By Edgar Miller, Executive Director
The recently reconstituted Happy Valley Jamboree will be held Labor Day weekend, September 4-6, at the Jones Farm located at 3590 NC Highway 268, Lenoir, NC. Yadkin Riverkeeper will be sponsoring a River cleanup beginning at 1 PM on Friday, September 4 (exact location TBD depending on water levels) and a recreational paddle on Saturday, September 5, starting at 10 AM from the Jones Farm to Elk Creek on the Upper Yadkin River.
The Happy Valley Jamboree is a free, three-day music and storytelling festival in the heart of Happy Valley celebrating the region’s deep musical heritage and history. The Jamboree site at the Jones Farm is bordered by a scenic stretch of the Yadkin River and offers riverside camping for the low price of $25 for the entire weekend per site or $10 per night.
Bring your own boat for the cleanup and or paddle or rent one from Upper Yadkin Outfitters, who also will be providing complementary shuttle services for the cleanup and recrational paddles.
The upper Yadkin River Valley, known historically as Happy Valley, is a beautiful mountain valley carved by the Yadkin River and surrounded by the Brushy Mountains. The area is rich in history, including 13 sites on the National Register of Historic Places and the grave sites of both Laura Foster and her alleged murderer Tom Dula, who was hanged in Statesville for her murder.
The Valley is home to the Whippoorwill Academy and Village, a recreated Scottish settlement; Fort Defiance, the restored home of Revolutionary War General William Lenoir, on which the NC portion of the popular TV series “The Outlander” is believed to be based; and The Patterson School, which offers overnight lodging and is now the home to the WNC Sculpture Center and Park. At the upper end of Happy Valley is the Happy Valley Filling Station, which is a microbrewery and wood-fired pizza restaurant, and highly recommended by YRK.
Come paddle the Yadkin where it runs clean and clear like a mountain stream. For more information contact Ward Swann, Yadkin River State Trail Coordinator, at ward@yadkinriverekeeper.org.