The Bascom to host community barn dance on Aug. 17.
Dust off your boots and get ready to swing your partner and ‘round and ‘round with an old-school barn dance.
The Bascom will host a community barn dance Thursday, Aug. 17 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on its campus. It will be an outdoor event but the dancing will commence rain or shine. The venue has a covered outdoor terrace and curtain walls can be dropped as needed.
Tickets for the event are $10. Children 12 and under get in free. Registration is not necessary, although it is encouraged so The Bascom can properly prepare. Attendees can register online at thebascom.org. From there, navigate to ‘Gather’ at the top menu and then ‘Special Events’. Attendees can also purchase tickets at the event.
The event will include live music from Jackson Grimm and the Bull Moose Party, old time country dance caller Tom Tyre from Franklin, and an old-fashioned popcorn machine. There will also be a cash bar for alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages.
Billy Love, deputy executive director of The Bascom, said Grimm has previously been part of the Junior Appalachian Musicians Program with Blue Ridge School.
There is no need to worry about rusty moves.
“Everything is geared toward beginners. People don’t need experience. [Tyre is] going to walk [attendees] through a few beginner moves so we can get people out on the dance floor to experience those traditional dance moves,” Love said.
Love said Tyre will add a bit of history to the dances, and hopefully this will help encourage people to hit the dance floor together.
The Bascom’s barn dances were an annual event since 2011 but this is the first barn dance since 2019. Bascom barn dances were previously held in its Thompson Gallery, but have since been held outside.
“I think it’s a pretty similar format [to years prior]. Really, not much has changed,” Love said. “It’s really a community event. It’s just an opportunity to bring people together on the Bascom campus for an accessible, fun evening of dance and music.”
“It’s kind of bringing back a tradition that people are used to,” said Bianca Mitchell, marketing director.
Helen’s Barn was a prominent location in Highlands that used to hold barn dances. Love and Mitchell said they want this event to keep these activities alive and acknowledge traditions.
“It’s still relatively popular in this area,” Love said.
For more information, visit thebascom.org.