By Ron Fitzwater

Although the stage and dance floor inside the Mountain Music Jamboree are quiet at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday

night, it is no more than the calm before a civilized storm. Jamboree owner Arvill Scott is busy running back and forth checking this and that in a manner reserved for those folks who do it all themselves.

Scott is owner, operator, D.J., sometime picker, janitor and full-time life of the party, just to name a few posi-tions, for the Ashe County venue, which is now in its 22nd year and third location, having outgrown the previous two in fairly short order.

"In 1987 a group of us [local musicians] were getting together for jam sessions on a fairly regular basis and as part of that, we decided that rather than going and playing at different places away from the county that we would just start something of our own and make it close by," Scott said.

"We located a place in Laurel Springs which was the old abandoned Laurel Springs Schoolhouse, and started the jamboree there Memorial Day Weekend 1987.

"We stayed there for five years in the school's auditorium, which had a wonderful air about it with a hard-wood floor, seats all around it and great acoustics. We had some wonderful times there, and the people who were there behind the bands and the music really made it special. They came from everywhere around the area just by word of mouth and brochures, but mostly from people telling people.

In five years, it had grown to the point that 130 to 150 people were too much for the room to hold so we had to start looking for someplace to go."

As it turned out, Scott and his friends had a neighbor, Tom Burgess, who had in his possession "a bunch of Hurricane Hugo timbers that he wanted to build something out of, so he built a music barn." The Jamboree was at the Burgess Barn for nine years, operating from May to October. The coldest months they were forced to close because of heating issues.

Scott said that eventually they began to outgrow the barn as well, even though it could hold around 200 peo-ple, and so he once again started to look for a new home for the jamboree.

It was at that time that Scott says there was some divine intervention. "Things began to happen for me that were beyond coincidence. First, I had a piece of land that I put a 'for sale' sign in the yard of, and somebody came along and took it at the price I was asking. So I had another piece of land and I thought 'well, that sold easy I'll see if I can get some more money together to find a place to relocate' and that piece of property sold in two weeks. I looked around for land I thought would be suitable and wasn't having a lot of luck. I came home one day and there was a message on my answering machine telling me about this piece of property and by 10 o'clock the next morning I had purchased it. I truly felt like the hand of God had been clearing the way for me. That was the birth of this place and we opened the doors the first weekend in April of 2002," Scott said.

From that day until now, the jamboree has continued to grow in popularity both near and far. As testament to that popularity you can find three maps hanging just as you enter the building; one of North Carolina, one of the United States and one of the World. Covering those maps, with a few more on the world map than you might expect, are push pins, put there by visitors.

"It is amazing how many people have come here. We have literally had tens of thousands of visitors in 21 years. One night we had two separate couples in here, sitting on opposite sides of the room, who were both from South Africa. Now they didn't come together, but they were here at the same time. It is just amazing to me at times," Scott said.

Scott feels that the reason why the jamboree has been so successful is that they present an honest show with traditional music played by people who love it with some often-unexpected down-home fun during band breaks.

Sometimes music is played for line dancing and, on many occasions, Scott will break out a good old Virginia Reel.

"I never wanted this place to be about making payments, I wanted it to be about making music in a family atmosphere and I think we have achieved that," he said.

In addition to the music, which is served up fresh every Saturday night, the jamboree offers up the Winner's Circle buffet from May to October and, on special occasions. year-round.

Of course the most important part of any local business is the local part of it, and Scott said that he would love to see more local folks coming out for the weekly shows.

"I want folks who don't know to hear that we are a family place where you can come and laugh and dance and just enjoy traditional music and the tradition of a barn dance."

The doors open at 6 p.m. and the bands start around 7 p.m., 6:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. respectively November through April.

The Mountain Music Jamboree is a smoke and alcohol-free family entertainment venue, located at 9331 N.C. Highway 16 in Glendale Springs.

For more information on Mountain Music Jamboree, to see band schedules or make reservations, click to www.mountainmusicjamboree.com. Reservations may also be made by calling (336) 384-4079 or toll free (800) 803-4079.