Did You Know?
The Blue Ridge Parkway boasts the most diverse range of flora and fauna in the entire National Park Service system. Photo by Ben Geer Keys
Galax - Home to Traditional Music and Heritage Arts & Crafts Photo by Chuck Riedhammer
Location
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Galax City Tourism
Galax, Virginia
276.238.8130
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http://www.visitgalax.com
Near milepost 215
Nestled deep in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Galax is close enough for a leisurely drive from several metropolitan areas but far enough to escape the toil and turmoil of urban living.
Once a furniture and textile town, Galax has evolved into an eclectic blend of businesses offering unique shopping, enticing dining, and a musical heritage unlike any other. As a preeminent destination on the Crooked Road and Virginia’s Heritage Music Trail, Galax is dubbed as one of the 10 Best Driving Vacations by USA Today. Be it bluegrass music in the spring, BBQ and beach music in July, or the World’s Largest Fiddler’s Convention in August, visitors will have a toe tappin’ good. Whether a day trip for a fun adventure or a weekend stay to explore all that Galax has to offer, visitors find themselves enchanted with the area and wanting to return again and again.
The land upon which the City now stands was originally a wide expanse of meadowland bisected by Chestnut Creek. In 1903, James P. Carico recruited prominent local citizens as investors in a real estate company, including Thomas Felts – a state senator and detective agency head. The original settlement was called “Cairo,” which was changed to “Bonaparte” when it became a town later that year after convincing Norfolk & Western Railway to run a rail spur into town. The main industry in the area was picking and processing Galax leaves, which are an abundant and protected plant along the present-day Blue Ridge Parkway. The green leaves were popular in floral arrangements and were shipped by rail all over the country. The town changed its name to Galax in 1905 and was granted its town charter by the Virginia General Assembly in 1906.
How We're Doing Our Part
Galax has always enjoyed a mutually beneficial relationship with the Blue Ridge Parkway. The Blue Ridge Music Center, at milepost 213, is just “Two Songs Away” from downtown Galax and sits upon land donated by the City in an effort to preserve its unique cultural heritage for visitors of all ages. The Galax Old Fiddler’s Convention and Leaf & String Festival, like the Parkway, annually showcase the region’s unique natural assets while Chestnut Creek School of the Arts in downtown Galax helps maintain all this history by offering classes in traditional arts and crafts handed down by local masters.
