You are amazing! You and hundreds more Blue Ridge Parkway supporters gave $300,000 to the Trails & Views Forever program and secured a $300,000 challenge grant from an anonymous donor. That’s a grand total of $600,000 to repair and renew trails, overlooks, campgrounds, and picnic areas on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Cue the confetti and balloons! We can't thank you enough.
Your Gifts at Work Webinar
An image of a bear cub taken by a motion-activated wildlife camera
Providing funding and volunteer hours to install motion cameras to snap photos of wildlife is just one of the ways donors have helped the Blue Ridge Parkway.
Whether you are a new donor, volunteer, or you've been with us since the Foundation's start in 1997, please join us for our next Insider's webinar at 11 a.m., Tuesday, July 28 . CEO Carolyn Ward will highlight how your contributions are transforming the Blue Ridge Parkway for the better. It’s also a great opportunity to invite friends and family to learn how they can join this journey to protect the Parkway.
If you've missed our past webinars, or want to share them with family and friends, please visit our YouTube channel , where we post every webinar, including last week’s excellent feature on Flat Top Manor & the Estate of Moses & Bertha Cone . 

We want to make your Picnic for the Parkway extra special, so Ashley English, author of A Year Of Picnics: Recipes for Dining Well in the Great Outdoors, is sharing tips for a successful excursion and delectable recipes for an inspired outdoor dining experience on the Blue Ridge Parkway. In her blog , she shares how to make Israeli Couscous Feta & Herb Salad, Chimichurri Chicken, and more. Plus, you can enter a drawing to win her book!
What’s New Is Old at The Bluffs
The interior at The Bluffs Restaurant
We are getting oh-so-close to welcoming guests to The Bluffs Restaurant. In the meantime, here is a peek at how it is all coming together to look like it used to, including the checkerboard tile floor, the stools and lunch counter, and the historical images decorating the walls. Be sure to follow the progress on Facebook and Instagram .
Trails & Views Forever Program Manager Audrey Pearson
Our new volunteer coordinator, Audrey Pearson, is hitting the ground running with two volunteer training sessions at Moses H. Cone Memorial Park, milepost 294 near Blowing Rock, N.C. On August 5 , receive string trimmer training and then put those skills to work. On August 21 , learn how to properly prune the estate’s beautiful hydrangeas. Each training is limited to 10 volunteers. To sign up or to welcome Audrey, contact her at apearson@brpfoundation.org or (866) 308-2773, ext. 19.
Now Open on the Parkway
Bill and Maggie Anderson play tunes for visitors at the Blue Ridge Music Center
Midday Mountain Music is back at the Blue Ridge Music Center with local musicians playing tunes and sharing tales from noon to 4 p.m., Thursday through Sunday in the fresh air. The gift shop is set up in the Luthier Shop and is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. the same days. The Roots of American Music exhibit remains closed. Saturday concerts series resume next month starting with High Fidelity and the New Ballards Branch Bogtrotters on August 1.

Flat Top Manor
The Parkway Craft Center and bookstore in Flat Top Manor at  Moses H. Cone Memorial Park are now open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday through Sunday. Other areas in the house remain closed, but the grounds and carriage trails are open.

Additional News
The National Park Service is working to safely reopen areas of the Parkway. This careful process means news can change frequently. For the most up-to-date information, visit the National Park Service's Parkway pages, for:


Please check these resources before your visit to stay safe and know where to go.
Whether you hike, bike, paddle, or play disc golf, enjoy your favorite Kids in Parks location on National TRACK Trails Day on Saturday, August 15 ! Find an adventure at KidsinParks.com , or use one of the e-Adventures in your backyard, neighborhood, or favorite park or trail! You can also participate in our 3x3 Challenge, a weekend-long event where the goal is to hike, bike, run, walk, or paddle a total of nine miles! There’s even an official event T-shirt !
Do you want to create an enduring legacy that protects the Blue Ridge Parkway for generations to come? You can do it today by including the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation in your estate plans. With a planned gift, you become a member of The Andr é Michaux Society, which honors the French botanist and explorer. For more information, visit BRPFoundation.org/plannedgiving or call Jordan Calaway at (866) 308-2773, ext. 245.
As the primary fundraising partner, 501(c)(3), and a trusted steward of the  Blue Ridge Parkway , the Foundation is forever committed to preserving the past, enhancing the present, and safeguarding the future of America's Favorite Journey . BRPFoundation.org