The cold Richmond air was filled with the sounds of marching bands, cannon fire, and banjos tuning!
The Inauguration of the Virginia Governor, Lt. Governor, and Attorney General takes place on the Saturday following the second Wednesday in January. The ceremony is more than a swearing in of the Commonwealth’s three highest officials, but is a celebration of the state’s rich culture and long history.
Celebrants and elected officials gather on the grounds of the Capitol building to witness the swearing in ceremony at noon, followed by the Governor’s Inaugural Address. Immediately following the address begins the Inaugural Parade which features civic groups, state agencies, and cultural presentations from across the Commonwealth.
The Crooked Road: Virginia’s Heritage Music Trail has been part of this honored tradition many times for both Republican and Democratic administrations. This year’s presentation consisted of The Crooked Road’s Marching String Band, a fitting and creative take on parade marching bands.
The Crooked Road String Band waits for the parade lineup to begin.
The band consisted of 25 plus musicians picking guitars, mandolins, banjos, and fiddles. Musicians warmed up outside of the designated parking area as rain began to fall. Quick thinking parade volunteers quickly grabbed trash bags so that each instrument would be covered once the lineup began.
The Crooked Road followed behind participants from Virginia Tourism. We were joined by Virginia Tourism CEO Rita McClenny for a photo opportunity before the start of the parade.
Finally, after a few hours of waiting in the damp and cold, the parade began. The Crooked Road Marching String Band took their positions and strolled into the Capitol grounds. Serendipitously, as the band rounded the corner and stepped up toward the grandstands, the sun broke through the clouds just as the fiddles began to saw off “Fly Around My Pretty Little Miss”. Musicians marched past the dais as the newly inaugurated Governor clapped along to the tune. As the crowd cheered, several musicians stopped their playing and broke into the traditional flat-foot style dance that is practiced in nearly every community in Southwest Virginia.
The Crooked Road Marching String Band rounding the corner of the Capitol building.
It was an honor for The Crooked Road: Virginia’s Heritage Music Trail to be featured in the celebration and the trip would not have been possible without the generous support of our sponsors, Food City, Appalachian Power, and First Bank & Trust.
