Venues
From porches, parlors and patios to parks and pubs, old-time music and bluegrass have filled the air on the Highlands Plateau from the time settlers first arrived. Highlands only needs a streetlight and a corner to have a hoedown. Helen’s Barn was “the Great Equalizer,” which brought generations of people from all walks of life together for a communal celebration. Still, today, the old-time and bluegrass sounds can be heard at the Ugly Dog Pub for Bluegrass Wednesdays and those same sounds ring out in church services up and down the mountain on Sundays. Each summer the Plateau swells with events such as the Bear Shadow Festival, Porchfest, and Friday Night Live and Saturdays on Pine hosted by the Highlands Chamber of Commerce. Autumn also brings the Highlands Food and Wine Festival to the Plateau each year. These events combine to bring traditional string music back to life for locals and tourists alike.