By Melanie Forbes Cook

Executive Director,

Farmington Community Events Center

Black Friday meant lots of shopping – and a sold out crowd for the first Piedmont Opry at Farmington Community Events Center, as country music came home to the country.

The Piedmont Opry came about after discussions with Nashville resident and singer/songwriter, George Hamilton V.  The Board of Directors caught the vision and thus, a great partnership was born.

Country, americana and bluegrass music styles have been a part of the Farmington community for decades, with one of the early Farmington High School FFA bands receiving awards for their musical excellence.  It was only fitting that the backdrop of the old Farmington School become the home of The Piedmont Opry.

Hamilton’s father, George Hamilton IV, was a Winston-Salem native and performed extensively in the United States and abroad. The deep Piedmont roots of the Hamilton family also made Farmington the perfect home for The Piedmont Opry. The already active Monday evening bluegrass jams created a base of musicians, from which to grow.

The events center stage filled with talent, as artists from across North Carolina came to perform. Local artists joined with Durham resident and upright bass player, Billie Feather.  Piedmont residents Zach Dease and Richard Boyd brought their strong voices.  The Couldn’t Be Happiers, Sarah Durham, Mona Jo Griffin, The South Fork Cloggers, Laura Ingram Semilian, and the Farmington Bluegrass Jammers rounded out the two and a half hour show.

The events center had recently undergone a refurbishment project and the Friday night bands shared the stage that had been filled with school-children decades before.

One of the musicians described the history of the old school house, as displayed in The Founders Room, as having a haunting quality about it.  He shared that being in the historical building felt much like being in the old Ryman Auditorium, The Mother Church of country music in Nashville, Tenn.  There was the feeling of nostalgia and that of carrying on a tradition that preceded the artists on the stage.

Farmington Community Events Center and The Piedmont Opry are appreciative of 98.1 WBRF Radio, out of Galax, Va. for interviews and pre-show coverage as well as the Davie County Enterprise Record for including the event in the 2017 Discover Davie special insert.

The Piedmont Opry will be as a quarterly event, with the next show in March 2018.  Follow on Facebook or visit www.farmingtoncc.org where show information and ticket sale details.