person on the day of the festival, tickets are $15 each.
With food, music, and crafts, and events like horse pulls, mule jumps, and coon dog races, the Blue Ridge Folklife Festival has been called “thoroughly authentic” by the New York Times. It’s also a major venue on the Crooked Road: Virginia’s Heritage Music Trail. See photos from 2019’s Folklife Festival here.
The BRIM also invites patrons to become “Friends of the BRIM.” Members get exclusive benefits like free tickets to the Folklife Festival, free admission to the Farm Museum, discounts on workshops and gift shop items, and more. Click here to become a member.
Members of the Scott family cut the ribbon commemorating the Leo H. Scott Educational Pavilion.
The Blue Ridge Institute and Museum at Ferrum College celebrated the completion of the Leo H. Scott Educational Pavilion with a ribbon cutting ceremony at the Blue Ridge Farm Museum on Wednesday, October 16, 2019.
Leo Scott was often called the backbone of the Ferrum community.
Named for the late Leo Hamilton Scott, a Ferrum local who was often described as the backbone of the community, the pavilion was made possible by his wife Geraldine Scott and her grandchildren Chase and Kelli. The Scott family is a longtime presence in the town of Ferrum and strong supporters of the Blue Ridge Institute and Museum, and Ferrum College.
“The educational pavilion is my special gift to Leo,” said Geraldine. “It means a great deal to me for everyone to be able to use it, from school children, to the Ferrum community for reunions and parties, to college students. I can’t wait to see it in use.”
Scott was a 1951 graduate of Ferrum Junior College. In 1953, he founded Leo Scott Cabinets and employed many local father and son pairs to custom-make cabinets that were shipped throughout southeast Virginia. Scott was active in the Ferrum community; he founded the Ferrum Rescue Squad and Ferrum Volunteer Fire Department. In 2001, Ferrum College awarded Scott the Benjamin M. Beckham Medallion, the most prestigious alumni award named after the College’s first president. He was also named Franklin County’s Farmer of the Year in 2013. Scott passed away in February 2017 at age 84.
“We are so grateful to the Scott family for this generous gift to the 1800s farm museum,” said Bethany Worley, director of the Blue Ridge Institute and Museum. “We’ve needed an educational facility for decades to serve our growing numbers of school tours, homeschooling events, and for the annual Blue Ridge Folklife Festival. The Leo H. Scott Educational Pavilion will also be instrumental in our community fellowship. Everyone can be a part of Ferrum College.”
“The Leo H. Scott Educational Pavilion will be a center for learning, recreation, and reflection for years to come,” said Ferrum College President David Johns. “It will stand as a lasting memorial to a beloved member of this community. We are grateful to Geraldine Scott for her gift to Ferrum College and to the Village of Ferrum.”
Read more about Leo Hamilton Scott in this Franklin News Post article.
Learn more about the Blue Ridge Institute and Museum here.
