Much of America’s music was invented in Virginia, and Galax and surrounding communities have long been an epicenter for the keeping of historic sounds and the creation of new ones. Greenberry Leonard lived in the Old Town section of Galax and knew tunes he’d learned when Andrew Jackson was president. Leonard’s student, Emmett Lundy, born before the Civil War, brought those tunes to the 1930s and was recorded by Alan Lomax for the Library of Congress. Made famous by early radio, the Hil Billies gave their name to hillbilly music. AGalax barbershop band, they were active from 1924 until 1932, performed for President Coolidge, made the first sound film devoted to country music (1928), and toured vaudeville theaters ni the eastern USA. In 1927 Galax Mayor DaCosta Woltz created a band, the Southern Broadcasters, who made notable and influential recordings. The Galax Moose Lodge organized the first Old Fiddlers Convention in 1935. This weeklong annual event is the nation’s most respected event of its type.

The Rex Theater and many jam sessions in Galax offer music by local artists. Only “Two songs away from Galax” is the Blue Ridge Music Center, at milepost 213 on the Blue Ridge Parkway. The Center is home to live music performances and historic exhibits. The New River Trail State Park is a 57 mile walking, bicycling, and equestrian trail that showcases a variety of scenic locations including Foster Falls and
Chestnut Creek Falls. The river offers fishing, rafting, and canoeing opportunities for the outdoor enthusiast.