News Release

Public invited to 2019 Blue Ridge Parkway Season Preview Events

Date: March 12, 2019
Contact: Leesa Brandon, [phone]
Contact: Caitlin Worth, [phone]

The National Park Service invites the public to attend its upcoming Blue Ridge Parkway Season Preview, an open house style event highlighting Parkway activities and upcoming projects. The Parkway is hosting two Season Preview events this year. The first Season Preview will be held at the American Legion building in Blowing Rock, North Carolina on April 3, 2019. The second event will be held on April 4, 2019 at the Virginia Horse Center in Lexington, Virginia.. The goal of these events is to promote awareness and understanding among Parkway communities, neighbors and visitors of the National Park Service’s stewardship mission.

National Park Service staff will be on hand at each event to provide a “behind the scenes” look into the Parkway. The events will highlight over 20 information stations with park staff and partners at each station to answer questions and discuss upcoming projects.  

“We’re excited to host the 2019 Season Preview events, and look forward to meeting many Parkway neighbors and friends,” said J.D. Lee, Parkway Superintendent. “These events take the Parkway into local communities and create opportunities to celebrate the important relationship between the Parkway and the Blue Ridge region.”

Representatives from Parkway partner groups including the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation, Friends of the Blue Ridge Parkway, Eastern National and other non-profits who support the Parkway will also be on hand to discuss the roles each group plays and how to get involved in this work.

NORTH CAROLINA 2019 Blue Ridge Parkway Season Preview Event

What: Public is invited to meet National Park Service staff and learn more about the Blue Ridge Parkway.

When: 4:00 – 6:00 p.m., Wednesday, April 3, 2019

Where: American Legion Building – 333 Wallingford Road, Blowing Rock, NC

Who: Parkway Superintendent J.D. Lee along with other representatives of the Parkway’s management team, staff and partners

VIRGINIA 2019 Blue Ridge Parkway Season Preview Event

What: Public is invited to meet National Park Service staff and learn more about the Blue Ridge Parkway.

When: 4:00 – 6:00 p.m., Thursday, April 4, 2019

Where: Virginia Horse Center Mezzanine – 487 Maury River Road, Lexington, VA

Who: Parkway Superintendent J.D. Lee along with other representatives of the Parkway’s management team, staff and partners

About the Blue Ridge Parkway

The 469-mile Blue Ridge Parkway connects Shenandoah National Park to the north with Great Smoky Mountains National Park to the south. The route travels the crests, ridges, and valleys of five major mountain ranges, encompassing several geographic and vegetative zones ranging from 600 to more than 6,000 feet above sea level. It provides visitors with many varied vistas of scenic Appalachian landscapes ranging from forested ridgetops and mountain slopes to rural farm lands and urban areas. The parkway offers a “ride-a-while, stop-a-while” experience that includes scenic pullouts, recreation areas, historic sites, and visitor contact stations. It is known nationally and internationally for its designed landscape as a scenic motorway. www.nps.gov/blri